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

Not only that, the vines, bathed in healing magical light, grew even more—becoming more active and causing the leaves to flourish.

"Ugh, ugh...!"

"No, no, I can't get rid of these 'vines'...! My power can't cure this!"

Faced with Miss Chigusa, who was sweating and groaning, Miss Cassandra screamed.

We've tried everything—potions, antidotes, and all sorts of other items. But nothing works; we can't get rid of the "vines" growing from the wound. If we try to tear them off, Chigusa and the others cry out in pain, and even cutting them with a sword only makes them grow back.

Having exhausted all means, Miss Cassandra said in a trembling voice:

"It seems the 'seed' that invaded their bodies has taken root, using Ms. Chigusa and the others' physical strength as nourishment... Using elixirs or restorative magic will only have the opposite effect..."

"You mean it's incurable!?"

"To be precise, it means that as soon as your stamina is restored, it will be immediately drained away... right?"

Mr. Cherry Blossom leaned forward excitedly, while Miss Daphne spoke in a low voice with a serious expression.

The wounds have healed. But the most vital energy is being drained away every second; not only is it impossible to continue fighting, but in the worst-case scenario, even life itself is at risk…

With her back to everyone and facing the entrance, Miss Mikoto, who was guarding the entrance using the [Yata no Kuro-ga (skill)], could not hide her worry and kept stealing glances at Miss Chigusa.

"It's not a question of whether it can be cured or not; it's like being parasitized by a monster."

"Could it be described as... a 'parasitic tree'?"

"Parasitted by a monster." "Parasitic tree."

Upon hearing Welf and Lily's description, Mr. Sakura and the others turned pale.

"Chigusa...!"

Miss Chunji, who was standing by her side, held the hand of her childhood playmate with tears in her eyes.

During this time, I listened quietly to everyone talking, and then looked at Mr. Lewis next to Ms. Chigusa.

He was covered in sweat, just like Ms. Chigusa. Although his right arm had been treated and bound with cloth, the part lost below the upper arm could never be restored. His arm had been crushed by the monster, not only losing its original shape but also beginning to rot, making it impossible to reattach.

"Ugh, gooah...!"

Even after losing consciousness, Mr. Lewis was still plagued by a nightmare called pain, his tightly closed eyelids twisting in agony.

This man has lost an arm, which means the door to his adventurer life has been half closed. He will face unemployment or be forced to shoulder heavy burdens.

To be honest, I've only spoken to Mr. Lewis a few times. I don't even know what kind of elf he is or why he went into the dungeon. Even so... seeing someone I'd only met once fall into an irreversible situation is more shocking than I imagined.

While it brings success and fame, it also brings casualties at any time. This is the reality of the dungeon, the dark side of the labyrinth.

Forced to acknowledge this fact, I felt a chill. If I had faced this situation when I first arrived in Orario, I probably would have turned pale, trembled all over, and stood frozen in place.

(But now...)

Facing my colleague who had become a one-armed man, I quietly clenched my fist.

I looked up, and beside me, Miss Cassandra stood with her arms hanging limply at her sides, overcome with grief.

"I've never seen these symptoms before...! With my abilities, I can't cure Ms. Chigusa and the others...!"

Witnessing an "unknown" symptom that is neither an "abnormal state" nor a "curse," she may feel despair at her own powerlessness as a therapist, her triangular eyes, which give a docile impression, glistening with tears.

Faced with her like this, I said:

"Is there any way to save Miss Chigusa and the others?"

I insisted on interrupting.

With a surprisingly firm tone that could shatter the tense atmosphere that permeated the squad.

“Eh…?”

"Even if it's just intuition, I'd like to ask Miss Cassandra for her opinion as a therapist."

I lowered my gaze to the same level as Miss Cassandra, who was kneeling on both knees, and wrapped my right hand around her left.

To encourage her, I held her hand and, looking at her stunned face with tears in her eyes, slowly said:

No one has died yet.

"!"

"We have our companions (everyone) here. As long as we work together to find a way, we can definitely save them."

The eyes in front of me widened.

I stared intently at Miss Cassandra with a resolute gaze, and her cheeks suddenly flushed.

After I let go, she seemed a little flustered at first, then clutched her left arm to her chest as if pressing it to her heart. I could feel Lily and the others looking at me hesitantly, but for now I could only ask them to hold back… At this moment, Miss Cassandra’s gaze darted left and right, and she answered timidly:

"Either I rush back to the surface and find a better healer than me... preferably the [Dea Saint] of the [Deankait Familia]..."

"Yes."

"Or... if we could defeat the 'original entity' that planted this 'seed'..."

Hearing that Miss Cassandra lacked confidence but clearly expressed her views to me, I nodded.

And they smiled to express their gratitude.

"Does anyone else have a different opinion? If so, please let me know."

"Lord Bell..."

"Bell, you..."

"I'm stupid, all I can do is fight, and I can't be of any help right now, so... I hope everyone can help me, in order to save Chigusa-san and the others."

I turned to look at everyone's faces. Lily and Welf both looked surprised at my reaction.

Unable to recover using items or "magic." This is a fatal crisis in dungeon exploration. Every adventurer knows how terrible this situation is. Faced with the "unknown" situation of being trapped in a labyrinth with recovery methods sealed, everyone is in a sorry state.

I tried to dispel the team's wavering emotions.

Even if it's just a formality, or just a pretense of calm.

I need to adopt the demeanor of a team leader. This must be my "duty" right now.

The strategy to break through the predicament, as I told Miss Cassandra, well, although it's quite irresponsible... but I have a companion.

I will do my best, and if there's something I can't do, I shouldn't be shy about asking for help. There's nothing shameful about it. That's what my teammates (team) are all about.

As I recounted my immaturity and sought help from my companions, Lily and the others seemed deeply moved—or perhaps delighted—and broke into smiles.

"Leave it to Lily and us, Lord Bell. Lily and we will help you with anything you're lacking."

"Bell and the others are right, let's talk about something constructive. If we brainstorm together, we can always get through this."

"Yes, time is limited."

Lily, Welff, and Mr. Sakura all spoke in unison, and Miss Daphne and the others nodded in agreement.

"...Seriously, I've been completely left out, haven't I?"

Miss Aisha first opened her mouth slightly, then gave me an expression as if her chance to speak had been stolen. However, a satisfied smile quickly appeared on her face. She nudged my back gently with her elbow and said, "You've become quite eloquent. You've really grown a lot." I almost fell forward, forcing a wry smile as I quietly turned my attention inward.

The immortals have said several times that I have "grown up," and this change in me must have originated from "enlightenment."

The "awareness" to become stronger.

I am willing to be the "awakening" of hypocrites.

Or perhaps, like Mr. Lewis before us, there is a "resolve" to lose one's limbs.

In the past, I may have lacked this kind of "enlightenment." I don't think it was vulgar for me to make a pact with my grandfather to seek an encounter in the dungeon; it's just that before, I only knew how to yearn for the superficial glory of heroic tales and wanted to become a figure in those glorious deeds.

But that's not actually the case. Heroes, and anyone else, can fall into the abyss of darkness in an instant. Sometimes they lose trust or reputation and succumb to despair.

Even now, many people must have tasted the bitterness of setbacks. Like Miss Cassandra, a healer, a warrior protecting her comrades, or a mage singing for someone.

Vows may be thwarted time and again, but I think there is no vow that is immune to setbacks.

But some people who refuse to give up will repeatedly revive their vows.

Those who refuse to give up—those who are "resolved" and move forward while wiping away tears—are definitely called "adventurers."

then……

The desire for rebirth will likely become stronger, more natural, and more proud.

Just like me now.

With this "enlightenment" etched in my heart, I will move forward as far as I can, even if it's just a little bit.

"In fact, Lily believes that the only two methods that Lady Cassandra mentioned are the ones that can be used right now."

"It's either going back to the surface or defeating monsters."

"Lily suggests choosing the former, which is to return to the surface."

I turned my attention back to the front and saw Lily and the others quickly exchanging opinions.

With staff officer Lily at the center, everyone spoke enthusiastically.

"Lady Lily, why do you hold this view?"

"That monster is most likely an 'enhanced species,' probably having absorbed a considerable amount of 'magic stones.' Judging from its battle with Lord Bell, its strength is confirmed to be above Lv.4. That's not the kind of monster you should encounter on the 25th floor. Including those 'seed' projectiles, its attack methods are also unknown... The risk of defeating it is too great."

Miss Ming asked questions while acting as a guard, and Lily answered fluently.

"Enhanced Species" is a general term for monsters that kill their own kind to absorb "Magic Stones" and thus increase their abilities. Mr. Reed and his fellow "heretics" can largely be categorized into this group. Monsters that enhance their potential abilities through the law of the jungle are considered an "abnormal situation," and those with excessively outstanding strength may even be listed as bounty targets and ordered to be subdued. It is said that every time such a situation occurs, it results in numerous casualties.

"Speaking of which... what kind of 'enhanced species' are those plant monsters?"

"I think it's the 'Moss Giant.' It won't appear in the 'lower levels,' it's a monster from the 'middle levels'..."

Upon hearing Welf's question, I flipped through the pages of the maze encyclopedia that had been crammed into my brain.

The "Moss Giant" is a rare species that appears on the 24th floor. Its body, made of moss, is like a plant doll, unlike what people usually see, which has a wooden skeleton or the superhuman strength to destroy the maze walls. I didn't recognize it as a Moss Giant at first.

One of its defining characteristics is that when wounded, it spawns clones that don't contain the "magic stones." Adventurers often say they've actually defeated the clones, while the original cunningly escapes. This monster isn't particularly warlike; it seems to prefer using mimicry, ambush, or escape tactics, and it possesses high intelligence. ...Could it be that repeatedly consuming "magic stones" has altered its mind and body?

How did it change so much that it was demoted from its original floor to a "lower floor" in search of a higher quality "magic stone"?

"Upon reaching the lower floors, low-level monsters are being strengthened... So there are such 'abnormal situations'."

Just like when I was attacked by the Minotaur in the "upper level", the usual "abnormal situation" is that the monster climbs up from the lower level and is regarded as a threat, but this time it is the opposite.

Faced with this fact and phenomenon of the underground city, Miss Daphne frowned.

"Returning to the original topic, fighting the 'enhanced species' is dangerous, but more importantly, Lily, we might not be able to find that monster on the vast 25th floor. In fact, it's very difficult. Given that, Lily would rather make a more certain and reliable choice."

Lily prioritized the team's safety and refused to change her mind. And it sounded perfectly reasonable.

Just as we were listening to Lily's side of the story—

"No...that monster will definitely...appear before us..."

Mr. Lewis, who was lying on the ground, slightly opened his eyes.

"Mr. Lewis! You're awake."

"【Rookie】...no, I think it's 【Rabbit's Paws】now. I never expected you'd save me..."

Looking up at me standing beside him, Mr. Lewis wore a bitter smile covered in cold sweat.

The elf glanced at his missing right arm, his handsome face contorted with despair and grief. Then, after looking with hatred at the "vines" crawling on his arm, shoulder, or right foot, he turned his gaze back to us.

"My companions (teammates) are trapped on this floor... I hope you can defeat that hateful monster and rescue my comrades..."

As we were marveling at this plea, Miss Aisha stared blankly, her eyebrows arching.

"What, you little elf, have you abandoned your companions and run away?"

"Don't talk nonsense! How could I abandon my compatriots to save my own life...! I'm the 'bait'..."

Perhaps driven by racial pride, Mr. Lewis, even as he gasped for breath, continued to argue angrily. Miss Cassandra quickly reassured him, "Don't push yourself!" Just then, Lily peeked out from beside her.

"What do you mean by 'bait'? And you just said it would appear in front of Lily and us, that's another one of those... "

Upon hearing the dwarfs ask this question because they wanted to organize the information as soon as possible, Mr. Lewis narrowed one eye.

He let his long, masculine blond hair stick to his neck as Miss Cassandra helped him take out an item from his pocket—a "bag" the size of a fist.

"That guy is hunting adventurers for this reason..."

*

Let's just call that monster "him".