"Should be around here."
"The intelligence relayed back by the Soma Familia said that after Ron arrived in the area of the 10th Floor, his figure disappeared directly, and he did not proceed to the deeper Floors either."
"..."
Standing within the area of the 10th Floor.
The bone-piercing chill continuously swept in from all around. Looking at the Floor before her, shrouded in thick frost fog, Daphne could not help but frown as vigilance rose within her.
As a member of the Apollo Familia, an exploration-focused Familia.
Dungeon exploration was routine for them. As a high-ranking Lv2 adventurer, Daphne had traveled to and from the current Floor many times.
However, she had never seen such a sight.
Normally, Dungeon mechanisms appear in cycles. They generally do not last particularly long, nor do they render visibility completely lost as before her eyes now.
"Could it be…"
"That Ron got lost inside?"
For an ordinary Lv2 adventurer, as long as sufficient vigilance is maintained, one would not usually encounter too much danger. Yet the thick mechanism before her caused Daphne to feel a trace of unease.
So—
Hyakinthos had handed this kind of dirty and exhausting work entirely over to her.
The girl's slender brows, tightly knitted, showed no sign of easing. Recalling the "Abnormal Situation" that had occurred half a month ago, could their luck really be that bad?
In this kind of situation, reason told Daphne that the best course would be to return to the Adventurers Guild and report the matter truthfully. But if it were truly as she had guessed—
If Ron had been trapped in the Dungeon's Abnormal Situation.
Would it not also be an opportunity?
Just as she hesitated, Cassandra, who spoke relatively little, somehow produced a torch from somewhere and walked to the frost fog mechanism that enveloped the 10th Floor.
"Eh~"
"This torch really seems to have the effect of dispersing the mist!"
Hearing her close friend's exclamation, Daphne raised her head and looked forward, only to see the thick mechanism, upon sensing the arrival of flame, parting and scattering one after another.
Gradually revealing the Floor's original appearance.
She murmured softly, "Could this situation be a chain reaction brought about by the 'Abnormal Situation'? Seen this way, it does seem much more reasonable."
"..."
There was no reason that so many adventurers going back and forth would escape the Guild's notice regarding the commotion here.
Out of confidence in her own strength, as well as the task arranged by Hyakinthos, after hesitating for a moment, Daphne still chose to proceed deeper into the Floor.
No matter how much explanation there might be, it would not compare to lending a hand when the other party was in danger.
This could also appropriately improve the poor impression that Hyakinthos had previously left on Ron. The girl decisively drew the slender short sword hanging at her waist.
However, when Daphne and Cassandra entered the frost fog mechanism, they did not encounter any dangerous situation at all; they did not even see the shadow of a monster.
The process was extremely smooth.
Until they clearly saw the magnificent, abandoned complex of buildings located at the rear of the Floor, the intense visual impact caused them to stop involuntarily.
It was as if an ancient civilization had been left behind within the Dungeon.
These architectural styles were types never before seen in Orario, yet without exception, all were extremely dilapidated, as though they had experienced some kind of catastrophe.
The moss covering the broken walls and ruins was already enough to prove the passage of a long time.
"This…"
"If I remember correctly, the Dungeon before should not… have looked like this, right?"
Daphne subconsciously swallowed.
Her exploration experience over the past two years, as well as her role as a "Commander" within the Apollo Familia, made familiarity with the environment of each Floor the most basic requirement.
The problem was…
She suddenly realized that all the related preparation she had done in the past seemed to have completely lost all effect after the "Abnormal Situation" occurred.
"If I am not mistaken…"
"Ron should be in this area, right?"
From the shattered sculptures on the ground and the extremely conspicuous demon head, all of it indicated—
There must have been an extremely fierce battle here before.
Even the monsters had undergone abnormal changes.
Daphne took a deep breath, trying hard to calm the emotions within her, but the gloomy surroundings constantly brought an extremely strong sense of oppression.
But why, were members of the Soma Familia able to successfully reach the 11th Floor to lie in wait?
To become a qualified "Familia Commander," a clear mind was a necessary element. Combining these scattered clues, she formed a bold conjecture.
As well as the true reason why the god Apollo had begun tracking Ron.
"…"
'It cannot be that the Dungeon's abnormal change was caused by Ron, right?'
Before obtaining definite evidence, Daphne did not choose to tell Cassandra her inner conjecture. After all, with her personality, she might leak it during conversation.
After confirming that there were no mutated monsters in the surroundings, only then did she feel at ease enough to bring her close friend to search this area for traces of adventurers. The most conspicuous place of all was none other than the fog gate at the top of the building complex.
"..."
The mist, as though chaotic in nature, was almost materialized.
But what could be certain was—passing through this unprecedented gate would surely lead to an unknown area. They had come to find Ron in order to negotiate.
That did not mean they would throw away their lives without any preparation.
And since there were no adventurers around the ancient ruins, Daphne could confirm that Ron was definitely inside. What needed to be done next was to wait in place.
'We should be able to wait until he comes out.'
'That's fine too.'
'At least we can enjoy some peace and quiet in the Dungeon.' Yet when this thought arose in her mind, she unexpectedly felt a rare sense of absurdity.
In addition, there was her curiosity about the secret Ron carried.
So, was it merely a coincidence, or was there another reason?
Just as Daphne was filled with confusion and wanted to obtain an answer, she raised her head and discovered a figure draped in a grayish-brown cloak quietly approaching the "fog gate."
There was not the slightest sound.
Even, she could not detect any noise at all, as if the figure had appeared out of thin air.
What could be confirmed was that the adventurer before her was absolutely many levels stronger than herself. But why did she feel such unfamiliarity?
Daphne did not speak.
She reached out and gently tugged at Cassandra's sleeve, attempting to make the thoroughly flustered girl remain calm. If the other party intended to stir up trouble proactively, the only thing they could do was to declare their identity as members of the Apollo Familia…
However, events did not develop in the direction Daphne had anticipated. As if sensing her presence, the green-haired girl did not turn her head.
In her extremely cold tone, however, there was a reminder regarding safety: "It's quite dangerous here. My advice is not to linger too long in the 'Abnormal Situation' area, in order to prevent the Dungeon's extreme situation from occurring."
"..."
At least she did not seem like a bad person.
Daphne's tightly clenched heart finally lost its initial tension, and that suffocating sensation quietly dissipated. Just as she was about to offer a simple explanation, the ancient fog gate standing before them seemed as though it had suddenly been pressed on pause. Immediately after, two adventurer figures were seen passing through the fog gate, and the black-haired boy at the front was the target of their trip.
Ron.
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