Night had fully descended over the stony mountains of Floor Two.
The desert heat that had dominated the day had long faded, replaced by a cool wind that drifted through the rocky canyons and jagged cliffs. Above, countless stars stretched across the sky like scattered diamonds, illuminating the barren landscape with a faint silver glow.
The mountains were quiet. Too quiet.
Only the occasional whistle of the wind could be heard as it passed between the stone formations.
Rio and Ryota followed the narrow trail leading deeper into the canyon.
Neither of them spoke much during the journey.
The message Sayanaki had sent earlier had contained nothing but a location marker and a short report.
We got out. Enemy neutralized.
That was all.
Which somehow worried Rio more than if Sayanaki had written an entire paragraph.
Because whenever Sayanaki used the phrase enemy neutralized—
it usually meant something horrifying had happened.
As they rounded the final bend between two cliffs, the hiding place finally came into view.
Rio immediately stopped walking and Ryota froze beside her.
"...Whoa."
The rocky plateau before them looked like a battlefield.
A massacre.
The ground was stained dark with dried blood.
Bodies were scattered everywhere.
Some lay face down against the rocks.
Others were slumped against cliff walls.
Broken weapons littered the area.
Damaged armor reflected faint moonlight.
The air still carried the metallic scent of blood despite several hours having already passed.
There were so many corpses that Rio couldn't count them at a glance.
Near the center of it all—
sat Sayanaki.
Calmly.
Casually.
As if none of this was unusual.
She sat atop a large rock overlooking the canyon while gazing up at the star-filled sky.
Fenrir's Fang rested across her lap.
Beside her sat the two demonic wolves.
The summons appeared perfectly relaxed.
One was lying down with its head resting on its paws.
The other stared lazily into the darkness.
Neither showed any concern regarding the dozens of corpses surrounding them.
Rio let out a sigh.
"Of course."
Sayanaki slowly glanced toward them.
A small smile appeared on her face.
"You took your time."
Ryota looked around again.
His gaze moved from corpse to corpse.
Then back to Sayanaki.
Then back to the corpses.
"...What happened here?"
Sayanaki shrugged casually.
"They kept chasing me."
Rio pinched the bridge of her nose.
"That's not an explanation."
Sayanaki looked genuinely confused.
"It is though."
Rio decided not to argue.
She had known Sayanaki long enough to understand it was pointless.
Instead she approached the assassin.
"Are you okay?"
Sayanaki nodded.
"I'm fine."
She stretched slightly before continuing.
"Actually, today was pretty profitable."
Rio blinked.
"...Profitable?"
Sayanaki reached into her inventory.
A moment later a small coin pouch appeared in her hand.
She tossed it upward once.
The sound of metal clinking echoed softly.
"I looted everything."
Ryota looked interested.
"How much?"
Sayanaki smiled.
"Three hundred and forty-seven copper."
Silence.
Rio stared at her.
Ryota stared at her.
The wolves stared at her.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
"...Three hundred and forty-seven?"
Ryota repeated.
Sayanaki nodded.
"Plus equipment."
Rio looked around at the battlefield again.
Then back at Sayanaki.
"...You robbed every corpse."
Sayanaki immediately pointed at her.
"That's called efficient resource gathering."
"That's called looting bodies."
"Exactly."
Rio sighed.
Ryota couldn't help laughing.
Only Sayanaki could massacre an entire squad of assassins and somehow turn the conversation into profit margins.
After a few moments Rio looked around.
Then realized something.
"Where's Ramos?"
"And Silla?"
Without speaking, Sayanaki raised Fenrir's Fang.
The tip of the dagger pointed toward a cave entrance hidden behind several large boulders.
Rio followed the direction.
"I assume they're inside?"
Sayanaki nodded.
"The cave's secure."
Rio turned toward Ryota.
"Come on."
The three entered the cave together.
The interior was larger than expected.
A narrow tunnel led inward before opening into a natural chamber hidden deep inside the mountain.
The room was illuminated by a small campfire.
Orange flames danced softly against the stone walls.
The atmosphere immediately felt warmer than outside.
Near the fire sat Ramos.
The former farmer looked exhausted.
His clothes were dirty.
His face carried signs of stress.
Yet compared to earlier—
he looked significantly better.
The fear that had constantly lingered in his eyes was slowly beginning to disappear.
At the moment he was carefully cooking food over the fire using supplies Sayanaki had given him.
The smell of roasted meat filled the cave.
When he noticed Rio and Ryota entering, he quickly stood.
"L-Lady Rio."
Rio waved lightly.
"Sit down."
"You don't need to stand every time."
Ramos awkwardly sat back down.
Only then did Rio notice the figure resting beside the campfire.
Silla.
The young woman remained unconscious.
However, unlike before, her condition had clearly improved.
The wounds covering her body had been properly cleaned.
Bandages wrapped around her arms and shoulders.
The rusted metal cuffs that had once restrained her were gone.
Her torn rags had been replaced with proper clothes.
She looked pale.
Weak.
But alive.
For the first time since finding her—
she looked safe.
Rio felt some tension leave her shoulders.
At least they had managed that much.
Ryota crouched beside the fire.
His gaze moved toward Silla.
Then toward Ramos.
Then back toward the cave entrance.
A thought crossed his mind.
"What about those assassins?"
Ramos visibly stiffened.
The memory clearly still frightened him.
Ryota continued.
"Won't they come back?"
Rio shook her head immediately.
"I doubt it."
She sat down near the fire.
"The players Sayanaki killed will respawn."
Ramos looked confused.
Respawning was still a difficult concept for most civilian NPCs.
Rio continued explaining.
"But that's not the problem."
"The problem is location."
She pointed vaguely westward.
"The Floor Two teleporter is extremely far from here."
"Even farther from Versoza."
Ryota nodded.
Understanding immediately.
Rio leaned back against the cave wall.
"Even if they respawn right now, they'd need hours to regroup."
"Longer if they're waiting for guild orders."
"And after losing this many members..."
She glanced toward Sayanaki.
"...I doubt they'll be eager to come back."
Sayanaki smiled.
"They're welcome to try."
Nobody responded to that.
Because everyone in the cave knew she wasn't joking.
The campfire crackled softly.
Outside—
the cold desert wind continued howling through the mountains.
Inside—
for the first time since boarding the ship—
the group finally had a moment to breathe.
Yet despite the temporary peace, Rio couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.
Because now they knew something far more dangerous than sand pirates was operating within Floor Two.
Someone was kidnapping civilian NPCs.
Selling them.
Experimenting on them.
And judging from everything Ramos had revealed—
they had only seen a tiny piece of the truth.
Rio stared into the fire.
The flames reflected softly in her blue eyes.
Somewhere in Versoza—
someone had started all of this.
And sooner or later—
Crowned Era was going to find them.
The night continued to deepen over the rocky mountains of Floor Two.
Outside the cave, the desert wind swept through the canyon passages, carrying grains of sand and the distant sounds of the wilderness. Above, countless stars glittered across the heavens, painting the sky in silver and blue.
Nearly an hour had passed since Rio and Ryota arrived.
The immediate tension from the battle had finally begun to fade.
For the first time all day, the group had a moment to rest.
Near the cave entrance, Rio sat beside a small campfire that had been moved closer to the mouth of the cave. A simple iron pot hung over the flames, its contents simmering gently while steam drifted upward into the cool night air.
The smell was surprisingly pleasant.
Vegetable soup.
Simple.
Warm.
Comforting.
Beside it rested several strips of grilled wyvern beef that had been prepared from provisions acquired during their journey.
Ryota took another bite and immediately sighed in satisfaction.
"I swear food tastes better after almost dying."
"That's because you're always almost dying."
Rio answered without looking up from her bowl.
Across from them, Sayanaki sat with her back against a stone wall.
Fenrir's Fang rested beside her while both demonic wolves lounged nearby.
One slept peacefully.
The other kept watch over the canyon.
Even while resting, the assassin remained alert.
Her eyes occasionally drifted toward the darkness beyond the cliffs.
Nothing escaped her attention.
Ryota glanced toward the blood-soaked battlefield outside.
Most of the bodies remained where they had fallen.
The moonlight illuminated the scene in a way that somehow made it even more unsettling.
"You know..."
He swallowed another piece of meat.
"I'm still not over the fact you killed all of them."
Sayanaki shrugged.
"They were annoying."
Rio sighed.
"That's not usually considered a valid reason."
"It was for me."
Ryota decided not to argue.
There was no point.
At some point he had learned that attempting to understand Sayanaki's logic only resulted in headaches.
The peaceful atmosphere continued for several more minutes.
Then— a weak groan echoed from deeper inside the cave.
Everyone immediately turned.
Ramos practically dropped the wooden spoon he had been holding.
"Silla?"
The young man rushed to her side.
The unconscious village chief's daughter slowly stirred beneath her blanket.
Her eyelashes trembled.
Her breathing quickened.
Then her eyes slowly opened.
For several seconds she simply stared at the cave ceiling.
Confused.
Disoriented.
Lost.
She attempted to sit up.
The moment she did—
pain immediately shot through her body.
"Agh—"
She nearly collapsed forward.
Ramos quickly caught her shoulders.
"Easy!"
"Silla, don't force yourself."
The young woman blinked several times.
Her vision slowly adjusted.
The campfire.
The cave.
The unfamiliar faces.
Then finally—
Ramos.
The moment she recognized him, tears immediately formed in her eyes.
"...Ramos?"
His expression softened.
"Yeah."
"I'm here."
For a brief moment it looked like she might cry.
Instead she simply lowered her head and closed her eyes.
Relief washed across her face.
The kind of relief only someone who had spent days trapped inside a nightmare could feel.
Rio quietly stood and approached.
She intentionally moved slowly.
Carefully.
She didn't want to overwhelm her.
Silla noticed her immediately.
Her body tensed.
Rio stopped several feet away.
"My name is Rio."
She offered a small smile.
"I'm the leader of Crowned Era."
Her tone remained calm.
Gentle.
"There were people hunting you."
"We fought them."
"You're safe for now."
Silla looked between Rio, Ryota, and Sayanaki.
Then finally lowered her head.
"Thank you..."
Her voice trembled.
"For saving me."
"For saving Ramos."
"No problem."
Ryota replied.
Rio nodded.
"You don't owe us anything."
Then after a brief pause she continued.
"There is something I'd like to ask."
Silla looked up.
Rio deliberately kept her voice soft.
"If you're comfortable telling us..."
"I'd like to know what happened."
"If you don't want to talk about it yet, that's fine."
Nobody interrupted.
Nobody pressured her.
The cave became quiet except for the crackling fire.
For a long moment Silla simply stared into the flames.
Then finally—
she spoke.
"Our village..."
Her voice cracked slightly.
"...was raided."
Everyone listened silently.
"The first time they came..."
"They only took a few people."
She lowered her gaze.
"Mostly men."
"The strongest ones."
"The hunters."
"The guards."
"The combat NPCs."
Ramos clenched his fists.
Silla continued.
"We thought that would be the end."
"But they came back."
Her voice grew weaker.
"Again."
"And again."
"And again."
The fire crackled softly.
Nobody spoke.
"They raided our village more than twenty times."
Rio's eyes narrowed.
Twenty.
That wasn't random.
That was organized.
Systematic.
Silla continued.
"Eventually there weren't any combat NPCs left."
"So they started taking workers."
"Farmers."
"Builders."
"Blacksmiths."
She looked toward Ramos.
"They took people like him."
Ramos lowered his head.
The memory clearly hurt.
Then Silla's voice began trembling.
"They took my father too."
The cave fell silent.
Even Sayanaki's expression became slightly colder.
"A week ago..."
Silla swallowed.
"They started taking women."
"And children."
Nobody moved.
Nobody interrupted.
"They said we belonged to them now."
"They said Versoza was weak."
"They said our lives would serve a greater purpose."
Tears began sliding down her cheeks.
"I was one of the last people they captured."
Ramos immediately moved closer.
Trying to comfort her.
Trying to reassure her.
But Silla continued anyway.
When she spoke again—
her voice sounded broken.
"When they captured me..."
"They brought me to Sasoru."
The reaction was immediate.
Rio froze.
Ryota looked shocked.
Even Sayanaki slowly lifted her head.
"Sasoru?"
Rio asked.
Silla nodded.
The third largest city on Floor Two.
One of the most powerful cities in the region.
And a long-time rival of Versoza.
Everyone knew the history between the two cities.
But this?
This was something entirely different.
Silla continued.
"When I arrived..."
"They took me underground."
"Far underground."
She hugged herself.
"There was a bunker."
"But..."
She shook her head.
"Not just one."
Everyone focused on her.
"There were multiple bunkers."
Rio's expression changed immediately.
The significance was obvious.
This wasn't a small operation.
This wasn't a rogue group.
This was infrastructure.
Planning.
Funding.
Organization.
Silla continued.
"The one I was inside was called Bunker C."
"They told us there were others."
"Bunker A."
"Bunker B."
"More beyond that."
The atmosphere inside the cave grew heavier.
Each revelation sounded worse than the last.
Silla wiped her eyes.
"They were keeping hundreds of people."
"Maybe more."
"They said Sasoru needed stronger military forces."
"They said people from Versoza were expendable."
Her breathing began shaking.
"They performed experiments."
"They tortured people."
Tears streamed freely down her face now.
"They beat them."
"They starved them."
"They locked them in cells."
"They kept trying to make everyone submit."
Ramos gently held her hand.
"It's okay."
But she continued.
"Those who refused..."
Her voice broke completely.
"...became test subjects."
The words hung heavily inside the cave.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody could.
Then Silla whispered something that made everyone feel sick.
"When I first arrived..."
"They brought all the women into an observation room."
Her hands trembled.
"We thought it was an inspection."
"It wasn't."
Her eyes closed.
As if she wished she could erase the memory.
"There..."
Her voice became barely audible.
"...I saw my father."
Ramos froze.
Silla's entire body shook.
"He was hanging from chains."
The fire crackled.
Nobody moved.
"He was already dead."
Rio's hands slowly clenched.
Silla continued through tears.
"There were holes all over his body."
"His flesh was rotting."
"Parts of him..."
She looked nauseous.
"...weren't human anymore."
"Purple limbs."
"Mutated skin."
"Like poison had been pumped into him."
Ramos looked devastated.
Completely shattered.
Silla cried openly now.
"One of the players standing there told us..."
Her voice trembled violently.
"...that he was an example."
The silence became suffocating.
"They said that was what happened to people who wouldn't obey."
Nobody spoke.
Nobody could.
Then Rio finally asked the question everyone was thinking.
"Who is responsible for this?"
Silla slowly looked up.
Fear filled her eyes.
The fear of someone whose nightmares had a name.
When she spoke—
the cave itself seemed to grow colder.
"Doctor Luscius."
The name echoed through the chamber.
Rio's eyes widened.
Sayanaki's expression darkened instantly.
Ryota looked confused.
But Rio wasn't.
She knew exactly who that was.
Doctor Luscius.
One of the most influential politicians in Sasoru.
A man with wealth.
Power.
Connections.
A figure respected throughout Floor Two.
And according to Silla—
the architect behind one of the most horrifying crimes Rio had ever heard of.
The campfire crackled softly between them.
Outside, the stars continued shining peacefully above the desert.
But inside the cave—
everyone understood something important.
This had stopped being about rescuing two villagers.
This had become something much larger.
And somewhere beneath the city of Sasoru—
hidden behind political power and underground bunkers—
Doctor Luscius was waiting.