The roaring sound of wind slicing through the air gradually subsided. The darkness of the vertical tunnel they had descended from Floor 17 was slowly replaced by a soft, soothing glow that didn't feel like being deep within the earth's belly at all.
Alfia's booted feet landed soundlessly on lush green grass. Beside her, Aria floated down with the grace of a feather, deactivating the wind element vortex that had supported her body.
The moment their feet touched the ground, the atmosphere around them changed drastically. The damp air, the smell of dried blood, and the murderous aura of monsters that always lurked on the upper floors evaporated completely. It was replaced by the scent of morning dew, the fragrance of wildflowers, and a warmth in the air that felt very familiar to surface dwellers.
They had arrived on Floor 18, the Under Resort. An ecological anomaly where the Dungeon decided to create a small paradise amidst a hell of slaughter.
The ceiling on this floor was so high it resembled a giant dome, coated with special blue phosphor crystals that emitted a bright light resembling the midday sun. In the center of the giant cavern, a massive crystal tree towered high. Grasslands, a small forest, and a freshwater lake stretched wide as far as the eye could see.
"Let's rest here for a moment," said Alfia, releasing the tension from her shoulders. Using high-level sonic magic continuously and pushing her physique through seventeen floors in less than an hour still placed a slight burden on her body.
The silver-haired mage walked toward the base of the nearest crystal tree, leaned her back against it, and took a water bottle out of her backpack. As she took a gulp, she realized her companion hadn't moved from where she landed.
Aria stood frozen. Her eyes, now hazel, swept across the entire landscape of Floor 18 with a blank stare filled with disbelief. Her dress and light armor fluttered slightly in the artificial breeze blowing on the floor.
The Great Spirit's gaze was not fixed on the crystal trees or the clear expanse of the lake, but on a giant rocky cliff towering high on the eastern side, facing directly toward the lake. Atop the cliff, which reached hundreds of meters in height, stood hundreds of tightly packed wooden buildings, large tents, stone pathways, and smoke from campfires billowing into the air. A settlement. A living, breathing city right inside the belly of the Dungeon.
"Venti-sama was right," murmured Aria softly, her voice almost resembling a whisper carried by the wind. She touched her chest, feeling a wave of nostalgia mixed with confusion. "This labyrinth... has changed so much. This is nothing like the place I remember."
Hearing that murmur, Alfia closed her water bottle and wiped her lips. A curiosity she rarely showed was now piqued. As an elite adventurer who had dedicated her life to conquering the Dungeon, the history of the labyrinth was something that greatly interested her, especially history coming directly from an eyewitness who lived a thousand years ago.
"What do you mean, Sylphie?" asked Alfia, walking closer to Aria. She intentionally kept using the alias to maintain the habit. "The labyrinth constantly changes shape and shifts its routes, that is a known fact. But from your tone, it sounds like Floor 18 in your era was very different from what we see now. Just how bad was the Dungeon a thousand years ago?"
Aria did not answer immediately. She closed her eyes, letting the memories from a millennium ago flow back into her mind. Memories of the dark times when humanity could only survive by the edge of a sword.
"Not just bad, Alfia," Aria slowly opened her eyes, looking straight up at the crystal ceiling. "The labyrinth in our time was the incarnation of pure hatred. When Albert, Celdia, our comrades, and I descended into this place a thousand years ago, the Dungeon was far more active, ferocious, and incredibly aggressive towards humans."
Alfia frowned. "More aggressive than now? Even right now, the Dungeon actively continues to spawn monsters to kill anyone who enters."
"You don't understand," Aria shook her head slowly, offering a melancholic smile. "In your era, there is something holding back this labyrinth's wrath. Venti-sama once told me that God Ouranos now sits at the base of the Guild, offering prayers and using his Arcanum constantly to 'tame' and suppress the Dungeon's consciousness. Thanks to Ouranos's prayers, the rhythm of monster spawning has become more regulated, and certain floors like this place can be left as safe zones."
Alfia nodded slowly. That was the crucial fact underlying the establishment of the Guild. Ouranos's prayer was the invisible pillar that made labyrinth exploration systematic.
"In my time, God Ouranos had not yet descended to the lower world," continued Aria, her voice trembling slightly as she recalled the terrors of the past. "There was no god suppressing the labyrinth. The Dungeon's consciousness was completely feral. Monsters spawned endlessly from every shadow corner in illogical numbers. The labyrinth seemed to possess eyes that constantly watched and hunted us every second."
Aria pointed toward the green grass and the lake in front of them.
"This Floor 18... used to not be this peaceful. It was just an incredibly silent crystal forest filled with monsters from the lower floors creeping up," recalled the Great Spirit. "We used it not as a place to relax, but purely as an emergency shelter. A hiding place. Albert and the members of our party had to dig burrows underground just so we could close our eyes for a few hours without fear of being torn apart by the labyrinth's jaws."
Alfia fell silent. Surviving in the depths of the labyrinth without Ouranos's suppressive prayer, and breaking through near the absolute bottom floor, sounded like a nightmare impossible for ordinary humans to endure.
"And you did all that... broke through that feral hell... without a Falna?" asked Alfia, her voice holding a tone of genuine admiration.
To the people of Orario today, a Falna—a god's blessing that granted Status parameters, skills, and magic—was an absolute prerequisite. A human without a Falna would die foolishly even on Floor 1.
Aria nodded slowly, a proud smile blooming on her face as she remembered her husband. "Yes. Humans in that era relied purely on physical strength forged to insane limits, sharpness of instinct, ancient magic, and the aid of weapons and swords bestowed by spirits like myself."
"Albert Waldstein was truly a monster who defied logic," murmured Alfia, exhaling in awe. "To be able to pierce through the deepest labyrinth with a mortal body without a Falna, then ascend to the surface and face the One-Eyed Black Dragon... history does not exaggerate his greatness in the slightest. He was the true pinnacle of humanity."
Aria smiled warmly hearing the praise. "He was indeed a stubborn man. But precisely because of that, I fell in love with him."
After reminiscing for a moment, Aria's gaze refocused on the settlement perched atop the cliff on the eastern side of Floor 18. The existence of that city still amazed her. Humanity in this era had truly conquered this safe zone and turned it into a secret base.
"That city on the cliff... who built it?" asked Aria, pointing upward.
Alfia followed the direction of Aria's finger. Her heterochromatic eyes scanned the building structures in the distance with an evaluating gaze.
"That is the Town of Rivira," answered Alfia, her tone returning to being flat and analytical. "An illegally managed paradise for adventurers, far from the Guild's direct supervision. They built it high on the cliff to avoid stray land monsters. They sell supplies and potions at extortionate, throat-choking prices. A gathering place for scoundrels, fugitives, and mid-class adventurers trying to seek their fortune."
"A city inside a labyrinth... humanity in your era is truly resilient," praised Aria sincerely. "They can adapt and trade even inside the belly of a monster."
However, Alfia suddenly narrowed her eyes. She took a step forward, focusing her vision as an elite adventurer.
"Resilient, yes. But it seems their resilience was just thoroughly tested not long ago," Alfia sneered softly.
"What do you mean?"
"Look closer at the cliff's structure, Sylphie," pointed Alfia. "Many buildings in that city are just new wooden frames, makeshift tents scattered covering the rubble. The marks of giant claw slashes and impacts from giant blunt objects are clearly visible damaging the edge of the cliff below the city. Rivira was probably smashed to pieces two weeks ago, and they are currently in the process of emergency repairs."
Aria squinted, and with her vision, she could see what Alfia meant. The remnants of destruction were indeed very obvious, as if a giant had tried to topple the cliff. "Did the labyrinth suddenly spawn monsters in this safe zone?"
"No. The Dungeon never spawns monsters here," explained Alfia, crossing her arms. "That must be the doing of the regular boss of Floor 17, Goliath. Sometimes, if that ugly monster isn't killed immediately in its room and it senses a buildup of prey below, its feral instinct will drive it to descend and rampage on Floor 18. From the remaining damage, it's certain that a Goliath just used the cliff of Rivira as its playground."
Alfia snorted roughly. The tone of her voice turned into a mixture of disgust and deep disappointment. The disappointment of a true veteran towards the current state of Orario.
"Truly pathetic," murmured Alfia coldly. "This city has truly weakened too fast. When the Zeus and Hera Familia were still in full power, shameful incidents like the destruction of Rivira almost never happened."
Aria turned. "You protected it?"
"Not protected. We simply weren't incompetent enough to let monsters live too long," answered Alfia haughtily yet reasonably. "I used to frequently pass back and forth through this floor while undertaking long expeditions. Goliath has an absolute regeneration cycle every two weeks. Back then, every time that monster respawned, there was bound to be a frontline member of the Zeus or Hera Familia passing by, and we would exterminate it like clearing dust on the street. That monster never even had the chance to live more than a few hours, let alone have the opportunity to come down here and destroy the city cliff."
Alfia glared at the ruins of Rivira with a condescending look. "This destruction proves one thing. After our faction fell and was recently forced out of Orario, the quality of the remaining factions—like Loki and Freya—has not been able to fill the void of a constant subjugation schedule. They might be strong against a Goliath, but they are too slow to move. It was their negligence that let the Goliath slip down."
Aria listened to the complaint with a small smile. She could feel Alfia's immense pride towards her past family. Even though the silver-haired woman often acted cold and sarcastic, her heart was deeply tied to the absolute glory once borne by the Hera Familia.
Just as Aria longed for her past with Albert, Alfia also longed for the era where she stood as the strongest shielding sword in the world.
"A new generation always needs time to grow after a great storm hits, Alfia," said Aria softly, stepping closer. "And someday, perhaps the child of your sister... the little nephew sleeping in Meteria's womb right now, will be the one to fill that massive void. Venti-sama predicted extraordinary things about him, didn't he?"
Hearing her nephew's name mentioned, Alfia's sharp gaze slowly softened. The corners of her always-stiff lips lifted slightly, forming a sincere smile she very rarely showed the world.
"Yes. My nephew, Bell," whispered Alfia, saying the unborn child's name like a sacred promise. "That child has Meteria's gentleness, and the hopes of all of us who remain. Coupled with direct guidance from that strange god of ours... I wouldn't be surprised if one day he is the one to overturn this world and surpass every legend that has ever existed."
A peaceful silence enveloped the two of them on the shore of the lake. Being on Floor 18—the border point between a world tolerable by ordinary humans and true hell—gave them precious time to breathe, connecting the history that had passed with the future they were fighting for.
However, that pause could not last long. Time continued to march on, and the ice at the bottom of the labyrinth might be starting to crack.
Alfia took a deep breath, letting the clean air of Floor 18 fill her lungs for the last time. When she exhaled, all the melancholy and nostalgia in her eyes vanished without a trace. She returned to being a deadly and efficient expedition commander.
"Break time is over," Alfia asserted, readjusting her backpack and cracking her neck slightly. "We've reminisced enough. Now, it's time to dive back into hell."
Aria nodded in understanding. The light in her eyes sharpened again, radiating the elegant dominance of the Great Spirit of Wind. "Our next destination?"
"We will detour to avoid the cliff of the Town of Rivira. There is no reason to stop by and waste time dealing with the adventurers there," instructed Alfia, pointing toward the left side of the giant lake. "We will follow the crystal forest toward the entrance hole to the Large Tree Labyrinth on Floor 19. Prepare yourself, Sylphie. From this point on, we officially enter the Middle Floors territory, and the labyrinth's structure will be far more disgusting than what we just passed through."
"I am relying on your guidance, Alfia," replied Aria with an elegant smile. "As long as you show the way, I will ensure not a single monster can slow our steps."
Alfia smirked faintly. "Then let's turn that Large Tree Labyrinth into a field of ashes."
With a powerful thrust of pure force, Alfia shot forward again, turning into a silver shadow darting among the lush crystal trees of Floor 18. Aria didn't lag a second behind, floating smoothly in the air following her, enveloped by a storm vortex that eliminated all resistance.
The two extraordinary entities passed beneath the cliff of the rebuilding town of Rivira like two silent comets. A few adventurers standing guard in the cliff towers only felt a sudden strong gust of wind sweeping across the surface of the lake, never realizing that a mass extermination expedition had just crossed their territory, plunging toward the deepest darkness to retrieve a fast-asleep princess.
The warm-up was over. The true horrors of the labyrinth awaited them down below.