A dozen minutes earlier, inside the Dungeon's 29th Floor,
"You're saying Aether and Lefiya fell into the Deep Levels together?"
Upon regrouping, the moment Finn, Riveria, and the others heard Lumine's report, their brows furrowed in deep concern.
Without a doubt, in their eyes, the survival rate of a Lv.2 and a Lv.3 suddenly plunging into the Deep Levels was nearly zero.
Especially Lefiya...
The elf girl had a shaky mindset, and choking under pressure wasn't something new. As her mentor, Riveria knew this all too well.
Fortunately,
"Aether isn't your typical Lv.2. Don't worry too much... ah."
Lumine blinked, pausing, then added:
"He's contacting me right now."
Everyone immediately gathered around her. Old Gareth was the first to ask:
"How's the situation over there?"
"Aether says he and Lefiya were swallowed by a Worm Well, but they've already killed it and escaped."
Lumine patiently relayed the message.
"Though Lefiya was injured, her life isn't in danger..." She smiled reassuringly. "Please relax. Aether can summon a Genshin with healing powers. Lefiya will be fine."
At this, a collective "Haa~" of relief escaped the group.
Including one particular tsundere wolf-boy.
"Tch. Always causing trouble."
Bete clicked his tongue, then glanced at his captain.
"Finn, I'll bring those two rookies back."
But Finn shook his head calmly.
"Not if it's the 37th Floor. You alone won't cut it. Since this is a rescue mission, we'll need to assemble a proper search team."
"No need to make it so complicated."
Lumine cut in.
"I can sense Aether's location. Just take me with you."
"Oh?"
Finn's expression softened with a rare smile.
"You siblings really do always manage to surprise us." He nodded. "Alright then, I'll be counting on you."
"No problem."
With her confirmation, Finn immediately began giving orders.
"Listen up, everyone, I'm reassigning roles."
The expedition party turned to him attentively.
"Riveria, Gareth, you'll stay here with the main force. As for the rescue team, " He scanned the group. "Me, Ais, Bete, Tiona, Tione, and Lumine. That will be enough."
"Considering how dangerous the Deep Levels are, mobility is our priority. We'll find Aether and Lefiya as fast as possible."
No one objected to the plan.
As a note, if Lumine hadn't revealed her sensing ability, Finn would've taken Riveria instead.
After all, when Riveria unfolded her wide-area magic circle, it doubled as a detection field. It was her usual method to lock onto enemy units.
That's why the elves called her the Nine Hell.
By repeatedly cycling through chanting incantation → forcibly canceling cast, she could act as a makeshift humanoid radar.
The drawback was that her detection worked best in a horizontal sweep, not a full sphere. Which meant she'd have needed to descend to the 37th Floor first.
In any case, without Lumine, they would've had to search level by level.
Thankfully, Riveria's mana pool was enormous. And even without spells, her close combat was nothing to scoff at.
At Lv.6, she could literally smash Potential Lv.6 monsters with her staff alone.
Her physical prowess was ironclad, completely unlike a fragile "traditional mage." She wouldn't collapse after just a few steps.
What can you say? Worthy indeed of the title Strongest Mage of Orario. Middle-Earth's Maiar certainly set a fine precedent...
Anyway,
"Time's short. Take only the bare minimum of supplies and potions. We are moving now."
Hoisting his Command Spear onto his shoulder, Finn added:
"Tione, you'll act as a supporter for now."
"No problem, Captain."
The fiery Amazon actually answered with saccharine sweetness at this moment. She slung her pack over her back and came to Finn's side.
"Lumine, can you keep up with our pace?" He glanced at the golden-haired, golden-eyed girl.
"It should be fine."
In her memory of the future, during Loki Familia's expedition to the 59th Floor, even Lefiya at Lv.3 could keep up with Finn's squad. With all her basic stats maxed at SSS, she figured that even at Lv.2, she'd manage.
"Good." Finn chose to believe her.
"Then we'll head to the 36th Floor first, and from there, Lumine will guide us."
"Move out."
================
Back to the present,
Cold. Still.
"Mm~"
As Lefiya slowly regained consciousness, the first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was a pair of emerald-green, glowing eyes in the dark.
"Uwaaaahhh!!"
She screamed, legs kicking wildly as she scrambled backward.
Only to—
OWW~
Smack her bare backside against the hard stone floor.
Then,
"Shhh~"
The owner of those glowing eyes raised a chubby little hand, index finger to her lips in a quiet gesture.
"Don't be so loud. You'll attract the monsters around here."
Hearing this...
"A-an adventurer?"
Still groggy, Lefiya finally calmed down a little. She had almost thought she'd woken to a Dungeon monster.
Now, her first assumption was: she'd been rescued by some unfamiliar adventurer while unconscious.
Judging by appearances, the girl seemed like a young Cat Person. Age... maybe seven or eight?
"Um, excuse me, "
"You're finally awake."
Just as Lefiya was about to thank her, she realized she hadn't grasped the situation yet. She didn't even notice that she had fallen all the way to the 37th Floor.
Nor that, just a few feet away near the cave entrance, sat another familiar figure.
When she turned toward the voice,
"Aether?"
Relief washed over her at the sight of a familiar face. Though she was closer with Lumine, seeing someone she knew made her feel much safer.
She quickly realized: this adorable Cat Person seemed acquainted with Lumine's brother.
Curious, she asked, "And who is this?"
"This is Diona, a Genshin I summoned." Aether explained matter-of-factly, then added, "And Lefiya, keep your voice down. This is the 37th Floor, the Deep Levels. Monsters here are tough."
He paused, then grimaced, pointing at her.
"Also... I found a complete Spartoi hide cloak. You should use it to cover up."
"You're exposed."
=============
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