“Well… there are other parties and squads heading down besides Rhine’s team. And the guild is still recruiting for reinforcements… In the end, taking a quest or entering the dungeon is your choice…”
(But Alicia kind of likes Rhine. And Fei kind of reminds me of Rhine… and I like him too… If anything happens to them, I’d hate that… But I can’t just let Rhine go alone either…)
Barbara agonized. The monster march had been reported early. Their numbers were still small. Technically, it wasn’t urgent.
But she felt uneasy. Her instincts screamed at her. Even though the guild initially said the main squad was enough, she had stationed Romeo’s team nearby just in case. Now, she herself was preparing to head down.
She also knew—these two always got involved in trouble. Lizardmen, murders, accidental attacks. Who knows what could happen if she left them alone?
She cared about both of them. She couldn’t let them go alone.
“Then… why don’t we form a party together?”
“With you?”
“Yeah. I was going alone, but hey—why not team up?”
“I’m fine with that… Wait, Fei’s already gone!!”
“What!? He really is like Rhine—so impatient!”
The two of them rushed after Fei. As always, Alicia followed her destined path. Barbara, worried about the girl Rhine cared for, joined them as backup.
And so, the two of them descended into the dungeon together.
On the 23rd floor of the dungeon, countless adventurers fought to stop the monsters from reaching the surface. They swung weapons, cast magic, and struck down beast after beast.
“Damn it all…”
Rhine gritted his teeth, unable to contain his fury. There was only one reason: the sheer number of monsters. Far more than reported.
(This… They’re still being summoned from somewhere, endlessly…!)
He could see it now—someone was guiding them. Their numbers grew. A hopeless battle with no end in sight. Rhine’s squad began to falter. Before they knew it, they were surrounded.
He couldn’t even send a message to his sister above. He had no idea who caused this. That fear—the unknown—began to crush them. Morale plummeted.
No one had died. Not a single injury. They fought battle after battle with overwhelming strength. And yet… there was no joy. Only anguish.
“Don’t back down!”
Surrounded by monsters, he couldn’t move as he wished and only barely managed to direct them toward the surface. There should be other adventurers around, so it wasn’t a complete disaster—but even he could tell this situation couldn’t last.
He cast spells and swung his sword, cutting down monsters… but it wasn’t enough.
(Damn it… Romeo’s team morale is dropping. Shit… Just like Father… I have to lead them.)
(I’m the vice-captain…)
(I can’t burden Barbara any further…)
In Rhine’s mind, the image of his sister Barbara appeared. It wasn’t his father or mother who had devotedly supported him—it was Barbara. His mother had died in a dungeon when he was young, and his father had been killed.
Their father had originally been the captain of Romeo, and Barbara had inherited that role. Losing both parents at a young age, Rhine had gone through a rebellious phase. He mistook recklessness for courage—diving into dungeons recklessly, nearly dying, swinging his sword beyond his limits, desperate to grow stronger.
And he was a teenager, too. There were times he ignored his sister, ate alone, or even lashed out at her out of frustration.
But deep down, he knew: the weak die. And he refused to let that happen.
[Why do you always fuss over me?]
[Because you’re my little brother. It’s just the two of us.]
[…]
[Come on, stop sulking. We won’t be together forever, so let’s at least get along now, okay? We’re all the family we have.]
Barbara had always supported him. Eventually, Rhine began to want to support her too. There was no romantic love between them—just the bond of family, each wishing for the other’s happiness.
Rhine understood. If he didn’t grow strong, if he didn’t stand on his own, his sister would never be able to let go of him.
He knew Barbara, as a woman, must have dreams of her own—of falling in love, marrying, having children, letting their parents see their grandchildren.
[Huh? A specific man for me? What’s this? Rhine, are you interested in that stuff too?]
[…That’s not it.]
[Ehh? Really? Ah, okay, okay, don’t get mad. Hmm… Well, I guess I’ll wait until you’re happy before finding someone like that?]
[…]
Though she was his sister, she had also taken on the role of a parent.
(I have to get stronger… This much… I have to—)
He didn’t want to be a burden. He didn’t want Barbara chasing his happiness anymore—he wanted her to chase her own.
That’s why today, he hadn’t relied on her. He thought he could handle the expected number of monsters with his own command and strength.
But things weren’t going as planned. If this continued, his sister—waiting on the surface—would have to swing her sword again. She’d still think she had to take care of him. And with this abnormal number of monsters and their coordination… civilians on the surface might get caught in the crossfire.
“Vice-Captain! It’s bad! Monsters from below the 40th floor—!”
“What—?!”
He was speechless. Before them stood multiple cyclopes—hulking, one-eyed monsters. These creatures were particularly troublesome, resistant to most magic.
“This can’t be…”
Romeo had about fifty members, but the monsters were stronger and their numbers were growing. Worse, the endless battle was sapping morale. Monsters slipped past their formation, flooding upward.
“…At least thin their numbers… Then, the ones on the surface…”
For a moment, he considered calling for Barbara. But he clenched his fist. However, he was alone in that resolve. The floor they were on was a vast plain dotted with hills.
“This is impossible!!”
“We’ll die if this keeps up!”
“We have to retreat!”
“We can’t hold them back!”
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One broke ranks. They were supposed to defend the cave leading to the surface staircase—but the formation crumbled. And when one fled, others followed. The monsters numbered in the hundreds.
Worse, deep-floor monsters and flying beasts breathing fire closed in. Pushed to the brink, more comrades fled until only Rhine and a handful of Romeo’s officers remained. Even their shields abandoned them, their formation collapsing. Injuries mounted from fire breath and claws.
Damage to the surface, failure in front of his sister, an irregularity beyond expectations—countless factors piled up.
Yet… he couldn’t run.
Alone, he charged into the endless battle.
His arms were wounded. His stamina was nearly gone.
But the monsters didn’t relent. If he didn’t flee, he’d die. But if he let them pass, the defenseless citizens of the Free City—and Barbara—would suffer.
“Rhine!”
Just as doubt crept in, his sister’s voice rang out. Wind magic swept through the monsters, clearing a path.
“Full retreat! Rhine, hurry!!”
Her tone wasn’t her usual kindness—it was the stern command of a captain. Compelled by her charisma, everyone withdrew.
Yet Rhine understood the gravity of their failure. If even the city’s strongest couldn’t hold this back, the Free City would drown in screams, despair, and chaos.
Defenseless civilians lived there. Adventurers obsessed with faction wars might seize the opportunity. Some would surely blame Romeo, spinning tales of their incompetence.
And then… there were the unknown evils lurking.
Gritting his teeth, Rhine sped up. Ahead, he saw Alicia, trembling before the horde.
Some of his fleeing comrades shoved past her. Finally, Rhine reunited with Barbara, taking cover on a high rocky fortress—monsters still swarmed the skies.
“Rhine, thank goodness!”
Barbara hugged him tightly.
“…We have to stop them. If this continues, people will—”
“…It’s no use. I’ll take full responsibility. The intel was way off. There’s nothing we can do… If we pushed the team to their absolute limit, maybe we could stall them, but… fighting endlessly in this place, staring death in the face? Impossible.”
“…”
“If Father were here… he might’ve—”
“—Captain!!”
A voice cut in. Triten, one of the officers, called out.
“The monsters’ advance has changed direction!”
“Huh…?”
Triten’s words were confirmed by the others. The monsters were shifting.
Then—
A crushing pressure, like being struck by a waterfall, washed over them. Someone had unleashed an overwhelming aura, blanketing the entire floor.
“…Fei!”
Alicia screamed, her voice trembling with grief and fear.
At the end of her gaze—
A lone swordsman sprinted across the rocky hills.
(He’s drawing them all in… Every last one.)
Fei’s intimidation. Normally, his unconscious aura was far purer—but even this diluted version was enough to trigger the monsters’ defensive instincts.
Instead of heading for the surface, he ran toward the horde. Dodging fire breath from above and below, he cut through monsters.
A swarm of giant bird-like creatures surged toward the surface. Charging head-on would be suicide. So Fei forced strength into his legs—
“—Tch!”
He weaved through, beheading one—but the strain cost him his right leg. Instantly, he doused it with a potion, healing it.
“…Running into that swarm? Is he suicidal?”
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