"Hah— hah—,"
I barely managed to stand on my trembling legs, my body covered in wounds. Before me stood a mountain of muscle in human-like form with a bull's head—a Minotaur. His massive frame and the aura radiating from him made him look like an impregnable fortress.
Even after I struck it with my [Firebolt], the single-horned Minotaur remained completely unharmed. My magic had done little more than leave faint scorch marks on its thick hide. It had dealt no real damage.
My heart had been pounding violently for a long time, as if I were sprinting at full speed. My lungs screamed for oxygen. Despite this, I had no choice but to brandish my knife and show my will to fight. If I didn't, death would be my only end.
The Minotaur, which had lost one of its horns, fixed its gaze on me. Just as my resolve began to crumble under the sheer weight of the gap between us, the beast threw its head back and roared from the depths of its throat.
"Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaow!!"
The cry made the very air vibrate. It erupted with a force that nearly tore my eardrums.
That roar signaled the start of the battle. The Minotaur raised its massive Greatsword and charged at me, shattering the ground beneath its hooves. I dodged the attack by a hair's breadth.
The Greatsword slammed into the earth with the terrifying sound of tearing air, generating a shockwave that blew away the surrounding trees and rocks.
This was the adventure—the first true adventure of Bell Cranel.
(I can't win...)
I had trained under Mr. Bete and grown much stronger than before; that was something I could say with pride.
But this was impossible. With my current [Strength] stats, no matter how much I swung my knife against that steel-like hide, I would achieve nothing more than shallow scratches. Even my trump card, magic, had been easily shrugged off. My current self simply could not defeat this monster.
That raging, bloodthirsty bull seemed like the very incarnation of despair.
"... Brother, Grandpa."
I wanted to see them. I wanted to meet them just to feel safe.
I wanted them to push my back and tell me that everything would be alright. These weak feelings began to flood my heart. I nearly wept as I remembered my grandfather's smile—the man everyone loved, who always smiled and gently patted my head.
He loved stories of heroes and claimed he could never be like them, yet he was braver than anyone. I still vividly remember when he saved me from a goblin while wielding nothing but a pickaxe.
And then there was my brother, who had been silent for as long as I could remember. I had never seen him smile, yet he was the bravest of all and cared for his family more than anyone.
He used to say he didn't want to be a hero and couldn't become one no matter how much Grandpa insisted, but that was a lie. Despite his words, I saw the grueling effort he put in since childhood. He protected me from every kind of fear.
To me, the heroes I aspired to be weren't characters from stories; they were my own family.
But I couldn't bring myself to find them. I love my brother dearly, but I was afraid. Once I did a bit of research in Orario, I found out about him easily. They said he was one of the leaders of the [Loki Familia], the largest Familia in the city. He was one of only two people to reach Level 7, breaking every speed record in existence.
In contrast, what had I done in the four years since he left?
.... I had done nothing of note. I hadn't even trained my body. I was terrified of facing him and seeing the vast chasm between myself and my "hero" brother. I was afraid that while he had become a legend, I hadn't changed at all. That's why I ran. I even abandoned the dream of following in his footsteps.
Even after I started training with Mr. Bete, that didn't change.
I kept making excuses to avoid meeting my brother... I was running away from my own ambition.
Ah, but I wish I could have seen him—
While the Minotaur raised its Greatsword, roaring and spraying saliva, my life began to flash before my eyes. Yet, a part of me remained calm despite the fear paralyzing my body.
The Minotaur's form, covered in muscle like woven metal, looked like a steel citadel. I had no way to break that defense. Even [Firebolt] only scorched its thick skin; it wasn't a lethal wound. My attacks did nothing, while its strikes meant certain death.
"Fooooooo"
As I watched the blade of the Greatsword pointed at me, my senses cooled rapidly. Far from the consciousness dominated by surrender, a survival instinct screamed inside me that I did not want to die. The fear of death suddenly banished my weakness, making my mind boil with heat. If I stayed standing like this, I wouldn't be the only one killed—Lili would die too. That was the one thing I could not allow.
As the Minotaur charged in a frenzy, I kicked off the ground with all my might, retreating in a desperate, ungraceful scramble. A chill ran through my entire body as the sensation of death closed in from behind. My legs shook, barely able to support me.
Still, I ran. I ran in the opposite direction of Lili to lead the beast as far away as possible. But the Minotaur was fast. As I dashed toward the large hall, that massive body reached me in the blink of an eye, cornering me sharply.
(This Minotaur... it's truly different from the ones I saw before.)
The way it hunted its prey was not like a beast; it showed an intelligence an ordinary monster didn't possess. Its skill as a warrior was evident in how it swung its Greatsword like a sharp blade rather than a blunt instrument, even if its technique wasn't perfect.
This Minotaur was clearly different from the others. Its strength and speed were several levels above the one that had chased me before.
(... Could it be an Enhanced Species?)
I had heard from Miss Eina and Mr. Bete that there were extremely rare monsters in the Dungeon called "Enhanced Species." They grew incredibly strong by eating the magic stones of their own kind. The Minotaur standing before me was undoubtedly one of them. Normally, a Level 1 could never win against a Minotaur, let alone an enhanced one. In that case, the chances of victory were zero.
Even so, I had to at least let Lili escape!
"Fmoooooon!!"
"── Ggg!!"
The Minotaur kicked the Dungeon floor, shattering it, and lunged through a thick cloud of dust. It spun in the air and swung its Greatsword with immense force, utilizing centrifugal power. The blow was so violent that I heard the air itself tear.
I dodged the strike—which would have turned me into mincemeat—by a hair's breadth. I struggled to avoid attacks that would have snapped my bones before even cutting my skin. Sometimes I dodged by rolling frantically across the ground.
The Minotaur did not stop its relentless assault. As soon as it landed, it attempted a crushing horizontal sweep. Unlike a vertical strike, the horizontal swing increased the attack's range, leaving little room to dodge. Yet, somehow, I managed to evade it.
Every one of the Minotaur's strikes was heavy. The gap in stats due to the level difference was as clear as day. A mere graze from its weapon would send me flying.
So, I had no choice but to dodge.
But I couldn't keep dodging forever. When my movements finally began to slow, a wicked grin spread across the Minotaur's face. It reset its Greatsword on its shoulder and approached me.
The strike it launched, fueled by the sword's weight, was unlike any before. The blow combined speed and mass, whistling past my head like a gale.
Amidst this overwhelming onslaught, I caught a glimpse of Lili in my peripheral vision. Run, quickly, with everything you have! If you do, I can run with all my might too.
So, run, Lili! I wanted to scream, but only a pathetic wheeze came from my throat. Fear choked my voice. The Minotaur smirked at me and kicked the ground again. It was coming. And its target was where Lili stood.
"Go.... GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
I threw myself into the path of the charging Minotaur and screamed at Lili. My words seemed to reach her; she turned toward me with a stunned expression, her face then twisting with emotion before she started to run. As she disappeared from my sight, a sense of relief washed over me. I focused my gaze back on the approaching beast.
With this, I could escape too────── But that wasn't the case at all.
My legs were shaking with terror. My heart overflowed with the urge to flee. But if I ran now, who would protect Lili? I had to protect her. I had to fight. I had to save her.
I screamed as if encouraging my own soul, which was on the verge of collapsing under the fear. If my grandfather, or my hero brother, were in my place, what would they do?! Would they run while someone was behind them needing protection?!
Facing the Minotaur's Greatsword, I drew the [Baselard] dagger from my waist.
"Goooooo!!"
Because I had made a suicidal jump into the kill zone with shattered armor that barely worked, a sharp pain shot through my entire body.
Every time the Minotaur's sword smashed something, and every time stone shards struck me like bullets, my consciousness flickered. Yet, I held on desperately and parried the successive sword strikes.
The Minotaur's breathing became ragged as it grew frustrated by its inability to catch me. My own breathing was even worse. Though drenched in sweat, I kept my feet moving. To get as far away as possible. To live just a little longer.
I no longer knew how long I had been fighting. I didn't know how much time had passed since entering the Dungeon.
In reality, perhaps not much time had passed at all. But in the middle of this battle that had numbed my sense of time, I realized one thing clearly.
"..... Ha, haha."
A smile escaped me unintentionally.
Not because I had gone mad with fear, but because I realized something.
──── Mr. Bete is much more terrifying.
No matter how strong this Minotaur was or that it was an enhanced species, compared to Mr. Bete, who beat me senseless every day, it was just a monster. The proof was that I wasn't dead yet. If my opponent had been Mr. Bete in a fit of rage, I would have been killed long ago.
The other thing was that although I was inferior in every way, there was one thing I wasn't losing in: speed, or [Agility]. The moment I realized that, my heart suddenly felt light. Now, I felt I could move a little better.
The Minotaur seemed to notice the change in me and redirected its Greatsword. It prepared to launch a strike with the blade raised high.
It was a strike faster than any before. It couldn't be dodged, and if I took it head-on, I would die. So, I didn't try to dodge the usual way. Before the sharp blade could reach me, I shifted my body slightly to move out of its trajectory and then rolled directly on the ground.
Because I rolled with such force, my entire body slammed into the floor, but thanks to that, the Minotaur's attack sliced through nothing but air.
However, when I stood up, I was blindsided by a follow-up headbutt that sent me flying. When my back slammed into the wall, every bit of air was knocked out of my lungs.
Immediately after, the Minotaur's massive hand grabbed my leg with a crushing grip and lifted me up. I tried to struggle while hanging in the air, but my captured ankle was squeezed with the force of a hydraulic press, leaving me unable to move.
"──── Tch?!"
"Gwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
The Minotaur began to swing me like a pair of nunchaku. With my vision shaking violently, I couldn't resist and remained at the mercy of its strength.
As it shook me, my joints began to scream. Amidst the sound of my bones creaking, I tried to squirm free, but the Minotaur didn't budge. No matter how I twisted, the absolute power shaking me prevented me from fixing my gaze.
Then, the Minotaur threw me. I felt weightless, followed by a sudden crash. My consciousness nearly faded from the pain of an impact that almost shattered the floor, but I held on at the last second.
However, my lungs, crushed by the shock, forced out a violent exhale that left me coughing uncontrollably. A wave of pain from my creaking bones washed over me.
My attempt to take a defensive stance collapsed, and I fell flat on my face. If this continued, I would truly die. I struggled to stand despite the agony, but my knees shook, and I couldn't find my footing.
The Minotaur took a step toward me. Though I thought I had to move, my body wouldn't respond. When I raised my face, trembling, I saw a massive shadow.
The Minotaur stood over me, brandishing its Greatsword. Its expression carried clear murderous intent, and its mouth seemed twisted into a smirk.
"── Ah, i (Move, body, move! Move! Move!!)"
Massive hooves approached as the ground shook. Despite the Minotaur's proximity, my body wouldn't budge. The beast's eyes were fixed on me. It was about to kill me now. Just as I thought it was the end, the shaking of the ground stopped unnaturally.
Feeling a sense of strangeness, I looked up through the pain, and there──────
●○●○●
Early in the morning, in the central plaza before Babel, which plugs the great hole of the Dungeon. In the city's central square where the main streets converge and the sunlight floods in, a large crowd of adventurers had gathered, regardless of their Familias.
In their midst stood a human girl holding a rapier, a wolfman wearing metal boots, a slender elf holding a staff tipped with a massive magic stone, a dwarf with a body as solid as armor, two Amazon sisters equipped with heavy weapons, a Pallum carrying a shining golden spear on his shoulder, and finally, a white-haired human wearing light armor.
People of various races had gathered at this day, time, and place. They were the elite of the [Loki Familia], the expedition team that would brave the undiscovered regions.
Adventurers from various Familias friendly to Loki had gathered to cheer them on or provide supplies.
The Loki Familia crossed the city's main street, followed by several wagons loaded with supplies for the expedition. On the opposite side of Babel's North Gate, Guild employees sent for the occasion stood in line.
They marched toward the gate, raising the Familia banner bearing the city's most famous clown emblem, amidst the gazes of expectation and envy from those around them. Now, they waited with bated breath for the commander's order to depart.
"Listen well, Bete Loga. I forced myself to make these silver boots for you on an impossible schedule. if you break them again, I won't go easy on you."
"And do I break them on purpose? I know that. But you, hey, get away from me!!"
A half-dwarf woman with a lithe body that didn't suggest dwarf blood, features reminiscent of the Far East, a black eye patch similar to Hephaestus's, and tanned skin. She hid her skin with maze-specific weapons that blended traditional Far Eastern attire with continental style. She was calling out to Bete and getting uncomfortably close, smiling wickedly.
Bete was raising his voice at Tsubaki Collbrande, the captain of the [Hephaestus Familia] who would accompany them on the expedition, saying she was annoying him. He tried to push her forehead away in boredom, but Tsubaki only leaned closer, enjoying his reaction every time he showed his annoyance.
As the one holding the imposing title "Cyclops" and possessing strength that rivaled Level 1 adventurers despite being a blacksmith, it wasn't easy for Bete to escape her embrace, which clearly showed her physical power.
Bete's special weapon, [Flosvirt], was Tsubaki's creation. Perhaps for that reason, she clung to him more than usual, while Bete wore an expression of deep, heartfelt loathing.
Riveria and the others watched their exchange with bitter smiles.
In addition to the Hephaestus Familia members who wouldn't be accompanying them, there were adventurers with personal ties to the Loki Familia calling out and sending cheers. Some gods were also sending encouragement to the popular girls like Ais and Tione.
"Master Al, please be careful of the red-haired woman..."
"Right."
Ais was saying goodbye to Lulune the Chien from the [Hermes Familia], who had shared several missions with her. Meanwhile, Al was exchanging greetings with Cassandra from the [Apollo Familia] and Amid from the [Dian Cecht Familia], who gave him items to use inside the Dungeon.
"Everyone, we begin the expedition now!!"
Finn shouted in the middle of the group, and everyone straightened their posture. The morale of the members heading out of the city was very high. Everyone was excited about entering undiscovered areas—exploring unknown floors that hadn't been touched since the days of the [Zeus Familia].
"As we advance through the floors, we will split into two groups again! I will lead the first group with Riveria, and Gareth will lead the second! After meeting on the 18th Floor, we will move all at once to the 50th Floor! Our goal is nothing but the undiscovered regions!!"
"You are brave warriors and adventurers no less significant than the heroes of the 'Ancient Times'! We will challenge the great unknown, and we will return with wealth and glory!!"
Cheers erupted in response to Finn's words. Not only the adventurers but even the common citizens of the city placed their hopes on them, raising their voices in support. Many gods not present were also excited by this feat. Their challenge to the unknown provided an incentive that nothing could replace.
Finn continued after checking the gathered crowd of adventurers.
"We do not need false glory built on sacrifices!! I want everyone to swear by the light of this Upper World that you will definitely return alive!!"
"Expedition team, move out!!"
Amidst the rising war cries, the Loki Familia departed.
To protect the support team—the heart of the expedition that carries supplies and spare weapons for the worm-type monsters—from any emergencies that might occur in the Dungeon, the vanguard composed of elite Level 1 adventurers set out.
The first to enter the Dungeon to fight was the vanguard. This was a group consisting of prominent members: seven Level 1 adventurers. Leading them was Al, the strongest in the Familia at Level 7, along with Finn and Riveria, followed by Ais, Tione, Tiona, and Bete. They were accompanied by Raul and others as support—members of the second squad, Level 2 adventurers.
The second group was led by Gareth, consisting mainly of experienced fighters Level 3 and above, including Lefiya and the other mages. They were accompanied by a larger number of guards than the first group.
"Wait, Tione. Why are people from another Familia mixed in with the group? Those people aren't just hired supporters, are they?"
As the divided group advanced through the narrow corridors of the upper floors, Tiona asked her sister Tione, who was walking beside her. Tiona saw the blacksmiths of the Hephaestus Familia following them, carrying various tools, and asked in delayed wonder.
"Stupid Tiona. Did you already forget why we retreated in the last expedition?"
"They are blacksmiths, Tiona."
"Ah!!"
Tione felt despair at her thoughtless sister, while Riveria explained the matter seriously. The blacksmiths' role is primarily the maintenance of weapons and armor. They usually don't participate in combat, but their lives are still at risk. Therefore, they requested help from the Hephaestus Familia blacksmiths, who are stronger than average high-level adventurers.
Especially this time, there is a contract to deliver rare items obtained from the deep floors during the expedition. When dividing the personnel into the vanguard and support teams, the blacksmiths were also split. Tsubaki, who rivaled Level 1 adventurers, accompanied the support group with Gareth.
"Hmph. If they're from the Hephaestus Familia, they won't become a burden even by mistake. That reassures me."
"Here we go again... Bete's arrogant bragging."
Bete snorted as he saw the high-level blacksmiths from the Hephaestus Familia, who were stronger than the average members of the Loki Familia. Tiona intervened, looking at him with half an eye.
"Bete, why can't you talk in any other way? Do you feel comfortable when you look down on other adventurers? I hate that behavior."
"Don't get me wrong. I don't perform such a disgraceful act as looking down on the weak to feel superior. I'm just stating the truth."
Bete replied coldly to Tiona, who knitted her brows in anger. He believed that looking down on the weak had its own meaning—that was his conviction. No one cared about Bete's words because they were as usual, but on the other hand, Tiona did not hide her dissatisfied expression.
"I simply hate the weak intensely. They smile foolishly while they can't do anything. I can't stop feeling nauseous."
"I hear nothing in your words but the arrogance of someone standing in a position of power."
"That's right. Even Bete had times when he was weak."
"I'm just telling them to know their place."
Riveria and Tiona offered advice to Bete. But he didn't care; he spat out his words in annoyance.
Listening to the dialogue, Ais murmured a question born of transparent curiosity.
"..... Then, why did Mr. Bete take Al's brother as his student?"
──── In that moment, the air froze. Everyone stood still, and the color drained from Bete's face. Even Ais, who asked the question, was surprised by the change in everyone.
".. Heh, what are you saying, Ais? Bete? A student? Al's brother? The one Ais saved from the Minotaur? No, no, no, no. It's impossible for Bete to take a student."
Tiona asked Ais with fear and agitation after being the first to recover from the frozen air. But Ais tilted her head with a questioning expression and said simply:
"Really? But the movements I saw before were very similar to Mr. Bete's..."
Hearing these words, not only Tiona and the others but even Raul and the Level 2 adventurers began to murmur: "Come to think of it, about half a month ago there was a rumor that Mr. Bete took a student...""No, but are you talking about Bete?""Wait, what does Master Al's brother look like?" And so on, but they immediately shut their mouths, worried about Bete. Bete remained silent, staring at Ais's face, but he clicked his tongue and looked away when he saw her questioning state.
"..... I thought it was just a rumor, but is it the truth?"
Riveria asked Bete, appearing to be caught between belief and disbelief, but Bete remained silent in embarrassment. This behavior gave credibility to Ais's words rather than a denial.
"..... Four people, I think."
After some time had passed since the talk about Bete's student ended, Ais suddenly raised her head. The others stopped with her and looked toward the end of the corridor.
At the end of the corridor where Ais and the others were about to pass, the sound of adventurers running violently echoed.
The adventurers who encountered the Loki Familia—a gathering of Level 1 adventurers—stopped, gasping for breath.
"Oh my god?! The Loki Familia!! Is it.. is it an expedition?!"
The adventurers who realized the identity of Ais and the others began to retreat suddenly. Bete asked them what they were doing.
At first, one of the adventurers wanted to object to Bete's contempt-filled words, but before he could, someone else raised their voice.
"There's a Minotaur."
"... Huh?"
"I told you, it's a Minotaur!! That bull monster was wandering in these upper floors!!"
Bete and the others couldn't hide their surprise at the appearance of a Minotaur—a monster from the middle floors and one of the strongest—in the shallow upper floors. It was an emergency. Led by Bete and Riveria, everyone immediately took a fighting stance.
"... I apologize. Can you tell us in detail what you saw?"
"Ah, yes...."
At Finn's request, the adventurer, whose breathing had not yet regulated, began to explain in confusion. Upon hearing the details, Ais────── and then Bete charged toward the adventurers.
"Where did you see that Minotaur!!"
Everyone stopped moving at the sound of Bete's terrifying voice. Tiona and the others, the adventurers before them, the expedition team that had stopped advancing, and even Ais—everyone stood frozen.
This appearance was completely different from his usual self. His look, filled with anxiety and confusion, made everyone marvel.
"On which floor is that boy being attacked?! Tell me where!!"
"The Ninth... The Ninth Floor.... if he hasn't moved yet....."
Upon hearing that, Bete dashed toward the front corridor, and Ais followed him.
"Damn it, to hell with this──!!"
"! I'm going too!!"
Before anyone could stop them, the two sped off at full speed inside the Dungeon. They smashed through any monsters they encountered, running along the official path toward the Ninth Floor.
In the corridor that grew quiet and had no trace of monsters, only the echo of their footsteps rang out. Then, the roar of a raging bull echoed from afar.
"Damn it── is that a roar?"
The Minotaur's roar, which breaks the resolve of whoever hears it, caused Bete to increase his speed after it was mixed with a simple human scream.
No matter how much he had evolved, a Level 1 adventurer would inevitably perish if attacked by a Minotaur. Bete, who knew Bell's abilities better than Bell knew them himself, imagined the worst outcomes.
While the two continued to advance in the labyrinth relying only on sound, they finally found a human shadow ahead. Bete stopped unintentionally when he saw it. A Pallum girl, her small body drenched in blood.
"Adventurers.... M-Master Bete!! Please, please save him!!"
Her chestnut hair was dyed red, and she didn't even try to wipe the blood streaming from her head. She was screaming in tears.
At the sight of that scene, Bete felt an illusion as if his blood were boiling throughout his body.
"That person... save Master Bell....!!"
"Where is he!!"
"The official path, E-16, the large hall..."
She pointed her trembling finger toward the end of the corridor where her bloodstains continued, then collapsed, unconscious as if her strength had vanished. Bete picked her up, then gritted his teeth. He ran while carrying her, as if time allowed no waste.
Signs of anxiety were clear on Ais's face as well. Bete ignored her, and Ais said nothing more, but continued to run beside him in silence.
──── And when they burst into the last large hall before the target area.
"Stop."
A calm voice was thrown. In the hall where neither monster nor adventurer was present, the echo of two footsteps resonated. At the sight of that shadow standing at the end of their vision, veins of anger appeared on Bete's forehead. He carried a Greatsword on his back that rivaled his body length and fixed his gaze on them with cold eyes.
A Boaz man exceeding two meters in height. He was a man resembling a rock, embodying the word "warrior." His body was trained like steel, and his rust-colored eyes showed no emotion.
"..... 'The King'!!"
The captain of the [Freya Familia], Ottar. One of the two strongest people in Orario was standing there.
●○●○●
"Ah..... Master Al, don't you have to go too?"
"Ah, well, the opponent is just a Minotaur anyway."
"?"
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