Chapter 537 - 537: Traces

Within the dim passageway, the clash of blades and the anguished cries of monsters echoed without end.

Bell had not gone into the tent to rest. Instead, he stood on the right side of the camp, thinking about how they should deal with the situation.

There were simply too many [Poison Vermis]. The fact that everyone had managed to make it this far under Finn's and Bell's command was already a blessing from [Luck].

Judging by the scale of the infestation, the Poison Vermis had probably spread throughout the entire Lower Floors.

Their supply of antidotes had already been exhausted, and because of the monsters' unique venom, ordinary Healing Magic was useless once someone had been poisoned.

As a Level 3 Adventurer, Bell had distinguished himself throughout the expedition. His performance had inspired the other expedition members, but the boost from that heightened morale had already reached its limit. If even one of the first-class Adventurers slipped up, the others would inevitably fall victim to the venom.

The Dungeon's malice was endless. Faced with an expedition party already exhausted in both body and mind, it naturally had no intention of letting them leave so easily.

The abnormal proliferation of the Poison Vermis was that malice given form.

"Bell Cranel, there you are! Um... why do you look so serious? What are you thinking about?"

Lefiya approached the boy with quick, light steps. When she saw the thoughtful expression on Bell's face, she instinctively frowned.

"I was just thinking about how we should deal with these Poison Vermis."

Bell stared into the depths of the passage and answered honestly.

Finn had deliberately avoided saying too much and spreading anxiety, but the only reason everyone could rest here at all was because of the first-class Adventurers.

Riveria had already endured one fierce battle after another. She had used all the Mind restored by [Spirit Healing] to seal off the path. Her frost magic had frozen the entrance to the passage leading to the 29th Floor, preventing the Poison Vermis from flooding into the 28th Floor.

On the other side, Finn was directing Bete, Gareth, and the others as they guarded the stairs to the 27th Floor and held back the waves of monsters.

Either side could collapse at any moment.

The expedition party was supposedly resting here, but in reality, they were completely trapped on the 28th Floor.

Water City was an enormous space spanning three connected floors, so there would only be even more Poison Vermis there. Using the labyrinth's terrain to avoid them would also become much more difficult.

Trying to cross that floor together would simply be too dangerous. If the situation deteriorated, members of Loki Familia and the blacksmiths from Hephaestus Familia might even lose their lives.

"I-is it really that serious?"

Seeing how grave the boy looked, Lefiya's cherry-red lips trembled slightly.

For some reason, she had a terrible feeling. She was afraid Bell would do what he had done before and take some dangerous risk for everyone else's sake.

"Lefiya-san, you don't have much Mind left either, right? You should rest while you still can. Don't worry. I have an idea, and I'll go talk to Finn-san about trying it in a little while."

Bell did not want her to worry, so he deliberately concealed how serious the situation truly was.

No miracle would appear if they simply stayed here and waited.

Bell did not think they could place their hopes on rescue. To prevent the worst possible outcome, they had to take the initiative and search for even the slightest chance of survival.

"Um... just don't push yourself too hard..."

Concern filled Lefiya's heart as she moved closer to him.

Her gemlike blue eyes seemed to ripple with countless emotions.

Bell smiled and deliberately changed the subject.

"The bite mark on your neck is gone, Lefiya-san."

"Huh? H-how do you know?"

Lefiya asked in confusion.

The bite mark should have been hidden beneath her collar. There was no way he could have seen it.

"Because the mark on my neck disappeared too."

Bell answered softly.

They had only been pretending to bite each other, and neither had actually hurt the other. After several days, the bite marks had naturally vanished without a trace.

"Oh, I see."

Lefiya blinked thoughtfully. After studying him for a moment, she suddenly frowned.

"Then why hasn't the mark Riveria-sama left disappeared...?"

Lefiya had found the inconsistency.

The two marks had appeared at almost the same time. The bite mark on the right side had already disappeared completely, yet the mark resembling a lip print on the left remained just as vivid as before.

No matter how she thought about it, wasn't that strange?

Lefiya stared intently into the boy's eyes, determined to uncover the truth.

"..."

Bell looked at the sulking golden-haired Elf and fell silent for a moment.

He had successfully changed the subject away from the worrying swarm of monsters, but why did it feel as though some strangely colored miasma had appeared behind Lefiya?

"Actually, the old mark had already disappeared. It was at the entrance to the passage leading to the 29th Floor. After Riveria-san finished casting her frost magic, she exhausted her Mind again and nearly collapsed. When I went over to support her, she 'accidentally' left this mark again."

Bell honestly explained what had happened.

He was certain it had nothing to do with [Luck]. Riveria had simply seized the opportunity and done it deliberately.

Of course, there was no way he could tell Lefiya about that one-sided suspicion.

"Hmm... Riveria-sama...?"

Lefiya's tone remained respectful when she mentioned the Elf princess, but a trace of suspicion had slipped into her voice.

Looking at things objectively instead of being bound by traditional elven notions was precisely what separated the golden-haired Elf from other elven girls.

After what had happened on the 59th Floor, a bizarre thought had taken root in Lefiya's mind.

Could it be that Bell Cranel wasn't the one in heat?

Could it actually be Riveria-sama?

Could that elegant Elf princess merely appear refined and dignified on the outside, while secretly being rather lewd underneath?

Lefiya's suspicion was not meant to slander Riveria. She merely wondered whether the things Riveria did when it came to Bell Cranel might go far beyond anything the other elven girls could imagine.

"Bell Cranel, I'm going to ask you something. You absolutely can't lie to me."

Lefiya stepped closer until only a tiny distance remained between them.

"What exactly did Riveria-sama do with you on the 59th Floor?"

"Mm... I promised Riveria-san that I wouldn't tell anyone."

Bell lowered his gaze slightly before adding,

"But I could do something similar to you, Lefiya-san."

"...?"

Lefiya blinked, and her cheeks instantly turned red.

Bell looked at the thoroughly embarrassed golden-haired Elf and smiled.

"Lefiya-san, weren't you really concerned about that bite mark? Why not take this opportunity to put another one on yourself?"

"N-no way!"

Lefiya replied, her face burning red.

"Then how about putting another one on my neck?"

Bell pressed on teasingly.

"No way either! I'm not some nymphomaniac like Riveria-sama!"

Lefiya blurted out the suspicion she had been harboring.

"..."

"..."

The two stared at each other in silence.

The phosphorescent glow around them was dim.

At that very moment, a strand of emerald-green hair entered Bell's field of vision.