Their surroundings, the walls, floors, and ceilings, were covered entirely by bedrock. The air seemed somewhat damp and the lighting much dimmer compared to the upper floors of the Dungeon. The room was larger and taller than the previous floors, and the atmosphere was filled with an oppressive weight different from the upper floors.
This was Shirou's first time here, but Ryuu and Alicia were quite familiar with this place, and Lefiya had also been here before.
This was the Middle Floors of the dungeon, the first true danger zone.
"What just happened?!" Lefiya was the first to cry out, currently held in Alicia's arms in a protective embrace.
When the earthquake and floor collapse occurred, Alicia's first thought had been to protect Lefiya. This had prevented her from escaping the collapsing floor, causing her to fall into the vertical hole that had suddenly appeared below them.
Ryuu, using her remarkable agility and reflexes, had managed to grab the edge of the crumpling ground just in time. But seeing Shirou and Alicia falling into the depths of the dungeon, she didn't hesitate and jump in after them.
The vertical hole they had fallen into was a trap, one that was supposed to only appear in the deeper floors of the dungeon. It was a special terrain feature that should never have been generated in the upper floors, yet here it was, directly beneath their feet.
"We've fallen into a Vertical Hole," Alicia explained to Lefiya as calmly as possible. "This is a rare abnormal situation. It's very likely we're targeted by the 'Dungeon's Malice."
The "Dungeon" was not just a geographical entity. The gods and adventurers of Orario widely believed that the dungeon was alive. It had its own consciousness, and it bore a deep-seated hatred for the Gods.
If any Gods released their divine aura inside the dungeon, it would provoke a violent reaction from the dungeon', resulting in severe abnormal phenomena.
This had happened in the past, leading to the guild strictly forbidding gods from entering the dungeon. Violators would face harsh punishment.
But it wasn't just the gods that the dungeon hated. It also despised adventurers who invaded its territory. As a result, adventurers sometimes encountered abnormal situations seemingly designed to kill them.
Adventurers called situations like these the 'Dungeon's Malice'
To Alicia and Ryuu, it was clear they were currently experiencing one of these malice-driven events, and it was one of the worst kinds.
This malice was far beyond the typical mass spawning of monster also called monster party or a strengthen species encounter, where monsters with abilities surpassing other monsters on the current floor appeared.
"Ryuu, Shirou, are you guys okay? Any injuries?" Alicia gently set Lefiya down and called out to the others.
"I'm alright," Shirou responded.
"I'm fine too," Ryuu replied.
Both Ryuu and Shirou had managed to maintain their balance and land safely, thanks to their excellent physical abilities and control.
"The first thing we need to do is figure out where we are," Alicia let out a sigh of relief when she saw everyone was unharmed and then said seriously.
"Judging by the length of the vertical hole, we've fallen more than just two or three floors. We're at least on the 15th floor," Alicia assessed.
Lefiya shuddered. Her last trip to the middle floors had left her with PTSD.
So far, she had barely gotten used to the monsters of the upper floors with Shirou's and her familia's help. The monsters in the middle floors, however, still haunted her dreams—especially the terrifying Floor Boss, the giant Goliath.
"Please…" Lefiya prayed silently, hoping desperately. "Please not the 17th floor."
"The vertical hole started closing right after we fell in. If my senses are correct, there was an earthquake right before the floor collapsed,"
Alicia took a deep breath. "If I'm not mistaken, the way back to the upper floors is probably blocked by fallen rocks or the entire passageway might have even collapsed."
Alicia's guess was purely based on her years of experience as a seasoned adventurer, with no proof whatsoever. This wasn't her first time facing the Dungeon's Malice.
"I agree, the dungeon wouldn't leave us with such an easy way out." Ryuu nodded, her hand resting lightly on her sword hilt. In uncertain moments like this, a familiar weapon could bring adventurers a sense of security.
"If this really is the 15th floor, it would be easier to head to the town of Rivira on the 18th floor than to return to the surface," Alicia said. "We can wait for surface rescue in the safety point"
In the dungeon, there are areas that don't spawn monsters, called "safety points." The known ones are the 18th, 28th, 39th, and 50th floors. The 18th floor, in particular, had the adventurers town, Rivira, which thrived as a hub for expedition teams from various familias.
Once the pathways between floors were blocked off, clearing them isn't simple. It requires not just brute force but patience, and a lot of time.
Ryuu had a powerful magic, but she wasn't confident if she could clear the blocked passageway.
Most likely, it would cause an even larger scale collapse.
"Before we left, I asked Miss Syr to inform my familia about our descent into the dungeon, just in case something like this happened. I didn't expect it to come in handy," Alicia continued, her voice serious but calm.
"As long as Captain Finn gets word of the earthquake in the dungeon, he'll immediately send out a rescue team. It'll all be over soon."
"Th-Thank goodness," Lefiya let out a long sigh of relief, her legs giving out as she plopped down on the ground.
However, Ryuu and Shirou's expressions remained unchanged.
Shirou looked at Alicia with a slightly serious expression, like asking her.
'Alicia-Onee-chan, are you telling the truth?'
Alicia gave a very subtle shake of her head, then glanced over at Lefiya.
'No, it's a lie. I just want Lefiya to relax a bit. Finn won't arrive so quickly.'
Shirou nodded in understanding and place the massive bow, [Fake-Nine Lives II], across his back and then closed his eyes.
[Skill, Mind's Eye, activate.]
He looked up and said,
"We should be on the 17th floor."
"How did you figure that out?" Ryuu asked.
"I've never been to the middle floors, but I've heard from my familia's seniors that the 17th floor has higher ceilings compared to the rest of the middle floors. Besides that… it's just a feeling."
"I trust Shirou," Ryuu looked towards Alicia.
As fellow high-level adventurers, there were things they didn't need words to communicate, just a glance.
"Actually, I had the same feeling. This floor does seem unusually tall." Alicia turned to the boy. "Shirou, you've used up the most stamina and mana, so recover as fast as possible."
Shirou nodded. "I've already taken another dual potion. I've got one more magic potion left, and two more high potions. The potion will take some time to take effect."
"Does the Hephaestus Familia really give that many high-grade potions to a rookie Lv 1 adventure? It must be nice to be so rich…" Alicia joked.
Then she looked at Lefiya, and let out a small sigh. "Lefiya, if we have to fight Goliath, will you be able to join the fight?"
At the mention of the name "Goliath," Lefiya froze in fear. "Goli-Goliath, no, I-I can't…"
The Giant Goliath had wiped out the squad Lefiya was in when she was still in the School District, leaving her with a psychological trauma that hadn't fully healed yet.
"Got it… Then just stay close to Shirou and protect yourself. If the enemy is a Floor Boss, Ryuu and I won't be able to help you." Alicia decisively instructed.
"Wait, Alicia, why are we suddenly preparing to fight the Goliath?" Lefiya asked in panic.
"If the dungeon sent us to the 17th floor, then it must be planning to send a Goliath after us," Alicia said logically. "Even if the Goliath hasn't resurrected yet, the dungeon will forcibly spawn one. This is the 'Dungeon's Malice!'"
"Most likely, the path to the 18th floor had also been sealed off."
Ryuu added, "Although the Goliath typically spawns in the central room of the 17th floor, it has the ability to break through walls and move to other rooms."
In the past, while she was part of the Astraea Familia, Ryuu had participated in numerous battles against the Giant Goliath, so she was well aware of the Floor Boss's capabilities.
The other rooms on the 17th floor would spawn Level 2 monsters, such as Minotaurs, Hellhounds, and Ligerfangs. When these monsters gathered, even high-level adventurers had to take them seriously.
The Hellhounds, in particular, were considered one of the most threatening monsters in the middle floors because their flame breath attack increased in power as their numbers grew.
However, the large room where the Giant Goliath resided only ever produced that one monster.
"Exactly. Fighting Goliath in its spawn room is actually our best option. In that wide-open space, no other monsters will appear," Alicia nodded. "If Goliath isn't blocking our path, that would be ideal. As long as we can reach the safety point on the 18th floor, we can let out a sigh of relief."
For now, she had to set Lefiya aside. As the eldest among them, Alicia took on the responsibility of commanding, meaning she had no time to focus on Lefiya's psychological issues.
If Lefiya could pull herself together, her superior firepower could prove invaluable in battle—Lefiya, despite being Level 2, had single-target magic firepower that even Alicia, a Level 4, couldn't match, and it might even rival Ryuu's.
But rather than gamble on the uncertain chance that Lefiya would recover, Alicia preferred to focus her mind on leadership and strategy to increase their chances of survival.
"We're still unsure of the exact situation, but regardless, be mentally prepared to take on Goliath," Alicia said.
Alicia had confidence that, with her and Ryuu's strength combined, defeating a Level 4 Goliath shouldn't be too difficult.
This wasn't out of arrogance but a reasonable analysis. Alicia was a strong Level 4 adventurer, and Ryuu's abilities surpassed hers. Shirou, though only Level 1, had extraordinary archery skills, making him more valuable than most Level 2 adventurers. If Lefiya could overcome her trauma and unleash her full magical power, they might even had a chance against the Floor Boss of the 27th floor—the Twin-Headed Dragon Amphisbaena—if it wasn't a aqua battle.
(Amphisbaena's overall strength was at Level 5, with a Level 6 difficulty in aqua battles.)
"The Giant Goliath is a Floor Boss with incredibly high endurance. My ice magic won't be very effective against it, so Ryuu, you'll need to handle the damage dealing," Alicia instructed. "Shirou, protect yourself and Lefiya. If you have the chance, aim for Goliath's eyes. That's one of the weak spots you might be able to exploit."
"Ryuu, what's your abilities" Alicia asked, turning to her fellow elf.
"My highest stats are Agility and Magic. I have a light and wind element wide-area offensive magic with a medium-length chant," Ryuu explained briefly.
"My main weapon is a katana and I have the ability to perform 'concurrent chanting,' which allows me to cast magic while fighting. However, my incantation efficiency decreases when I do both at the same time. If I remain still, the incantation can be completed more quickly."
Like Alicia, Ryuu was a versatile warrior proficient in both magic and close combat. Alicia also had some archery skills, but in the battle against Goliath, she would likely have to take on the role of a frontliner.
"Ryuu, Alicia, take these." Shirou pulled out six small golden and silver daggers from his bag.
"Are these… magic swords?!"
"Yeah, the gold ones are fire attribute, and the silver ones are lightning attribute. Each can be used three to four times, with power equivalent to a Level 2 mage's magic attack, by consuming all the uses at once, the power can reach a Level 3 mage's magic attack.."
"Casually carrying magic swords worth hundreds of thousands of valis into the dungeon… I'm really envious of how rich the Hephaestus Familia is," Alicia couldn't help but be jealous of the Hephaestus Familia's extravagant.
As the largest weapons merchant in the city, the Hephaestus Familia's wealth was beyond her imagination.
Even so, Shirou had brought fewer magic swords than usual. If he had been exploring alone, he would have brought at least one medium-sized Level 4 magic sword.
Alicia and Ryuu accepted the magic swords and distributed them.
"Shirou, can your projection magic create magic swords?" Alicia asked after a moment's thought.
Shirou nodded. "I can project magic swords, but it consumes a lot of mana. However, once projected, they function like regular magic swords and can be used instantly without additional consumption."
"In that case, Shirou, take these magic potions. You'll need them more than I will." Alicia handed him a small vial. "This one had already been used a little, but don't mind that. Unlike you, I'm not so rich—I have to drink high-grade potions in small sips."
Ryuu: Indirect kiss?! (DANGER!)
However, seeing how serious Alicia and Shirou were, now wasn't the time for her to dwell on such small matters.
"….Why didn't I bring some high-grade elixirs myself," Ryuu muttered softly to herself.
Alicia turned to Lefiya. "If you can't fight, hand over all your potions to Shirou."
"Wh-What? Oh, ok!"
Lefiya, being a mage, always carried potions with her, and she handed over two unopened bottles to Shirou.
"Now, let's head to the [Wall of Grief], Goliath's spawn room…"
Alicia raised her head as she felt the dungeon shaking again, and the ceiling not far from them cracked open.
"Did someone else also fall down?"
—————
Ryuu Danger
https://images.app.goo.gl/L2nQgKiPdwKGmmxi7