In the depths of the Dungeon, specifically the Middle Floors, Charlie and Asfi took the lead, defeating every monster that appeared. With two First-Class Adventurers on the team, the monsters here posed no significant threat.
Hestia and Hermes, who had been burdens from the start, could only follow behind. Likewise, Mikoto and the other Takemikazuchi Familia members could only watch, their strength insufficient to handle large hordes of monsters.
On Floor 15, they found one of Bell's weapons and an empty potion bottle. Based on these clues, Asfi deduced that Bell's party was heading toward the safe zone on Floor 18.
This idea aligned with Hermes and Hestia's intuition, as they could still sense Bell's presence in the Dungeon.
Meanwhile, Charlie didn't join the discussion. His relationship with them wasn't close enough. He saw no point in chiming in.
He could count his conversations with Hermes on one hand. As for Hestia, she left a poor impression from their first meeting. And the Takemikazuchi Familia members? Charlie had never interacted with them.
In short, Charlie was willing to lend his strength to save Bell but had no intention of bonding with them. After all, Hera and Aphrodite had warned him to steer clear of Hermes.
(My intuition tells me nothing good will come from getting involved with Hermes. I'm worried he'll use me as a pawn in his schemes.)
Charlie glanced at Hermes, who always wore a smile but whose thoughts were unreadable, and trusted his instincts.
(Let's check on Bell and the others.)
Bored with nothing to do, Charlie activated his Senrigan.
"Oh?"
Unbeknownst to him, Hermes, quietly observing, noticed a strange shift in Charlie's pupils, which turned into dark crescent moons.
"Interesting." Hermes muttered, a sly smile curling his lips.
"What's interesting, Hermes?"
"Nothing. Just talking to myself." Hermes replied, offering Hestia no explanation.
Meanwhile, through Senrigan, Charlie saw Bell carrying Welf on his back and Lili on his shoulder, descending a tunnel toward Floor 17.
(What happened to those two? A few hours ago, they were fine.)
Then Charlie recalled the capabilities of his Senrigan.
(By the way, I've never tested Senrigan's ability to see the past. This is a good chance to try.)
So, Charlie used Senrigan to view the past. Instantly, he understood why Welf and Lili were in such a state.
Welf suffered from Mind Down after overusing his magic, and Lili had collapsed from physical and mental exhaustion.
"Then our destination is Floor 17. Bell Cranel's party is most likely there. Any objections?"
Drawing her conclusion, Asfi sought everyone's input.
The Takemikazuchi Familia members didn't object. This incident began because of them, and their consciences wouldn't rest until Bell and his party were saved.
"What about you, Charlie Avalon?"
Asfi turned to Charlie, who seemed slightly distracted.
"No problem." Charlie replied lightly, his mind momentarily elsewhere. Through Senrigan, he had just seen Bell arrive on Floor 17, confirming his suspicions.
"Then let's go."
Accustomed to Charlie's occasional absentmindedness, Asfi didn't comment further. She led the group toward the tunnel connecting to Floor 16.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Charlie didn't deactivate his Senrigan. He continued observing, witnessing the dramatic ordeal Bell endured from Floor 17 to Floor 18.
It should be noted that Floor 17 was dedicated to a single monster by the Dungeon. Adventurers called it Goliath, with an estimated strength equivalent to Level 4.
Goliath was a Monster Rex, also known as a Floor Boss.
The respawn time for Monster Rex depended on their strength; stronger monsters took longer to reappear. Goliath required two weeks to respawn after being defeated.
Bell, carrying Welf and Liliruca on his shoulder and back, walked through the quiet Floor 17, unafraid of monster attacks since Goliath hadn't respawned. At least, that's how it should have been.
But the sound of a collapsing wall shattered the silence.
A distant wall had been completely destroyed. Something massive emerged from the hole, shaking the chamber with its first step.
Goliath's deafening roar snapped Bell out of his fear-induced stupor.
Running in terror, Bell fled for his life, desperately carrying his unconscious comrades.
Only one thought filled his mind: run!
Chased by Goliath behind him, Bell sprinted into the tunnel and finally made it through.
But before he could feel relief, a powerful shockwave followed, lifting him and tossing him through the air like a feather. He was flung far, crashing into a wall before collapsing to the ground.
"…"
Watching this scene, Charlie couldn't help but admire Bell for not abandoning Welf and Lili.
(If other adventurers were in Bell's position, most would have left their unconscious comrades behind.)
Given the questionable morality of adventurers, Charlie was certain few were as noble as Bell.
(No wonder Freya is so fixated on him.)
Charlie sighed inwardly, reflecting as he watched the scene through Senrigan.
(Compared to Bell's pure soul, mine, though unique, is tainted.)
Recalling his last encounter with Freya, Charlie didn't mind that she favored Bell over him.
Bell was still innocent and naive, unexposed to humanity's darker side. Thus, his soul shone brightly in Freya's eyes.
In his previous life, Charlie had suffered due to his idealistic nature, losing everything and choosing a path of revenge. His soul was unique but couldn't compare to Bell's as the Child of Fate in this world.
(Hm? Ais? Not just her—Loki Familia members and even their executives are on Floor 18.)
Charlie was slightly surprised to see Ais approaching Bell, who lay sprawled in the grass before the tunnel.
Though Ais appeared emotionless with her perpetually flat expression, she was genuinely kind. As proof, she called Loki Familia members to carry Bell to their tent.
(Bell's party is safe.)
Knowing this, Charlie relaxed, feeling at ease. Still, he didn't inform the anxious Hestia. Explaining how he knew would be troublesome.
Thus, the rescue team continued descending the floors until they stopped at the entrance to Floor 17's tunnel.
Why?
Goliath!