The gap between the cracks in the dungeon's hierarchy, the one that awaited Sakura as she passed through an irritating path that couldn't even be called a path, was a heat of a completely different kind than the fourth level.

'Nah ......!　What a ...... like thick fog this is, but ......

　The space beyond the crack was filled with what seemed to be a hot mist, as hot as boiling water, and it was difficult to see even a few steps ahead.

　Fog, haze, or mist.

　It seemed to be none of these things, but Sakura immediately understood what that white smoke was.

"...... hot water(⋅)chi, huh?
That's right.

　Demon General Suzuri advanced in front of Sakura with an attitude as if he didn't feel the slightest trace of heat, without changing a single color of his voice.

''The water that flowed down from the second level circulated through the third level and eventually transformed into steam and hot water at the bottom, receiving the scorching heat of the fourth level. It's an environment that is inhospitable to living things in a different way than the fourth level.
"Huh, huh, ...... and, speaking of which, ......

　Melissa, who had managed to get to the third level, managed to squeeze out a faint voice, almost humbled by the exhaustion and steamy environment of the past.

　If it weren't for the heat-resistant equipment that has a cooling function, it would have collapsed long ago.

"There is a hypothesis that each level of the 'Ark of the Elements' symbolizes the four elements: ...... the first level of earth, the second level of water, and the fourth level of fire. And the third level is wind, or air......
'I think you're wrong about the hierarchy of vapour or steam.

　Nagi interrupts, looking around uncomfortably.

　The humidity, the heat, the heated and muddy feet, and this place where Sakura and her friends are, is an environment that is a mass of unpleasant elements.

　You might even say that the fourth level is still more comfortable for the lack of humidity.

'Melissa. For now, you need to do something about the steam. You can't do any reconnaissance with your vision blocked.
'Umm, yeah ...... if you blow it up with wind magic ......'
Keep the scale to a minimum. If we clear the vapors from this area, they'll be aware of it.

　With advice from Suzuri that she couldn't ignore, Melissa carefully generated a dome of wind around herself, her face straining with nervousness.

'Ko, this much ......?'
Tolerable. We'll move to higher ground for now. From there, we'll have a full view of the third level.

　She resumed moving toward the tip of the rock that jutted out beyond the sea of clouds, removing the steam that blocked her vision with the magic of the wind.

　All the while, Sakura continued to watch her surroundings incessantly, throwing any questions that came to mind at Suzuri.

I'm not sure I can see the ceiling well because of the deep steam overhead as well ...... the luminescent function seems to be working, but ...... the light is weak in some places, which is worrisome. Did you guys really live in this kind of environment? There were survivors of the ancient people, weren't there?
This kind of environment is only found at the bottom of the third level. Humans and demons lived in a higher place. That's where Agat Ram's base should be.
'......, so they don't even have a good lookout here, but if the steam clears over a wide area, they'll be seen from above, right? No wonder those cracks aren't pretentious.

　Looking down at the bottom of the third level from the top of the same level, it looks like a white ocean, as if it were looking down at the clouds from the top of a mountain.

　If we can recreate a scene similar to that at the top of the earth's surface even though it is deep underground, then we may be ready to call ourselves a hierarchy that symbolizes the attributes of air.

If the hot springs of ...... Green Hollow Town are also located here ......?
''Come on. The water that spilled out of the second level and the destination of the fourth level's burning heat is not only to the third level in any way. It must have reached the strata around the dungeon as well.
The source of Green Hollow may have come from there.

　Sakura walked down the muddy slope with Suzuri leading the way, and in a calm tone of voice that kept her anger and sadness in check, she began to talk about topics that had nothing to do with the dungeon or Agart Ram.

'Come to think of it, my father was fond of hot springs, too. There are many volcanoes in my hometown, and there were often hot springs in the mountains.''
...... It's a waste of time.
What about you, General Suzuri? Aren't you affected by your father's influence?

　There was no response from Suzuri.

　However, Sakura did not try to repeat the same topic any further, as if she was satisfied with just being able to put this into words.

　Sakura and the others eventually reached their immediate destination - the tip of a rock that jutted out of the sea of clouds of steam.

　The scene seen from there was simply covered in white steam smoke for all intents and purposes, and not even the outline of a structure could be seen.

What's going on? There's nothing there.
Look up.

　Suzuri gave short, cold words to Sakura, who was exuding impatience.

　Sakura looked up at the ceiling as she was told, and then, with her mouth open, she was immensely disappointed.

　Even Melissa and Melissa, who belatedly raised their gazes, were so astonished that they couldn't even raise their voices, let alone stand there in a daze.

''Ba...... stupid ......''

　Finally, Sakura squeezes out the words.

"The island is..., floating...,

　It was an existence that had no room for expression other than to call it a 'floating island'.

　A floating island that looked as if it had been hollowed out of the ground with a giant spoon was floating in the air on the third level, which was higher than any of the previous levels, as if it were a matter of course.

　And it's not just one or two.

　More than ten islands, which I could see, were stationary in the air at a certain distance, casting several dark shadows in the sea of clouds of vapor.

　There are man-made structures that look like roads between the islands, some of them reaching up to the ceiling, catching the water flowing down from the second level and running between the islands as if they were rivers floating in the air.

　And the unrecepted water flowing down like a waterfall, which dissipates in the air like a white veil and flickers light, giving the floating archipelago a mysterious coloration.

''Do you understand? This is the third level, the Ark that stored the residue of the ancient city. Any or all of those things are the residence of Agart Ram ...... we must challenge.