Chapter 61: The Strange Wall!

"Lefiya Viridis... don't develop feelings for me, and don't come any closer." Filvis stated, her voice laced with a quiet desperation.

Lefiya's body trembled as she heard her name spoken by the black-haired elf for the first time.

The words felt like a warning, a plea from the elf who had been looking after her throughout their journey.

"I am already tainted. At the very least, in the latter half of my life, I don't want to stain a fellow elf by associating with someone like me..."

Filvis's words carried a resolute determination, as if she were trying to distance herself from any potential for connection.

With that, she turned away coldly, attempting to leave.

However, her hand was caught in a firm grasp.

"Well... you only said you didn't want to stain Lefiya. So that means I'm okay, right?"

Shiro's voice broke the tense atmosphere.

Filvis, startled, yanked her hand away, staring at his hands with a mix of surprise and alarm.

"You're not dirty!" Lefiya exclaimed sincerely, her voice reaching Filvis's pointed ears.

"You're gentler and more beautiful than me!" Lefiya couldn't bear to see her fellow elf trapped in a prison of solitude, burdened by a self-imposed stigma.

Her words seemed to trigger something unpleasant within Filvis, igniting a spark of anger.

"We've only just met! What do you know about me?!" The black-haired elf retorted, her voice laced with anger.

"I... I'll discover a lot from now on!" Lefiya countered, trying to show her determination.

"Well, our elf girl here is quite stubborn. No matter how much you try to avoid her, it's futile," Shiro remarked with a knowing smile.

Filvis furrowed her brow, disbelief evident in her eyes looking at them.

"Aren't you two afraid of dying?"

Shiro pondered for a moment before placing his hand on Lefiya's head

"The nickname of 'Banshee' bothers you, right? If we all make it back alive, we'll help you get rid of that unpleasant nickname."

He looked at Filvis with a playful glint in his eyes.

"In return, you can't resist getting close to this silly elf beside me, alright?"

Filvis froze, her expression a mix of surprise and contemplation.

After a deep breath, she offered the most genuine smile Shiro and Lefiya had ever seen from her.

"I understand. In other words, you're both hopelessly foolish, aren't you?"

"Hmph, I'm not foolish!" Lefiya retorted, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Well, there are definitely two silly elves here. But since you're not objecting, I'll take that as a yes." Shiro said with a grin.

"Oi! You three idiots! Are you done chatting yet? Let's go!"

Bete's impatient voice broke their conversation.

And so, the four of them left the 18th floor.

While on the surface, nothing seemed to have changed, a subtle shift had occurred within their team's atmosphere.

…

24th Floor!

Swish—

Ais effortlessly eliminated a monster that attacked her with a swift swing of her Desperate sword.

"Amazing!" Lulune exclaimed from behind, watching in awe.

Since entering the 24th floor, Ais had been navigating the monster-infested halls with ease, relying solely on her body as she adjusted to her newfound Level 6 strength.

While the others marveled at her prowess, Asfi observed Ais with narrowed eyes, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"She's already Level 6, huh..."

Ais, who returned from the battle, was greeted by the admiring gazes of members of Hermes Familia.

"A-As expected of Orario's first-class adventurer! To defeat so many monsters alone... How is your body holding up? Do you need any potions?"

"No, I'm fine, thank you," Ais replied calmly, her mind already analyzing the improvements brought by her rank up to level 6.

"Asfi, what's next?" Lulune asked, turning to Asfi, who held the map.

Asfi adjusted her glasses and said, "We head towards where the monsters are coming from. Since the pantry is the source, we just need to follow the path the monsters are following."

Both Ais and other members of Hermes Familia instantly understood, their eyes turning towards the pile of monster corpses left behind by Ais.

"North, then..."

After the supporters collected the dropped magic stones, the group soon followed the glowing moss northward, heading towards the pantry.

Asfi's chosen path proved to be correct, as they encountered monsters at regular intervals.

To avoid unnecessary battles and conserve their energy, Ais swiftly handled most of the monster encounters.

And, as they approached the pantry area, the environment began to change.

The ceiling and walls, previously formed from tree bark, became uneven and bumpy, their color shifting from green to a dark red.

Lulune and Ais, leading the way with the map, turned a corner and came to an abrupt halt.

"A wall?"

Before them stood a wall of flesh, formed from green, pulsating plant-like matter.

And, it blocked their path entirely.

"Lulune, are you sure you didn't take a wrong turn?" Asfi questioned, her voice laced with suspicion.

"I'm positive! This wasn't here before," Lulune insisted, pointing at the map to prove she had followed the correct route.

"Let's investigate the other paths as well... Falgar, take some people and check the other routes. But remember, don't go too deep, and report back immediately if you find anything unusual."

Asfi ordered, splitting the team into three groups.

Only Ais, Lulune, Asfi, and a supporter remained at the wall.

Ais reached out and touched the fleshy barrier.

Thump, thump, thump—

A pulse-like rhythm emanated from the wall, accompanied by a faint warmth.

'This thing... it's alive,' Ais realized.

Soon, the two scouting groups returned with their reports.

"The other paths are also blocked by these green walls of flesh?" Asfi inquired.

She quickly pieced together the clues.

"The monsters on this floor come here to eat when they're hungry. But now, the entrance to the pantry is blocked, forcing them to head south, which explains the surge of monsters. The question is, what do we do now?"

They had discovered the cause of the surge of monsters, but what lay behind this wall?

At the center of the fleshy wall was an organ that resembled a door, or perhaps a mouth.

However, it showed no signs of opening.

"We have no choice but to destroy it," Asfi concluded, her gaze fixed on the wall.

"It looks like a plant, so let's use fire."

Several mages stepped forward, their chants filling the air as magic circles materialized beneath their feet.

Giant fireballs erupted from the circles, hurtling towards the wall made of flesh.

The impact caused a massive explosion, shaking the ground and igniting the wall.

A large hole was blasted open at the location of the door-like organ.

The team members lined up and cautiously entered the opening.

Just as the last person stepped through, a sizzling sound came from behind them.

"The wall... it's regenerating."

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