"Monsters?"
Riveria subconsciously tensed her body.
She had to admit, Finn was right.
Lynn dared to lead a team to the deep levels to explore the anomaly this time because he had a trump card.
But the problem was, this trump card was a bit too astonishing.
Gargoyles, Human Spiders, Gargoyle Birds, Fomors...
Sweeping her gaze over the Xenos in front of her, Riveria roughly identified the identities of these Monsters from their physical characteristics.
Unlike the Monsters encountered daily, the Monsters standing before her now were very special.
The most obvious was their appearance.
Taking the Gargoyle Bird as an example, this type of Monster should have been full of wrinkles and furrows, resembling an old woman on the verge of death.
But the Gargoyle Bird standing in front of her now, as if beloved by the Dungeon, had the face of a beautiful maiden.
Besides the most obvious appearance, what surprised Riveria next was that these Monsters possessed intelligence.
Normally, Monsters born in the Dungeon harbored malice towards humans.
Even if two Monsters were fighting each other, as long as they saw humans, they would put aside their conflict and, driven by instinct, attack the Adventurers.
However, the Monsters in front of her did not exhibit similar behavior.
Aside from being wary of them, these Monsters emerging from the passage did not show much hostility.
The Gargoyle standing at the very front even spoke, greeting Lynn after stepping out.
"Lynn, I need an explanation."
Riveria's gaze turned to the instigator.
"I know you're anxious, but don't be."
Lynn explained unhurriedly: "These Monsters are called Xenos, and I have a cooperative relationship with them."
"Cooperating with Monsters?"
Riveria frowned: "Are you crazy?"
Lynn was puzzled: "Why do you say that?"
Riveria was speechless: "..."
Why say that?
Did it even need a reason?
Just as humans hunt beasts for food.
The Dungeon harbored malice towards humans, and Monsters born from this core were inherently hostile to humans.
Killing Monsters was as natural as eating and drinking for Adventurers; the idea of cooperation would never arise.
"I know what you're thinking. Xenos are mutated individuals among Monsters, different from ordinary Monsters."
Lynn's voice continued: "Didn't you see? They stand before you without any killing intent. This is the biggest difference between Xenos and ordinary Monsters."
"But this might just be an appearance."
Aiz, who had been silent, stepped forward.
As the person with the deepest animosity towards Monsters present, she naturally could not accept this explanation.
"The Dungeon is constantly mutating. Monsters with human intelligence might just be part of the Dungeon's scheme."
"Gaining trust through words, then betraying at a critical moment—Lynn, you should understand what that means."
"It's rare for you to say so much."
Lynn met Aiz's gaze with interest, faintly sensing a dark fire of resentment in the girl's eyes.
Watching this, he asked, "Aiz, what do you think is the difference between humans and monsters?"
Aiz didn't hesitate for a second: "Humans are humans, and monsters are monsters. There is no commonality between the two."
"Before the birth of the Xenos, that statement would have been fine, but after their birth, it's different."
Lynn raised his hand and tapped his chest. "Personally, I think the biggest difference between humans and monsters lies in the heart."
"Having lived through the era of the Evilus, you should know very well that humanity doesn't automatically represent kindness and justice."
"If one falls into darkness, placing their own pleasure above the suffering of others and finding joy in it day and night..."
"Do you think such a person is a monster in human skin, or a human exactly like you?"
Aiz frowned. "You're just being sophistical!"
Lynn shrugged. "I'm just stating my opinion. Whether you accept it or not is up to you."
Aiz: "..."
"If you're unwilling to accept that, then I can put it another way. Do you remember why you came here?"
Lynn took out the magic book from his robes. "You followed me to the 37th floor to break through to Level 6, not to kill Xenos."
"If you insist on your views, I can return this magic book to you and we can act as if none of this ever happened."
Aiz took a deep breath. "I understand."
Become stronger? Or stick to her convictions?
The answer had been obvious from the very beginning.
Whether it was her conviction to grow stronger or her hostility toward monsters, everything she did was for the sake of killing that Black Dragon.
Aiz withdrew the killing intent surrounding her into her body.
Since she couldn't strike the Xenos, she would endure.
She would turn all her frustration into motivation, break through the bottleneck to reach Level 6, and then become even stronger.
"Miss Aiz..."
Lefiya's expression was complicated.
Beside her, Tiona and Riveria both looked as if they wanted to say something but hesitated.
A few minutes ago, they hadn't expected the atmosphere to take such a sharp turn and become so stiff.
"Why so serious?"
Lynn chuckled, walked over with the magic book, and tapped Aiz on the head with it.
"Relax, your breathing rhythm is messed up again."
"...Yes."
"If you're shaken by such a small thing, you won't be able to grow stronger with that mindset, let alone master that skill of yours."
"Huh?!"
Aiz was startled.
The skill Lynn mentioned was naturally Avenger.
But she had sealed that skill long ago; how did Lynn know about it?
Not just Aiz, but Riveria beside her also showed a look of surprise.
"How did you know about that?"
Lynn waved his hand.
"That's an insignificant detail. It's time for us to set off."
Riveria's eye twitched. "..."
No matter how you looked at it, that wasn't an insignificant detail.
However, seeing Lynn signal the Xenos and take the lead toward the edge of the 37th floor...
Riveria could only suppress the doubt in her heart and stepped forward to stop in front of Aiz.
"Don't pay too much mind to his words. Cooperating with monsters is seen as wrong by anyone's standards."
"Yes, I know."
Aiz's expression had already returned to calm.
Just as Lynn said, achieving a deed and breaking through to Level 6 was the most important thing.
As for the Xenos... as long as these monsters didn't pull any tricks in the shadows, she would simply act as if they didn't exist.
"Let's go, Riveria."
"We need to investigate the source of the anomaly."
Aiz followed the army of Xenos.
Watching this, Lefiya finally couldn't suppress the worry in her heart.
"Lady Riveria, Miss Aiz..."
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her."
Riveria shook her head slightly, interrupting her.
She could naturally see that Aiz's mindset had shifted slightly, but now was not the time for a heart-to-heart.
Taking Lefiya and Tiona with her, she quickened her pace to reach the front of the Xenos army and walked side-by-side with Lynn.
"Did these mon—Xenos tell you the intelligence regarding the anomaly in the Deep Floors?"
"As expected of the Vice-Captain of the Loki Familia. Your mind works faster than most."
"No wonder you refused to reveal your source of information before."
Riveria's doubt was answered.
On the way to the 37th floor with Lynn, she had asked about the source of his intel multiple times.
But every time, Lynn would use various ways to change the subject or deflect.
She had originally thought he just didn't want to reveal his source, but now it seemed there was another reason.
"The rest of the intelligence can probably be made public now, right?"
Riveria looked toward the Xenos.
She could sense powerful auras from the Xenos; clearly, these monsters were enhanced species that had consumed Magic stones and couldn't be compared to normal monsters.
Especially that Gargoyle named Gros; his aura even made her feel a faint sense of threat, indicating a Level 6 existence.
With such a group of powerful monsters active on the 37th floor, the information they held should be more than just the fact that an anomaly occurred.
"Elf, withdraw your probing."
Gros replied in a deep voice, "I know what you're thinking, but we don't know much about this anomaly ourselves."
"If you want to know why, the answer is just ahead."
As his voice fell, the ground suddenly began to tremble.
As if thousands of troops were charging, the heavy sound of trampling turned into a symphony echoing in everyone's ears.
"So many monsters!"
Lefiya let out a cry of surprise.
The moment they rounded the corner, what met their eyes was a sea of monsters covering the hills and fields.
Hellhounds, Dire Wolves, Spartoi, Skeleton Warriors...
All sorts of monsters were crowded together, turning into a tide that surged toward them in a single rush.
Lefiya was no stranger to this sight.
On the way to the 37th floor, they had encountered several tides composed of different monsters.
But even the largest of those was not even a tenth of the scale before them.
The unquantifiable number of monsters even exceeded that of the Arena on the same floor; it was an appalling amount.
"This is why we didn't advance to explore further."
Gros stopped his pace. "The source of the anomaly comes from the 37th floor's Pantry. These monsters were driven together, forming an unprecedented monster tide."
Even an elephant can be bitten to death by enough ants. Without area-of-effect capabilities, even Gros, whose stats reached Level 6, couldn't handle a monster army of this scale.
Gros looked at Riveria.
"I can feel strong magical fluctuations from you. Do you have a way to blast a path open with Magic?"
"Of course, that isn't difficult."
Riveria raised the staff in her hand.
As the strongest mage in Orario, Riveria's firepower could even threaten a Level 7 adventurer.
She was most adept at this kind of 'fish-blasting' task.
With just one long-chant spell, she could clear out most of the monsters in front of them.
But at that moment, Lynn suddenly reached out and stopped Riveria.
"Wait a moment."
Riveria stopped cooperatively.
"What is it? Do you have a better method?"
Lynn shook his head.
"In terms of firepower, I naturally can't compare to you, but I suddenly have an idea."
Riveria was taken aback.
"An idea?"
Lynn snapped his fingers.
"Since the situation is already so chaotic, let's just add some fuel to the fire and make it even more chaotic."
The moment his voice fell, the Spirit Devouring Barrier rose up.
A massive Barrier composed of lightning enveloped the entire battlefield.
Following that, Lynn pressed his palm against the hilt of the blade at his waist, and a large amount of electricity poured into the scabbard.
Watching this, an ominous premonition suddenly rose in Riveria's heart.
"Wait—"
Boom—!
Before her voice could finish, the Fading Light Slash had finished charging, and a hundred-meter sword ki swept out.
Lightning surged, and the sword ki swallowed everything.
When everything returned to calm once more, the monster army that had been blocking their path had vanished.
Witnessing this shocking scene, Riveria, in a rare moment, felt shaken, her face showing an expression of shock.
Wait! This isn't right!
Is this the kind of destructive power a warrior should have?
Even if she refined her mana and launched a long-chant spell in her best condition, the power would only be about this much.
In the silence, the Spirit Devouring Barrier began to take effect, and the souls of the monsters were drawn into Lynn's body.
The vast white light turned into a torrent, making Riveria and the others, who were already in shock, even more bewildered.
But before they could think about what this represented, a massive roar suddenly rang out.
As if the Dungeon itself was letting out a howl, the ground of the entire floor began to shake violently, and a terrifying aura drifted from afar.
Seeing this, Riveria finally couldn't help herself.
"Lynn, what on earth did you do!"
"Nothing much, just added some fuel to the fire."
Lynn turned his head to look back. "That should be the spawning area for the Labyrinth King, right?"
"You summoned Udaeus?!"
Riveria finally realized the truth.
"Yeah, and it might even be a 'hidden' version of Udaeus."
"Hidden version?"
"I don't quite understand the specifics either. Anyway, let's head to the Pantry first. We'll see Udaeus later."
"???"
At least explain yourself!
Besides, except for Amphisbaena on the 27th floor, a Labyrinth King shouldn't leave its territory of its own accord...
Watching Lynn walk forward without a word, Riveria felt a rare headache coming on.
However, at that moment, she noticed Gros nearby wearing a thoughtful expression.
"Do you know something?"
"I heard Lyd mention it before. When they went to the 27th floor to check the situation, they encountered a mutated Amphisbaena. Lynn was there too; he was the one who summoned that mutated Amphisbaena."
Lyd? A mutated Amphisbaena?
After hearing Gros's explanation, Riveria's questions didn't get answered; instead, she had even more of them.
"Don't overthink it, let's just keep up for now."
Gros wasn't entirely clear on the specifics either.
Because of his size, he hadn't accompanied Lyd and the others during the incident on the 27th floor.
The only thing he knew was that the mutated Amphisbaena was extremely powerful, a fact corroborated by the boost he received after eating its Magic stone.
If the Labyrinth King of the 27th floor was so terrifying after mutating, then the one on the 37th floor went without saying.
Not daring to linger, he called out to the Xenos beside him and immediately followed after Lynn.
"I finally know why Lynn levels up so fast," Tiona remarked with a sigh.
Setting aside the role of accelerated growth, Lynn's penchant for courting death was truly beyond that of ordinary people.
Thinking back, when they first met Lynn, he had run off to the eighth floor to fight all by himself.
After that, whether it was starting a War Game alone or taking them to the Arena in the Deep Floors to grind Monsters, none of it was something a normal person would do.
"The source of the mutation affecting the entire floor, and Udaeus potentially leaving its territory..."
Tiona rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I feel like this time, it's not just Aiz—I might have a chance to break through to LV6, and Lefiya can probably reach LV4."
Lefiya opened her mouth but hesitated. "..."
Shouldn't we be worrying about getting back alive right now?
...