What happened with Alice was, for Loki, a real shame.
But for the entire Loki Familia, it was just another one of their goddess's daily antics. As for Bete, who'd been tasked with scouring all of Orario for Alice—well, it might've been tiring, but for a Level 6 adventurer, it was basically just a casual stroll.
So, the whole Alice situation blew over with little fanfare.
For Alice herself, the Loki Familia was just a minor episode in her life.
Surviving in Orario didn't necessarily mean becoming an adventurer.
And while the Dungeon did have its share of fools like those three would-be thieves, more often than not, the people she encountered were just indifferent adventurers.
The fifth floor of the Dungeon.
This was the nest of the Killer Ants.
The cave-like terrain was uneven, and the rocky walls weren't very sturdy—even Hourai could blast through them with a single magic bullet.
Still, the Dungeon was always changing. Even if a wall was destroyed, it would repair itself within ten or twenty minutes.
Killer Ants had red exoskeletons, hard shells, and large, vicious-looking mandibles.
Since they were modeled after ants, they appeared in massive numbers.
Their drop items were scarce, and Alice didn't like this place.
Dealing with Killer Ants was a hassle. Usually, after killing one, it would emit a signal before dying to call for reinforcements—which meant swarms of them would show up.
They came in huge numbers, dropped nothing useful for Alice, called for backup, and their magic stones were pitifully small.
So, Alice simply smashed through wall after wall, heading straight for the passage to the sixth floor.
Along the way, she encountered another group of unfamiliar adventurers.
Two girls and one young man.
They wore kimono-like outfits and seemed fairly capable.
One defended, one attacked, and one provided support.
The three were using the Killer Ants for training. Though they seemed strained against the large numbers, they moved methodically and didn't appear to be in real danger. Besides, having just dealt with three hostile adventurers, Alice wasn't in the mood to engage with strangers.
She prepared to simply pass them by.
But the path she needed to take happened to lead right past them. So, the three magic dolls floating behind her each fired a mana cannon, wiping out a whole cluster of Killer Ants and clearing a path.
Ignoring the trio still fighting, Alice shattered a wall and moved on.
For the three members of Takemikazuchi Familia, however, Alice's intervention had actually eased the pressure on them.
While Alice thought they seemed fine, from their perspective, "managing okay" in the Dungeon was already risky. At any moment, more monsters could show up and ambush them.
Being too occupied with fighting to stay aware of your surroundings was a dangerous situation. Alice's actions had inadvertently helped them.
"Hey, wait—!" shouted the girl who was handling the offense. Even though she was still surrounded by three or four Killer Ants, she wanted to thank Alice.
But by the time she spoke, Alice had already stepped through the broken wall and vanished.
"Mikoto! If you want to thank her, focus on killing these things first!" the young man blocking more Killer Ants yelled at her.
"I know!" replied the girl—Mikoto. She turned her attention back to the monsters, but decided then and there that once she returned to the surface, she would find that golden-haired girl and thank her properly.
--+--
The Dungeon.
The 17th floor was the room of the Floor Boss, and the 18th was a rare safe zone.
In the upper floors, monsters up to the fifth weren't particularly strong, making them suitable for new adventurers. But starting from the sixth floor, the monsters became noticeably tougher.
Alice began encountering more and more adventurers.
Just on the sixth floor alone, aside from the trio she'd seen earlier, she came across many parties struggling in battle.
But Alice ignored them all and didn't lift a finger to help.
Even though she didn't intervene, her presence didn't go unnoticed by those who saw her.
A lone girl in the Dungeon.
Wearing an elegant dress instead of armor.
Ten dolls floating around her, instantly eliminating any monsters that attacked. Clearly, she was powerful.
And most notably, she was a stunningly beautiful girl with golden hair.
All of this made her stand out. Even those who only caught a glimpse of her remembered the pretty young woman.
When adventurers who'd seen Alice on the sixth floor returned to the surface, some who'd witnessed her in action began boasting in bars about the "Golden-Haired Ghost Girl," spinning all sorts of wild and exaggerated tales.
And it wasn't just adventurers on the sixth floor who'd seen her. Alice spent three days in the Dungeon, reaching as far down as the tenth floor.
Over those three days, more and more adventurers caught sight of her.
Gradually, stories of the "Golden-Haired Ghost Girl" spread throughout Orario, becoming something of an urban legend.
During those three days, Alice spent most of her time hunting monsters and gathering materials.
When she was tired or sleepy, she'd simply open a gap and return to her home to rest.
After three days, it was time to head back. She'd collected plenty of materials, and her stock of food was running low. If she didn't return soon, she'd have nothing to eat.
Besides, even for Alice, being surrounded by large numbers of monsters on the tenth floor would put her in a tough spot.
It wasn't that Shanghai and Hourai were reaching their limits—but the output of all her dolls was already maxed out. Any more magical energy, and their internal circuits would burn out.
So, one way or another, it was time to go home.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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