Chapter 18

LILI POV, LATE MORNING, 3 DAYS UNTIL THE ATTACK ON SOMA FAMILIA:

The 18th floor of the Dungeon is filled with crystals and nature. Large forests and lakes cover the floor. Within the forest are blue crystals of different sizes that reflect the light from above, causing the forest to be filled with a pale blue glow.

"So the prices of Rivira are much more expensive than the surface?" Lili inquired. She followed Shalltear as they strolled through the forest.

"Yes," Shalltear replied with a knowing smile, "I wouldn't be surprised if they purposely make breakfast extra expensive, taking advantage of adventurers who are tired in the morning and would not want to cook."

Their roles naturally divided, Lili took on the task of foraging for fruits while Shalltear maintained a watchful eye on their surroundings, ever alert for any potential threats.

A solitary Mad Beetle monster dared to challenge them, lunging out from the underbrush. However, the silver-haired female swiftly dispatched it with a single, precise strike of her parasol.

Lili's hand deftly moved from tree to tree, her fingers carefully plucking fruit. Her fingers curled around a tuft of Honey Cloud—a fruit resembling cotton, soaked in honey. Its saccharine aroma wafted through the air, tempting her taste buds, yet she resisted its allure. Instead, she packed it away in her pouch with a determined nod.

Amidst the Honey Cloud, Lili also gathered squash-shaped gourd berries and other delectable treats, their bounty a testament to the resourcefulness of the place. The abundance of fruit made it feel like an orchard, and she told herself to commit the area to memory as she glanced around at the rich harvest.

Shalltear continued to monitor their surroundings near Lili, but after a long while without any incident, she, too, began packing fruits away in her school bag.

"Ah... a crystal drop," the silver-haired female exclaimed in surprise, her eyes fixing on a tear-shaped, candy-like fruit nestled among the small clusters of crystals strewn across the ground. This rare item, or rather, "rare fruit," was none other than a crystal drop, an exceptional discovery even on the 18th floor of the Dungeon.

"...Crystal drop? AH! That's a Nobleman's Candy. Lili's never had one, but she's heard that it has a satisfyingly crisp texture and an exquisitely refined flavor... a jar of them could fetch well over ten thousand Valis," Lili explained.

"Then... it is for you," Shalltear declared, offering the rare fruit to the chestnut-haired girl.

"Eh?! Lili can't accept it, especially since we only found one," Lili objected, her hands gesturing with refusal.

"Then, we share," the silver-haired female proposed, taking a bite of half the fruit and extending the remaining portion to Lili.

An indirect kiss!

Lili's thoughts raced, a rosy pink painted her cheeks as she accepted the fruit, taking a bite and savoring the exquisite flavor. In a playful move, she even licked a drop of fruit juice from Shalltear's fingers.

"It is true, it is crispy and tasty," the silver-haired female confirmed with a satisfied smile, enjoying the shared experience.

The dim light of the crystals growing from the Dungeon's ceiling peaked between the gaps in the canopy overhead, tingeing the world around the pair in hazy, piebald patterns as bluish crystal stalagmites rose from the bases of the trees.

o-O-o

Sometime later, they were walking in Rivira, the rest-stop dungeon town surrounded by rock and crystals. Lili clung to Shalltear's arm as they wandered, taking in the sights of various wooden shacks and stores that lined the town's paths.

These shacks were constructed from haphazardly assembled wood and adorned with signs. Some even occupied the nooks and crannies of the stone walls or entrances to tunnels on the floor. As the town was perched on a cliff's edge, a network of stairs connected the different shops, allowing people to move from one to the next with relative ease.

Given Rivira's layout, nearly every structure in the town served as a shop. While a few cramped hotels and taverns could be found, the majority of establishments were dedicated to selling weapons, armor, and various items.

Pretty clothes... Going around a town checking prices... This is like a date! Hee-hee-hee!

Lili's mind was a whirl of excitement with a radiant smile, and her dog-like tail wagging furiously under her yukata, she couldn't hide her delight.

Her gaze roved over the price tags of weapons and items displayed in shop windows as they passed. The difference in price was often striking, with one or two fewer digits on the surface.

Every single establishment was owned and operated by adventurers. Only adventurers and a few supporters filled its streets. Being upper-class adventurers, their armor and weapons were top-notch—as well as equipped to be used at a moment's notice. Two-handed swords, halberds, and full-plated body armor were everywhere. It was a much more extreme version of 'Adventurers Way' on the surface.

The only thing that would make it better is not having greedy adventurers around...Twenty thousand Valis for a backpack...absurd!

Lili couldn't help but notice that many of the shacks had suffered significant damage, and she observed adventurers bustling about, carrying materials and working to repair the structures.

Curious, she turned to Shalltear and asked, "There are many damaged buildings... Does the town normally get attacked by monsters?"

The silver-haired female nodded, explaining, "Yes, monsters from the adjacent floors tend to come frequently and stay because of the food in the forest, in fact, one could say this is their safe haven, not ours... Adventurers just build here on their own."

Lili's perceptive nature led her to point out, "...They had used the terrain as it is and built the town on top of it... Doesn't it mean that they have to rebuild it over and over?"

The Dungeon heals itself after taking physical damage, so it's impossible to break ground and build something sturdy or blast away rock to hollow out an area for a shop. Adventurers brought building materials down from the surface and used them in combination with the natural features of the 18th floor to build the town.

"Yes, all the adventurers here are really good at running away," Shalltear continued. "They wait for a little bit after an attack, come back, and rebuild... Set up, get smashed, set up again...It happens over and over... In fact, three days ago flower monsters from the deep floors came."

Lili's surprise was evident as she exclaimed, "Irregulars from the deep floors climbed up to here?! How is the town not flattened?"

"They were brought up by a tamer and Loki familia ended up killing them... Ah! There it is! That man over there is Bors, the city representative of Rivira, he is a Level Three," Shalltear pointed out, indicating a man with an eyepatch who was energetically directing other adventurers.

With a hint of disappointment, the chestnut-haired girl commented, "...Lili thinks that Mister Bors looks like a ruffian..."

Shalltear chuckled, responding, "He totally is! Always acting like a big shot, and is very materialistic, but he also is a good leader when it matters. And, most importantly, he knows everybody around here.."

As they walked, Lili's gaze drifted up toward the crystal formations on the ceiling, and she asked a question that had been on her mind, "Lili was wondering... How do adventurers here know when it's nighttime, given the constant light from the crystals? Do they use clocks?"

Shalltear explained, "The light from the crystals disappears after a while...That's when night comes. But, apparently it's not matched up with the real sky, though...."

This is the Dungeon. No sunlight ever makes it down here—so why is there shade and a blue sky?—It's almost like the Dungeon prepared this by looking outside.

Lili's observation wandered to the crystals decorating the surroundings, and she commented, "There are tons of crystals all around town, not only in the forest and ceiling..."

"Indeed. Crystals that are found on the eighteenth floor can be turned in for money at the Exchange aboveground." Shalltear added.

Filled with enthusiasm, Lili's eyes lit up as she proposed, "Lady Shalltear! Let's collect as many as we can!" With that, they set off, spending the afternoon collecting the valuable crystals throughout the town.

o-O-o

MAY POV:

May, Laura, and Let gathered around the stone lamps at the center of the cavern-like room, engaged in conversation. The ambiance was broken by the rhythmic sound of footsteps echoing through the entrance passage, sending ripples of alertness through the Xenos.

Lyd appeared, rushing over to them and murmuring instructions, "Hey, hide the lights, then yourself." He then positioned himself at the entrance, ready for whatever might be coming.

Following Lyd's cue, the larger Xenos quickly found hiding spots, while the smaller ones worked to carry away the lamps. Harpies took flight, bringing pieces of cloth to cover the quartz crystals on the ceiling, plunging the room into partial darkness.

Laura gently grasped May's arm, leading her to a hiding place, the red-capped goblin followed behind.

"What is happening?" May whispered, a hint of concern in her voice.

"Shhh... Somebody is coming. We need to wait until Lyd can confirm who it is," Laura explained softly, their anticipation building.

The two of them hid in one of the internal cavities of the room, with Let and Laura cautiously peeking their heads out to observe the potential intruders.

A familiar, melodious voice reached their ears—a voice that instantly brought reassurance and excitement. It was Ray.

With a beaming smile, Laura turned to May and whispered excitedly, "The call means Ray had come back with someone friendly!"

The tension that had momentarily gripped them dissolved.

Let pondered aloud, "I wonder which type they will be," his arms crossed as he mused about the newcomers.

"Everybody! False alarm! Put back the lights!" Lyd's voice echoed, the command resonating through the cave.

The agile Xenos quickly returned the magic-stone lamps and began lighting up the cavern.

May noticed a hellhound struggling with a magic-stone lamp, attempting to turn it on with its fangs. She stepped in to help, turning the lamp on with ease.

Turning around, May's gaze fixed on the source of the newcomers. There stood Ray, dressed in a telemagenta robe, accompanied by the two new arrivals armed with metal maces.

These newcomers were distinct, dressed in clothes meticulously crafted to blend with the environment of the Large Tree Labyrinth. Their attire was woven from green leaves and branches, tinged with shades of blue and red.

The newcomers resembled merman, their white skin contrasting with their crimson eyes. Those eyes seemed oddly familiar to May.

One of the merman, however, bore slight differences. Underneath their clothing, May noticed thicker fins resembling bone spikes connected by membranous tissue. Lines of red pores extended from his gills to his tail, glowing and dimming in sync with his breathing.

May recognized that this enhanced merman was of a similar kind as herself, an enhanced species, and it may have gained a special ability, just like she did. From the few practices she had done with her ability, it seemed as if she became a phantom, capable of moving through solid objects and phasing out of this plane.

In those moments, reality seemed to shift and take the background, becoming something see-through. When she looked down, it was very bright, a light seemed to come from down below, but when she looked up fear took hold of her—far away in the atmosphere, a golden divine halo hovered over a golden eye with an iris containing another iris containing yet another iris, and then a vertical pupil zeroing on her.

It gave her body shaking chills. She had vowed to herself to never look up again while using her new ability.

Dispelling the memory by shaking her head, May noticed the enhanced merman's eyes locked onto her, a sense of intrigue and connection hung in the air, both enhanced species recognizing each other in a manner only they could understand.