Chapter 215: A Father’s Plea for Help

The morning was passing peacefully in Liam and Lydia’s apartment.

The twins had been awake for a while, keeping their mother busy.

Lionel was lying on a blanket, waving his arms as he tried to reach a toy Lydia was holding in front of him.

Lydia smiled when she saw her son finally manage to grab it.

"Very good, Lionel! You did it!"

The baby responded with a babble that seemed to express his satisfaction.

From the sofa, Liam looked up from his phone.

"What did he accomplish? Defeat the final boss?"

"He managed to grab a toy."

"Oh. Well, I suppose that’s quite an achievement for someone his size."

Lydia gave him an amused look.

"Careful. If he keeps developing at this rate, he’ll soon be more competent than you at changing diapers."

"That’s not difficult. Anyone could surpass me in that particular field."

Liam looked at his phone again, but just a few seconds later, he set it down on the table. He didn’t have any urgent missions scheduled for the day.

Or so he had thought.

The television, playing at low volume, interrupted its regular programming with a news report.

"We interrupt our broadcast to report the disappearance of an eight-year-old girl. The child was last seen near one of the towers that appeared on the outskirts of the city."

Liam raised his head.

An image of a middle-aged man appeared on the screen. His face was gaunt, and his eyes were bloodshot. He stood in front of a group of reporters, holding a photograph of a smiling little girl with both hands.

"Please, if anyone has seen her, contact the authorities," the man pleaded, his voice breaking.

"My daughter’s name is Emma. She’s a very curious girl, and... and I think she might have entered that tower."

The reporter interviewing him remained silent for a moment before continuing.

"Do you have any reason to believe she’s inside?"

The man lowered his gaze to the photograph.

"A neighbor told me he saw her near the entrance this morning. I’ve asked everywhere, but nobody knows where she is. I can’t go in and look for her. I’m not a hunter, and I don’t even know what’s inside those places."

He pressed the photograph against his chest.

"I just want someone to help me bring her back. Please. I’ll do whatever it takes."

The broadcast continued with footage of the tower.

Liam remained motionless.

Beside him, Lydia had stopped playing with the twins. Her expression had turned serious as she watched the girl’s father.

They both understood perfectly what that plea meant.

The man didn’t need to explain how he felt. All they had to do was look at his face.

Liam lowered his gaze to his children.

Lionel had lost interest in the toy and was now trying to reach for his sister’s hand. Liana responded by grabbing one of his fingers, completely unaware of everything happening around her.

’What would I do if one of them disappeared like that?’

The question surfaced in his mind before he could stop it.

He imagined searching for Lionel or Liana without knowing where they were, without knowing what dangers surrounded them, and without even being certain they were still alive.

An uncomfortable pressure settled in his chest.

Lydia moved closer and took his hand.

"Liam..."

He gently squeezed her fingers.

"I know."

He didn’t need to say anything else. They were both thinking the same thing.

Before they could continue, Liam’s phone began to vibrate.

When he saw the name on the screen, he answered immediately.

"James, what’s up?"

"Liam, I need you to come to the guild headquarters. We have an urgent situation."

Liam glanced at the television once more.

"Is this about the missing girl?"

"That’s right. I just received the official report. The police have confirmed there’s reason to believe she entered the tower, and the guild will be handling the rescue."

James paused before continuing.

"We need a team capable of entering and leaving an SS-Rank dungeon. Most of the squads are occupied with other missions of the same rank. That’s why Armstrong and I decided to assign this one to you."

Liam stood up.

"Understood. When do we leave?"

"As soon as you’ve prepared your team. I want you to get moving as quickly as possible."

"No problem. We’ll be ready."

The call ended.

Liam set his phone on the table and began to get up, but Lydia spoke before he could move.

"I’m going with you."

He stopped.

"Lydia, it’s an SS-Rank dungeon. We don’t know what’s inside, and besides, the twins..."

"That’s exactly why I want to go."

Her tone wasn’t aggressive, but it left no room for doubt.

Liam frowned slightly.

"I’m not saying you can’t help. But someone has to stay with them."

"And someone will stay with them."

Lydia pointed toward the babies, who were still happily occupied with their toy.

"I’m going to leave a copy here at home."

Liam blinked.

"Your Split Slime?"

"Yes. I’ve done it before, remember? It can take care of Lionel and Liana while we’re away. Besides, I’ll still be able to keep track of how they’re doing."

Lydia had learned to control the ability precisely enough that her copy could handle everyday tasks while her main body was occupied elsewhere.

It wasn’t an improvised solution or an experiment.

Even so, she looked at the twins with some concern.

"Are you sure you’ll be able to maintain it throughout the entire mission?"

"Of course. I’m not going to waste all my energy using powerful abilities when I don’t need to. As long as I don’t overdo it, there shouldn’t be any problems."

Lydia leaned down to pick up Liana, who nestled against her chest in response.

"And I’m not going to sit at home just because I’m a mother now. We can take care of our children and still help other people."

Liam didn’t want to argue with her, especially since he understood her reasons. Lydia was still a hunter, and she knew her own capabilities better than anyone.

Finally, he sighed.

"All right. But if things get complicated, we’ll retreat as soon as we have the girl."

"Agreed."

"And no taking unnecessary risks."

Lydia smiled.

"You should tell yourself that in front of a mirror."

"I’m trying to have a serious conversation."

"And I’m trying to remind you that you’re not the only one who can worry about other people."

Liam couldn’t come up with a suitable response.

Instead, he stepped closer and kissed Lydia on the forehead.

"All right. Let’s bring that girl home."

◇◆◇

A few minutes later, Lydia created a copy of herself and entrusted the twins to its care. The duplication was completed without any issues, and the copy settled beside the babies as if that were the most natural task in the world.

Liana yawned.

Lionel waved his arms.

Lydia’s copy watched them with a smile.

"All right, little ones. Looks like I’m staying home today."

Liam watched the scene from the doorway.

"If they get into any mischief, try not to teach them how to spit acid."

"I wouldn’t teach them that!"

"I just wanted to make sure."

Lydia gave him a light smack on the arm before leaving with him.

As they made their way toward the truck, both their expressions grew more serious.

This was no longer just another mission.

An eight-year-old girl was trapped inside an SS-Rank dungeon, and her father had no way of reaching her.

Liam knew that dungeons could turn the smallest mistake into a tragedy, and that the difference between life and death sometimes came down to a single decision.

But he also knew that the girl probably hadn’t understood the danger she was exposing herself to.

Liam clenched his fists.

’I hope we’re not too late.’

◇◆◇

When they arrived at the Ace of Spades headquarters, they headed straight to the meeting room. James was waiting for them beside a screen displaying images of the tower and the latest available reports.

The scientist looked up as they entered.

"I’m glad you got here so quickly, Liam."

"Tell me everything."

James nodded and pointed at the screen.

"For now, the information is limited. The tower has been classified as an SS-Rank dungeon, and we don’t have any recent records of a full raid. The reconnaissance team hasn’t been able to confirm what kind of monsters are inside, either."

Lydia studied the structure on the screen.

"So we don’t even know what we’ll be facing."

"Exactly. That’s why you’ll need to proceed carefully. Your main objective is to locate the girl and get her out of there. I don’t want you risking your lives trying to clear the entire dungeon if it’s not necessary."

Liam nodded without hesitation.

"Understood."

James changed the image, bringing up Emma’s photograph.

The girl’s smile contrasted sharply with the dark tower displayed beside it.

"Her father is waiting for news. We have to do everything we can to bring her home."

Liam studied the photograph for a few seconds.

Then he turned toward Lydia.

She met his gaze and nodded.

No more words were necessary.

Liam turned back to James.

"Gather whatever information you can. I’m going to get my squad ready."