"Don't come any closer!"
One of them shouted, holding a bow in his hand.
Huh?
I didn't even do anything.
I tilted my head at them, looking confused, but the guy with the bow still kept a firm stance. Looks like he's still shaken.
Fine then, since I'm generous, I won't bother with them. Saving their lives is enough—I don't want to get involved any further.
I turned around to leave but was stopped by another voice.
"Wait!"
I turned back. I remembered—it was the guy with the sword, the one who had led the group. He did well in the recent battle, but what does he want now?
"I'm Alden Stormbane." He introduced himself.
Of course I knew. I already used Appraisal on all of you.
"Can you understand what we're saying?" Alden asked cautiously.
Of course I can. But why should I answer? I simply stood there for a moment, then turned around again.
"Wait!"
Again?!
"...Thank you for saving us." Alden said.
At least he knew to be grateful.
I gave a slight nod, then decisively left, ignoring whatever else they might be saying.
Oh—hold on...
Are they trying to appraise me?
I felt a weird discomfort, but unfortunately for them, it's not going to work. My [Appraisal] level is higher, so I can block anyone trying to appraise me. Just because I didn't speak doesn't mean I'll let them do whatever they want.
Oh? Now someone's trying to speak through [Telepathy]. The attitude wasn't hostile, but since they tried to probe me first, don't blame me.
I turned back and glared at the five of them, making their bodies freeze in place. I had activated [Dark God Gaze]—only at a low level, just to scare them.
Such a nuisance!
Once I finished scaring them, I teleported away.
...
"It's gone..." Alden collapsed to the ground, mentally drained. Not just him—everyone else was the same. For a moment, they truly thought they were going to die.
"Why is a creature that strong even here..." Eldric lowered his bow, sat down, and sighed.
"It noticed we were trying to [Scan] her." Lyriana said.
"It really understood what we were saying?" Eldric asked again.
"Most likely…" Alden responded firmly.
"Did you find out anything?" Eldric pressed.
"Nothing. It was completely blocked. Either it has a defense skill or it's [Appraisal] level is higher than mine." Lyriana said with frustration.
Even though they all suffered the same effect, she was the one who used Appraisal, so the Dark God Gaze was mostly focused on her. Her soul was still trembling in fear.
"Maybe... the first case, right?" Eldric asked hesitantly. He couldn't accept that a monster would have a higher [Appraisal] level than a mage.
"I don't know…" Lyriana replied with irritation, trying to calm the lingering fear.
Alden didn't pay them any more attention and instead walked over to Sear to ask about Borin's condition. In the last battle, Borin took the worst hits after clashing directly with the alpha twice.
"His wounds are stable. He just needs rest." Sear replied.
"Good."
Sear hesitated, as if wanting to say something.
"What's wrong, Sear?"
"I tried using [Telepathy] earlier to speak to it. It received it, but didn't respond. Honestly, we shouldn't have been so quick to probe it." Sear said.
"I see... that was our fault." Alden said, scratching his head. He didn't know what else to say.
"So what now?" Eldric asked Alden.
"For now, we wait for Borin to recover. We went through danger, but we survived. I think we should head to the 30th floor soon. Even if something happens there, at least there are people who can help. Going back would take even longer."
Everyone was silent, but no one disagreed.
...
I walked along the rough stone path, heading toward the 30th floor. My mind was a bit excited—what kind of surprise would be waiting for me this time?
But then... disappointment.
I sensed signs of human presence on the 30th floor.
Why humans again?
I didn't particularly hate humans—after all, I used to be one—but I really didn't want to deal with them again. And now, through [Heaven Eye], I could see nearly a hundred of them on the 30th floor.
From what I could tell, they had just gone through a battle—many were injured, and the structures were damaged.
Wait, did they build houses here?
I looked more carefully and realized the 30th floor was full of buildings, resembling a small town. Most of the people there seemed to be warriors or mages.
So they really did just go through a battle. Could this floor be some kind of safe zone?
This place... feels like a rest stop.
Yeah, that's the right word.
If that's the case, I'll just pass through quickly and head deeper. But for now, I'll stay outside and observe. If I showed up now, they might mistake me for an attacking monster and things would get messy again.
I picked a nearby spot and made a cocoon for myself. I didn't want to cause more trouble, but I also didn't plan on waiting too long.
One day at most.
Using [Heaven Eye], I kept watching the situation inside.
Magical lights faintly illuminated the small town, casting shadows on people rushing around to treat the wounded and repair broken structures.
Hmm...
Could this be connected to those wolves?
If they made it to the 29th floor, then surely they reached the 30th too. But why were they here in the first place...?
I had no intel. The best option was to head to the 45th floor and find out, but that was still a long way off.
If the 30th floor was just a human rest stop, that would save me a lot of time. I could skip straight to the 35th floor.
Wait!
There's still one problem...
How do I place an [Anchor] here on the 30th floor...?
With so many humans around, calling in a monster horde is out of the question. That would only benefit them. But I still need to place an [Anchor] for convenient travel.
Maybe I should set it on the 29th or 31st floor instead...
None of the people here have higher stats than me, but they win in numbers and intelligence, unlike monsters. Also, if I wiped them out, more would just come—probably in larger numbers and even stronger.
Best not to fight them unless provoked.
While resting inside my cocoon, I saw that adventurer group entering the 30th floor. Of course, they didn't see me.
Looks like they're headed here too.
I was about to move on, but I guess I can observe a bit longer.
...
"We finally made it!" Eldric let out a long breath.
Alden immediately approached someone nearby.
"Wal, what happened here?"
Wal was a warrior serving as the guardian of the 30th floor. During the recent assault, he fought bravely, killing many enemies—but also got heavily injured.
"An unexpected attack by monsters from deeper floors." Wal said tiredly.
"Any idea why it happened?" Alden asked.
"There were heavy casualties, so things are a bit tough right now." Wal said with regret. Alden glanced at the lifeless bodies being cremated, feeling deep sorrow in his heart.
"We ran into a pack of Mextal wolves on the 29th floor. There was even an alpha among them." Alden explained.
Wal's face turned tense.
"Yeah, out of all the monsters from the deeper floors, the Mextal wolves are the most dangerous. But strangely, only a small number attacked the 30th floor, while the rest scattered. I've been worried—if they reach the surface, it could be a disaster."
"I see..." Alden looked thoughtful.
"So how did it go?" Wal asked urgently.
Alden hesitated a bit but finally said: "They were all wiped out."
Wal's eyes lit up.
"Was it your team? Even the alpha?"
The five of them looked uncertain, but Alden eventually told the truth.
"We were almost wiped out... but we were saved."
"Do you know by whom?" Wal asked. He understood that five people couldn't take down a hundred Mextal wolves and an alpha on their own.
"By... a spider. It suddenly appeared and destroyed them all. Its power was overwhelming…" Lyriana explained.
"A... spider?" Wal was dumbfounded.
Alden sighed, then recounted the events. "Have you ever seen a creature like that before?"
"A white spider… I'm guessing it's from the Arachneda species, but the features you described don't quite match. Still, it's possible that it evolved from that lineage."
"I see..."
"But just how powerful is it?" Wal asked with curiosity.
"Powerful enough to kill you with a single look." Eldric commented. He still couldn't forget that deadly gaze.
"For such a dangerous creature to show up in these floors... Judging from your description, it could very well be the boss of some unknown floor below the 50th." Wal gave a measured assessment.
"Wasn't there an incident last year when a swarm of spiders suddenly broke out and attacked a military outpost? Could it have come from that group?" Lyriana added.
That incident forced Lubberia to dispatch a special unit due to the sheer number and ferocity of the spiders.
"If that's the case, then it's terrifying to think it only passed through 29 floors and already became that strong," Wal's voice grew grave, making everyone realize the seriousness of the situation.
"Maybe… it's an especially unique individual?" Lyriana speculated.
"That's possible… But it seems to understand human speech, so if we run into it again, don't provoke it," Alden warned the group. "I have a feeling it might pass through the 30th floor."
That statement made everyone uneasy. Even those who hadn't encountered the creature directly looked fearful. After all, they had just survived a brutal battle, and now they were hearing about something even more powerful than the monsters they fought.
"Right—where is His Highness Prince? We came here to deliver something to him." Alden suddenly said. Their mission was to deliver supplies to the prince of Lubberia who was stationed here.
Wal stroked his chin, then nodded. "The prince is still in the central sector. I'll take you there."
Alden nodded and signaled the group to follow. They walked down stone-paved roads still bearing the marks of battle—cracked walls, scattered debris, and a lingering smell of burning. Some townspeople were busy repairing homes, while wounded warriors were being treated in the medical zone.
Even though Alden had mentally prepared himself, witnessing the extent of the damage still left a heavy feeling in his chest.
They quickly made their way to the central area, where a relatively large building stood—it was clearly the command headquarters for the defense force here.
…
I was still observing from afar, my eyes sweeping over every corner of the rest stop. Of course, I overheard their earlier conversation, but I didn't have much to comment on.
If I were in their shoes, I'd probably be suspicious too.
Now it looks like they're headed toward the central area to meet someone—likely the leader of this place. I don't really care, but I still need to watch carefully.
Carelessness leads to death.
…
"Your Highness, we've brought the supplies." Alden said respectfully, standing before a room.
The door opened, and a young man with golden hair stepped out. He wore light armor, but carried the aura of a leader. His sharp gaze swept across the group before giving a nod.
He was Alexander Griant Lubberia, First Prince of Lubberia—a man known for both martial skill and leadership.
"Thank you for completing the mission." Alexander said with a calm, authoritative voice. "What's the situation on the 29th floor?"
Alden summarized the events, including how they were attacked by the wolves and saved by a mysterious creature.
"A white spider?" Alexander frowned. "There's no record of such a creature in our archives. If it could annihilate an entire Mextal wolf pack that easily, then it's a potential threat."
"But it didn't attack us." Alden replied. "It even seemed to understand our speech."
The prince remained silent for a moment, then nodded. "If you encounter it again, do not provoke it. Observe from a distance and report to me."
The entire group responded in unison.
…
So that guy's a prince, huh.
The Kingdom of Lubberia... I think I heard about them before from Loyral's stories, and now I'm actually seeing them in person.
This prince seems strong, but he's still way below me—at least in terms of stats. As for other qualities, I'm not so sure. But my stats are extraordinary. I could suppress just about any creature, even lower-floor bosses.
Back to the point: if I've confirmed the leader here doesn't pose any threat to me, then I should be heading out.
I cleaned up my cocoon and placed a temporary [Anchor] here.
I gave the prince another glance, but unexpectedly, he suddenly turned his head and looked straight in my direction. He didn't fully detect me, but he did sense the presence of something.
Hmph...
This one's sharp.
…
"Someone is watching us." Alexander said.
His words immediately put everyone on high alert. Weapons were drawn, ready for combat at any moment.
"Calm down. The gaze is only probing—it's coming from the 29th floor."
Sear, standing behind, seemed to realize something. Not just her—the other adventurers also sensed that this might be the very creature they'd been discussing.
"Your Highness, it might be it…" Alden said.
"It's it, huh..." Alexander closed his eyes to sense more carefully.
Soon after, he opened them again with a weary expression. "It seems it wants to enter the 30th floor."
Everyone's face turned serious. While Alden's group said she didn't attack humans, it was hard not to feel fear in front of such overwhelming power.
As people were still unsure of what to do, a soldier suddenly rushed in with a panicked report. "Your Highness! Signs of an enemy attack—monsters are flooding in from the 31st floor!"
"What? Deploy defenses immediately!" Alexander commanded and stepped outside himself.
The five adventurers followed. Among everyone present, they had rested the most and were currently in the best shape for battle.
The defense formation was quickly set up—stone walls and magical barriers rose. Everyone took their positions, ready for the assault.
Not long after, the ground began to tremble. From behind, a large wave of monsters surged forth from the lower floors, eyes glowing with hunger.
"Prepare for battle!" Alexander shouted.
…
I was just about to enter and pass through the 30th floor as quickly as possible, but then I noticed something strange.
They were setting up big defensive barriers—lots of them.
Huh? Were they preparing for me?
Using [Heaven Eye] for a closer look, I realized that wasn't the case. Turns out a wave of monsters from the 31st floor was charging up, and it looked like another battle was about to start.
These people haven't even fully recovered, and now they're already being dragged into another fight. At this rate, they'll all be dead soon—but that's not my problem.
Helping once was enough.
So, I made another cocoon and decided to wait for the battle to end.
It'd be too troublesome to pass through now.
Well, it's rare to see something this dramatic—might as well sit back and enjoy the show.