I love time travel the most!

Early in the morning, Kobayashi led Bell and the others to the middle level of the underground city.

The monsters on the first 10 floors were not very strong, and Bell and the others were familiar with their fighting style, so they passed through the floors quickly with almost no delay.

However, the difficulty suddenly increases to a whole new level when you reach the 15th floor.

It's not that the monsters here have become stronger, but rather that they are appearing in large groups, and Kobayashi alone simply cannot stop them.

And so, the group engaged in battle with the unicorn rabbits.

Kobayashi single-handedly held off a hundred monsters at the front, blocking most of them on the outside and constantly carving a bloody path.

A group of monsters emerged from the cave and charged toward Bell and the others behind them.

Zolf and the others took down several monsters with their weapons, but Bell was momentarily stunned and unable to react in time. However, his excellent skills allowed him to quickly regain his composure and swing his dagger to knock down the stone axes thrown by the monsters.

However, just as he was about to slay the monster, his movements became sluggish.

"Bell?!"

"Lord Bell!"

"Lord Bell!"

Upon seeing this, the three of them screamed in fright.

But it's too late.

Bear Grylls, who had been hit in the chest, fell to the ground backwards in a way that even a novice wouldn't do.

When the unicorn rabbits saw an opening in their defense, their scarlet eyes shone even brighter.

People flocked in from all directions.

Just as they were about to rush in and defeat Bell and the others, several threads flew from the void, forming a sharp net that annihilated all the monsters in mid-air.

The magic stone was destroyed, and the unicorn rabbit turned to dust.

However, some scarlet liquid still spilled onto Bell's hair and face, turning him into a bright red rabbit.

"I'm sorry, I was daydreaming."

Bell stood up unsteadily.

Kobayashi walked up to him with a cold face, and suddenly threw a punch at the ridiculous Bell.

Bang!

The fist landed on his cheek, then he was sent flying backward and crashed to the ground.

"Lord Bell?!"

"Bell!"

"Lord Kobayashi, what are you doing?!"

Several people rushed over and helped the battalion commander up. Seeing his swollen cheeks, they felt sorry for him and looked at Xiaolin with a hint of reproach.

Kobayashi ignored all of that and looked at him, saying, "Could these monsters be able to talk like Winnie?"

"……what?"

"Could it be that they actually possess intelligence and rationality just like us? Or that they feel pain and shed tears because of it? That's why we can't bring ourselves to kill them."

"........."

Bell remained silent.

Those eyes seemed to see right through his confusion and distress.

But his unwillingness to face reality only angered Kobayashi, who grabbed Bell by the collar and angrily rebuked him:

"Listen up, Bell!"

What you're thinking has nothing to do with the present!

Anyone who dares to bare their fangs at you must be retaliated against without mercy and killed, whether they are monsters or adventurers!

In the dungeon, the most important thing is your own life and the lives of your companions. Everything else should be put aside. Don't put the cart before the horse! Put away your pointless sympathy!

Did you hear that?!

Kobayashi rarely gets angry.

Kobayashi, who was always calm and even-tempered when interacting with others, scared them so much that they dared not come forward to pull him away after he lost his temper.

Bell opened his mouth to retort when his collar was grabbed, but when he saw the concerned looks in his companions' eyes, he couldn't say a word.

This can't go on like this!

This can't go on like this!

We need to change our mindset!

I mustn't cause trouble for my companions!

"……I see!"

Bale clenched his fists and answered in a muffled voice, though a look of confusion still lingered on his face. He then refused his teammates' help, switching from center-back to midfielder, choosing to lead the way.

Zolf asked with some concern, "Is this really a good idea? Isn't that too harsh?"

As his comrade, he naturally knew how fragile his leader was, and that it would be a big problem if he suffered a blow and became depressed because of it.

"That can't be helped."

Kobayashi gestured for him not to worry, and looking at Bell's figure constantly fighting monsters ahead, she said, "It's better to have a short pain than a long one. There are some things he needs to understand. Besides, you're comrades, so it's not appropriate for you to say these things, but someone has to tell him, right?"

"...I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

As Kobayashi said, there are always some things that Zolf and his group can't say openly, which is why they ask outsiders to help them.

Xiaolin waved his hand to indicate that he was fine.

The minor incident in the middle made the atmosphere in the team much heavier, but their pace of progress did not decrease but increased.

After a simple repair on the 18th floor, we proceeded to the 19th floor.

The bark-covered maze makes you feel like you're exploring inside a giant tree.

Only then did I see the complex forks in the road, with tree-lined paths splitting off more than ten meters above my head. Sometimes, there were even thick tree roots that served as steps, leading to every corner of this floor.

The 19th floor is not only spacious, but also has a significant difference in height.

Kobayashi warned, "Pay attention, the floor ahead is completely different from the one you've been exploring. Both the monsters and the surrounding plants are extremely dangerous."

The surrounding air is filled with the scent of plants, mixed with the sweet fragrance of flowers that can bewitch adventurers. If you're not careful, you might be kidnapped by the plants and used as fertilizer.

Moreover, this level not only features the naturally powerful Berg Bear and the giant beetle, but also the sniper dragonfly and firebird, which are primarily long-range attackers, posing a significant challenge to Bell and his companions.

After traversing the cliff with its tree roots and defeating several groups of monsters blocking the passage, they ran at an extremely fast speed on this floor, deviating from the proper route to the next floor.

After walking for a while.

"Is it here?"

"Hmm...more or less, that's where I met Winnie."

As Bell compared the simple map in his hand, a familiar scene flashed through his mind.

This is a wide, tree-lined path with many branching paths connecting it. The sky is high and far-reaching, and in the distance, you can see a huge slope covered with tree roots. It's almost like a mountain, so tall that you have to look up to see it.

The group then began searching for clues here.

Lily kept pulling out gadgets from her giant backpack and exploring the surroundings, with Bell, Zolf, and Mikoto following her. Kobayashi, on the other hand, kept a watchful eye on the area while using her "eyes" to scan the surroundings.

at this time.

A figure emerged from a horizontal cave.

He was a tall man wearing a hooded robe, and under his gray cloak, he seemed to be wearing armor. His upper body was slightly more bulging than his lower body.

She was about the same height as Zolf, and her hoodie was pulled down low, making it difficult to see her features and ethnicity, but she gave the impression of being female.

She looked around.

They also seem to be looking for something.

As the two passed each other, the woman in the hooded robe suddenly said, "I smell a fellow countryman...!"

A cold, angry voice reached my ears.

Bell jolted, quickly creating distance to confront the unknown enemy.

The other person's speech was not very fluent, and it was quite hesitant and subtle.

But what's even more noticeable is the sudden surge of oppressive pressure that sent alarm bells ringing in his mind, as if he were facing a crisis.

Beneath the silent hoodie, one could glimpse the delicate contours of a woman's face, her raptor-like eyes fixed on Bell, her pupils emitting a faint blue light.

That intense killing intent was as ferocious as a demon!

It is a primal, instinctive killing intent that humans can never imitate!

No, it can’t be!

Clumsy words, overwhelming hatred, obvious hostility, and an undeniable sense of déjà vu.

Winnie's profile flashed into Bell's mind.

The other party first stared intently at Bell and the others who were standing there dumbfounded, then twitched his high nose bridge slightly, and immediately suppressed his killing intent.

The look of hatred returned to normal, and the beautiful, rational eyes were unusually bright.

She observed carefully.

"Could it be... that you are the people Fels mentioned?"

“Fair, S…?”

The uncertainty startled Bell.

But the other party didn't answer. Instead, they 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?"

“What did you say…?”