Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Attack the "lower levels".

The first "adventure" to be encountered after reaching Lv.4.

From that moment on, I began to look forward to the "unknown" that I would challenge with my companions the next day.

Volume 12, Chapter 3: The New World ~Water Island~

The passageway connecting the 24th floor to the lower floors is a cave covered in crystals.

"Ice...no, it's crystal..."

We set off from the camp and arrived at the deepest chamber on the 24th floor. After defeating the monster inside, we gathered in front of the only tree hole on the wall, which was covered in crystals as if frozen.

The crystal cave absorbed Lily's voice, shrouded in a thin gloom, with a gentle, sloping path winding downwards. A cool breeze blew from the depths of the cave. This airflow, absent from the "Great Tree Maze" they had traveled through, brushed against their hair, unmistakably foreshadowing the stage for the next adventure.

We looked at each other, and with Miss Aisha's smiling chin raised in urging, we stepped into the cave.

I walked at the front of the group, carrying the portable magic stone lamps that Miss Haruhime had given everyone as I descended the slope. The vanguard and middle guards were also equipped with magic stone lamps, while Miss Aisha, who was at the rear, used the bottled blue moss she had brought as a substitute. We proceeded cautiously through the smooth cavern where the floor, walls, and ceiling resembled an ice cave.

Go down, down, into the depths of the long cave.

"The sound of water..."

As the sloping road gradually came into view, a pale blue light shone in from the exit, and a sound was heard coming from there. Miss Ming whispered.

The sound of the water splashing grew louder and louder, becoming clearly audible.

At that moment, I felt neither nervous nor uneasy; I was simply focused on following the instinct of an adventurer to pursue the "unknown" ahead.

After descending the entire sloping path, we arrived outside the cave.

"──"

For a moment, I was speechless.

The breathtaking view that struck my eyes captivated me.

The magnificent waterfall plays a thunderous sound.

Crystal peaks form valleys or cliffs.

Amidst the spray of water like mist, half-human, half-bird (Happy) or half-singing bird (Sylvanas) soar through the air. Their high-pitched cries ring out loudly, and the trails of falling feathers traverse the vast emptiness.

The enormous "Water Paradise" is located here.

"Wow, that's amazing..."

Behind me, Welf and the others stood frozen in place, witnessing this scene.

The natural scenery existing in the underground city dazzles everyone, and what particularly catches everyone's eye is the large waterfall located directly in front of their view.

"This is the one that's been rumored to be..."

"The Giant Waterfall..."

Miss Fate and Lily's whispers disappeared into the roar of the waterfall.

The sound of the waterfall was like thunder and clouds singing in unison. The rumbling sound, like the earth shaking, carried hundreds of meters away to us, shaking our eardrums.

"Giant Cang Waterfall".

That was a truly enormous waterfall, originating from the 25th level of the lower area; its width, even by visual estimation, was about 400 meters, and its height was easily twice that. Perhaps due to the reflection of light, the cascading water appeared emerald blue. The waterfall was so beautiful that it made one forget that this was a perilous underground city.

While moved, a chilling fear also gripped my heart—a sense of terror. Right across from the waterfall, directly below the crystal cliff where we stood, lay a vast, gaping pool. A fall would be fatal, even for a seasoned adventurer. And what was truly unbelievable was that the waterfall itself continued to cascade downwards from this pool.

That's right, just like a staircase, the waterfall runs through the 25th floor and down to the next floor.

"This ridiculously large waterfall runs through the building, leading to the 26th and 27th floors. Oh, don't worry, the monsters won't swim up from below the waterfall. There are a few exceptions, though."

Upon hearing what Miss Aisha said, both Mr. Sakura and Ms. Chigusa gasped.

A waterfall cascading through the entire floor. This is a phenomenon that could never have been found in any of the dungeon floors explored before. It's often said that an adventurer's common sense is repeatedly challenged, and this is certainly what it refers to.

The waterfall is located in this deepest, open cavern, which may be about a quarter the size of the 18th floor.

"How are we supposed to get to the 26th floor like this...? Are we supposed to climb down a cliff?"

"As usual, there's still a maze. And lots of slopes and stairs like mountains. We just need to go down these, and look, we'll get to the cave over there."

Miss Aisha answered Welf's groan, pointing to the bottom of the 25th floor, adjacent to the edge of the waterfall pool. It was too small to see clearly from this side, but there was indeed an opening in the cave.

The structure from level 25 to level 27 is multi-level. Adventurers must navigate up and down terrain at the same elevation as the "Giant Waterfall" to reach the passageway leading to the next level, which is located in the same spot as the waterfall pool. If you jump directly down, you can reach level 27 in one step, but it's easy to imagine that your body will be smashed to pieces.

Lily and the others, along with Miss Daphne and the others, were staring intently at the landscape below, while I, on the contrary, was looking up at the sky.

The "Giant Waterfall" cascades down from near the top of the 25th floor.

Directly above the waterfall, the ceiling of the building bears the afterimage of a "maze of giant trees"—extremely thick tree roots, at least five meters in diameter, radiate outwards.

(They came down from there...)

I turned my head back to face the view and once again looked around at the magnificent scenery.

When I saw the 18th floor, "Under Resort," I was also shocked and amazed, but... I feel the same way now.

Although Miss Eina's lectures gave me knowledge, I still couldn't suppress the surge of emotion I felt when faced with the actual landscape.

I think my current mood is one of trembling, nervousness, excitement, and the impact of the "unknown"... making me feel excited and expectant.

This three-story, hollowed-out area, connected by a waterfall, is called "Water City".

From ancient times to the present, adventurers have called it the "New World," a mysterious realm of dungeons.

"Alright, stop standing there, it's time to move. If we stay here, those half-human, half-bird creatures flying around might attack."

Miss Aisha's words pulled us back to reality from our daze.

We adventurers and supporters are very pragmatic. The moment we heard "we might be attacked," we immediately became sensitive and snapped back to reality, putting aside our initial feelings of gratitude and getting down to business.

"Follow the path that extends to the left, close to the wall. In reality, it's just a single path. There's a cave ahead that leads into a typical maze."

Miss Aisha, as if she knew the place well, gestured with her chin towards the crystal bridge—the cliff path—that jutted out from the side.

We are currently on a cliff face, with a sheer drop from the right to the front. Only on the left, along a large circular opening, is there a continuous path. Of course, there are no railings along the path; if you slip, you'll fall headfirst into the waterfall pool far below.

I mentally mapped out the "guilds" and organized the information.

The cliff face we are currently on is the southernmost point of the 24th floor passageway. The vast open space in front of us and the "Giant Waterfall" are located precisely at the center of the floor. The 26th floor passageway that Miss Aisha pointed to is to the southeast.

Next, as Miss Aisha instructed, we should walk west along the wall of the large hollow, enter the labyrinth inside the cliff through the cave ahead, and then circle around from the west to the north (inside the waterfall) and east, proceeding towards the underground passage at the bottom of the levels. Simply put, it's clockwise from south to southeast.

Led by me, the team advanced along the cliff path.

The road is about three meters wide, with a wall on the left and a sheer cliff on the right.

Miss Cassandra absolutely refused to look to the right.

Near the "Giant Waterfall," bird-like monsters, some half-human and some half-bird, soared through the air, howling. Fortunately, they didn't seem to have noticed us yet. We didn't want to fight on this cliffside path; it seemed better to enter the maze early. If attacked by flying monsters, we'd probably have to fight with bows and arrows or "magic," or raise our shields and cower like turtles.

Upon closer inspection, you'll see that there's also a crystal path protruding from the cliff at the "Giant Waterfall," resembling a bridge.

We're not going to have to go back there again, are we...?

"Hey Bell, is everything on this floor made of crystal?"

"I've heard there are plants too, but... Miss Eina told me they're mostly crystals."

I nodded in response to the voice coming from Welf directly behind me, while gazing at the cliff face to my left and the large hollow to my right.

The cliffs, the rocky ground, and even the cliffside path we're walking on—all the materials that make up the floors are formed from crystal dyed a deep blue-green. Its color is much darker than the crystal on the 18th floor, and it has faint stripes, making it look like ordinary rock at first glance.

The light illuminating the floor comes from transparent white crystals. These crystals vary in size, and although there are some stamen-shaped crystals growing on the cliff walls or at the foot of the building, they emit less light. Apart from the shimmering blue-emerald-colored "giant waterfall," the entire floor is shrouded in a pale, dim light.

"Haruhime came here with Miss Aisha, didn't she...?"

"Yes, Lady Chigusa. I remember being stuffed into the cargo box at the time, and although I didn't have a chance to look at it closely, I was still greatly amazed."

From the center-back position behind, I heard this conversation again.

A quick glance revealed Miss Chigusa still admiring the breathtaking view from the building, while beside her, Miss Haruhime's voice was cheerful and lively, something tucked into the back of her robe and moving around. It must be a fox tail wagging.

Even girls are mesmerized by such a "dreamy pale blue" hue. The atmosphere of this floor evokes that very description.

"However, where does that waterfall go? With such a large amount of water flowing continuously, even if it flows through several floors, it seems like it will soon cause a flood..."

"The water flowing here originates from the bottom of the waterfall pool on the 27th floor and flows to the surface. You know the port city (Mellen) next to Orario, right? It's the brackish lake (Lake Rolog) that leads there. However, it's now sealed off like the Tower of Babel, so... it's possible that the dungeon is sucking the water away."

Miss Aisha answered Miss Ming's question this time.

Legend has it that in the distant "ancient times," aquatic monsters once ventured into the outside world via this route, sweeping across the land and oceans. This was something Miss Eina taught me during her lecture.

As they talked, they gradually saw the cave on the west wall, and the long cliff path finally came to an end.

We didn't fight at the edge of the cliff; we just stepped into the maze.

"Lily, please double-check first."

The cave's structure, branching off from the entrance into several horizontal passages, resembles a "cave labyrinth" in the middle level, as if all the gray rocks there had been replaced with deep blue crystal.

We took a short break at the spot in front of the cave and began our discussion with Lily at the center.

"To report the completion of the 'Mandatory Quest' to the management (guild), the required types and quantities of 'dropped items' are as follows: ten 'Metal Blue Crab Steel Shells' and three 'Great Water Serpent Fins', or thirty 'Ambush Monster Fangs'. For rare monsters, only one 'Carbonkel's Mystic Crystal' is needed. For resources, 1000G of 'Azure Stone' is required."

Lily put her heavy-looking backpack back on and took out a piece of parchment (a note) from her bosom and read it aloud.

Since this was our first time exploring the underground waters, we found that many of the items were related to water.

"Please focus your search on the monsters or resources that Lily has mentioned. Regarding the exploration range, Lily, we have already achieved the goal of reaching the 'lower level,' so Lily believes that we don't need to force ourselves to go to the 26th level."

"In other words, you think we should explore this 25th floor more carefully?"

"Yes, after all, this is everyone's first time in this floor area. For the remaining six days of the expedition, Lily thinks it would be better to use the 24th floor camp we used yesterday as a base and travel back and forth between the camp and the 25th floor."

Miss Ming, please confirm. Lily nodded in response.

Welf and the others seemed to agree with her explanation. I had no objection either. To adapt to the drastically different environment starting from the "lower levels," repeated attacks from the campsite seemed to be the best approach.

"Adventurers should not take risks." Even if we must be mentally prepared to face unavoidable difficulties, this "expedition" should still be carried out in accordance with Miss Eina's consistent principles.

"As mentioned before departure, this floor, just like its appearance suggests, will be home to various aquatic monsters. This may sound like a stretch, but please try to avoid getting close to the water."

As we were expressing our agreement after Lily finished explaining the "lower-level" policies and precautions, she looked around the entire team.

"And just to be on the safe side... everyone, have you all equipped yourselves with the 'undine cloths' that were distributed this morning?"

Lily's eyes were fixed on our new clothes.

For me, it was a shirt and trousers; for Welf, it was a kimono; for Miss Mikoto and Mr. Sakura, it was Far Eastern-style combat attire; and for Miss Haruhime, it was shrine maiden-style clothing… All the clothing was made of a light and flowing pale blue fabric. This common material was actually “fairy spirit cloth.”

This "water spirit cloth" is the exact opposite of the "fire spirit cloth (salamander wool)" we equipped when conquering the 13th floor; it has water resistance. It is an indispensable piece of equipment when conquering the "Water Maze".

Most importantly, water essence treatments only realize their true value when placed in water.

It reduces water resistance or pressure, providing adventurers with benefits during water activities. Simply put, it makes swimming faster. Some even say that the "Water Sprite Cloth" is essential when handling water-related adventurer quests.

Miss Daphne and the others also donned these "Celestial Protectors," custom-made combat suits ordered and prepared in advance by our [Hestia Familia] as the organizers of the expedition from the "Tower of Babel" specialty shop. While collecting "Celestial Protectors" for everyone wasn't cheap, fortunately, we had enough money—incidentally, only Miss Aisha's was one she already possessed—

With this equipment, the danger of falling into the water will be greatly reduced.

"Can't you see this garish color, Lily? Everyone's wearing something, okay?"

"Just to be on the safe side! We've spent a fortune preparing protective clothing for everyone this time, so we definitely need everyone to perform well and make sure the 'Expedition's' revenue exceeds its expenses...!"

"Miss Lily is so scary."

Welf, perhaps as always, seemed averse to anything related to "fairies," and his answer was somewhat perfunctory. As for Miss Cassandra, who was equipped with a formal "water sprite protective cloth," she was intimidated by Lily's aggressive attitude.

Incidentally, the profit sharing for the "Expedition" is scheduled to be adjusted based on the number of personnel dispatched by each faction.

"Lady Aisha, do you have any other suggestions?"

“Well…”

Lily finally consulted Miss Aisha, who had experience with the floors. The shrew shook her pale blue Amazonian warrior outfit and glanced at the members of the Hestia Familia.

"What's special about this floor is that, in addition to aquatic monsters, there are also many humanoid monsters."

The songbird, the half-human half-bird, the mermaid, and then probably the half-human half-snake (Lamia).

I remember Miss Eina teaching me something like that during her lectures.

"You might panic at first, but don't hesitate. If you think, 'It might suddenly start talking,' you'll be the one getting killed."

"!"

This was probably addressed to the Hestia Familia. Miss Aisha knew of the existence of the "heretics" and was reminding us that we must not be misled no matter what.

Welf, Lily, Miss Mikoto, and Miss Haruhime all fell silent and nodded heavily.