A crimson glow drew their eyes forward.
Bell walked at the front, alert for traps and ambushes at every step.
Filvis stood ready to chant barrier Magic at any moment.
Ryuu rested her right hand on the hilt of her sword.
Lefiya gripped her wand tightly, following close behind without falling a single step behind the others.
What awaited them was a massive hole.
The moment they stepped inside, their field of vision widened abruptly.
Green walls stretched along the perimeter, covered in countless grotesque flower buds.
But even more shocking than that were the monstrous, enormous Violas coiled around the quartz pillars.
"That's… a Viola?"
Lefiya stared at the gigantic monster in the center, a chill crawling up her spine.
The Violas they had encountered before were already large enough. The one before them was several times bigger.
A brilliantly colored bloom. A massive body comparable to a Floor Boss. And countless tentacles like giant serpents, wrapped tightly around red crystals.
There were three of them.
"They're absorbing nutrients from the Pantry."
Bell studied the enormous creatures carefully.
Whenever the red quartz pillars seeped liquid, the monsters' bodies gave a faint, unsettling twitch.
As if greedily sucking it down.
"So this is the source of the Pantry's mutation…"
Ryuu's eyes brimmed with fighting spirit.
The giant Violas' tentacles were anchored to the walls and ceiling.
The green fleshy walls themselves were the true bodies of these creatures.
"Should I just chant Magic and burn them?"
Lefiya asked quietly.
The giant Violas seemed oblivious to their presence, continuing their "feeding" as before.
"Wait…"
Bell frowned.
He carefully surveyed the surroundings, taking in every detail.
These giant Violas weren't like the female-type monsters they had encountered in Rivira Town. They felt more like an enhanced species of Viola.
If Lefiya began chanting Magic recklessly, it would likely draw their hostility immediately.
And this place was far too strange.
Large cages had been placed in the corners of the massive hole.
If his guess was correct, those were likely used to transport the Violas.
Were the buds lining the walls all immature Violas?
How had the enemy managed to cultivate such specific monsters?
And why was there no one here?
Was it really just because Ais had lured the red-haired woman away?
No.
Bell didn't think it was that simple.
The enemy was clearly protecting something. There was no way they would abandon such a crucial core so carelessly.
"Don't rush into chanting Magic. Keep an eye on the buds in the walls and observe a little longer."
Bell shifted cautiously.
As his view changed, he noticed something at the base of one of the quartz pillars.
It was a grotesque sphere containing a female fetus.
As if seeking the concept of a mother from the Dungeon itself, it greedily absorbed nutrients, trembling faintly.
"The [Jewel] we saw in Rivira Town…?"
For a split second, Lefiya's eyes met the enormous, almost human-sized pupil within it. Her hair stood on end.
She swallowed and forced herself to speak.
"Let's take it while we have the chance!"
The [Jewel] was connected to Ais.
If they could seize it before the Violas noticed, Ais would surely be able to use her Wind Magic without restraint.
Bell raised his hand, stopping the battle-eager golden-haired elf.
"Ugh... where are you touching?!"
Lefiya flushed bright red, clutching her chest as she stumbled back a step.
"You're the one who ran into me, Lefiya-san."
Bell let out a soft laugh.
"Ugh... idiot!"
Lefiya swallowed the urge to charge at him.
Despite the eerie space surrounding them, the tension in the air eased considerably.
Just then, a figure stepped out from behind a quartz pillar.
"Honestly. I went through the trouble of preparing traps, and you lot are here flirting instead."
The man was dressed entirely in white, his face hidden behind a grotesque bone mask. His tall frame gave off a chilling, oppressive presence.
"No wonder Revis brought you up..."
His voice was laced with mockery, yet the gaze piercing through the mask was like a bloodstained spear, stabbing toward Bell with naked malice.
So there really was a trap...
Bell felt no satisfaction at having guessed correctly. He quickly assessed the white-clad man's identity and spoke.
"Before we start fighting, how about we talk?"
"Hm...?"
Lefiya blinked in confusion at his suggestion, but before she could object, Ryuu caught her by the arm.
The elf girls remained where they stood, silently watching over the boy.
"Talk...?"
The white-clad man repeated the word, suspicion creeping into his tone.
"Well, this is such a grand stage. Wouldn't it be a shame if there were no audience?"
Bell smiled faintly.
"Hahaha! Fair enough. Since you're all as good as dead, you might as well entertain me."
The man narrowed his yellow-green eyes, his voice dripping with disdain.
"So those cages are how you transport the Viola plants to the surface?"
Bell took advantage of the man's good mood, probing for information.
"That's right. We let the Violas parasitize this place and produce Viola blooms, then ship them up in cages. That way, even monsters from the Deep Floors can be delivered to the surface with ease."
He answered without hesitation.
"So those buds really are monsters...?"
Lefiya stared at them in shock.
Monsters were born from the Dungeon. Even the gods had never claimed that monsters could reproduce and create new monsters.
"That voice... No, that's impossible... Vendetta should already be dead..."
Filvis glared at the white-clad man, her lips trembling.
"Vendetta... the mastermind behind the Nightmare of the 27th Floor?"
Ryuu's brows knitted tightly together.
Under Vendetta—Olivas Act's—plan, Evilus had lured countless adventurer parties to the 27th Floor before triggering a massive monster rampage. It made no distinction between ally and enemy, human or monster. Even the Floor Boss had been dragged into the chaos.
By the time Ryuu and the others arrived, the scene had become a sea of blood, broken corpses piled high.
Olivas, the mastermind, had been devoured by monsters until only his legs remained. He had long since been confirmed dead.
Why would Filvis believe that someone who had already died could return?
"The Nightmare of the 27th Floor...?"
Lefiya's lips trembled.
She looked toward Filvis. The elf's face had gone pale, twisted by rage and shock.
"Heh... hehahahahaha! So this elf is a survivor of that little incident?!"
Olivass removed the bone mask, letting his ominous white hair spill free.
The moment Filvis saw his face, her beautiful features contorted with fury.
"You caused that tragedy, and you dare continue living?! Not only my comrades... even I..."
Killing intent burst from her in waves.
Olivass only laughed louder.
"I did die once. But it was [her] who granted me a second life!"
He pulled open his white robe.
What came into view were monstrous yellow-green legs.
The being before them was no longer human.
A monster?
A hybrid?
No one knew.
And no one wanted to know.
Human instinct rejected him. An elf's noble sensibilities found him utterly abhorrent.
Whatever he was, he was something grotesque.
Lefiya fought down the nausea and fear rising in her throat and forced out a single word.
"Creature..."
The whisper drew a sharp line between them.
Fear carved a gulf too wide to cross.
Filvis stood frozen in place, unable to say a single word.