They arrived at the slope Finn had mentioned—the point where the Great Waterfall's current finally ended, its waters flowing into a narrow channel carved into the Dungeon wall.
Tsuna noticed right away that the slope wasn't large. It wasn't some massive pit, but rather a waterway embedded deep into the rock, disappearing into the unknown.
He didn't know where the water went, but one thing was clear: falling in would be a nightmare. After thinking it over briefly, Tsuna decided not to investigate further. The Dungeon's secrets weren't something he needed to pry into right now. There'd be time for that later.
He turned and continued toward the safety zone on the 28th floor.
Beyond the oppressive blue gloom of the Great Waterfall stretched a bright, wide plain of gleaming white stone.
There was only one path leading to the platform. Between it and the surrounding walls yawned an immense chasm, deep enough that even the light failed to reach the bottom. It was likely this natural barrier that made the area a designated safe floor.
Emerging from the Alternate Dimension, Tsuna and Finn stepped onto solid ground.
"This setup's way more straightforward than the one on the 18th floor," Tsuna said, scanning the massive gap.
"Yeah. The 18th floor doesn't have anything this obvious. You can't rely on cracks like this to stop monster spawns."
Finn nodded. "It's simple but effective. The deeper you go, the more dangerous the monsters get. Sometimes, though, the problem isn't that they spawn from the walls—it's that they flood in from both the upper and lower floors."
He gestured to the tunnel they'd come from and the exit leading further down.
"The central platform's a good resting spot, sure. But if monsters start pouring in from both sides... this place stops being safe real fast."
"Being pincered from both ends, huh?"
Tsuna studied the two entrances. If monsters came charging in from both sides, the 'safe' area in the middle would turn into a trap. Death would come faster than any wall spawn.
"How often does that happen?"
"Eight times," Finn said quietly. He didn't need to recall each instance in detail—they were burned into his memory already. More than once, they'd barely escaped alive.
"Does not having that kind of experience affect you guys later on?" Tsuna asked.
Finn shot him a look. "Tsuna, do you think we need the Dungeon to teach us lessons during our downtime? No Familia—or person—wants to 'gain experience' on a safe floor. Nobody wants to face the Dungeon's cruelty when they're supposed to be resting."
He sighed and glanced around. The area was a wide plain, soft green grass underfoot and a few scattered trees around the edges. But there wasn't much cover or shelter.
"There's nowhere to set anything up. You can open it here?"
"No problem."
Tsuna nodded and placed his hand on the ground. With a flick, he unzipped a rift in space—the entrance to his pocket dimension.
"Even solid ground can act as an entrance. It's just a little inconvenient to climb out from."
Finn watched as the earth rippled like fabric. The tool that opened the spatial gate really was extraordinary—it even distorted the surrounding material.
The two of them stepped inside.
Inside the dimensional space, the rest of the Loki Familia members were waiting near the entrance, sitting in tense silence.
"Captain!"
Everyone stood the moment they saw Finn.
Finn rubbed his temples helplessly. "You guys worry too much."
"We're fine. Sit down."
The members relaxed and returned to their spots.
"Tsuna's ability is even stronger than we expected. There were no issues at all. His puppets passed through the Great Waterfall without being detected by the floor boss. We're now safely on the 28th floor's safe zone."
"Finn."
Riveria, sitting near the front, raised her hand slightly.
"About the Amphisbaena—are you absolutely sure you're not mistaken?"
"I'm sure."
Finn nodded and described the creature's mutated form as he'd seen it earlier.
"The Amphisbaena's condition is just like we suspected. It's almost identical to the black Goliath—premature respawn, mutation, all influenced by the Dungeon itself."
"I see..." Riveria murmured. Her expression didn't show surprise; she'd already suspected as much. If that was true, then the Amphisbaena, like the Goliath, had undoubtedly grown stronger.
By referencing the black Goliath's power level, Riveria could roughly gauge how much stronger the Amphisbaena must have become.
"Judging by the Goliath's case," she said grimly, "the Amphisbaena's base strength has likely increased by one level—and with the water in its habitat, it gains another. That puts it at the equivalent of a Level 7 floor boss."
The thought alone sent a chill down her spine.
As for whether the Great Waterfall still had water... that wasn't even a question. The entire environment favored the creature. The Dungeon's mutation had created the perfect conditions for it. But there was still something she couldn't understand.
"Why is the Dungeon's 'abnormality' so severe this time? It's affecting floor bosses, even triggering premature respawns. Isn't that far too malicious toward adventurers?"
The room fell silent.
Everyone had the same question—but no one had an answer.
Tsuna's eyes swept across the group before he lowered his gaze, deep in thought.
The Dungeon must have a reason for mutating like this. In the story I remember, the black Goliath was born because a God entered the Dungeon. The Dungeon reacted to that intrusion, manifesting its hostility toward divinity.
But this time, that's unlikely. The mutation began a week ago—if a God had entered the Dungeon, the Guild would've known by now. Ouranos, who oversees the Dungeon's balance, would've acted immediately.
If the gods aren't involved... then the only remaining explanation is the Dark Faction.
Aside from the gods themselves, the only ones capable of stirring up chaos in the Dungeon were Evilus—the remnants of the Dark Faction.
If it's them, then their motives are obvious. But... weren't they wiped out a thousand years ago? If they're still active down here, then what exactly are they planning?