The next day.
"Yo! The all-purpose fixer. The Magus is here~"
I went to visit the Guild... no, I went to collect the rewards for my recent missions.
Ever since I'd gone to the Dungeon with Loki Familia, everyday life had been crazy busy with the War Game and one thing after another, so I still hadn't finished settling accounts properly.
So today I picked a day and showed up on a whim, completely unannounced.
Then our friendly soot-shadow said,
"What... is that? That slack-looking outfit?"
It took on a bizarrely reluctant posture, as if it had seen something it really shouldn't have.
Hmm, so that side can do a bit of acrobatics too.
That was just nonsense even I didn't know what I meant by.
"No, lately I've felt like I've been working way too much for some reason. Think of it as a change-up for my own mood, or something. Well, basically that."
"That tramp-like unemployed outfit?"
"Hey now, don't look at me like that. Believe it or not, this is based on a white-haired curly-haired asura who gets serious when it counts. Though he's a severe diabetic."
"Ah, um... don't eat too many sweets. It'll be very hard on you when you get old."
"Shouldn't you be telling that to the elf geezer you work with?"
"That one... it's already too late."
"Well, I think he looks pretty good. An elf true to his desires? He's basically a super-rare, ultra-rare hidden card."
"I still can't understand your strange manner of speech."
Well, geniuses are usually weirdos like that.
The shadow, Fels, muttered that to himself and led the way down the corridor.
At the end of that path, I came face-to-face with the Guild's top boss, an old god whose massive build didn't suit his aged appearance at all.
It was Ouranos.
But seriously, why is that god so huge?
It can't just be because he's an old god who's lived a long time.
What exactly is the difference between Ouranos and the other gods...?
Could it have something to do with that daily "prayer" he supposedly keeps up without rest from that seated position?
"It's a pleasure to meet you, child of Hestia."
"Ah, that phrasing is a little embarrassing. Could you just call me the Magus?"
"If that is what you wish, then I shall do so."
That was an immediate answer.
He was even cooler than I'd expected.
Well, with a personality like his, I guess it makes sense he's been able to sacrifice so much for humanity over all those long years.
Long live the old-man cool type!
"For the details regarding the delayed rewards, consult Fels. This old man will step away for a moment. Then, Fels."
"Yes, yes. Magus, this way."
After that, there wasn't much else.
It was just the usual, stale exchange of thanks—thanks for all your hard work so far, here's your payment, please continue to do well.
That sort of routine back-and-forth.
"Who said you could end the conversation on your own! I'm the one who's been living through a daily ordeal every single day cleaning up after the mess you made on your own!"
"Tch, no good."
Ah, I really want [King Crimson].
I want to skip the process and leave only the result.
I hadn't realized it before because Fels had been quiet and never talked at length, but...
for all his generosity, he's the type who nags a lot like a dorm supervisor.
It's honestly painful to keep listening.
From now on, I should avoid running into this guy whenever possible.
But before that, we still had to finish exchanging information.
"I've heard some things through my own means and through Loki Familia. But that still can't compare to the firsthand experience of someone who was actually there."
"An information exchange, then. Good. So, let's see... where should I begin..."
At the end of that long lecture, we began sharing the information we each had.
Most of the conversation flowed with me explaining what I'd seen and learned in the deep levels during the previous expedition.
Still, I was able to get quite a bit out of Fels as well.
"She, the Dungeon, plants, stems, flowers, larvae, the surface, advancement, the sky, longing, magic stones, consumption, offerings, enhanced species, tentacles, the fusion of humans and monsters... Ah, I see the rough shape of it."
"Hmm? Do you see something?"
"No, not yet. Naturally, not all the information is in, so I can't be certain. But if you don't mind hearing even my delusional speculation, I'll tell you."
"That's fine too. In this world, things that can't be seen clearly usually begin with speculation that's little better than delusion anyway."
At my slightly worried words, Fels urged me to continue, saying even that didn't matter.
So I said I understood and kept going.
It was, after all, nothing more than my own delusional speculation.
"First, let me say one thing in advance. It's possible that all of this was already an event destined from the very beginning."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I'm saying this wasn't simply a disaster caused by random misfortune, nor some artificially planned crime."
It was my belief that this had been something inevitable, something that would happen sooner or later.
"There are many kinds of abnormalities in the Dungeon, but the two most well-known to people are these."
First, a massive monster outbreak.
That usually happens for a bunch of complicated reasons, so I set it aside for now.
"Second, the birth of an enhanced species. The famous 'Bloody Troll' falls into this category too."
An enhanced species of monster.
It refers to a case where, for one reason or another, a monster consumes the magic stone of its own kind and gains greater power and cunning, going berserk as a result.
In such cases, the enhanced species will treat not only adventurers but also the Dungeon's own monsters as enemies and prey, and if left alone it will only grow stronger and become a tremendous disaster.
In fact, there have already been quite a few cases of damage caused by them, so recovering magic stones after a hunt is not just about making money for a normal adventurer; it's an absolute duty.
Even if you're carrying so much that you can't take any more magic stones, you must destroy the ones you can't bring out so that no magic stones are left rolling around in the Dungeon.
"And why does that matter?"
"Because my theory is that the 'she' who caused this incident is an enhanced species from the unexplored lower floors."
I had always wondered.
What is the Dungeon, and are its laws absolute?
Would that order, that system, remain eternal forever?
"People often say the Dungeon is alive. That's a metaphor based on how many of its traits resemble a living creature. But if that's true, then what?"
The Dungeon is ancient.
Its beginning and origin have long since been forgotten, and it has existed alongside this world for an enormous span of time known only to a few special gods.
My thought, my guess, is that something which has existed for so long can't remain exactly the same forever.
That's nearly impossible even for the gods, who are said to be immortal.
In fact, didn't most of them descend to the mortal world because life in the heavens had become boring?
In this way, everything that exists is bound to change in one form or another.
"You don't even need to look that far. Take nature's ecosystem itself. That great cycle may look, on the surface, like it will stay in the same place and the same shape forever. But in the end, over the long flow of time, it changes—through the extinction of a species, the sudden birth of a mutation, wars between nations, development and expansion, and even weather anomalies caused by tiny, subtle changes in celestial bodies."
Then the Dungeon must be the same.
That seemingly perfect system, too, can produce errors or malfunctions in some form or another when faced with the passage of long ages.
If not, then there would be no way for wild things like enhanced species to be born naturally inside the Dungeon.
"The Dungeon was born, and a very long time has passed since then. But in all that time, no one has ever experienced the bottom of that abyss. Do you know what that means?"
It means that for all that time, the monsters on those unexplored lower floors have continued to exist without ever being hunted by adventurers.
Did those creatures down there just grow old and die over all that time?
"Absolutely not. If that were the case, what kind of living thing would they be? They'd just be machines, puppets that move on their own, or golems."
At some point—though I had no idea when, or even why—it must have been common for them to fight among themselves.
Through that, an enhanced species would have emerged as the final victor in some form, and that thing would have kept consuming the magic stones of its kin, building up power and wisdom while waiting there for adventurers who might never come.
And eventually, I thought, it awakened a self that was close to human... no, something that transcended even that in a way that would make it laughable.
Yes, something like...
"God is too much of a stretch. I think it probably became something close to a spirit."
"Hmm, a spirit. Then what about that thing on the 59th Floor?"
"I don't know for sure either. I wasn't there in that era. But in some way, its awakened self must have felt frustrated or wronged by its situation, and wanted to break free. So, in a desperate struggle, it would have gradually expanded its territory. Like a plant spreading its roots wherever it can find water and fertile soil."
"A plant! Indeed, that could very well be the case!"
In that way, it would have expanded its domain and the scope of its awareness floor by floor.
But that would have hit a limit before long.
"The lid of Orario and Lord Ouranos's prayer was sealing the Dungeon. Anything above a certain level was no longer open for further advancement."
But that didn't mean 'she' would ever completely give up on advancing to the surface, on reaching the sky she longed for.
So while searching for a way, I think a spirit died inside the Dungeon, and she encountered one that was barely clinging to life in a near-dead state.
There was no way the monster 'she' would simply leave such a spirit there and walk away.
"This is just my personal opinion, but I think that fusion ability itself is probably 'her' unique power. Using prey as part of her own body and turning it into a vanguard point is actually pretty common.
No, maybe that was when she started to change, to evolve. Fusing with a spirit and being reborn as a fallen spirit. And that's how she became what she is now?"
If that was the case, then her obsession with "Aria" would make perfect sense.
Or maybe she simply got badly beaten by that being called Aria a very long time ago.
"Ah, this part is still too lacking in information to do anything but speculate."
"Then what about those monsters from earlier?"
"As she expanded her territory, she made suitable ones part of herself. Revis, that monster girl's line about 'they are her tentacles' probably means something like that. The reason she made them part of herself was, naturally, so they could act as her hands and feet, preparing the way to tear off the lid over the surface in her place."
"The monsters are her hands and feet. The fallen spirit's fragments are tools for opening the lid. And the remnants of Evils joined in for their own purposes, forming an alliance..."
"Exactly!"
Fels nodded at my opinion, showing his agreement.
But soon another question blocked her thoughts.
"Then what is this 'Enyo'? Is that one also a remnant of Evils? If not... Magus, what do you think?"
"I haven't thought much about that side. Like you just said, it could be one of the remnants of Evils. If not, then... as usual, it's probably just some god with way too much free time going off the rails."
"A god going off the rails, is it? Well... I can't say that's completely wrong. Among the gods who are not divine beings, there are quite a few dangerous elements even we keep a close eye on. Not only outside the city, but even here inside Orario."
"Well, the fallen-spirit faction that came from the Dungeon is probably too much to handle right now. But at least if we keep following the trail, we'll naturally learn everything about Evils and Enyo. In the end, those two groups are probably closely connected anyway."
"I see. So for now, that's all we can do."
With no further progress to be made, Fels let out a regretful sigh.
From her perspective, I could understand how frustrating it must be.
The situation was only getting worse and worse.
And yet on their side, they hadn't managed to pin down a single thing with any certainty.
It must have been unbearable.
"Good. In that case, I'd like to ask you to take on one more request. Would you do it?"
"Hahaha, of course... I'll refuse firmly."
But that had nothing to do with me.
So I shook my head at once.
Fels showed disappointment and began trying to tempt me.
"I'll prepare a generous reward. Still no?"
"What are you talking about? I don't want to work."
How dare he try to buy me with money.
Was he trying to insult me?
"Hmm, still no, then. In that case..."
One of the three major quests.
The sea tyrant, Leviathan.
"How about a tour of its corpse? Normally, revealing its location is forbidden for the city's safety, but by chance I happen to have a favor to ask from a city near there..."
"Where is it!"
...It was too tempting an offer to scold.
In that case, let's depart tomorrow at once!
Reward? What's that? Is it edible?
Hahaha! This Magus is grateful just to receive necessary travel expenses!
If you say no, I'll even empty my own personal assets and go anyway!
So... come on, come on! Hurry up and tell me where it is!
If you don't tell me now, then I really will—!
I'll overturn everything, romance be damned.
I'll become worse than a thug.
So if you're going to say it nicely, then say the location already!
"...As expected, you are the strangest eccentric I have ever seen."
Fels let out a sigh while looking at me, shoulders twitching and eyes shining far too brightly like a dog in heat, unable to keep still.
He clearly looked like he was wondering whether I could really be trusted.
No, even with this innocent(?) face, you're still suspicious, really?!
"I suppose innocent people are all dead."
"Ahhh, come on! Tell me the location already! Tell me! Magus, I'm getting dizzy here!"
"What a complete grown-up child... good grief."
And so, after all my efforts(?), this quest also safely fell into my hands.
Thanks to that, all the way back to the Hearth Manor, a smile I couldn't possibly suppress kept spreading across my face.
Later, according to one Guild employee who witnessed this sight, the entire city was thrown into a state of anxiety, wondering if yet another unknown large-scale disaster was about to strike the next day.
And that careless, speculative prophecy...
unexpectedly came true in a direction nobody had anticipated not long after...
Ah, no spoilers.