On the twenty-fourth floor of the Dungeon, in a dimly lit passageway, Genichi was fighting a pack of monsters.
Blade-light flashed, blood sprayed, and the monsters of the twenty-fourth floor fell before him like paper. One slash, one kill. Clean and efficient.
Not far away, Alise Lovell lazily picked through the dried magic stones piled off to the side.
She was used to it by now.
Used to this man treating her like a tool. Used to being summoned only to collect magic stones. Used to watching him cut down every monster one by one while she had nothing to do.
But today, she really could not hold it in anymore.
"Hey!"
She lifted her head and looked at the figure she had just seen sheath his blade.
"You've clearly got that teleportation magic that lets you go back whenever you want, so why are you staying in the Dungeon?"
Her voice was thick with resentment.
Genichi clearly had Apparition. Going back to the beastfolk settlement should have been effortless for him.
And yet, for some reason, he insisted on staying in this hellhole for days at a time.
Which meant she had to stay here with him too.
Even though this was only the first day, the moment Alise thought about spending the next several days in the Dungeon, she already wanted to refuse.
Genichi did not answer.
He simply kept walking forward, searching for his next prey.
Alise stared at his back, grievance written all over her face.
Of course, she had no idea what Genichi was thinking.
The reason he did not want to return to the beastfolk settlement yet was simple.
He still was not ready to face Demeter.
That day, in a moment of impulse, he had given that blade the name Mitsukotoba.
That had been his answer to Demeter's feelings.
And after the impulse had passed, he had no intention of taking it back. It was just that, now that he had responded to her, he had no idea how he was supposed to face her afterward.
What was he supposed to say when they met?
What kind of attitude was he supposed to take?
Should he be more proactive?
He could not answer a single one of those questions.
And on top of that, he did not even know whether he might die one day in the Soul Coliseum. If that was the case, what did it mean for him to respond to Demeter now?
So he chose to run.
He ran into the Dungeon and used endless battle to numb himself, so he would not have to think about all those troublesome things for the time being.
"The twenty-fourth floor can't give me much pressure anymore."
Genichi's voice rang out.
"So next, we keep going deeper. Together."
Alise froze for a moment.
"Keep going deeper?"
She hurried after him, the resentment on her face turning into shock.
"Hey, hey, hey. It's just the two of us. No matter how strong you are, this is way too reckless!"
Genichi ignored her.
He simply continued onward, deeper into the Dungeon.
Alise looked at his back and pouted.
She knew she could not change his mind.
Once this man decided on something, not even nine oxen could drag him back.
She let out a sigh, flicked the magic stone in her hand, and kept playing her part as his tool.
Half a day later, Genichi arrived at the twenty-fifth floor.
The environment here was completely different from what had come before.
The air was thick with damp mist, and in the distance came the faint roar of rushing water.
Puddles of every size covered the ground, some of them so deep they seemed bottomless.
Genichi stopped and swept his gaze across the surroundings.
This was the place he had come for.
"What are you planning to do?"
Alise caught up to him. Seeing the grave look on his face, she felt a bad premonition rise in her chest.
Genichi did not answer right away.
He simply looked toward the vast lake in the distance and slowly said, "The two-headed dragon, Amphisbaena."
Alise's pupils shrank.
Amphisbaena.
The floor boss of the twenty-seventh floor.
Its potential was comparable to Level 5, but if it was in the water, it could even display strength on par with Level 6.
Its range stretched across the vast lakes of the twenty-fifth through twenty-seventh floors.
There was even a chance of running into it on the twenty-fifth floor.
"You want to hunt Amphisbaena?"
Alise's voice trembled slightly.
"Have you lost your mind?"
Genichi ignored her shock.
"If I can use Amphisbaena to earn the great feat I need for leveling up, then naturally that's the best option."
He paused.
"And if that doesn't work, then I'm prepared to challenge the floor boss of the thirty-seventh floor, Udaeus."
Alise fell completely silent.
She looked at Genichi, and in those deep blue eyes, she saw a determination unlike anything she had ever seen before.
Challenging Amphisbaena was not enough. He was even thinking about challenging Udaeus?
That Level 6 floor boss. That monster capable of wiping out entire parties of Level 5 adventurers.
And he actually dared to set his sights on it?
"You're insane," she murmured.
"You've really gone insane."
Genichi turned to look at her.
Those pitch-black eyes did not waver in the slightest.
"If you're not willing to go insane, how are you supposed to earn a feat great enough to level up?"
He paused.
"When I went from Level 3 to Level 4, the feat I used was challenging a mutant Goliath whose potential rivaled Level 5."
He drew back his gaze and looked toward the vast lake again.
"So now that I'm Level 4 and want to reach Level 5... shouldn't I be challenging a Level 6 floor boss?"
Alise opened her mouth, wanting to say something, only to realize she had no words.
Because what he said was true.
His growth had always come from one insane challenge after another.
From Level 1 to Level 2, he had done it by killing a black mutated infant dragon.
From Level 2 to Level 3, he had done it through a life-and-death battle against the Abyss Beast.
From Level 3 to Level 4, he had done it by subjugating the Mutated Goliath.
Every time he leveled up, he challenged an opponent far beyond his own rank.
Every time, he walked the edge of life and death.
And now, he wanted to challenge Amphisbaena.
Maybe even Udaeus.
It was insane.
But that was who he was.
Alise took a deep breath and forced down the storm of emotions in her chest.
Then she walked to Genichi's side and stood shoulder to shoulder with him.
"All right."
Her voice was soft, but unwavering.
"If you've made up your mind, then I'm with you to the end."
"Not like I can die anyway."
Genichi turned to look at her.
A trace of surprise flickered through those dark eyes.
A moment later, he gave a slight nod.
"Thanks."
The moment she heard Genichi thank her, astonishment spread across Alise's face.
"You can actually thank people?"
All this time, Genichi had done nothing but treat her like a tool, so hearing him thank her so suddenly made Alise wonder if she had heard wrong.
When Genichi heard that, he merely gave her a silent glance before turning away again.
"Tch."
Seeing his reaction, Alise clicked her tongue in disgust.
"So this is what they call a tsundere, huh?"
On the twenty-fifth floor of the Dungeon, he still did not encounter Amphisbaena.
Of course, it was also possible that the two-headed dragon had not respawned yet.
Genichi had no intention of wasting time waiting around here.
He decided to keep going deeper, toward the twenty-sixth floor, or even the twenty-seventh.
If he got lucky and Amphisbaena had respawned, then he would challenge it along the way.
If it had not, then so be it.
After all, his current strength had not yet reached its limit.
It would be safer to challenge it after his status values were maxed out anyway.
With that in mind, Genichi stepped forward and headed deeper down.
Alise followed behind him, silently going back to being his tool.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Ryu Lion had returned to the Hostess of Fertility.
This was the only place she had been able to call home all these years.
The tavern mistress had taken her in and given this homeless elf a place to belong.
But even though Ryu had come back, her heart had not.
"Ryu, something's on your mind."
A gentle voice sounded by her ear.
Ryu's body trembled slightly.
She turned her head, and what came into view was the face she knew best, wearing its familiar warm smile.
A silver-gray-haired girl with amber eyes full of concern.
Syr Flova.
The poster girl of the Hostess of Fertility, and one of the very few friends Ryu still had here.
Ryu parted her lips, wanting to say something.
But before she could speak, Syr continued on her own.
"You don't have to deny it. I'm not going to miss something like that."
She circled behind the bar, sat down next to Ryu, and turned to look straight into her eyes.
"Whatever it is, say it. Maybe I can help."
Ryu stayed silent.
Looking into Syr's amber eyes, a complicated feeling welled up inside her.
From the very first day she had come to this tavern, this girl had always treated her kindly.
Whether it was helping her when she had collapsed in an alley back then, or comforting her time and time again afterward, Ryu had never forgotten that kindness.
And because of that, she wanted even less to burden her.
"I'll figure something out myself."
In the end, Ryu only shook her head. Her tone was a little stiff.
Syr looked at her like that, but instead of getting upset, she smiled.
The smile was gentle and accepting, as if she had seen through all of Ryu's defenses.
"Ryu, do you know something?"
Her voice was soft, but it carried a strange power that made it impossible to resist.
"Sometimes, carrying everything by yourself isn't strength. Real strength is being willing to ask for help from someone you trust."
Ryu went still.
She looked at Syr, and something complicated flickered in those blue-green eyes.
Being willing to ask for help from someone you trust...
How long had it been since she had done that?
Ever since the day the Astraea Familia was annihilated, she had never asked anyone for help again.
Because she knew no one could help her.
No one could understand her pain.
No one could walk this road with her to the end.
She could only bear it alone.
Hunting alone. Getting hurt alone. Licking her wounds alone.
Living alone.
But now, Syr was telling her that real strength was being willing to ask for help from someone you trusted.
Could she trust Syr?
Ryu did not know.
But she did know one thing.
There was no pity in Syr's eyes, no sympathy, only pure concern.
Those amber eyes were as full and gentle as a spring lake.
Ryu took a deep breath.
Then she slowly spoke.
"I need a grimoire."
Syr's eyes widened slightly.
"A grimoire?"
"Yeah."
Ryu nodded, her voice low.
"I'm trying to find a way to raise the money."
Syr fell silent for a moment, then asked the key question.
"How much do you need?"
"At least a hundred million."
Ryu's answer made Syr's expression turn even more serious.
A hundred million valis.
For an ordinary person, that was an astronomical amount of money.
For a solo adventurer like Ryu, it was an equally unreachable goal.
But Syr did not look troubled.
She simply sat there quietly, as though considering something.
A moment later, she slowly asked, "Ryu, what do you want to use that money for?"
Of course it was for that piece of information. To find the murderer who had killed her companions.
For revenge.
But she did not say it aloud.
She only shook her head.
"I have my reasons."
Syr looked at her, and something complicated flashed through those amber eyes.
Then she smiled.
"All right. I won't ask."
She stood up, walked behind the counter, and took out a small notebook and a pen, writing something down.
Then she tore off the page and handed it to Ryu.
"What is this?"
Ryu took the paper and looked at what was written there in confusion.
It was an address.
"This is the address of a merchant I know. He often deals in rare magical items."
Syr's voice was light and calm.
"Go find him there and tell him Syr sent you. He should be able to help you find a grimoire, and the price should be a lot lower than the market rate."
Ryu froze.
She looked up at Syr.
Those blue-green eyes were overflowing with gratitude.
"Why are you helping me?"
Syr smiled.
"Because you're my friend."
Friend.
That word sent a huge wave crashing through Ryu's heart.
It had been a very, very long time since she had heard it.
Ever since the Astraea Familia was destroyed, she had not had any friends anymore.
The companions who had once fought at her side were all dead.
All she had left was loneliness and hatred.
And yet now, Syr was telling her: You're my friend.
Ryu's eyes reddened slightly.
She lowered her head and gripped that slip of paper tightly.
"...Thank you."
Her voice was very soft, with the faintest tremor in it.
Syr looked at her, and a complicated emotion rose in her own heart as well.
But she said nothing.
She only gave Ryu a light pat on the shoulder.
"Get some rest. Tomorrow, go find that merchant."
Ryu nodded.
She rose to her feet and slowly made her way toward the door.
When she reached it, she suddenly stopped and looked back at Syr.
"Syr..."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
Syr smiled.
That smile was bright and radiant, as warm as spring sunlight.
"You're welcome."
Ryu drew back her gaze, pushed open the door, and walked out.
The door softly closed behind her.
Syr stood where she was, looking at the now-shut door as the smile gradually faded from her face.
In its place was a thoughtful expression.
And at that moment, the balcony had already filled with onlookers.
A languid goddess reclined against the sofa, a glass of red wine in her hand, while a teasing light shimmered in those black jewel-like eyes.
Freya.
One of Orario's strongest goddesses. The Goddess of Beauty.
"How interesting."
(End of Chapter)
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