On the eighteenth level, the tent occupied the safe floor—a makeshift refuge that felt less like shelter and more like a reluctant compromise.
Its rugged fabric shell was stretched taut over a modular fra, the supports wedged into natural fissures in the stone rather than drilled—a concession to the Dungeon's indomitable floor. Lamps hung from internal struts, casting a sterile, uniform glow that pushed back the cavern's shadows just enough to reclaim the space.
Inside, the Black Widows sat in loose formation around a central crate repurposed as a table. Rations were unpacked, passed, and consud with quiet efficiency. No chatter. No complaints. Just the soft sounds of wrappers tearing and boots shifting against stone.
Luthar sat apart. His mask remained on. A narrow seam along the lower plate slid open just enough to allow access, and he tipped a sealed container upward. The contents flowed slowly, viscous and translucent, disappearing through the opening in controlled incrents.
He sealed the mask again, already thinking about how to improve the taste of the jelly.
Across the tent, Natasha glanced at him briefly, then returned to her al.
When the food was finished, Luthar produced a datapad and passed it around. Monster profiles, environntal notes, and floor conditions scrolled across the screen—everything they would need for the descent ahead.
"About the trouble Lily ntioned," he continued, "we'll deal with it when it becos relevant."
No one said anything.
They began reading, trying to morize as much as possible. When the datapad returned to him, the tent settled into silence once more.
They would rest today. Tomorrow, they would wait for Lily's arrival to get a clearer picture—then resu their descent toward the fortieth floor. As for Apollo, nobody cared.
…
On the surface, morning ca without ceremony.
Lily left ssages with both goddesses before the city fully stirred—explaining the reason for her departure and the precautions they might need to take while she was gone. Nothing more than necessary. If either of them had questions, they could ssage her.
By the ti Daphne and Cassandra were ready, the streets outside the church were already filling with movent.
They walked behind Lily, visibly tense, wary of running into soone from the Apollo Familia.
The Guild building lood ahead, its broad stone façade catching the early light. Adventurers clustered near the entrance—so just arriving, others preparing to descend. Supply crates lined the outer walls, marked and waiting to be claid.
Just beyond the main steps, a transport truck was parked.
Its heavy fra drew attention imdiately. Adventurers slowed as they passed, eyes lingering on the reinforced plating, unfamiliar joints, and sheer bulk of it. Whispers followed in its wake. No one could quite place what it was ant for—only that it clearly hadn't been built for aesthetics. The thing was ugly.
Lily stopped briefly alongside the others.
So they finally started renting it out. Guess I missed the grand opening, she thought.
Separating from the crowd, she led the other two toward the Dungeon's entrance.
"From here on, just follow what I say," Lily said calmly. "I'll take care of everything else."
Daphne glanced toward the Dungeon's mouth, jaw tight. Cassandra followed her gaze, the familiar unease settling back in.
Lily didn't wait.
She turned and crossed the threshold. The shift was imdiate—the light dulled, pressure settling over them as the noise of the city faded into stone.
The first floor opened ahead, wide and quiet for the mont.
Lily reached into her pack and drew out a lasgun, checking its charge by habit before keeping it ready at her side. In her other hand, she held a compact device no larger than a toy.
They moved without breaking stride.
The first floor passed without incident. With no monsters in sight, they advanced quickly, occasionally crossing paths with other adventurers heading in or out.
The second floor was much the sa.
Only as they approached the entrance to the third floor did a small goblin burst from a side passage, crude blade raised as it charged.
Daphne reacted on instinct, already shifting her stance and reaching for her sword. It wasn't worth concern. Barely worth the effort.
She never got the chance.
A single shot cracked through the corridor.
The las-bolt punched straight through the goblin's chest. Heat flared, flesh carbonized instantly, and the body collapsed mid-step, crumbling as it struck the stone.
Daphne froze. Cassandra did too.
Lily lowered the lasgun without comnt. The air still shimred faintly where the shot had passed.
Before either of them could speak, Lily crouched and placed the compact device on the ground.
She released it.
The device struck stone and expanded instantly.
Space warped for a split second as compressed mass reasserted itself, the small fra swelling outward with a dull pressure thump rather than sound. tal unfolded and locked into place.
The jeep grew to full size, its weight settling all at once with a heavy creak.
Lily moved imdiately. She pulled open the rear doors and gestured inside without looking back.
Daphne and Cassandra climbed in, confusion written plainly across their faces as they took their seats. Lily leaned in just long enough to secure the harnesses, tugging each strap once to confirm it was locked.
Satisfied, she closed the doors and moved to the front, taking the driver's seat.
"Hold tight," Lily said as the engine powered up. "And hope we don't hit a Minotaur."
The jeep lurched forward, the ride turning rough almost imdiately as it plunged deeper into the Dungeon.
---
Author's note shootout to Derisat for becoming the mber of best support friendly reminder to my readers because I I am sharing chapters equally to all mbers instead of locking the chapters and releasing them later on for lower tier which makes after sobody selected $5 mbership they usually cancel next month making my monthly donation stuff between 60 to 70 $ so if you have any ideas would be great
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