Between the dark blood and the fragments of wood, something stood out.
A small stone tablet, broken at its edges, rested among the Mimic's remains.
Lili picked it up carefully.
The surface was smooth, cold to the touch, and engraved with a relief image, something that resembled a fragment of a circle, with what could be a geometric pattern in the center.
Luki leaned over her shoulder to take a closer look.
— What's that?
— …I don't know. — she replied after a few seconds of silence. — I've never seen anything like it before.
She turned the object over a few times, trying to find any mark, inscription, or slit that might reveal its purpose.
Nothing.
Lili wasn't strong. Nor fast. Nor tough. Courtesy of her Pallum race, which wasn't known for anything special beyond being a bit more agile than other races and living a bit longer than humans.
And she knew that very well.
Since the day she first set foot in the Dungeon, she understood she'd never survive on brute strength alone.
So she compensated in every way she could. The most important of all was information.
She learned to read every detail, every rumor, every small piece of data others might overlook. Things most adventurers didn't care about but, in the right hands, could become valuable opportunities.
Over time, her inate transformation magic made her a true master of infiltration and observation.
Lili could listen to conversations unnoticed, follow adventurers in disguise, even pretend to be part of a party just to gather intel.
That's how she built her mental list, a compilation of data, rumors, and loose notes about Mimics and what they might contain.
Rare weapons, gold and jewels, grimoires, magical materials…
But in all those reports, there was never anything even remotely similar to that tablet.
— Hey, you gonna keep that? — Luki asked, his tone as casual as ever.
— Hm? — Lili looked up, distracted. — What?
— That thing. — He nodded toward the tablet. — It's useless, isn't it? No reason for you to carry something like that. It'll just take up space in your bag.
Lili stared at the object for a few seconds, thoughtful.— Hm… I guess you're right. — she murmured. — Doesn't look worth anything. And if it were important, it'd have been recorded somewhere already.
— Exactly. — Luki crossed his arms, trying to sound indifferent. — So… if you don't mind, I'll hold on to it. Just in case.
— Sure, go ahead. — she said without hesitation, handing it over. — Better you than me.
Luki took the tablet carefully, feeling the cold weight of the stone in his palm.
Outwardly, he kept a neutral expression. Not that anyone could see, he was still wearing his helmet.
Inside, however, a victorious smile formed.
'Heh… key item acquired.'
Maybe that kind of thought wasn't exactly healthy, but Luki couldn't help it. After all, the whole situation felt like something straight out of a game.
A rare monster, in a random spot, with a minuscule chance of dropping a special and powerful item… only to leave behind a cracked, seemingly useless stone tablet.
Coincidence? I think not!
Even so, he was almost certain that tablet hid something.
Maybe it was part of a set, he'd need to find the other pieces and combine them in a specific place to unlock something. Or maybe he could take it to someone knowledgeable and learn a clue leading to a secret location.
With a faint smile, he stored the item deep in his bag, where it would stay for a very, very long time.
...
Once everything was settled and they'd both recovered, the pair prepared to move on.
As soon as they crossed the threshold of the room, the wall of mist separating the two sides began to dissipate.
Then, the door behind them slammed shut with a sharp thud, leaving only a smooth, featureless wall.
BOOM!
The sound echoed through the empty corridors, and the place where they'd nearly died vanished, as if it had never existed.
— Well… I guess that's that, huh? — said Luki, adjusting his sword at his waist. — I'll go on from here.
Lili looked up, surprised.
He turned around, adjusting his bag carefully. Inside, the faint clinking of mana stones reminded him why he was doing all this.
Now with the addition of five green stones — out of the nine they'd gathered. He'd insisted that Lili keep the rest.
After all, without her, he wouldn't have survived to fight another day.
Counting the twenty-seven he'd gotten earlier… thirty-two in total.
Not even half of his goal of a hundred for the day.
Sigh
There was still a long road ahead.
Just as he was about to take his first step, a timid voice stopped him.
— W-wait…! — Lili called out, clutching the straps of her backpack.
— I… can I go with you?
Luki turned, surprised, and met her hesitant gaze. She looked ready to retreat at any moment.
'Go with me…?' he thought, frowning slightly.
In a way, it made sense.
A weak, lone supporter in the middle of the Dungeon? No thanks, there were better ways to die. It was perfectly normal for her to want to tag along, but the same couldn't be said for his side.
From a certain point of view, Lili was a stranger he shouldn't trust. Even if they'd saved each other's lives, that could just be called "repaying a favor."
But he knew better than that.
Liliruca Arde was, after all, part of Bell's group in the original story, a reliable and skilled partner with great potential ahead.
Her abilities as a supporter were undeniable. The backpack she carried could probably fit two of him, and she could haul it all easily thanks to her skill.
With her by his side, he might even double his daily quota.
But at the same time… he knew how things were right now.
The Lili standing before him was still far from that person.
At the moment, she was in her "Adventurers are trash and no one deserves trust" phase.
And honestly? She had a point.
She grew up among swindlers and addicts, learned that trusting anyone was asking to die.
A person is shaped by the environment they live in.
On the other hand, Bell Cranel proved that a little kindness was all it took for her to bloom, yet even then, she betrayed and nearly killed him, tricked by the same people she claimed to despise. Instead of believing in the one person who truly cared.
So yeah, maybe she could become someone better in the future, but for now, every sign screamed "bad idea."
'But you know what… screw it. If it's raining, might as well get wet.'
A grin slipped under his helmet.
'Maybe I can be that "good company" she needed.' He laughed internally at his own joke, even he didn't believe such a thing was possible.
Little did he know, in her mind, he already stood on a much higher pedestal than Bell ever did when they first met.
— Sure. — he finally replied with a small nod. — I'd be glad to have you with me.
Lili blinked in surprise. Then, a bright, genuine smile spread across her face.
— Th-thank you, Adventurer-sama! I promise I won't let you down!
Luki raised an eyebrow.
— "Adventurer-sama," huh? Heh… now that I think about it, we never really introduced ourselves, did we?
With a simple gesture, he lifted his hands to his helmet. The metallic sound echoed as he removed it, revealing his sweaty but calm face.
— My name's Luki Bryan. — he said with a half-smile. — Captain and only adventurer of the Hestia Familia.
Lili's eyes widened.
For a moment, she was speechless.Then, slowly, she lowered her hood.
Her young, dirt-smudged face appeared beneath the Dungeon's dim light, brown eyes gleaming with restrained emotion.
— Liliruca Arde, a supporter of the Soma Familia. — she said, bowing slightly. — It's a pleasure to meet you, Luki-sama.