Dust hung in the air, and the roaring gradually faded into the distance.
Bell got off Lefiya and stared in shock at the scene before him.
The explosion had blown away a vast section on the left side of the floor. What emerged from the smoke was a hellish abyss.
A trap had blown through part of the Dragon's Vase's floors?!
The Dungeon's walls and floors were extremely sturdy. An ordinary explosion could never have done this. Had someone deliberately hollowed out the ground and packed it with Kaenseki, or was this part of the Dragon's Vase special to begin with?
The fireballs spat by the Valgang Dragons were not all that powerful. A top-class Level 5 Adventurer like Tiona could cancel one out with a slash. And yet, those Flame Pillars could punch through layer after layer of floor and reach Floor 52. From that perspective, the ground in the Dragon's Vase really was not especially hard.
Faced with the massive, unexpected explosion, Bell quickly regained his composure and began analyzing the cause.
"Thank you for protecting me."
Lefiya hurried to her feet and thanked Bell sincerely.
She had resolved not to hold anyone back, but as a Level 3 Mage, her reactions were still a step slower than everyone else's.
The instant the explosion happened, Bell had been the first to react. He shouted for everyone to get down, then tackled the stunned Lefiya to the ground.
A wave of heat surged over them like lava, and all the stones hurled out by the blast were stopped by the boy's body.
Lefiya understood how abnormal the situation was, so she did not waste time making a fuss. She quickly took a potion from her backpack, pulled out the cork, and brought it to the boy's lips.
Bell said nothing more. As he checked on everyone else, he drank the potion.
"Watch out for Wyvern attacks! Head for the right passageway first and get away from the explosion zone!"
Bell swiftly gave his orders.
"Riveria-sama, thank you for saving me! And Bell Cranel, thank you for your instructions as well. I'm truly grateful!"
Under the Elf princess's protection, Alicia had not been hurt by the explosion at all.
Everything had happened so suddenly that her thoughts were still in disarray.
"..."
Emerald protection shimmered over everyone.
Riveria paid no attention to Alicia's repeated thanks. Following the boy's instructions, she ran toward the other side of the passageway.
Only a few seconds had passed, but Riveria's heart was still pounding.
Bell Cranel's premonition had been right.
If the boy had not been on guard and sent the Ill Wyverns ahead to scout for them, then leaving aside the first-tier adventurers, Mages like Lefiya and Alicia would surely have ended up like the Enhanced Species, without even a trace of their bodies left behind.
As Riveria marveled at the boy's intelligence, the sweet feelings of love were accompanied by a faint unease.
The boy had avoided the enemy's trap through sheer wit, but those frenzied Wyverns seemed to carry the Dungeon's malice, driving them toward the trap.
The shockwave from the explosion had already faded, and the roaring had fallen far away toward Floor 58.
Was that the end of it?
Was the despair born from the Dungeon's malice and the enemy's killing intent truly limited to this explosion?
The Dragon's Vase itself could already be pierced by the Valgang Dragons' Flame Pillars. Would the Juggernaut mentioned by Gale really be born on such a special Floor?
Riveria hid her worries and carefully watched every movement around them.
"The fireballs are coming less often. Ais, fall back for now. We'll adjust our formation before deciding what to do next!"
Bell sent his order to the blonde girl within the storm.
Protected by her Wind Armor, Ais had not been affected by the explosion. She continued swinging her rapier, cutting down the monsters flooding in from the right passageway.
The enemy had set such a vicious trap, trying to kill the people she cherished. She could never forgive them.
Kill.
She had to kill them all.
Ais's wind carried traces of anger and hatred. The Desperate Sword in her hand seemed to thirst for the blood of revenge as it stabbed toward the monsters before her.
Only after hearing the boy's voice did Ais rein in the thoughts that had nearly slipped their leash. She cut apart the fireballs fired by the Wyverns while retreating.
At that moment, aside from Ais, another girl was also in poor condition.
"Hah... hah..."
Ryuu suppressed the tremor in her heart and gasped for breath.
On Floor 27, her mind had been consumed by the flames of hatred, allowing her to ignore the roar of the explosion and chase after Jura relentlessly.
But this explosion was completely different.
Its scale was several times larger.
And it had happened with terrifying speed, a completely unexpected ambush.
Ryuu could not help recalling the nightmare of the past, and her heart would not stop trembling.
She tried her hardest to control her emotions so the others would not worry and so she would not become a burden, but her pale cheeks and ragged breathing betrayed what she was feeling.
"Stay alert! No one fall behind!"
Bell did not try to comfort her. Instead, he calmly shouted his orders.
He reached out with his right hand and took Ryuu's left.
It was almost like a ritual. The instant their fingers intertwined, endless warmth flowed into Ryuu's heart.
In only a moment, Ryuu stopped trembling.
Bell's right hand did not linger. After that silent gesture of concern, he placed it on the hilt of the [Goddess's Blade].
"..."
Ryuu knew full well that danger surrounded them, so she withdrew her left hand in silent understanding.
She sealed that warmth deep in her heart and drew the katana at her waist.
Ryuu did not lose herself in the warmth of his palm. Not even the guilt toward her friend that she had once felt arose within her.
The boy had given her courage. She had to step forward and protect him.
That firm resolve took root and bloomed in Ryuu's heart like a beautiful flower in a field of blossoms. And as if answering it, golden, emerald, golden-yellow... the other flowers also bloomed with resolve.
However…
None of them could have imagined it.
Before [Calamity], that beautiful resolve symbolizing love would prove so terribly fragile.
…
"Heh. It should be about time, shouldn't it?"
Inside a certain cavern, the red-haired woman was talking to herself.
A malicious smile clung to her face, and even the Magic Stone she placed in her mouth seemed to taste a little better.
"I thought having [that] would be enough to deal with Aria and the others, but that white-haired brat really is detestable."
The red-haired woman bit down hard and crushed the Magic Stone. Her bright red lips still seemed stained with a monster's blood.
In this cruel world, strength decided everything.
That should have been an unquestionable truth, yet the boy had overturned it completely.
The red-haired woman wanted nothing more than to tear him limb from limb.
She suddenly crushed the red fruit in her hand, took a bite, then casually threw it aside.
The phosphorescent light reflected her face. She seemed to be picturing the white-haired boy's miserable death, and her smile grew even more unnerving.
"Show me what you can do, monster."
Forging tragedy.
Clearing away foreign objects.
An assassination weapon that existed solely for slaughter.
[The Calamity], Juggernaut, was born.
***
...
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
[email protected]/PinkSnake (70 Chapters Ahead).
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.
***