They soon resumed their search for the Boss of the 22nd floor as Fel walked beside while Alice had used her aura senses which seemed to spread a lot wider at a familiar area.
"We must be close." She said as Dora-Chan was sitting on Fel's head with Sui in the bag but he was peeking out to see where they're going.
"Do you still sense the boss, Fel?" Alice asked him. She can sense something ahead but she needed Fel's words to confirm.
"Yes, its presence is ever nearer." Fel said warily as he walked to another direction and Alice followed.
"I can't wait to see what kind of monster it is!" Dora-Chan said excitedly as Sui bobbed in the bag excitedly.
"Neither can Sui." He said excitedly and Alice smiled slightly at their determined energy. This dungeon must contain strong monsters that help them level up.
"Just hang on. We still need to be careful if we're fighting the boss." Alice told them before Fel paused, his entire body tense yet intrigued and Alice stopped beside him.
"Now that's a rare find." He said and Alice looked to where he was looking and her entire body tensed. A cobra-like monster was trying to get at an Arbok which was protecting some Ekans.
"What is that thing?!" She exclaimed in shock but her tone was worried for the Ekans and Arbok who were trying to get away from it.
"I expected a monster, not some demon!" Alice said as Fel hummed. He had sensed the worry in her tone for the other serpents that the creature was harassing. Alice quickly used appraisal and her heart stilled. It was called a Vasuki and an S-rank monster.
"Throughout my long life, I have encountered a Vasuki on only three occasions." Fel told her as the Vasuki finally noticed them and it growled-hissing in their direction, crimson eyes glowing dangerously.
"We gotta do something." Alice muttered worriedly.
It spewed out purple-like fog and a secondary info of what it was appeared and it made Alice grow worried. Not just for her and her group but the surrounding Pokémon who immediately started to flee the area once the trees started to wither and die.
[Vasuki's Poison Fog]
A deadly poison that can be absorbed not only through the respiratory system, but also through the skin. You will die in five seconds if inhaled. Also has a corrosive effect.
"Poison fog? Wait, you've beaten three of these guys before?" She asked him in disbelief, practically worried for their safety now more than ever.
"I'm blessed with divine protection. As long as I keep enough space to prevent it from biting or constricting me, I'll be victorious again." Fel reassured as she looks at him worriedly before looking at the Vasuki.
"Finally!" Dora-Chan flew off Fel's head as he flew to Alice.
"An opponent who can put up a fight!" He said excitedly as Sui jumped out of the bag and on Alice's head.
"Sui will do Sui's best!" Sui said, determined as Alice looked at them before sighing nervously. She opened her item box and pulled out a metal gas mask and tied it around her lower face, covering her mouth and nose.
"Well, if we're facing this together, we might as well beat this thing together. The thing might be scary, but I'm not letting you guys have all the fun." Alice told them, eyes determined as Fel was surprised that she would join in the battle but he grinned as they looked at the vasuki.
"Sui, Dora, attack!" Fel made the first move as Sui and Dora-Chan charged quickly.
"Yay!" Sui jumped off Fel's head with Dora-Chan following him immediately.
"Let's do this!" Dora-Chan charged with Fel and Alice not too far behind.
The vasuki opened its jaws, spewing its deadly poison fog but with divine protection, the four of them just burst through it like mist. Alice stomped on the ground as she lifted her hands which caused the ground around the vasuki to rise slightly and quickly dropped her hands down hard and the earth pinned the coils of the vasuki down, giving Fel and the others to deliver the finishing blow.
Fel didn't use too much magic as he used his lightning magic and threw it at the vasuki who was struggling to get out of the earth trap but Fel's attack hit it, stunning and paralyzing it. Sui went next and shot an acid bullet at the chest at the vasuki and Dora-Chan delivered the finishing blow by practically shooting straight through the melted part that Sui created like a missile.
Their teamwork paid off as the vasuki collapsed, beaten for good as Sui cheered happily.
"We beat up the big snake guy!" Sui cheered happily, bouncing on a rock as Fel huffed proudly as Alice took off the gas mask with a smile.
"Way to go, team!" Dora-Chan cheered as he circled Alice and Fel.
"That earth trap was great!" He said as Alice just grinned at him.
"I figured that it might try to get away." She told them as Fel came to her side and nuzzled her head.
"You did well." He said softly which made Alice blush as she looked to the other side.
"Fel and Alice, sitting in a tree!" Dora-Chan teased them as Fel flushed in embarrassment and Alice to blush heavily.
"Mama is so red!" Sui giggled as he hopped to her and she caught him in her arms.
They ventured through the forest before they finally arrived at what looked like the end of the forest but there was a particular looking rock at the center of the clearing. Fel went to it and used his paw to wipe the dust and dirt off the surface to reveal some type of teleportation circle with inscriptions around the symbol.
"Channel your magic here to continue." He read as Alice came to his side to see what he was doing. Dora-Chan and Sui were playing with the resident Pokémon with an Audino keeping an eye on them.
"Careful. We must all touch the sigil at the same time, understood?" Fel told her and she nodded.
"Right." Alice then turned to Sui and Dora-Chan.
"Sui, Dora-Chan, it's time to go." She called them and Dora-Chan and Sui waved goodbye to the pokemon as they went to the duo.
"This works, right?" Dora-Chan landed on her head as she smiled at him.
"Don't forget Sui!" Sui jumped into her arms. Once everyone was close, Alice put her hand on Fel's shoulder as he was already touching the sigil.
"Okay, we're ready, Fel." She nodded and Fel channeled his magic into the sigil, activating the teleportation magic that will take them to the next floor. Alice, Sui and Dora-Chan gasp in awe as the sigil glows before they disappear from the forest.
They all appeared together back in what looked like a cave and Alice sighed as soon as they were back. Being in Lostlorn Forest threw her off but seeing familiar cave walls was a welcome relief.
"This floor looks much more standard than the last one." Alice said but there was one problem.
"Except it's gigantic for some reason." She said as Fel had indeed noticed that the corridors were bigger and the ceiling way higher than the cave they were in. His eyes scanned the area before he noticed a cave ahead.
"There's a mysterious cave ahead." He said and Alice followed his gaze and saw that there was indeed a cave.
"That hole?" She asked curiously as they moved towards it.
"Let's check it!" Dora-Chan immediately flew towards it with the others following.
He stopped at the opening of the cave as Alice looked inside and she just blinked in confusion and realization as Fel came up behind her and noticed the monsters inside the cave.
"This floor seems to have been formed specifically for giant monsters." He said, understanding why the floor was gigantic.
"Ah, that explains the ceilings and the walls being wider." Alice said with a small laugh.
"Leave it to me! I can wipe out those jolly giants in a jiffy!" Dora-Chan said as he flew in with Sui following.
"Okay, but be careful." Alice told him as Fel joined in as well as she watched them take down the monsters with ease and she entered after to pick up the item drops before they resumed their trek to find the next floor.
Though the fatigue was slowly seeping in as Alice sighed softly.
"My feet are getting exhausted. These corridors are as long as they are tall." She said softly as Fel huffed slightly but he was feeling the exhaustion creeping as well.
"I've grown hungry." Fel told her as Sui was resting on his head.
"So is Sui." Sui said as Dora-Chan landed on her head.
"I'm hungry too." He said as Alice was hungry as well.
"You have been working hard after all." Alice said before she noticed something in the corridor. She told them to follow her as they entered what looked like a safe area but they were the only ones there.
"Is this a safe place to stop?" She asked curiously as Fel sniffed the air while sensing the area. They're good.
"There are no monsters nearby." He told her, tone reassuring as Alice sighed in relief. They can finally take a break.
"Great. Then let's eat right here." She told them which got them excited to finally eat something again after they left Lostlorn Forest.
"Time to chow down!" Dora-Chan cheered as Alice smiled at them. Alice took out a blanket as Alice took out the folding table from her item box she took out two stockpots for them to eat along with coils containing something. Fel took a sniff at the foiled ones and his tail started to wag.
Alice opened the lid of one of the stockpots, scooping up the soup from it and pouring it carefully in a bowl.
"It's ready to eat." She said and served everyone their dinner apparently.
{Pork Soup}
{Japanese Style Hamburg Sandwiches}
{Japanese Style Steak Sandwiches}
"That looks awesome!" Dora-Chan said in delight as he went to his share and everyone started to eat.
Fel got some sauce on his mouth but he didn't care as he ate one of the sandwiches.
"Food always tastes best after battle." He said, tail wagging as Alice sat beside him, sipping the soup with a delighted hum.
"It's the same meat, but the mouth feels are totally different." Dora-Chan said as he ate the sandwiches, alternating between one and the other
"And this salty sauce is to die for!" He said in delight, liking how the sauce made it very delicious.
"The veggies and meat are yummy in Sui's tummy." Sui said happily, practically absorbing everything which made Alice smile.
"I'm glad you guys like it." Alice said as she continued eating hers while Fel decided to try out the soup and loved it.
"Another serving!" Fel and Sui exclaimed and Alice was glad that she took out two stockpots since they might want to try all of them.
"You got it." She told them but she turned to Dora-Chan since he didn't ask for a second serving.
"Dora-Chan?" She asked but she found him on his back, full and rubbing his full belly.
"I think I better tap out." He said with a content smile as she smiled lightly.
They practically finished eating everything as Dora-Chan was sleeping on Fel's back who yawned widely.
"I'm beat." Alice said with a small yawn after putting everything away in her item box as she turned to her group, seeing that they're ready for sleep.
"Sounds like you are too. Let's turn in for the night." She told them as she came to Fel and petted his head. Fel leaned against her palm as he yawned once more.
"Fine idea. Even outside the dungeon, the hour of sleep is upon us." He agreed as she chuckled.
"Right." She then turned to Sui, who was getting sleepy with how he let out a squeak-like yawn.
"Well, we should try to get comfortable." Alice told them with a warm smile.
"Get into the safe area!" A voice shouted from the entrance and Alice stood up immediately as everyone was on high alert.
They watched as a party entered, two were supporting a wounded member.
"Hurry!"
"Hang in there, Damian!"
"We should be safe here."
Alice watched them with wide eyes, heart hammering when she saw the injured teammate as the adventurers went to help their injured member down on the other side.
"He needs a potion."
"What's this?"
"We ran out."
One of them was a healer and she was trying to heal up their wounded teammate and Alice didn't know whether to approach or not. She can tell they were all worried and scared for this person. The one with the red cape, a scar on his right eyebrow was worried before he looked up and noticed that they weren't alone.
"Hey, you there!" The adventurer, who seemed to be the leader named Finn, addressed Alice directly, his tone pleading.
"Do you have any potions? We'll pay you!" He pleaded as Alice realized they were asking her for help.
"Yeah, I do!" She opened her item box quickly and took out one of the high grade ones and rushed to them, handing the bottle to Finn who accepted it quickly. He uncorked it before pouring the contents over Damian's wound.
"Please, stay with us." Finn pleaded for Damian and the wound miraculously healed quickly much to the party's shock and disbelief.
"You're kidding! Is this a special grade potion?" Finn questioned, looking at the potion in shock as Damian's breathing had stabilized.
"How did a regular adventurer get that?" Nina asked in shock.
The party turned to Alice who tensed when they stared at her and Fel had tensed as well, ready to intervene if needed.
"Uh, it's no big deal. It's a high-grade potion, but so what?" Alice said curiously, trying to downplay how she actually got the potion.
"It's like a normal one, it just works better and faster." She simply said, hoping they will accept the small explanation. Finn stared at her a bit more before looking at the potion, tension leaving his body. The potion she gave them did save Damian's life from death.
"Yes, I see that." He said softly as Alice sighed before she asked them.
"So, uh, he's safe?" Alice asked them gently as Finn looked to Damian who wasn't in pain now and he smiled thankfully.
"He's out cold, but his wounds healed up. His breathing has stabilized as well." Finned noted and it was all it took for everyone to finally breathe a sigh of relief before the two women in the group started crying from relief.
"Too close! He could have died!" The one with the black hair, Lisa, sobbed against her hand as the one next to her, Jack, just smiled in relief as Nina, the healer cried softly and Alice smiled slightly, glad that they can relax and rest. Finn stood up and walked to Alice as she looked to him.
"We call ourselves Tempest. We're an A-rank adventurer team. Your potion saved us." Finn introduced his party, gratitude in his eyes.
"Thank you." He offered a handshake and Alice grasped his hand, showing that she was glad to help.
"Sure thing. No sweat. I guess it's a good thing that I happen to have it on me." She told him with a polite smile. They pulled their hands apart as Finn reached into his bag to pay for it.
"For payment?" He said as he pulled out the pouch.
"Is 15 gold coins fair?" Finn asked her which surprised her. At town or potions shop, they only cost 10 gold coins.
"15? High-grade potions typically only go for 10 gold coins in town, don't they?" Alice said in disbelief. She didn't want to be repaid just for helping them but Finn insisted.
"Whatever you gave us was better than what they sell in town. Resources are slim here." Finn explained and Alice understood why. Venturing deeper in the dungeon is dangerous if someone isn't prepared.
"In that case..." Alice opened her item box to take out the low grade potions from it to give it to them.
"Take these. They're lower-grade potions, but they could still come in handy." She told Finn who accepted the potions, surprised by her generosity.
"Are you certain?" He asked her in surprise. She might need them later but she just smiled at him.
"It's no problem. Helping others is what makes me happy. But in exchange, can you tell me what happened?" She asked them, tone carrying a seriousness in her voice which Fel picked up on.
"Spriggans, there are three of the beasts lurking in the shadows of the floor's boss room." Finn said and Alice glanced to Fel who caught her eye.
'(Fel, are spriggans really that dangerous?)' She asked him telepathically.
'(Well, they're larger than minotaurs.)' Fel simply said with a wag of his tail which made her snort a little.
'(That answers that.)' She chuckled slightly before turning her attention back to the Tempest group.
"We've explored this dungeon once before. Our first time through, we saw just one spriggan. We left to plan out our attack. But perhaps we should have pushed through." Finn explained and Alice got to thinking.
"Because now there are three." Alice muttered, a plan formulating in her mind as Finn nodded.
"Dungeons changed, but this was drastic. We were caught off guard." Finn said before his expression became a little sheepish as he looked behind her to see Fel watching him and his party with a wary and curious gaze.
"But I'm sure you'll have better luck than we did." He told her as she followed his gaze to Fel.
"Seems the rumor I heard about an adventurer contracting a Fenrir as a familiar was true." Finn said, recognizing what type of beast Fel is who just went to try and rest.
"Well, yeah." She said sheepishly as he huffed in amusement.
"Don't worry about us. We won't ask for details." Finn reassured her, sensing that she was a bit uneasy about the rumors being true.
"Once we get some sleep, we'll be back to the surface and out of your hair." He said and Alice nodded.
"Alrighty then." She said before a small yawn escaped her as she covered her mouth.
'(Be not afraid.)' Fel reassured her as she turned to him, rubbing her eyes.
'(Hmm?)' She looked at him curiously.
'(No matter how many spriggans appear, they are no match for me.)' He told her telepathically as he shifted to make room as Dora-Chan had moved to sleep on his back.
'(Come and go to sleep. We will continue our descent tomorrow.)' Fel said as Alice took out the blanket from her item box. She picked up Sui who was already falling asleep as she went to Fel and sat down on the ground.
She leaned against his side and he nuzzled her head gently as she yawned once more, leaning her head against his soft warm fur, her eyes closed slowly as Fel lay his head on his paws.
'(Sweet dreams, Fel.)' She said telepathically once sleep finally came, closing her eyes fully.
The next morning, they parted ways with Tempest and continued on their journey to reach the deepest part of the dungeon.
"You think they'll make it? They were all pretty banged up." Alice said, still worried about Tempest going back to the surface after heading this deep in the dungeon.
"I'm not concerned." Fel said truthfully and she shot him a look but he met her gaze with a calm and reassuring look since they all ate breakfast earlier together before parting ways and Tempest was practically shocked and surprised by how good it was.
{Orc Meat Morning Pork Chop Sandwiches}
"You helped heal their wounds and recover their mana." He told her as she sighed softly, knowing he was right. She even made sure Tempest had eaten a lot before they parted ways.
"I know but I was still a bit worried." Alice told him softly. Dora-Chan scouted ahead before noticing an open door to a hallway that led to what looked like the boss room.
"Hey! I bet that's the boss room!" Dora-Chan said as he pointed to it and Alice and Fel, Sui riding on Fel, came out of the corridor they were in to see what Dora-Chan was pointing at.
It was indeed a boss room and inside were the three spriggans that Tempest were talking about thanks to them describing what they look like along with several other giant monsters in there and they were as intimidating as they were described.
"And it gets worse." Alice said with a sigh as Fel, Sui and Dora-Chan charged in quickly with hesitation.
"Better slay them quickly!" Fel said as Alice hung back, letting them take care of the first giant monsters they had spotted in the morning.
"On it!"
"Okay!"
The giant monsters and spriggans didn't have a chance to react as Fel, Sui and Dora-Chan quickly disposed of them and Alice had to step aside with a neutral expression as one skull mask of the spriggans was sent flying out of the boss room, hitting a wall behind her. She had gotten used to Fel, Sui and Dora-Chan taking the first wave since she wanted to observe how the spriggans attack.
"Classic, just as expected." She shook her head in amusement as she went inside the boss room to see what was dropped after the giant monsters and spriggans were defeated.
She looked down to see something she hadn't seen before as she knelt down to pick it up and used appraisal on it.
[Magic Bag(Medium)]
A magic bag big enough to hold twenty burlap sacks worth of items. Time passes for items placed inside just as it does in real life.
"A magic bag?" She muttered curiously as she looked at it. It might prove useful especially if Fel hunts once more.
"I already have an item box. I guess it can't hurt." Alice started to pick up the item drops but paused.
'Why do I suddenly feel like a thief? I didn't fight at all.' She thought as she picked up the last item, putting them in the magic bag as she came to Fel's side who was sniffing the air. He can smell more on the next floor.
"The next few floors are filled with more giant monsters. Let's work fast." He said as Alice finally came to his side.
"Okay, I'll lend a hand on the next one. I have the perfect defense skill." She told them as they went to the next floor. Fel wanted to tell her that he, Sui and Dora-Chan will handle this one but Alice told him that she can take the next one but she wouldn't mind extra help from them.
The next floor had five spriggans this time which was a shocker and with her perfect defense, she didn't take any damage but she channeled her earth magic and caused a lot of stone bullets to practically shoot towards them before she covered them in fire which was pretty impressive.
"Very impressive." Fel said, his tail wagging as Alice sighed, wiping her brow but she didn't notice the last spriggan was behind her and Fel tensed but Dora-Chan was faster.
"Mama, behind you!" Sui cried out and Alice looked behind her, eyes widening as it prepared to strike her.
"Oh no, you don't!" Dora-Chan used his fire magic to beat the spriggan which Fel after being hit by Dora-chan's attack.
Over the course of different floors from 25th floor to 28th floor, they defeated a lot of monsters, including boss level ones in boss rooms. They all took care of the spriggrans, giant killer mantises on the 26th floor, a chimera and something else on the 27th floor and of course a giant black alligator-like monster on the 28th floor.
The sun was setting on floor 28 as they found one more of the teleportation sigils once again. They were only 1 floor away from reaching the final boss.
"I can't believe we've already made it down to the 29th floor." Alice said in disbelief, carrying Sui in her arms, Dora-Chan resting on Fel's head. Fel put his paw on the sigil and Alice placed her hand on his shoulder before a thought came to her. The 29th floor means they're gonna be close to the 30th one.
"Wait, does that mean floor 30 is the final one?" She asked as they disappeared and reappeared somewhere else.
Alice had to blink at the sudden brightness of the sun and the familiar searing warmth burning down on her and she gaped in disbelief. First Lostlorn Forest and now a desert?!
"Are you kidding me?!" She exclaimed in disbelief. Just how in the world is the dungeon able to make floors and environments like this?!
Alice sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"This dungeon sure likes to show off." She muttered in disbelief as Fel was a little intrigued by the area while Dora-Chan and Sui were amazed by how much sand was around them.
"We've got a whole desert to ourselves!" Dora-Chan said in surprise and excitement as Sui jumped off Fel and played a little on the sand.
"Sui likes the sand!" Sui said, finding the sand fun with how they can make shapes when drawn on.
"Is this entire floor a desert?" Alice asked Fel in disbelief.
"I've explored many dungeons and I applaud this one's creativity." Fel said but Alice had a concerned look. They were in a wide open space which means no shade from the sun.
"How can there be a sun here? The ones with the forests are something but a sun and a desert?" Alice said, shielding her eyes from the bright sun.
"You mustn't fret over the details. Onward!" He said confidently as he lowered down slightly so she can get on which she does so, climbing onto his back.
"At least you're having fun but it's not the desert that concerns me." She told him and Fel immediately took off in the direction of where the boss of this floor is located. But after sprinting for a few moments, the unbearable heat was finally crashing down on them all.
"It's hot..." Fel grunted, sweating under his fur.
"So hot..." Dora-Chan practically collapses on Fel's back, the hot sun practically making his scales a bit too warm.
"It's super hot, mama..." Sui said tiredly as Alice wiped her face with her arm, she was already sweating.
"I'm with all of you." Alice said before she realized Sui wasn't in her bag and she panicked.
"Oh my arceus! Sui! Are you okay?!" She got off Fel immediately, heading for Sui as he was practically a puddle and steaming due to the hot sun.
"What...? Maybe..." He said weakly and Alice immediately opened her bag.
"Come here, dew drop. It'll be safer in the bag." She said urgently.
"Okay, mama." Sui crawled to the bag which was thankfully a bit cool but not much.
"This is what I'm worried about." Alice told them, wiping her forehead. Dora-Chan looked up and he found shade big enough for them.
"Hey! There's some shade over that way!" He said, relief in his tone. Fel saw it too with Alice who sighed, that would be perfect.
They had practically run to it and Alice would have let out Vulpix to help them cool off but the ice type kit won't be able to stand the heat but they were all sweating. The shade provided them a bit of relief but it was still too hot for them.
"It's still hot..." Alice panted heavily.
"It can't be helped. I will cast a wider barrier but we cannot conquer the sun." Fel said as he casted a barrier around them.
"That sunlight cannot be helped but this should mitigate much of the heat." He said but he was panting heavily. Alice felt some of the heat had lessened to a degree.
"It lessened the heat at least." She said but she grew worried for Fel, Sui and Dora-Chan who aren't used to this.
"Making large barriers is taxing to maintain." He panted, trying to expel the heat from his body.
"I can only keep it for a few days at the most. We must move quickly. Open dungeon floors like this are often vaster than their underground counterparts. We must finish this floor while I still have mana or we will fry..." Fel panted heavily.
"Got it..." Alice wiped more sweat off her head before she had an idea where it doesn't involve magic.
"We should lay off the barrier and beat the heat in a way that doesn't use magic." She told Fel as she opened the online grocery page to order something.
She purchased two large and six regular size electrolyte drinks that were thankfully still cold. She even put on a specialized hoodie to beat the sun, even tying her hair in a bun which had helped to release some heat.
"Much better." Alice sighed in relief as she opened one bottle for Dora-Chan to drink.
"We need to stay hydrated. Be sure to drink lots of water, everyone." She told them. Dora-Chan accepted the bottle without hesitation and started to drink from it, his body cooling down a little more thanks to the water.
"This stuff goes down easy!" He said in relief, practically chugging it down.
Alice used the bigger ones to fill up a large bowl for Fel who was panting and he started to drink the water, relieved to get something to drink. Sui submerged a tentacle in the bowl and started to absorb the water and he started to reform back to normal.
"Sui has more energy now." Sui said in relief, glad to get some more water in him.
"Thank goodness you're back to normal, Sui." Alice said as she drank from the extra bottle, sighing in relief once her body finally had some water.
"Now that we're hydrated, we can continue and enjoy this." Alice said as she opened her online grocery to purchase something that will definitely help them cool off more.
"There's more?" Fel asked her curiously, licking his mouth from the water.
"The fizzy one?" Sui asked her curiously as the box appeared and she opened it.
Inside was something that was a welcome surprise and a first treat for all of them with how hot it is.
"Something better. And it's from Unova. Casteliacone ice cream!" Alice said and Fel, Dora-Chan and Sui were all excited and given how cold it was giving off, it would be perfect!
{Extra-Large Serving of Casteliacone Ice Cream}
Alice scooped them all some of the ice cream with Fel having a larger batch since he needs a lot. Fel didn't hesitate to gobble a bit of scoops, swallowing them carefully and his tail wagged vigorously at how cool and refreshed his body felt after one bite.
"This is great! Unlike regular ice, this is decadent and sweet!" Fel said in delight.
Dora-Chan used a spoon to eat him and his wings fluttered wildly. It's so cold yet it was perfect!
"It's so cold! I have been reborn!" Dora-Chan said in delight and relief.
"It's cold and sweet and it's yummy!" Sui said in delight, practically making a mess of himself as he ate the ice cream. This was their first taste of something cold and sweet that they loved immediately.
"I'm glad we're all feeling better." Alice told them, enjoying the ice cream with all of them.
'The scenery makes it feel so luxurious.' Alice thought in relief.
"But it's still hot!" She yelled, annoyed that it was still hot despite hydrating with water and cooling down with the help of the Casteliacone ice cream.
After finishing up the ice cream with some popsicles left, they resumed their journey, each having a popsicle in their mouth aside from Fel who had multiple ones which were melting due to the heat as he carried Alice and Sui on his back.
"Nothing but sand as far as the eye can see." Alice said as she was sweating despite wearing the specialized jacket for such climate and area and Fel was a little annoyed with how hot it was.
"Do you know which way to go?" Alice asked Fel once their popsicles practically melted.
"I'm following the presence of the boss." Fel told her before the temperature in a few hours worries him since Alice, Sui and Dora-Chan might get cold.
"However, the temperature change as night approaches will make it difficult." He said much to her surprise.
"Really? The dungeon has day and night cycles too?" She asked him as he huffed, disposing of the sticks.
"We must keep up the pace while we can still see. The desert gets dark." Fel said as he started to run as Alice held on.
Though journeying through the desert has its challenges and it's not just the heat but the monsters too. They had to beat a scorpion monster that Dora-Chan beat quickly when Fel charged at it with his rending claws and he was seriously taken by surprise by it that he sulked as Dora-Chan and Sui took care of it and Alice had to encourage him that he tried his best before they continued, only stopping to get refresh thanks to Sui's water magic before resuming.
They soon ran into a large sandworm as the sun was setting and Fel beat it with Sui and Dora-chan's help before it can come closer to them and Fel looked really proud of himself as Sui and Dora-Chan looked at the sandworm in awe while Alice told them not to go near it even though it was beaten.
Soon temperatures dropped as the sun set over the horizon and the skies were littered with stars and the moon as Alice lowered her hoodie as she looked up at the sky in awe.
"It's actually night-time." Alice said in awe as she and Fel looked at the stars after they set up a campfire with wood they surprisingly found.
Alice shivered immediately, huddling closer to Fel even though he had casted barrier around them.
"Geez, it's cold." She blew into her hands, rubbing them together.
"You're lucky to have my barrier though, this is the best I can do." Fel said as he curled slightly behind her, providing warmth as Sui and Dora-Chan came to him quickly for warmth.
"The wind outside would freeze you to the core. It's even colder outside of the barrier." He added
"Lovely." She sighed before she stood up.
"We could at least surround ourselves to keep the warm in and the cold out." Alice said before channeling her earth magic and tried to make a wall but to her disbelief and confusion, nothing.
"Maybe it's something with the sand? Let me try again." She said as she tried to make the stone wall but the same result was nothing which confused her as she looked at her hands.
"That's strange. I can't build any walls to keep the cold out." Alice said in confusion as Fel watched her. She was trying to make a stone wall to keep out the cold but the rules of her magic don't apply when inside the dungeon.
"No matter how hard you try, you won't be able to use earth magic here." Fel told her as she turned to him.
"What do you mean?" She asked him only for him to give her a look so that she realized what he meant.
"We're inside a dungeon which means it's also part of its body." Alice sighed in dismay.
"That's right. Even this sand is technically a part of the dungeon's body. It's hard to control a body like that. I suppose you could conjure up a few pebbles but nothing more." Fel explained as Alice rubbed her arms, blowing in her hands.
"I wanted to build us something to keep the warm in and the cold out. But if magic doesn't work, then..." Alice soon stood up.
"There's one place to turn in our hour of need. The online grocery!" She opened the online grocery and practically bought items that will help them warm up.
Alice purchased them and she opened the box immediately. She stuck some stick-on heating pads on Fel who relaxed at the extra warmth as he lay by the fire. Sui had Dora-Chan help put on some of the heating pads and Alice put on a thick sweatshirt and it helped minimize the cold.
With it being cold, she knew exactly what to make as she opened her item box.
"Alright, some toasty food to warm our belly and warm us up even more." She said as she took out one of the pots she used when cooking rice but this time, she's making much more than that. Fel perked up at that immediately, curious on what meal she will cook this time.
"I was just getting ready to demand my victuals." He said playfully which made Alice snort.
"Yeah right." She chuckled as she prepared everything.
"About time!" Dora-Chan was excited as Sui bounced excitedly.
"Yay!"
Alice rolled up her sleeves and got ready to cook their warm and toasty dinner.
"Okay, let's do this." She said as she took off the lid and started to add the ingredients in the right order.
"Lots of classics in this. Soy sauce and mirin." She grabbed the soy sauce and mirin first, adding them to the pot before it was followed by salt and soup stock.
"Salt and soup stock." She then grabbed the last ingredients.
"And lastly, some mushrooms and finely chopped Rockbird meat." She turned the stove on, covering it with the lid as it started to steam.
"Bring it to a boil." She lifted the lid once it started to boil so she could add noodles.
"Once it starts bubbling, plop in some udon and cover it again." She put the lid back on the pot after she added the noodles. She waited a few more minutes before lifting the lid once more and smiled once she saw it was coming together perfectly.
"It's coming together nicely!" She said which made Fel curious but he couldn't see.
"Let me see!" He said, trying to see what she was making but Alice was blocking his view, not wanting to spoil the surprise as she chuckled before getting back to work.
"Add some fish cake, green onions and pre-made shrimp tempura. And crack an egg." Alice added the last ingredients and covered it once more. It was almost done in just a few more minutes.
"Just a bit more and it will be ready." Alice said before she felt Dora-Chan huddling at the back of her neck in the hoodie.
"I'm freezing!" He shivered as Alice smiled softly.
"It's almost done, Dora-Chan. This dinner will warm you right up." She reassured him before she turned back to the pot. It should be done now. She lifted the lid and smiled.
"Perfect! Your Rockbird Nebyaki Udon is ready to eat." She took out their bowls and started to serve everyone after setting up the picnic blanket.
{Rockbird Nebyaki Udon}
"Careful, it's hot." She told them as she handed Sui his bowl of Udon.
They soon get ready to eat and Alice blows on hers for a bit before slurping up the first strands of noodles. They all copied her, slurping it up while it was covered with the broth before they let out satisfied and relieved sighs as their bodies immediately warmed up once the warm noodles hit their stomachs.
"I suppose broth has its time and place." Fel said as he ate his carefully, not wanting to burn his tongue.
"The ice cream was great during the day, but this is delicious too! I'm warm inside and out." Dora-Chan said, slurping up more noodles, sighing as the warmth from it helped his body regain heat.
"It's so smooth and slurpy." Sui said in delight, loving how warm it made him feel.
"I always like to have something cold when it's warm and warm when it's cold." Alice said before taking a bit of the tempura.
'Broth soaked-tempura is a new one for me. The other world where the Japanese stuff I've been using is a huge help.' Alice thought before slurping up some noodles.
"The udon also soaked up the flavor." She drank the soup, sighing in content.
"So warm." She sighed in content.
"Another serving!" Fel, Sui and Dora-Chan quickly came to her with their empty bowls and she smiled.
"I'm on it, you guys." She chuckled and started to refill their bowls.
"How much further do you think this floor goes on for?" Alice asked Fel as she was by the stove, refilling their bowls when Fel spoke up behind her.
"It'll probably take a while. We are finally getting close to the presence. If we continue, we will face the boss soon." Fel told her as she turned to him.
"Then we need to save as much energy as we can." She told him as Sui and Dora-Chan started to eat their second serving with Alice and Fel.
"Let's get some sleep after dinner." Alice told them and everyone agreed.
"Let's pull out the bedding tonight."
"Yay! Squishy bedding!" Sui cheered, excited to sleep together once more.
After dinner, Alice soon set up a large futon as Dora-Chan was having a pocket warmer on his stomach.
"I'm gonna sleep on this!" He said, patting on the warmer as Alice turned to him.
"Okay, but don't burn yourself." She said as she took out extra blankets. They gathered around Fel who curled up around his pack with Alice sleeping near his head and Sui and Dora-Chan snuggled in the blankets with her as they fell asleep thanks to the warmth of the dinner and the protection of Fel's barrier but each other.
Around midnight, Fel grunted as he shifted his head a bit, his face scrunching up in discomfort.
Nightmare starts;
Fel doesn't know what got into him but he rushed to Alice when he noticed something large was chasing after her and it launched flames at her and he quickly shielded her, shouting her name in fear.
"ALICE!!!"
A searing heat consumed him and he was on the ground, his body struggling to breath, his injuries hurt and he could feel them burning. He can sense Dora-Chan and Sui coming to him.
"FEL!!!" Alice shouted, crying out his name as she was by his side, eyes glistening with tears and all Fel could do was smile before closing his eyes.
Nightmare ends;
He gasped, lifting his head, breathing heavily. He doesn't know why but he was dreaming. It was dark and he could hear Alice, Sui and Dora-Chan screaming and yelling his name. His body was hurt and getting cold before he woke up. He looked to Alice who was still sleeping peacefully. He leaned to her face, nudging her gently and she blinked her eyes sleepily.
"Fel?" She mumbled sleepily but was confused when he leaned his head against her stomach, ears flat against his head.
Alice blinked but held him close, humming a soft lullaby to help him sleep more.
The sun was barely up when they resumed their journey and it didn't take them long to find the end of the dungeon which has some type of stone golem that Fel managed to defeat with a strong lightning magic. Alice hid behind one of the pillars once it exploded though Dora-Chan was slightly covered in dust and Fel was chuckling in amusement, a little payback to the scorpion if he will admit.
"Is this the end of the floor?" Alice asked as they regrouped.
"Seems so. Look." Fel told her, nodding to the familiar sigil that they had seen before.
"The final floor." Alice muttered, she was nervous for some reason even Fel was too.
"Well, are we all prepared?" He asked them as everyone was close. Dora-Chan on Alice's head and Sui on his head while Alice put a hand on his shoulder.
"I was born prepared!" Dora-Chan said excitedly despite the early morning.
"Let's do it! Let's do it!" Sui cheered excitedly as Fel put his paw on the sigil and activated the teleportation magic that will take them to the final floor and the final boss.
"Off we go." They quickly disappeared and reappeared and Alice landed on her feet since they came from above.
"Is this the bottom floor?" Alice asked only for her to freeze with Fel when loud heavy stomps came from in front of them.
"What is that thing?!" She asked in shock as the stomps continued followed by a growl as Fel stared at their foe warily.
"That is a behemoth and the boss of the final floor." Fel said cautiously, his hackles rising for some reason. Why does this feel familiar?
"A boss fight right out the gate? I wanted to make stat boosting snacks! Not going head on unprepared!" Alice said as she stood up shakily. She was scared for some reason.
"Who needs 'em! Let's crush this thing!" Dora-Chan said, determined as Sui jumped off Fel.
"Yes! Sui wants to crush!" Sui said excitedly.
"The first to strike wins!" Dora-Chan said as he scooped up Sui as they both charged at it recklessly.
"Ready, set, go!" Sui shouted above.
"H-Hey!" Alice tries to stop them as Fel watches.
"So impatient." Was all Fel could say but both of them were worried.
Dora-Chan carried Sui above the behemoth before they both dive bombed towards it. Dora-Chan covered himself in fire as Sui shot it with his acid bullets but when they were close, the behemoth swatted them away like they were nothing which worried Alice as she came to them immediately.
"Dora-Chan! Sui!" She yelled as she and Fel came to them.
"What a jerk!" Dora-Chan growled.
"Are you two okay?!" Alice asked them worriedly.
"Sui is bouncy." Sui said as he hopped to them with Dora-Chan to regroup as they saw no damage on the thing.
"Look! We didn't even scratch the thing!" Dora-Chan pointed out.
"Sui's pew-pew made no boo-boos!" Sui exclaimed in confusion.
"Behemoths are resistant to both physical and magic attacks. Their tough skin prevents most damage. However, they are not impervious." Fel told them as the behemoth roared, charging towards them quickly and Alice's eyes widened.
"Scatter!" She yelled and everyone immediately got out of the way as it crashed against the walls.
"Attack with enough force to overcome its defense. That is the key to victory!" Fel said as the behemoth snorted before Fel charged up his rending claws, sending it towards the behemoth who shook it off lie nothing.
"Sui! Dora! It doesn't matter if some of the magic bounces off! Keep up the attack!" He told the two who got back to fighting.
"Thanks, Uncle Fel!" Sui shot it with his acid bullet with Dora-Chan.
"On it!" Dora-Chan used fire magic and started shooting fire ball after fire ball but it shook off the attacks like nothing.
'(Fel, it looks completely fine.)' Alice told him telepathically.
'(The damage we're doing will accumulate. Just stay hidden so you will be safe.)' Fel told her telepathically. He was more worried for her safety since she hasn't faced anything like this before.
'(Dora! Sui!)' He addressed the two who had regrouped with them
'(You're making progress. Don't let its appearance slow you down!)' Fel told them and they agreed.
'(Right!)' Dora-Chan agreed with the plan.
'(Okay!)' Sui joined Dora-Chan as they went on either side as the behemoth charged at Fel who dodged it quickly and retaliated with rending claws as Dora-Chan shot it with fire magic but he quickly moved out of the way when it tried to chomp down on him.
Sui jumped on the pillars and bounced above it, spewing acid bullets on its back. Angered by this, the behemoth tried to reach Sui who safely got out of the way as the behemoth destroyed one of the pillars, trying to get to Sui. Fel ran on the walls and used a stronger version of his rending claws and moved out of the way quickly as Dora-Chan used ice magic to conjure large sharp spikes of ice that he shot at the behemoth.
It was a direct hit on the spot where Sui's acid bullet hit it, leaving it injured as it roared in pain.
"It worked!" Alice saw the results, feeling hopeful they could defeat this thing.
"Yay, we did it!" Sui bounced, happy with the results.
"Score! Let's keep it up, gang!" Dora-Chan grinned, regrouping before they could attack once more.
But the behemoth wasn't done. It had smelled four individuals had entered its territory earlier and it turned to Alice who froze quickly and it charged towards her and her Familiars saw what was happening.
"MAMA, LOOK OUT!!!" Sui shouted in fear and worry.
"BOSS! MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!!!" Dora-Chan shouted which snapped Alice out of it as she quickly ran but the behemoth was close behind. Her heart sank as soon as the situation came crashing down as everything slowed and her eyes widening. Her nightmare...
The behemoth was charging up what looked like a fire attack and Alice looked back, her eyes widening in horror as Sui and Dora-Chan were both frozen just as the behemoth fired its attack on Alice.
Fel was faster as he moved, desperately running to Alice. His dream from last night. Was it warning him of this moment?!
"ALICE!!!" He yelled loudly as he got in between just as the attack hit him but he wasn't able to fully form his barrier as the attack hit him on the side, causing him to be sent flying against the wall with Alice who screamed.
The dust settled as Fel panted heavily as he stood over Alice but he winced as Alice stared at Fel in shock and horror.
"F-Fel..." Alice whispered shakily.
"That... That was a decent attack." He grunted, trying to hide he was hurt as he grinned slightly at the behemoth as Sui and Dora-Chan came to them immediately and Dora-chan's eyes landed on Fel's side which was badly burnt.
"Fel! You're hurt!" He said in worry.
"I am fine." Fel grunted as he looked at the area that was injured and knew what must be done.
"The acid boosts the amount of damage we can deal." He said as Sui was looking up at Fel.
"Now, cover it in plenty of acid, Sui!" Fel told him, bearing through the pain.
"Okay." Sui charged towards the behemoth, using his proliferate to grow bigger and sprayed the behemoth with burning acid as it roared in pain.
Dora-Chan came to help Sui, launching wind magic attacks at it.
"Take that! And that! And that!" He shouted as his attacks hit it dead on.
"Excellent work!" Fel told them, stomping his paw on the ground, gritting his teeth through the pain. His magic was running out and he needed to put all remaining energy into this one attack.
"Now step back!" He charged up his lightning magic.
"This will finish it." He growled and unleashed his attack on the behemoth, defeating it for good.
Just as the behemoth was finally defeated as it struggled to stay on its feet, collapsing from the attacks, Fel finally let the injuries take over completely as he fell to the side.
(OST playing: Futari no Kimochi)
"FEL!!!" Alice rushed to his side quickly as Sui and Dora-Chan came to them.
"Fel, you idiot! Why did you do that?! Why?!" Alice cried as she froze, not knowing what to do as his breathing was heavy and shallow. The damage was life-threatening as blood stained his fur.
"I... I did what I had to..." He told her weakly.
"You shouldn't have done that, you idiot." Alice cried as she took out a handkerchief and tried to press on the wound.
"The wound is too great... It's no use in trying to stop it." Fel said as Sui was confused but he was scared.
"Sui will heal you, Uncle Fel." Sui offered as he hopped to the injury.
"No, Sui." He refused and Sui froze, looking at him, his form quivering.
"B-But Uncle Fel is hurt and S-Sui has medicine that heals lots..." Sui whimpered but Fel just chuckled weakly.
"Meeting you all... has taught me something very important... that there's more to this world than meals..." He said as Dora-Chan refused to cry.
"But you're the legendary Fenrir! Y-You can't let some burn kill you, Fel!" Dora-Chan protested, tears gathering in his eyes.
"It can't be helped. Alice was in danger and I wasn't able to put up the barrier faster... I'm weak...." He smiled bitterly as he felt his eyes getting heavy.
"Fel, don't say that you're weak. You've been strong. Really strong ever since we met." Alice said, her voice cracking and her tears falling.
"Please, you can't do this to me... Please, don't leave us... Don't leave me..." Alice started to cry as her tears fell on his face as he looked at her, his vision swimming.
"Alice... I..." Fel started but he trailed off as his eyes were closing.
"Fel? Fel?!" Alice tried shaking him awake but his breathing was getting weaker.
"N-No, he can't be gone already..." Dora-Chan landed on the floor, breathing heavily.
Sui's form quivered as he touched Fel. He was getting colder.
"Uncle... Uncle Fel... Pa..." Sui started to whimper before it became a wail, calling Fel a word he had never known but it fit Fel more.
"Papa! PAPA! PAPA, PLEASE WAKE UP!!!" Sui cried loudly as Alice started to cry and Dora-Chan cried softly.
"Fel... Wake up, please..." Alice sobbed against his fur, desperate for him to stay with them.
Dora-Chan looked up suddenly and he growled and Alice looked to where he was looking and her eyes widened.
The creature hovering above them, slowly descending, has a distinct, darker purple fur color with its signature glowing blue eyes remaining prominent, creating a cooler, more menacing look and a green tail.
"Mewtwo..." Alice whispered as she stood up.
"Please... Please, help him, Mewtwo!" Alice pleaded as Mewtwo stared at her as if asking why he should save someone he doesn't know.
"He's someone important to us, to me. He protected me and... And... Please... I... I need him. We need him..." Alice sobbed as she looked at Fel as Sui continued to cry out for him and the feelings she's had since meeting Fel that grew deeper with each day finally accumulated. She can't lose him... Because...
"I love him..." Alice whispered, her heart breaking. She was only realizing now that she had truly fallen in love with him.
"Please... I love him... I can't lose him... Please..." Alice pleaded desperately as Sui and Dora-Chan looked at Mewtwo pleadingly.
He had seen enough to know they care for Fel. He raised his hand and used a much stronger heal pulse on Fel and Alice watched with bated breath as the wound started to heal and close and his fur around the area grew back. After that was done, he simply vanished via teleport.
Fel was in darkness as he looked around in confusion and disoriented before muffled voices came from the distance. He ran to the voice and heard Sui calling for him but instead of Uncle Fel like usual, he called him papa instead. He can hear Alice talking next, pleading for someone to help him before his heart skipped when he heard her say those three words before the pain stopped.
Fel grunted as he opened his eyes, vision adjusting only to see Alice, Sui and Dora-Chan looking down on him, tears in their eyes but his eyes were focused on Alice.
"Is it true...? That you...love me?" He asked her hesitantly and she just started to cry but in relief as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Yes, I love you... so much..." She sobbed against his fur and Sui and Dora-Chan joined in, Sui still crying, shaking against him.
"Y-You scared us. Don't you do that again, big guy." Dora-Chan sniffed as he wiped his nose.
"Papa... Sui was so scared you won't wake up..." Sui whimpered and Alice gathered Sui and Dora-Chan in her arms as they huddled close to Fel who nuzzled Alice, all of them trying to comfort each other after the experience.
'(I love you.)' Fel told Alice telepathically which made her look up at him with tears in her eyes.
'(Y-You do? Since when?)' She sniffed as she tried to wipe her tears away but they kept falling.
'(Since the time we left the town you first registered as an adventurer.)' He confessed sincerely as he licked her tears away.
'(I... I didn't realize until now that I...)' Alice admitted as she started to calm down while Fel nuzzle her head gently.
'(I started to court you after you fed me the wagyu. Though I'm not sure if you had gotten the message.)' He reassured her with a smile and she smiled back though tearfully.
"Sui, what did you call Fel?" Alice asked the slime softly who was still crying though softly now.
"Sui... Sui called Uncle Fel papa... He... He protected you and... Sui call you mama." Sui said softly, his soft cries turned to soft whimpers.
"Oh, Sui..." Alice felt tears in her eyes again as she held Sui close and Fel nuzzled Sui gently.
"Let me in on that too!" Dora-Chan whined as he hugged Fel's head who looked mildly annoyed yet amused as Dora-Chan nuzzled his head.
(OST Ends)
They stayed huddled together for a bit more before they turned to see that the body of the defeated behemoth was disappearing, leaving behind an impressive item drop. Fel got up but almost stumbled but Alice and Dora-Chan steadied him quickly.
"Is... Is it finally over now?" Alice was the first to break the silence, her hand on Fel's shoulder as Dora-Chan was on his head and Sui in her arm.
"Indeed it is." Fel told her. All of them were weary and exhausted emotionally and physically.
"Can... Can we lay off dungeon exploring for a while? This experience was too much for me." Dora-Chan said quietly.
"I'm with ya." Alice said softly.
They then looked to where the behemoth's body was and saw that a sword was in its place instead.
"A sword?" She asked in confusion as they walked to it.
"Looks like a pretty crazy drop." Alice said in awe as Dora-Chan looked at it curiously with Sui.
"What's this sword?" Dora-Chan asked as he flew off Fel's head to get a closer look.
"So shiny!" Sui chirped in awe. The initial ordeal has finally settled and now normalcy was returning slowly.
Alice gripped the hilt and lifted it from the ground only to topple over on her back with the sword still grasp in her head and she blinked in disbelief.
"It's even heavier than it looks." She said as Fel look down at her with a smile, making her look up at him with an equal smile. They still can't believe that they confessed and realized they have fallen together and it took a while for it to become real.
Alice sat up and used appraisal on the sword to see what type it is.
[Magic Sword Caladbolg]
A magic sword imbued with lightning magic. Made of adamantite.
"A magic sword?" She read in surprise. Fel had used appraisal on the sword as well, surprised that it was a rare drop.
"Wouldn't letting this out into the world be dangerous? People will lose their minds over this." Alice said as she opened her item box.
"I'll keep it tucked away in the item box for now." She put the sword inside her item box as Fel's, Sui's and Dora-Chan's stomachs growled in unison.
"We've defeated the boss and that battle depleted my energy. I'm getting quite hungry." Fel said as he nudged her gently as she turned to him.
"I know, but can't we head to the surface first?" Alice asked, her tone lighter and taking on her normal playful tone since she knows he will say that and if she's being honest, she was getting hungry too. But the experience has left her wary and on edge and Fel could sense it.
"There is no danger on this floor. We've defeated the boss. We should eat before we depart." Fel reassured her, sensing the slight playfulness of her tone which made his tail wag slightly.
"I'm pretty hungry too." Dora-Chan agreed with Fel.
"So is Sui." Sui was on board as well. Since she was out voted but most of all, they have defeated the dungeon's boss, it could be a celebratory meal.
"Alright, then let's eat!" She smiled as she purchased ingredients from the online grocery along with taking out the Rockbird meat from the item box. Time to make a large meal!
"You're preparing quite a feast." Fel noted playfully though he was curious on what she would cook this time.
"It isn't every day you complete a dungeon. And to celebrate, I'm throwing a fried food party!" She told them and it excited everyone.
"Alright!"
"Yay!"
She cooked up the Rockbird first after covering it with breading before serving it after taking one for herself to eat later.
"First up is Rockbird Fried chicken, served with yangnyeom, honey mustard and tartar sauce." Alice said and everyone quickly dug in. Alice made sure to put sauce on Fel's portion of the rockbird.
{Rockbird Fried Chicken with Three Dipping Sauce (Tartar, Honey Mustard, Yangnyeom)}
"While the red sauce lacks the spice its color promises, it does add a tremendous depth to the flavor of the meat!" Fel said in delight as he ate his first bite with the red sauce.
Dora-Chan had chosen the honey mustard and was loving every bite he got from it.
"The yellow sauce is equal parts sweet and zesty!" He said happily before taking another bite of his share.
"Sui likes the white one best!" Sui said in delight, choosing the tartar sauce as his choice of dipping sauce.
Alice ate her share of the rockbird fried chicken as well, humming in delight at the flavor before cooking up the next course which was a combination of vegetables and drumsticks that she covered in the same breading as the rockbird fried chicken.
"Next up, we've got deep fried skewers of ingredients that conquer worlds." Alice served the next course taking out the skewer sticks from Fel's share.
{Deep-Fried Skewers of Ingredients that Conquer Worlds}
"I've already de-skewered yours for you, Fel." She told him which he was thankful for as Alice took a bite of hers and he ate his share without complaint even though there's vegetables in the mix but the flavor was delicious.
"Though fried meat is superior, these peculiar vegetables are creating a symphony texture on the tongue!" Fel noted, the food gives off a satisfying crunch as soon as he bite into it.
"I like the crunch as much as I like the flavor!" Dora-Chan said, practically chomping down on one of the long green ones continuously without problem.
"Sui likes the crunchy meat and the veggies too!" Sui said, practically cleaning his plate as Alice smiled at them all before she knew it was time to make the final one.
"But wait! Don't fill up now because we're not done yet." She told them which surprised them a lot. There was one more meal?!
"What's that?!" Fel asked her in disbelief and surprise.
"Yeah!" Sui and Dora-Chan cheered excitedly as Alice got to work.
'Start with some pancake mix.' Alice poured the pancake mix in a mixing bowl before adding the other ingredients.
'Add milk, eggs, salt and stir.' Alice started to stir the mixture together, creating the perfect consistency for the final dish as she skewered the sausages.
'Now coat the rest of the sausages.' She made sure the sausages were covered completely before turning on the stove.
'Heat the oil to 160 celsius. Perfect.' Alice put the sausages covered in the pancake batter in and it started to sizzle and boil until they were cooked to perfection.
'High time for fry time.' She repeated the process until there was enough for all of them, de-skewering Fel's portion as she covered each one with ketchup and mustard.
"The finishing blow, American corndogs." Alice served them all the corndogs and they didn't hesitate to eat their last round of fried food.
{The Finishing Blow: American Corndog}
"The fluffy batter and juicy meat are a divine combination!" Fel said in delight. He was surprised by how well the batter and meat combined together and made a perfect combination that he can't get enough of. The taste alone was enough to make his tail wag vigorously.
"And these sauces are tank-tastic!" Dora-Chan said, biting into his and loving with each bite.
"Soft and sizzly, all in one!" Sui said, eating his in excitement as Alice ate her share of the corndogs.
"I hope you enjoyed the party." She told them as she finished her last one.
"You guys know we can't eat like this all the time, right?" Alice turned to them and smiled at how full and content they are right now.
'We earned it anyway.' She thought warmly as she came to Fel as soon as everyone was done eating. Fel looked at her curiously as she smiled at him, petting his face which made him lean against her touch happily. He leaned down enough where Alice practically gave his snout a gentle kiss which made him go still but his tail was wagging vigorously. Dora-Chan smiled at them while Sui bobbed happily as Alice and Fel pressed their foreheads against each other, looking into each other's eyes with equal and loving gazes
Another World Theater: Second Serving
At a pub after exiting the dungeon, Iron Will was celebrating their journey even though they didn't go deeper but they did have fun.
"Cheers!" They clinked their mug and glasses of ale together, drinking them and sighed.
"We've never made it all the way to the 12th floor. This was our best haul by far." Werner said but Vincent grinned.
"Sure, but the highlight for me was reuniting with our pal, Alice and her familiars!" Vincent said which they can agree on. Reuniting with Alice and her familiars was a surprise but they were delighted to see her once more after so long.
"Yeah, what a happy surprise! She went from totally unregistered to a C-rank stat in no time flat!" Rita said in agreement.
"And her bond with Lord Fel has grown too." Ramon said and they remembered how Fel seemed to give her an attention that surprised even them earlier.
"Anyone would become her familiar to eat her delicious food." Werner said. He still couldn't get over how delicious the beef stew they all shared before they parted ways.
"She's the best chef of all time. Her cooking is amazing." Vincent agreed with Werner and the rest of Iron Will agreed before a thought came to Franka's mind.
"I wonder if Alice would ever invite us to join her party! And we could eat her food every single day!" She said wistfully which shocked the rest of Iron Will before they shook it away.
They started to think of moments that could have been if Alice had joined them instead and became their party member before the thought was shattered when they realized that Alice had a very protective familiar by her side. They wondered how things were going for the group since they parted ways once more.