Chapter 376

Chapter 381: Making Sweet Talk in the Dungeon is Against Public Morality (Please Subscribe!)

Upon hearing the faction leader’s confused statement, the five young adventurers, including Izay, exchanged glances.

How should they put it?

From an objective standpoint, Finn and his main team had been on the move for seven hours straight, while these few had been chilling out down below, leveling up their abilities. It was a bit embarrassing to admit, making it hard to speak up.

“Isn’t what happened obvious?”

But at that moment, Gress smirked and spoke up.

“We went through brutal battles, with great effort clearing all the monsters, and now we’re just resting!”

Hmm, the battle a few hours ago was indeed brutal, draining so much of Izay’s magic. Gress felt he wasn’t lying.

Besides, with the unknown floor just ahead, the old man wasn’t heartless enough to tease his old friend at this point. There’d be plenty of time to do so once they returned from the expedition.

“Is… is that so…” Finn chuckled awkwardly.

Though there was a strange feeling, let’s just go with it. What’s important now isn’t dwelling on this but letting everyone rest.

After all, his group had been running non-stop for seven hours.

Izay retracted the picnic blanket temporarily, and Finn led the group to the southern end of the floor, then paused at the entrance to the next level.

The supporters slowly drank spiritual medicine and magic elixirs to restore their strength. Izay also shared his “portable snacks” with everyone, while Tsubaki took out a full set of forging tools and skillfully performed emergency repairs on the adventurers’ weapons.

This dwarven blacksmith, having seen so many rare drops, couldn’t contain his excitement thinking about bringing them back.

Ais leaned slightly pouting against Izay, using him as a pillow.

The girl could clearly see that he wasn’t tired at all, and there was definitely some exaggeration in what Gress and Finn said. So she leaned without guilt, even accepting fried potato balls with satisfaction.

“Ai, Ai-sempai… waaahhh…” Refia thought she had built up enough mental fortitude, but seeing this scene still made her choke up with sobs.

Centering around the three, both adventurers and supporters couldn’t help but laugh, creating a relaxed atmosphere within the team.

At this moment, Finn approached the dark cavern exposed at the southern end of the floor, wielding his spear. Before the path leading to the 59th floor, the Halfling Tribe Leader stared into the darkness with eyes like a tranquil lake.

“Something feels off…”

“What’s wrong, Leader?”

“According to the records left by the [Uranus Factions], starting from the 59th floor, it’s the ‘Glacial Realm’…”

“Yes? It’s said that icy river lakes flow everywhere, making progress difficult. The extreme cold will make bodies sluggish, affecting even first-class adventurers.”

For this reason, the team had specifically prepared fire elemental protective cloths. Raul, hearing the two talk, quickly responded and pulled out all the fiery red cloths.

Finn didn’t reply to Raul immediately, continuing to gaze into the dark cave. “If the [Uranus Factions]’s records are correct, why isn’t cold air flowing towards us from the passage to that floor?”

“Perhaps this is what that weirdo wanted Ais to see. She probably knows very well about the changes ahead and wants to lure us into a trap.”

Izay stroked the golden-haired girl’s hair, recalling Reivice’s mysterious face.

“And the fact is, we willingly took the bait.” Finn narrowed his eyes and continued after Izay’s words.

In other words, waiting for them ahead might be the sight of an army of new monster species covering the ground?

However, no matter what, they’ve come this far, and they must investigate!

Tiona, Bert, and the others heard the conversation here, swallowing their food in a few bites before standing up and picking up their weapons.

Facing a situation that cannot be ignored, everyone adopted the demeanor of adventurers.

Tension returned once again.

“Hold on, let’s rest for five more minutes. After final adjustments, we’ll set out.”

Finn licked his right thumb, casting a sharp glance towards the passage, issuing instructions. He himself also took out another bottle of stamina-restoring medicine and gulped it down.

Ais was brought back to memories by Izay’s earlier words, her golden eyes looking deep into the passage. That weird person said there was something she needed to know ahead…

Staring into the darkness, the girl quietly gripped her sword hilt.

At this moment, a hand reached out and rested on hers.

Turning her head, it was Izay.

“Relax, Ais. If you tense your body too much, it won’t be good.” Izay said with a double meaning.

Whether in battle or life, it’s the same.

Pushing yourself too hard often leads to the opposite effect. If you can’t handle it alone, rely on others. After all, they’re companions and family who live together; there’s no shame in it.

The original Ais liked solving everything herself, which wasn’t because she could stand on her own, but rather the little girl was just being stubborn. Riviria and the others worried that one day Ais would snap under the pressure.

With Izay’s arrival, this gradually changed over time, though habits formed over many years still lingered in the girl’s mind.

Izay understood, but there was nothing to be done. Since it was a matter of mindset, it could only be corrected bit by bit, not rushed.

Moreover, after being together for so long, most things had already improved. The remaining bits were just a matter of time, not worth rushing.

Understanding his thoughts, Ais suppressed the urge to pull her hand back and nodded lightly.

“Um, I will…”

“That’s good. Now promise me one more thing.”

“—?”

“Once we enter the 59th floor, whatever you see, consider it an enemy. If there’s danger, I’ll protect you, so Ais, don’t hesitate to attack, okay?”

Izay wanted to give Ais a preemptive warning.

Looking into his azure eyes, the girl’s delicate face turned slightly red, yet her tone remained resolute as she replied: “…Okay!”

“Well, that’s enough sweet talk over there. We’re getting ready to go!” Finn cast a teasing glance this way.

“Eeekkk—”

“Against public morality.”

“Indeed, indeed!”

Feeling like they were unknowingly fed dog food, the adventurers successively whistled.

Somewhat inexplicably feeling a bit disheartened, Riviria lowered her eyelids slightly and took a deep breath to console herself: “Cabbage will eventually marry someone else…”

The group stared at Ais until she hid behind Izay, glaring fiercely as if saying: Keep staring and you’ll regret it.

Izay, however, paid no heed, finding such gazes child’s play. No need to care.

Next, the team quickly adjusted their state, ending their rest period. Finn and the others equipped their weapons, lined up, and stepped into the dark cavern.

Incidentally, Izay activated the eye crystal for Fels’ live broadcast.

The little crystal reflected a pitch-black image, faintly revealing a hooded figure. Though communication was possible, both Fels and Uranus were holding their breath, silently watching the team advance.

They were illegally connected spectators now, so naturally, they couldn’t make a sound. If discovered, not only would they have a weak spot held against them, but Izay might also get implicated?

In short, silence was best.

As they entered deeper into the passage, the abnormal heat and humid air raised questions. When they finally saw the light ahead, everyone had a premonition.

—They might witness the “unknown,” something even the gods hadn’t seen until now!