"Although we knew what to expect from the guild's information…" Finn muttered, his gaze sweeping the area, "I didn't think the passage between the 60th and 61st floors would be like this."
"It's bizarre." Tiona added, scanning the walls. "Besides the frozen layer, everything else is just like the earlier floors, twisting passages everywhere."
"Really." Tione nodded, eyes narrowed. "So many forks… it must be a nightmare trying to find the actual route down."
This passage was nothing like the usual floor transitions. It wasn't a simple vertical descent. Instead, it was an entire maze, filled with branching paths and crisscrossing corridors, resembling a fully-fledged floor of its own. No wonder this place was called a "gap."
And yet, the true gap. the hidden anomaly. was said to be located within this confusing network.
"Um, Tione-san, this isn't a problem. Leon-san can probably locate it with detection magic," whispered Lefiya, who was walking behind.
Her voice was soft, but Tione's sharp ears picked it up. She instantly grabbed Lefiya's temples with both hands and started rubbing, making the poor elf cry out in pain.
"Don't forget." Gareth said, bringing the focus back. "We're not just looking for a path. Our goal is to find the gap itself, the one hidden on this floor."
Everyone nodded solemnly.
Riveria turned to him with hopeful eyes and asked, "Leon, can you use your magic to search for it?"
"I'll give it a try." Leon replied calmly. "But even Ouranos failed to detect it, so I can't guarantee results."
"Still, thank you." Riveria said with a gentle nod.
As Leon focused, the invisible Light Veins began to spread in all directions, expanding throughout the maze-like corridor.
Everyone turned their attention to Leon, waiting quietly for his result. They believed in him. Leon's detection magic had rarely, if ever, failed. But this time, the result was different.
After several long moments, Leon slowly shook his head. "Sorry. I couldn't find anything."
Riveria's eyes widened slightly. The light of hope in them dimmed. Her expression faltered, brows knitting as a soft sigh escaped her lips.
"It's alright…" She whispered, her voice tinged with disappointment. "If magic can't find it, then we'll just have to search by hand."
"We've brought plenty of supplies. No need to rush or worry about consumption." Finn said, trying to comfort her.
"Yeah, yeah! We'll just search slowly. It's just time." Tiona chimed in cheerfully.
The others nodded in agreement, each offering their own words of reassurance.
Hearing their support, Riveria's expression softened, and she gently said, "Thank you, everyone… truly, thank you."
"...Mm."
Then, Finn turned to Leon. "Leon, how large is this passage, anyway?"
"About the same size as one of the middle floors." Leon answered plainly.
"That big, huh?" Finn's brows rose in surprise. "Alright then. We'll split into teams."
"Gareth, I and Bete will take Aki."
"Tione and Tiona, you'll go with Kaguya"
"Ais, you'll go with Alise and Ryuu."
"And finally, Riveria, Lefiya, and Alicia, you'll go with Leon."
"We'll each take a direction and search. If anyone finds something, use the communication orb to contact the rest. Understood?"
"No problem." Everyone responded in unison.
Given how massive the passage was and the fact that not even Leon's exploration magic could pinpoint the gap, splitting up was the most logical course of action.
Finn and Gareth were both Level 7s. The same was the case for the two high-level Amazonesses.
Ais was easily stronger than either of them individually, and her team had two Level 6s backing her up, so her team wasn't inferior to the other two.
And then there was Leon.
With this lineup, each squad was formidable in its own right. Communication orbs allowed instant contact in case of trouble, so there was little to fear.
"Alright then, let's split up!"
With Finn's command, the group broke into four teams and disappeared into separate paths, spreading out into the frozen labyrinth.
In one of the icy-blue corridors, Riveria trudged forward beside Leon. Her mood was visibly gloomy.
She asked softly, "Leon, do you think we'll really find that place?"
"Don't worry, Riveria-sama." Lefiya said quickly, trying to lift her spirits. "As long as we keep searching, I'm sure we'll find it."
"That's right, please have faith, Leon." Alicia added with a reassuring smile.
"If Fels managed to find it before, then we can too. We're no weaker than him." Leon said with a faint smile.
"Mm…" Riveria gave a small nod.
With the support of her companions, her expression relaxed, and she stopped speaking, instead focusing all her attention on scanning their surroundings, determined not to miss a single clue.
The others followed her lead, beginning their own search in earnest.
Truthfully, Leon had his own suspicions. This so-called "gap", it likely wasn't located in ordinary space. Rather, it was a different dimension, a hidden realm cloaked in mystery.
Only something of that nature could evade even the divine perception of Ouranos and his detection magic.
Just as the various teams scoured the labyrinthine corridors between the 60th and 61st floors, deep in the shadows of the 61st floor itself, a colossal monster was slowly stirring.
Its massive body crept forward, inching its way toward the very passage that connected to the 60th floor.
"There's no trace at all…"
Walking through the monotonous, frost-laden passage, Leon's gaze swept across the surrounding walls and ceilings. His boots tapped cautiously against the icy ground as he even knelt to inspect the surface beneath him. Yet, after meticulous checking, there was still no sign of anything unusual.
This was already the fifteenth passage they had scoured since splitting into teams. And after all that effort, not a single clue had been uncovered.
"This is to be expected, Leon-san." Lefiya said softly beside him.
"According to the Guild's information, Fels-san only realized something was amiss after a team from Zeus and Hera's Familia vanished here. That prompted him to begin investigating the area thoroughly."
"Fels-san searched here for an entire week." Lefiya added in a quiet whisper.
"I know." Leon gave a calm smile and nodded in understanding.
"Three days. If we don't find it within three days… we'll retreat from here." Riveria, who had been silent since the beginning of the search, suddenly spoke, her voice steady and firm.
Leon paused for a moment to think. "Alright. I'll let the others know."
"Thank you." Riveria said softly. Her tone carried a weight of gratitude.
With her status in the team, it was unlikely that the others would agree to stay here for three days, combing through a place they knew nothing about, especially on the 60th floor, one of the most dangerous floors in the Dungeon.
But if Leon was the one to make the request, the situation would change. Right now, the entire expedition team placed immense trust in him. If he asked them to wait, there was hardly anyone who would object.
Without hesitation, Leon retrieved his communication orb, activated it, and sent his message to the other three teams.
"Finn, Ais, Tione, let's remain in this passage for three days. If we fail to find anything by then, we'll move on to the next floor."
On the other side, the three teams each received the message with surprise. But after a brief moment of contemplation, none of them objected.
In the past, such a proposal might have been considered reckless. Safety and limited supplies were always a concern. But now, with Leon's presence, someone who could handle threats and support logistics, there was little reason to worry.
It was just three days. A small sacrifice to give Riveria a chance to chase the truth of her mother's legacy. They all wanted to help her if they could.