"Please ribbit, move aside, ribbit!"
The frog spoke again, its green, glistening skin shining under the sudden drizzle. Though its expression remained neutral, neither angry nor happy.
"Ah, sorry." Ashtarot and Sorrel stepped aside to make way for the horde of frogs.
"NNNGGGGHHHH~ I CAN'T HOLD IT ANYMORE."
Sorrel rubbed her knees against each other, her body trembling with unrestrained desire. She could feel the love juices dripping down her legs, her face flushed, her breath ragged, and her entire body hypersensitive.
She jolted when Ashtarot suddenly touched her hand.
"What a shame we can't continue," he smirked, following the frogs.
Her face fell, eyes shimmering with unshed tears of frustration and disappointment. She wanted his touch so badly, and his cruelty today stung deeply.
'Is this how it feels to be Sister Sorrush?' she thought, trailing after Ashtarot with a heavy heart.
'That damned frog!' she cursed inwardly. 'I'm gonna kill that thing when I can!'
She glared at the frog in front of her. Of course, it wasn't a normal frog. These were construction workers for the 15th floor, part of the 'Kaeri' race.
These workers were invisible to the eyes of the dungeon dwellers, ensuring they wouldn't be mistaken for monsters.
They walked deeper into the forest, where dungeon dwellers were rarely seen, and the monsters were fewer than usual. The scenery transitioned from a vibrant pine forest to a desolate swamp.
The swamp's water was thick and sticky, with all the trees and plants dying, their brown hues blending with the swamp's bleakness. The air grew heavier, filled with the scent of decay and stagnant water.
"Hmm... There must be some problem," Ashtarot murmured. When the Kaeri stopped, they halted as well.
In front of them lay an area covered by giant transparent veils, designed to render the area invisible to human eyes.
The veils shimmered slightly, creating a subtle distortion in the air around them. Suddenly, an oni with red skin and a pointed horn on his temple, dressed in a dark blue kimono, approached them.
"Mr. Ashtarot! I thought you were going to see Lord Gotou," the oni greeted with a respectful bow.
The oni was a floor guardian for this new area. Due to the vast size of some dungeon floors, most had more than one guardian to manage the area.
"Ah, Suzume. I'm here to observe this new area as well. Is there a problem?" Ashtarot inquired, his tone authoritative yet calm.
"Well, you see, this new area is not stable yet, and voids keep appearing," the oni sighed, guiding them inside the veil to reveal a dark black hole where the ground should have been.
The void was a hole that appeared because the area hadn't properly stabilized yet. It typically occurred in new areas that had "grown" from the dungeon floor.
Magic was impossible inside the void, and humans couldn't escape its emptiness. Anyone trapped inside would be forgotten if they remained too long.
"Wow, that's a big one!" Sorrel exclaimed, peering at the ten-meter-wide hole, her eyes wide with curiosity and concern.
"Hmm... It's normal for new areas to be like this. But I hope you can not only fix it but also find other areas in the same condition. We don't want humans falling into the void," Ashtarot ordered, his gaze stern and focused.
The void was unpredictable, appearing anytime and anywhere, so it was crucial to be prepared and thoroughly observe the area.
"Yes, Mr. Ashtarot. I will do my best to search for other areas with voids," he bowed deeply, her voice filled with determination.
Ashtarot then observed the Kaeri at work. The frog-like creatures were diligently patching the void with a mixture of materials. They mixed colorful sand with their saliva, creating a thick, viscous substance.
The Kaeri worked in unison, their webbed hands skillfully spreading the mixture over the void with cement shovels. The patched surface gradually began to look like the surrounding ground, though the texture was slightly different.
The Kaeri's frog feet stood on the patched void without sinking. However, Ashtarot knew this was merely a surface fix.
If someone stomped on it with enough force, the patch would break, and they would fall into the void.
The cement mixture was designed to accelerate the area's growth, helping the void fill faster and become stable over time.
"Ah, yeah, Mr. Ashtarot, I just remembered that you're here for Lord Gotou. Ugh... He still doesn't want to receive guests." Suzume's face looked troubled, beads of sweat forming on his temple.
"Tch, that useless monk! I swear I'm gonna kick him out of his room so he can work again!" Ashtarot's veins popped out as he clenched his fists in frustration.
That was the primary reason for his visit to this area—not only to survey the place but also to deal with that damned, stubborn monk!
"Let's go, Lady Sorrel. We need to meet this stupid monk first!" he commanded, grabbing her hand and turning back to their original destination.
Suddenly, the sound of cracks from the ground echoed, and before they could react, the ground beneath both Ashtarot and Sorrel gave way. They plummeted into the void.
"MR. ASHTAROT!!! LADY SORREL!!! WE'LL SEND HELP! JUST HANG IN THERE!!!" Suzume screamed in panic as he watched them disappear.
Ashtarot, still holding Sorrel's hand, quickly pulled her close, embracing her tightly. He knew that she had an extreme fear of the dark to the point where she became numb and found it hard to respond to anything.
That was also the reason why the sky in her place was always dark—to gradually make her phobia more controllable.
Sorrel, terrified of the encroaching darkness, started crying, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Her breaths came in short, ragged gasps as she clung to Ashtarot, her mind overwhelmed by fear.
"It's fine. I'm here, Lady Sorrel," he tried to reassure her, his voice calm and steady despite their dire situation. "Just hold on to me."
They continued to fall, the sensation of weightlessness making it impossible to gauge how long it would be before they reached the bottom. The void was an abyss, swallowing everything in its path.