Chapter 9

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

HELLO, DEEP LEVELS

The deep levels? …Is it scary down there?

I asked that question once.

I wanted to hear the answer from that flower so far beyond my

reach.

To the girl I look up to so much.

What does the world look like from the heights where that

swordswoman who bears the name of first-tier adventurer stands?

How perilous is the stage where my idol stands as she pursues her

adventures?

I asked her out of curiosity, or maybe because I wanted to get a little

closer to her.

When I was there, I felt for the first time that monsters…that the

Dungeon was frightening.

We were up on the city walls, surrounded by blue sky.

I couldn't see past her golden eyes.

She answered me with the gaze of an adventurer who had risked her

life many times.

It's not the kind of thing you can understand by only hearing

about it…but if you go there, you'll understand.

She spoke very clearly.

If…one day in the far, far future you're able to go there, then…

I'm trying to remember that conversation.

What did she tell me that day?

For some reason, I can't seem to remember the words.

My ears are ringing.

The sound is like the shrill cry of a child who's just woken from a

nightmare.

A cry of reason, screaming in denial of reality.

The shriek of my instincts assaults the depths of my mind.

"The deep levels…"

The whispered fragment of a thought falls from my lips and melts

into the darkness.

Stillness pierces my ears.

The pounding of my heart thunders through my whole body.

The gloomy blackness of the maze embraces me.

A strange milky color seems to stick to the walls, and the ceilings are

so high I can't even see them. The scale of the labyrinth is so

enormous it seems impossible.

I'm on the thirty-seventh floor.

I am in the abyss that all adventurers fear—the deep levels of the

Dungeon.

"...…"

My neck feels frozen in place, so I move just my eyes to look around.

I don't see any monsters nearby. No telltale sounds or signs of them,

either.

I squint into the dimness, barely able to make out my surroundings.

My current location is a tremendously large room. The distance from

the center of the chamber, where I am, to the walls must be at least four hundred meders. Aside from a couple of specific places like the

Great Wall of Sorrows on the seventeenth floor and the pantry, I've

never been in a Dungeon room this big. The phosphorescence

illuminating the walls is weak as candlelight.

Right next to me is the dead body of a huge serpent.

It's the lambton, otherwise known as a wormwell, that expired after

we sliced our way out of its belly and crawled through a fountain of

blood. That was after it swallowed us on the twenty-seventh floor

and burrowed its way down here with us in its belly.

"...! …Ah…"

I stare with one wide eye at the huge corpse.

My mouth opens and closes of its own accord, severed from

conscious thought.

My tongue is all tangled up, unable to form words.

I can produce only a dry rasping sound as if I've tried to take a breath

and failed.

—This has gotta be a lie. It can't be real.

Wormwells normally show up on the thirty-seventh floor.

Did it take us back to its own nest, of all places?

Did it really burrow through ten floors' worth of rock?

Did its homing instinct carry it here as it teetered on the edge of

death—here to the deep levels?!

This is so weird!

It's totally ridiculous!

Unprecedented!

I've never heard of anything so harsh!

This is bad…really, really bad…!!

My thoughts keep swirling with one particularly apprehensive word.

I'm dripping sweat and my body feels unnaturally hot.

The deep zone.

The Guild has designated this place the "True Deadline."

It's the most dangerous place in the whole Dungeon. I am definitely

not ready to play a role on this stage—especially not solo!

Especially not in my current condition…!

"Ms. Lyu…!"

I check the elf lying limp in my arms.

She's battered from head to toe after being swallowed by the

wormwell and exposed to its toxic stomach acid. Patches of her long

cape and battle clothes have been burned away, revealing her bare

white skin, which is marred with countless burns. Her right leg,

wrapped up in her cape, is bent at a strange angle. It's broken.

My own skin has been burned all over by that same caustic acid. My

left eyelid melted and is stuck shut, so I can't open it. As I continue

looking around with my one good eye, I pull Lyu a little closer to

protect her—or maybe to cling to her.

I grip her narrow shoulders with trembling fingers that refuse to

obey me anymore.

"Ms. Lyu, Ms. Lyu…Ms. Lyu…!"

Like a little child crying for his big sister, I call her name over and

over.

I can't think. My mind is a blank.

This is the worst possible Irregular. We've been hurled onto the

thirty-seventh floor. We're at the mercy of the darkness.

Alone, isolated, detached, completely cut off. I'm incredibly uneasy.

Cold. Lonely. Sad. In pain. My emotions are a mess.

I'm quietly spiraling in a deadly panic.

The only thing I can do is beg my lone traveling companion, the elf,

to wake up.

That's when it happens.

Pitter-patter.

Fragments of stone are falling.

"

"

—

I freeze as the little pieces of something dribble onto my head.

I peer up as if my gaze is being pulled toward the ceiling.

The fragments of stone are still falling from the vault of darkness,

which blocks my view of the ceiling. I can't figure out what's

happening based on such limited visual information.

But sound is another matter.

I definitely heard a noise.

A noise like something was speeding violently toward this floor.

Like a certain object was hurtling down the hole we came through—

The moment I become aware of that possibility, the blood drains

from my head.

That enormous form rises again in my mind's eye.

The shell that repels magic.

Those all-destroying claws.

And those pure red eyes that glint like fresh blood.

No way—

Is the monster we fought on the twenty-seventh floor chasing us

down the hole the wormwell dug?

So it can kill us?!

Shudders rack my body, but in my heart, I know the truth.

The dying words of that man called Jura—the final unrelenting

command of that tamer—have led the monster to us.

My heart beats faster as I think back on the circlet with the scarlet

stone fastened to its colossal body.

"Hiii…yaaaaaaaaaaaaa…!"

The fuel of anxiety has been thrown onto my blank mind.

Run, run!

Escape that monster!

That sole desire is enough to get my frozen mind and body moving

again.

I force energy into my limbs and stand up, still supporting Lyu. The

second I do, it suddenly feels like someone lit my body on fire. My

abrupt movement revived all the agony that was momentarily

numbed.

My open wounds drip blood onto the floor. My seared skin is

screaming.

Worst of all is the incredible pain of my left arm.

Heat is radiating from that arm, which was wrapped in the Goliath

Scarf while I used it to block the monster's claws throughout the

length of our battle. I feel like I'm about to vomit. My eyes are

tearing up and my legs are shaking. My spirit is on the verge of

collapsing.

Still, I grit my teeth and push off the ground with my boots.

I take a step forward.

With each step, I push aside exhaustion and pain to propel my body

forward.

I can still move.

I can still run.

Even now, I can still…!

As stone fragments continue to trickle down from above, I gather my

meager strength and set off. Supporting the unconscious Lyu with

my shoulder, I make a mad dash across the room. But just before I

reach the opening that leads to the passage—crash!

Something leaps out of the hole.

"!!"

Casting a purplish-blue glow, it hurtles from far overhead into the

ground.

The room shakes and rumbles.

When I turn around, I see its deformed, one-armed silhouette

swaying. There are the familiar reverse-joint knees and bony body

encased in a shiny purplish-blue shell. At three meders or so tall, its

huge form makes me think of the phrase "a dinosaur fossil wearing

armor." The left arm ends in those destructive claws one could easily

mistake for fangs.

Across the dimness separating us, I can see its two red eyes glowing

eerily.

No question about it.

It's the ultra-destructive monster from the twenty-seventh floor.

"

"

—

Whirl.

Like it's pinning us with its gaze, the monster rotates its neck.

Its glowing red orbs meet my eyes.

"

—oOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

"?!"

As soon as it roars, I turn on my heels and dive into a passage,

leaving the room behind.

I can hear it thumping after me, raising a hellish commotion.

"Gasp…!"

I dash aimlessly down the complex passages of the labyrinth. If it

catches up to us, we're done for. If I turn into a dead end, it's all

over. If I encounter another monster, that'll be it. The only thing I can

do in this worst-case scenario is pray.

I change directions over and over, dashing down branching passages

as I try to give my enemy the slip.

But the monster's footsteps don't fade.

If anything…they're getting closer by the second!

"Huff…huff…huff!"

My lungs are on fire. The sweat won't stop. My throat is burning.

Since I'm carrying Lyu, I'm going so slowly I want to cry. I can hardly

lift my feet. My whole body is screaming out in pain. All the same, I

flee from the monster with all the strength I can muster.

My brain isn't working right. Questioning voices rise and vanish like

bubbles at the back of my mind.

I've driven this thing into a corner once. Should I turn around to face

it and put an end to my anxiety?

What good will running away now do?

Isn't it a bad plan to keep running from an enemy who will, without a

doubt, chase me to the edge of the world?

Am I just buying time before I have to commit to a decision?

But no, it's no good.

I can't do that right now.

Right now, I just have to run!

I'd be willing to bet on it. If I fight this monster this instant, either Lyu

or I will die.

The monster will fight with everything it's got and considering how

my body is so badly burned by the wormwell's poisonous acid, I

won't be able to put up much of a fight. The situation is totally

different from the battle on the twenty-seventh floor.

I absolutely cannot fight that monster right now!

Determined to escape, I squeeze my left hand into a fist and

unconsciously start to chime.

" !!"

After making a couple more turns in the maze, the monster has

managed to close the distance between us to the point where I can

clearly see it. It's bouncing in every direction off the floor, walls, and

ceiling of the Dungeon at top speed. Even though our fight should

have also left it in bad shape, this monster's instinct must be urging it

to kill its prey at all costs.

The gleaming red eyes pierce my back. I can hear the claws of

destruction making scratching sounds.

Sensing that the threat of the ever-growing bloodlust barreling

toward me has reached a critical point, I swivel halfway around and

thrust out my left hand.

"!!"

The monster has noticed.

The chime.

And the particles of light seeping from the Goliath Scarf wrapped

around my left hand as I charge.

Fear fills the red eyes and it screams in fury.

I've charged for twenty seconds.

My face distorts as I shout.

"Firebolt!!"

A huge bolt of electrical fire hurtles relentlessly forward.

Within the enclosed space of the passage, the turbid stream of

flames demolishes walls and ceiling alike as it charges ahead.

From the corner of my eye, I see the monster flex its left leg

backward and bound into a side passage the instant before electrical

fire swallows it up.

A second later, the firebolt explodes violently in the passage. Since I

was unable to fully absorb the kickback from firing, the shot went up

at a slight angle into the ceiling. The passage shatters.

"Whoa!"

I'm thrown back by the wind and dust from my shot's explosion. As

Lyu and I fly backward, the bedrock above rumbles and begins to fall,

as if the whole tunnel is about to cave in. The sound of cascading

rock echoes through the floor.

Finally…it stops.

Having rolled across the floor and landed facedown, I manage to look

up at last. As the dust clears, I realize the broad passage has been

completely blocked by milky white boulders. We can't return the

way we came, but neither can the monster pursue us.

Did we actually…get through this?

"Huff, puff…aah…!"

It's a stroke of pure luck.

Same goes for the fact that we weren't crushed by the falling rock.

I'm fairly sure we won't get off so easy twice.

I give myself a second to calm my ragged breath, then attempt to

peel myself off the ground with shaking hands. I fail several times.

The aftermath of my skill Argonaut has totally drained my physical

and mental strength. I'm a wet noodle. Worse, I'm on the verge of

fainting.

It hurts, it sucks. I'm suffering.

For a second, a powerful desire to let my strength fade away washes

over me.

To lay here facedown on the ground and close my eyes.

Overwhelmed by this total mental collapse, I'm drifting between two

desires, when—

"Mr.…Cra…nell…?

"!"

I jump at the whispered words.

When I shift my gaze toward Lyu, who's laying faceup on the ground,

I see that her eyes are slightly open. The hazy sky-blue irises peer

around until they find me.

"Ms. Lyu…!"

Instantly, I kick away the desire that was sweet-talking me into giving

up. I'm able to kick it away.

I can't let anyone die. I don't want anyone to die.

Just like I felt with Weine, but with everyone this time.

After all, I promised I'd become stronger for that exact reason…!

I curse at myself for letting whines and complaints momentarily

control me. I bite my lip and get up for real this time.

I drag myself over to Lyu and sink to the ground on both knees.

I lift her battered body in my arms.

"…What is this place?"

"It's…the thirty-seventh floor…the deep levels."

I can't hide my despair as I answer Lyu's feeble question. Stumbling

again and again over my words, I explain as simply as I can that we

were swallowed by the wormwell, carried to a different floor, chased

by the same monster we battled before, and for now have escaped.

Her eyes glint with understanding, perhaps because memories of the

twenty-seventh floor are coming back to her.

She squints at me, clearly having guessed just how bad our current

situation is.

Most likely her astounding physical strength is gone now, along with

the spirit that sent shivers down my spine.

She just stares at my face with its one crushed eye.

"Uuu…!"

"Ms. Lyu?!"

Grimacing, she brings her hands protectively to her body.

She is as exhausted and horribly injured as I am. If I take her broken

right leg into consideration, she might even be in worse shape than

me. Huge beads of sweat cover her skin.

"Please heal yourself! Use your magic on your own body…!"

I don't have any items with me. I lost them along with my leg holster

in the battle with the monster. Given that, I beg Lyu to use her

recovery magic.

"…"

Maybe she's still groggy, because she keeps peering at me with her

half-open eyes. Eventually she parts her lips very slowly.

"I sing now…of a distant forest…A familiar melody…of life…"

Haltingly, in a raspy voice, she begins to chant.

Finally, as if she's wringing out her last drops of strength, she places

her hands on my face.

"Noa…Heal."

The surprised look in my eyes can't stop what happens next. A warm

glow like dappled sunlight filtering through treetops envelops my

face.

I scream at her.

"No!! Not me! Please heal yourself! If you don't, you'll…!"

Even as I'm screaming, the wounds on my face are closing and the

pain is ebbing from my closed eye. The healing power centers on my

neck but also flows to my wounds and burned skin. My energy level

even flickers up slightly from zero.

Having seen my right eye open, Lyu lets her hands drop like a

marionette whose strings have been cut.

"Why did you heal me?!"

"…I can't…I can't move on my own…I'm useless…"

"…!"

"That was the last of my mental strength, too…"

Struggling to breathe, Lyu brings her hands to her broken right leg.

"So it makes sense…to heal you, to let you live."

"That makes no sense whatsoever!"

I yell angrily at Lyu, who for some reason is smiling despite our

situation. I hate the faintness of that smile. I'm angry at her for being

noble at a time like this. I don't want to hear the words her lips are

forming.

She's probably right.

We're wounded from head to toe, utterly exhausted, and completely

alone. We have no physical or mental strength left, and not a single

item. We are facing obliteration. That darkness called death is poised

to swallow us.

In exchange for saving my life, she is about to let something else go.

"Mr. Cranell…leave me…"

But just as she's about to say the definitive word, we hear

something.

Clack-clack-clack-clack.

A sound comes echoing toward us.

It's a dry sound, like a broken marionette abruptly laughing.

"" ""

That sound is clearly abnormal.

It's not a human voice, but it's not a Dungeon noise either.

My eyes are drawn to the darkness beyond the reach of the

phosphorescence, in the opposite direction of the cave-in.

Something is there.

Something is lurking in the darkness.

A drop of sweat falls from my chin onto Lyu's tense face.

A moment later, the thing that made the sound silently appears.

"Wha—?"

The instant I see it, I second-guess my eyes.

A white mask is floating in the darkness.

There are two twisted horns and two black holes hovering in space.

It looks like—

The grim reaper…?

I'm thinking of death's messenger from imaginary tales—the

skeleton wearing a black robe and carrying a sickle.

Death has come for us as we suffer. At least, I have that illusion for a

second.

But there's that sound again—clack-clack-clack.

The mask bounces up and down like it's crowing.

Like a monster gleeful at finding prey.

"

"

—

I gulp.

I was wrong.

It's not a mask.

It's a skull.

It's not the grim reaper.

It's a monster.

"?!"

I grab the hilt of the knife at my hip and draw it.

Shielding Lyu, who can't move on her own, I stand and raise the

Divine Knife.

The monster clacks its mask like it's laughing at me.

It's a first encounter worth noting.

My debut battle in the deep levels—and maybe my final battle—is

with a sheep.

A skull sheep, to be exact.

It's a midsize sheep-like monster that appears in the deep zone,

measuring around 140 celches high. Both the face with its two empty

eye sockets and the rest of the body are made of bones, as the name

suggests.

They belong to a larger family of skeleton monsters. Even though

they don't have flesh, skin, or organs, large numbers of these highly

unusual monsters manage to wander around the thirty-seventh

floor.

A typical example are the spartois. The appearance of these skeleton

warriors is so shocking that even lower-tier adventurers who can't

make it past the middle levels know about them.

I might as well call this milky white maze a den of the undead.

"…?!"

As I dredge up the facts I learned from Eina before leaving on the

expedition, I run my eyes over these monsters that defy the laws of

biology. The skulls seem to float before me in the dusky passage. As

to what's below, I don't have a clue. That's because the rest of the

bones are covered by skin.

Skull sheep are different from other skeleton monsters in that a long,

wide skin reaches all the way to their feet, so just the bony hooves

are visible. This skin is about as far from clean as you can get. It's

dark and torn here and there so it looks like they're wearing a ragged

old robe. It makes sense that I mistook this thing for the grim reaper.

As far as I can see, only one skull is floating eerily in the darkness.

"…"

The monster aims its empty sockets in my direction. Now and then it

shakes its skull, sending its strange clacking melody through the

Dungeon.

I'm paralyzed by tension, unable to decide whether to wait for it to

make a move or strike first myself.

Suddenly, the eerie noise stops.

The skull approaches until it's right before my eyes.

"?!"

No sooner did I hear the sound of hooves striking the ground than it

was on me.

The reason is the skin covering everything. I couldn't see it pawing

the ground or preparing to move, and that caused my blunder. I was

depending too much on visual information, so I missed the signs of

its rapid approach.

Below the twisted horns, the jaw hangs open. I can't read any

emotion whatsoever in the mask of bone, but the countless fangs are

hideous.

Snapping out of my daze, I abruptly bend to the side.

"Whoa!"

The skeleton sheep jumps over my head, which is touching the

ground. Its surprise attack having ended in failure, it lands with a

clatter. I jump up and lunge forward to protect Lyu, who's lying on

the ground.

I'm just getting ready to make an offensive move, when—

"What…it's gone?!"

My enemy has disappeared without a trace.

All I can see is the still-smoking aftermath of the cave-in, and beyond

that, dusky darkness.

What the…? It vanished?!

"Wrong…the skull sheep's robe…!"

From her position at my feet, Lyu groans the name of a drop item.

I jump a little.

She's right. The skull sheep's skin doesn't just cover its body. It also

helps the sheep blend in with the duskiness so pervasive on this

floor, like a human hunter wearing camouflage clothing. In other

words, skull sheep can conceal themselves in the darkness.

First they terrify their prey with the eerie sound of their bones, then

they silently creep up and devour them. That's why adventurers have

nicknamed them death hermits!

Where is it, where is it…where's it gonna come from?!

I swivel my head back and forth. All I see is darkness. My enemy

must have covered its face with its baggy hood, because I can't see a

thing. My confusion serves its spying perfectly.

My thundering heartbeat interferes with my sense of hearing, which

is all I have to rely on, and steals my calm as well.

Just when I've reached peak anxiety, Lyu speaks up again.

"Right…!"

"!"

I hear the hood being flipped back and bones creaking.

I escape its strike by a hairbreadth, but it's a bad start.

The sheep grazed my right arm, and the draft it sends my way makes

the abrasion burn. I say graze, but a significant chunk of my arm was torn away. Its robe fluttering, the skull sheep ignores my gaping and

lands on all four hooves.

"Oww…!"

The moment I look back, gripping my forearm…I wish I hadn't.

The monster's fangs are making a clacking sound as they chew. Bits

of my stolen flesh are hanging from the joints in its jaw and neck,

which are stained red.

There's no question I feel terror at this horrifying monster—no, at

the Dungeon itself.

"

—!"

The skull sheep can't hide its raging bloodlust. It shakes its body

several times, then lowers its head so it grazes the ground. It's

crouched low, and I'm guessing its hooves are planted firmly beneath

the robe.

My adventurer's instinct flashes red.

The next instant, bumps rise on its skin.

"What?!"

The bumps are caused by protruding bones. Missiles aimed at its

prey pierce the inflated skin from the inside.

Three "bone lances" speed toward me.

They're spikes—no, stakes!

I'm not able to completely evade this long-distance attack that my

enemy implements by elongating a part of its skeleton. The lances

gouge flesh from above my right shoulder and my left armpit.

"Ouch!"

I avoid being pierced like a kabob, but I still stagger, at which point

the skull sheep charges forward like it's intent on finishing me off.

Retracting its elongated bones, it paws the ground and flies at me.

Those sharp, bloodstained fangs are about to sink right into my neck!

"Yaaaaaah!"

"!"

Just before my flesh is ripped open, I thrust out my left arm. The

sheep latches on to that instead, knocking me over. My back slams

against the ground.

"Mr. Cranell!"

Lyu's shout twines around the monster and me, who are tangled

together. I can tell right away that she's surprised.

That monster's fangs aren't sunk into my flesh.

I made it bite my left arm on purpose.

The arm with the black band wrapped round it.

The Goliath Scarf. This protective gear is so hard it even repelled the

claws of that monster on the twenty-seventh floor. The sharp fangs

clack up and down, trying unsuccessfully to crush the scarf. For the

first time, I sense an emotion—perplexity—coming from the skull

sheep.

Groaning from the pain that I nevertheless feel in my left arm, I

thrash all four limbs to shake off the monster.

I've been struggling hard for a couple of seconds when the skull

sheep shivers and stops moving.

Its stomach was exposed beneath the robe. The Divine Knife gripped

in my right hand has slipped between its ribs and…crushed the magic

stone glittering as it floated in the hollow cavern of its trunk.

"Huff…puff…huff…!"

Ignoring the pile of ash that cascades over me, I stare up at the

ceiling, panting.

That was a single fight.

And I'm this wiped out.

These are…the deep levels.

"…!"

This is impossible. It sucks. I can't do it.

If I run into another monster in this condition…

Obeying my instincts, I dig out of the ash and pick up Lyu.

Once again, I support her on my shoulder and set off.

We've gotta get away from here…!

If we don't hurry, other monsters attracted by the sound of the fight

will soon arrive.

If one of them engages me in battle, I won't be able to do it. All the

energy I regained through Lyu's recovery magic is gone. We've got to

escape somewhere and let this exhaustion pass.

I run forward desperately.

Blood is dripping from the fresh wounds the skull sheep gave me.

I've been bleeding buckets since our fight. If I'm not careful, I'll get

dizzy. If I hadn't ranked up to Level 4 and gotten this incredible

toughness, I'd already be a useless mess.

But with every step forward, my mind and body are cruelly reduced.

My left arm is killing me. I wish I could cut it off. The word "ruin" is

flashing in my head, as if to foretell my coming end.

But I press on.

To survive, I press on.

Like a defective marionette, I continue to move forward.

"…Mr. Cranell…stop…"

Lyu sounds like she cannot stand being carried along on my tortured

procession any longer.

"Put me down this instant and go on alone."

"!"

She's acting like she's a mere piece of luggage.

Like all she'll do is slow me down.

That's what goes unspoken in her whisper.

I furrow my brows as deep as they can go.

"I don't want to!"

"Mr. Cranell…"

"I'll never leave you behind!"

I'm insisting on it like a stubborn child. Lyu turns her pained eyes

toward the ground.

Abandoning her isn't an option.

If I did, I'd stop being Bell Cranell.

I'd never be able to rescue anyone again!

I scream out the words my raging emotions dictate:

"Do you think I stand a chance of surviving alone in the deep

levels?!"

"…"

"Take that fight just now. I'd have been in big trouble without you!"

Blood rushes to my head. The words won't stop even though a

monster might hear me.

But at the same time, my instincts seem to unconsciously understand

the situation. To survive, I have to convince her that her presence is crucial. So I keep on yelling even though it uses more of my precious

energy.

"I need you because you know about the deep levels! I need your

experience!"

As I'm screaming, I realize something. What I just said makes sense.

True, I have the knowledge of the deep levels I gained from studying

with Eina. But there's a big gap between knowledge and experience.

Right now, that gap determines the difference between life and

death. The fight with the skull sheep is proof.

Any adventurer knows how scary it is to see a new floor for the first

time. I have no compass to guide me through the terrible sea of the

deep levels.

To survive, I must have a lantern to light the way, a captain to lead

me forward.

"…!"

Lyu's eyes are wide open. She presses her lips closed and won't say a

word.

My bet is she's weighing the options—the merits of freeing me from

her weight versus the merits of becoming the brain that leads me

forward.

After spending some time in mental anguish, she speaks quietly.

"…I'll watch for monsters. You focus on moving us forward…"

"Ms. Lyu…!"

"Just as you said…it seems there's still a use for me…"

Light has returned to the sky-blue eyes that were so full of

resignation. The shadow of death has lifted from her tattered body.

Her petite lips form an ironic smile, as if to say, Fine, it was a rash

decision. I lost my cool.

For my sake, she's given up. I can't help yelping with glee.

"Mr. Cranell…please head for a room…a dead end, as small as

possible…"

"A room…?"

"We'll hole up for a while…If we damage the walls…no new monsters

will be born…and we'll be able to get some rest…"

"…!"

This battle-hardened second-tier adventurer gives precise orders.

Her suggestion startles me, but she's right. If we hole up in a room,

we'll be freed from this forward march that risks death at any

moment.

We have a direction now. A way forward has opened up.

Following Lyu's orders without question, I start to search for narrow

passages.

…But our actual situation hasn't gotten any better…!

We'll still be wiped out if a pack of monsters finds us. If one spawns

from this wall in front of us, it's over. This exhaustion is stubborn. If I

let my attention waver, my knees will collapse under me.

If we get to a room, what next? Even if we rest, then what? Is there a

way back from the deep levels? A way to return to the surface alive?

I turn my back on these dark whispers eating at my heart, close my

ears, and put all my energy into escaping. I focus on putting Lyu's

words into action. If I don't, I won't be able to move.

My face lit by the faint phosphorescence, I feel my way along the

milky white wall. Lyu grimaces as if even the vibration from my

shoulder pains her. Our breaths intertwining, we wander through the

Dungeon.

"…?"

I wonder how much time has passed. Has it only been a few

minutes?

Suddenly I narrow my eyes.

There's something ahead of us on the left.

A dim light is blinking from a narrow passageway.

At first, I think a monster must be moving back and forth in front of

the light's source, blocking it. But the instant I realize the pattern is

regular, my eyes pop open.

Is it…flashing?

"No way…Is that a magic-stone lamp?"

That kind of flashing light is out of place in the Dungeon.

But it is familiar on the surface. My incredulous whisper turns to

certainty.

No question about it. This light isn't natural phosphorescence,

it's…man-made!

"Ms. Lyu, it's a magic-stone lamp! There's a person down here, an

adventurer!"

"…Yes, that light…is…"

Lyu responds to my delirious shout with a surprised whisper of her

own. Monsters don't carry lamps! There must be a human up ahead!

With a little cheer, I squeeze into the passage branching off to my

left. I've forgotten all about the pain that was tormenting my whole

body. My step has a spring to it now.

Adventurers have been rescued from the brink of obliteration by

other adventurers more than once. Most of the time, they'll fight

together on an emergency basis even if they don't get along in

regular life. I've heard about these outlaw morality stories, and now

I'm one of them.

What good luck!

Imagine meeting another adventurer in a place like this!

If they're down here in the deep levels, the party definitely must be

upper tier. Could it be Loki Familia? Or maybe Freya Familia? That

would be great! Anyone would be great!

Now we'll be saved! Now we'll be freed!

Me, and Lyu, too!

"Hello! Hello! Please, save us!!"

I gather my energy and shout toward the blinking light.

We turn the corner. Just a little longer. The blinking grows brighter.

Just a second more now. I can see the entrance to the room. That's

my goal!

The tension is leaving my face. The relief is unending. Perhaps to

hide her joy, Lyu remains silent. I see a human form beyond the

blinking light and unhesitatingly stretch out my hand.

"Please, save—!"

I step into the room with a smile on my face.

That smile cracks with an audible noise.

I hear someone gulp.

Belatedly, I realize it's Lyu.

Time stops.

"

"

—

Certainly, there are people here.

People surrounding the magic-stone lamp blinking in the center of

the room.

They're definitely adventurers. I can tell from their weapons and

protective gear.

But I can't tell what race they are. I can't tell their age or facial

features, either. After all, they don't have flesh or skin.

Their slender fingers are white as plaster statues.

Their once-beautiful blond hair is dull.

The faint but distinct smell of rotted flesh hangs in the air.

These are the corpses of adventurers, turned to bleached bones.

One leans against the wall, its pitch-black eye sockets staring at us.

Another, wearing a long, flared battle skirt, lies on the ground with

its hair fanned out. Another slumps with its hands clasped around a

dagger that pierces the red, dried-out clothing, as if the adventurer

sank the blade into his own chest.

Certainly, there are people here.

Or rather, there are things that were once people.

Here lies the tragic end of adventurers who succumbed to the deep

levels.

"...Huh?"

I totter into the room as if I'm being pulled forward.

The blinking lamp is nearly broken. Like it's been lying here for

months. The three silent skeletons tell the same story of passing

time.

There is no adventurer to save us. Of course not. How did I think they

would save us in the first place? What was I expecting of corpses that

cannot answer my call nor move to help us? Did I think they would take my hands and dance? The idea is so ridiculous tears come to my

eyes.

Lyu's expression has not changed. Her mouth remains clamped shut,

as if she had half expected this.

Suddenly, my eyes meet the empty sockets of the skeleton leaning

against the wall.

Welcome! Join us!

My ears deceive me.

This is the goal you longed to reach.

"...…Ah."

Strangely enough, it is just what we were looking for: a room with a

single doorway. A dead end.

I feel like the world is crumbling.

I pull Lyu close and drop to the ground on my knees.

"That's…"

I hear a fatal, soul-destroying sound.

Such little time has passed since I decided to try to make it through

with Lyu.

A thread of hope has been dangled before our eyes, then yanked

cruelly away.

If this is the work of the Dungeon, then she is a crafty, dirty trickster.

She crushes my will with unparalleled perfection.

Her mocking laughter rings in my ears.

This will be your fate, too.

Just like these adventurers, defeated and abandoned by fate.

"Mr. Cranell…

Lyu sounds dejected.

I can't respond. I have no idea what sort of awful expression must be

on my face. As if to announce that its role has come to an end, the

blinking magic-stone lamp darkens for the last time. The tool that led

us to the side of its owners has ended its life.

Darkness descends on the room.

For the umpteenth time, the darkness of despair arrives.

And then—

As if to pull us to the brink of death as we sink into despair, the

clacking begins.

"

"

—

Feeling for a moment like a scythe has been held to my neck, I turn.

In the darkness beyond the single doorway float three sheep skulls.

The monsters have followed the footprints of their prey.

Once again terror rises in my frozen brain. The darkness has exposed

my cornered heart.

Clack-clack-clack, clack-clack-clack.

These grim reapers are calling to us from beyond the darkness.

"…Ay aw…"

Lyu grimaces and I pull her to me as tightly as I can, shivering in fear.

The masks floating in darkness slowly approach.

"Stay away…"

I wring a faint whisper from my throat. A voice of rejection, of fear,

and of entreaty.

"Stay away…"

They are merciless. They crush my prayers brutally beneath their

hooves.

The flock of monster sheep steps forward from the darkness.

The taught thread snaps.

"Stay away!"

The moment I give in to my exploding fear and scream out, the skull

sheep kick the ground. With a terrible energy, the three skeletons

prepare to charge the room.

I raise my right hand and thrust it toward them.

"Firebolt!!"

I concentrate all my mental power into the word.

Frantic to sweep away the death that is bearing down on us, I shoot

off five bolts of electrical fire.

Two of the shots miss their mark and smash the wall of the maze,

while the remaining three explode violently into the skull sheep.

"

—?!"

They shriek at the Swift-Strike Magic's direct hit.

As the electrical fire pierces their dark robes and splinters their

bones, the monsters roll on the ground in anguish. And then they

flee, as if the wildly dancing sparks have frightened them.

"

—ah."

At the same time, the last bit of strength drains from my body.

A Mind Down. It's what happens when you overuse magic.

My reserves of mental strength have finally hit rock bottom.

While I've managed not to faint, I literally can't move a finger.

Unable to relish the relief of having chased away the immediate

threat, a fatal despair washes over me.

"Mr. Cranell…"

Someone is calling me.

But who is it? Who is beside me?

This is bad.

I can't hear. I can't think. I can't feel.

Why am I here?

What was it I had to do?

"Mr. Cranell…"

I'm wandering in a maze. A maze with no exit. An endless tangle

buried in darkness.

I don't know front from back. Left and right are no longer clear. I

can't comprehend where I am.

The sensation in my hands and feet fades.

The sound of my short breaths grows distant.

The borderline between reality and illusion disappears.

"Mr. Cranell—

"

A darkness where no light penetrates erases my existence.

The darkness obliterates me body and soul.

I'm losing sight of myself—

—Slap!

There's a dry sound.

It takes a minute to realize it came from my own cheek.

"Please calm down."

The throbbing in my right cheek brings my sense of self back from

the darkness.

I look up in a daze.

I see a pair of sky-blue eyes.

She is gazing at me imposingly.

"…Ms.…Lyu?"

Sound returns. Sensation returns. Reality returns.

Her name returns and I call it.

She slapped my cheek. Now she nods.

"It might be hard, but listen. First, you need to calm down. Breathe

slowly."

I feel warmth spreading from the hand placed on my shoulder. I obey

her instructions.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Once more.

My lungs, which had been hyperventilating, relax.

Cool air flows into my brain and calms it.

The mist steadily clears.

"Mr. Cranell. You don't have to be depressed anymore."

Lyu has been quietly watching over me, choosing just the right

moment to speak.

"We may have stumbled upon the corpses of fellow adventurers,

but that doesn't change our situation in the least. So there's no need

to grieve."

I open my eyes wide at her words.

We've been in the worst possible situation from the start—the

depths of the depths. Things haven't gotten better, but they haven't

gotten worse, either.

To the contrary, we've found the kind of room we were searching

for. We've made progress. Lyu is telling me very clearly that there is

absolutely no need to lose hope.

…And I have to admit, she's right.

But I question her sanity, or rather the strength of her will.

How can she have faced those rotted adventurers and still be so

unruffled?

"Mr. Cranell, take five minutes."

"What…?"

"Please sleep for five minutes."

Lyu cuts off my surprised protest and brings her outstretched hands

before my eyes.

"W-wait, what do you…?!"

"I'll guard you. I'm telling you to take a nap."

"…?!"

"Take those five minutes to restore your strength as much as

possible."

She's speaking very clearly. Finally I accept her command to rest.

But what's she mean by five minutes?

"Here in the deep levels, and especially in our situation…five minutes

is the limit."

Any more is impossible.

Right now, we have to be on high alert for monsters. Resting for

more than five minutes would be unacceptable.

I gulp at the finality in Lyu's tone.

I realize what she's saying is insane. How much can I possibly recover

in five minutes? No matter how superhuman adventurers may be

after they level up, can five minutes mean anything?

As I struggle to vocalize my doubts, Lyu answers them.

"To work toward recovery anywhere and anytime…this is the gift of

the adventurer."

"!"

I'm startled.

Her words remind me of the words my idol spoke on top of the city

walls.

In the Dungeon, you have to be able to sleep anywhere, anytime.

It is very important to be able to recover your physical strength

quickly.

So…my mettle as an adventurer is being tested right now.

I admit I'd only half believed her advice up to this point, but now I

realize…she was one hundred percent right. Trust Aiz to hit the nail

on the head.

My renewed admiration for her notwithstanding, for some reason I

have a vision of her glancing guiltily aside. What's up with that?

"Fortunately, your magic damaged the room. It's not likely any

monsters will be spawned in the next five minutes."

Lyu looks around.

The firebolts I used to get rid of the skull sheep caused some damage

near the doorway. Large rocks lay in a pile near the door, forming a low impromptu barricade. That's the only entrance or exit, so

assuming the Dungeon prioritizes repair over spawning new

monsters, it's the only thing we have to guard.

"Will you be able to restore yourself in mind and body in five

minutes? This is a turning point for you—no, for us."

We were in a life-and-death situation to start with. Five minutes

might seem like a drop in the bucket, but aside from accumulating

these short rests, there's no way we'll return alive.

It's only five minutes of rest, but it is five minutes.

Whether you interpret that as heaven or hell is a question of

perspective.

Which perspective do I take? I honestly don't know. What I do know

is that I'm feeling less despair and sorrow than I did before. It's

thanks to Lyu that I can even be thinking about this right now. Each

one of her words carries so much weight. Her valiant voice ringing

out in this realm of suffering gives me courage. It gives me a tiny

glimmer of hope.

"…"

"…"

Still on my knees, I look Lyu in the eye and nod.

I should trust her.

With the last of my energy, I head to a spot by the wall, avoiding the

adventurers' corpses as I go. With a thud, I drop awkwardly to the

ground and lean against the cool wall.

"You sleep first. I'll rest after you do."

"…Okay."

Taking advantage of the kindness of her words, I prepare to close my

eyes. I'm about to sleep beside the corpses of my fellow adventurers.

I'm seriously unsure if I can rest in a place like this. But just before I

shut my eyes, Lyu's quiet blue gaze meets mine.

"Sleep well…"

Her delicate lips smile faintly. That smile reassures me, and I am able

to sleep. I slip gently out of the waking world.

Five minutes…will that be enough?

The instant Bell closed his eyes, Lyu's smile vanished. Sweat

drenched her body.

Five minutes.

Accurately speaking, that was the minimum amount of time Bell

needed to rest. According to Lyu's diagnosis, it really was cutting it

close.

True, his firebolts had damaged the room. But not widely enough. It

hadn't reached a level she could call safe. Normally she would

demolish walls in all four directions, but with her leg broken that

wasn't possible. She simply didn't have the strength.

The question was, could they stay still in a room in the deep levels

for five minutes without being attacked? The odds were slim.

Watching the Dungeon begin to repair itself, Lyu shut her fears deep

inside her heart.

I must not make him worry more than necessary…not after what

he's done to protect me. If he doesn't rest, he'll break down…

Why had Lyu lied to Bell? Because she had no other choice.

With his mental strength completely sapped, he could not move. His

physical strength was depleted as well. He was on the verge of losing

his very sense of self as the horrible reality avalanched down on him.

Rest—even a tiny bit—was essential if he was to take action after this. How could she have told him to demolish the room before

sleeping?

She had only had one choice: to risk their lives and rest here.

This is the first turning point…

If they surmounted this one, how many more awaited? She tried to

smile mockingly at her inability to answer that question, but failed.

She didn't even have the mental or emotional space to mock herself.

For the next five minutes, she had to fight alone.

With her battered body, she had to protect the boy and fight the

sprawling darkness of the maze.

Futaba is my only weapon…I can throw those two shortswords,

which means I can chase away two monsters…After that, I'll have to

stop them with this body of mine…

She pulled the two shortswords from her hip and thrust them into

the ground beside her. She wanted to be able to throw them the

instant an invading monster appeared out of the dimness beyond the

doorway.

Since her right leg was broken and she could not move, she prayed

that she would not have to use these weapons.

"Oooooo…"

Somewhere in the distance she heard a battle roar. A shiver shook

her shoulders. Although she knew it was pointless, she quieted her

breath.

She glared into the darkness and prayed over and over: Do not come.

Do not appear.

Every time she moved in the least, her right leg screamed in pain and

she breathed out loudly.

…Am I really this anxious just because I'm not talking to Mr.

Cranell…?

The dusky darkness of the deep levels ate away at the heart of even

that feared adventurer called Gale Wind.

That was what made this zone so aggravating. There was infinitely

less light than in the middle levels. Darkness infiltrated every corner.

And darkness makes people exceedingly anxious. It destroys their

personalities and destabilizes information. All of that is doubly true

when one is cornered—exactly like Bell and Lyu were. It also numbs

all sense of time.

The three hundred seconds seemed endless.

How many had already passed?

How many did she still have to get through?

She asked the internal clock she had developed on expeditions. She

bit her lip at its answer. Long. So long. Not even thirty seconds had

passed.

She knew that her eyes were hollow.

She struggled even to control her ragged breathing so it did not

interfere with Bell's rest.

The eerie silence that slowly spread through the room made her

imagine horrible things.

Weren't cracks about to spread through the wall she was leaning

against?

Wasn't a monster about to utter its newborn cry and then rip her

head off?

And what about that passage beyond the doorway? Wasn't a pack of

monsters on its way down it this very moment?

Lyu dug her fingernails into her forearm as she battled back these

delusions.

"…"

She looked timidly to the side so that she wouldn't have to keep

facing the darkness, facing reality. Bell was sleeping. His chin was

resting on his chest, so she couldn't see his eyes. He looked as if he'd

taken his final breath. But no, he was alive. He was definitely alive.

He'd obediently followed her instructions and thrown himself into a

brief nap.

He was losing hold of himself…but that's to be expected in this

situation.

Lyu did not think Bell was pitiful for becoming frenzied. To the

contrary, he was holding himself together remarkably well given

their extreme situation. He was in the deep levels for the first time,

and starting from despair to boot. There was no way to break

through and no hope. What's more, he was out of mental and

physical energy. Anyone's will would waver under those

circumstances. It wouldn't even be surprising for an ordinary

adventurer to snap and take their own life.

Lyu glanced quickly at the skeleton with the dagger in its breast.

"…He's really gotten stronger…" she whispered.

She felt an urge to touch his bloody, dusty white hair. She wanted to

gently comb her fingers through it. But she couldn't. She didn't have

the space to do that.

Instead, she praised him sincerely and with deep emotion. At the

same time, her conscience pained her. After he was done resting,

she would have to give him a harsh command and force him to obey.

She would have to make him commit an act of daring barbarism.

She would have to do it to save him.

"Only you will be saved…"

The rotted adventurers were the only ones who heard her whisper.

Bell had been wrong.

Lyu had not rejected death.

She had chosen self-sacrifice.

She would use her own life to save his.

That was the resolve that supported Lyu.

If only we can escape the deep levels…there will still be difficulties,

but he might be able to get through them on his own…Yes, as I

thought, we must aim for the connecting passage to the thirty-sixth

floor…

She thought about what it would take for him to return alive from

this Dungeon.

The lower levels were different from the deep levels. He would still

be in the terrible position of having no items left, but at the very

least his chances of surviving would improve greatly.

If only they could escape this devil's lair—

—I'm begging you, Alize and everyone. I don't care what happens

to me. I will follow in your footsteps to pay for my sins. But please,

save the boy…

Lyu looked down as she prayed to her departed companions.

Only to the visions in her memory did she expose the weak self that

also existed within her strong, noble self.

She squeezed her eyes shut like a weak little girl.

As she did, a roar came from the doorway.

She jerked up her head. Three masks of bone hung in the dimness.

New skull sheep. The hermits who feasted on death had appeared

again.

Reality reminded her that clinging to her departed companions

would do no good.

Lyu bit her lip and grabbed the shortswords sticking up from the

ground.

Three at once—

It wasn't possible. She couldn't handle all three. One would get into

the room.

With a pained noise, she aimed for the skull sheep and threw the

swords.

One hit the bull's-eye. A moment later the second blade pierced its

target. Two of the monsters collapsed to the ground.

But that was all.

The third monster dashed toward her and was about to enter the

room—when a white blade blossomed from its head.

"!!"

A glittering white knife had been thrown at the sheep. The thrower

was right next to Lyu.

Bell had opened his eyes and thrown Hakugen.

The lifeless bones collapsed with a clatter.

As Lyu watched in surprise, Bell lowered his right arm, which he had

used to throw the knife.

"…Ms. Lyu."

Her slender ears trembled at his whispered words.

"Five minutes are up."

The meaning of his simple words only sunk in after a moment.

It seemed that Bell's body had somehow unconsciously kept track of

the time even when he was asleep. He was no doubt wary of his

surroundings as well. The ability to keep watch while asleep was

indeed an adventurer's skill, but Lyu was surprised to see Bell had

mastered it.

Or perhaps his teacher had trained him in this craft.

"…I'm sorry for failing to properly serve my role. I wasn't

concentrating."

"No, it's fine."

Bell smiled awkwardly at Lyu's meek apology. Although she could still

see traces of exhaustion in his face, he looked completely different

from five minutes earlier. His voice was much stronger as well.

She guessed that the fog had cleared from his mind. Five minutes

wasn't enough to do much for his physical or mental strength, but

still, it was meaningful.

"Please take your turn and sleep now, Ms. Lyu."

"…All right, if you insist."

They had survived his five minutes. A heavy weight was lifted from

Lyu.

Exhaustion suddenly overwhelmed her. Her eyelids grew heavy as

lead.

She, too, was at her limit.

"Mr. Cranell…please destroy those walls so no monsters are

spawned."

"Got it."

With that, she rested her weight against the wall. A deep sleepiness

surrounded her like a cradle. She did not resist.

Her mind went blank.

Leon, Leon.

She heard a familiar voice.

She heard the voices of her familia.

She fell into the world of sleep as if at their invitation.

"

—Leon, are you listening?"

Lyu looked up with a start.

A pretty girl with smooth red hair and green eyes was standing in

front of her, eyebrows raised.

"You have some nerve to daydream when your captain is talking to

you!"

The redheaded girl was speaking briskly and jabbing her finger into

the air.

Lyu looked at her intently before finally opening her mouth.

"Sorry, Alize. I wasn't focusing."

She apologized contritely.

She didn't question the fact that the redhead was standing before

her.

"Well, as long as you realize what you did!" the girl said, smiling

brightly.

Oh. This is a dream.

Lyu knew right away.

The proof was that her body wouldn't do what she wanted it to. Her

lips said words unrelated to her will, as if they were merely retracing

an old memory.

The dream was replaying a day from five years ago.

It was set in a place that was very important to her, at a time when

the familia she loved so dearly was still alive.

"When did our noble elven lady become such a sleepyhead? And

while standing, too…such skills are far beyond me!"

"…Kaguya, I'm not sleepy. And stop talking like that. It's extremely

irritating."

"Stop teasing her, Kaguya. Even the strongest adventurers can't help

acting that way at that time of the month. She's a girl, after all!"

"Lyra, that's crude. Anyway…it's not th-th-that time of the month!"

Lyu was talking to a human with black hair and a prum with peach

hair. Her expression was sour and her voice raised. If Bell or his

friends who only knew the Lyu of today had seen her face at that

moment, they would surely have been surprised.

She was young, and her expression was extremely vulnerable.

She only let her friends see this inflexible, youthful side of her.

She was full of things the Lyu of today had lost.

"Oh, so you're on your period, Leon! I'm sorry, I didn't realize. But

when you're in the Dungeon you can't whine like that. Try to hold up

as best as you can!"

"Don't you take her seriously, too, Alize!"

Lyu finally exploded at Alize, who not only winked saucily at her but

also stuck her finger in the air again. Her female familia members

laughed loudly as the elf blushed to the tips of her ears.

Astrea Familia.

Led by the goddess Astrea, the familia symbol was a sword of justice

and a pair of wings.

During the dark days when evil spread through Orario, Astrea Familia

fought alongside Loki Familia and Ganesha Familia to preserve peace

in the city. All eleven members were female, and all were strong-

willed, brave, and heroic warriors who inspired fear. Male

adventurers fled barefoot from the members of this small, elite

band.

"All right ladies, pull yourselves together. Let's talk about justice. The

battle against the Evils is reaching its climax. It's time for us to revive

our initial enthusiasm for the fight!"

Among all the brilliant members of that familia, Alize Lovell shined

the brightest. She was their captain and Lyu's friend, the one who

had invited her to join the familia. Her hair, which she wore tied in a

ponytail that perfectly fit her cheerful personality, was the color of

the setting sun. Described kindly, her words and actions were candid

and straightforward; described unkindly, they were presumptuous

and unthinking. The first time Lyu met her, she had barged into her

confidence, going as far as to say, "Your name is Lyu? That's hard to

say! I'm going to call you Leon from now on!" She was to thank for

the fact that everyone in the familia aside from their patron deity,

Astrea, called her that.

But Lyu respected Alize.

She was always focused on the future, impartially kind to everyone,

and more honest than anyone else she knew.

In truth, Alize was Lyu's first friend.

"We're supposed to talk about justice? I'm not sure what to say…"

"The easiest definition would be that justice is doing good without

compensation…"

"But isn't doing good without a goal the same as being self-

satisfied?"

"If you have a goal, then it becomes calculating. That's far from real

justice."

"Ultimately, justice is only a convenient tool. It's a weapon used to

attain a goal, or a colorless flag used for justifying violent words and

actions."

"Wait, take that back. The sword and wings of justice that we

pledged ourselves to are nothing like that."

"Uh-oh, here comes Lyu the theorist!"

At Alize's urging, all the members of the familia had gathered in a

room of their home for a discussion. The passionate debate was

starting to create an explosive mood. Alize looked around the room

and nodded generously.

"

—Right, let's wrap up the discussion on this topic! Even the deities

can't give a perfect answer to this question, so of course we won't be

able to, no matter how hard we try! Yes, it's impossible!"

Alize was exactly as slap-dash and irresponsible as the situation

required.

Her familia members looked at her with irritation as she put an end

to the topic she herself had brought up.

"Anyone can talk on and on about justice. Instead of searching for

the 'real' justice among the endless constellation of possible

definitions, let's beat the villains who act under the banner of false

justice!"

"!"

"When the evil of falsehood is gone, harmony and order will be born.

The people will be so happy! I'm quite sure that is what justice

means for us as members of Astrea Familia!"

Sometimes, she said the most surprising things in a nonchalant way.

"Justice is not something to carry on our shoulders. It is something

that will crush us one day. It is not something to boast about. That's

like pushing ill will on people!"

"Alize…"

"Justice is something to hide!"

Her familia members stared at her, the tension gone from their

shoulders, and raised their eyebrows as if to say, There she goes

again! Like their patron deity, Astrea, Alize was more popular and

trusted than anyone else in the familia.

"Once again, you've prostrated yourself before my wisdom, I see!

Hee-hee, I am good, aren't I?"

She also had a tendency to say unnecessary things. This time, the

looks aimed at her as she put one hand on her chest and closed both

eyes proudly were chilly.

Ah, I miss those days!

That was the thought in Lyu's mind as she watched this scene unfold.

Everything she sought was there.

If she could return, she would.

"All right, on to the main topic! I've learned from the Guild that Evils

activity has been detected in the lower levels."

The second Lyu heard those words, her mind went cold.

"By Evils…do you mean Rudra Familia?"

"Yes. During that nightmarish fight on the twenty-seventh floor last

year, the familias on the Guild side suffered heavy damage, but the

Evils were hit even harder. Most likely they're only able to take

action in that zone now."

"The strategy that time was heavy-handed, thanks to Loki Familia

leading the counterattack. It really depended on the bravery of our

familia."

Lyu's mind quivered at the memory of this conversation between

Alize and the others.

It was the day before it happened.

The eve of calamity.

At the time, she had no idea what awaited them.

But the Lyu of the present knew everything.

"We in Astrea Familia will survey the lower levels. It's good if we find

something, better if we can stop our enemy's plans, and fantastic if

we can capture Rudra Familia."

No, no.

Jura and others in Rudra Familia had intentionally spread that

information. Guild members with links to their faction had leaked it.

As a result, Astrea Familia would head to the Dungeon and

encounter the calamity.

"Don't you smell a trap? Just like the nightmare on the twenty-

seventh floor…"

"Even if that's case, our only choice is to go. We will go so that a

tragedy like that does not occur a second time."

Alize shook her head as she responded to the words of their prum

companion.

Lyu had respected her direct gaze full of proud justice, but now it

reflected the predetermined fate that made her so hopeless.

Alize, it's no good!

No matter how loudly she screamed, her words went unheard.

No matter how desperately she called to them from within her

immobilized body, the dream proceeded according to the script of

her memory, leading Alize and the others toward despair.

"We'll leave after the meeting. Get your things ready."

It's no good!

Stop, Kaguya and Lyra!

All of you—you must not go!

She screamed in vain. Alize turned away and walked out of the room.

The other familia members followed, and the dream-Lyu went along

with them.

Only Lyu's present-day consciousness remained.

Wait.

Slowly, their home melted away and was filled with white light.

All that remained was the image of their backs walking away from

her.

They continued ahead without looking back.

Beyond the light, to the far shore of the light.

They left Lyu behind like a painting on the wall.

Wait.

Kaguya, Lyra, Noin, Neze.

Asta, Lyana, Celty, Iska, Maryu.

She called their names to no avail.

All of them walked farther and farther away.

They left only Lyu behind.

Without realizing what she was doing, Lyu desperately reached

toward the back of the red-haired girl.

Alize.

She could see the figure beyond the light, but it did not turn toward

her.

"Alize…"

A soft whisper escapes her lips.

I can't help hearing.

We are in the room with the corpses of our fellow adventurers.

Just as Lyu instructed, I damaged the walls in all four directions. I

stabbed, ripped, and gouged them over and over with the Divine

Knife. This will definitely prevent monsters from spawning. I

retrieved Lyu's shortswords and Hakugen, too.

I overheard her whispered word when I had finished all that and sat

down next to her.

I look at her face, my own mouth shut tight.

She looks sad as she meets this person in her dream.

"…"

I turn my eyes back to the scene in front of me.

I hear and sense something. When I look at the doorway, I see a

mask of bone.

The skull sheep are back in pursuit of our lives. Or maybe a flock of

them is wandering around out there.

There's only one…in which case…

"…If it comes over here, I'll shoot at it."

I raise my right arm and thrust it out.

Gathering up the little mental energy my rest gave me, I concentrate

magical power in my right hand.

No way am I going to let it know I'm tired. I stay sitting, but do my

best to put on a tough-guy front.

The skull sheep looks at me with its hollow eye sockets as I aim my

"gun," then disappears into the darkness as if in retreat. It probably

felt threatened by my magic.

If we were on the upper or middle levels, I'm sure a monster would

have charged ahead unthinkingly. I've gotta give these deep-level

monsters some respect for their intelligence. They're a whole lot of

trouble to fight, but it seems they're good tacticians, too.

I let out a long breath and glance back at Lyu.

…I don't think I've ever seen her this unguarded before…

Her eyes are closed. Her body is battered. Maybe because of our

circumstances, her bloody, dusty face has an ephemeral beauty to it.

She looks like a wounded fairy sleeping beside a spring under the

light of the moon. I've got to watch over her. That's why I'm sitting

so close.

Her warm shoulders, so close I'd bump into them if I moved even a

little…look sweet to me. Circumstances be damned, I can't help it.

These narrow shoulders have fought so long.

Bloodied and feared, Gale Wind threw herself into the stormiest of

battles.

"Alize…"

She whispers the same name again. She's calling it out like a little

girl.

To think that such a gallant, fierce warrior can also be so weak.

I'm not even sure which one is the real Lyu.

I…just want to protect her.

I want to protect this girl who would never intentionally show me her

weakness.

I feel like that desire is bringing back my strength.

"…Alize…wait…"

Five minutes are up.

But I'll just let her rest a little longer.

I'm sure it will be okay.

I let her sleep and continue my watch.

I let her sleep so she can keep on speaking just a little longer to the

dwellers in her dreams.

Not much later, Lyu opens her eyes.

The same old gallant elf is back. I don't say anything about what I

saw.

She's probably a little less exhausted, like me. Some of the color has

returned to her face.

Now it's time to act.

"To those who seek thee, deliver the mercy of healing…Noa Heal."

Warm light spills from Lyu's hands and encircles her right leg.

Although I can't say it's back to normal, the leg with the hilt of her

knife bound to it as a splint does heal. She gazes discontentedly at it.

Now that our mental strength has returned a little, we're making

quick use of Lyu's recovery magic. I managed to convince her to use

it on herself by flatly refusing to let her heal me. At the very least,

she had to fix that broken leg. It was just too exhausting to support

her as I ran. That's what I told her, and finally she listened.

Her insistence on putting me first for so long reminds me how

stubborn she is. Anyway, moving fast will still be hard, but at least

now she can walk on her own.

"First we'll take stock of our situation."

"Right."

I look Lyu in the eye. We're both kneeling. We've got an eye on the

doorway to watch for monsters as we speak in low voices.

"I'm not sure what part of the thirty-seventh floor we're currently in.

We're both injured and tired. We're in an extremely hopeless

situation."

In other words, there's no telling what might happen. I nod gravely.

Needless to say, not knowing where you are in the Dungeon can be

fatal. Basically, wandering around without knowing if you're going

forward or back is a shortcut to death.

The fact that we rested doesn't change our horrible situation. We're

still way too weak to fight deep-level monsters. If I could, I'd take a

bath in elixirs and then dive into bed.

"We don't have much by way of treatment, either. All we can do is

nurse our sorry selves along with my magic."

We just used her magic on her leg, so we can't use it again for a

while. Which reminds me—I gave up on healing my wrecked left arm. When we were talking about whether to heal her leg or my

arm, she ripped off the scarf that was wrapped around it and gasped.

From the shoulder down, it was such a mangled mess of flesh and

bone that even I didn't want to look at it.

But I can still move it. Which means I'll be okay.

Of course, it still hurts so bad I want to die, and this disgusting sweat

won't stop.

When we get back to the surface, I might have to get a fake arm.

…I'm not smiling.

"We lack adequate equipment as well. To put it bluntly, we have

nowhere near what's needed to explore the deep levels. And we're

short on items."

I touch my ragged pouch, which escaped the wormwell's stomach

acid, as Lyu continues her pessimistic assessment. For weapons,

we've got Hakugen, the Hestia Knife, and Lyu's two shortswords. Plus

the Goliath Scarf, although I doubt it will do much more than serve

as a protector and substitute bandage for my left arm.

My protective gear was shredded by the monster's claws and then

melted by the lambton's acid. It barely even exists anymore. We're

so poorly equipped it makes me dizzy.

Lyu continues.

"As for outside help…we'd better not count on that. Even if your

familia is able to follow our footsteps, it will be impossible for them

to make it to the deep levels."

We jumped from the twenty-seventh floor to the thirty-seventh.

That kind of irregularity can't be expected of any adventurer. My

only faint hope lies in Mari, who witnessed part of our battle. But

even if she manages to make contact with Lilly and the other adventurers, how long would it take for a rescue party to reach the

deep levels?

Days? A week?

As for the possibility of running into other adventurers exploring the

deep levels…we'd better forget about that, too. That kind of overly

optimistic idea isn't real hope—it's just a poison that destroys your

spirit.

I glance at the adventurers turned to bleached bone and settle on a

resolve resembling resignation.

I hope Lilly and the others are okay…

Suddenly I think of my friends. Since they stayed on the twenty-fifth

floor, they probably weren't pulled into that horrible monster's

massacre.

For the time being, I chop down that shoot of anxiety that grows

bigger the more I think about things. If we don't get out of here alive

first, I'm not going to be able to check on anyone's well-being.

"Based on our current circumstances…our best option is to head for

the connecting passageway to the thirty-sixth floor."

Having laid out all the things that we have to worry about, Lyu moves

on to our plan for moving forward.

"You mean escape to the lower levels? But even if we make it

there…"

"I know. Our safety is not guaranteed. We'll be forced to make it

through those levels, too."

The first safety point in the deep levels is on the thirty-ninth floor.

That's a distance of two floors from here.

It goes without saying that the lower you get in the Dungeon, the

bigger the floors are. The thirty-seventh floor is big enough to hold all of Orario. Rather than going down two floors, it will take much

less energy to go back to the lower levels. We can't use the hard-

labor approach of heading for a safety point on a lower level, like we

did as a strategy of last resort that time in the middle levels. To start

with, that stunt relies on a maze structure resembling a vertical

channel.

"However, we'll have a better chance of surviving than if we stay in

the deep levels. In the lower levels, there are berries and fruits that

we can eat…Dungeon crops. It's a far better option in terms of food

and water."

Makes sense. I nod to indicate my understanding.

At the very least, we won't have to worry about nutrition. Plus, the

monsters should be less fierce and fewer in number. Compared to

the deep levels, the lower levels are actually easy.

"From here on out, our mental strength is our lifeline. Obviously, we

should avoid fighting monsters as much as possible, and use magic

primarily for protecting ourselves."

Even if we use her recovery magic when her mental strength returns,

we need to stockpile our energy and keep our cards close. Reckless

use of magic or skills is prohibited.

That is, if the lower levels let us be that conservative.

"For now, we need to collect the items and equipment necessary for

moving through the lower levels."

Water, too, if we can.

With that, Lyu ends her speech.

I don't have any arguments. I mean, what choice do we have?

Now, how do we get those essential goods? I'm about to ask her that

when I notice something.

All expression has vanished from Lyu's face.

"Ms. Lyu?"

Her lips open and then close.

I glimpse hesitation and inner conflict in her cold face.

She seems to hesitate for a second before speaking. As if she's about

to touch on a taboo.

She shifts her blue eyes away from mine.

"…?"

She glances at the corpses.

For some reason, I get a bad feeling about this.

For some reason, my hair stands on end.

Finally, she opens her mouth.

"We're going to strip the dead of their equipment."

Her words pierce my ears.

"…What?"

I don't get what she just said. The words don't make sense.

As I make an idiotic face, she repeats herself.

"…We'll strip the equipment from the corpses and use it."

Her low voice seems to be talking both to me and to herself.

As soon as I understand what she's saying, I shout in protest.

"W-wait a second!! You mean loot the dead…?!"

Desecration of the dead.

Normally, there's an unspoken rule among adventurers that if a body

is found, it must be taken to the surface. Violating that rule to steal

from corpses is the worst kind of barbarism.

Grave robbing, scavenging from corpses, banditry…detestable

phrases swim in my head. Eventually I erupt in sweat. My eyeballs

are unnaturally fixed in place. My tongue is instantly dry. When I try

to express this unspeakable feeling to Lyu, she cuts me off

mercilessly.

"They lost to the Dungeon, and we will use them. They are our

predecessors in death, and we will beg of them a way out…We are

not in a position to choose our methods."

Her dark determination echoes through the Dungeon.

I gulp.

She's serious about this.

"…I'll do the woman. You do the men."

She stands up.

Dragging her right leg, she walks to the woman in the long, flared

skirt, kneels, and really does begin to search her.

"…?!"

She mercilessly rips apart the already tattered skirt, severs the belt

with her knife, and rummages through the red pouch. As if the

skeleton is crying out, a piece of its arm drops from the cuff of the

sleeve, and the golden blond hair fans across the floor.

Please stop!

I don't want to see you like that!

I do not voice the screams of my heart.

My eyes fall on Lyu's face, her wide eyes shifting uneasily, and it

dawns on me.

There's no way she's not hesitating. There's no way she's not trying

to avoid this. No, Lyu is even more guilt-stricken then I am. She's

vomiting invisible blood.

There could be no more loathsome act for an upstanding elf than the

desecration of the dead. She is crushing her pride underfoot and

donning a mask of cruelty to humiliate the dead.

She has done it to survive. She has done it for herself—or for me?

To do her duty as a leader of adventurers?

As I watch Lyu calmly strip the corpse of its possessions, I can't hold

back my muddled emotions. I narrow my eyes and clench my fists, as

if I'm about to start crying.

"!!"

I reprimand my useless legs and suddenly rush toward the

adventurers-turned-skeletons.

My eyes meet the black sockets of the corpse leaning against the

wall. I squeeze them shut for a moment.

I place my hands on its armor and pull it off without hesitating.

That's enough to make the world waver before my eyes.

My breathing is ragged. My head is swimming. Something hot is

surging up from my stomach toward my throat.

No, don't vomit. This is a survival situation. Parting with bodily fluids

will only bring me closer to death. I press my hands over my mouth

and force the burning fluid back down.

The scene before me grows blurry. No, tears are no good either. I

can't spare a drop of water.

This is why. This is why. This is why I clench my teeth and desecrate

the dead.

I'm sorry. Forgive me. I can't die yet. As I strip the adventurers'

equipment I repeat these tearful words over and over again in my

heart. I steady my arm when it flinches as if electrified by the touch of the thin white hand bones, and I steal the sword and the

protective gear.

This is what it means to be an adventurer.

This, too.

When forced to the border of life and death, you scavenge from

corpses.

I knew this job wasn't all roses and gallantry. I thought I understood

that already. But maybe a part of me was still naive.

Hardening my resolve at this point…is just sophistry…

But all the same—I want to live.

I promise to make up for their stolen lives by seizing life myself.

I desperately repeat these comfortless words to the corpses, but the

bones say nothing in response.

Still, the sword I have stolen from them tells me that if I am an

adventurer, I must overcome this.

That, at least, is what its sharp gleam in the darkness seems to be

saying.

"Huff, puff…!"

Panting with both hands planted on the ground, I look up.

Spread in front of me are the possessions left behind by the

adventurers—that is, their equipment and items.

There is a longsword with a nicked blade, a cracked wand, several

daggers, a piece of side armor, a magic feather pen, several

unappealingly discolored potions, a moldy piece of bread, and some

other small things. There's quite a lot here, but one item in particular

draws our attention.

"A partly completed floor map…"

The corpse leaning against the wall had been gripping the sturdy roll

of cloth in its hand.

The X in one corner probably represents their base, which is to say,

this room. From there, a red line traces a complicated maze.

Quite a large area has been completed. As I look at the map I can see

that again and again they ran into dead ends but continued on with

their mapping project, despite the discouragement they must have

felt.

I am sure that they, too, were stranded in this place, wandering in

search of a way out.

And in the midst of that aim, their strength ran out.

"I cannot guess at their bitter disappointment…but this map will be

an enormous help to us."

I nod in strong agreement to the words Lyu mutters as she looks

down at the map spread on the ground. We must pick up where their

line breaks off and continue to map this floor.

We must draw the line that leads us home.

"…Ms. Lyu, does the information on this map look familiar…?"

"No…the thirty-seventh floor is too big. I haven't covered it all. At

least, I don't remember a maze shaped like this."

I had hoped that she could at least place our current location within

the floor overall, but unsurprisingly, the outlook is not bright. Still…

"I've been to the deep levels many times. I do remember the main

route."

"That means…"

"Yes. If we can get close to the main route…I can lead us to the

connecting passageway."

Lyu looks up at me, and I see a glint of light in her eyes.

It's extremely small, but I do see a little hope.

"About these possessions…let's bring as much as we can. We don't

know what we'll need."

"Got it…"

I look away from the map and take in the pile of equipment and

items.

I repair the torn backpack with a bootlace and begin packing it. I

even put in the items that look too dilapidated to use, like the sooty,

dented canteen and the empty vials. Lyu trades her tattered clothes

for the ripped battle clothes of the female adventurer. I can't help

blushing and looking away, even though it's hardly the time to think

about that kind of thing.

I look at their possessions once again…and notice that there's still

some food left, despite the mold and rot. Given that, it's hard to

believe starvation or thirst were the direct causes of their deaths.

But while there are plenty of potions left, I don't see any antidotes. I

don't imagine an exploration party would neglect to bring them

along…which means they used them all? Could their cause of death

have been an abnormality in their condition sparked by poison?

It seems plausible. After they were stranded for whatever reason,

they probably made this room their base while searching for a way

out. But before they could, a monster poisoned them. They managed

to hole up in here, but were unable to treat the poison with the

items they had left…

As one companion died and then another, perhaps the remaining

adventurer was driven crazy by the darkness of the deep levels and

took his own life.

I can't help glancing at the skeleton that until a moment ago had a

dagger sticking from its chest.

"…Mr. Cranell."

Seeming to have noticed something, Lyu turns the map over and

hands it to me.

The cloth was originally a familia emblem, most likely a flag. Without

paper to create a map, they had been forced to draw on the proud

symbol of their familia. But it's too damaged to make out which

familia it belonged to.

However, in one corner, there are some red letters written in Koine.

"Deepest apol…re…honorable…sorr…Mo…Mother…unable to

return."

I read out their last words, some of which are blotted out by dirt. As

we imagine the last days of this party of three, both Lyu and I feel the

same sorrow.

"…"

"…"

Just before we leave the room decked out in their protective gear

and weapons, Lyu and I stand before the three adventurers and close

our eyes. We have laid them in the center of the room with their

hands crossed on their chests. We silently apologize for what we

have done to them and offer up a prayer.

It only lasts a few seconds.

This is the Dungeon, the den of monsters. We cannot afford to linger

in sentimental reflection.

We leave the room with a final word of farewell and gratitude to

these nameless adventurers.