"Done!"
Leon announced, tucking the communication orb back into the pouch at his waist. He smiled gently.
"Thank you…" Riveria gave another nod, her voice lighter this time.
And so, the four of them resumed their search through the frozen halls.
Meanwhile, far across the floor, at the entrance from the 61st to the 60th floor, a massive shadow approached ominously. It came to a halt at the passage's entrance and then slowly, it raised its colossal foot and took a step inside.
BOOM!
The foot landed, and the ground trembled. But the passage itself was so vast that the vibrations felt distant, almost negligible, barely perceptible to those within.
The adventurers continued their search, completely unaware of the uninvited guest that had entered the field.
Leon hadn't activated his detection magic, for good reason. The spell consumed an enormous amount of mind, and on this treacherous floor, conserving energy was essential. That's why he failed to notice what was now lurking in the passage behind them.
In that frigid, ice-blue tunnel, the massive creature slowly advanced with heavy, rumbling steps.
Elsewhere, within a nearby corridor, Ais and her team were carefully conducting their own search, unaware of the growing threat.
On the surface, at the underground altar beneath the Guild.
Ouranos sat solemnly upon his throne, eyes fixed on the magical screen before him.
"Fels… do you think they'll find it?" He asked in a low murmur.
"I don't know." Fels replied truthfully. "That place appears to be in another dimension entirely. Its entrance moves constantly."
"It's only because of Mystery that I noticed something irregular and managed to find the entrance."
"But I withdrew shortly after entering. The conditions inside were unlike anything I'd seen."
"I did retrieve some relics from the Zeus and Hera Familias, but once I left, I couldn't find the entrance again, no matter how long I searched."
"I spent three full days trying and left with nothing more than frustration." Fels added, shaking his head.
Then, after a pause, he shifted the conversation to a different concern. "Ouranos, how far do you think Leon can go this time?"
Ouranos' expression remained unreadable as he said, "I'm not sure. When Zeus and Hera's Familias first reached the 60th floor, they only managed to conquer two floors, up to the 61st."
"The second expedition made it from the 63rd to the 65th floor."
"But after that, their progress stalled entirely. It would take months for them to reach another new floor."
"Eventually, they could only conquer one floor per expedition, exhausting themselves before having to return to the surface for resupply."
Ouranos's tone was quiet, contemplative.
"There's a reason for that." He continued. "Starting from the 65th floor, the Dungeon's passages became special."
"To stop adventurers from delving deeper, the Dungeon began placing obstacles on each floor."
"They needed to find keys, unique triggers, to descend to the next floor. But monsters don't need keys. The Dungeon allows them to pass freely."
"Still, it's rare for monsters to move between floors." Fels noted, sighing.
"With Leon's powerful exploration magic, perhaps he can locate those keys."
Fels added grimly, "But the issue is that each floor's key is different. And it changes once a month with no discernible pattern. It makes locating the key incredibly difficult."
Ouranos murmured, "To this day, I still don't know how Dionysus managed to contact the corrupted spirit."
"That's one of the greatest mysteries." Fels said. "How did he reach a being buried so deep within the Dungeon?"
"How did he retrieve so many jewel fetsuses, and create so many demi spirits?"
"Wait!"
Fels' calm tone suddenly spiked, rising into a near-scream. "Ouranos, look at that thing!"
Even Ouranos, stoic and unmoving, shot to his feet, eyes widening as he saw the image on the screen.
"Behemoth!"
"A monster like that appeared in the Dungeon?!"
"It was the Black Dragon before, and now… Behemoth? What in the world is the Dungeon trying to do?!"
Fels could barely keep the shock from his voice. "Is it… is it planning to give birth to three great quests all over again?!"
The appearance of a new Black Dragon had already sent shockwaves through Fels's heart. But now, another monstrosity had appeared, a creature of colossal scale and overwhelming pressure.
King of the Land—Behemoth.
Fels stared at the image in stunned silence. For a fleeting moment, he even doubted the sanity of the dungeon itself.
Was the Dungeon trying to give birth to three new great quests?
The King of Land, Behemoth.
The Overlord of the Seas, Leviathan.
And the King of the Sky, Black Dragon.
Had the prophecy begun anew?
Meanwhile, deep within the Dungeon, between the 60th and 61st floors, Ais and her group were the first to witness the monstrosity firsthand.
The instant they turned the corner, the entire corridor shook under the weight of an immense being, and their eyes widened as the figure came into view.
A massive creature loomed before them, its entire body glistening with a thick coat of purple venom, exuding a deadly pressure that weighed on their hearts.
Ais' golden eyes sharpened. She instinctively stepped forward, wind curling at her feet.
"What a terrifying aura. This one feels almost identical to the Black Dragon and that giant tree on the 59th floor…"
Alise's face twitched with disbelief. "Hey, this expedition is really pushing its limits…"
A cold bead of sweat trailed down her temple. "Another monster of that level already?!"
Beside her, Ryuu had already drawn her weapon, eyes locked onto the threat ahead.
Even without words, all three of them understood it instantly, this monster was Level 8.
And them?
One Level 6 and two Level 5s.
Why? Why did Astraea Familia always run into this kind of absurdity?
This wasn't fair!
Ais, of course, was unaware of Alise's internal screaming. She simply watched the monster, muscles tense.
Ais quickly pulled out her communication orb, her tone steady despite the panic in her chest. "We've encountered a Level 8 monster! Requesting immediate support!"
Though Ais' hatred for monsters often fueled her desire to engage them head-on, she knew this was beyond her. Pride had no place in the face of such overwhelming odds. She made no hesitation in seeking backup.
As soon as her message was sent, a horrifying hissing sound echoed across the corridor. The Behemoth opened its maw, and a wave of purple venom surged outward, splitting into dozens of arrow-like streams.
"Move!" Ais shouted.
The trio exploded into motion, dodging at full speed. Purple projectiles slammed into the frozen ground where they had stood moments ago, melting ice and stone alike in sizzling eruptions.
On the other end of the passage, Leon and the others froze when Ais' message reached them.
"Level 8… again?!" Riveria's face paled.
Without hesitation, they bolted forward.
"Leon! Guide us!" Finn shouted through the communication orb, voice cutting through the wind like a whip.
"Finn, turn left! Tione, go with him, sharp left at the next fork!" Leon's voice responded instantly from the orb.
As soon as he received Ais' message, Leon activated Veins of Light, flooding the labyrinth with a web of detection magic. Within seconds, the entire passage was mapped in his mind.
He saw Ais, Alise, and Ryuu locked in battle and also pinpointed Finn's and Tione's teams' locations.
Taking command immediately, he began directing both teams toward the source of danger.
"Leon, what's the situation?" Riveria asked as she knelt beside him in the stream of white magical light.
Leon didn't look up. "A massive creature… covered in thick purple liquid."
"Behemoth!" Riveria, Finn, and Gareth all exclaimed at once through the communication orb.
***
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