The twilight wind brushed the faces of the adventurers as they moved quickly along the streets of Orario towards the Tower of Babel. This rescue mission was under the shadow of ever-shrinking time. In the center of the formation, Bell Cranel ran with full focus. There was no room for error; his Level 6 status and the newly acquired Development Ability: Initiative (the passive Afterglow skill taught by Alfia) from Alfia's hellish training were now the main keys to penetrating the depths.
Beside him, Lefiya Viridis ran with a steady pace. The elf from the Loki Familia glanced at Bell. Usually, Lefiya's gaze was always filled with jealousy and childish competition whenever she saw the white-haired youth approach Ais Wallenstein. But today, there was no hostility or pride in her eyes. All that remained was pure despair and hope.
Lefiya slowed her pace slightly to match Bell's. She turned her body to face the youth mid-stride, placing her right hand over her heart and bowing her head slightly.
"I am Lefiya Viridis," Lefiya said, her voice trembling yet heavy with resolve, "a mage from the Loki Familia who wishes to borrow your strength."
Bell flinched, almost losing his running rhythm.
"Lefiya-san?"
"You are the only adventurer I know and can rely on right now, Bell Cranel," Lefiya continued, staring straight into the youth's red eyes. "Please. Lend your strength to save Ais and the others."
Seeing the expression of regret and the sincere plea from the elf who always antagonized him, Bell fell silent for a moment. However, that hesitation evaporated immediately. He nodded firmly without a second thought.
"I will do everything, Lefiya-san," Bell answered decisively. "We will bring them all home."
Suddenly, Hestia's voice rang clearly directly in Bell's ear.
"Bell-kun, can you hear me?"
Bell touched the Oculus sounding in his ear. "Kami-sama?"
"I borrowed an Oculus from Ouranos," Hestia explained over the communication line. "We gods will guide you all from the surface. Freya and I are at Hearth Mansion, Loki is at Twilight Manor, monitoring the route. We will make sure our eyes are always watching your steps down there."
At the front of the formation, Hedin Selland raised his hand, giving a loud command.
"Listen up! I'm naming this rescue operation the Exiden Express," Hedin declared, his voice cutting through the wind. "The operation begins the moment we jump into the Babel Hole! No one is allowed to engage in combat with enemies until we reach Floor 50. Conserve all your energy!"
As soon as they passed the gates of Babel, the darkness of the Dungeon welcomed them. The elite force immediately jumped into the Babel Hole, sprinting down the spiral staircase. The tempo was brutal and completely absurd for ordinary adventurers. Allen Fromel dashed at the very front at lightning speed, leaving the majority of the force behind in a matter of seconds.
"Leave that stupid cat alone!" ordered Hedin, noticing the formation starting to stretch out. "Bell, ignore Allen! Follow Lord Leon's directional movements!"
At the vanguard, Leon Vardenburg set a more controlled yet still extreme pace, ensuring the main striking force could keep up with him. At the rear guard, Asfi Al Andromeda ran while carrying Haruhime on her back, conserving the stamina of the renart who would be their trump card later. Hedin remained in the center, maintaining the stability of the formation like an anchor. Bell ran alongside Lefiya, flanked by the solid defense of the Gulliver Brothers.
"Take the shortest path cutting through the standard route!" Hedin commanded.
The adventurers rushed through the glowing corridors of the Upper Floors. Their massive and noisy movements were guaranteed to trigger monster spawns from the Dungeon walls. Strangely, they didn't encounter a single monster directly. Instead, they heard the clash of metal and the sounds of fierce battles from a distance. Soon, they passed a group of low-level adventurers who were exhausted and injured after finishing a fight.
"What happened?" Bell murmured.
As they descended deeper, the elite force finally witnessed an astonishing sight. A massive clash between hundreds of adventurers and a wave of monsters was taking place along the corridor walls. The rescue force ran smoothly right through the middle of it.
Hestia's voice rang in Bell's ear again, explaining the phenomenon.
"That is the 'False Path', Bell-kun," Hestia clarified. "The adventurers of Orario are working together to make an obstacle-free route for you all. The forces holding the 'Sword' emblem focus on luring and attacking monsters, while those holding the 'Shield' emblem are tasked with holding the barricade so you can pass through without stopping."
Bell stared at the adventurers who were bathed in blood and sweat to guard that path. His feelings were mixed.
"Don't stop!" shouted Hedin. "Remember their sacrifices! We only have one day to reach Floor 60, rescue the targets, and race back up before this defensive wall collapses! Treat your lives like a relay baton that must be passed to the finish line!"
Hearing that, Bell picked up his pace. Lefiya beside him also quickened her steps, encouraging Bell and reminding him of their focus on Ais.
Meanwhile, on the surface, Hestia, who was at the underground altar of the Guild headquarters, rushed to the main communication desk, struggling to keep up with the operation's extremely fast tempo. She looked around the room, which was now filled with gods: Loki, Hephaestus, Ouranos, Hermes, Baldr, and Freya. Strangely, the Goddess of Beauty was present wearing a Hostess of Fertility waitress uniform, not her true form, let alone the Syr guise she usually wore.
"Why are you dressed like that?" Hestia complained, feeling the sight was very strange amidst an emergency situation.
"Allen will not obey my orders absolutely if I use Syr's form right now," Freya answered curtly, her eyes focused on the Oculus crystal ball.
Inside the Dungeon, the descent speed of the Exiden Express force left Bell in awe. Hestia took over the role of support navigation from Hedin, guiding Bell's route via the Oculus so Hedin could focus on formation strategy. At every intersection, Bell saw adventurers from various Familias cheering, shouting battle cries as they maintained the 'False Path'. The Academy students were even seen cheering loudly, encouraging Lefiya.
On Floor 12, the Labyrinth of Mist, their formation encountered an ally they knew very well. Mord and his group stood guarding a safe area.
"Take this, Rabbit Boy!" yelled Mord, throwing several bottles of Elixir toward Bell. The veteran adventurer grumbled about Bell's constantly changing new titles, before finally shouting. "Bring those Loki Familia top brass back alive, you hear me?!"
Bell caught the Elixir and smiled, nodding firmly.
The formation was whole again when Allen rejoined in the Cave Labyrinth. However, fast monsters like Almiraj and Hellhound began breaking through the barricade. Guided by Hedin's magic, which opened a vertical path by blowing up the floor, they literally jumped down, passing floor after floor at a brutal speed.
Arriving at Floor 17, the chaos reached its peak. The majority of the Level 2 adventurers and Academy students were fighting desperately to hold back the Floor Boss Monster Rex that suddenly spawned out of schedule—Goliath.
The chaos worsened when a wave of Minotaurs joined in to reinforce the Goliath. The vanguard of adventurers holding the path began to get overwhelmed. Bell instinctively drew his Knife, intending to dash forward to help.
"Ignore them, Cranel!" snapped Hedin. "Our duty is not here!"
"But they will die!" argued Bell.
Before Bell could make a foolish decision, a shadow leaped past them. Mikoto unleashed her gravity magic, Futsunomitama. A giant purple magic circle pressed the Goliath to the floor, paralyzing the giant boss's movements instantly.
Seeing the opening, hundreds of Academy mages and fighters launched a perfectly coordinated barrage of magical attacks. A massive magical explosion tore the Goliath's body apart until it crumbled into ash.
Seeing his friends manage to overcome the floor boss without his help, Bell felt regretful for having doubted them. The cheers of victory from Mikoto and the other adventurers rekindled Bell's spirit. He gripped his weapon tightly and continued running towards Floor 18, the Under Resort.
Arriving at that safe zone floor, Hedin finally gave the first command to halt. They gathered under the central crystal tree.
"Rest, recover your stamina and Mind in five minutes. Drink your potions now," ordered Hedin firmly.
Bell was only slightly sweating; the effect of his Level 6 was truly beyond reason. However, around him, Lefiya, Alicia, and the Support members looked extremely exhausted. The healer team from the Dian Cecht Familia, Academy students, and Orario herbalists immediately approached them, providing potions and recovery magic. Hestia explained via the Oculus that Hedin had set up these logistical recovery posts at several safe points.
Nina ran up to Bell with a panicked face, insisting on casting healing magic.
"I'm fine, really," Bell politely refused.
But Nina insisted, wanting to prove that she was also useful in this grand mission. Bell finally relented, letting the girl use her recovery magic. After she finished, Bell smiled gently.
"Thank you. We are fighting together today," Bell said, making Nina blush.
However, that peaceful moment was shattered when Lefiya punched Bell's arm quite hard.
"What do you think you're doing?! While we have to save Ais, you're trying to build a harem by flirting with a junior healer?!" scolded an annoyed Lefiya.
"I wasn't doing that!" protested a panicked Bell.
Hestia's voice also sounded cold from the Oculus. "Lefiya-kun, I give you full permission to punch him one more time. Building a harem right in front of my eyes is a grave sin."
At the underground altar, the gods cheered seeing the crazy achievement of the Exiden Express force breaching Floor 18 within an hour. However, Loki's face remained grim.
"This is just a warm-up," warned Loki. "The real hell is only just beginning from here."
Loki's warning proved true. Not long after they resumed moving through Floors 19 to 24, they were blocked by Violas—deadly plant monsters that were far stronger than regular monsters. The screams of the adventurers guarding the path began to echo. Daphne, who had now leveled up to Level 3, took command of the defense in that area. She quickly organized formations of adventurers from Rivira and Bors to hold back the monster wave.
"Hurry down!" yelled Daphne to Bell's group. "Our defense won't last long if the lower floors keep spewing monsters upwards!"
Bell's group continued navigating the ice corridors in the depths. The freezing temperatures slowed down their stamina regeneration. On Floor 27, an anomaly occurred. A giant, two-headed water dragon, the Amphisbaena, suddenly emerged from the bottom of the underground lake. This floor boss was supposed to have just been defeated by the Loki Familia, but the Dungeon was truly acting beyond common sense.
Allen, Leon, Alfrigg, and Hedin immediately dashed forward to block the Amphisbaena's attack, while Bell, Lefiya, and the others stopped.
"Follow me!" commanded Ryuu to Bell, pointing to a vertical cliff crevice.
Bell and Ryuu ran down the steep cliff at a speed that almost resembled free-falling. Below them, Daphne and her group also plunged into the battlefield, trying to divert the Amphisbaena's attention from the main group's descent route.
The giant dragon opened one of its mouths, concentrating magical energy ready to spew deadly blue fire.
"Look out!" yelled Lefiya from above.
Right before the blue fire swept over Bell's formation, Dormul from the Magni Familia jumped from the side of the cliff. Together with his dwarf clan, they slammed their large shields into the ground, forming a layered protective fortress that held back the wave of fire.
"Keep moving, Cranel!" shouted Dormul from behind his shield that was beginning to melt. "Entrust your backs to us!"
Bell gritted his teeth, bowed respectfully, and then was pulled again by Ryuu through the crystal tunnel towards Floor 28.
Upon arriving at Floor 30, Hestia gave an emergency warning. They had entered an area that was supposed to be safe, but the sight before them was horrifying. The place was a ruined mess. The flower fields were completely burned down.
"Careful!" yelled a panicked Hestia. "That is no ordinary monster!"
From behind the smoke, an entity radiating a disgusting magical aura emerged. The monster lacked a rational shape, instead being a conglomeration of flesh tendrils and magic crystals.
"That is a... Demi-Spirit," Loki's voice trembled through the communication channel. "The monster that defeated my core force."
The hybrid monster began chanting high-tier magic. Bell was about to dash forward to interrupt its chant, but Allen stopped him with the shaft of his spear. Strangely, Hedin and Allen looked very calm.
"Smells like iron and charcoal," murmured Allen coldly.
Just as the Demi-Spirit unleashed its destructive magic attack, a counterattack from above erupted.
"Will-o'-Wisp!"
An anti-magic explosion of fire (Ignis Fatuus) exploded squarely in the Demi-Spirit's face, instantly destroying its magic chant and burning a portion of its body. The elite adventurers who had been held up above, including Leon and Allen, immediately seized the momentum. They dashed forward and tore the remnants of the Demi-Spirit's body into pieces.
Bell looked up and saw Welf Crozzo grinning broadly, even though his body was covered in minor burns from magic backlash. "You guys are too slow," Welf chuckled.
Cassandra immediately ran over to them, casting her healing magic Soul Light, which instantly closed Welf's wounds with incredible effectiveness. While treating him, Cassandra, who was always haunted by prophetic dreams, handed a thick cloth bundle to Ryuu.
"Take this, Ryuu-san," whispered Cassandra, her face pale. "My dream says... you will need it to survive the rabbit's apocalypse."
Hearing the word "rabbit", Ryuu looked at Bell, then awkwardly accepted the mysterious bundle.
Welf let out a long sigh. "If only Lili were here, she would definitely have managed these logistics better."
Meanwhile, at the Guild headquarters on the surface, Liliruca Arde stood trembling in front of a giant tactical map. Hedin had unilaterally appointed the Prum girl as the main logistics and navigation commander while Hedin descended into the Dungeon. Lili had to direct supplies and issue warnings based on hundreds of incoming reports shouted out by Eina and other receptionists. Lili's ears rang listening to the panicked screams from the defense forces on various floors.
Inside the Dungeon, Hedin once again led the formation through the Jungle Canyon from Floors 29 to 32. They ignored the traditional route, leaping from giant branch to branch while the support forces slaughtered flying monsters around them. Hestia guided their direction with precision, ensuring they didn't get trapped in dead ends.
Entering the Desert Labyrinth on Floors 33 to 35, the scorching heat and mirages tried to break their concentration. However, the mages from the Ganesha Familia quickly froze the area, creating a smooth ice path that accelerated the pace of the Exiden Express.
On Floor 37, the White Palace, the temperature plummeted to freezing. Lefiya began to show her physical limits as a pure mage. She was panting heavily. Bell and the other close-combat adventurers tried to shield her from the icy wind, forcing their exhausted bodies to keep moving through the spiral staircase that took them down to the Underground Stream.
When the formation broke due to monster attacks, Bell was pushed and fell into one of the underground water channels.
In the midst of darkness and cold water, the figure of a mermaid appeared. Mari, the Xenos Bell had saved in the past, swam toward him.
"Bell..." Mari called out softly. "Wiene and the others have already gone down to help."
Mari bit her finger, letting the blood of a healing monster flow into Bell's mouth, then innocently kissed the youth's cheek before disappearing into the depths of the water.
"So this is how you recover yourself, Cranel?" Ryuu's cold voice sounded from above the water channel. The elf's face was expressionless, but her aura was extremely deadly.
"I-It's not what you think!" argued a panicked Bell, which was only met with an annoyed sigh from Hestia over the Oculus.
After regrouping with the main formation, they arrived at the Throne Room. Violent tremors shook the entire area. Hedin gritted his teeth. The floor 37 boss, Udaeus, emerged from the ground—much faster than its normal interval.
Chaos erupted. The Ganesha Familia forces tasked with securing the area were immediately blown back by giant bone pillars. Udaeus, a Level 6 boss, roared in anger. Giant bone spikes pierced through the ground, blocking all escape routes and forcing the rescue formation to fight.
"Damn it!" cursed Hedin. "The Dungeon is truly panicking! The boss spawn intervals have been completely shattered!"
In the midst of the panic, Leon Vardenburg threw away his sword scabbard. The Level 7 knight stepped forward alone.
"Fall back!" ordered Leon, his voice calm yet heavy with power.
Leon dashed forward, his sword emitting a golden light. He slashed through a barrage of bone pillars with absolute precision. The pure power of the Knight of Knights cleaved the air. With a single vertical slash carrying his entire strength, Leon bisected Udaeus from head to the base of its throne, reducing the floor boss to dust fragments in a single, solitary strike.
The rescue force cheered in joy. Their previously declining morale now skyrocketed.
At the Guild headquarters, the gods stared at the Oculus with various reactions. Hestia jumped in joy, while Hermes smiled faintly.
"Seeing Leon in action, it's like I'm looking at the lingering shadows of the Zeus and Hera Familias," murmured Hermes, realizing the importance of a Level 7 foundation of power. Although Hermes still shuddered remembering there were Alfia and Zald.
Freya, standing beside Ouranos, frowned. "The Dungeon is acting very aggressively. What is up with the abnormal appearance of these bosses?"
"The Dungeon is responding to a threat," Ouranos answered heavily. "It senses an unnatural number of high-level entities penetrating its depths simultaneously."
Inside the Dungeon, confusion occurred again when Bell's group was suddenly intercepted by the Hermes Familia riding flying monsters.
"Don't attack! This is our ride!" yelled Lulune from atop the gargoyle monster, Gros.
Bell and the others were surprised to find out that the Hermes and Freya Familias already knew about the existence of the Xenos. Hedin immediately ordered his troops to board. With the air corridor secured by the Xenos and magic protection from the remaining forces, they passed Floors 40 to 49 in a matter of minutes.
In the Barren Land, an even crazier sight was presented. Ottar, the peak Level 7 adventurer of Orario, was brutally clashing powers against the boss Balor. Explosion after explosion destroyed the area.
"Ignore him! Keep going down!" ordered Hedin, disregarding his commander.
Accompanied by Shakti from the Ganesha Familia, Mia, and the Hostess girls holding back waves of giant caterpillar monsters, the elite group finally managed to reach the boundary corridor to Floor 51. Heith, the elite healer of the Freya Familia, was added to the main vanguard to ensure their stamina remained in peak condition.
However, the moment they set foot on Floor 51, a giant barrage of fire artillery shot out from the darkness, much earlier than expected.
"Astraea Record!"
Ryuu screamed, activating her absolute protective magic. A magic light shield withstood the impact of the main explosion. However, the remnants of the attack swept the area. The Wyvern Bell was riding took a direct hit, turning to ash, causing Bell to fall into a separated area.
"Keep running! Don't stop!" shouted Hedin to the surviving main formation.
Bell, who was left behind, began to panic when he heard the sounds of dragons roaring in response to each other from the lower floors.
"Bell-kun, take the left route, jump now!" Hestia instructed quickly.
Loki chimed in shouting from the same channel, "My mage will pick you up!"
Bell jumped to dodge right before a giant man-eating flower destroyed the spot he was standing on. In mid-air, Lefiya swooped down sharply on her dragon, grabbed Bell's hand, and pulled him up.
Lefiya didn't just save Bell. When a flock of Wyverns attacked, Lefiya quickly chanted her explosion magic without her normal long incantations, swinging her staff like a magic sword.
"Since when can you use rapid-fire magic like that? That's cheating!" exclaimed Bell, amazed by the elf's efficiency.
"Stop talking! Take care of the rear!" replied an annoyed Lefiya.
After flying through the sea of monsters, Lefiya suddenly pulled her dragon's reins, making them hover silently above a giant crater on Floor 52.
"The bombardment fire stopped. The vanguard formation must have reached the target," Lefiya analyzed quickly. She cast protective magic on herself and Bell. "We jump now!"
The two of them free-fell into the ravine, breaking through the remaining Wyverns, until they finally landed hard on ground covered in white ash.
Before them, the Freya Familia led by Allen and Hedin was fighting desperately against a nine-headed dragon. But what made the monster terrifying was the presence of a five-meter-tall Demi-Spirit that merged and grew from the base of the dragon's neck. This hybrid monster was the one firing the endless fire artillery.
Despite possessing extraordinary destructive power, the Demi-Spirit looked overwhelmed facing the speed of the close-combat physical attacks from Orario's elites.
Bell stared at the fighting adventurers. Their bodies were coated in familiar golden light particles. In the corner of a safe area, Asfi stood exhausted while supporting Haruhime, who kept casting the Uchide no Kozuchi magic to provide a Level Boost to the attacking forces.
One of the dragon's heads tried to peck Haruhime from above. However, a giant sledgehammer shot up from below, shattering the dragon's jaw. Dvalinn stood grinning, firing his destructive magic through the dragon's neck up to the ceiling.
Just when they thought victory was in sight, the entire structure of the Dungeon shook violently. An incredibly loud and piercing cracking sound echoed, as if the Dungeon was crying.
A chill instantly ran down Bell's spine. He recognized the sound of that apocalypse.
A moment later, a black shadow shot down from above and landed in the center of the arena. Its speed made no sense. The monster born from the Dungeon's absolute panic—the Juggernaut.
The Juggernaut immediately leaped towards Heith who was focused on providing healing. Before those deadly claws had a chance to tear Heith's body, Ryuu's wooden sword blocked the impact. The shockwave from the collision sent both of them flying backward.
Haruhime aimed her tail at Bell, giving him her final Level Boost.
With his Level 6 status and the additional push of the Level Boost, Bell's strength now touched Level 7. The youth gripped his knife tightly. Ryuu looked at Bell, her eyes radiating pure pride.
"Finish it quickly, Bell," Ryuu said firmly.
Under Hedin's command, Leon brought Bell, Lefiya, and Heith dashing past the Juggernaut's arena, exploiting an opening in the fight to descend to the next floor.
Arriving at Floor 60, the sight of a massive, illogical rainforest welcomed them. Strangely, the place was completely silent. Not a single monster could be seen. However, that silence instead made Bell's neck hairs stand on end.
Bell swallowed hard. He remembered Lefiya's story about the Corrupted Spirit. This was where Ais and the Loki Familia were trapped.
However, before Bell could take a step, an incredibly calm yet blood-freezing voice suddenly interrupted through the Oculus magic communication channel.
"A Corrupted Spirit on Floor 60?"
Bell's steps were forcibly halted. That was not Hestia's, Freya's, or Hedin's voice.
At the Guild headquarters, Loki jumped out of her chair and fell over. Her usually closed eyes now widened immensely. Her hands trembled violently pointing at the communication device Hestia was holding.
"T-This voice..." Loki stammered, cold sweat flooding her face. "Oi, Chibi! Why does it seem like Alfia's voice can be heard from your channel?!"
On the other end, in the living room of Hearth Mansion, Alfia stared at the borrowed Oculus of Hestia's lying on the table. The Silence crossed her legs elegantly.
"Why, Loki?" Alfia replied calmly, her voice flowing coldly without a care. "Do you have a problem with my existence?"
Alfia closed her eyes, recalling a memory from her own timeline. A Corrupted Spirit on Floor 60. The exact same creature that the dungeon had once nurtured and used... a creature she had already destroyed with her own two hands.
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