What route do you want to take, Mr. Corrina?　The co-operative route is the safest, but........
I agree with you!　Oh, but I'd like to keep her alive somehow!　Maybe there's a way to save it!
'I recommend the kill-all route. You'll get more experience that way.
Leleia!　I don't like that anymore!　I want a happy ending!
It should definitely be a survival route. Tsutomu and the others are still on the ninety-oneth level, so there's plenty of room.
"Well, uh...


　Corrina, who was not quite getting the point of the four people who were discussing the matter in a very heated manner, reviewed the materials that Daryl had given her again.

　The motif of the 92nd level is based on the forest, and if you defeat the huge monster called the rumpage elephant that holds the key to the black gate leading to the 93rd level, you can advance to the next level.

　However, in order to defeat the runpage-elephant, which rampages through the forest at an uncommonly high speed, you must use some kind of gimmick. For example, you can lead them to a cluster of sticky ivy to stop their movement, or you can make them hit against indestructible rocks to stun them temporarily.

　Among such gimmicks, there is one that stands out from the rest. It's the successive Fenrir, whose strength surpasses that of the Rampage Elephant, and his child, who is still a bit of an innocent. This father and son, the back boss of the 92nd level, is also a gimmick, and one of the most narrative ones.

　The ninety-two levels are dominated by the Runpage-Elephant and Fenrir at the top of the food chain, with a pyramidal array of various monsters below them. And because it's set up so that fights between monsters are particularly prone to occur, explorers can take advantage of it to get through with ease.

　And what Daryl and Leleia have been talking about earlier is how to get involved with Fenrir. Although Fenrir and his son are monsters, they are the only neutral ones, so if you don't get involved and fight to stop the runaway Rampage Elephant, they will naturally fight together from the middle.

　However, if you don't fight with them, you will most likely end up with Fenrir's son being attacked by another monster, or being targeted by a lumpage elephant and dying. Therefore, at first, you'll usually have to defeat the runpage-elephant and then break through with Fenrir standing quietly in front of the dead child with his back to you. In fact, Aldrete Crow was like that at first.

　Of course, there are routes to save Fenrir's child, there are routes to fight the hostile Perfect Fenrir by killing him from the beginning, or there are routes to awaken the child by killing the parents first. There are various other gimmicks prepared for this world that have yet to be discovered.

　And when gathering materials at the 92nd level, Tsutomu made Daryl and his friends go through several routes, though not all of them. However, most of those routes involved killing children or killing everyone, and only the parent-child survival route was never used from the perspective of collecting materials.


(According to the information given to me by Tsutomu-san, the co-operative route is also the safest, but... And Diniel-san's motivation is amazing.... (Maybe I should try it for a bit)


　Apparently, Diniel wants to establish a friendly relationship with Fenrir at all costs and mooch off at the drop of a hat, and he's showing quite a bit of motivation so far. And Daryl says that it's the ninety-one and ninety-sixth levels that he thinks will be difficult to break through, so there's certainly plenty of room for that.

　Corrina is not particularly interested in animals, as she is neither comfortable nor uncomfortable with them. However, I had a desire to verify the unknown parts that Tsutomu, Daryl and the others still didn't know, and if there were new discoveries, I wanted to find them.


'Let's see if we can find a way to save the child, as long as it's not too much to ask. Maybe that will give us something unknown.
Corrina, you're the man!　Master would have definitely looked down on you with cold eyes!



　Leleia couldn't help but remember Tsutomu's eyes as he looked like he was about to kick Fenrir's kid, and she couldn't help but utter that. However, Tsutomu was a 'live dungeon! It's a hatred that comes from a background of being distressed by Fenrir and his son, who were added to the game in a major app, but there's no way for the PT members to get the message.


Thank you.
No, no. And I don't know if there's any way to save it yet.
'I've been trying all sorts of things on my end to avoid getting noticed by Tutum. I hope you'll find that helpful too.


　She flinched at Diniel, who squeezed her hand firmly with eyes that looked at each other as if they were looking at each other. Then she sighed in surrender as she glanced at Leleia, where Hannah and Daryl remained, and she sighed in surrender.


'I have no objection to it either. However, let's set a deadline to try it from the beginning. I don't want to waste time on the sly, because I don't want to get carried away with my emotions.
Yes. Then--


　We decided on the PT's policy of aiming for the route to save Fenrir and his son, and based on this, we decided on the details of our preparations and the period of time. Then, the whole PT worked together to try the Fenrir and his son's survival route.


　o.


Are these herbs?
Maybe.
This new species is hard to tell apart...


　The ninety-two levels of nature were so vast that it was hard to believe it was inside the old castle. Along the way, Korina was walking around to meet Fenrir and his son first, while finding and pulling out materials that could be used as medicinal herbs.


''As I thought yesterday, this place is really special.


　The ridiculously large insectivorous plant preys on and dissolves the blue grizzly, which is caught by the sweet smell and sticks its head into its petals, and dozens of birds swarm from the sky in its spare lower body. And when it's roughly gone, a particle of light rises in the air and the corpse disappears.

　The scene of frequent fights between monsters, who are not paying attention to the searchers, reminds me of the dungeon outside. In fact, there is a tendency for monster corpses to remain at this level, and even though it is a forest environment, there are new plants and insects, so it is a treasure trove of materials. When Tsutomu hid here, many of those materials were brought to the guild, and the cat appraiser's eyes were shining.

　The ninety-two levels, which seemed to be popular among searchers in terms of abundant materials, were also popular among spectators because it was easy for monsters to fight each other. Until now, monsters rarely fought each other, unlike in the dungeons outside, so the curiosity of the situation probably makes it worthwhile for labyrinth maniacs to consider.


''There's a fire dragon coming from behind. I'm going to take cover for a while.


　Diniel, who was using Eagle Eye to search for the enemy, said that and led the PT members to the grass shadows. A little while later, a deafening scream echoed from the sky, and the carcass of a herbivorous monster fell a short distance away from Diniel and the others.

　A fire dragon, no longer treated as a mob monster in the sky, glided by, with an ice dragon chasing behind it, spitting blue breaths. While watching such a scene with the eyes of a god, Corrina watches such a scene with the eyes of a god, she follows Diniel's beckoning and begins to move quietly.


''Ice dragons ... they really do come out, don't they?


　Corina was looking at the sky in amazement, though she didn't make a sound of surprise as she saw a large green turtle walking along in a lumbering manner, something she hadn't seen even when she had explored yesterday.


'The one that surprised me the most was the thunder dragon. That thing was close to an imaginary monster.''
I died as fast as I could.
'I'd love to beat you when I get a free moment. We don't get to see each other very often, though.


　The three of them, who are somewhat familiar with the ninety-two levels, proceeded to not make too much noise, talking comfortably without worrying about the donkeys in the sky. But since it's only the second day, Corina's movement isn't that smooth, so she proceeds even while having Leleia assist her.


'I understand how you feel, but don't worry about getting too dirty. It's easier for you to recognize that this place is like that.
Yes, sir.
Then follow me.


　Heeding Leleia's advice as they made their way through the damp and rotting branches and trees, Corina did the same as they made their way through the deep forest. Leleia was trained in guarding and guiding someone due to her job as a knight, so her leading was refined.


''........Hmm?''


　Then there was a sound from somewhere in the distance. Then there was a bit of an earthquake, and Korina involuntarily put her hand on the muddy ground, startled by the unfamiliar sensation.


'Will you excuse me for a moment?'
Uh-oh!


　Taking Corina's hand, Leleia quickly carried her with a stern look on her face and leapt towards Daryl, who quickly caught up with her. And in order to escape the increasingly strong shaking, he stagnated in the sky by the wish of flight that had been put on him beforehand.


'It's a run page. We'll take shelter a little higher.''


　Leleia said as she grabbed Corina's hand and pulled her upwards, and ascended through the tall trees. And in the distance, Corina could see the trees being torn down and a huge grey lumpy elephant approaching.


'Oh, is that it?'
Yes, but let's let it slide this time. But let's let it slide this time. We have to find Fenrir first.


　The lumpy elephant, with two long tusks stretched out for an elephant, ruffled the forest with a trumpet-like scream that could only be endured if the ears were covered. It's a good thing that you've got a good idea of what you're looking for.


''Ko, that's scary,''
''I thought so too at first, but it's no big deal once you trap them and stop them from moving. I'm sure you'll be relieved.


　Daryl said that with a cheerful smile on his face, and then descended to the ground, checking his surroundings with Diniel. And Corina also let go of Leleia's hand and stepped down to the rough ground as she was torn apart.


''Huh!''


　Then all of a sudden Diniel held up her bow with an impatient look on her face. Immediately after Daryl and Hanna were caught by her movement and prepared themselves as well, a white object jumped out from behind the grass and charged towards Corina.


''Korina!''
"Cui?


　Leleia, who was nearby, quickly replaced her by pushing her out of the way and collided with the white object as a substitute. Diniel tries to release an arrow to cover her as she rolls on the ground in the form of being pushed down, but she rolls her eyes and stops her hand in the process.


''........This.......''


　The white beast riding over Leleia was perched on top of her, licking her cheek as if apologizing for bumping into her. It was the very child Fenrir was trying to save, the very child that Corina and the others were trying to save.