The camp was quiet, the kind of quiet that only came when experienced adventurers knew tomorrow would be ugly.
Finn stood near the map table, fingers resting lightly on the edge as he spoke, his voice steady and measured.
"So the plan for tomorrow is clear," he said. "Damien moves ahead alone with his Shadows. He scouts the route, identifies traps, abnormal spawns, and dungeon responses. Any critical information gets relayed back through the communication device Riveria prepared. Every time an expedition approaches the Fiftieth Floor, the Dungeon pushes back harder. This one will be no different."
Damien nodded without hesitation. "I'll deal with what I can before you arrive. If something feels too dangerous to handle solo, I'll fall back and assist from the rear. Otherwise, I'll just pass the intel along."
Gareth crossed his arms, a thoughtful hum leaving his throat. "From Floor Forty to Forty Four, it'll take us two to three days at least. You moving alone? Faster. Much faster. Still, those floors aren't what worry me."
He glanced up, eyes hardening.
"It's Forty Four to Forty Eight."
"The Crimson Mountains," Damien said quietly.
Finn nodded. "Exactly. Unstable terrain, narrow paths, lava flows everywhere. Monsters that can hide inside magma itself. Even killing them becomes a problem when you can't reach the body."
"I see," Damien replied. "I'll focus on mapping safe routes and identifying ambush zones."
He paused, then frowned slightly. "What about the Monster Rex? Even the Guild's records are thin. Almost nonexistent."
Finn exhaled slowly. "Because none of us here have ever personally defeated it. Balor is different. When Freya Familia challenged it, Ottar held it back for an extended period before they finally brought it down. That coincided with our own expedition at the time."
Gareth nodded grimly. "Balor's response cycle is long. Up to nine months. It's the strongest Monster Rex we know of so far."
"So we're expecting a very difficult fight," Damien said.
"Yes," Finn replied. "And unlike other Rexes, Balor doesn't block the descent to Floor Fifty. Floor Forty Nine is a massive open zone. We could lure it away and slip past."
Riveria finally spoke, her tone calm but heavy.
"The problem is what happens after. We don't know if Balor is intelligent enough to realize we passed it. If it sets a trap on our return route…" She adjusted her glasses. "We'd be exhausted, low on resources, injured. Losses would be unimaginable."
"That's why we're considering killing it before passing," Finn added.
"If we're not fully prepared, we risk losing too many people and ending the expedition," Riveria said.
"And if we ignore it," Finn continued, "we risk facing it on the way back."
Damien studied their expressions. "So you're not in agreement."
"No, they are not" Gareth said bluntly. "Balor's been the biggest problem in our planning."
"I say we kill it," Damien said calmly.
Riveria turned sharply toward him. "Damien, Balor is dangerous. It's not that we can't kill it. It's that killing it might cost us half the expedition. That's not a victory."
"I understand," Damien replied. "And I agree."
Riveria opened her mouth to continue.
"I want to solo it."
The words landed like a bomb.
"WHAT?" Finn, Gareth, and Riveria all exclaimed at once.
"You don't even have full information on the beast," Finn said sharply. "Balor isn't like the other Rexes!"
"I know," Damien replied. "And I still want to do it. But I'm not being reckless. I have a plan."
Riveria narrowed her eyes. "And that plan is?"
Damien vanished.
One moment he was standing in front of her. The next, he was behind Gareth.
Riveria's eyes widened. Finn's grip tightened on his spear. Gareth froze.
"Is that…" Riveria murmured.
"Teleportation?" Damien asked, reappearing casually. "No. Something similar."
He smiled. "I can exchange places with my Shadows. I'll leave one with you. I engage Balor and keep it occupied. You pass safely. If I win, great. If I'm about to lose, I retreat instantly."
Silence followed.
Gareth finally let out a low whistle. "That's either the dumbest idea I've heard… or the smartest."
Finn rubbed his chin. "It's still extremely dangerous."
"Danger is part of the Dungeon," Damien said evenly. "And if our theory is right, if the Dungeon really is alive, then it wants Rexes beaten. If we avoid them, it might just throw something worse at us deeper down."
Riveria studied him carefully. "I don't like risking you."
Damien met her gaze without flinching. "Trust me. I'm not chasing glory. If there's no path to victory, I abort immediately."
The tent fell quiet again.
Finally, Finn nodded. "If you're that confident… then we'll entrust Balor to you."
Damien smiled. "Thanks for trusting me, Finn."
...
The air in the camp had turned dense, a silent pressure that replaced yesterday's celebratory clamor. Damien moved through the orderly rows of tents, observing Adventurers checking gear with a focused, grim diligence. The banquet's laughter was a ghost; in its place was the sharpening of blades and the low murmur of strategy. They had reached the uncharted apex of the expedition. Fear, palpable and cold, hung in the mist. Yet, Damien felt a familiar pull in his chest. Fear wasn't weakness here; it was a whetstone, grinding away complacency and honing instinct to a razor's edge.
He passed a final group, their eyes wide with the unknown, and approached one of the camp's largest pavilions. Pushing through the entrance flap, the scent of dried herbs and parchment washed over him.
"Riveria?" he called into the dim, partitioned space. "Lifeya said you wanted to discuss something?"
Her voice came from behind a silken veil dividing the tent, clear and composed. "Yes. I wish to resume studying you."
"Oh?" Damien replied, a note of cautious surprise in his tone as he stepped forward. "Really? That's surprising. I don't know if that's such a good idea..." His hand reached out, fingers brushing the delicate fabric. "I thought you said—"
He pushed the veil aside. The words died in his throat.
Riveria stood before him, bathed in the soft glow of enchanted crystals. She was not in her regal robes or battle attire. She wore a gown of the deepest forest green, so finely spun it was utterly translucent. The ethereal fabric clung to nothing, serving only to highlight the magnificent truth beneath: the elegant, sweeping curve of her waist, the gentle flare of her hips, and, most arresting of all, the perfect, perky shape of her breasts, their rosy tips faintly visible through the sheer material.
"Hello," she said, a soft, knowing smile gracing her lips. Her hands were clasped demurely behind her back, a pose that only emphasized the unashamed display of her body. "I am going to study you... in a different way today."
"Wow," Damien breathed, his gaze traveling a slow, reverent path over her. "Never would have thought you'd be the one to initiate something like this."
"Neither would I," she admitted, her smile turning wistful. "But... I can no longer lie to myself. I find you attractive, and a suitable mate. I can envision a life shared with you as a distinct possibility." She took a small step forward, the sheer gown shifting like mist. "You have shown me only kindness, even when I erected walls of ice. I chose a life of celibacy as a shield—a defense against the fear of death, and the terror of losing a partner. But I have realized... I should not deny myself my own desires as a woman."
She met his eyes, her emerald gaze holding a vulnerability he had never seen there. "So, Damien... I have no logical reason why it must be you. I cannot articulate why this feeling for you exists. Yet, since the day we met, it has dominated my thoughts. No other man has ever occupied such a place within my heart. This... is my confession to you."
Damien listened, the tension of the camp outside forgotten, replaced by the profound intimacy thickening the air between them. He looked at the proud, beautiful elf princess standing before him in vulnerable offering, and a warm, genuine smile touched his lips.
"You had me at 'Hello,'" he said, his voice low and thick with emotion.
He closed the distance between them in two strides. His hands came up to cradle her face, his touch gentle yet firm. Then he leaned in, capturing her lips in a deep, slow, and utterly loving kiss, sealing her confession with his answer.
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