Thick, heavy books filled the room, reeking of mold. They piled so high that the stacks formed towering walls.
I sat alone in that archive, surrounded by mountains of volumes. I slowly lifted my head, snapped the book in my hand shut, and scanned the room with my eyes.
My gaze settled on a specific heroic epic. It was a story written in fading ink on aged, yellowed paper, its edges frayed from countless readings.
The open page displayed a faint illustration.
"You Babylonian harlot!!"
The words accompanied a drawing of a hero pointing his sword at a woman. The boy's face twisted with rage, while the woman wore a seductive, fawning smile, reaching her hand toward him.
"Do you realize the weight of your sins? How many men have you seduced, ensnared, and led to a tragic end? Have you no shame, you sinful temptress!!"
Behind the harlot lay images of many fallen men—wretched victims lured by her cunning, only to meet their destruction.
The hero's condemnation was righteous, yet...
"To a hero, a harlot symbolizes ruin."
I recalled the words of Haruhime, the Renard prostitute we met at the pleasure house while fleeing the Ishtar Familia. Indeed, heroic tales often depicted prostitutes as entities that brought only tragedy and disaster.
In every epic, these women appeared simply to destroy male heroes, as if it were an inescapable curse. They were cursed beings who summoned destruction. For this reason, epics generally portrayed them as hideous or irredeemable.
People who cannot be saved. People who must never be saved. That was the narrative.
The rules of heroic epics dictated that a harlot could never stand beside a hero. The bringer of ruin and the hero were destined never to meet.
"But..."
I whispered softly, looking back at the epic. Seeing the hero denounce the woman brought one particular face to my mind.
Could someone wearing such a sorrowful expression truly be beyond saving? How could a woman with such a beautiful smile end up in such a trade?
...No, none of that mattered.
I shook my head, trying to dispel the growing sense of helplessness. I wished I had never met her if this feeling was going to haunt me.
The Ishtar Familia stood as one of the largest factions in Orario, boasting veteran warriors and significant power. Their ranks included Level 2 adventurers like me, as well as first-tier adventurers like Bete and my Brother.
Beyond their combat strength, their influence over Orario's Entertainment District was immense, far eclipsing the Apollo Familia. If they targeted us, they would crush the fledgling Hestia Familia with ease.
It might even cause trouble for my Brother and his comrades in the Loki Familia.
A part of me whispered to give up. A person like me couldn't stand against a major Familia of first-tier adventurers. It would be so easy to pretend I saw nothing—to act as if our meeting never happened. I could just go back to my room, pull up the covers, and sleep.
Yet, that gentle smile lingered in my mind. Recalling it sent a sharp pang through my chest.
I wished I had never met her. If I hadn't intervened then, I wouldn't have to carry this pain.
"No, that's not right—!!"
That was wrong. I didn't regret meeting her. Every encounter is the most precious thing we possess.
In this situation, what would my Brother do? What would the hero I admire do?
I stood up unsteadily and walked toward the bookshelves, scanning the various volumes and different epics.
"...At a time like this, if my Brother were in my place."
●○●○●
The Kali Familia.
Far from Orario, the center of the world, and deep in the Far East, lies the isolated island of Telskyura. It is a land of female warriors—Amazons—who maintain no diplomatic ties, living as if severed from the world.
A global power, it is a "Familia" functioning as a state, led by the Goddess of War, Kali. This "Sacred Land of the Amazons" operates under a tyrannical system where might is right. Meritocracy rules absolutely.
Weakness earns no mercy; the weak exist only to be oppressed and exploited. An Amazon born in Telskyura receives Kali's "Blessing" before she even understands the world, entering the Familia at the lowest rank.
They learn to hold a weapon before they learn to speak. They learn to take lives before they learn to read. Strength is the only currency. The strong represent justice, and those with power may do as they please.
Bloody conflicts between children and monsters, or between Amazon comrades, created a literal hell. Through these endless rituals of slaughter, many high-level adventurers emerged, rivaling the strongest Familias in Orario despite the lack of a Dungeon there.
Lured by that power, Ishtar invited them to Melen. Before the battle against Freya, she attempted to create the ultimate warrior by forcing the sisters Tione and Tiona to fight the Kalif sisters to the death. She even hoped for a clash with the newest hero, Al.
By taking Loki Familia members—including Lefiya—hostage, they successfully forced Tione and Tiona into combat with the Kalif sisters. However, Finn crushed Argana on the ship. Meanwhile, Bache, who had been boosted via "Level Boost" to Level 7 strength, fell before Al, who had reached Level 8. The ritual failed.
Furthermore, the remaining Amazons, having been thoroughly beaten by that Level 8 monster, all turned into "girls in love," losing their fighting spirit.
To Kali, who worshiped combat above all else, this was shameful. However, she decided those who lost their resolve were no longer fit for her wars. She chose to bet on the "next generation" rather than force them back to battle. With the permission of Kali, who had her eye on Al and Finn, a significant number of Amazons—led by the two captain sisters—migrated to Orario.
Despite losing their bloodlust, the two captains remained first-tier adventurers (Level 6), and the rest of the elite allowed to stay were second-tier (Level 3 or higher). The Guild did not reject such powerful reinforcements and, after setting certain conditions, approved their migration.
Due to the size of the state-based Familia, not everyone could come; the elite in Orario numbered around a hundred. Since Kali was the only Goddess there and couldn't leave her country for long, The Guild officially entrusted the oversight of the migrant Amazons to the Loki Familia and the Goddess Loki, effectively making them a subordinate Familia.
In the current mission to explore the artificial labyrinth, Finn decided that relying on this elite group was better than involving uncoordinated outside forces. Thus, only the Kalif sisters accompanied him, while the other Level 2 Amazons remained as a reserve force to protect Ryuu's group and the others waiting behind.
In the artificial labyrinth—suspected to be the stronghold of the Evilus remnants—the infiltration team consisted of the Loki Familia's main force, the Kalif sisters, and outside collaborators Filvis and Airmid.
Al took the vanguard, being the one most likely to survive even the deadliest traps. They began exploring the labyrinth, maintaining a formation that protected the healer, Airmid.
After passing through the Orichalcum gate, they found themselves in a stone-paved corridor with windowless rock walls. After a while, the single path branched into several forks, turning the structure into a true maze. This deliberate design, meant to mislead intruders, annoyed even the adventurers accustomed to the Dungeon.
Most of these branching paths led to dead ends, wasting precious time. In an atmosphere saturated with the smell of mold and the unmaskable scent of blood, the adventurers advanced slowly, mapping the area.
"...Are the paths becoming more defined?"
Ais spoke up after noticing the corridors were gradually narrowing and stabilizing. The structure suggested they were being led somewhere, increasing the likelihood of traps.
"If we have to, we'll just smash through the walls and cross! Don't worry!!"
Tiona voiced this simple Amazonian solution, trying to reassure her cautious comrades.
"No, even that will be difficult."
Al dampened her idea. He reached his long arm toward the nearby wall and, with a movement as effortless as a conductor waving a baton, delivered a lightning-fast strike with his fist.
That simple motion produced a violent shattering sound, and radial cracks spread from the center of his impact. Lefiya and the others flinched at the noise, their eyes widening as they looked at the wall, which had buckled inward as if struck by a giant hammer.
"This... could it be... Adamantite?"
A dull metallic glint shone from within the cracks of the shattered stone wall. Lefiya deduced its identity, and Al nodded in confirmation.
Although the surface was covered in stone, the core was made of Adamantite—the hardest natural metal found in the Dungeon. And not just any Adamantite; its luster matched that of the Deep Floors. It was a material nearly impossible to destroy physically or even with magic.
Building entire corridors with this metal made it impossible to bypass walls, even with the strength of a first-tier adventurer like Tiona had suggested.
"Besides the Orichalcum doors, there are Adamantite hallways... This isn't something built in just a few years."
Both metals were immensely valuable, even in small quantities for weapon smithing. The entire wealth of the Loki Familia wouldn't be enough to craft even half the doors they had seen so far. Moving such massive funds without The Guild noticing, and conducting construction on par with the Dungeon, meant this project had spanned decades.
If the Evilus remnants were behind this, they had been preparing for a very long time. It wouldn't be surprising if this had been planned over 50, 100, or even 200 years. The thought sent a chill through the group. No one knew when construction began, but everyone felt they had just glimpsed the terrifying depth and power of the Evilus.
They had never imagined such a thing existed beneath the ground they walked on daily. The idea that a project of this scale had remained hidden for years was bone-chilling.
"──There's a staircase at the end of this path. It seems to lead down."
Based on the scout's report, a T-junction appeared before the group. Both paths were the same width and appeared identical.
"A fork in the road, huh?"
"...We'll split into two teams. It would be difficult for us all to take one path only to find it's a dead end. Large groups lack flexibility."
Finn decided to split them. The first team to the left included Finn himself, Bete, the Kalif sisters, Lefiya, Filvis, and Airmid. The second team to the right included Al, Ais, and the Hiryute sisters.
He judged that moving separately was more efficient than moving as a single block, and this distributed their combat power evenly. Since both teams possessed overwhelming strength, with multiple first-tier adventurers each, they could repel any attack.
"The rest is up to you, Al."
"Right."
●○●○●
Finn and his comrades advanced down the stone-paved corridor to the left. The place was filled with an eerie silence, devoid of any human trace.
(I feel like the structure somewhat resembles the Upper Floors of the Dungeon.)
The depth from the surface was likely similar as well. The difference here, however, was the total absence of monsters, which only increased the desolation. From the width of the corridor and the ceiling height, this space matched the first or second floors of the Dungeon.
As they advanced cautiously while mapping the area, they discovered a room resembling a large hall around a corner. The smell of mold and stale blood grew stronger. They grimaced as they scouted the interior. The room had a completely different atmosphere.
Orichalcum gates completely blocked both the left and right exits. Standing before them was—
"Fiiiiiinnn—!! I've wanted to meet you, you arrogant, 'brave' piece of trash!!"
A hideous voice. A woman with hair the color of pale, blood-stained rose stood there. She held a massive, wickedly twisted sword and screamed as she threw her arms wide.
"Ah, I knew you were still alive... Valletta."
The greeting was warm enough for lovers, yet Finn felt a prickling in his thumb, telling him that meeting this nemesis was not the greatest danger.
"Now that you've realized it, I'll tell you... I'm not your opponent—you monsters, fight to the death!!"
At the woman's voice, a heavy clatter echoed from the depths of the room as an Orichalcum gate opened. Finn's danger sense and his long experience as a first-tier adventurer screamed at him.
That thing cannot be faced. We will never win. It took no time at all to realize this. From behind the slowly opening gate emerged something resembling a human.
Red. Blood-red hair and a rugged, muscled body. Eyes watched them with a yellow-green glint like a reptile's. She had the form of a beautiful woman, but the pressure she emitted was enough to make dragons flee.
Alarm bells rang instantly in the minds of Finn and his comrades.
But it was too late.
The moment the gate opened fully, the woman who appeared was already moving.
"?!"
"We meet again... Pallum."
In the blink of an eye, the distance closed. With extreme difficulty, Finn parried a cursed black sword. He countered with a thrust of his spear, but she evaded it by the narrowest of margins.
Fast. Astoundingly fast. She was in a realm far beyond Finn, a Level 6 adventurer. Her strikes were much sharper and heavier than in their previous encounter. After parrying the black "Behemoth" sword three times, Finn fully realized her strength.
A body losing its balance, blurred vision, and ragged breath.
"I'll pay you back for last time."
An enhanced species. How many magic stones had she devoured to reach this terrifying level of combat power? The monster stood there.
I must use magic, the lethal spear Hell Finegas, or I'll be killed. But that magic is a double-edged sword, granting immense combat power in exchange for composure and reason. Losing the ability to lead here would mean the group would scatter.
A moment of hesitation. A lapse in thought that didn't last a second.
"Die."
Toward Finn, who had shown a fatal opening, Revis swung her sword. Defense was impossible. Evasion wouldn't make it in time. The black sword traced a dark arc as it descended.
The "Hero Slayer" bit into that small body with a deep wound. That strike was enough to claim Finn's life easily—
[Three hundred and sixty-five melodies, the calendar of healing delivers all existence.]
[Let the curse flee to the far reaches, toward the essence of light. In the name of the holy thought.]
── Dia Fratel
▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
[100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
[Read 99+ chapters ahead on Patreon: patreon.com/Raven737]