Sometime ago.
Ais and her group were on their way back to the surface after slaying the Monster Rex Udaeus on the 38th floor. The gigantic skeleton made her freeze with its mere presence. Its tremendous howl, its terrifying appearance, or its magic power, everything about it was on another level. Finn, Riveria, Amazon sisters, Gareth, and fifty or so adventurers were needed to take down its army.??
Riveria silently brushed Ais's hair. Her gentle touch brought a soft smile to Ais's face.
Riveria's expressionless face carried hints of exhaustion. After all, alone took down hundreds of Spartoi, the skeleton minions, with her magic. Each one was classified as a level 4 monster, yet they crumbled into ashes in the crimson flames of her Elven magic.
Ais swore to overcome the Monster Rex. One day, she promised to take Udaeus down and grow stronger.
'One day… I'll—'
An enormous rumble broke her thoughts. Riveria stopped with a frown and turned to Finn.
"It's the Amphisbaena."
Amphisbaena, the twin-headed dragon classified as a level 6 monster due to its innate advantage in the water. Ais recalled the information she learned in her library.
"Someone is up there," Finn said. "Monster Rex doesn't spawn without a presence. We called dibs on the dragon this time."
Riveria's expression darkened. "It might be some low ranked Familia."
Bete let out a low, annoyed growl. "These goddamn newbs. Why the fuck they cant know their limits?"
"We're running up," Finn shouted. "Tiona, Tione, with me. Gareth, Riveria, guide the rest to the Water City."
Tiona and Tione shared a look before nodding at their captain.
Ais blocked Finn's path. "I'm coming…"
Elexia from the Monster Rex was on another level from the rest. It ignited her desire to grow.
The pallum, barely taller than Ais, made a troubled expression and glanced at Riveria. The elf saw Ais and Finn staring her way.
"I can… keep up," Ais insisted.
"Selfish brat," Riveria sighed. "Run along."
"I-I-I want to… come too," Lefiya muttered, gaining the group's attention. So many gazes made her teary-eyed.
"Go ahead." Riveria just gave up. "Captain, I shall leave their safety to you."
Finn chuckled. "No need to worry. Let's go."
Ais nodded and took Lefiya's hands, dragging her along. Finn deliberately slowed himself for them to follow.
They sliced through the monsters on the 28th floor, while listening to the loud noises implying a brutal ongoing fight.
Finn walked out of the passage on the bottom of the pool, his eyes went wide. Ais found him frozen and shifted her gaze to the scene before her.
A frozen lake.
A beheaded Amphisbaena sprawled on its back.
A purple-haired woman holding the katana buried in the dead Monster Rex's heart.
Four more women stood around its corpse.
Asahi and his maid sitting on an ice throne like a pair of King and Queen, watching as if this was just a show. Ais never expected Asahi to be here.
"What? How?" Tiona asked with a tinge of disbelief in her tone. "Amphisbaena usually needs a large number of level 4s and 5s to take down. Who're these women?"
"Beats me," Tione replied as she shook her head.
Their shock was nothing compared to Finn, whose mouth hung open. He had met the man before on the 10th floor. He knew from Riveria that this man and his companions were strong.
But.
To take down Amphisbaena on their own…
Even he and Riveria would find it hard to beat this Monster Rex.
Finn's surprise ended when the gray-haired woman in black clothes looked his way. Her blank red eyes made his legs weak. He immediately concluded she was a dangerous person and turned away.
Asahi glanced at their group. "Well, we have some guests here."
"My Lord, you would not want a little girl harmed. What should we do now to silence them?" the maid beside Asahi threatened casually.
Finn realized this group was nuts. Completely nuts.
"I can handle it."
Asahi got up from the ice throne and approached the group. Finn clenched his spear, ready for any attack. Contrary to his wariness, Asahi passed him and stopped before Ais. He patted Ais's head, which she didn't deny. Rather, Ais closed her eyes with a tiny smile.
"Damn, you rushed up here to rescue me? I feel touched."
Asahi also stroked Lefiya's hair while he was at it, getting a bashful smile from the elf. "You all didn't need to come here."
Tiona dragged Tione toward the Amphisbaena and started messing with the women. Finn wanted to stop them, but he felt Asahi's gaze on him.
"Finn, was it?"
Finn answered with a nod. Asahi smiled. "Consult Loki, I mean, your goddess before telling anyone about this. She knows everything."
"Knows what exactly?"
Asahi chuckled. "Just ask your mischievous goddess."
The women glaring at him made him not question any further. Who knew if these women might gang up on him and murder him. He still hadn't fulfilled his dream of rising as the hope of the pallum race. His twitching thumb told him everything he needed to know—get the hell out of here with Ais and others. He can ask Loki later.
Unless they went out of their way to do something horrible in Orario, he'd rather not mess with them.
***
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