CHAPTER 397: CHAPTER 397: IT’S JUST A TEST

"Damn it!"

The masked man slammed his fist into the ground, smashing a crater several meters wide into the hard surface.

"Damn Black Dragon! If it weren’t for that roar, the monsters in the Dungeon wouldn’t have thinned out like this!"

The "Spirit Fetus" was absorbing a massive amount of Magic Stones, yet it still hadn’t reached the threshold. He was on the verge of losing control.

The energy stored in the quartz pillars of the 24th floor’s "Food Storehouse" hadn’t been drawn out. Once he learned that Freya Familia was involved, he fled with the fetus overnight. He knew that if he stayed with the fetus, there would be only one outcome: death!

He had long been prepared to die for the goddess. But he couldn’t allow the goddess’s fetus to fall into the hands of the gods of Genkai. He refused to become useless like Revis, who couldn’t even protect the fetus. That’s why he escaped with it.

Yet because of that escape, he ended up being mocked by Revis—someone he had always looked down on. That woman couldn’t even protect the fetus, yet she had the gall to ridicule him for his task.

He couldn’t accept that, no matter what.

But now, all he could feel was fury. He couldn’t command the acid worms or giant Violas to head up to the higher floors and attack monsters—every floor was facing the same issue. And he had no idea how long it would take for the Dungeon to recover.

Loki Familia’s expedition had already been in the Dungeon for a while, currently stationed on the 39th floor. By tomorrow or the day after, they’d reach the Safe Zone on the 50th floor. Even if he sent the acid worms and giant Violas down now, they wouldn’t make it back in time.

Maybe they could join Loki Familia in fighting the monsters, but if the Magic Stones weren’t delivered promptly, it’d be a disaster. Worse, if a large-scale movement drew the attention of Loki Familia’s team and they sensed something was off in the Dungeon, they might head straight to the 59th floor—and that was the last thing the man wanted.

"Bang!"

Another, deeper crater formed in the ground.

After venting his anger, the man could only focus on doing everything he could. If he couldn’t use the upper floors, then what about the lower ones? He no longer had the luxury of being cautious. Right now, his only goal was to let the goddess’s fetus absorb enough energy before Loki Familia’s expedition descended any further.

He alone couldn’t stand against Loki Familia’s team. So all he could do was help the goddess’s fetus grow—prove to Revis that he, not her, was the goddess’s true protector. Even under these circumstances, he wouldn’t falter.

Under his command, the acid worms and giant Violas were all sent deeper into the Dungeon in search of Magic Stones.

"Hmph, what a fool."

Revis had learned of his actions and scoffed. In her eyes, he was just a cornered dog making a desperate move, force-feeding the fetus to force its development. But a fetus grown like that would never yield results.

"That’s nowhere near enough to capture Aria."

A barely-formed body wouldn’t do. At the very least, a part of the original consciousness was needed to capture Aria.

Still, Revis held no expectations for that piece of trash.

Anyone who treated that thing as a goddess had clearly lost their mind. She had no intention of wasting her time on a lunatic—especially when her own recovery demanded both time and energy.

Her left hand, severed long ago, had regrown to the palm, but it still hadn’t fully healed. The weapon that had taken it off had made the wound nearly impossible to mend. It was practically a full reconstruction, draining her of far too many Magic Stones.

Looking at her still-incomplete hand, a shadow fell across Revis’s face.

She still had no idea who had ambushed her, or why someone like that had appeared on the surface.

Naturally, Revis wasn’t afraid of ambushes. Even if someone launched a sneak attack, she was confident she’d detect it. But what unsettled her was that she hadn’t noticed anything at all. If the blade hadn’t already been brushing her skin—if she hadn’t sacrificed her right hand—she would’ve died on the spot.

The sudden appearance of such a figure on the surface set off alarm bells in Revis’s mind.

What was even more troubling was that she still didn’t know who that adventurer was.

During the ambush, her attention had been completely drawn to the blade of light—she hadn’t even caught a glimpse of the person wielding it. And after that single failed strike, the assailant had retreated with lightning speed, so fast it had even left her stunned.

Yet despite having such a distinctive trait, there was no trace of his identity. That was what made it so bizarre.

’Now I’m actually hoping that useless fool might be of some use... at the very least, enough to draw that person out.’

Even so, Revis had no intention of personally checking in on the situation. Given the current state of the Dungeon, if that idiot didn’t choose to run, he was as good as dead. But she also knew full well that he wouldn’t flee—so she couldn’t care less what the fool ended up doing.

That person was skilled at hiding. Without the means to see through his stealth, Revis wouldn’t risk exposing herself again. Especially knowing that his blade could easily slice off her head at any moment.

She let out a cold chuckle and picked up a Magic Stone from the ground, then swallowed it.

The Magic Stone dissolved into pure energy within her body, and her missing left hand began to regenerate—though only very slightly. The wound continued to resist full reconstruction; even consuming the Magic Stone only sped up the process a little.

After swallowing one, Revis paused.

She was running low on Magic Stones. Thanks to the dragon’s roar disrupting the entire Dungeon, she no longer had a large supply to replenish herself. All she could do now was slow the pace of her recovery.

Just as she was about to pick up another Magic Stone, her hand stopped.

"Aren’t you going to do anything?"

A voice—clearly altered—echoed from nearby.

Revis turned her gaze in that direction.

The figure was entirely wrapped in a black robe, face hidden behind a black mask etched with red patterns. His face was obscured, but she could sense his presence. A man clearly weaker than her.

"Isn’t that fool already in motion? It’s just a test. Let that madman give it a try. Either way, he’s already served his purpose."

The masked man sighed softly and turned to leave.