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123. In the Drizzle

The 27th floor of the S-Rank dungeon ‘Farthest Ends of the Blue’.

This floor was covered in a deep coniferous forest, where a cold drizzle fell from no visible source. A world painted in nothing but black and white. In its midst, seven were running at full speed—three humans and four Werewolves, all short of breath.

One of the humans glanced around and raised his voice to the armored swordsman leading the group.

「Captain Bellman! Both Route Three and Route Four are completely blocked! There’s no path forward or back!」

「Do not panic! Remember, if we falter, the Werewolf behind us will be thrown into confusion as well!」

「The dungeon had been completely stable until now… Why all of a sudden!?」

「Tch—Everyone, brace for tremors!」

「A-Another one’s comingggg—!!」

A deep rumble echoed from below, followed by a violent tremor that rocked the entire floor. Some of the Werewolves flattened themselves to the ground, others clung to trees—following Bellman’s warning. But even the bravest among them had never experienced the earth itself shifting beneath their feet. No one could completely hide their fear and fatigue.

Staring up at the trembling forest blurred by mist, Bellman muttered under his breath.

「For an S-Rank dungeon, a quake wouldn’t be surprising… but this is different…」

The S-Rank dungeon Farthest Ends of the Blue sat adjacent to the hidden wolf village. It was a vast natural labyrinth of forests and lakes, stretching across fifty-two floors. Since its monsters were wiped out by none other than their leader Skill Lender Marge Siu, the dungeon had served the Werewolves as a source of water, fuel, and rare ores such as mithril.

But the environment of an S-Rank dungeon brimmed with chaos and irregularity. Those who thought of it as merely a big cave without monsters would find themselves quickly undone, swallowed by the very ground they stood on. Proper preparation, knowledge, and experience were all essential.

The current exploration and mining crew included Bellman and two other former elite soldiers—once prisoners of war, now residents of the wolf village—formerly known as the ‘Bellman Squad’ from duke Avik’s private knights.

Accompanying them were young Werewolves under their tutelage, learning the ropes of fieldwork. The seven of them had been exploring the middle floors when the violent tremors and sudden shifts in terrain struck the dungeon.

They had barely escaped the collapsing walls and ground, but their situation was far from improving. After confirming all seven members were present, Bellman repeatedly groaned in thought.

「Our path is blocked in every direction. The earth roars from beneath us so loudly we can’t even rest. Hrm. Hrm.」

「Captain, do you have any ideas…?」

「Of course not. I’m just impressed. This is a completely new experience!」

「It is indeed impressive, but still!」

Faced with what seemed to be certain doom, Bellman burst out in hearty laughter. The mage beside him, looking like he wanted to say he’s finally lost it, shook his captain’s shoulders with urgency.

With both the earth and his own body swaying, Bellman’s smile only grew wider.

「Ha-ha-ha, you’re making me dizzy. Stop, please—I’ll really get sick.」

「Captain, what’s so funny!? Do you realize how dire this is!?」

「I do, which is exactly why I’m laughing. Besides, Marge-dono, Shizuku-dono, and Geli-dono are all above ground. If we’re late returning, they’ll come looking for us. All we need to do is steel ourselves and wait for help to arrive. I, for one, can’t wait to see the look on their faces when I hand them this souvenir!」

「A souvenir? What are you talking about?」

「Everyone, listen!」

This was something he had to share with them all. Even as the ground continued its subtle trembling, Bellman straightened up and made a grand declaration.

「It has been some time since Marge-dono conquered this dungeon, Farthest Ends of the Blue. So tell me—why has this dungeon persisted without crumbling or vanishing after the defeat of its ‘King’?」

A black-haired young Werewolf, his face smeared with mud, answered. Though exhaustion weighed on his features, his eyes widened slightly in realization.

「Wasn’t it because… a new ‘King’ was placed in the depths to replace the original? Wait—no, it can’t be!」

「Indeed. Marge-dono brought back the egg of the serpent-dragon Vritra from the Abyss Where Evil Comes From. By placing it where the ‘King’ once ruled, no new monsters appeared, and the dungeon remained silent, unchanged. But now it has stirred. There can be only one conclusion. Kukuku, it certainly kept us in suspense!」

Bellman laughed grandly, arms wide open.

To him, this dungeon had become a second home. Unlike the days when he was swept up in the fanatical ideology of the knight order, these past three years had been intense and rich—spent guiding young people, providing for the people, and challenging nature itself.

So this event—the rebirth of the dungeon—was a joy to him as well.

「The egg is hatching! The deathless dragon, young Vritra! A new ‘King’ is about to be born!」

「B-But! Should we really be happy about this!? It’s still a monster! What if it grows and turns on us…!?」

「Marge-dono already slew an adult Vritra. A young one should be of no consequence to him. There’s no need to worry about the future right now. Let’s just focus on surviving. First things first—let’s find a place to sleep! We’ve got good news to share, and I’d rather not greet our rescuers looking like the undead, ha ha ha!」

Even in crisis, their captain remained oddly optimistic. Perhaps affected by that atmosphere, the Werewolves’ nerves eased just slightly. Whether Bellman intended it or not, the mage beside him could only shrug with an exasperated sigh.

「Seriously… You’re the kind of guy who’d survive even if spears rained from the sky, Captain.」

「We’ve already died once, haven’t we? You and I both.」

「Ah… right. Think Mero’s still alive?」

「Of course. I never ordered her to die!」

「That’s insane logic…」

「Worry about your own life first. Come now, everyone! Hands and feet, keep them moving!」

Getting stranded on a floor where at least water wasn’t an issue—well, perhaps that was one stroke of luck amid all the misfortune.

Two weeks later, long past their expected return, a rescue party led by Marge would be organized. And despite the dungeon’s dramatic transformation, all seven were rescued safely from the depths of Farthest Ends of the Blue.