Dungeon 18th Floor, [Under Resort].
In the adventurer town situated on the hillside, when Bors, acting as the manager, received reports of adventurers running over claiming that "strange things" had appeared in the Great Tree Labyrinth on the lower floors, he didn't think much of it.
Because he was in the middle of a business deal.
He was purchasing a large bag of Magic Stones and materials at an extremely low price, while simultaneously selling healing potions at several times their value to a small squad of adventurers.
This was the adventurer town. Since it was still a considerable distance from the city, many exhausted squads were powerless to carry their harvested materials back, so they could only sell them here at very cheap prices.
At the same time, whether it was lodging, food, or alcohol—the prices were high enough to make even the city's strongest exploration Familia, the Loki Familia, click their tongues and call it expensive.
There was no other way.
If you didn't live here, you had to camp outside the town yourself.
Scarcity increases value, after all.
Most adventurers couldn't do anything about Bors and his crew regarding this, because nominally, Rivira was the "Dungeon Exploration Frontline" spontaneously established by adventurers.
But in reality, it was managed by the quite famous [Goddess Alliance] of the city.
Goddesses including Loki, Freya, Demeter, Hephaestus, and others were all part of it; it could already be counted as the "city's largest faction."
"What did you say? A large tree that penetrates several floors appeared down below?!"
Drinking wine while sitting in the item shop he operated, the one-eyed, robust man wore only a vest and shorts. His swarthy muscles, covered in scars, spoke of his "strength" as an adventurer.
Bors was a Level 3, Second-Class Adventurer. In Rivira, he could already be considered a powerhouse of considerable standing.
"That's right! It's like a high tower! It suddenly grew out of the ground and is constantly expanding. Fortunately, we ran fast..."
"Didn't you guys say before that some pale castle appeared above?"
"It really did appear, Bors! So many people saw it!!"
"There's no news from the Guild's side. Speaking of which..."
Bors stroked his chin.
Theoretically speaking, one of Rivira's functions was to timely report abnormal situations appearing in the Dungeon to the Guild and the Goddesses.
However, before he could decide what to do, another junior from the same Familia ran over hurriedly.
"Boss Bors, it's bad!"
"What is it?"
"Above... there's a problem too, and... and... go out and see for yourself!"
Accompanying the panicked voice of the dark-skinned Beastman woman, Bors seemed to also notice the somewhat chaotic commotion outside.
Subsequently, stepping out of the roughly styled wooden house and standing on the undulating mountain path, Bors saw the "Ocean."
"Huh?"
The middle-aged man, who had stayed in the Dungeon for unknown years, had a big question mark pop up over his head.
[Under Resort].
Overall, it was a gigantic cavern chamber dominated by mountains and forests. Rivira was situated on the hillside in its center, surrounded by lush forests and flowing rivers and lakes.
But now, except for the hillside where the town was located, everywhere else was completely a deep blue "sea"—
No!
It was crystal!!
Walking to the edge of the slope, Bors saw that the deep blue "water surface" was actually incredibly smooth crystal. According to the adventurers who had just escaped back, these crystals had grown out of thin air, "freezing" the original forests and streams underneath.
However, as Bors looked down beneath the nearly transparent crystal at this moment, what he saw was an incomparably huge and magnificent "city."
Blue and white towering spires, incredibly massive arches, standing statues...
What was going on?
At this moment, all the adventurers originally located in the Under Resort had hidden inside Rivira. In the distance, there were still guys who had just come from other floors, running toward the town on this incredibly broad crystal plane.
And it was right at this same time that Bors noticed something else was wrong.
The light of the [Under Resort] came from the giant crystal clusters hanging upside down from the roof of the cavern. When they were bright, the resort was in daytime; when they extinguished, the resort entered night.
But now...
Bors raised his head. Unknown when, the crystal clusters originally overhead had also disappeared. Replacing them was a magnificent pitch-black city, hanging upside down from the cavern dome just like that.
It seemed perfectly symmetrical to the city beneath the crystals before his eyes.
The cavern had turned thoroughly dark.
Instead, it was because the layer of crystal on the ground emerged with a faint blue radiance, "contending" with the darkness overhead at this moment, that a very peculiar scene was formed.
What the hell?
Bors silently swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Rivira, sandwiched between two incomparably magnificent cities at this moment, simply looked like some tattered little rural village.
"Should we retreat, Boss Bors?"
The weak voice of the Familia junior pulled back the one-eyed man's thoughts.
Rivira had been destroyed by Monsters dozens of times to date. Whenever an anomaly appeared in the Dungeon, Bors was always the first to run away with everyone. After all, no matter what, staying alive came first.
Moreover, the crises that occurred many times were indeed not something they could handle. For example, during the last [Great Feud], the gods of the Dark Faction were on the lower floors, and in one breath, caused several gods to be devoured by the Dungeon, thereby birthing the terrifying Monster known as the [Greatest Evil].
And it was right here.
Riveria-sama of the Loki Familia, as well as Ais and Gareth, fought against it alongside the Astrea Familia.
Also present at the time was the "Trump Card" of the Dark Familia, the "Monster" of the former [Hera] Familia, the genius envied by fate, the Level 7 [Silence], Alfia.
"Go pack up things..."
Although he didn't know what happened, running first was the priority!
But just as Bors and many adventurers were thinking this, suddenly, a small "meteor" fell from the pitch-black inverted city above.
"What is that?!"
"Ah!"
"It's a Monster!!"
It smashed right into the clearing in the center of Rivira, not far from Bors and the others. It was indeed a Monster.
Everyone saw a tall and slender figure stand up from within.
It was about two meters tall, possessing an incomparably shapely and alluring body. Wrapped under a form-fitting sky-blue long robe, its body was curvaceous; whether man or woman, one couldn't help but spawn a burning fire of desire in their hearts.
Its head was completely that of a "Rabbit."
Its face was thoroughly obscured by a light veil and a gorgeous hood, but even so, the exposed pink eyes were incomparably enchanting.
[Manifestation of the Church · Painful Barbatia].
Such a name surfaced in everyone's hearts, and almost simultaneously, no one could tear their gaze away from the Monster before them.
Bors was the same.
Amidst an inexplicable dry mouth and hot tongue, he could only watch as the Monster pulled a rose-red spiked long whip from its waist.
"Run... run... run away..."
Barely, reason was telling him he must turn and leave immediately, but his burning body remained unmoved.
[The Holy Church does not require believers to offer up death.]
The Monster's incomparably charming voice spread through the hearts of all adventurers.
[However, pain is unavoidable.]
The long whip in the Monster's hand landed on a certain adventurer to the side, bringing up a large spray of splashing blood blossoms.
"Ah!"
The young adventurer let out an incomparably ecstatic cry. Even without words, his expression and voice indicated that at this moment, he was simply "pleasured to the extreme"—
His eyes rolled back!
[Come, repent, and weep bitterly!]
The Monster stepped forward gracefully, its bare, furry legs that were completely like a rabbit's stepping onto the face of the young adventurer from just now.
What pain!
That guy is enjoying it even more; he even stuck his tongue out!!
At this very moment.
Looking at the scene before him, for some reason, Bors silently felt somewhat unwilling to leave.
This...
Doesn't seem too wrong?!
Right!!
—
[Inverted Spiral Road of Pain].
Isagi and the girls first returned to the beginning, in front of the pale fortress built by the Goblins, beside that black blessing speck of light.
Subsequently, they began to slowly explore the entire area from bottom to top, bit by bit. Because they could fly, the efficiency was decent.
Ultimately, they spent a few days.
While solving Monsters, they gathered various "specialties." Miss Heith and Tiona were very familiar with this place, finding many various medicinal herbs, fruits, and special materials, etc.
Isagi also found quite a few "shiny" things, aside from the usual dung balls and primordial dregs.
There were even some weapons and equipment—though they were all very average.
And, they encountered another Red Phantom invasion.
The one who came this time was a Pallum Mage, wearing a super large hooded hat, named ["Mushroom Head" Little Xabi].
After defeating him, aside from dropping his weapons and equipment, Isagi also obtained a Spirit Ash.
But it wasn't to summon this adventurer—that's right, ever since encountering the Red Phantom last time, Isagi specially went to the Guild to check the records. He discovered that the ["Mad Oni" Hatamoto Sasaburo] he met before was an adventurer who died in the Dungeon over three hundred years ago, at Level 3.
Presumably, this Pallum Mage should also be an adventurer from the past.
When hearing this, Ryuu-senpai was obviously stunned for a moment, then looked up thoughtfully at that patch of deep blue "sky" in the distance, thinking of who knows what...
The Spirit Ash dropped by the Red Phantom could summon a mushroom monster named "Big Big Mushroom."
Isagi didn't know what use this thing had either; perhaps it was just relatively dorky and cute?
Although it was named "Big Big Mushroom," it was actually only the size of a puppy (for a mushroom, that could be considered big?), possessing a pair of short legs and short hands. Its body was completely the appearance of a shiitake mushroom, with a pair of big eyes that looked as if they were drawn on.
It always raised its head, looking straight at him, blinking its eyes, freezing in place motionless.
"So cute!"
The silver-gray Big Big Mushroom quickly received a warm welcome from the girls.
Regarding this, Isagi just thought that this kind of little guy probably had absolutely no way to fight, right?
During this period, they also discovered a new Black Site of Grace.
Not far from the toxic area full of flowers, going up a bit further, one could distinctly see that large, incomparably beautiful sea of flowers.
Isagi walked over and seemed to trigger something again, encountering the girl calling herself Ma.
She handed a whistle to him.
She said that after blowing it, he could summon a fiery red giant bird. He could ride it to move between Sites of Grace, and at any time, use it to return to the nearest Site of Grace.
Could it be considered a shortcut and "transportation tool" here?
Inexplicably, Isagi even had the illusion that "the Dungeon is still kind-hearted."
Ngh!
It must be an illusion!!
Thus, after exploring the entire area full of lush trees, the next problem revolved around the flower sea area above. Whether they wanted to continue "pilgrimaging" upward or explore within this flower sea, they had to find the BOSS inside and kill it first. That way, they wouldn't get poisoned anymore, nor would their maximum Mind be shaved off from time to time.
"It's not good for everyone to go up and search together."
Sitting around the Black Site of Grace, Isagi and the girls also discovered that its surroundings counted as a "Safe Zone," where Monsters wouldn't spawn to suddenly launch attacks on everyone.
"There aren't enough antidotes, and having more people will be troublesome instead."
"Mn..."
Isagi agreed with Ryuu-senpai's statement. Thus, after a round of discussion, it was decided that he would carry a large amount of antidotes and head to the flower sea area above to find the BOSS.
Because he could fly, his efficiency was high, and at the same time, he could use the whistle to return to the Site of Grace here at any moment.
The girls just needed to wait here.
Once he found the location of the BOSS in the flower sea area, they would go over together to kill it, and then explore the area above.
Soon.
Isagi bid farewell to the girls, then spread his golden wings alone, flying into the midst of the large clusters of blooming flowers above.
Where exactly is the BOSS?
No one knew.
So he could only use the clumsiest method. Utilizing the map of the lower area that Ryuu-senpai had drawn earlier—which was now thoroughly complete through exploration—he confirmed the boundaries of the flower sea area he was currently in.
Then... Then.
Circling the wooden walls covered in pale blue fluorescent algae at the outermost periphery, circle by circle, he began to slowly narrow down the range, looking for any "suspicious" places.
For Isagi, neither the poisonous fog nor the Monsters were actually the biggest headache. Flying alone, he could directly shake off the vast majority of Monsters he encountered, not needing to pay them any heed at all.
The problem lay in the fact that from time to time, roughly every few minutes, "eyes" would suddenly appear before his vision, and then his Mind would vanish into thin air by a small chunk.
Headache.
Especially since the frequency seemed to be getting higher and higher. From once every few minutes at the start, to now roughly once every half minute. Was it because he had stayed here too long?
Or could it be...
He was very close to the BOSS?!
In the distance, Isagi finally saw a Fog Gate at the end of a trunk path paved with fresh flowers. And because of his approach, a Golden Site of Grace slowly emerged outside the Fog Gate.
Looks like this is the place!
Taking out the map and marking the Fog Gate before him, he thought for a moment and decided to go in first to see what the situation was.
Then—
Looking at the two Mushroom Men Knights, one fat and one thin, appearing before him, Isagi couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Two against one, is it? Dual BOSS, is it?
Just you wait.
Bro is going to call the guys over right now, let's see who has more people then!!
____
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