Dungeon, 35th Floor
"Once we go down this vertical shaft, we'll arrive at the 36th Floor."
When Finn said this, more than three hours had already passed.
The Pallum Hero looked toward the blonde-haired, golden-eyed girl in a flowing skirt and asked,
"Lumine, you're still maintaining live contact with Aether, right?"
"Yes. The mind-link hasn't been interrupted."
Lumine nodded.
"Aether and Lefiya are currently on the eastern edge of the 37th Floor's Warrior's Hall. They've been moving along the edge of that Forbidden Zone."
"They're both uninjured. Lefiya still has plenty of mana, her MP bar isn't empt, uh, she hasn't entered a mental fatigue state."
After reporting this,
"Tch. Figures they'd fall into that hellhole."
Bete clicked his tongue.
"Two rookies lasting this long… guess they're lucky."
He almost seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, though the oblivious Tiona didn't notice the subtle change.
Resting her massive double-blades on her shoulder, she immediately started bickering:
"Bete, you're acting weird. Don't tell me you're scared of the Infinite Chalice."
"Hah?"
The wolf-man's signature gruff tone rang out.
"Stupid Amazon. You think I'd be scared of a dump like that?"
"They're just a bunch of Lv.4 trash mobs. What's there to fear? Even if I, "
"Enough. We don't have time for banter."
Finn's stern voice cut them off. He raised a serious reminder:
"That arena is crawling with Enhanced Species. Bete, Tiona, you are not to let your guard down. Understood?"
"Oh."
"Tch. Yeah, yeah, I get it."
Bete waved a hand impatiently.
"Let's move. The last thing I want is to reach the 37th and find out we came for nothing."
"Mm."
Finn nodded his approval.
One by one, the party leapt into the shaft.
Notably, they didn't jump in together. This was an adventurer's detail worth remembering:
The shaft was too narrow. Jumping all at once would restrict their movements. By staggering their descent, those who came later could observe from above, better analyzing the situation and providing backup if anything went wrong.
First went Bete, then Tiona, followed by Ais, Lumine, Tione, and finally Finn. A mix of agility and strength, with deliberate positioning to shield Lumine. Finn's handiwork, clearly.
When all had landed safely,
"Lumine, notify Aether and Lefiya. Tell them to start moving toward the arena. We'll rendezvous there and then proceed as planned."
His sharp eyes swept the group.
"No one acts recklessly in that Forbidden Zone. Clear? Especially you, Ais."
The captain didn't call out Bete this time. Instead, his words struck the Sword Princess directly, his tone unusually severe.
"I know you're strong. I know you're determined. But if your recklessness endangers others… that's not an outcome you want, is it?"
"…I understand, Finn."
Ais's reply was soft.
"I'll follow the plan."
As she spoke, the tension in her brows seemed to ease.
Finn had noticed her subtle change. Perhaps Riveria would have noticed too, had she been here.
…Ais seems provoked by the Twin Stars' performance.
Finn's thoughts darkened.
I can understand that feeling… but gods, I hope she doesn't lose control later.
With that,
"Move out."
Finn tapped the ground with his Dominance Spear.
"Target: 37th Floor. Infinite Chalice Arena."
================
Meanwhile, on the 37th Floor, Warrior's Hall, Eastern Edge
"Lefiya, fall back and conserve your mana. We're going to need your magic soon."
"Ah, yes!"
At Aether's order, the elf girl quickly retreated to the safest spot in their formation.
Around her stood Aether, Xiao, Diona, Xingqiu, and occasionally Razor and Fischl, appearing to handle sudden threats.
For hours, they had been weaving in and out of combat, striking and retreating.
Since the Worm Well's defeat three hours ago, Lefiya had once again witnessed the overwhelming might of the Twin Stars.
Even with just Aether present, his summoned allies fought relentlessly, seemingly inexhaustible in stamina and mana.
Moves that clearly devoured MP were unleashed again and again without pause.
Fischl, for instance, had used her Midnight Phantasmagoria multiple times to pin down powerful enemies. It worked wonders against anything not classified as an ultra-large monster.
Then there were Diona's shields, Xingqiu's sword arts, and Xiao's teleportation strikes…
It was only thanks to these that a group of Lv.2 adventurers could hold their own against swarms of Lv.4 beasts, executing guerrilla warfare.
Several times, Lefiya had tried to cast supportive spells, but Aether had stopped her.
He only allowed her to use Arched Lightning, a tracking spell, sparingly.
The truth was clear: her wide-area bombardment magic, Fusillade Fallarica, would be crucial in the Infinite Chalice Arena. They couldn't afford to drain her mana now.
Finally,
"That's the edge of the Forbidden Zone ahead."
Retreating while fending off three Spartoi, they reached one of the entrances to the arena.
According to Guild intel, the Infinite Chalice had four exits at the north, south, east, and west. The southern connected to the regular route of this floor.
The arena's rim spanned over 300 meters, with two six-meter-wide cross-shaped bridges forming its only paths.
Beneath lay a pit more than ten meters deep, lined with jagged stone spikes. Fall in, and you'd be impaled like a pincushion.
So in truth, this "Chalice" resembled less a cup than a basin. A blood basin.
The monsters fought endlessly upon those bridges, their battles ceaseless through the years.
Given this,
"Soon, Finn's group will launch a diversion from the southern entrance, drawing the Enhanced Species toward them."
Aether briefed Lefiya mid-combat.
"Listen, when we set foot inside, start chanting Fusillade Fallarica immediately. No matter what happens, don't stop. Focus only on finishing the spell. Understood?"
"…Yes."
Lefiya nodded hard.
This time, she swore she would not falter. Not be a burden. Not betray their trust.
Her brows furrowed as she steeled herself.
But then,
The moment she stepped into the Forbidden Zone, her mind froze.
ROOOAR!
CLANG!
FWOOSH!
Battle cries. The clash of blades. The hiss of bodies turning to ash.
Blood and flesh monsters, Lizardmens and Peluda Basilisks, were tearing into anything that moved.
Bones shattered beneath stomping feet. Even skeletal creatures, the Rams and Chthonic Men, had their hollow sockets burning with eerie red light.
The air was thick with bloodlust, heavy enough to choke. Their sheer power was overwhelming.
This… this is insane…
And for once, it wasn't just her. Even Aether faltered for a moment.
Then,
"Wow. Look at all that EXP."
Aether grinned.
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