The air was thick with tension. From the fourteenth floor all the way here, a taut string had been stretched across everyone's heart. Thanks to the youth's wisdom, they had managed to reach this place safely. But faced with this brutal reality, that string finally snapped.
"Be... Bell-sama..."
Lili's teeth chattered slightly. Overwhelming all wisdom, devouring every hope—the scene before them was brutally stark. There was absolutely no chance of winning...
Welf couldn't utter a single word. The air felt heavy, each breath slicing like a blade.
The Minotaurs ahead, even before a single clash, radiated a bone-chilling pressure. Sweat soaked their foreheads as a primal tremor urged their feet to flee. But there was nowhere to run.
Laurier understood this too. Fate had granted her a precious encounter, yet the Dungeon, like a merciless trap, now sought to crush that budding bond. The situation spiraled downward, and even she—who had remained optimistic because of the boy—found herself shivering.
Laurier forced her fear down, gripping the sword at her waist so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her gaze remained locked on the Minotaurs—the copper-red bodies, the massive, powerful frames, and those fearsome twin horns. It felt as though they might charge at any moment.
As the only Level 2 among them, Laurier had to pull herself together and take the lead. But even as she tried to encourage herself, fear seeped through her body like venom.
Just as despair closed in, Bell exhaled softly and spoke.
"Laurier, use your Magic to take them across."
"..."
Laurier's brows knit immediately. Her magic granted only brief invisibility, and the number of people she could cloak was extremely limited. The invisibility cloak crafted by Asfi, Captain of the Hermes Familia, had even been designed based on Laurier's spell.
During intel gathering, her invisibility magic was very useful—exposure wasn't fatal, and Laurier could always escape safely. But inside the Dungeon, the spell was nearly worthless.
"Bell... I told you before, at most I can make two people invisible—and the monsters will still detect us."
All she could do was erase them from sight.
To Dungeon monsters, it meant almost nothing.
Even many Upper Floor monsters could sense her invisibility.
The chances of fooling a Minotaur were practically nonexistent.
Bell, of course, remembered every detail.
He gazed at the herd of bulls—an army in all but name—and spoke softly:
"I'll draw the Minotaurs' attention. You use that chance to turn invisible and head to the eighteenth floor."
"But… that's far too dangerous!"
Laurier objected immediately.
If the boy rushed into the enemy, the others could use invisibility to slip away. But for a Level 1 like Bell, the outcome was already decided.
"Lili opposes this plan as well..."
Lili couldn't accept a strategy that abandoned the boy. If Bell distracted the monsters alone, how would they be any different from those despicable Adventurers of the Soma Familia?
"Is there no other way?"
Welf's expression darkened.
He wanted nothing more than to volunteer as the decoy. But in terms of combat ability, Welf couldn't compare to the youth. He wouldn't even buy time—he'd die within moments.
"Bell, I—"
"Laurier, your Magic needs physical contact to work. If you go lure the monsters, none of them will escape."
Bell saw through the blonde Elf's intention and cut her off before she could speak.
"..."
Laurier stood frozen, unable to argue.
Bell looked at their troubled faces and spoke gently:
"Don't worry. I'm not going to die. As soon as you reach the eighteenth floor, I'll catch up right away."
All he needed was to attract attention—he didn't have to defeat the monsters. Escaping with everything he had would be enough. The Floor Boss chamber was huge, so there was no worry about being trapped.
"But..."
Lili pressed her lips together. She wanted to believe him, she really did, but the overwhelming hopelessness crushed that fragile hope without mercy.
"I understand."
Laurier was the first to relent.
"I'll stake my life on getting the two of them out. Please… you must live."
How Laurier wished they weren't in the Dungeon but in a peaceful city instead. She longed for warm, ordinary days shared with the boy. He had chosen his path, and Laurier could only support him.
Delay any longer, and new monsters might spawn behind them, further lowering their chances.
If the boy truly sacrificed himself to protect them, then after saving his companions, Laurier had resolved to follow him.
This life, this sword, this Magic, this body—
With the Sacred Tree as her witness, she was willing to give everything to the boy. She didn't know whether this feeling was purity or corruption, nor where it came from. But nothing could shake her resolve now.
With one person's agreement, Welf clenched his fist and spoke:
"Staying here won't solve anything either, Bell. I know how capable you are, so I'll be waiting for you. I'll forge you weapons—don't forget our pact…"
Welf had cursed himself countless times. If he could, he'd drag out that stubborn, prideful version of himself and beat him senseless.
What kind of idiot refuses to forge a magic sword? If he had the ability, he should think it through properly. Instead of helping, he had become a burden to his comrades.
Damn it.
Lili's heart was just as conflicted.
"Bell-sama, Lili knows she's a burden… I'm sorry… Please, just come back safe."
"Don't worry. I promise we'll all return alive. Then we'll have a celebration together."
Bell gave a soft, reassuring smile.
"Please allow me to join," Laurier murmured quietly.
"Don't Elves dislike that kind of gathering?"
Lili tried to ease the tension.
"This… this is different from usual…"
As Laurier whispered, the group looked toward Bell once more, reaffirming the plan.
...
The floor boss's chamber was as vast as a palace.
Bell stood alone as he strode through the doorway.
"Firebolt!"
Three bolts of fiery lightning shot diagonally upward. A tremendous roar followed, chased by the thunderous bellows of enraged beasts.
Several Minotaurs barreled forward with massive axes raised, cracking the floor beneath their steps. Bell didn't strike back. He slipped past the crushing blows and drew the monsters toward the right side of the chamber. His movements shone with the brilliance of lightning.
Outside the doorway, Laurier whispered a prayer as she began her quiet chant.
"Pure white, fiery red, radiant light—purify all."
With her cool, clear voice, a misty, ethereal glow surfaced over the three figures. It wrapped around their pale skin and concealed the vivid red of their blood.
"Heliotrope Bloom."
Before the final syllable faded, the three of them vanished completely.
Laurier led Lili and Welf as they sprinted into the empty left side of the chamber. She didn't check on the boy—she feared that even a glance would shake her resolve. She had promised him, and she had to ensure their safety.
The Minotaurs' roars shook the chamber. Even far from the center of battle, the oppressive force that stirred primal fear was unmistakable.
Laurier couldn't imagine the boy's mindset as he faced a horde alone. All she could do was urge her feet faster, hoping they'd reach the exit quickly enough to ease his burden.
Just then, disaster struck.
"!"
A Minotaur, perhaps sensing something amiss, hefted its axe and turned in their direction.
Laurier couldn't respond. If she dispelled her Magic, Lili and Welf would die instantly.
At that critical moment, a precise bolt of flaming thunder slammed into the monster's back.
"Bell!"
Laurier cried out in her heart.
He shouldn't have been able to see her, yet even in that desperate chaos, he had noticed the monster's reaction.
She pushed aside her gratitude and panic, taking advantage of the Minotaur's distraction to sprint toward the exit.
Amid the roars and the sound of the ground splitting apart, the three managed to escape the chamber and run down the slope.
Lili quickly raised her sleeve crossbow and fired the signal arrow they had agreed upon toward the chamber above.
Bell caught the signal. He dodged the Minotaur's massive axe and raised his palm to the side.
"Firebolt!"
The fiery bolts launched.
The three outside saw clearly what he targeted. The bolts weren't aimed at the monster—they were aimed at the dim air itself.
Before their confusion could settle, explosions erupted from outside.
A moment later, a massive tree collapsed, sealing the exit entirely.
The boy's figure disappeared into the darkness.
…
Note: Heliotrope Bloom, Laurier's original magic, symbolizes a silent yet unwavering love, drawn from the Greek myth of the water nymph Clytie.