In this chaotic world, it all started when they found an elf girl.

Chapter 558 Someone Doesn't Want Us to Leave

"Three more floors!"

Roy and Riveria exchanged a glance, seeing the joy in each other's eyes. Despite not being in the best of spirits, the thought of this brought them a sense of relief.

They have escaped Behemoth's attack range, and the journey is only up to the 74th, 73rd, and 72nd floors. Compared to the first two, the 72nd floor is more threatening because there may be a clone of Roy. The exit to the 72nd floor is also in the BOSS room, and there is a high probability that they will run into it.

But Roy wasn't too worried.

If he can defeat his own clone once, he can defeat it countless times. Last time, in order to finish the battle quickly, he had to take a risky move. In fact, with the advantage of equipment, as long as he doesn't underestimate his opponent, he can slowly wear down his clone's health and kill it.

Roy said, "Let's take a break."

"Um!"

Riveria certainly wouldn't object. Her grace had been sealed, and she had been reduced to an ordinary person, living in fear and hunger in a dark and damp cave for nearly two days. But Roy's condition was probably even worse than hers!

Roy led his team to conquer the seventy-second floor, defeating the mimic Alphia and his own clone; encountered Oceanus and made a bet with him; then went to the surface to suppress Oceanus; returned to the seventy-second floor to rescue people; continued into the seventy-seventh floor to find Riveria, and was chased by Behemoth—throughout the entire process, he was running around and hardly rested.

Click!

Roy pulled out his knife and destroyed the wall. The dungeon would prioritize repairing the wall instead of spawning monsters. He then took out various supplies from his spatial ring.

He used a specially made firestone to start a fire, and the orange-red flames rose up with a "whoosh," dispelling the unique chill and dampness that permeated the underground city.

Rivera pulled the dry, warm blanket around herself and knelt down by the fire.

Roy handed over a small metal cup filled with hot soup, its aroma wafting through the air and steam rising gently.

"call!"

She took the cup with both hands, feeling the warmth emanating from the cup on her fingertips. She gently blew on it and then sipped it slowly. The warm liquid slid down her throat, warming her all the way to her stomach and dispelling the chill from her body.

Roy then handed him another skewer of perfectly grilled meat. The surface of the meat had an enticing golden-brown color, and the fat was sizzling slightly from grilling, releasing a rich aroma that blended spices and smokiness.

Riveria held the wooden skewer, her movements still maintaining the elegance unique to royal elves, and gently brought a small piece of roasted meat to her lips, chewing it slowly.

"It's delicious!"

Deep within the perilous underground city, only by following Roy could she enjoy such a luxurious experience, she thought with a contented squinting.

Roy wasn't so particular; he devoured his food in a flash, replenishing his energy and offering some comfort to his tired body.

While eating, Rivera recounted her experience after falling from the seventy-seventh floor.

"Um?"

When Roy learned that Riveria had heard the heretics' voices and thus hid in the burrow to escape, he frowned slightly.

Heretics are adept at finding "secret places" where monsters don't spawn; that cave is probably one of those. As for where the other person's voice came from—

"Roy, are those children really beyond saving?" A trace of sadness appeared on Riveria's face; those heretics were her saviors.

Nothing is impossible in this world.

Roy replied that the so-called impossibility was simply due to the lack of ability of the person involved.

Looking at Roy's calm face, Rivera felt no sense of him spouting nonsense. Instead, she felt a surge of joy and relief, a feeling stemming from her almost blind trust in Roy and the miracles he had created so far.

Roy was indeed thinking about rescuing the heretic.

However, this task is quite difficult, especially after talking with Riveria. The heretics were wiped out by Oceanus. Unlike humans, the souls of monsters return to the dungeon and are reborn as new monsters.

But that's not the real problem!

Roy felt heavy-hearted. After entering the seventy-third floor, he vaguely sensed something was amiss.

Over the years, Roy has been outmaneuvered by the gods many times, which has honed his keen sense of smell, making him alert to any slight disturbance.

This time was no different. No one knew the dungeons better than Roy, who possessed the power of the earth. He had never heard of monsters' souls being able to communicate with humans.

Was that really the voice of the heretics?

Or is it a fake created by some monster or mysterious being? And what is the other party's purpose in doing this?

In any case, the matter of saving the heretics must be put on hold for now; Roy must return Riveria, whose grace has been sealed, to the surface.

The leaping campfire cast long shadows of the two people on the ground, creating a warm atmosphere.

"Roy, take a ten-minute nap!"

Rivera bent her long legs and sat down naturally, gently patting her thighs together with her small hands, her eyes fixed on Roy.

Roy hesitated for a moment, refusing a lap pillow wasn't an easy thing: "No need, there are still two floors left, it'll be over when we get back to the seventy-second floor."

The seventy-two floors are not a duplex structure. The floors damaged by Oceanus have not been fully repaired yet. Spatial magic can be used to transfer people to the upper floors or the ground.

Rivera didn't stop there: "You should rest when you need to. In the dungeon, you never know what will happen next!"

Roy remained silent because Rivera was right.

"I'll keep an eye on the monsters for you, but I'll still wake you up if it gets dangerous," Rivera said.

Roy hesitated: "I'll use the tent—"

"We don't have that kind of luxury!"

Rivera interrupted Roy, then lowered her eyes slightly and said softly, "After all, this is all I can do now."

Having said all that, Roy dared not refuse. His efforts to keep his distance from Riveria had failed, and he sighed inwardly.

At this critical moment, Roy didn't hesitate any longer. He turned around, leaned back, and rested his head on Riveria's soft, close-knit thighs.

Upon contact, Rivera's body tensed instantly, then relaxed.

As a member of the elven royal family, Riveria had almost no opportunity to interact with men. The elves respected her more than the gods and dared not overstep their bounds.

Anyone who dared to approach her would be attacked by all the elves. The area within a few meters of Riveria gradually became a forbidden zone, causing people to keep their distance.

This left Riveria somewhat frustrated.

In fact, Riveria doesn't mind interacting with others, and the reason she left the forest of the elven royal family was to escape that kind of life where she was treated like royalty.

Since meeting Roy, this feeling of depression has been slightly relieved. Riveria is quite satisfied with this bold and outstanding royal descendant. Roy is the opposite sex with whom she has had the most intimate contact.

Roy felt the soft touch on the back of his head, and a faint fragrance surrounded his nose. It was Riveria's unique scent, which made him feel like he was floating on air.

Then, Rivera's cool and soft little hand landed on his forehead, gently stroking it, radiating maternal warmth.

Roy was initially a little uncomfortable, but perhaps it was Rivera's comfort, or perhaps it was the comfort of the lap he was resting on, but the overwhelming fatigue that he had been forcibly suppressing surged up, making it harder and harder for his eyelids to stay open, and he finally fell asleep.

"call!"

Roy's breathing became long and even, and his angular face lost all its sharpness in his sleep, revealing a rare tranquility.

The glow of the campfire danced on Rivera's face, and a beautiful smile curved her lips. She could sense that Roy had let down his guard.

At this moment, even a child could plunge a dagger into Roy's heart; he had completely entrusted his life to Riveria.

How could Riveria betray this trust?

Time passed slowly, and ten minutes later, Roy opened his eyes as if he were a pre-programmed machine.

"Actually, you can sleep a little longer." Riveria looked down at Roy, who was resting his head on her lap. There were no monsters threatening them yet.

"It's ready!"

Roy said that ten minutes may seem short, but one must also consider his amazing physique and recovery ability. This amount of time is equivalent to an hour of sleep for an ordinary person, which has greatly relieved his brain, which was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

But since no monsters were showing themselves around, Roy was happy to continue resting. Besides, the pair of thighs behind his head were indeed very comfortable. He could feel the delicate skin and the soft, elastic muscles even through the fabric.

Seeing Roy lie down again, Rivera's expression brightened, and she said with emotion, "Our combination is quite rare in the dungeon. It's going to end when we get back to the 72nd floor. I feel a little reluctant to leave."

I

Roy was speechless. What was there to miss? Was it exciting to have Grace sealed away and stay in the dungeon? Of course, he could also understand Riveria's feelings. "If there's a chance, we can team up for an adventure again next time."

When the topic came up, Roy and Riveria seemed to open up and had an unexpected connection.

They share a common trait!

Roy loved adventure, and so did Rivera. When she left the forest, it was not only to break free from her constraints, but also to explore the unknown world.

Despite being 99+ years old, when talking about things she didn't know, Rivera's emerald green eyes shone brightly, like a naive little girl who had just entered society.

Roy is the ultimate authority on this!

By running dungeons through the system, Roy completely bewildered Riveria with the different customs, unique monsters, and magical powers of various worlds.

Rivera's eyes widened; there were so many things in the world that she didn't know.

How is that possible!

What Roy said was something Riveria had never heard of before. If the person in front of her wasn't Roy, and if every word he said seemed so true, she wouldn't have believed it.

But compared to the distant other world, Riveria was more curious about something else.

"What is the underworld like?"

Astraea's Familia's conquest of the Underworld is world-renowned, and most of the information has been leaked by Roy, but Riveria prefers to hear it from him personally.

Roy closed his eyes to rest, recounting their experiences in the underworld and how they overcame several desperate challenges.

Rivera listened with great emotion.

"Why didn't you ask me for help when you were conquering the Underworld?" Rivera asked, her face full of resentment.

Roy didn't expect Riveria to say that. Back then, the guild leader was so adamant that everyone assumed Loki's Familia couldn't be taken away, so he certainly wouldn't make a fool of himself by inviting Riveria.

"snort!"

Rivera scoffed. She knew the reason perfectly well, but there's always a way: "If you ask, I'll consider joining the Astrea Familia as an advisor for now."

"Don't underestimate our bond!" Rivera's resolute eyes seemed to say.

Roy was both amused and exasperated. If he had kidnapped Rivera back then, Loki would have killed him: "Fine, if there's a next time, I'll definitely ask for your help!"

Rivera then revealed a satisfied smile.

Their little pact, Loki returned it, Loki's Familia was still unsure of its fate, and the fallen gods were stirring—the situation was tense and chaotic, but this pact seemed to bind the two together.

After resting, Roy got up.

Riveria also got up, but after kneeling for too long, her legs went numb and a strong sense of dizziness surged up. Her body tilted uncontrollably to one side, and she was about to fall to the ground in a sorry state.

Just then, Roy made a timely move, wrapping his arm around Riveria's waist and supporting her arm with his other hand.

This unexpected event brought the two of them extremely close in an instant.

Rivera looked up, still shaken, and met Roy's gaze as he looked down.

Their faces were inches apart.

Their warm breaths brushed against each other's cheeks, and the firelight danced on their faces, outlining their flickering silhouettes.

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely at that moment.

Rivera's heart inexplicably raced, and she subconsciously pursed her pink lips, her eyes widening slightly to reflect Roy's handsome face.

Let's go!

Roy's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He looked away from Riveria's face, said nothing, picked her up, and continued climbing.

After the brief intimate contact, it was as if an invisible veil had enveloped the two of them, and an indescribable, subtle atmosphere filled the air.

No one spoke again, and they continued walking in silence.

At Roy's speed, they quickly passed through the seventy-fourth floor and returned to the seventy-third floor.

"We'll be back on the seventy-second floor soon," Riveria thought to herself. Escaping the dangerous unknown should be a cause for celebration, but for some reason, she felt a pang of regret.

Suddenly, Rivera noticed Roy had stopped and instinctively asked, "What's wrong?"

"It seems someone doesn't want us to go back."

Roy looked up, his expression grim, and disappeared back into the passage to the 72nd floor!

When he came down, the ceiling of the seventy-third floor was a concave cone with a circular staircase at the edge that allowed him to move upwards. It was quite spectacular. He could walk up to the center and return to the upper floor.

However, in Roy and Riveria's eyes now, the ceiling above them was completely flat, with no trace of the seventy-second floor's steps and opening, as if it had been directly erased by the power of nature.