Leah finished the new weapon experiment and had finished cleaning up.

It seemed that several monsters were drawn by the explosion sound, watching from within the water wall.

However, it appeared that it would not be easy for them to come this far with bodies accustomed to the deep sea, as there was quite a distance to where Tatsuro and the others were located.

But since being watched was unsettling, they were scattered and defeated from a distance using magic.

After taking a break in the living room, those not on guard duty prepared and ate a meal. Nana joined the guard, and the remaining three took turns bathing before Tatsuro, Ai, and Leah headed to their respective bedrooms.

And now, the two were embracing each other in their bed, conversing.

"As expected, the levels in a Level 7 dungeon are much more challenging compared to previous ones." (Ai)

"Indeed. But we've gained quite a lot of SP." (Tatsuro)

"How much longer until we clear the acquisition conditions for gravity magic?" (Ai)

"Let's see... my current SP is—whoa, it's suddenly (558)!" (Tatsuro)

"The breakdown seems to be from giants, several thin-armed creatures, and Big Piporin. We've gained quite a lot." (Ai)

"That's right. Shall I use it right away?" (Tatsuro)

Tatsuro stared at the skill acquisition list, considering how to allocate the points within his current range.

"Yeah. First, I'll definitely take Wood magic up to 8 since Jeanne wanted it... Alright. This time, I'll use life magic 10, Wood magic 10, ice magic 4, consuming exactly (500) SP." (Tatsuro) (T/N: Wood magic should be 8, not 10 but the author made a mistake)

"Well, we want to learn the mastery series quickly." (Ai)

"Right. This way, all that's left is ice magic 10 and unlocking the limits for all attributes. So, to learn gravity magic, we'll need... ugh, (2940) SP?" (Tatsuro)

"Is it really that much? It's not even a significant enhancement—this is totally a ripoff!" (Ai)

"It's because the required SP was high from the start, and there's also a multiplier applied based on the order of acquisition. That's why it's like this. But well, we're earning quite a lot in this dungeon, so it's just a matter of time." (Tatsuro)

"I see. Our parents must be worried." (Ai)

Sixty-six days have passed since they arrived in this world.

On the other side, they've been missing for over two months.

Since their relationship is approved by both families, they wouldn't be suspected of eloping.

However, it wouldn't be strange if the police were investigating, suspecting they'd been involved in some incident.

"What excuse should we make when we return? If we say we were in another world, they'd think we've gone crazy." (Ai)

"Yeah. We might have to go with something like being spirited away, saying we suddenly came to our senses after several dozen days." (Tatsuro)

"Even then, they'd probably think we've lost our minds..." (Ai)

"The 'I don't remember anything during that time' strategy seems slightly more plausible." (Tatsuro)

While discussing this, they strengthened the arms wrapped around each other's backs.

They were feeling a bit homesick, thinking about their original world.

Ai is here. Tatsuro is here. And Cardina and the others are here. That's why they can live their days energetically.

But suddenly, memories of their parents and friends, their previous life, evoked a sense of loneliness.

Feeling each other's emotions so intensely, they kissed as if to hide their feelings, sought each other out, and spent an intense night together.

When Tatsuro woke up in the morning, the mattress on the stone bed was in a tragic state.

He was amazed that he could even sleep like this, and used life magic to make his consciousness clearer.

Realizing his body was sticky, he gently woke Ai, who was sleeping naked beside him, and quietly brought out a small shower room, and they quickly washed themselves.

However, Tatsuro couldn't suppress his youthful impulses and ended up seeking Ai again.

And as Ai gladly accepted... they found that quite a bit of time had passed.

Hurriedly getting ready perfectly, they went to the living room where the meal was already prepared. Tatsuro and Ai thanked Leah and Nana, who had helped prepare the food and sat at the table.

After eating, they went outside, spent some time providing magical power and bonding with Cardina and the others, and then Tatsuro acquired the skills as Ai had suggested.

"Alright, I've obtained the mastery series for life and Wood magic. Jeanne, come here. I'll update the wood magic factor to 8." (Tatsuro)

"Neigh!♪" (Jeanne)

"Hehe, you look happy." (Tatsuro)

Jeanne rubbed against Tatsuro affectionately before transforming into a magic power sphere to receive the factor update.

With Jeanne's wood magic reaching level 8, it was time to depart.

Tatsuro and Ai, having released their tensions, walked more energetically than usual, passing through a wide space and again entering a narrow passage.

However, a short distance ahead, they found themselves at a dead end, blocked by a wall made of the same material as the floor.

And on this dead-end wall, three doors of different sizes were set.

On the left was a small door. On the right, a medium-sized door. And in the center, a large door.

"A door in a place like this? Could it be a trap?" (Tatsuro)

"...It seems we are meant to choose one of these three. The moment one is opened, the other two will disappear and become impassable." (Leah)

"Do you know the difference between the three paths?" (Tatsuro)

"Not that far. If we could see the other side when opened, we might have known..." (Leah)

"Well, that's fine. So, which one should we choose? Since we have no information or hints, shall we decide by majority?" (Tatsuro)

When Tatsuro suggested taking the path chosen by most, everyone seemed to agree.

"Those who want the smallest door, raise your hand." (Tatsuro)

Leah and Athena raised their hands.

"Those who want the medium-sized door?" (Tatsuro)

Tatsuro and Cardina raised their hands or wings.

With that mostly decided, they took a final vote.

"Those who want the largest door?" (Tatsuro)

Ai, Nana, and Jeanne raised their hands or horns.

Small 2, Medium 2, Large 3. They decided to open the central, largest door.

They were going to ask Athena to take the lead since it had a doorknob that Jeanne couldn't handle.

But Jeanne stepped forward, shaking her head, and extended a plant vine from her horn's tip, wrapping it around the knob and skillfully turning it.

The door opened inward, and the other two doors disappeared.

"I see, it can also serve as a hand." (Tatsuro)

"Neigh!" (Jeanne)

Jeanne was delighted at being able to use her abilities as intended. As everyone's gaze turned inward, they saw a space about the size of a school classroom.

And in the center, a suspicious wooden box was placed...

"It doesn't seem to be just an ordinary wooden box." (Tatsuro)

"What kind of box is it?" (Ai)

"I'm looking at it with [Spirit Eye], and it seems filled with some kind of power inside the box. Even Dispel magic is hindered, so I can only tell that some kind of energy is inside. But it feels different, more dangerous than before." (Tatsuro)

"My [Crisis detection] is also reacting." (Ai)

Tatsuro and Cardina's analysis, and Ai's martial art derivative skill [Crisis Detection] all suggested something dangerous.

Nana then called out to another analysis member.

"How does it look through Leah's eyes?" (Nana)

"It's a normal wooden box, but I can't see inside. If there were a hole, I might be able to tell..." (Leah)

"But we'll probably have to open it to proceed to the next level, right? I can open it." (Athena)

"No, stop. This time, I'll imitate Jeanne's method." (Tatsuro)

"Neigh?" (Jeanne)

After stroking Jeanne's side as she tilted her head, Tatsuro instructed everyone to move back to the entrance.

Then, with Ai creating a magical shield with a small gap, Tatsuro and Jeanne extended plant vines through the gap, wrapping them around tightly.

Using the information from Cardina's Dispel magic, they extended the vines to the wooden box.

The plant vines wrapped around the box's lid, slowly opening it.

And the moment a small gap appeared—

The box exploded, filling the classroom-sized space with blazing flames.

Ai maintained her magical shield despite her middle ear being damaged by the blast, somehow avoiding critical injury.

However, Tatsuro, Ai, and Leah suffered hearing damage.

So they immediately used life magic to heal each other, with Tatsuro healing Ai, Nana healing Tatsuro, and then the two healing Leah.

After releasing the wood magic and magical shield, a hot breath leaked from the room.

"A bomb, huh? And quite powerful." (Leah)

"I'm glad I didn't open it~" (Athena)

"Maybe this is the 'wrong door' twist?" (Leah)

"Probably..." (Nana)

Nana looked a bit embarrassed, having voted for the large door, but since it was a collective decision, no one was to blame.

To convey this feeling, Tatsuro gently patted Nana's head.

"Don't worry about it. Everyone's safe, and it seems we can proceed to the next level." (Tatsuro)

When everyone looked around the room, the water wall area began to shine like a glowing pond.

It seemed they could enter there to proceed to the next level.

"Well, let's go with renewed spirit." (Tatsuro)

"Yes, sir!" (Nana)

Pushed on the back by Tatsuro, Nana's mood lifted, and she smiled, standing in front of the level-transitioning wall with renewed motivation.

Then, everyone stood in a straight line in front of the wall, and Tatsuro cast a multi-attribute barrier before they all jumped in together.

""""""Pgyaaaaa""""""

With a familiar-sounding cry, something attacked Tatsuro's barrier and died on its own.

"Where are we...?" (Tatsuro)

"Huh? Did we go back to the beginning?" (Ai)

What had just attacked was a familiar monster—the "Surprise Clams" named by Ai.

And they were standing in the very first level they had supposedly already cleared.

The small island, the sea, the stacked boat Jenga... nothing had changed.

"Have they run out of variations?" (Ai)

"It's only the sixth level. If that were true, it would be too early." (Tatsuro)

"Yeah..." (Ai)

Tatsuro, and the others, all wore questioning expressions.

If this were a low-level dungeon, having fewer layer types would make repeated layers common.

But this was a Level 7 dungeon.

While random teleportation doesn't absolutely rule out repetition, this felt too soon.

But there was a clever mechanism behind this.

It related to the three-door choice in the previous level.

First, if they had chosen the small door:

The next room would have a genuine treasure chest with ultra-rare items.

But the next level would force them into an extremely vast and complex space mixing several layers.

Adventurers barely capable of clearing this dungeon would likely wander that level for one to two years.

And if they used a return stone to exit the dungeon midway, they would lose the items they had obtained.

If they chose the medium door:

No traps, nothing special in the next level, just safely reaching the next floor as usual.

And if they chose the large door:

If they survived the dangerous trap in the room's chest and everyone made it through,

Then if any party member wanted to revisit a previously cleared level in this dungeon, they could go there.

And in this group, there was indeed someone who wanted to return to the first level...

"This actually works out well." (Tatsuro)

"Works out well?" (Ai)

"Yeah, I was actually hoping to come back here." (Tatsuro)

"Why? Do you really like the sea that much?" (Ai)

In Ai's memory, he was fond of extreme rides, but she didn't think he was particularly fond of outdoor activities.

Of course, Tatsuro didn't want to interact with the sea or nature.

"Actually, when we defeated the sea enemy, didn't something drop?" (Tatsuro) (T/N: Check chapters 162 and 163 for confirmation)

"That was the water camouflage robe, right?" (Ai)

"Right. So I thought, if we defeat a specific monster in the sky, maybe a sky-blue camouflage robe might drop." (Tatsuro)

"Ah, that would mean we could fly around with Jeanne without worrying." (Ai)

"That's right. So now we're heading to..." (Leah)

"Ah. The sky—"(Tatsuro)

While saying this, Tatsuro raised his index finger, pointing to the sky.