Heading north, Shirou and his companions encountered one monster after another.
The constant waves of enemies seemed to confirm that their chosen direction was correct, further strengthening their resolve.
After slaying the creature before him, Shirou glanced down at the scattered magic stones around his feet and wiped the sweat from his brow.
The sheer number of monsters they had faced was overwhelming.
It felt as if every creature on the entire floor had gathered in that single area.
As they advanced, the members of the Hermes Familia—who had already collected hundreds of magic stones—no longer bothered to pick up the ones littering the ground. Their bags were already overflowing.
"How are you feeling, Ais?"
Shirou paused and looked toward the blonde girl beside him.
Ais extended her hand, flexed her fingers lightly, and replied, "Almost back to normal."
"It took that long for you to recover… just how powerful are you?"
After fighting side by side with her, Asfi realized that Ais had reached Level 6. The revelation startled her—but at the same time, it brought a sense of reassurance.
Level 5 adventurers weren't exactly rare in Orario; there were several spread among the many Familias.
Even Asfi herself wasn't far from that level.
But Level 6 adventurers? They were exceedingly rare, and all of them belonged to either the Loki Familia or the Freya Familia.
Now that the Sword Princess herself had reached Level 6, the danger level of this mission had dropped dramatically.
"We've found it!"
Hearing the other adventurers shouting, Shirou, Ais, and Asfi hurried toward the sound.
In the distance, the landscape shifted into something completely different from the surroundings.
The 24th floor, known as the Great Tree Labyrinth, was defined by its forest-like environment—towering trees, winding roots, and vine-covered tunnels resembling bark.
But here, the scenery changed again. The terrain gradually turned to stone, and the walls took on a faint reddish hue.
That was because, deep within the floor, there stood a massive quartz pillar—brimming with condensed nutrients.
The change in the surrounding terrain existed to sustain the conditions necessary for those quartz formations to thrive.
With their goal just around the corner, the group reorganized briefly before venturing deeper. Soon, something unusual came into view.
A green, fleshy wall—plantlike, yet disturbingly organic—blocked their path. It had fused seamlessly with the surrounding structure.
"How disgusting!"
"Yeah… those things don't even look like plants."
"They look more like flesh."
Asfi frowned, pulling out a map and examining the blocked path. "According to the map, this should be the correct route. You all, scout around and check for alternate paths," she ordered.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Once the Hermes Familia scouts dispersed, Ais suddenly raised her right hand and pressed it against the wall of flesh.
"This thing is alive," she confirmed, feeling the warmth beneath her palm and the faint rhythmic pulse—like a heartbeat.
Both Shirou and Asfi tensed at her words.
"Captain, we're back!"
"What did you find?" Asfi asked.
The Hermes Familia scouts who had returned from their search reported that every passage ahead was blocked by the same substance.
"So that means the monsters aren't being generated randomly in the Dungeon," Shirou noted.
"Exactly," Asfi replied with a nod.
Their eyes met, and both smiled faintly in mutual understanding.
"When the monsters on this floor get hungry, they probably come here in search of food," Asfi explained. "But with this path blocked, they're forced to move south instead."
"That lines up their movements—and causes the mass migration of monsters we've been seeing."
"This migration route runs from north to south, crossing through areas that adventurers normally travel through. That's why everyone thinks the monster population has suddenly exploded."
The others nodded in agreement.
"So the one responsible for all this… is whoever blocked this passage?"
"That's right."
Having reached that conclusion, everyone turned their eyes toward the fleshy wall.
"Then let's move forward!"
"Should we destroy it?"
At Shirou's words, Ais immediately drew her sword, but Asfi stopped her.
"Wait a moment. I need to gather some data first—let's test it with magic. Merry!"
"Yes!"
At Asfi's command, the dwarven mage Merry stepped forward and began chanting.
Moments later, a massive fireball erupted, scorching a large section of the fleshy wall.
"It seems fire works quite well against this thing," Asfi observed.
"Shouldn't that have been my job?" Shirou muttered, clearly itching to use Muspelflamme.
"No," Asfi said quickly, adjusting her glasses with a nervous look. "I've heard about the destructive power of your magic arrows. If you used one here, the explosion would've taken all of us with it."
She peered cautiously through the burned hole to examine the inner structure.
After some brief discussion, the group carefully moved through the gap.
But as soon as the last person entered, the fleshy wall regenerated—sealing them inside.
"Oh no! The wall closed up!"
"Stop shouting, Lulune! It's just a wall of flesh. We'll cut through it on the way back," Asfi scolded.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Lulune fell silent immediately under Asfi's sharp glare.
Seeing her quiet down, Asfi refocused on the situation.
In such a confined space, even a single careless word could hurt team morale.
For now, nothing seemed amiss—but that was because they'd only just entered. Having the Sword Princess among them bolstered confidence, but if they were ever trapped in a similar place without her, panic could spread fast.
The walls around them were now completely transformed into pulsing green flesh, giving the impression that they had stepped into the belly of a living creature.
Wielding her sword, Ais slashed through the wall effortlessly, revealing solid stone behind the fleshy layer.
"Something's covering the Dungeon itself," Shirou said gravely, examining the opening.
Sharing a glance with Ais and Asfi, he spoke firmly: "Let's keep moving. It's the only way forward."
As they proceeded, the path suddenly split in two.
"The map doesn't show this structure," Asfi noted. "Looks like it's useless from here on. Lulune, start drawing a new one."
"Yes, Captain!"
At her command, Lulune took out parchment and pen, sketching a new map.
Starting from the corner of the page, she recorded every turn, step, and corridor with precision, as if she had been counting them from the very beginning.
Her accuracy caught Ais's attention.
"I didn't expect you to be this skilled."
"Hehe, I usually explore ruins with Lord Hermes when he leaves the city. I'm used to this kind of work!"
"Well, I guess you're not entirely useless after all. No wonder Hermes hasn't kicked you out of the Familia yet," Shirou remarked dryly.
Lulune's enthusiasm immediately deflated.
The group continued their exploration, and as they advanced, the map in Lulune's hands grew more detailed—gradually forming a complete picture of the strange labyrinth.
During this process, they didn't encounter a single monster.
Just as everyone began to relax—disaster struck again.
From the ceiling above, a massive swarm of carnivorous plants suddenly dropped, landing right in front of the group.
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."