"He's right ahead."
Without his teammates as reference points, and without time for Bellwere to leave a trail, he relied purely on his skill to track through the mist.
And the footprints grew clearer.
They further confirmed that his guess was not wrong!
As for the Soma Familia Adventurers left behind as bait, their specific fates were not really within Bellwere's consideration. As long as he could catch Liliruca.
And bring her back to the Familia successfully, his status would undergo a qualitative change. As a Vice Captain, why would he still need to explore the Dungeon?
He would only need to focus on how to oppress the Familia Adventurers. Why would he need to share credit with this group of Lv1 waste Adventurers?
"…"
With such thoughts in mind.
Bellwere crept closer to the distant, faintly visible figure, but due to the overly complex environment, his movements ultimately could not be concealed.
When the sound of a snapped branch reached his ears.
He couldn't help but stop, but what greeted him was an arrow, whistling through the air and heading straight for him.
"Whoosh!"
As an Lv2 Adventurer who had explored the Dungeon for many years, Bellwere's keen sense of smell and survival instinct allowed him to dodge the shot.
A sinister glint flashed in his eyes.
A Supporter had no combat ability whatsoever. Someone capable of shooting at this level was definitely another Adventurer!
"Liliruca."
"Is there any room left for a last stand?"
Taking advantage of the moment the bow was reloaded.
Bellwere quickened his pace, swiftly moving to a dry tree trunk in front of him for cover. He was contemplating how to negotiate with the Adventurer helping Liliruca when.
The thick fog covering the current floor was dissipating at a visible rate.
Visibility quickly returned to normal. He could barely contain the excitement deep within him. As long as this restriction was gone, things would go much more smoothly.
He decisively drew the rapier from his waist.
Bellwere constantly observed ahead with his peripheral vision. As the fog dissipated, the only one who finally appeared before him was Liliruca, holding a crossbow.
He frowned, carefully observing his surroundings. There was simply no cover sufficient for hiding.
"How is that possible?"
Confusion enveloped Bellwere's mind, but it seemed the truth… was exactly as he had guessed. With a level advantage, and being a combatant at that.
Without terrain restrictions, he could completely overwhelm Liliruca unilaterally!
The skill's Familia member perception effect was constantly telling him that the Liliruca he was tracking was standing not far in front of him.
"As long as you obediently return to the Familia with me."
"Captain Chanis certainly won't make things difficult for you." The opportunity to become the Familia's Vice Captain was right before his eyes, and Bellwere's heart pounded rapidly.
He didn't show any particularly strong malice.
He voluntarily stepped out from behind the concealing dry tree stump, especially noticing that the single-handed crossbow held by "Liliruca" only had one arrow left.
The smile on Bellwere's face grew even more unrestrained!
"Impossible."
"Do you think Chanis would allow Adventurers from the same Familia to fight each other?"
"What do you want, exactly? I can give you the money I've saved. Can you let me go!" The brown-haired girl from the Pallum race had panicked eyes.
She aimed the crossbow, held in both hands, at the gradually approaching Bellwere.
"…"
"Is this a difficult matter to resolve?"
As the obstruction to his vision completely disappeared, Bellwere turned his head to look at the Adventurer team members in front of him, whom Liliruca had dealt with using her single-handed crossbow.
A blatant look of disgust flashed in his eyes.
To be dealt with by a Supporter with no combat ability in the Dungeon using a single-handed crossbow, what value did they still have?
"These wastes are dead, so be it. As long as you are willing to cooperate with Captain Chanis, I will speak well of you." His primary goal was to stabilize Liliruca.
Bellwere dropped his weapon and put on what he considered a very benevolent smile.
He approached with open hands. When the distance shortened to 10 meters, and—he saw the hesitation flash in the eyes of the "Liliruca" before him.
He no longer had the coaxing facade from the beginning.
As an Lv2 high-level Adventurer, Bellwere's full-power burst of speed allowed him to rush to the dwarf girl's front in just a brief breath.
With overwhelming force, he used his fist to directly knock away the crossbow.
"So…"
"After all these years, you still haven't learned anything!"
And Liliruca, a Supporter who had lost her weapon of resistance and had no combat ability whatsoever, was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered in Bellwere's eyes.
He truly couldn't understand.
Without the help of other Adventurers, who gave this guy the courage to play an ambush battle here?
Bellwere's smile carried naked rage: "Why can't you… be sensible and obediently return to the Soma Familia with me?"
Recalling the embarrassment of dodging the arrow just now.
And what caused this was actually a Supporter whom everyone could bully!
That nameless anger in his heart kept rising. Captain Chanis's request was to bring Liliruca back to the Familia alive, but he didn't say…
That this guy couldn't be taught a lesson!
Bellwere clenched his fist and punched towards the cheek of the "Liliruca" in front of him. Only, the situation he had anticipated, of her being sent flying, did not occur.
Instead…
She completely blocked it with her palm!!
"Hmm?"
How could she block his attack?
His face turned ugly, and a strong sense of unease gradually enveloped him. What truly made Bellwere's face change drastically was the gradually transforming appearance of the girl before him.
And—
Her gradually expanding physique, completely inconsistent with that of a Pallum.
"You're not Liliruca, who exactly are you?!"
Looking at the handsome, even stunning, face of the brown-haired young man before him, Bellwere tried to pull his arm back, but found that even his wrist was caught.
"Does who I am matter?"
Canceling the "Optimization" disguise effect, plus the increase in his abilities, resisting the attack of an Lv2 Adventurer was not difficult for Keare.
Considering that villains die from talking too much.
He unhesitatingly used the "Deterioration" skill. With the severe consumption of his mental energy, he applied the damaging effect to Bellwere's heart and muscles.
Bellwere's eyes were bloodshot.
He wanted to pull his arm back, but found that this level of strenuous movement already caused his heart to ache, and he couldn't even feel the existence of his muscles.
An extremely strong sense of crisis completely enveloped him.
Nothing was more cruel than waiting for disposal. His body seemed to have lost all control, collapsing limply to the ground, with only his eyeballs able to move.
Bellwere felt like his brain couldn't even react…
What kind of method was this?
He absolutely hadn't misjudged. Why, when he initiated an attack, did his opponent suddenly change from Liliruca to a strange Adventurer?!
And his body wouldn't obey him at all!
"Is there a misunderstanding between us?"
"What misunderstanding…"
And answering the question was Liliruca, emerging from the shrubbery. She looked at Bellwere's familiar face, feeling only disbelief.
This was an Lv2 Adventurer, whose strength was second only to Chanis in the Soma Familia!
Keare… could he resolve it so easily?!
It wasn't until he saw Liliruca that the perception from his skill reached its peak. Although he wasn't clear about what exactly happened, the fact was that he had been set up.
Bellwere knew the fate awaiting him and forced a smile:
"I know I was wrong, and… in the Familia, it was the other Adventurers who bullied you, it had nothing to do with me. Even if it did… it wasn't my idea!"
"It was Cha… Chanis who instigated it."
"I truly know I was wrong. I will absolutely not reveal any information about you." At this moment, the fawning smile on his face formed a stark contrast to before.
"…"
Liliruca didn't speak, merely casting her gaze towards the brown-haired young man.
Keare simply shrugged, deciding to throw the question back to Liliruca. He asked, "Do you think he knows he was wrong?"
"…"
The girl's gaze fell on Bellwere, who was begging with a full face. Recalling the bullying she had endured within the Familia, she felt no sympathy whatsoever.
"No."
"He just knows he's about to die!"