With Eina Tulle's thorough briefing, Keyaru finally nailed down the monster layout that the original story never made very clear.
Floor 6
You still run into the so-called "rookie killers," the War Shadows. He'd already fought them on his first dives—just find the weak point and pick them off one by one.
From Floor 7 on
The types start to multiply. First are the small Purple Moth that spread poisonous scale dust everywhere; they may drop Purple Moth Wings.
There are also Killer Ants, another "rookie killer": insect-type monsters with extremely hard armor that will call their kin when threatened.
As for Blue Papilio, they're rare—just meeting one in the Dungeon means you're lucky, and killing it yields the valuable Blue Papilio Wing.
Armed with this concrete intel, Keyaru was genuinely excited for today's dive.
More dangerous monsters meant his overall stats could be pushed further in real combat—plus the extra loot.
"From Floor 10 the Dungeon starts throwing in mechanisms… With my current stats, even buffed by Transformation, new monsters will still be rough—never mind special events…"
Don't rush it. Keep a steady pace: only by staying alive can you enjoy the view from higher up.
With that in mind, Keyaru headed for the central plaza before Babel. It was early morning, but the number of adventurers gathering was still sizable. He blended into the line naturally.
Right then, a supporter with a huge pack and a light-gray cloak fell in step behind him, clearly recognizing his distinctive face. Even with the cloak hiding part of her cheeks, the youthful beauty of her uncovered face—very different in style from Hestia's—showed through, set off by a touch of resolve and gallantry.
Catching his slightly puzzled look, the girl's lips curved; for once her smile was openly sweet.
"Good morning, Mr. Keyaru. Do you need a supporter?"
If this were their first encounter, Keyaru would've kept his distance. But after yesterday's incident—and the fact he held her secret—there was no need to treat her like a viper.
He shrugged. "Do I look like I can afford a supporter?"
"I can do it for free. Think of it as… thanks for getting me out of the Dungeon yesterday," she said, still smiling—with the vibe that even if he refused, she'd tag along anyway.
After yesterday's dive, once she'd returned to the Soma Familia, Lili hadn't been idle. She followed the lead he'd given her—and the result staring her in the face was stark.
When she mentioned to captain Zanis that she was almost done saving enough to leave the Familia, several members silently started tailing her. Their aim was obvious: the money she'd saved. That finally made Lili realize…
A captain who can control members with the god of wine and tolerate a Familia where the weak are devoured will never let someone go easily.
What other choice was there?
In the Soma Familia's chaos, Lili had survived this long because she was clear-eyed. Her last hope could only be Keyaru. He'd seen through her Cinder Ella before; maybe he really could solve the problem of leaving. As for the resolve to pay any price—she believed she had it.
"And also," she added, "what you mentioned yesterday—I'm… very interested!"
Hearing her final answer, Keyaru didn't refuse—just felt a little surprised she'd chosen so completely, so fast. He glanced around; this was not the place to talk details.
"Today I'm aiming no deeper than Floor 9. Collect the magic stones and drops."
—
So how to solve Lili's problem?
It all depended on whether her Cinder Ella magic was exposed. The Soma Familia "bomb" wasn't just their chaotic culture; it tied into the Dungeon's Xenos, too.
If she hadn't been exposed, all he had to do was draw captain Zanis away and meet god Soma alone. As long as Lili could withstand the wine's addiction with sheer will, leaving the Familia would follow naturally.
Of course, Keyaru wasn't about to hand her the solution immediately. Without hardship, his "salvation" would be meaningless to her.
It was a transaction, after all. He needed to maximize his own benefit.
"Power up. Stick to the plan."
After these days of dives, nothing on Floors 1–5 could stop him—just technique was enough to crush everything. Goblins, kobolds, dungeon lizards—none of them could stand against his push.
And the effect of adding a supporter to the party was obvious: someone else handled the fiddly bits and watched for danger. In half the previous time, even large packs of War Shadows could be broken through rapidly.
They soon reached Floor 7.
The environment shifted—more like a primordial cavern. Lantern fruit no longer lit everything; a damp chill hung in the air.
…
First time here. Even with Transformation as a failsafe, Keyaru kept his guard up. New monsters demanded respect. His weapon was a Hephaestus Familia product, but gear is gear; could it pierce a Killer Ant's armor? That remained to be seen.
As the team pressed on in good order, a faint sound snagged his attention. He looked ahead and to the side—cracks were spreading along the wall.
Loose stones slammed to the floor.
"Something's off."
He'd never witnessed a Dungeon respawn like this, but his gut told him this wasn't as simple as he'd hoped.
Boom!
With the fall of the stones, a monster passage yawned open right in front of him.
As the dust settled, what came into view was a huge ant in heavy armor. The hooked claws on its back and the obvious features said it all—
Killer Ant.
And there were many—rookie killers, pouring out of the passage in a relentless stream!