Chapter 4: Tremors in the Dungeon
On the 49th floor of the "Dungeon."
A series of roars erupted, followed by the heavy, rhythmic thuds of footsteps trampling the desolate ground. The [Loki Familia], which had intended to rest in the safety zone on the 50th floor, was suddenly besieged by countless monsters on the 49th.
"Watch your defense!"
At the command of Captain Finn Deimne, dozens of adventurers raised their shields in perfect unison, forcefully holding back the tide of monsters.
"Don't let the formation break! Mind your positions! And Ais, don't charge too far ahead!" Finn shouted toward the golden-haired girl who was fighting selflessly at the forefront, all while dispatching several monsters that had breached the defensive line.
"Tione, Tiona, you two, hurry and provide support!"
Obeying Finn's order, the black-haired Amazonian Tione Hiryute, known for her spirited nature, and Tiona Hiryute, who wielded a massive double-blade, immediately cleared the monsters before them and rushed to the front line.
"Ahhh, running back and forth like this is going to tire me out!" the younger sister, Tiona, complained.
"Enough talk! This isn't the time for that!" the elder sister, Tione, reprimanded.
"I... I know!" Tiona quickly replied. As if to vent her frustration, she swung her massive double-blade—a weapon disproportionate to her slender frame—slicing a monster in two. A fountain of blood sprayed out, dyeing the girl crimson. Just as her sister said, even with the disgusting monster blood on her, Tiona had no time to worry about it. She pushed her speed to the limit, continuing to charge deeper into the fray, pulling Ais—who was dancing like an elf through the monster swarm with her "Desperate"—back toward the group.
"Why are these monster armies acting like they've gone mad? They were just on the verge of routing, but now they're suddenly surging..."
Although Finn, the leader of the Familia, was a Pallum, no one dared to look down on him. Contained within that small body was the strength of a top-tier Level 6 adventurer. Even across all of Orario, only the [Freya Familia], with its Level 7 adventurer, could be mentioned in the same breath as the [Loki Familia] and its many Level 6 members.
"Indeed. The 49th floor shouldn't have this many monsters. The rate of wall spawning is significantly higher than ever before. It's almost as if the Dungeon is resisting the gods."
In the distant past, gods once attempted to enter the Dungeon, causing a riot within. To drive them out, countless monsters and numerous floor bosses emerged. The adventurers who followed the gods died in droves, and the gods, having sealed their own powers, could only
watch helplessly as their familia members perished before them. That god returned to Heaven in sorrow, never to visit the mortal realm again.
As Riveria recalled that old story, she heard a deafening roar. A monster with giant goat-like horns and a body glowing red like magma—standing three meters tall—loomed over the [Loki Familia]. What made everyone's breath hitch was that there wasn't just one; there was an immense, scalp-numbing quantity of them.
"Damn it! Why are there so many!?" The adventurers holding the shields cried out in agony as the monsters hammered down their blunt weapons again and again.
"It's no good! There are too many monsters. If this keeps up, we're done for!" Finn said, frowning sternly at his Familia members fighting for their lives.
Riveria, a high elf whose beauty was akin to a precious jewel, nodded, her beautiful eyes flickering with a sharp, brilliant light. "I understand. Leave the rest to me." Her face, which usually inspired awe, grew cold, and her eyes bore the intimidating presence of a veteran adventurer.
"——Soon, the flames shall be released."
Lifting her staff above her head, Riveria chanted in a gentle voice. Though these were incantations for battle, her tone was as soothing as a healing prayer, calming the hearts of all the members.
"Quietly encroaching sparks, unavoidable destruction, the horn of battle blares high, surrounding all in chaotic warfare."
As she chanted, a verdant green magic circle expanded beneath her feet, and particles of light drifted around her body. Her brows furrowed, and she continued to chant, her eyes locked onto the monsters.
"Come, O Crimson Flame, O Merciless Inferno!"
Having heard this chant countless times, the Familia members felt their fear replaced by reassurance, pouring their final strength into holding back the monster horde. They fought with such desperation because they were waiting for the magic of the [Loki Familia]'s vice-captain, the strongest mage in Orario, the "Nine Hell" Riveria Ljos Alf.
"——Thou art the embodiment of hellfire."
The monsters, known as "Fomors," sensed the massive gathering of mana and the impending danger, roaring in madness as they accelerated their assault.
"Sweep away the armies, bring the curtain down on this grand war."
In the rear, the massive magical energy peaked.
"Burn everything, Sword of Surtr—I am Alf!"
The massive figure charging toward them caused a vanguard member peeking through his shield to widen his eyes.
"『High*Win Fimbulvetr』!!"
In an instant, flames erupted! Beneath the monster horde, countless magic circles appeared. From these circles, scorching pillars of fire surged, engulfing the monsters in flame. Trapped by the wide-ranging fire pillars, the monsters had nowhere to run, emitting miserable shrieks as they were reduced to ash. Over fifty monsters perished in this inferno. Only about twenty remained, now standing at a distance and roaring, no longer a threat.
Just as everyone let their guard down, several monsters unexpectedly broke through the defensive net.
"Bete, provide support!" Finn shouted urgently.
"Tch, what a pain!" Though the werewolf Bete growled in annoyance, he moved with lightning speed. Despite his haste, a few monsters breached the interior. The mages, usually protected by the vanguards, turned pale. Mages specialized in attack lacked the physical toughness of the vanguards and were helpless at close range. The monsters chased the mages with impunity.
Bang!
"Lefiya!?" A girl was caught in the blast and sent flying. Though she avoided a direct hit, the shockwave from the weapon shattering the ground sent her slender body tumbling through the air.
"Kyaaa!!"
A black shadow appeared before the fallen girl. The "Fomor" with the hideous beast face—the same monster that had broken through the human wall—loomed over her. The red eyes filled with malice chilled the girl to the bone. Her blue eyes reflected the blunt weapon being raised to strike.
Just then, a flash of silver light streaked past, and the head of the monster was severed in an instant.
Amidst the spraying blood, Lefiya stared blankly ahead. Standing there was a swordswoman with flowing golden hair. She flicked her rapier, letting out a sharp "Clang!"
"Ais!" The Amazonian girl at the front cheered.
Confirming that Lefiya was safe, the girl known as Ais immediately moved. With a gust of wind, silver light flickered. She closed the distance to the remaining monsters, killing them in single strikes and annihilating the horde in front of the mages and archers.
"Hey, Ais, wait up!" The Amazonian girl's voice called out as they tried to catch up.
At that moment, near the dome of the 49th floor, a flash of light vanished as if it had been spat out by the Dungeon itself. This shocking sight went unnoticed, as everyone was too busy fighting for their lives.
Although the space was vast, the flesh-like walls provided no comfort. They continuously spawned endless monsters; one died, and another took its place, as if there were no end.
"Monsters... they're getting denser. This is bad..." Finn frowned, troubled by the sudden turn of events. "During previous expeditions, the 49th floor would only spawn one wave before a long lull, but today, a second wave has already emerged..."
Riveria spoke up. "It is indeed strange. If this continues, pushing through will be problematic."
"But if we reach the 50th floor, we can get supplies," Finn replied. The 50th floor was a safety zone.
During their conversation, Ais and the Amazonian sisters at the front also noticed the abnormality.
"What's going on? I remember it not taking this long last time. Am I losing my edge?" Tiona asked.
"It's not you losing your edge!" Tione answered seriously. "The monsters spawning are just far more numerous than before!!"
Hundreds more monsters gathered. Fatigue was etched on the adventurers' faces; they had pushed hard to reach the 49th floor, and if not for the safety zone ahead, they would have likely collapsed. Riveria, having used her staff to channel magic, was now leaning on it, looking pale.
"No... there are too many. They keep spawning non-stop. This situation is like a monster stampede when a floor boss appears..."
At Riveria's words, everyone's hearts trembled. An unbelievable thought slowly surfaced. "Does that mean... a floor boss has appeared on a deeper level!?" Lefiya asked, trembling. Compared to the Level 6 members, the Level 4 girl clutched her staff and shook in terror.
"It's hard to say for sure, but looking at how these monsters are fleeing, it's highly likely," Captain Finn said, his tone grave. "Everyone is spent. It is not suitable to continue exploring downward. We must reach the safety zone on the 50th floor immediately. Let us hope nothing is wrong there..."
The [Loki Familia] had many adventurers on this expedition, including logistics support, but even in this dangerous situation, no one showed fear. This was because the party was led by seven legendary Level 6 adventurers renowned in Orario.
"How troublesome. What exactly is at the bottom of this Dungeon!?" The werewolf Bete snarled, tearing a monster in two, his body splattered in blood adding to his ferocity.
The [Loki Familia], possessing the most Level 6 adventurers in the labyrinth city of "Orario," had intended to explore deeper. Before they could reach the 50th-floor safety zone, they encountered an emergency. In this area of the 49th floor, an unprecedented number of monsters had spawned.
The adventurers fought with all their might until they were exhausted, yet the monsters continued to pour in relentlessly.
"Damn it! Someone's hurt!"
High-level adventurers fought bravely at the front, but inevitably, some monsters slipped through. Lefiya, only Level 4, nervously swung her staff to chant, but a monster didn't give her a chance, slamming into her and sending her flying.
Ais Wallenstein, the golden-haired girl, immediately dashed over and caught her.
"Be careful, Lefiya."
"Th-thank you...!" Lefiya stood there, face burning red, ashamed of her uselessness.
Captain Finn, fighting at the very front, swung his magic spear to kill ten incoming monsters, when he suddenly felt a dull throb in his right thumb.
"This is bad..." Finn frowned. This was a conditioned reflex from many past experiences. Whenever his right thumb throbbed, it meant something terrible was about to happen.
Sure enough, less than twenty seconds after the premonition, a deafening dragon roar echoed from the deeper levels.
ROAR—!!!
All the monsters stopped their frenzy upon hearing this roar, groveling on the ground and trembling as if they had encountered their natural predator.
"What... what just happened!?" Finn looked on in shock.
"Could it be that a floor boss has appeared below?" Having used so much magic, Riveria's face showed exhaustion.
"We have no time to worry about that. It seems this expedition ends here," Finn sighed. "Too many are injured. We will rest at the safety zone on the 50th floor and return to the surface immediately."
Everyone agreed with Finn's judgment. With the Familia's current state, they were unfit to explore further. Carrying their wounded, they proceeded toward the 50th-floor safety zone. It appeared in their sight shortly after.
"We're finally here!" someone cheered. Reaching the safety zone meant they could finally get some rest.
"My sword is a bit dull," Ais whispered. She needed the safety zone to sharpen it.
Just as they were about to arrive, Finn, in the lead, held up a hand to stop them. "Wait... something is wrong...!"
The group, who had begun to relax, immediately braced themselves, on high alert.
"Damn it, has the safety zone been compromised too?!" Bete growled, frustrated.
Just then, Riveria squinted her eyes, staring ahead, her voice filled with disbelief. "No... the person in front... it seems to be a human..."
"What!?"
The group looked on in astonishment. An adventurer reaching the 50th floor alone was unheard of. No matter the adventurer, it was impossible to reach such deep levels single-handedly. Even if they could defeat the vast number of monsters and floor bosses along the way, weapon wear and tear would be an insurmountable obstacle.
And now, a red-haired boy stood abruptly in their field of vision, sparking murmurs of awe.
"Who is that? Does Orario have such a high-ranking adventurer!?" Lefiya asked, astonished.
"I don't know... at least, that face doesn't belong to any high-ranking adventurer I know," Finn said, shaking his head.
Orario had many adventurers, but only the powerful upper-tier ones were remembered; the lower-tier ones remained unknown and unremembered.
"Th-that person is walking toward us!" someone shouted nervously.
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