Massive trees blocked the passage.
While Lili and Welf were puzzled, Laurier stared into the distance in shock, instantly understanding the boy's intent.
"Look over there..."
The two followed the direction of her finger. Far across the grassland, away from the main route, the silhouette of a monster was clearly visible.
"The Safe Zone Floor isn't safe..."
Lili murmured.
There was no barrier, no divine blessing protecting them. The eighteenth floor simply didn't spawn monsters—creatures from other levels could still roam into it.
Bell had known this from the start. He had misled them into escaping here, staying behind himself to block any monster pursuit.
"Bell-sama..."
Faced with that lie, all Lili felt was worry.
"Damn it, why does that guy have to be so damn cool on his own..."
Welf grumbled, frustration clawing inside him. Even though he had been saved, he couldn't accept the outcome.
As the two stood frozen, Laurier heard faint roars coming from behind and felt torn. As a proud Elf, how could she let the boy face danger alone?
She had to go back and help him...
Yet a quiet voice whispered deep inside her.
Bell will be fine.
He will fulfill his promise and return safely.
What… can I even do…?
Laurier pressed her lips together, turned around, and said:
"I'll escort you to Rivira Town."
Hearing this, Lili erupted in anger.
"Are you abandoning Bell-sama?!"
To accept the boy's kindness and then flee like a soaked stray dog—the thought alone filled Lili with suffocating guilt.
"That's right. We can't keep waiting. Monsters might come from the forest. Ensuring your safety is what I promised him."
Laurier forced down her emotions, though her voice trembled.
"But Bell-sama might come out at any moment! What if he needs our help..."
Lili's voice cracked.
Yet none of that could realistically happen. Even if a miracle occurred, Bell would still be locked in a fierce battle for a long while.
"Lilisqueak, she's right. We're just dead weight here. If we get to Rivira, maybe we can ask someone else for help."
Welf tried to persuade her gently.
Even if the boy reunited with them, nothing would change unless the Minotaurs were dealt with. If those raging bulls chased the group down, that would be the end.
"I know... but treating Bell-sama like this… it's too heartless..."
Lili lowered her head.
Leaving without knowing Bell's condition felt like abandoning a dying comrade. Reason and emotion clashed violently, tearing at their hearts.
"I'm sorry..."
Before Laurier could finish, she grabbed Lili's small frame and sprinted toward the road.
Welf cast one last look at the sealed-off passage before quickly following them.
"Let me go... Bell-sama..."
Lili didn't struggle—she only pleaded.
If the boy broke through the horde only to find no trace of them, how devastated he would feel...
Her voice suddenly faltered.
She felt it clearly—the warm tears falling from the golden-haired Elf beside her.
"I made this decision. You can blame me all you want."
Laurier marched toward Rivira Town without looking back.
"Once this is over… once Bell returns safely, you can hit me if you want..."
When a comrade faces danger, the proud Elf will always lend a hand. Laurier's current actions utterly betrayed the purity of the Elves. Her decision stemmed solely from a young girl trusting her hero. It had nothing to do with race, nothing to do with reserve.
Laurier led the two forward. Her body moved in the opposite direction of the boy, yet her solitary heart, like a flower, remained ever mindful of the light that belonged to her.
"Bell…"
The whisper fell with her tears, vanishing into the vastness of the Dungeon.
...
Bell raced through the swarm of monsters.
With Laurier there, he shouldn't have to worry about them. Though their time together had been brief, Bell could sense Laurier's unique aura. She would surely keep her promise and lead Lili and Welf to Rivira Town. The remaining problem was this herd of Minotaurs...
In the vast hall, Bell brushed past death time and again. The Minotaur's roars and footsteps pounded like drums, relentlessly pressing against his racing heart. Stone axes whizzed past his ears, their sharp whistling now a familiar, irritating sound.
This chase couldn't last forever. The monsters' numbers showed no sign of dwindling, while Bell's fatigue steadily mounted. A single small mistake would mean certain death. Though his dagger was sharp and his flames fierce, with a Level 1 youth's Status, fighting back while fleeing proved too difficult.
The Minotaurs seemed to sense this. Their encirclement tightened, several even stationed at intervals guarding the entrance to cut off the youth's retreat. The deeper into the Dungeon, the greater the monsters' intelligence.
Within this spiderweb-like encirclement, the prey finally collided with a dead end.
A three-sided assault. Heavy stone axes fell from the front, while the other two sides charged with the fury of wild bulls. Horns and stone axes sliced through the air, ready to tear into the prey.
".....?"
Everything should have unfolded as expected.
Yet Bell's figure vanished abruptly.
BOOM.
Three Minotaurs collided, shattering the axe into fragments and snapping the horns clean off. Amidst their wails, blood splattered the ground like ink being spilled.
"Thanks to Lefiya, I've seen these moves before."
Bell reappeared. Seizing the moment of collision, he thrust his dagger at the gravely wounded Minotaur. In its weakened state, Hestia's Blade flashed with blue-violet light, sinking deep into the monster's chest. Bell braced the dagger's hilt, twisted it backward, and pulled it clean out.
"Firebolt!"
Where blood gushed forth, flames erupted. Black smoke billowed, but Bell paid no heed to the aftermath. The instant the Magic launched, he had already spun around, pointing the dagger at another charging monster.
In mere seconds, flames and lightning exploded, a deathly black mist enveloping the youth.
Silence fell. Even the bloodthirsty Minotaurs were stunned.
Their supposed prey—already at its last gasp—had not only evaded the encirclement but had single-handedly slain three monsters.
In that stunned stillness, the roars erupted once more. More furious, more wrathful than before. The ground trembled as several Minotaurs crushed the earth beneath their hooves, charging once more.
Bell let out a soft chuckle.
It seemed these monsters could interpret human expressions. That was precisely what he needed. His Status was limited; one-on-one, he'd stand no chance. Multiple opponents against one worked to Bell's advantage.
Whether it was anger or murderous intent, he needed them to unleash it with even greater fury.
Anyone else caught in this would surely have curled on the ground, terrified by the overwhelming killing intent. But not Bell.
He wore a smile, seemingly relishing the situation, constantly taunting the monsters around him. Amidst the roars, the bulls collided violently, their murderous intent surging ever higher.