"This place counts as A14; it can lead to B5 and B12."
Inside the Dungeon.
On this bright, sunny spring day, Isagi and the girls headed down to the lower depths of the Dungeon for the sixth time—to the so-called [Hunting Grounds].
This was still the [Great Waterfall] region that had originally been located between floors 25 and 27.
It was a "cave labyrinth" formed around a crossroads, made up of one space after another set among the cliff walls.
But one thing was certain.
It was not constantly shifting. In essence, although every place looked very different—some were castles, some were small towns, some were fishing villages, some were wilderness—in reality, they could be regarded as one interconnected space after another.
And so, naturally, there were patterns to be found.
Having explored here so many times by now, Isagi and the girls had naturally already discovered this pattern.
Now, "A" represented the [Hunting Grounds];
After entering here, the warden of the Hunting Grounds would "issue" two tasks: either to go search for the so-called correct path, or to go hunt a monster—usually a BOSS.
For the former, everyone needed to scatter, and then they would encounter an invasion by the Red Spirit; defeating it was enough.
As for the latter, there was nothing much to say.
And no matter which of the two they completed, a path leading to the "B" region would appear before them. Generally speaking it was a small town, but the towns differed quite considerably from one another, each still being an independent space.
Within the town one would encounter two hunters.
One was the hunter who, as hinted, came to hunt you; the other would not attack directly, but would converse, informing you of the "main quest"—that is, to go and search for that hidden divine relic.
The two hunters were certain to appear.
But whether they were good or bad was uncertain.
Isagi had once thought that, of the two hunters, one was good and one was bad, but in reality it was not so—not until, on several occasions, they were attacked one after the other by both hunters, and even by the two of them coordinating to attack his side together.
Everyone finally came to understand that this Dungeon was wicked to a certain degree.
And now.
Isagi and the girls were still wandering around here, hoping to find a "kind hunter"—just like the Freya Familia had—who could lead them down to the hidden area called the "Hunter's Black Market" within the [Elf Garden] below.
But after going round and round, after toiling here for two whole days, there was still no result to speak of.
Isagi thought to himself, forget it. Since they shared intel with Freya's side anyway, even if they obtained something useful from the black market, or some necessary plot item, they would share it with him too—so it didn't matter.
"Let's go."
Isagi intended to head straight down to the "Dense Forest region" further below.
Skillfully following the sound of water.
Everyone left the small town marked "B12," and then proceeded along the passage leading downward.
Isagi had originally wanted to name this the "C" region, but later found it unnecessary, because, generally speaking, it was a sloping path that wound downward. No matter from which small town in the "B region" one entered, it was the same—only the node at which one arrived was different.
As long as one kept pressing forward.
Along the way one would encounter cave after cave, inside which there were still the elite monsters known as prey, or BOSSes, and sometimes one would encounter a hunter's attack.
But in short, as long as one continued onward, one was certain to reach the lowest "Place of Sealing."
It was an incomparably vast pool of water.
The trickling streams that flowed down from among the cliff walls on every side ultimately all converged here, like a long river emptying into the sea.
Some were tiny, some were broad.
Some flowed out from caves in the cliff walls, while others ran along the cliff faces, like murals inlaid within them, giving people a deeply fantastical sense of beauty.
The cave was without light, yet from within the pool emerged two intermingling colors—crimson red and ice blue.
And, faintly, one could see the colossal creature that existed below, but one could not enter inside. The surface of the water could be stepped upon, just like real, solid ground—it even gave a remarkably soft sensation.
But one could not go deep within it.
Even striking the pool with weapons or magic was utterly unable to inflict any damage at all.
Mages like Lefiya and Riveria could clearly sense that there was a magical seal upon the pool—it was probably this that had sealed the so-called divine relic, the "Two-Headed Dragon," below.
And crossing the pool, on one side of it, lay the entrance leading to the [Elf Garden].
At the same time.
There was also a "save point" here.
It was an elevator leading upward; after stepping onto it, as long as one activated the mechanism, one could return to that very first "crossroads"—and because the shortcut had already been opened, one could also come directly here through that crossroads.
Isagi now, together with the girls, skillfully crossed the pool and headed to the [Elf Garden].
After passing through another not-too-long, pitch-black downward slope.
Warm "sunlight" came pouring down.
It was the glow emanating from countless fireflies above the cave; at times they were a bright golden yellow, at times a cool deep blue, simulating day and night, switching back and forth from time to time amid this sea of flowers that stretched across the whole landscape.
The fragrant scent even seemed somewhat cloying; in the distance the water murmured, and, visible to the naked eye, at the far end stood a giant tree radiating a gentle light.
And circling around it in flight were "stars" one after another—the winged "little fairies" that gave off a hazy glow.
According to the Freya Familia's description, that so-called "Hunter's Black Market" was located in some secret tunnel behind the Great Sacred Tree.
But without an NPC to lead you there, it was utterly impossible to find.
Isagi did not dwell on that place any further, but continued onward, following the winding dirt road that resembled a country lane, passing through flower fields and woodland, heading straight downward. Until—
Once again passing through the passage at the end of the [Elf Garden], he then arrived at the gloomy [Ancient Hunting Grounds], where only now and then did algae give off a faint glow—that is, the [Dense Forest] region that the Dungeon had originally occupied between floors 29 and 32.
To be honest, although by description it was merely a place full of giant trees and vines everywhere.
In reality, looking at it, it gave one a certain illusory "megalophobia."
After stepping out of the passage.
The not-very-bright phosphorescence caused vast stretches of the area before one's eyes to sink into pure pitch-blackness.
And by the light of the Magic Stone lantern in hand, illuminating the area together with that phosphorescence, one could only light up a portion of those giant trees—trees exceeding a hundred meters, more colossal even than skyscrapers.
And the vines twined among them existed there, quiet and still, like giant serpents hundreds of meters long.
Whether it was the grass and trees, or the mushrooms and flowers,
everything here seemed magnified tens or hundreds of times.
How small the adventurers appeared.
Naturally, one would also lose one's bearings in this incomparably deep, dense forest, not knowing which way to go.
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