"She" surfaced.
What she saw was a dazzling figure—warm, no, scorching—flame coiling around him like a mantle.That back… looked so safe. So comforting.
Then he turned around.
A pair of eyes—red.
Unsettling. Dangerous.
The kind of gaze that made her instincts scream don't look.Memories of blades, arrows, disgust, terror—everything slammed back into her chest.
She panicked and dove underwater.
But behind her came the roar of monsters—red as well, but filled only with hunger.
Front: death.Back: death.
She was out of strength.
Was she going to die?
She didn't understand what "death" truly was—yet life itself begged her to avoid that pain.
But now… there was nowhere left to run.
"…Then at least… let me touch that warmth once…"
As fangs and killing intent closed in, she gathered all her courage and burst from the water—throwing herself at the warm figure like a moth to flame.
After subjugating the second floor boss, Xien's team continued deeper, stepping into the unfamiliar 28th floor—a special "labyrinth within the Labyrinth."
Maps stopped working. Marked routes were wrong. To increase efficiency, the group split up—sending the capable members to scout new paths.
Xien was one of them.
His raw combat power wasn't high, but the "perfect memory" (actually his system) and his absurd recovery made him hard to kill and hard to slow down, so he earned a scouting slot.
He cut his way here.
The monsters were nasty, but the narrow river tunnels prevented large-scale swarming. With multiple skills and near-infinite stamina, he advanced while his system computed the best route.
He was close.
Then an unexpected development hit him—hard.
Because monsters sometimes emerged from the river, he kept part of his attention on the water.
So when that abnormal gaze landed on him, he felt it immediately. He assumed it was an ambush and turned—
…and froze.
It was only a flash, but the Sharingan's motion-tracking didn't lie.
That silhouette—
a Xenos.
And if his memory wasn't failing him… a mermaid-type.
Before he could think further, she surfaced again—this time launching herself at him with arms outstretched.
Her eyes were shut. Her expression was… resigned.
Xien's confusion lasted exactly one heartbeat.
Because the river erupted—
A Great Water Snake burst out behind her, jaws yawning wide for the kill.
So that was it.
She was being hunted.
The distance—
He could save her.
His weapon answered his intent.
Its edge didn't hesitate.
Xien moved.
Breathing technique. Transparent World—snap.
The world didn't slow.
He sped up.
Left arm: he caught the falling mermaid into his chest.Right hand: his flame-wreathed sword stabbed backward—
half the blade sank in, then he twisted—
and punched out one of the Water Snake's eyes.
"SSSRAAAAAH——!"
Pain forced the monster's trajectory off-line. It smashed into the tunnel wall instead of biting through them.
Xien shielded the girl in his arms and rolled away with her, narrowly avoiding the impact.
Warm green light spilled from his palm.
He didn't hesitate.
Healing.
To an adventurer's eyes, he was healing a "monster"—without even blinking.
In his arms, the mermaid felt warmth for the first time in her life—real warmth, not river-temperature, but something that wrapped around her pain and fear and made it stop.
She slowly opened her eyes.
A boy—beautiful, tense, alert—staring down the wounded enemy.
This was her first meeting with a hero as warm as the sun.
On land, the Great Water Snake's threat dropped sharply, but Xien didn't relax. It was still a Level 4 monster—fast, heavy, capable of killing with a single roll.
Candleflame—his vivified blade—seemed delighted by the taste of strong blood.
Xien's eyes flicked down.
The girl was staring at him—clear-eyed, blankly, as if she couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
Given the timing, and the wounds he'd seen on her body earlier…
He could guess enough.
Once he confirmed he had a sliver of time, he looked down and gave her the same gentle smile he always wore.
"Wait here for a moment, okay? I'll finish it."
"…Mm."
Strangely, just looking at his smile, she understood. She understood the danger, and the meaning of his words. Her heart—unbelievably—settled.
He set her down carefully, then raised his sword.
In the darkness, flame reignited.
Minutes later, he killed the monster cleanly.
After setting a few precautions to prevent other monsters from rushing in, he started to learn what he could from the bewildered newborn.
No name. Just born. Hunted from the moment she appeared. Ran until she ended up here.
It was exactly what he expected.
The only surprise was that she had appeared this early, and yet still carried the same pure innocence she'd retain years later.
She couldn't stay out of water for long.
So Xien gently carried her back into the river.
She was obedient—almost too obedient.
He patted her head.
She closed her eyes and smiled sweetly.
And Xien's expression tightened.
Her injuries were healed.
But where could he put her?
He couldn't keep her with him—not now. This wasn't the future "peaceful period." Adventurers died regularly. A Xenos would die faster.
Bringing her back would be irresponsible to everyone.
And even if he wanted to… she was a mermaid. He couldn't just carry a fish-tailed girl through the city.
Leaving her alone here felt cruel.
That left only one path.
Xien called inward:
"Orange Cat. Any ideas?"
A familiar voice answered with shameless merchant energy:
"Of course, meow. Given the situation, I sincerely recommend the Transmutation Necklace: it conceals the wearer's presence and causes onlookers to perceive a distorted image—best-in-class for hiding. Only 100 Interference Points, meow."
"..."
Xien went silent for a beat, then sighed.
"Fine. Not expensive. I'll buy it."
"Pleasure doing business, meow!"
He produced a delicate necklace out of sight, and under her confused gaze, placed it around her neck, then patted her head.
"This will help stop other monsters from hunting you. But if you ever see humanoids like me again—run. Don't hesitate. You've already seen what happens. If they catch you, they will kill you."
Her earlier wounds had clearly included weapon damage. He didn't believe she'd never encountered humans.
She looked up, still enjoying the warmth of his hand, and asked:
"Then… why didn't you kill me? Why did you heal me?"
She wanted to understand why a being that looked like the ones who attacked her… chose to save her.
Xien smiled.
"Who knows? Maybe I can see what you really are. Or maybe… I just couldn't watch someone as cute as you die."
"Cute…?"
"Yeah," he said, matter-of-factly. "You're cute."
"What does 'cute' mean…?"
The word was too advanced for someone who had only just been born.
"It means…" Xien searched for an explanation she could hold. "It means I'm happy you exist."
Her eyes widened.
"If I live… you'll be happy?"
In her emerald pupils he saw it—raw, desperate hunger for meaning. The need to know she wasn't a mistake, a stain, an error.
So Xien met her eyes and answered directly:
"Yes. Without question."
Then she smiled.
Her first real smile since being born—bright, trembling, and unbelievably sincere.
"Then I'll live," she said. "Even if it's not for me… I'll live for you—because you want me to."
Xien didn't correct her. Not yet.
Meaning could come later.
Right now, she needed a reason to keep breathing.
"Then we'll make a promise," he said softly. "When I come looking for you, you'll be alive—healthy—and you'll come to me."
"…Okay."
He paused, then asked:
"My name is Xien. Do you have a name?"
"What is… a name?"
"As I thought," he murmured, then explained. "A name is a symbol for who you are. What others call you. Like 'Xien' is mine."
She stared, then asked, almost timidly:
"I don't have one… Can you give me one?"
Xien thought.
He vaguely remembered her from the far future, but the name was gone. If so—he'd give her a new one.
"…Alright," he said. "Your name will be Miao'er."
"Miao'er… Miao'er…" She repeated it like it was treasure. "I have a name… Thank you, Xien."
Xien stood, checked his gear, and looked down into the river.
"Come on, Miao'er. I'll take you a bit farther—see if we can find your kind. Your real kind."
Her eyes snapped open.
"My kind? I have… kin? People like me?"
Xien nodded.
"A new life doesn't appear for no reason. If the Dungeon can create someone like you, you won't be the only one. If we're lucky… we'll meet them."
"…Thank you," she whispered.
And so a strange pair took shape:
An adventurer boy—and a monster girl.
With her survival secured—even slightly—Miao'er transformed into a curious little monster. If Xien wasn't actively fighting, her questions never stopped.
Xien didn't get annoyed.
He was oddly happy to answer.
Partly because her voice was beautiful—no surprise for a mermaid.Partly because she had a keen instinct: when Xien fought, she would quietly sink underwater and watch with worried eyes; when things calmed, she'd resurface and ask.
Xien explained the world: what adventurers were, what her existence might mean, and—most importantly—that he couldn't stay with her.
She grew visibly downcast.
But when he promised they would meet again, she forced her spirit back up.
He also taught her how to use the necklace:
Simple, but limited.
Three uses per day, about one hour each, with the rest of the time needed for recharge.
Still, for escaping critical moments, it was more than enough.
And as she grew and learned the terrain—and once she met other Xenos—she'd be able to survive.
After watching another "not-quite-kin" monster turn into ash, Miao'er asked quietly:
"Xien… why are we different from other monsters?"
Xien didn't sugarcoat it.
"I don't know. But life is… stubbornly magnificent. Maybe the Dungeon—the 'mother' that birthed you—is evolving. Becoming stronger. Or maybe it's no longer satisfied with creating only creatures that kill. Maybe it's trying to create a true intelligent species."
"…So I'm just… an experiment?"
Her voice dipped.
The instinct of a thinking life was already there: she wanted parental love, recognition, a place in the world. But the Dungeon wouldn't give her any of that.
And that answer made her feel… small.
Unimportant.
Disposable.
....
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