Chapter 3

P/N let me know if there's any mistakes and I will try to fix them

CHAPTER 3

NEW WORLD ~WATER ISLAND~

The passage connecting the twenty-fourth floor with the twenty-fifth is a cave

covered in crystals.

"Ice…No, crystals…

"

We've left camp and arrived at the deepest part of the twenty-fourth floor.

After killing all the monsters in the room, we gathered in front of a tree

hollow that's covered in crystals, as if just this one part of the wall had frozen

over at some point.

The cave seems to swallow Lilly's words. The cavity is dim and slopes

gently downward into the distance, where a cool wind blows toward us from

deep inside. The draft, absent elsewhere in the Colossal Tree Labyrinth,

ruffles my hair and draws my thoughts to the next stage of our adventure.

We look at one another and, urged on by a nod from the smiling Aisha,

step into the hole.

I'm standing at the head of the line. Holding one of the magic-stone

lanterns that Haruhime passed out, I tread down the slope. All of us in the

front and middle ranks have magic-stone lamps, but Aisha, who's bringing up

the rear, has brought along a jar of Lamp Moss instead. I move cautiously

through the cavern, thinking how the slippery walls, floor, and ceiling remind

me of an ice cave.

We go down, ever down into the depths of the long tunnel.

"I hear water…

" Mikoto whispers.

When the end comes into view, I can see a bluish light filtering through

the opening, along with the sound of water. It grows louder and louder. Soon

we can tell that the water is clearly landing on something.

At this moment, I'm neither nervous nor anxious. I'm simply following

my adventurer's instincts as I search single-mindedly for the unknown

beyond the light.

"

"

We reach the end of the slope and exit the cave.

…

I'm dumbstruck. The magnificent scene before my eyes enthralls me.

It's a terrific, thundering waterfall, surrounded by valleys and cliffs

formed from the tips of crystals.

Together with the misty spray of water, the air is full of harpies and

sirens. Their songs ring out at a high pitch as their wings swoop and cut

through the air in the spacious cavern.

We've arrived at a grand watery paradise.

"Wow…

"

Behind me, Welf and the others stand completely still, taking in the scene.

We are all dazed by this encounter with untrammeled nature in the Dungeon,

but more than anything, it's the enormous waterfall directly in front of us that

draws our eyes.

"This must be what they talk about, the…

"

"The Great Falls…

"

The whispers of Mikoto and Lilly disappear into the roaring of the water.

The sound is like a cacophony of thunderclouds or a rumbling of the earth.

Even standing hundreds of meders away, it makes our eardrums vibrate.

The Great Falls.

As the name implies, it's an enormous cascade that starts on the twenty-

fifth floor. Judging by eye, it measures about four hundred meders wide and

easily as many tall. Perhaps because of the reflected light, the falling water

appears to be emerald blue. It's so entrancingly beautiful that for a moment, it

makes us forget we're in a dangerous dungeon.

At the same time that I feel moved by the sight, however, I'm also

shivering in awe—terrified awe. Directly below the crystal cliff we're

standing on is a huge plunge pool. Even a first-class adventurer would die

instantly if they fell down there. But what really makes me question my eyes

is the fact that the waterfall continues on past the pool.

Just like a staircase, the falls continue on below the twenty-fifth floor.

"This insanely huge waterfall crosses floors and reaches all the way down

to the twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh floors. Oh, don't worry, monsters

don't climb up the falls. Well, most don't,

" Aisha explains. Ouka and

Chigusa gasp.

A waterfall that transcends floors. In the parts of the Dungeon I've

explored so far, that would have been completely unthinkable. It's said that

adventurers will constantly watch their common sense torn to shreds. This

must be an example of what that really means.

The gaping cavern behind the falls must be a quarter the size of the

nineteenth floor.

"How do we get to the twenty-sixth floor…? Don't tell me we're gonna

climb down the cliff,

" Welf groans.

"No, there's a proper path. Tons of slopes and staircases, too. You take

them down to that cave over there.

"

Aisha points to the bank of the plunge pool on the bottom of the twenty-

fifth floor. Although it looks tiny from here, there's definitely a cave with a

yawning entryway down there.

The twenty-fifth through twenty-seventh floors have a multistory

structure. We have to ascend or descend a distance equal to the height of the

Great Falls using the interconnecting passageways at the depth of the plunge

pools. If we were to jump over the falls, we could probably make it to the

twenty-seventh floor in a single leap, but it doesn't require much to

understand that our bodies would be smashed to bits at the same time.

Unlike Lilly, Daphne, and the others who are staring downward, I look

up.

The Great Falls pour out from the vicinity of the twenty-fifth floor's

ceiling. Right above the top of the falls, I can see traces of the Colossal Tree

Labyrinth: The roots of an enormous tree measuring five meders in diameter

radiate outward.

The falls must originate there.

I look back down at the magnificent scenery.

I trembled at the sight of the Under Resort on the eighteenth floor, too,

but…what I feel now is at least as moving. No matter how much I learn from

my seminars with Eina, there's no stopping the feelings that well up when I

lay my eyes on these places firsthand. My heart is pounding with trepidation,

tension, excitement, and the shock of encountering the unknown.

Together, the three large caverns linked across three floors by a single

waterfall are called the Water Capital of the Dungeon. From ancient times

until today, it has been one of the great mysteries of this part of the Dungeon

that adventurers call the New World.

"All right, enough gawking. Let's get a move on. If we keep standing

here, those harpies hovering over there are going to attack us.

"

Aisha's words dispel the trance we were in and pull us back to reality.

Adventurers and their supporters are mercenary folks who leap at the mention

of a potential attack, and we quickly forget our amazement as we hurry to

follow Aisha's instructions.

"Take that path off to your left and follow it along the wall. Of course, it's

a straight shot, so you can't get lost. That cave over there will take us back to

the usual labyrinth.

" Aisha speaks authoritatively, like she knows everything

about this place. She jerks her chin toward a crystal bridge that begins right

next to us.

The cliff we're standing on is nearly perpendicular to the crossing. To our

right is the precipice and to our left is a path that follows the round curve of

the cavern. It goes without saying there's no handrail or anything convenient

like that, so if we slip, we'll fall straight into the plunge pool.

I mentally unfurl the Guild map and take stock of our position.

The sheer cliff we're standing on is located at the far southern tip of this

floor, at the end of the connecting passageway from the twenty-fourth floor.

The cavern and Great Falls directly in front of us are in the center of the

floor. The passageway to the twenty-sixth floor that Aisha pointed out a

minute ago is on the southeast side. Like she said, we'll head west along the

wall of the cavern and enter the inside of the cliff via the cave. From there

we'll move in a circle from west to north, passing behind the waterfall, and

then east to the underground connecting passageway at the bottom of this

floor. In other words, we'll move clockwise from the south to the southeast.

We head along the cliff trail with me leading the party.

The trail is about three meders wide. To the left is the wall and to the right

is a sheer drop. I'm sure Cassandra is avoiding looking to the right at all

costs. In the area around the Great Falls, harpies and other bird-type monsters

swim through the air, crying and screeching. Luckily, they don't seem to

have noticed us yet. Fighting on this narrow path is not something I want to

do, so it does seem wise to get into the labyrinth as quickly as we can. If

we're attacked by flying monsters, our only options will be to respond with

arrows and magic or to hunker down beneath our shields.

If I look very closely, I can see a bridge-like crystal pathway jutting out

near the Great Falls.

Maybe we'll be using that path as well…

"Hey, Bell, is everything on this floor made of crystal?" asks Welf, who's

right behind me. I nod.

"There are supposed to be some plants, too…but Eina told me that

basically, yeah, it's all crystal,

" I say, looking out at the cavern to my right

and the cliff wall to my left.

The precipice and the rock wall, the trail we're on, and everything else

making up this floor is deep-blue crystal. The color is much richer than that

of the crystals on the eighteenth floor, with faint striations in it. At first

glance, it looks like ordinary rock.

Translucent white crystals of various sizes are emitting the light

illuminating the floor. They're protruding from the walls and pathway like

bamboo shoots, but each one emits only a small amount of light. Aside from

the Great Falls, which sparkle emerald blue, everything else on the floor is

wrapped in a dim blue haze.

"Haruhime, you've been here with Miss Aisha before, haven't you…?!"

"Yes, Lady Chigusa. At that time, I was stowed away with the cargo and

didn't have much chance to look around, but I do remember being amazed.

"

I can hear the two girls talking behind me in the center of the formation. I

glance back toward them. Chigusa is admiring the scenery, while Haruhime

is swishing the rear of her robe back and forth as she walks. She must be

wagging her fox's tail.

The girls seem completely taken by this "fantasy in blue" as well. Those

are the words this floor brings to my mind.

"But where do you think the water in the falls goes? I can only imagine

that such a huge amount of water would quickly overflow, no matter how

many floors it passes through…

"

"The water here flows from the base of the plunge pools up to the surface.

You've heard of the port town of Melen outside Orario, haven't you? The

water connects to Lolog Lake, which is located there. Of course, it's all

sealed off now, like Babel…so I bet the Dungeon sucks up a surprising

amount of the water,

" Aisha says in answer to Mikoto's question.

During the Ancient Times, water monsters were said to have invaded via

that route when they conquered the oceans of the surface. That's something

else Eina told me during our seminars.

As we talk, the west wall of the tunnel comes into sight, marking the end

of the long cliff trail. We've made it to the inside of the labyrinth without

having to engage in battle on the edge of the cliff.

"Let's take a minute to go over the plan,

" Lilly says.

Inside the cave, tunnels split off directly after the entrance, just like in the

Cave Labyrinth in the middle levels. It's like the gray stone structure of that

floor has been remade here all in deep-blue crystal. We pause in front of the

tunnels to take a short rest and discuss our plans. Lilly leads this informal

meeting.

"In order to prove to the Guild that we've completed our mission, we need

to have the following number and types of drop items: ten steel shells from

blue crabs and either three aqua serpent fins or thirty raider fish fangs. For

rare monster items, one secret carbuncle crystal will do it. For resources, we

have to gather one thousand grads of azure stone to satisfy the requirements.

"

Lilly adjusts her heavy-looking backpack and reads the memo she's taken

from her pocket.

It makes sense that so many of the items are related to the water, since this

is the first watery part of the Dungeon.

"Please focus on searching for the monsters and resources I just read out.

As for the extent of our exploration, we've already achieved our goal of

reaching the lower levels, so I see no need to push on to the twenty-sixth

floor.

"

"In other words, you're suggesting we spend our time thoroughly

exploring the twenty-fifth floor?" Mikoto asks. Lilly nods at her.

"Yes. This is our first time in this area. We have six days left in our

expedition, so Lilly thinks it best to use yesterday's camp on the twenty-

fourth floor as a base for going back and forth to the twenty-fifth floor.

"

Welf and the others seem to agree with her explanation, and I don't have

any objections myself. Repeatedly entering the twenty-fifth floor from our

camp on the twenty-fourth is likely a good way to adapt to the totally new

environment of the lower levels.

As Eina likes to say, adventurers shouldn't be too adventurous. We should

probably take her advice on this expedition, even if it means passing through

some unavoidable tough spots.

"I mentioned this before we left, but we'll be encountering a lot of

monsters that live in the water on this floor. This may sound like an

unreasonable request, but please do not approach the water's edge.

"

We acknowledge these plans and warnings about the lower levels, and

Lilly looks around at each of us.

"Finally, just to be sure…Does everyone have on the Undine cloth I

handed out this morning?"

She looks at the new clothes we're all wearing. My undershirt and pants,

Welf's kimono, Mikoto's and Ouka's Eastern-style battle clothes,

Haruhime's shrine maiden outfit…all of them have been remade in a thin

light-blue material officially called "spirit protective cloth.

"

It's waterproof, exactly the opposite of the salamander wool we wore to

get through the thirteenth floor. That one was linked to fire spirits; this one is

linked to water spirits. We won't be able to survive the Water Capital without

this gear.

The most important thing about Undine cloth is that its protective

properties become fully activated underwater. It reduces water resistance and

water pressure and improves underwater movement. In other words, it will

help us swim faster. I've heard Undine cloth called an absolute must for

water quests.

Since Hestia Familia is the host of this expedition, we special-ordered all

the Undine battle clothes from a specialty shop in Babel—not only for our

own familia but for Daphne, Ouka, and the others as well. It wasn't cheap,

but fortunately we had enough savings to cover the cost. Only Aisha brought

her own Undine gear.

As long as we're wearing it, the danger associated with falling into the

water goes way down.

"Can't you see this bright blue stuff, Li'l E? Obviously we're wearing it,

"

Welf says. Maybe because he's always hostile to anything related to spirits,

there's something irresponsible about his answer.

"Didn't I say,

'Just to be sure'?! We spent a fortune buying this protective

cloth for everyone. I certainly hope you will all make use of it and earn

enough from this expedition to cover the costs! And if you don't…!"

"M-Miss Lilly is scary!" Cassandra says, petrified by Lilly's sharp

tongue. She's wearing a dress made of Undine cloth.

Incidentally, we plan to split our haul from the expedition among the

participating familias based on how many people each side supplied.

"Miss Aisha, am I forgetting anything?" Lilly asks, handing over the

discussion to the party member with the most experience on this floor.

"Let me think…

"

The Amazon rustles her blue clothes and glances at the faces of the Hestia

Familia members.

"One of the key features of this floor is its large number not just of water

monsters but of humanoid monsters as well.

"

She must mean sirens, harpies, mermaids, and lamias. Eina mentioned the

same thing in our seminars.

"You might feel confused at first, but don't hesitate. If you're standing

there wondering if a monster is about to start talking, it will take you down.

"

"

…!"

No doubt those words are aimed specifically at Hestia Familia. Aisha

knows about the Xenos, and she's giving us a strong warning not to waver

under any circumstance. Welf, Lilly, Mikoto, Haruhime, and I nod gravely

and keep our mouths shut.

"Also, be careful not to look away even if your opponent's face is

incredibly ugly…Okay, break time is over. Here they come,

" Aisha says,

wrapping up her warnings with a joke and grabbing her podao, which she's

stuck into the ground.

Surprised by her last words, Welf and the others turn their heads and see a

swarm of crab monsters with blue steel shells approaching from the far end of

the cave.

"Don't overdo it just because this is your first battle in the lower levels.

Just do what you always do.

"

Aisha's advice, shouted as she nonchalantly takes up her position at the

rear, is the signal for us to attack.

The vanguard runs forward, toward our first battle in the lower levels.

The battle with the blue crabs ends without incident.

The crabs, which are categorized as metal monsters, have irregularly

developed claws on either the right or left side, depending on the individual.

Although their hammer-like attacks are menacing, even Level-2 adventurers

like Welf are able to work together to take them down quite easily by

following Aisha's advice to remain calm. Their steel carapaces are even

stronger than those of the deadly hornets, but the seams are wide, and the

dexterous Mikoto and Daphne remove them in a few swift strokes. The most

shocking thing for everyone is probably the surreal sight of the creatures

advancing toward us head-on, instead of walking with a crab's usual

sideways scuttle.

Personally, now that I've confirmed that Hakugen can tear through the

crabs' steel shells, I can move forward with some confidence.

"I've got two blue crab shells and we've only just begun! This is quite the

start!"

Everyone smiles wryly at Lilly, who is in a good mood due to finding

some drop items so soon. We start down the crystal cave.

Our positions in the formation have not changed since the middle levels.

To be safe, though, I take the lead because of my Level-4 status. Aisha, of

course, is still at the tail end. As we proceed, the people in the center of the

formation spread out across the path, which is at least five meders wide. Lilly

acts as guide, carrying the map of the floor and keeping us on the main route.

"

…I hear something mixed with the sound of the waterfall…

" Haruhime

whispers, her fox's ears quivering.

"Yeah, I can hear water flowing…

" Daphne answers.

The sound of the Great Falls echoes ceaselessly through the crystal

labyrinth like the sound of distant waves. But as the two girls whisper to each

other, something changes in the passage.

"A stream…

"

Just as Chigusa says, a stream is running alongside the path we're walking

down. As tributaries from other passageways flow into it, it grows into what

could accurately be called a river. The water is another fantastic vision, its

surface sparkling deep blue as it reflects the color of the crystals.

"Streams like this run through every part of the labyrinth. Basically,

though, the dry parts make up the main route, so you don't have to worry

about swimming,

" Aisha explains to us as we stop to gaze at the water.

We start walking again. The path is more like a riverbank than a road,

with the water flowing to our left. The stream is about as wide as the bank

and seems quite deep. It's flowing remarkably fast. If we let down our guard

and slipped in, we'd be in trouble.

"Uh, what if we fall into the stream…?" Cassandra asks, eyes wide.

"Get back on land as fast as you can. You won't die the moment you fall

in, but you will get killed.

"

"Huh?"

"The monsters will torture you to death. The water is their world, so

you're at a huge disadvantage. I'll be honest with you. If you're not used to

underwater battles, Undine cloth is no more than a security blanket.

"

Cassandra's eyes widen as she blanches at Aisha's response.

"I may be Level Four, but I'll be damned if I'm going for a swim down

here,

" the battle-hardened Amazon says with a shrug.

"If you fall in, you're

done for. Keep that in mind.

"

Water-dwelling monsters display an overwhelming potential underwater.

Land-dwelling adventurers are the reverse—our performance drops

drastically in water. As our party listens to the Level-4, second-tier

adventurer speak, fear of the water finally begins to settle in.

I've heard that the only way for an adventurer to fight an equal match

with a water-dwelling monster in its own territory is for them to acquire

special development abilities that majorly improve their underwater

activities. For those of us who lack such abilities, we don't have a chance.

If I fall in the stream, I'll be in a tough spot. That's what I need to

remember.

"Miss Aisha, all these streams lead to the Great Falls, right?" I ask, fixing

my gaze on the water that speeds along noisily.

"Right. Some of them change the direction of their currents over time, and

there are traps where a geyser suddenly shoots out of the floor or the ceiling.

"

According to what Eina taught me, all these streams converge at the origin

of the Great Falls in the center of the floor. In other words, if you fall in,

you'll eventually be swept into that huge cascade of water and pounded down

into the plunge pool. Plus, like Aisha said, most of the traps in this zone use

water.

Everywhere I turn there's a stream.

That's probably another reason why this is called the first waterside floor

in the Dungeon.

"Oh, and also…make sure you're always alert when you're walking along

the water's edge like we are now,

" Aisha adds nonchalantly.

"Huh?" Haruhime asks, tilting her head. Just then, a powerful splashing

sound comes from the stream.

"OOOOOOO!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?!"

An enormous fish measuring 160 celch suddenly breaks the water's

surface and soars into the air.

It's a type of monster called a raider fish.

Haruhime lets out an astonished scream as it bears down on us, water

droplets flying and sharp fangs glittering.

"You see, if you let your guard down, this is what happens.

"

"GYAA?!"

Before the fish can strike, a podao and a katana slice it to pieces and

knock away its fangs. Aisha, a smile on her calm, cool face, and Mikoto,

drenched in cold sweat as she shields Haruhime behind her back, successfully

intercepted it.

Lilly and the others in the center are as astonished as Haruhime. Up front,

Welf, Ouka, and I stand frozen, facing the sudden commotion in the rear.

"The monsters are constantly watching us from underwater. Take that to

heart…But good job reacting, Eternal Shadow. Seems I can leave the

protection of this worthless fox to you.

"

"N-no, it was so sudden, I was acting on reflex…And also, since Sir Bell

is up front now, it's my job to guard Lady Haruhime…

"

Lilly, the brain, and Haruhime, the sorcerer, are simultaneously the core

of our party and its weakest points. Mikoto seems to have understood that

and made it her mission to prevent any harm to those two. As a result, her

nerves are twice as on edge as normal.

Overwhelmed by emotion at Mikoto's speech, Haruhime throws her arms

around her, tears streaming down her face. For some reason, the rest of us

clap our hands at this mini romance, or rather friendship, between the lady

and the ninja.

"Uh, um, you're welcome?" the embarrassed Mikoto says, lowering her

head.

Meanwhile, maybe because she's envious of their friendship, Cassandra

quietly reaches out her hand to Daphne, but Daphne bats it away coldly,

eliciting a surprised yelp from Cassandra.

"So the fish down here will jump onto land to attack us…

" Welf says as

we start walking again. He sounds worn out.

"What a pain.

" Ouka comments as well, as if bracing himself for the

worst. I silently agree with them both.

I hear that, unlike the blue crabs that inhabit both land and water, purely

water-dwelling monsters spawn by breaking through the beds or crystal walls

of the streams. We're able to notice irregularities on land because we have

good visibility there, but monsters that multiply underwater are harder to

track. It's also harder to sense their presence and bloodthirst. In fact, dozens

of enemies could be hiding in the stream running alongside us at this very

moment.

I glance toward the water. A faint black shadow disappears toward the

bottom exactly as though it was sucking its teeth at me.

My nerves are going to get a serious workout until I'm used to this.

I move forward cautiously, scanning our surroundings both wet and dry.

"Hey, what's that…?"

Welf has noticed something.

We follow his eyes. A mass of branch-like forms is growing out of the

crystal-strewn shore on the far side of the stream. Their bright coral color

sparkles like a jewel. They must be…

"

…Under coral? An item you can only get in the lower levels…

" I say,

thinking back to an illustration in the Guild's pictorial guide to the Dungeon.

"That's what I thought! I saw a few real ones once when I was with

Hephaistos Familia,

" Welf says excitedly.

"Can't we get some of that? I hear

it makes good weapons.

"

Probably because he's a smith, Welf sometimes asks us to collect

materials or drop items when we're right in the middle of exploring the

Dungeon. I want to agree, because he works exclusively for our familia,

but…

"Don't be unreasonable, Mr. Welf! Didn't Miss Aisha just tell us how

scary the water is? We cannot enter that dangerous territory!" Lilly insists

firmly.

"That under coral has a gorgeous luster to it. If we brought it back to the

surface, it would fetch a good price. And look, isn't that shell hidden inside

the coral an under pearl?" Aisha says.

Lilly sighs.

"Well, I suppose we don't have a choice…! Let's go get it!"

"Anything for money, eh, Li'l E?!" Welf scoffs.

He squeezes his hands into tight fists, and the rest of us laugh hollowly.

It's decided—we're going to harvest one of the Dungeon's most prized

treasures.

But first, to get to the far bank, we have to cross the stream.

With Aisha's warning fresh in our minds, swimming is not an option. But

a number of crystal rocks are jutting out of the water, and by jumping from

one to the next, we should be able to make it across.

Still, I catch the vague but undeniable whiff of a trap…

"By the way, I don't think this party has a thief, but is there a scout among

us? This type of work usually goes to them,

" Aisha says.

A scout's main job is reconnaissance. They go out ahead of the group to

check for monsters on the path or sometimes intentionally lure them into

specific areas. Since part of their job involves making use of the terrain, it's

not unusual for them to also be tasked with collecting or excavating dungeon

resources.

Hestia Familia has never clearly established a scout position, but as we

listen to Aisha's question, our eyes naturally gravitate to one person.

"

…It's me, isn't it?" Mikoto says, her black ponytail swaying.

Her Yatano Black Crow detection skill and ninja abilities make her very

well suited to scouting and clandestine Dungeon exploration.

The far bank of the river is narrow and won't hold more than two. Along

with Mikoto, who's been de facto selected, I'm chosen to provide support

because of my speed and agility.

"Lady Mikoto, is Yatano Black Crow reacting to anything?"

"No…At the very least, the blue crabs and raider fish that we encountered

earlier aren't in the vicinity. Of course, that includes the water, too.

"

"What are we going to do if that rocky bank is actually a crystal turtle…?"

"Your concern is well taken, Bell Cranell. I'll try shooting an arrow at it,

"

Ouka says.

To lighten my load, I discard all but the bare essentials—my knives—and

put on a backpack to load with the items we collect. Haruhime hands Ouka a

bow and arrow, and he shoots at the crystals to make sure they're not a

monster in disguise. They're not, so Mikoto and I leap from the shore.

Kicking off the tops of the crystal rocks, we fly through the air. Mikoto,

who's ahead of me, moves ninja-like across the stream, drawing surprise

from Welf and the others who are watching from the shore with arrows and

ropes at the ready.

"This is our first time working as a team of two, is it not, Sir Bell?"

"Now that you mention it…back when we were dealing with Ishtar

Familia, we went off in different directions right away.

"

We start collecting under coral as soon as we arrive at the crystal-rock

shore. Mikoto cuts off pieces at their base with her dagger, and I load them

into the backpack. Incidentally, under coral is a different species from surface

coral. I've heard it's as hard as a mineral.

"Please get the pearl, too!!" Lilly shouts from the far shore. We follow her

orders and locate the fist-size shell concealed inside the mass of branch-like

coral.

Under pearls are sometimes called "rainbow jewels" because they shine

with a dazzling array of colors. We harvest it, pure-white shell and all.

"Shall we head back? Nothing good will come of excessive greed.

"

Our pack stuffed with the Dungeon's riches, we quickly finish up our task

and step off the rocky shore, where a large mass of under coral still remains.

But as we might have expected, the Dungeon is the Dungeon.

It's not going to let a couple of adventurers who just stole its treasures get

away without a fight. The water's surface explodes violently.

"Whoa—that was huge!!"

"An aqua serpent!"

As Welf and Lilly scream from the far shore, Mikoto and I stop breathing.

The monster is enormous. It has light-green scales and a snake's head, and is

clearly a large-category monster. The formidable head with fins protruding

from it reminds me of a dragon. According to information collected by the

Guild, aqua serpents can grow up to ten meders long!

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

The monster has emerged directly in front of us in the middle of the

stream, as if to block our way forward. Its motions send waves through the

water as it glares at us and opens its jaws.

It drops its head—which was raised so high it scraped the ceiling—toward

Mikoto, who is ahead of me.

"Miss Mikoto!"

"Mikoto?!"

The flow of time slows to a crawl as Haruhime and I both cry out. But

before Ouka can loose an arrow from the shore, or Aisha can ready her

podao, or I can shoot a Firebolt from my extended right hand, Mikoto herself

takes action.

"Ngh!"

She makes a perfect landing on the crystal rock even though it is hidden

by the waves, then leaps off again, spinning forward through the air.

Aiming for the aqua serpent's lowered jaws, she kicks up her toes.

"

—GAA?!"

A hard blow from Mikoto's right foot sends the serpent's head flying

upward and breaks off two of its fangs.

It takes me a few seconds to stop gaping and realize I've just witnessed

ninja martial arts in action.

"A s-somersault…

" Daphne whispers, grimacing.

Her words snap the sluggish flow of time back to its normal pace.

The instant Mikoto falls into the stream, Aisha tosses her a rope, and I

rush forward belatedly toward the monster's long, undulating body. The

serpent has plenty of vulnerable points, and as we cross paths, I slice its body

in half with the Divine Knife.

"Yah!"

"

—?!"

The serpent sinks into the water, its death throes beating up powerful

waves. The move almost seems intentional, like a final attack aimed at me.

I'm already off-balance from the excess momentum of running forward, and

the waves almost sweep me into the stream. Somehow, though, I manage to

kick off a rock and land on the shore where Welf and the others are standing.

Mikoto, too, has been pulled ashore with the rope.

"M-Miss Mikoto, when did you learn to do that…?"

"A-actually, I was training with Sir Takemikazuchi before the expedition

and he taught me some new martial arts…They came in handy right away, I

"

guess…

"That was amazing, Mikoto!"

"Yeah, you've been rocking this whole trip!"

I smile at her from my position on all fours, dripping wet. She wipes her

face and smiles faintly back at me, as if to say she's just narrowly escaped

death. Aisha and Chigusa are praising her unreservedly, and the whole party

is wrapped up in a fever of excitement.

The excitement lingers after we move from the flooded main route to a

small room a slight distance away. Everyone peers curiously at the contents

of the backpack that I've placed on the ground.

"So much under coral, and an under pearl on top of that…!"

"I'd wager there's at least three million valis' worth in there!"

"If you play your cards right with the tradesmen, you can probably get

three and a half.

"

"Th-three and a half…?! So this is the value of the lower levels…!"

"I can pay back the loans I took out for the weapons in one go…!"

"O-Ouka, you can't have it all for yourself!"

"This is a great achievement, Miss Mikoto and Mr. Bell!!"

Cassandra, Daphne, Aisha, Haruhime, Ouka, Chigusa, and Lilly cheer

when they see the haul of coral and pearl sparkling inside the bag. All Mikoto

and I can do in response to all this clapping and praise is scratch our cheeks

self-consciously.

"It's starting to feel like a real expedition, isn't it?" Welf says, throwing

an arm around my shoulder.

"

…Yeah!" I say, returning his smile.

Expeditions promise high returns in exchange for high risk. I've learned

the meaning of those words firsthand by retrieving these treasures.

As I stand there laughing excitedly with my friends, something different

from my desire to grow stronger rises in my chest…Something that makes

me remember the innocent child's heart of my earliest days in Orario. Back

then, I was completely wrapped up in the fun of the quest. The events of a

few months ago feel like ancient history, but I've rediscovered my old

excitement for adventure.

On the other hand, to have been attacked by an aqua serpent so soon…

Even as I'm smiling with everyone else, a warning bell is ringing softly in

my adventurer's heart.

It's fine to enjoy ourselves to the fullest during happy moments. But when

it's time to switch gears, we really have to get our heads in the game. I'll

never be like Finn, but I should at least be able to overcome my carelessness

and conceit. I'm the one responsible for leading our party. Quietly, I focus

my mind.

From now on, I'll be anticipating the excitement of a new floor, along

with the challenges of exploring watery terrain, and the quick wits that

requires.

Over and over, I review in my mind the information I learned about the

lower levels, and the face of the person who helped me learn it.

I hope Bell is okay…

The boy's face was a constant image in Eina's mind.

She was in Guild Headquarters on the surface, where the midday sun was

shining brightly.

It was break time, and having finished her lunch, Eina was looking down

at a parchment spread out on her desk, chin propped in her hands. At the

neighboring desk, her coworker Misha Frot was sighing over the mountain of

paperwork that had forced her to give up her break.

I don't think he can possibly have reached the lower levels yet…Ah, I wish

I had pulled out more of the second-tier adventurer material for him!

It was the second day since Bell and his party had left on their expedition.

Eina figured they were probably still making their way through the Colossal

Tree Labyrinth. She looked down at the scroll.

The upper levels were different from the middle levels. That was what

adventurers often said to one another. Likewise, the middle levels were

different from the lower ones. Eina had tried to teach Bell everything she

could, but perhaps due to the earnest elf blood in her, she couldn't help

feeling now that she could have done more.

As she read the words on the parchment, she sighed several times.

"Eina, if you've got time on your hands, maybe you could help me. Think

you could do that?"

"Nope, no way. You need to do it properly on your own.

"

"Ugh!…By the way, what are you looking at?" Misha said, hanging her

head and glancing at Eina's desk. The scroll Eina was reading listed

incomplete quests in the middle and lower levels.

"Hmm…I feel like a lot of adventurers are going missing lately.

Especially in the lower levels…That's where Bell's party is headed, and it's

making me a bit worried.

"

The quests listed on the scroll were all requests to search for adventurers

who had disappeared in the Dungeon. Hestia had filed a similar request when

Bell and his companions failed to return from their first venture into the

middle levels and she became anxious about them. Eina suspected some root

cause was behind the fact that adventurers were not returning from the lower

levels.

Misha stopped moving her feather pen in response to her friend's worry

and gazed at her inexpressibly anxious face.

"

…Hey now, isn't that the usual situation?"

"Huh?" Eina said, unsure what to make of Misha's point.

"I hate to say this, but…not a day goes by when a report isn't filed about

an adventurer missing in the labyrinth.

"

The Dungeon claimed victims on a daily basis. Any Guild employee knew

that. It was even truer with regard to the hard-to-clear lower levels.

"Plus, Eina, weren't all those search quests filed quite a while ago…?"

Eina suddenly realized Misha was right. She'd definitely seen this quest

before…and this one…!!

But only now was she pulling out all the search requests, listing them up,

and sighing each time she looked at them. Only now, when Hestia Familia

had left on an expedition.

What must Misha think of her?

The moment the thought entered her head, Eina's face grew hot.

"No, but really, I do feel like there's been a lot lately! I-I'm not pulling

out these documents because I'm anxious about Bell or anything like that…I-

I'm not even worried about him!"

That was a lie. Bell was the only thing on her mind. She was definitely

being overprotective…or rather, overanxious. Until recently, she had never

become this restless when Bell went to the Dungeon.

It must be because of the expedition! Yes, it's the expedition's fault! It's

because this is so different from ordinary exploration, where a high level of

safety is guaranteed.

That was what Eina told herself. If she didn't fool herself in this way, she

wouldn't have been able to get anything done. But her close friend Misha

saw right through her psychological conflict and rapid-fire excuses.

"Now, Eina…

"

"What?"

"You looked strange the other day, too. Is it possible that your feelings for

your little brother are—?"

"No way!!"

Eina cut off Misha's words with a loud denial.

Everyone in the office looked at them, wondering what the fuss was all

about. Normally, the mischievous Misha would have poked fun at Eina, but

one look at her red cheeks told her what was going on. Misha's face took on

the mature expression of an older sister or mother.

"Eina, your little brother…Bell…is five years younger than us. Okay, it

may have nothing to do with age, but still, an adviser and her adventurer…

Most of the time, that kind of thing ends tragically…I know it's possible for

humans and half-humans to have children…but still…

"

"Stop giving me such a serious lecture!"

Eina couldn't help screaming at Misha, who was trying to give her a

gentle talking-to. She didn't care about the strange looks she received from

the other receptionists or the stares of the Guild staff. It grated on her

unbearably to have her friend—who was usually the one who needed to be

looked after—worrying about her so earnestly. Finally, she threw her head

down on the desk with a thud, hoping to at least hide her burning red face.

"Erghhhh!!"

All she could manage was an agonized groan. She raised her delicate

eyebrows as she let Misha's gentle lecturing voice flow past her ears.

I've made up my mind…and I won't change it.

When Bell returned, she'd have him take her out to dinner to make up for

this. She promised herself that. It would definitely not be a date or a mixing

of private and public matters. In her mind, she saw Hestia appear as a

resentful angel of reason, but Riveria, the master of will, put up a barrier to

protect the emotional Eina as she crouched low.

Eina's emerald eyes were just the slightest bit moist as she gazed down at

the parchments scattered on her desk. She scratched her finger lightly across

the bundle of quests representing prayers for the safety of loved ones.

"That's why you have to come back…

" Eina mumbled softly.

Compared to the yawning cavern of the Great Falls, the inside of the cliff,

where the labyrinth is located, is a lot like a high-rise apartment building.

Like Aisha said, there are lots of staircases and slopes. Whenever I start to

feel we've been going down for a long time, we go up again. I'm getting a

real sense of its multilayered construction. I guess we have to go up and

down like this over and over to reach the equivalent of the apartment

building's first floor—that is, the passageway to the twenty-sixth floor, which

is located on the southeast side of the cavern.

As for exploration itself, we've had quite a few close calls. At one point a

huge geyser burst through the ground, stopping our progress, and when we

tried to get around it via another route, a monster party appeared. Then

Daphne absolutely refused to take the crystal bridge that goes right past the

Great Falls. Another time, one of Welf's arms got stuck on a drug octopus's

sucker, and he almost fell into the rapids. But despite the constantly shifting

circumstances, we're managing to make our way down the main route

through the twenty-fifth floor.

Right now, we're in the labyrinth in the northern section of the floor. If

we follow the stream due south, we'd arrive at the Great Falls. According to

Lilly, who's reading the map of the twenty-fifth floor with its many drawings

of the various layers, we're not even halfway down the main route. We still

have a long way to go. While we take our third rest of the day, we decide to

go a little farther and then turn back toward the twenty-fourth floor. We start

moving forward again.

"

…?"

As we proceed down the dim passageway lit by faintly glowing white

crystals sticking out from the floor, I see something. Since I'm at the front of

the party, I notice it first, but soon Welf sees it, too.

"Is that…an adventurer?" he says.

Indeed, the silhouette slowly approaching from straight ahead does seem

to belong to a human. Long, thin ears protrude from either side of the

downturned face…It looks like an elf.

I can just barely guess its race by squinting down the dim passageway.

"We haven't met one of our own for a while. Even in the middle levels,

we weren't seeing many adventurers.

"

"It must be someone powerful. No other familia was scheduled for an

expedition at the same time as ours…Lilly thinks only a second-tier

adventurer or higher would venture this far for ordinary exploration.

"

As Ouka and Lilly talk behind me, the figure of the approaching

adventurer grows more distinct by the second. It's dressed in high-quality

leather armor, with a quiver at its hip. I spot a familia crest.

The gear is familiar. I know this person.

I'm pretty sure it's…Luvis?

I came into contact with him almost two months ago, when I was serving

as Eina's bodyguard. He's the upper-class elven adventurer who, along with

the dwarf Dormul, was pursuing Eina night after night, egged on by his

patron deity. I can't yet make out his face very well because of the shadows,

but I'm certain it's him.

…What's he doing all alone on this floor?

I've heard he's Level 3, but this is extremely dangerous behavior. Even if

he is second tier, I'd have a hard time saying he took all the necessary safety

precautions unless he came down here with a party.

Plus, why is he carrying a quiver but no bow? And are my eyes deceiving

me, or is his armor covered in scratches and rips? The back of my neck

tingles.

A moment later, confusion turns to uneasiness.

"

…Everyone, assume a defensive posture! Something feels wrong.

"

"Huh?"

At almost the same instant, I take my stance and Aisha warns the others to

do the same.

He's staggering like he could fall at any second.

Actually, he looks like a zombie.

The party reacts with a mixture of confusion and tension to the ominously

unsteady form emerging from the dim passageway. Lilly holds her breath.

Finally, Luvis comes to a point directly below one of the white crystals in

the ceiling.

Slowly, he raises his face.

"Ah…Oh…?!"

The light has exposed a figure completely covered in blood.

"

…!!"

"Wha—?!"

Every member of our party gapes at him in surprise. But the blood isn't

the biggest shock. What renders Lilly and the others speechless is the fact

that Luvis's right arm is missing.

The upper arm is still there, hidden in the shadow of his body, but

everything from the elbow down is gone. Luvis stretches his still-intact left

arm out toward us.

"He…el…!"

He collapses onto the ground as he utters a fragment of a word.

As if to take his place, a large monster emerges from the darkness.

Green. That's the only word I can find.

The human-shaped body is two meders high, and every bit of it is covered

in moss. Over the moss, tree roots form a kind of protective covering. The

monster looks like a giant covered in full plate armor. The fact that its head

brings to mind a bald human likely plays a role in that impression. Judging

from the short, hornlike pieces of wood protruding from its head, though, it's

probably closer to an ogre. The two huge, emotionless eyeballs glitter yellow.

Its rough left hand grips a nature weapon—a crystal mace that gives off a

deep-blue light.

Its right hand grips a human arm.

Luvis's right arm, torn from his body.

"Ahh…!"

Haruhime lets out a brief scream at the unpleasant sound of the arm being

squashed in the monster's hand.

The blood dripping onto the crystal pathway. The cruelty of the torn-off

arm. We all stand frozen and wordless before this shocking scene. I feel like

my hair is standing on end.

The hideous monster silently stretches its gore-drenched hand toward

Luvis, who's still lying on the ground.

"Stop!!"

I charge full-force toward this unknown being.

In an instant, I am beside it, on the verge of slicing through it—when the

monster's yellow eyes roll angrily toward me.

"

"

…

The crystal mace in its left hand swings down next to me with incredible

force.

—It's fast!!

"!!"

I hurl myself forward to avoid the flash of light that carves a whining path

through the air. The mace passes above my head, which is nearly touching

the ground, and slams into the Dungeon wall directly next to me.

There's a thunderous roar, and the ground shakes. The crystal wall makes

a screaming sound as fissures race through it from ceiling to floor, and the

whole passageway quakes.

"Crap!!"

Welf and the others are yelling in astonishment behind me. I'm shocked,

too, by the unexpected speed and force of the blow, but I move straight from

my doubled-over posture into an attack.

Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpse a few strands of white hair floating

through the air, fragments of the crystal wall scattering like rain, and the

monster's nearly closed eyes. This time I thrust Hakugen—gripped in my left

hand—upward from its low position.

The fiercely powerful flash of white light seeks the monster's midriff—

but misses by a hairbreadth as the giant steps unexpectedly backward.

"

…!"

—It reacted again!

This is not a coincidence. It's foreseeing my attacks.

The superfast attacks of a Level-4 adventurer who is not holding back!

This monster can't be—

The tip of my knife grazes its body, sending fragments of moss flying

toward me like enemy blood. My eyes meet the yellow eyes of the monster.

In those eyes, I detect not the raw instinct of a rampaging beast but,

instead, the will to fight, heavy with a kind of muddy lust. That, and an

intelligence that is observing my every move.

In our brief second of combat, I also sense the monster's high potential.

It's beyond comparison with any other monster I've fought in the Water

Capital today.

In other words…

…it's an enhanced species!!

My mind shrieks silently as it recognizes a skill level and decision-making

ability far beyond what one would expect on this floor.

"OOO…!"

As if to affirm my conjecture, the monster sticks out its red tongue and

licks its lips.

Using the momentum from the knife thrust that met nothing but air, I

release a spinning kick at waist level. This time my right leg, thrust out like a

spear, makes contact with my enemy's body and succeeds in pushing it away

from where Luvis lies on the ground.

"Don't push him too far, boy!"

"We're coming!"

As the mossy giant is forced to retreat about five meders, Aisha shouts at

me sharply, and I hear Welf's and Mikoto's approaching footsteps.

A rustling sound comes from the monster's body, and in an instant the

wounds from Hakugen disappear under newly grown moss. The giant looks

past me to the members of the party running toward us.

Then, I'm quite sure, it narrows its eyes.

The next moment, it stretches its huge arms out in front of me as I stand in

a defensive position guarding Luvis.

What is it about to do? My tension level jumps even higher. I hear a

horrible cracking noise as small bumps rise all over the surface of the huge

body.

They're on its arms, shoulders, neck, torso, legs…everywhere.

I could swear it was about to shoot something. A chill runs through me.

"

"

…away…

At my feet, Luvis is trying to say something. The wounded adventurer is

summoning his last scrap of energy in order to warn me.

"Get away! Don't try to block it!!"

As Luvis utters those words, dozens of pointy bullets—seeds—shoot out

from the monster's body.

"Huh?!"

It's an unbelievable firearm.

Not flames, not snow, but a barrage of seeds rains down on me. They're

not all coming straight on, either—they're coming from above, below, left,

and right. They're bouncing off the walls of the passageway and attacking me

from every angle.

—They're ricocheting!!

I can't even track them all because there are so many, flying across my

field of vision at random angles. Worst of all, they're being released at

extremely close range. I have no choice but to follow Luvis's advice.

I abandon my defensive stance, throw appearance to the wind, and leap to

the side. As I jump, I grab Luvis's body and fly with him into the shadows of

a crystal mass to our right.

"Haruhime!! Put on your robe!"

"Eeyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?!"

Seeds are reaching the other members of the party now. Aisha shrieks her

warning just before they hit. Ouka and Welf, who are in the vanguard, crouch

down and manage to raise their shields to deflect some of the seeds. But they

can't stop them all. Mikoto and Daphne go pale and turn away. Aisha leaps

out, waving her podao to protect the supporters directly behind her.

Haruhime, her tail quivering, lies facedown on the ground with Lilly, both of

them covered by the Goliath Robe.

"

—Aaah!"

Welf and the other adventurers manage to withstand the rain of bullets,

and the steel wall of the Goliath Robe is protecting the helpless supporters,

but one voice rings out.

Chigusa.

Unable to dodge completely, she's been hit in the shoulder with a

projectile. Her legs collapse under her and she sinks to the ground.

I can't stand to watch this scene from the sidelines. I leap from the

shadow of the crystal mass into the passageway, where the fierce barrage has

now stopped.

The monster is staring at me with arms limp at its sides. I'm about to

lunge at it with knife outthrust, when—

"

"

—

"Huh?!"

The mossy giant stomps the ground powerfully, then disappears into a

tunnel in the wall.

It's escaped—no, retreated?!

A monster, retreating?!

As I stand in shock with knife raised, I hear a scream from behind me.

"Chigusa! What's the matter?!"

"Ohhh, aaaah…!"

As I turn around, I doubt my eyes for a second time.

Ouka is kneeling on the ground with Chigusa in his arms. Her eyes are

squeezed shut as if in great pain, and ivy is growing from her shoulder.

It trails from her right shoulder over her arm and chest, crawling inside

her battle dress as if to violate her soft skin. The green vine even sucks up the

drops of sweat that drip down the back of her neck.

"A plant growing from the wound…?! Ch-Chigusa?!"

As Mikoto's distraught words sink in, I stare at Chigusa. So that seed

bullet is the cause of this—?

Gaping in surprise, I glance back toward Luvis, who I've left slumped in

the shadow of the crystal mass.

I hadn't noticed before in the dim light, but now I see. Like Chigusa, a tangle of ivy encircles his body