Five minutes earlier...
Gareth and Finn had just wrapped up their conversation when Riveria approached with Ais in tow.
Finn gave Riveria a slight nod, then turned his attention to Ais.
"Ais, we're about to encounter some special monsters in the Dungeon. You need to keep your emotions in check."
"..."
Being directly called out made Ais a little uncomfortable. Did she really seem like someone who couldn't control herself?
But she also knew she had no right to object—because that's exactly how she used to be.
"I know."
Her hatred for the Black Dragon hadn't faded, but her resentment toward other monsters had lessened significantly.
At the very least, Ais had found clarity. Her hatred was no longer broad or indiscriminate—it had become focused.
"Are you sure you know?"
Finn still saw Ais as the most volatile among them. He was genuinely worried she might suddenly lose control.
'Am I really that unreliable?'
Puffed cheeks and all, Ais was genuinely annoyed now.
Riveria, seeing her mood, stepped in to vouch for her.
"Finn, you don't need to worry about Ais anymore."
"She has her own goal now. She's no longer holding a grudge against all monsters in the Dungeon."
Seeing that Riveria wasn't joking, Finn gradually relaxed. He looked at Ais, a bit apologetically.
"Sorry, Ais. This time, it's a complicated matter—our Familia is involved, and so is the Guild. If you make a scene, we might not be able to fix it."
"And if things really spiral out of control, not even Loki might be able to clean it up."
Though still visibly frustrated, Ais understood. She wasn't unreasonable.
Besides, she had her own solid reason for not fighting.
"No grudge, no fight."
"And with Bell Cranel around, I won't fight either."
The first sentence didn't raise any eyebrows—but the second one caught them off guard.
The three exchanged looks. Eventually, Riveria asked, confused:
"Ais, have you had any contact with Bell-kun?"
"No."
"Then why say you won't fight if he's there?"
"Because I need his help."
Her reason was simple—nothing as complicated as they might have thought. She just wanted Bell Cranel's help.
"My father and mother need to be freed, but they're incredibly strong. Under normal circumstances, it's nearly impossible to defeat them. I need someone to help."
Finding allies—this was the simplest method Ais could think of to free her parents.
Maybe she couldn't take them on alone, but she had close friends—and she had a way to reach their level, even if only for a short time.
"Status is a rigid metric—when there's a big gap in strength, only increasing your status can help close it."
"Normal training for a year might not yield as much as a single Rune Stone. Rune Stones can even break through limits—they're absolutely essential."
Ais's mission now was to rescue her parents from the deep levels of the Dungeon.
Not long ago, she'd stood before them and promised to show the strength that would allow her to survive. So right now, any form of power was invaluable to her.
And Bell Cranel was also an important part of that.
The Rune Stones he created could provide short-term power boosts, which perfectly matched what Ais needed to reinforce herself. So she knew Bell Cranel wasn't someone she could afford to offend.
Otherwise, how could she expect him to help her in the future?
Please, she wasn't stupid.
If anyone understood who could truly help her, it was Ais.
'So you're not as clueless as you seem, huh.'
Finn, Gareth, and Riveria looked at Ais. She wasn't joking, and they all came to the same realization.
They knew Ais had always been a bit airheaded.
She had been clever and sharp as a child, but as she grew older, she'd become rigid—emotionally stiff, and prone to tunnel vision.
They'd always worried she would get stuck in that mindset.
What they hadn't expected was that, after being stuck for so long, Ais could actually pull herself out of it. It seemed that Aria and Albert's influence had truly shaken her, finally helping her regain her clarity.
"Well, that's good then."
Now that he was sure Ais was in a stable state of mind, Finn no longer felt concerned.
As long as she didn't suddenly draw her "Desperate" and charge in, things would be fine. What Finn feared most was that the situation would spiral into the worst possible outcome.
Just then, four spatial rifts opened up before them.
The moment Finn saw the portals, he understood.
"Looks like the other side is ready."
The timing was perfect.
With Ais confirmed to be fine and the others having arrived, it was time to check out the other special monsters.
Finn was curious—just how many of these unique monsters had the Guild discovered? How many were now dwelling in the Dungeon?
"...Let's go."
Finn was the first to step into the portal.
Gareth followed second, still fascinated by the nature of spatial power. But once he crossed over, there was no time for observation—it was already a different space on the other side.
Riveria and Ais quickly followed through.
The four crossed the transitional boundary and emerged on the other side, where space overlapped.
They looked around—wasn't this the path leading into the 28th floor?
And opposite them stood three cloaked figures. Judging from their outlines, two of them weren't human.
The cloaks made it hard to see their faces, but the contours of two figures clearly revealed them as Dragonkind.
Both Gareth and Finn instinctively glanced at Ais.
'Phew… thank goodness.'
Though Ais had firmly stated she wouldn't attack, the presence of Dragonkind—especially if they were related to the Black Dragon—was another matter entirely.
Riveria stepped forward and broke the silence.
"Are you the ones from the Guild?"
Among the three, the only one who looked remotely human stepped forward and pulled back her hood with practiced ease, revealing her true appearance.
Feathers, loose and flowing like hair, draped over her head. And the hands pulling down the hood weren't human—they were bird-like wings.
This immediately revealed her monster nature to Finn and the others, confirming not only her species but also her magical classification.
"You're... a Siren."
Riveria recalled it. This monster species was extremely rare in the Dungeon. Songbirds were deep-level monsters capable of confusing adventurers with their singing—often inducing powerful hallucinations with ease.
"My name is Ray, adventurer of the Loki Familia."
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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