Rio never took her eyes off the bear.
Its massive body remained perfectly still between the ancient pines, yet every instinct in her body screamed that the creature could cover the distance separating them in an instant.
"Don't attack it," she whispered.
No one moved.
Even Ramos instinctively held his breath.
Rio slowly turned her head just enough to glance toward Sayanaki.
"Sayanaki."
The crimson-haired assassin answered immediately.
"...Yeah."
"Three clones."
"Now."
Without asking why, Sayanaki reached beneath the collar of her cloak and grabbed the pendant hanging around her neck.
Mana flowed into the accessory.
A pale blue glow pulsed from the crystal.
"Pendant of Imitation."
Three translucent silhouettes emerged beside her before rapidly solidifying into perfect copies.
Every strand of crimson hair.
Every piece of equipment.
Even the cold expression mirrored the original.
Ramos nearly jumped.
"There are four of her..."
Rio pointed toward the dense forest stretching along the mountainside.
"Lead it away."
"Make as much distance as you can."
"The moment it commits to chasing you..."
"Dismiss the surviving clones and regroup later."
Sayanaki nodded once.
"...Understood."
The original remained beside the party.
The three clones exploded into motion.
Each sprinted in a different direction through the forest.
Branches snapped.
Leaves rustled.
The mountain echoed with three separate trails of movement.
The bear's black eye shifted.
Its head slowly followed the nearest clone.
Then—
It vanished.
A violent gust of wind swept across the trail.
The enormous predator crossed nearly thirty meters in a single heartbeat.
A crimson flash.
One clone barely had time to turn.
A gigantic paw struck downward.
BOOM!
The ground cracked.
The clone shattered into blue particles.
The bear didn't even slow down.
It immediately lifted its head.
Its nose twitched.
Searching.
Rio didn't wait another second.
"Move!"
She grabbed Ryota's wrist.
"Run!"
Everyone reacted immediately.
Kiraya scooped Ramos over her shoulder without warning.
Hinabi grabbed Silla's hand.
Sayanaki sprinted alongside Rio.
Behind them—
A deafening roar echoed through the mountain.
"It killed one already," Rio said while running.
"It won't waste time."
Ryota looked over his shoulder.
"You think it'll keep following the clones?"
"For a little while."
Rio's expression remained serious.
"But not for long."
"The clones don't leave a scent."
"It'll realize that."
"And once it does..."
"...it'll begin tracking ours."
That single sentence pushed everyone to run even harder.
The mountain trail became steeper.
Loose rocks rolled beneath their boots.
Roots twisted across the ground like giant snakes, threatening to trip anyone who lost focus.
Ramos bounced awkwardly over Kiraya's shoulder.
"I-I can run!"
Kiraya didn't even look back.
"Not fast enough."
"I've got you."
Another distant roar rolled through the forest.
Closer this time.
Silla tightened her grip on Hinabi's hand.
"...Is it catching us?"
Rio shook her head.
"No."
"That's one of the remaining clones."
"It's buying us time."
Several minutes passed.
The climb grew increasingly difficult.
Eventually...
The dense forest began to thin.
Cold mountain air replaced the humid jungle atmosphere below.
Ahead, sunlight reflected across moving water.
Rio finally slowed.
"We're clear."
Everyone gradually stopped running.
Ramos slid off Kiraya's shoulder before collapsing onto the ground.
"I..."
"...I never want to see another bear again..."
Ryota laughed between heavy breaths.
"I think that's a reasonable request."
Rio scanned the surrounding area one final time before relaxing.
"We lost it."
Only then did everyone truly look around.
A narrow mountain stream flowed quietly through polished stone.
The crystal-clear water gathered into a small lake no larger than a village square.
At the far end, a graceful waterfall cascaded down from the cliffs above, filling the clearing with a constant soothing sound.
Mist drifted gently above the water.
Wildflowers grew between moss-covered rocks.
Despite being deep within one of the deadliest regions of Floor Three...
The place felt peaceful.
Almost sacred.
Silla stared in wonder.
"...It's beautiful."
Hinabi smiled.
"I wasn't expecting something like this up here."
Even Sayanaki quietly observed the scenery.
"...Not bad."
Rio finally allowed herself a small smile.
"We'll rest here."
"No fires."
"No loud voices."
"But this is safe enough to recover."
Everyone immediately began sitting near the water.
Ryota knelt beside the stream and splashed cold water over his face.
"...That feels amazing."
Rio walked over to Sayanaki.
The assassin had already leaned against a nearby boulder.
Her breathing remained steady, but Rio noticed the faint exhaustion hidden beneath her calm expression.
Without saying anything, Rio opened her inventory.
A large crimson bottle materialized in her hand.
She extended it.
"Here."
Sayanaki looked down.
"A Greater Mana Potion?"
Rio nodded.
"You need it."
Sayanaki accepted the bottle.
"You noticed."
"You created three clones."
Rio sat beside her.
"That costs nearly forty percent of your total mana."
Sayanaki gave a small shrug before uncorking the bottle.
"Closer to eighty-five."
Ryota looked over in surprise.
"Seriously?"
She nodded.
"The Pendant of Imitation isn't cheap."
"The greater the clones..."
"...the more mana it drains."
She drank the potion in one long swallow.
A faint blue glow surrounded her body as her mana rapidly recovered.
"...Much better."
Rio looked toward the waterfall beyond the lake.
"We're almost there."
Kiraya tilted her head.
"Almost where?"
Rio smiled mysteriously.
"The secret entrance."
Everyone looked at one another.
"The entrance to what?"
Rio stood and walked toward the waterfall without answering.
The sound of rushing water echoed through the secluded clearing.
Behind that curtain of falling water...
Their true destination awaited.
The tension that had followed them since the encounter with the mountain bear gradually melted away.
For the first time since entering Floor Three, no one was running.
No one was hiding.
No one had a weapon drawn.
The mountain spring was as peaceful as Rio remembered.
Crystal-clear water flowed from the waterfall above, feeding the small lake nestled between towering cliffs. The constant sound of rushing water drowned out the distant cries of monsters somewhere beyond the forest, creating an almost unnatural sense of tranquility.
Mist drifted lazily over the lake's surface while patches of emerald moss covered the surrounding rocks.
Sunlight filtered through the opening above, scattering countless shimmering reflections across the water.
Silla couldn't help smiling.
"It's beautiful..."
She slowly stepped into the shallow edge of the lake, letting the cool water wash over her boots.
Hinabi laughed softly before kneeling beside her.
"I wasn't expecting a place like this after everything we've gone through."
Kiraya removed her gauntlets and dipped both hands into the stream.
The cold mountain water immediately eased the soreness lingering in her muscles.
"I could stay here all day."
Ramos, meanwhile, had already wandered toward the edge of the lake with Ryota.
"So..."
He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"What exactly are we doing now?"
Ryota grinned.
"Fishing."
"...Fishing?"
"Yeah."
Rio had handed them both simple fishing rods before everyone spread out around the clearing.
Neither of them questioned where she'd gotten them.
At this point, everyone had accepted that Rio somehow prepared for almost everything.
The two sat together on a smooth rock overlooking the lake.
Ryota cast his line first.
The lure landed with a gentle splash.
Ramos copied him a few seconds later.
"...I've never fished before."
Ryota smiled.
"Neither have I."
"So..."
"We're learning together."
The atmosphere immediately became much lighter.
Nearby—
Sayanaki had already claimed her usual spot beneath a large stone overhang.
Her sleeping bag served as a cushion while she rested against the rock with her eyes closed.
She wasn't asleep.
She was simply recovering.
After using the Pendant of Imitation twice in a short period and fighting Crow nearly to the death, even she needed time to recover.
Rio quietly walked over before sitting beside her.
Neither spoke for several moments.
Only the sound of the waterfall filled the silence.
Eventually—
Rio opened her inventory.
Several neatly bundled ropes appeared beside her.
Then...
Small wooden sticks.
A few iron hooks.
Metal rings.
Sayanaki opened one eye.
"...Building something?"
Rio nodded without looking up.
"Mm."
She carefully tied the first knot before threading another length of rope through one of the rings.
Sayanaki watched her hands work with practiced precision.
"...What's it for?"
Rio tightened another knot.
"A ladder."
"A rope ladder."
Sayanaki tilted her head.
"...Why?"
Rio pointed toward the waterfall.
"We're climbing it."
"There?"
Sayanaki looked toward the falling water.
"There's nothing there."
Rio smiled faintly.
"There is."
"You just can't see it from here."
A short distance away—
Silla wandered along the shoreline.
Something suddenly caught her attention.
"...Huh?"
Several elegant deer emerged from the nearby trees.
Their antlers weren't made entirely of bone.
Instead...
Colorful flowers bloomed across them.
Pink.
White.
Blue.
Tiny blossoms swayed gently whenever they moved.
"They're so pretty..."
Kiraya looked over.
"What are they?"
Rio answered without looking away from her work.
"Flowdeer."
"They're one of Floor Three's passive creatures."
"They migrate between rivers carrying flower seeds on their antlers."
Silla carefully crouched.
One of the deer simply stared at her before calmly lowering its head to drink.
Not far away—
Several tiny blue creatures bounced happily along the riverbank.
Each one was perfectly round, roughly the size of a melon.
Soft cotton-like fur completely covered their bodies, leaving only two large black eyes visible.
Every bounce ended with an adorable little squeak.
"Cottonfluffs..."
Hinabi smiled.
"They're even cuter than I imagined."
One of the Cottonfluffs rolled directly into another.
The two immediately bounced apart before rolling together again as though playing.
Even Sayanaki opened both eyes to watch them.
"...Those things survive on this floor?"
Rio chuckled.
"They're surprisingly clever."
"They always live near stronger monsters."
"The predators ignore them."
"So they simply follow wherever it's safest."
Ramos looked over from his fishing spot.
"...Can we keep one?"
Rio laughed.
"They're wild animals."
"And no."
"...Worth asking."
Almost thirty minutes passed.
Ryota eventually reeled in a small silver fish.
"I actually caught one!"
Ramos immediately became competitive.
"What?"
"No fair!"
"I haven't gotten anything!"
Kiraya laughed loudly.
"I think the fish know who to avoid."
Ramos slumped dramatically.
"They're discriminating against farmers..."
The entire group laughed.
Even Sayanaki allowed herself the faintest smile.
Rio finally finished tying the last knot.
She stood and tested the rope ladder with both hands.
Satisfied—
She rolled it neatly before storing it inside her inventory.
"Alright."
Everyone looked toward her.
"Break's over."
The relaxed atmosphere immediately shifted.
Ryota stood.
"So..."
"This is it?"
Rio nodded.
"This is it."
She walked toward the waterfall.
Everyone followed.
Standing only a few meters away, the rushing water completely blocked their view of the cliff behind it.
Rio stopped and looked at Ryota.
"I need your help."
He nodded.
"What do you need?"
Rio removed a specially prepared throwing dagger from her inventory.
Unlike an ordinary dagger, a long coiled rope was attached securely to its pommel.
She handed it to him.
"See that rocky ledge?"
Ryota narrowed his eyes.
Through the falling curtain of water, he barely made out a narrow outcropping roughly nine feet above the surface.
"There."
Rio pointed again.
"Behind the waterfall..."
"There's a cave."
"I need you to pin this dagger into the rock beside its entrance."
Ryota twirled the dagger once.
"...Got it."
He inhaled.
Then—
His right arm pulled back.
Blue energy gathered around his muscles.
Scalular Impact.
Instead of reducing force...
He redirected it.
Compressed it.
Then unleashed everything into a single throw.
The dagger vanished.
THUNK!
The blade buried itself deep into the stone exactly where Rio had indicated.
A moment later—
The bundled rope unfurled.
The ladder rolled downward until it reached the lakeside.
Ramos stared upward.
"...You were serious."
Rio smiled.
"Come on."
She placed one foot on the ladder.
"It's time."
She looked through the waterfall toward the darkness hidden beyond.
"...to enter the Aether Ruins."