Monsters packed together in dense ranks, clogging the road like a crawling mass of ants. Some of them noticed the Light Shield and surged toward Bell and the others in swarms.
"I'll explain this magic later. We're breaking through right now."
Bell lowered his stance, ready to charge. He glanced at the slightly hesitant Lefiya and added,
"Lefiya-san, do you want me to carry you?"
"Uh…? I'm fine on my own!"
An embarrassing memory flashed through her mind, and Lefiya's fear immediately eased.
All she needed to do, along with Filvis and the others, was stay close behind Bell.
"Then let's move."
Bell shot Ryuu a look, and she nodded in silent understanding. If anyone fell behind or something went wrong in the rear, Ryuu would handle it.
The light shield flared brilliantly as the monster horde charged in with deafening roars.
Bell calmly studied the grotesque mass for a brief moment, pinpointing the weakest section.
The next instant.
The charge began.
The wall of light burst forward together with the boy.
"Ooooooh?!!"
Shrill monster screams mixed with a violent crash.
The speed-proud Bugbear slammed into the light barrier first, its enormous body blasted away by the impact and sent tumbling through heaps of other monsters.
The wind screamed as Bell's charge never slowed.
Several Gun Libellulas fired long needles, all of them intercepted by the Light Shield.
The pure white radiance surged like a war chariot, smashing aside massive monsters as it tore through the tide of enemies.
Black mist rose as smaller, bloodthirsty creatures were crushed without mercy.
Amid unending howls.
Bell Cranel collided head-on with the monster army.
"Ugh…"
Lefiya clenched her staff tightly and ran with all her strength.
The immense light shield blocked everything. Not a single monster, not even a flying needle, slipped past to the rear.
The luminous barrier, once meant to protect several people, had now become a weapon of pure momentum.
Monsters screamed as flesh and blood sprayed through the air.
Afraid she might stumble and fall behind, Lefiya kept her eyes locked on Bell's back.
"You look better now," Filvis said gently.
"Mm…"
Lefiya answered while still running.
Their pace wasn't even close to the boy's limit.
While consuming magic to maintain the Light Shield, Bell was also enduring the recoil of each brutal impact.
Perhaps that was why he had chosen to let Lefiya run on her own.
If the light shield were to dissipate, Bell would be the first to bear the danger. Lefiya sensed that consideration, and the last traces of fear vanished from her heart. She made a quiet decision.
If anything truly went wrong, she would immediately begin chanting magic to help Bell Cranel escape the situation.
Filvis and Ryuu shared the same resolve. All of them had accepted Bell's protection, placing the full weight of responsibility on his shoulders. Bell had only just reached Lv.3 and was even setting foot in the Great Tree Labyrinth for the first time, yet he was already carrying far more than he should.
Holy light continued to shine. The elf girls watched Bell's back, feeling both overwhelming reassurance and deep concern for him. To their surprise, the light shield never wavered. No one would have imagined that this boy, who often fought monsters at close range, possessed latent magic power that far surpassed other mages of the same level.
"Filvis, this is for you."
Without releasing his enchantment, Bell lifted his left hand behind him.
"...?"
Filvis was taken aback by how effortlessly composed he seemed. Keeping pace, she accepted the object in his hand with confusion.
"?!"
Cool to the touch, clear and gleaming. What Filvis held was a beautiful red gemstone.
"This… what is it?"
She asked softly, puzzled.
"I picked it from the gem tree we passed earlier. It's as clear as your beautiful crimson eyes, Filvis-san. I thought it suited you."
Bell replied quietly without turning around.
"?!"
"Thank you…"
Filvis had no idea what expression she was wearing. Judging by the sudden heat surging up from her chest, her face must have been completely red. The terrifying monsters and their shrill cries seemed to fade away. In Filvis's eyes, the world was reduced to nothing but the pure white boy ahead of her and the scarlet gem in her hand.
"Ugh… so you jumped up just to pick a gem… I was so worried about you…"
Lefiya glanced at the extremely flustered Filvis beside her and couldn't help complaining. She had thought Bell had leapt that high because something truly dangerous had appeared.
Wasn't this supposed to be a critical moment?!
And he still had the nerve to do something like this…
Lefiya was absolutely certain she didn't feel jealous.
Gem trees were incredibly rare. Even selling just the fruits from the upper branches could bring in a huge sum of money.
"Lefiya-san, this one's for you."
Bell handed over another gem, this one a deep blue.
"Uh…? I, I don't need it…"
Lefiya stared at the sparkling gem, the delight in her eyes completely betraying the refusal on her lips.
"Huh? I think it suits you really well, Lefiya-san."
Bell continued running, not pulling back his hand.
"I-if you say so… then I'll accept your kindness… th-thank you…"
Lefiya adjusted her pace and carefully took the blue gem. She gripped it tightly, as if it were a priceless treasure, afraid it might slip from her hand. Bathed in pure white light, Lefiya couldn't help forgetting her fear, a faint smile forming on her face.
Ryuu glanced at the two of them and frowned.
"Cranel-san, that was extremely dangerous. Please be more careful."
Guardians were usually found near treasures. The gem tree on the twenty-fourth floor was protected by the strongest Green Dragon on that level. Its latent strength rivaled that of a Lv.4 and was absolutely not something to take lightly.
"Ryuu-san, I picked three gems from the tree. This last green one is for you."
Bell repeated what he had done earlier.
"..."
Ryuu hesitated for a moment before responding.
"Cranel-san, that warning earlier wasn't meant for something like this…"
"I know about the Green Dragon. Thank you for reminding me."
Bell paused briefly, then continued,
"I plan to use the Green Dragon's habits to cover our retreat. Could you accept this gem?"
"..."
Ryuu understood his intention. As the one who took the treasure, the guardian would pursue relentlessly. From a safety standpoint, it was better for her to accept the gem, so Bell wouldn't have to shoulder even more risk alone.
"...I understand. I'll take good care of it, Cranel-san."
Ryuu accepted the green gem from Bell's hand.
Its smooth, crystalline surface still seemed to retain his warmth, as if his fingerprints lingered on it.
"Wait… does this gem attract Green Dragons? I've never heard of that?!"
Hearing the roar coming from behind, Lefiya shuddered.
"That's right. It's catching up. Lefiya-san, if you're scared, you can throw it away."
Bell answered calmly.
Hearing that, Lefiya instead tightened her grip.
"Ugh… I can't let Filvis-san and the others take the risk… I absolutely—"
"Absolutely won't throw it away!"