The alliance advanced through the Middle Floors at a slow but steady pace as they were relentlessly besieged by monsters from all sides.
It could easily be called a total waste of resources; with Orario's strongest vanguard units gathered in one place, these weak creatures were essentially just committing suicide against an unbreakable wall.
However, since no one was slowing down to collect magic stones or drop items, as doing so would only delay the journey, and everything was happening within the closed ecosystem of the Dungeon, the labyrinth itself wasn't exactly suffering a loss. It simply reclaimed the dissipated energy back into its walls.
They took a brief rest on the 15th floor, pushed straight through to the 13th, and paused once more at the entrance of the 12th floor.
During the march, Luki gradually familiarized himself with large-scale group hunting. He assumed a supportive role, stepping in with surgical precision whenever he noticed an adventurer about to take a severe blow. With his surreal, omnidirectional perception, he could practically "see" everything happening around him. Thanks to his subtle interventions, the vanguard's injury rates dropped drastically.
Finn and others high-tier Familia leaders certainly noticed, keeping a watchful eye on the newcomer's flawless awareness.
But the caravan didn't linger. Soon, they crossed back into the Upper Floors, where the monsters were even weaker, easier to kill, and far less numerous. The higher they climbed, the faster the floors went by. They rested briefly on the 7th floor before making one final, relentless sprint toward the exit.
Luki was in absolute disbelief. After spending so much time in the past desperately searching for a single exit from one floor to the next, he had just crossed more than a dozen of them in mere hours.
It just went to show how terrifyingly deceptive the Dungeon truly was; the monsters were the least of your worries. Whenever the labyrinth decided it wanted to ruin your life, it simply would.
Luki didn't have much time left to get lost in his own thoughts, because they had finally arrived at the exit of the 1th floor.
Before him stood a massive arched passage leading to an even grander spiral staircase.
— Fuck, we finally made it!
— Don't go celebrating just yet, now we must climb these hellish stairs.
— Urghhh! My legs are killing me.
Morale skyrocketed instantly. Throughout the ranks, seasoned adventurers finally lowered their weapons, let guard down, and allowed genuine smiles to break across their faces.
Looking up through his messy blue hair, Luki stared at the distant sunlight flooding down from the top of the massive spiral staircase.
He had only felt this sensation once before, but experiencing it again after being trapped in the dark for so long felt completely surreal. Just seeing actual, genuine sunlight hitting his skin made his whole body relax with a strange wave of happiness.
The group pulled onto the winding path, keeping the supply wagons close to the stone wall as everyone slowly made their way up the massive staircase.
With each step forward, the surrounding environment grew steadily brighter.
— What are you gonna do once we get back? — a tired voice asked from somewhere in the crowd.
— I don't know, man. — another replied with a heavy groan. — But I'm sure as hell not stepping back into this nightmare anytime soon.
— Hey, you two! — a louder, cheerful voice chimed in. — Me and some buddies were thinking about hitting the taverns this weekend. You guys down?
— I don't know, man... I'm an elf, you know how it is. Food, alcohol... socializing. It's too much.
— Oh, come on, loosen up, beanpole! It's gonna be fun!
The adventurers were casually chatting amongst themselves about completely ordinary things, as if surviving the depths was just another regular Monday at the office.
Yet, not everyone shared that same burst of easy enthusiasm.
Luki stopped walking and stepped to the side, watching the massive caravan roll past him without interruption and took one last, lingering look back at the dark abyss yawning in the center of the spiral staircase.
He just stood there, staring into the darkness, silently taking in everything he had gone through down there.
In his mind, he knew he should probably feel some intense rush of emotion, relief for escaping, or anger for almost dying many times. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to show it.
It was as if he didn't care about it, at least not enough to show any emotional reaction. Perhaps it was a result of one of the effects of one of his powers, or maybe he had always been like this and never realized it before.
But the truth was, he wasn't feeling anything... and that worried him a little.
Thud.
Before Luki could even react, Hestia who was passing whit the cart by Luki, jumped down and lunged toward him, weaving her fingers tightly through his and locking their hands together.
— Luki-kun! Come on, walk with me! — Hestia cheered, her voice brimming with a sudden burst of energy.
Without waiting for an answer, she began dragging him, practically skipping with every step, humming a cheerful melody while swinging their joined hands back and forth in exaggerated arcs.
— We're finally going back to the surface, isn't that great? Being able to sleep in a real bed, the real sun, and just thinking about Mia's cooking makes my mouth water. — she turned her head, looking up at him with a wide, bright grin. — What are you going to do first? I bet you're going to sleep for a whole week, aren't you?
— Yeah... maybe will...
Luki let himself be pulled along by her infectious excitement, but his face remained entirely blank, his eyes still carrying a dull, distant glaze.
Hestia's skipping steps slowed down until she came to a gentle halt, though she didn't let go of his hand. She tilted her chin up, her large, expressive eyes locking onto his face with deep concern.
— Why are you looking so serious all of a sudden? — she asked gently, stepping closer. — We're almost out. You should be happy.
— It's nothing. — Luki replied quietly, forcing a neutral expression as he looked past her up the stairs.
— It's not 'nothing'. — Hestia pressed, her voice shifting into a soft, stubborn tone as she squeezed his fingers. — I know that look, Luki-kun. What's on your mind?
Luki went quiet for a long moment, his eyes drifting back toward the dark void in the center of the staircase one last time. A heavy, suffocating sigh escaped his chest.
— It's just... you know... I promised I'd come back up to the surface together with her. But now... I'm walking out of here completely alone, while she's still trapped somewhere down there in that pitch-black abyss. — Luki confessed, his voice dropping to a low, bitter whisper.
Hestia's heart ached at his words. The bright, cheerful expression she usually wore completely faded, replaced by a look of profound empathy.
— Luki-kun, you shouldn't blame yourself for-
— You don't need to comfort me, Hestia. — Luki cut her off gently, offering her a calm, resigned smile as he placed his hand over hers. — I've already accepted this and I know what I have to do, but that doesn't mean I like it.
Hestia stared at him, seeing the unyielding determination burning behind his eyes. The heaviness in her chest melted away into a quiet admiration. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and nodded, a warm, supportive smile returning to her face.
Turning away from the dark abyss, Luki took his steps forward alongside his goddess, walking shoulder to shoulder toward the brilliant sunlight flooding from above.
...
The massive doors at the base of Babel opened, and the caravan finally stepped out into the central plaza of Orario.
The contrast between the dark air of the lower levels and the bright surface sky was immediate. The moment their boots hit the cobblestones outside, the tension holding the alliance together broke.
All across the square, adventurers let their limbs go limp. They dropped to their knees or leaned heavily against nearby walls with tired sighs.
— I feel like my legs are made of lead.
— I just want to fall into bed and not wake up.
— I need a haircut, I look like a monkey.
— You ARE a monkey beast-man.
— Oh.
The plaza was filled with the sound of cracking joints and complaints. Everyone looked exhausted, their armor dented and their faces covered in sweat.
— Alright, everyone! Listen up! We still need to head over to the Guild headquarters to submit the official reports and log the final loot!
A collective groan ripped through the entire plaza.
— You've got to be kidding me...
— Reporting to the Guild right now is just cruel.
— You can keep the money, just let me be!
Meanwhile, Luki ascended the final steps of the spiral staircase.
The moment his foot planted onto the very last step leading into the main hall of Babel, a sudden wave of intense weakness crashed over him.
— Woah! — His knees buckled, and he stumbled forward, let out a dazed, groggy groan.
— Luki-kun! Are you okay?! What's wrong? — Hestia cried out as she instantly reached out to support his heavy frame.
Luki shook his head, gripping her shoulder tightly as he forced his wobbly legs to stabilize.
— I'm fine, I'm fine... It's nothing. My legs just felt completely weak out of nowhere. — he mumbled, blinking away the sudden dizziness.
Hestia looked at him, a sudden realization crossing her face.
— Oh, so it must have just been your skill. Remember? It only triggers while you are inside the Dungeon. It probably just deactivated. — she whispered knowingly, nodding to herself.
After that she let out an exaggerated sigh and dramatically put her hand to her forehead.
— By the gods, Luki, you're always giving me heart attacks! Just because I'm the goddess of the heart and all that, you can joke around like that.
Luki let out a dry breath, nodding in agreement. Leaning on her for support, the two of them slowly walked out of the massive building, finally crossing the threshold of the grand entrance.
The moment they stepped outside, the surface world hit them. The bright morning sun was blinding and Luki instinctively raised a hand to shield his three eyes from the piercing glare, slowly allowing them to adjust to the light.
As the initial sting faded, he began to absorb his surroundings.
The cobblestone streets, the houses, the vast blue sky, and ordinary citizens walking around without a care in the world. It had been weeks since he had seen anything like this. Something so completely ordinary suddenly felt incredibly sacred.
— Ugh- Umn... ahhh! — Standing on his tiptoes, Luki stretched his arms high above his head, rolling his shoulders and taking a few steps forward.
Slowly, the strange weakness began to fade from his muscles, replaced by a comfortable warmth.
Hestia took a long, deep breath, her shoulders dropping in complete relief.
— Ah... the surface air is so clean and sweet. — she smiled, closing her eyes.
— Yeah... — Luki nodded, closing his eyes as well, and took a deep breath of his own.
The moment the fresh air filled his lungs, something clicked. Luki relaxed completely, letting his guard drop all the way down for the first time in weeks. The crushing pressure that had constantly weighed on his shoulders vanished.
But the sudden release caused a massive chain reaction he never expected.
His entire body began to vibrate with a sharp, refreshing tingling sensation. It felt as if every single cell in his body was breathing simultaneously, absorbing the clean air and something else. The sudden wave of pure comfort was so overwhelming that Luki inadvertently loosened the tight grip he usually kept over his perception.
Instantly, his senses surged outward, expanding rapidly without his control. His mental radar swept through the city, covering several kilometers in a fraction of a second. It wasn't nearly as absurdly wide as it had been down in the depths of the Dungeon, proving that his perception skill was also heavily nerfed outside the labyrinth, but at the very least, he still had active access to it.
But the casual scanning stopped instantly.
Deep within the expanded perimeter of his mind, Luki caught a sudden, specific response. It was a lingering signature he knew all too well. The shape of the silhouette, the distinct warmth, the ephemeral sensation of a presence that felt like a bleeding hallucination of colors and sounds.
Luki's eyes snapped wide open. He froze entirely, the color draining from his face as every single feather on his small wings stood completely on end.
Further ahead in the crowded plaza, Finn Deimne detached himself from the main group of adventurers and walked over to where the goddess was standing.
— Hestia-sama. — Finn greeted politely, offering a respectful nod.
— Ah, Finn-kun! Are you heading to the Guild already? — Hestia turned around with a pleasant smile.
— Yes, we must report the final outcome of the expedition immediately. It has been quite an exhausting journey for everyone involved. — Finn explained smoothly.
— I can imagine. Thank you so much for helping finding my Child, if it weren't for you guys, nothing of this would be possible.
— Not at all, Hestia-sama, it was an honor to work alongside someone like you, I hope we can cooperate again in the future.
— The honor was ours, Finn-kun! — Hestia beamed, bowing her head slightly.
— Let us hope the next meeting occurs under better circumstances. Well, we must take our leave now. Please give my regards to-
Finn suddenly cut himself off, his sharp blue eyes shifting past Hestia's shoulder. His polite expression turned into a focused, analytical stare as he noticed the young man standing completely still behind her.
— Hestia-sama... Is something wrong with Luki-kun? — Finn murmured, gesturing slightly with his chin toward the frozen youth.
Hestia turned back toward Luki, her smile fading as she looked up at him.
— Luki? What's wrong? — she called out, reaching for his arm.
He didn't answer. Luki stood entirely upright, frozen in place like a statue. A look of pure, unadulterated shock deformed his face. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, his jaw twitching as if a million desperate words were fighting to burst out of his throat, but nothing came out. His small wings trembled violently, fluttering erratically as if they couldn't decide whether to snap tightly shut or force a sudden takeoff.
— Luki, what's wrong, you're scaring me... — Hestia pressed, as she shook his arm.
Sensing the sudden, dangerous shift in the air, Finn's relaxed demeanor vanished instantly. His brow furrowed tightly as he subtly adjusted his grip around his spear, ready to draw it at a fraction of a second.
— Lili... — Luki finally gasped out in a raw, trembling whisper.
He slowly raised his hand into the air, fingers reaching out blindly as if trying to grasp a ghost.
He took a sharp, agonizing breath, his voice rising.
— Lili... Lili.
— Luki-kun?!
— LILI!!! — he screamed.
Before anyone could stop him, Luki lunged forward, bursting into a manic, chaotic sprint. The sheer, explosive power of his takeoff shattered the stone tiles beneath his boots, sending dust flying as he ran straight into the crowded square. He didn't care who or what was in front of him; he plowed through the streets, knocking over wooden crates, tearing past market stalls, and scattering terrified citizens to the sides like a rogue gale.
— Luki-kun! Wait! — Hestia shrieked.
She dashed after him. Surprisingly, her small legs blurred with a sudden, supernatural burst of speed that allowed her to keep him within her sight, tearing down the main avenue right behind him.
Finn let out a sharp, deeply frustrated curse, gripping his spear tightly.
— Dammit, not this shit again...! — the Pallum captain hissed, his eyes locked on the trail of destruction. Whirling around, he yelled over his shoulder at his core members. — Riveria! Gareth! I'm going after them! Handle the Guild reports until I get back!
Without waiting for their response, Finn vanished from the plaza in a sudden, thunderous explosion of speed, leaving a small shockwave of dust in his wake as he pursued the chaotic trail.
The city became nothing more than a blur of colors and distorted shapes to Luki. He sprinted blindly through the winding stone streets of Orario, his vision tunneling completely. The wind roared violently in his feathers, ripping through his blue hair and snapping his clothes against his skin.
To the common citizens and shopkeepers on the sidewalk, he was nothing more than a dangerous, terrifying gust of wind blasting past them, knocking over awnings and rattling glass windows.
Inside his head, his thoughts were entirely broken, fracturing into a chaotic, looping mess.
'Lili... Lili... Lili... She's there. She's really there. I can feel it. I can see her signature. It's her. It's her. Don't disappear. Please, don't disappear before I get there. I'm coming. Lili... Lili...'
The Hostess of Fertility.
Through his heightened, overlapping senses, the physical walls of the tavern didn't even matter. His mind cut straight through the building, mapping out the scene inside.
The pub's usual staff, Mia, Syr, Ryuu, Anya, Chloe, and Lunoire were all gathered in a tight, tense circle on the main floor. They were entirely focused on two figures resting at the center of the room.
One of them was a deity, bt the overwhelming aura of divine entities faintly shimmering and distorting the air around his physical form. The other figure was a tiny, fragile Pallum girl possessing the exact, unmistakable characteristics of Lili.
She was sitting in a wooden chair, her small body completely wrapped in thick layers of heavy, white fabric that looked identical to medical bandages. The god was kneeling directly in front of her on the floor, his expression intensely focused. His hands were hovering just a few centimeters above her pale skin, moving slowly as a faint, ethereal mist gently seeped out of her body and drifted up into the air.
Luki didn't care about the god. He didn't care about the strange mist nor anything. None of that mattered. The only reality that registered in his mind was that she was breathing.
His Lili was finally right there.
Luki continued his frantic sprint, leaning his torso forward as if his entire body was desperately trying to reach out for her, while his arms pumped wildly behind him, cutting through the heavy air.
In that manic blur, without even realizing it, his lips moved in a perfect, instinctual sequence, whispering a single word under his breath.
— Blink...
He vanished.
In the span of a single, literal blink, his vision flashed, and he found himself standing directly in front of the tavern's entrance.
Forcing a fraction of control over his wild emotions, he instantly killed his destructive momentum and lunged toward the heavy wooden door.
— Lili! — he screamed, slamming the door wide open.
The heavy door banged against the wall, instantly freezing the entire room. Inside the tavern, the air grew dead silent as everyone turned to look at the entrance. The girls of the Hostess of Fertility stared at him, their eyes widening in pure shock.
— Luki-kun...?! — Ryuu gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
— Oh my gods, he's actually back! Thank goodness! — Anya cried out, tears instantly welling up in her eyes.
But Luki didn't hear a single word. His eyes were locked entirely on the fragile figure resting in the center of the room.
— Luki-sama...? — Lili called out, her voice a fragile, trembling whisper. She stared back at him, utter disbelief and a rising wave of shock washing over her pale face.
The entire universe seemed to shrink down until there were only the two of them. All the noise, the presence of the waitresses, and the mysterious god faded into absolute nothingness. Weeks of crushing isolation, the agony of a broken promise, and the terrifying certainty of death were exchanged in a single, raw look.
Tears welled up in their eyes, and their muscles trembled under the overwhelming weight of their emotions.
— LUKI-SAMA!!! — Lili shrieked, completely ignoring her injuries.
— LILI!!! — Luki bellowed.
Breaking free from their restraints, they both lunged forward, running toward each other without giving a single damn about the shocked reactions of the people around them.
Luki crashed onto the wooden floorboards, sliding heavily on his knees right into her space. He threw his massive arms around her fragile body, locking her against his chest in a desperate, crushing grip.
— Lili... Lili... I found you... I found you...— Luki choked out, his voice cracking violently as his hands gripped the back of her shirt.
— Luki-sama... You're here... you're really here... — Lili sobbed, her tiny hands clutching his shoulders.
— Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? — he asked repeatedly, his voice breaking as a hot tear spilled down his cheek.
— I'm okay... I'm okay... — Lili shook her head frantically against him her small body trembling. — You came back... you came back for me...
— I'm sorry... — Luki gasped, squeezing her even tighter and burying his face directly into the crook of her neck.
— I'm so sorry, Lili... Thank the gods, fuck... uaaahhh... AAAAH! — a loud, raw wail finally burst out of Luki's throat. His broad shoulders heaved with messy, heavy hiccups, his voice completely cracking as the tears poured without restraint.
— U-Ufhh... Luki-sama... UAAAH! — Lili wept just as loudly, her voice matching his desperate, ugly cries. She buried her face as deeply as she could into his head.
Anya loudly sniffled, wiping her nose with her sleeve as she shuffled a step closer.
— Are you crying, Anya? — Lunoire asked, her own voice cracking sutilmente.
— N-No! Something just fell into my eye! — Anya choked out, wiping her face frantically.
— I don't even know what's going on, but this is just so beautiful! — Chloe mumbled as she blinked back her tears.
Ryuu said nothing, silently reaching up with a trembling finger to wipe a single, stray tear from her cheek. Near the counter, Mia slowly uncrossed her arms, letting out a soft, heavy breath. A rare, uncharacteristic smile traced her stern lips as she shook her head, looking at the crying mess on the floor with quiet understanding.
WHACK!
Mia suddenly brought her large hand down, slapping Ryuu hard on the back. Ryuu winced, instinctively rubbing the sore spot, though her eyes never left the two youths on the floor.
— Looks like that brat you brought in was actually telling the truth after all, Ryuu. — Mia barked out softly, a proud grunt escaping her chest.
Ryuu nodded quietly, continuing to rub her back as she focused entirely on Luki's trembling figure, secretly holding back her own tears as she watched the sheer relief washing over him.
BAM!
The heavy tavern doors flew open, rattling on their hinges. Hestia tumbled inside, clutching her chest and panting frantically for air.
— Luki-kun! — she gasped out, her eyes wide with panic.
Right behind her, Finn skidded to a halt, his spear raised in a tight combat grip, his eyes scanning the room. But as his gaze locked onto the two youths crying in a tangled heap on the floor, the intense focus instantly vanished from his face.
— Well... of course it was that. — Finn murmured under his breath, shaking his head as he let his guard drop all the way.
— Oh... oh, my gods... — Hestia whispered, her hands flying over her mouth.
The panic on her face completely melted away, replaced by a radiant, weeping smile as her own tears spilled over her flushed cheeks. Without a single second thought, she rushed forward, her dress rustling as she dropped directly to her knees right next to them.
— Come, you can cry, let it all out... — Hestia said, throwing her arms around both of them at the same time and joining the messy circle of tears.
Meanwhile, the utterly random God watched everything without reacting, suddenly feeling like a third party.
Silently, he stood up and left, abandoning the group of emotional people to their own problems, not before giving one last look at the Pallum he was looking after.
Anyway, this nightmare was finally over and everything had turned out alright, at least for them. Luki was back stronger than ever, Lili was alive, and all the family and friends were reunited once again.
What will happen now, only the future will tell.