After dinner.
A group of people sat together again.
"Now that the matter is over, we still have to go to the underground city." Hestia spoke first: "The information that can be obtained on the surface is too limited. And Xiaolin, didn't Ouranos say anything to you?"
"No."
"Hmm...very suspicious."
It seemed that she didn't believe Xiao Lin's words and always felt that the other party was hiding something.
Besides, Xiaolin is a member of Ouranos, so how could he not know anything?
In response, Xiao Lin counterattacked: "Although it is very suspicious, it is a pity that God Ouranos has indeed not mentioned anything to me. Besides, God does not always tell his relatives about everything. You think so, I owe you a debt. 200 million Hestia god.”
“This, this is different!
How can they be confused! "
Hestia denied angrily.
Kobayashi was alluding to the fact that she had owed 200 million on credit to Hephaestus in order to forge Bell's dagger, but she didn't tell her family members until after defeating the [Apollo Familia], which indirectly led to the failure to expand the family members.
Thanks to this success in dispelling her questioning.
Hestia bit her finger and muttered: "What does that guy Uranus want to do?"
"Who knows."
Xiao Lin is also very strange.
Ouranos asked him to come, probably to assist [Hestia Familia], but he didn't give him relevant information and next-step instructions, which was really a bit confusing.
Could it be that he not only wants to test Bell, but also tests himself?
Thinking about it carefully, it seems that he has never said whether he has any prejudice against monsters, and he is not sure that the gods on earth would do this?
Hey hey hey, I'm from another world.
Don’t you think it’s too much to do this to me, an outsider?
Hestia continued: "Xiaolin, can you take Bell and the others to the dungeon tomorrow to look for clues?"
"Um...ok."
Xiao Lin agreed.
Bell and others showed happy expressions.
To be honest, Bell and the others are still too reluctant to go to the middle level. Regardless of their strength or experience, they need an experienced driver to lead them.
And there happens to be a suitable candidate here.
In this way, they decided to go to the 19th floor early tomorrow morning, where they first met Winnie, to look for clues.
night.
Xiao Lin did not leave, but chose to stay one night at [Hestia Familia] for convenience.
There were a lot of rooms anyway, and Hestia and the others were happy with it.
Bell, Hestia and Winnie returned to the room early, but the rest of the people came to Xiaolin's room at the same time. At this time, Xiao Lin was planning to do something fun with Liu Zi, but felt a little unhappy after being interrupted.
"So, what's the matter?"
"This can't go on like this."
Lily said something meaningless, but Xiao Lin knew what she wanted to express.
The appearance of Winnie is unpredictable for God. There is no doubt that they are facing extremely difficult troubles now.
But Bell is a good guy.
Having received the favor, they had no way to refuse. It was not that they agreed, but that they gave up their opposition.
Can't be bound by emotions.
Once you let down your guard, you will make a mistake one day, and then the tragedy will begin.
Lily always played this role.
You could say she likes to play devil's advocate, but she does make the right call when Bell is acting stupid.
The world is awake and belongs to Yes.
"In other words, in order for Bell to realize the difference, it's best to draw a clear line?"
"Yes. I know this is very difficult, but I can only ask you. Mr. Xiaolin, please help Mr. Bell."
"...Please help Bell (Your Excellency)."
The three of them bowed their heads deeply in front of Xiao Lin.
It was really difficult for them to do this for the immature leader.
"Although I don't know if I can do it...well, I agreed."
"Thank you, Master Xiaolin!"
Just like that, they left with a heavy heart.
the next day.
Early in the morning, Xiaolin took Bell and others to the middle level of the dungeon.
The monsters on the first 10 floors were not very strong. Bell and others were also familiar with the monsters' fighting methods, so they quickly passed through the floors with little delay.
But when it reaches the 15th level, the difficulty suddenly rises to a new level.
It's not that the monsters here have become stronger, but they all appear in groups. Xiao Lin alone cannot stop the groups of monsters.
In this way, several people started fighting with the group of unicorn rabbits.
Xiao Lin blocked most of the monsters from the front and kept killing the blood.
A group of monsters emerged from the hole and rushed towards Bell and others behind.
Zolf and others used weapons to kill several of them. Only Bell was unable to react in time and froze on the spot. However, his excellent quality allowed him to quickly adjust his condition and wave the dagger in his hand to knock down the stone ax thrown by the monsters.
However, just as he was swinging his sword to kill the monster, his movements became sluggish.
"Bell?!"
"Lord Bell!"
"Lord Bell!"
When the three saw this, they screamed loudly in fright.
But it's too late.
Bell, who suffered an impact on his chest, fell to the ground on his back in a posture that no novice would have expected.
When the One-Horned Rabbits saw a gap in their defense, their scarlet eyes became brighter.
Coming from all directions.
The moment he was about to rush in and defeat Bell and others, several threads flew from the void to form a sharp net, strangling all the monsters in the air.
The magic stone was destroyed and the One-Horned Rabbit turned to dust.
But there was still a bit of scarlet liquid, which sprinkled on Bell's hair and face, dyeing him into a red rabbit.
"Yeah, sorry, I was distracted."
Bell stood up unsteadily.
Xiao Lin walked up to him with a cold face, and looked at Bell who was making a fool of himself and suddenly punched him.
Bang!
The fist landed on his cheek, then flew away and fell to the ground.
"Lord Bell?!"
"Bell!"
"Your Excellency Xiaolin, what are you doing?!"
Several people hurriedly ran over and helped the beaten leader. Seeing his cheeks swelled, his face was distressed, and he looked at Xiao Lin with some complaints.
Xiao Lin didn't care about this, but looked at him and said, "Will these monsters be able to speak like Winnie?"
"……Huh?"
"Could they actually be as intelligent and rational as us? Or would they feel pain and cry? That's why we can't kill them."
"…………"
Bell was silent.
Those [eyes] seemed to be able to see through the confusion and distress in his heart.
But his unwillingness to face it angered Xiao Lin. He grabbed Bell by the collar and angrily yelled:
"Listen to me, Bell!
What you are thinking about has nothing to do with the present!
If you dare to show your fangs to yourself, you will fight back and kill the opponent mercilessly, whether it is a monster or an adventurer!
The most important thing in the dungeon is the life of myself and my companions. I have to put everything else behind my mind. Don’t put the cart before the horse! Put away your boring sympathy!
Did you hear that? ! "
Xiaolin rarely got angry.
Xiao Lin, who had always been calm when getting along with everyone, frightened them so much that they didn't dare to pull away after getting angry.
Being grabbed by the collar, Bell opened his mouth to retort, but when he saw the concerned eyes of his companions, he couldn't say anything.
This can't go on like this!
This can't go on like this!
Gotta change your mindset!
Don't cause trouble to your companions!
"……I see!"
Bell clenched his fists and answered in a muffled voice, but confusion still remained on his face. Then he refused the support of his teammates, switched from central defender to forward, and chose to open the way in front.
Zolf said worriedly: "Is this really good? Isn't it too harsh?"
As a comrade, he naturally knows how fragile his leader is. If he suffers a blow and fails to recover, there will be a big problem.
"There's nothing we can do about that."
Xiaolin told him not to worry, and looked at the figure of Bell who was constantly fighting monsters in front of him and said: "Long-term pain is worse than short-term pain. There are some things that must be made clear to him. And you are companions and it is not appropriate to say this, but someone has to tell him, right? ?”
"...I'm sorry for causing you any trouble."
As Xiaolin said, Zolf and the others always have some things that are difficult to explain clearly, so they ask outsiders.
Xiao Lin waved his hand and said it was okay.
The interlude in the middle made the team's atmosphere a lot heavier, but their speed of progress continued to increase.
After simple repairs on the 18th floor, we headed to the 19th floor.
The bark-covered maze makes it feel like you are exploring the interior of a giant tree.
Only then did he see the complex forks in the road, and tree paths more than ten meters above the head. Sometimes there were thick tree roots instead of steps, leading to every corner of this floor.
The 19th floor is not only wide, but the height difference is also quite obvious.
Xiao Lin reminded: "Brace yourself, the floor ahead is very different from the floor you are exploring. Whether it is monsters or surrounding plants, they are quite dangerous."
The smell of plants floating around is mixed with the sweet fragrance of flowers that confuses adventurers. If you don't pay attention, you will be kidnapped by flowers and plants and used as nourishment.
Moreover, in this layer, in addition to the Berg Bear and Big Beetle, which have high natural abilities, there are also sniper dragonflies and firebirds that focus on long-range attacks, which is a big challenge for Bell and others.
After walking through the cliff with tree roots and killing several groups of monsters blocking the passage, they ran on this floor at extremely fast speeds, deviating from the regular route to the next floor.
After walking for a while.
"Is it here?"
"Well... almost, I met Winnie near here."
Bell compared the simple map in his hand, and a familiar scene appeared in his mind.
This is a wide tree path with many forks. The zenith is high and far away, and you can see a huge downhill slope covered with tree roots in the distance. It's like a mountain, so tall that you have to look up.
Then a group of people started looking for clues here.
Lily kept taking out props from her giant backpack and started exploring the surrounding area. Bell, Zolf and Ming followed her. Xiao Lin was alert to the surroundings and used his [eyes] to explore.
at this time.
From a horizontal hole, a human figure appeared.
It was a tall man wearing a hooded robe. He seemed to be wearing armor under the gray cloak. His upper body was slightly more bulging than his lower body.
He was about the same height as Zolf, and his hood was pulled down very low. His appearance and race were unclear, but he seemed to be a woman.
She looked around.
It seems that he is also looking for something.
As the two sides passed each other, the woman in a hooded robe suddenly said: "It smells of compatriots...!"
A cold and angry voice reached his ears.
Bell's body shook, and he quickly distanced himself to confront the unknown enemy.
The way the other party spoke just now was not very fluent, and the stumbling was very subtle.
But what was even more noticeable was the sudden surge of oppression, which made his heart ring with alarm bells as if he was facing a crisis.
From under the silent hood, you can see the slender outline of the woman's face, and her raptor-like eyes are staring at Bell, her pupils emitting a faint blue light.
That strong murderous aura is as fierce as a monster!
It is the primitive killing intent that threatens the instinct that humans can never imitate!
No, it can’t be!
Clumsy words, overwhelming hatred, obvious hostility, and a sense of déjà vu that cannot be ignored.
Winnie's profile appeared in Bell's mind.
The other party first stared intently at Bell and the others who were standing still, then twitched the bridge of his nose slightly, and suddenly restrained his murderous intent.
The eyes of hatred returned to their original state, and the beautiful eyes containing reason were uncharacteristically different.
She observed carefully.
"Could it be...that you are the ones Fels mentioned?"
"Fair, Si...?"
Bell was stunned by the uncertainty.
But the other party did not answer, but slowly asked a strange question: "I want to ask you. Do you think we can coexist and prosper together?"
"Aha?"
"Do you think we can work together?"
"W-what did you say...?"
"You kill us, and we will kill you... Is this destined? Can't we understand each other?"
The understatement contained a wish-like emotion of giving up and reluctance.
Bell looked at her blankly.
She looked up at the zenith, as if she could see the sky, and said like a fantasy: "I...want to bathe in the sun, and fly in the bright world, instead of this closed hell. I think you are different, and I will treat you a little bit." Looking forward to it a bit.”
The hood moved slightly, exposing her appearance for a moment. Her appearance was the same as Winnie's, so upright that it took your breath away. Then she bent her knees deeply and jumped up in an instant.
As light as a bird, it leaps into the air.
Several golden feathers fell from the robe.
She wanted to leave right now.
But at this moment, several threads came from the dark place, and they tied her tightly in one fell swoop, and then simply fell to the ground.
Then Xiao Lin's voice came.
"Where did the birdman come from! He wants to run away after pretending to be X?!"
"oops!"
The birdman who had just taken off was forced to land, and she screamed in pain:
"It hurts me so much! Let go, let go!!!"
Bell and Zolf looked at the birdman who was flapping on the ground speechlessly. His cloak had been completely lifted, and his appearance was exposed to everyone.
The other party is indeed just like Winnie, a wise and talking monster.
But what is this feeling about?
The guy who was pretending to be serious just now is now lying on the ground and flopping...
The gap is too big!
(End of chapter)
