"[Burn (Surtr)]"
"[Wynn Fimbulvetr]"
-----------------------------
"That is!"
Tione, Tiona, Lefiya, Alicia, Raul, and the others looked with delight at the three people rushing in from the passage entrance. They knew… their companions had finally arrived!
Likewise, Fron, who had been prepared to consume his last bit of strength to unleash a Finishing Move, ended up holding back at the last moment. Better to save what he could, there were still battles waiting on the 59th floor, and he didn't want to become a burden.
"Huff, huff, huff, huff, huff…"
The magic of the city's strongest elf mage froze the massive crimson dragon in an instant, transforming it into an exquisite ice sculpture.
Landing lightly, Fron thrust out his staff-spear in a flash, shattering the giant ice statue, then exhaled deeply three times.
"This temperature… it's a bit cold, Riveria."
"Are you all alright?"
Finn and the others rushed over quickly, lifting their companions one by one and bringing out elixirs to begin healing them. Fron was no exception, he immediately received the lap pillow treatment from the blonde swordswoman.
"Ah…"
Ais pulled open the stopper of the elixir bottle, letting out a cute "ah" as she gestured for Fron to open his mouth, feeding him the medicine.
"Wow, Ais snatched the chance again! I wanted to take care of Fron-kun myself!"
Alicia collapsed softly into Elfy's arms, pouting in complaint.
"Hehe, in your condition right now, better focus on recovering!"
"It's really great that everyone's here. Gareth, Bete, you two destroy the surrounding environment and disable the dungeon's functions. We need a short time to rest."
"Tch, fine, leave the annoying jobs to me again."
The tsundere wolf only had a sharp tongue, his body had already started moving.
...
As the party regrouped on the 58th floor and steadily began recovery and preparation, the atmosphere grew livelier.
Among them, Tsubaki, the strongest smith in Orario, was the most excited.
Looking at the mountain of ultra-rare drop items before her, she had been in a state of excitement ever since arriving on the 58th floor!
"Ahahaha! 'Valgang Dragon's Fangs,' 'Valgang Dragon's Membrane,' 'Valgang Dragon's Scales', my gods! And the Wyvern series… I'm so happy, unbelievably happy!"
"With so many ultra-rare drops, who knows how many first-class weapons we can forge when we bring them back. My Blacksmithing might even improve further!"
Fron basked in the comfort of Ais' lap pillow and her feeding, though he couldn't escape Lefiya's envious glare fixed firmly on him. Even so, overall, it was blissful.
"Good work, Fron."
Ais stroked his messy hair, gazing at him with gentle eyes, allowing no space for anyone else.
Having slightly recovered, Alicia sat ladylike nearby, food and water in hand, continuously feeding Fron. Her delicate face carried both shyness and deep affection.
"This guy's too much! Even on the 58th floor, I'm still being force-fed dog food!"
Bete and Raul were already sick of it. This scene went far beyond their expectations, this was the deadly 58th floor, and yet here they were… watching this.
As for Anakitty who joined at the same time as Raul, she sat beside Alicia, her tail swishing nonstop while looking at the scene.
"Um, Fron… you're okay now, right?"
"Mm, thanks to you all arriving in time. Otherwise, we really might not have held out."
"Hmph, it was Raul's carelessness that dragged everyone down!"
"Eh?! Ouch!"
"Alright Raul, Anakitty's right, but let's leave it for now. Once we return from the expedition, I'll think about how to punish you." Finn ate his food while replenishing his strength.
"S-sorry, Captain, I-I…"
"Well, anyway, we're all safe and have reached the 58th floor. Our set goal is accomplished. Next… is exploring the 59th floor."
At his words, everyone looked toward the southern passage of the 58th floor. That was the entrance leading to the 59th floor.
"According to Zeus Familia's records, starting from the 59th floor is the Glacial Domain, or rather, the 'Ice Labyrinth.'"
Feeling embarrassed about continuing with Ais' lap pillow, Fron sat up, accepting the simple meal shy-faced Anakitty handed over, and added:
"I also read some records in the archives. It's said the entire 59th floor is frozen rivers and lakes, the very ground itself made of solid ice. That level of cold doesn't just weaken adventurers' combat power, it makes movement itself nearly impossible."
"A frigid climate like the northern winter, extremely cold, will severely affect our actions. Our bodies may become sluggish, even first-class adventurers will struggle against it."
Finn, Gareth, and Riveria all nodded, confirming Fron's intelligence was accurate.
"Exactly. That's why we prepared the AdvancedFire Spirit Cloths for this journey. Each of the 14 of us gets one. They cost a fortune to acquire."
"Raul, take them out."
"Wait, Finn. You might not have noticed since you just arrived, but… at the entrance, don't you feel something strange? About the environment?"
...
Originally, everyone wanted to ignore this show-off feeding scene, but… after hearing Fron's words, they glanced again at the 59th floor entrance and fell into thought.
Tiona, lively once more, raised her hand.
"If the intel says the 59th floor is the 'Labyrinth of Ice,' then on the 58th floor we should at least feel something, right? Don't forget, it's cold enough to freeze even first-class adventurers. But now? Nobody's felt anything, right?"
"Not only no chill, we're practically roasting here. Aside from the Valgang Dragon's attacks, there's this damp, muggy heat. It feels more like… a rainforest."
"Tropical Telscura, maybe…"
"Right, come to think of it, near the 59th floor entrance… it really does feel like a humid jungle."
"…"
"Captain, there's definitely something wrong. Could Zeus Familia's intel be false?"
"No, the intel should be real. But the current situation is completely unexpected. That means… something must have happened on the 59th floor that we don't know about."
As he spoke, Finn glanced at the golden-haired girl who had remained silent beside Fron.
Sitting between Ais, Alicia, and Anakitty, Fron lowered his head slightly, his eyes flickering.
"Everyone must wear the Fire Spirit Cloths. Even if the effect is minimal, it's still better than nothing."