The surrounding walls resembled layers of tree bark, stretching endlessly ahead.
The phosphorescent light that usually illuminated the Dungeon had given way to thick, sprawling moss.
Giant leaves, bizarre flowers, mushrooms of every color towering taller than a person…
Bell felt as though he had stepped into a forest from a giant's kingdom, surrounded by dazzling, otherworldly scenery.
"The [Great Tree Labyrinth] really does live up to its name…"
Bell couldn't help but murmur.
"Cranel-san, is this your first time reaching the latter half of the Middle Floors?"
The blue glow of the moss reflected softly across Ryuu's striking features.
As far as she knew, the deepest floor the boy had ever reached was the safe zone on the eighteenth floor.
"Yeah. This is my first time seeing caverns like these."
Bell and Ryuu walked at the front of the group.
When the composed Elf girl heard about the recent surge in monsters, her brow immediately furrowed.
Ryuu asked to accompany Bell.
She made it clear that even if he refused, she would still follow his trail and head to the twenty-fourth floor on her own.
Bell understood her stubborn nature, and her Level 5 combat strength was far too valuable to ignore.
In the end, he agreed to Ryuu's request, forming a temporary four-person party.
Without wasting time, they advanced along the established route.
"Cranel-san… once again, I'm reminded of just how strong you are…"
Ryuu murmured softly.
Within her line of sight, the boy dealt smoothly with the monsters rushing toward them.
The Hestia Knife cut through the air with a sharp whine.
Before the [Sword Stag] could let out a cry to call its companions, a blue-violet arc sliced off its long horns and pierced straight through the monster's chest.
[Gun Libellula] fired slender needles from their tails.
Deadly, nearly imperceptible spikes tore through the air.
"Watch your right!"
Before Lefiya's warning had even fully left her mouth, Bell twisted his body and fired off a rapid Firebolt attack.
The flames swallowed every needle, wiping out the dragonfly-shaped monsters in the same instant.
"…"
Lefiya and Filvis stared from the back, completely dumbfounded.
"Cranel-san, even on your own, you could easily reach the twenty-fourth floor…"
Ryuu still hadn't made a move.
Almost every monster along the way was taken care of by Bell alone.
If Ais were to fall into danger, Ryuu's combat power would be indispensable. With that in mind, the boy willingly took on the role of clearing the path, allowing the Elf girls to conserve their strength.
The [Bugbear] was astonishingly fast, but only a few seconds later, its massive body slammed straight into the boy's dagger.
[Dark Fungus] spewed clouds of poisonous spores. Bell, as if already prepared, stood right at the edge of the toxic mist and struck the monster down with flawless precision.
These were creatures Bell should have been encountering for the first time.
"Cranel… did you really memorize all the information on these monsters?"
Filvis asked in surprise.
Pushing deeper into the Dungeon was an extremely dangerous task.
Even the Sword Princess, praised as a genius, had to challenge new floors again and again, steadily improving through repeated attempts.
To drastically raise one's maximum reached floor in such a short time through personal ability alone sounded like pure fantasy to other adventurers.
"Yes. All of this is wisdom left behind by those who came before. I'm just walking a road that's already been opened."
Bell had gathered information from countless sources.
What he had learned as a child, what Eina had explained, and the bits of knowledge adventurers casually shared in conversation.
He committed all of it to memory. Even when the Dungeon's monsters differed from the information, he could react immediately.
After this trip to the twenty-fourth floor, Bell had a thorough grasp of every monster in the Middle Floors.
"That may be true, but remembering all of that and reacting instantly… that's still incredible."
Lefiya looked at him with open admiration.
She had already noticed his abnormal memory during their previous time together.
Now that it was right in front of her again, she couldn't help but praise him.
"To advance through the Dungeon, this is all basic knowledge. Lefiya-san is a magic idiot, so of course she can't remember it."
Bell replied with a light laugh.
"Hey… even if you leave out the word 'magic,' that sentence still works, doesn't it?! How dare you look down on me…"
Lefiya puffed up angrily.
"Hehe…"
Filvis listened to their exchange and couldn't hold back her laughter.
She quickly covered her cherry-colored lips, but Lefiya had already shot her a complaining glare.
"E-even Filvis-san…! I'm not an idiot!"
Lefiya protested, only making Filvis laugh even harder.
"Mm…"
Lefiya noticed that ever since Bell joined them, Filvis had been smiling much more often.
That sharp, uncomfortable tension around her had softened noticeably.
Even now, Lefiya still didn't understand why the two of them had suddenly become lovers.
But she could tell that the relationship between Filvis and Bell wasn't quite what it appeared to be.
Their handholding was only for show and was quickly let go.
Lefiya felt confused, yet Filvis's gentle expression still made her feel far more at ease.
"..."
Ryuu didn't say much to Filvis either.
After learning about the nickname [Banshee], she wore an expression of shared sorrow and accepted Filvis without hesitation.
Ryuu glanced at the black-haired elf's smile and, for a fleeting moment, saw another version of herself.
If I became Bell Cranel's lover too… would I end up like this…?!
Ryuu suddenly stumbled and fell.
"Ryuu-san?"
Bell asked with concern.
"Cough—cough."
Ryuu hurriedly stood up, her face burning red as she explained.
"Sorry. I accidentally inhaled some mushroom poison mist."
"Do you need an antidote?"
Bell asked immediately.
"No, it's fine. My [Abnormal Resistance] is enough to handle it."
Ryuu awkwardly brushed the dust off herself and quickly changed the subject.
"Cranel-san, I didn't expect you to remember even the traps here in the Great Tree Labyrinth so clearly."
Ryuu had noticed that Bell never once triggered any of the new traps that might have caused trouble for the group.
"That's true… I suffered a lot because of those poison mists in the past."
Lefiya had learned the traps through repeated painful lessons.
She had been so focused on carefully avoiding them that she'd overlooked the fact that Bell was navigating them perfectly on his very first advance.
"Cranel really is amazing. Even if you memorize the monster and trap data, most people still couldn't deal with it so calmly."
Filvis added in agreement.
This wasn't a written exam where all you had to do was memorize information and write down answers.
The sheer variety of monsters and the overwhelming, suffocating pressure made this an adventure bound directly to life and death.
Even if the mind knew the correct response, the body would instinctively recoil, leading to fatal mistakes.
Yet Bell overcame all of it.
He methodically defeated each monster and led the party forward.
Praise echoed through the passageways.
The elves' smiles stayed by the boy's side the entire way.
And like that, the party safely reached their destination.