"Because of the abnormal situation here, I won't beat around the bush. I'll get straight to the point."
"To obtain the water from Cadmus Spring, we have no choice but to defeat its guardian, the Strong Dragon. There's no other way to acquire the spring water."
"And you all know how strong the Strong Dragon is. In terms of pure strength, it's even above the Floor Master we encountered."
After Tione finished speaking, Tiona continued with a beaming smile, "I've even been blown into the air by it, with my internal organs completely scrambled!"
What a guy—no, she really was something. She could smile and laugh about something like that as if she didn't care at all.
Although he really wanted to complain, Shirou Emiya ultimately held himself back.
After all, he knew that Tione was bringing up these precautions specifically for him and Lefiya.
So it was better to listen carefully at a time like this.
"How should Tione fight it specifically?"
Hearing Ais's question, Tione answered seriously, "We'll use the usual plan. Ais, Tiona, and I will suppress the Strong Dragon's attacks, while Lefiya and Shirou use magic to suppress it."
"Once it becomes afraid, we'll finish it off in one go! So Lefiya, Shirou, we're counting on you this time!"
"Don't worry!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
Seeing that they had reached a consensus, Tione led the other four onward. Before long, they arrived outside the room at the end of the passage.
Cadmus Spring was inside this room.
The five crept forward, carefully peering into the room.
But Ais soon sensed something unusual.
"It's too quiet!"
No longer concealing her presence, Ais walked straight inside.
"Ais!"
Seeing that something was wrong with Ais, Tione and the other three had no choice but to follow her in.
But the situation inside was completely beyond their expectations.
The trees that had originally grown throughout the room had all been snapped, as if something had crushed them into pieces.
The surrounding walls and floor had also been ground into powder by something unknown.
But even more baffling were the traces of melting everywhere around them.
"This was done by the New Species Insects."
Shirou Emiya had identified what happened at a glance. After all, on the fifty-first floor, there were no monsters capable of melting matter besides the New Species Insects.
Tione and the others quickly found clues around Cadmus Spring as they continued searching.
"Is this the Strong Dragon's remains?"
After comparing the astonishing amount of ash on the ground with the Strong Dragon's size in her memories, Tione reached that conclusion.
Ais noticed something and reached into the ashes, pulling out a dragon-wing membrane that shimmered with golden light.
Strong Dragon's Hide Membrane.
This was an extremely valuable drop. Even after the Strong Dragon died, it only had a small chance of appearing.
"It really is the Strong Dragon's corpse!"
Growing increasingly uneasy, Tione hurriedly said, "Fill the containers with the spring water. We're leaving immediately!"
Everything that had happened here was far too abnormal.
"Right!"
Shirou Emiya and Lefiya hurriedly took out their specialized water-gathering equipment and began collecting the water.
Moreover, since the Strong Dragon was dead and had not used the spring water, they collected far more than they had originally intended.
"Looks like we don't need to collect it from two locations. This one is enough!"
"Indeed!"
After putting away the water bottles, the five left the Strong Dragon's room and quickly headed back.
"Who do you think did that to the Strong Dragon?"
"By common sense, it should have been done by another monster, right?"
After vaguely brushing off her younger sister's questions, Tione recalled the various anomalies they had encountered on this floor.
"It's definitely an Abnormal Situation. I just don't know in what form it'll unfold!"
At the same time, Shirou Emiya's vigilance had risen to its highest level.
If they assumed they had encountered a New Species, then their return route was the most likely place for something to happen.
Carrying different thoughts in their minds, the group continued forward.
"Ah!!!"
Suddenly, a scream came from deep within the dungeon!
"That's Raul!" the five said in unison.
The five immediately ran toward the source of the scream. Before long, the monster came into view.
It was a yellow-green creature resembling a caterpillar.
On both sides of its body grew more than a dozen legs, making it look like a combination of a caterpillar and a centipede.
This was a monster Tione and the others had never encountered before.
A New Species!
Shirou Emiya's eyes lit up as he stared at the monster before him. It had finally appeared—a New Species.
Facing the monster right in front of her, Tiona, who knew no fear, hefted the Great Double Blades in her hands and charged.
"Stop, Tiona!"
Finn's voice came just in time, but Tiona, already carried away, showed no sign of stopping. She plunged the Great Double Blades straight into the monster's body.
And then—
Then her Great Double Blades, worth 120 million Valis, melted into liquid.
"Ah! My Great Double Blades! You can't play like that!"
"Didn't Finn already tell you not to charge in? You idiot!"
Bete, who had been chased over by the monster, looked at the teary-eyed Tiona and helplessly complained.
Watching this scene, even Shirou Emiya nearly laughed. How could someone be so fearless?
After regrouping with the second team, the nine elite members of the Loki Familia began fleeing for their lives.
"Hey, hey, what is that thing, Finn? My weapon!"
"I don't know. We were attacked without warning too."
Looking back at the enemies behind them, Shirou Emiya said hurriedly, "There are so many monsters behind us. I estimate there are more than a hundred."
"What?"
Tiona nearly bulged her eyes out. One of these monsters was already more than enough trouble, and there were actually over a hundred of them.
"Why can't I see them?!"
"I have a skill. Do you?"
Clairvoyance had enhanced Shirou Emiya's eyesight by far more than a little.
"Captain, are you all right?"
"We're fine, but Raul is badly injured. He was struck directly by that liquid."
Looking at Raul being carried over Gareth's shoulder, everyone felt a chill run through them.
Raul was already in a feeble, barely conscious state, and a foul stench emanated from his body.
His skin and even his Light Armor had melted away, leaving his entire body a purplish color bordering on black.
With just one attack, a seasoned Level 4 had been reduced to a near-death state.
This brought everyone's vigilance to its absolute peak.
They absolutely could not be hit.
"Look, those New Species even attacked the Black Rhinoceros on the way here. The anomaly we encountered was probably caused by them!"
Hearing Shirou Emiya's words, Tione hurriedly told the puzzled Finn what they had seen.
"Is that so? I never expected that thing could even defeat the Strong Dragon!"
"What a monster!"
The fleeing group ran wildly through the dungeon like headless flies.
Just then, Ais suddenly asked, "Finn, can we defeat those monsters?"
Hearing Ais's question, everyone turned their eyes toward Finn.
After pausing for a second, Finn turned back to Ais and said, "Attacks themselves are effective, but just like with Tiona earlier, losing one weapon for every attack is far too costly."
"."
"Going up against that many opponents would be even more difficult."
Seeing that everyone had fallen silent, Finn continued, "However, we can use magic. If we can buy enough time to chant our spells, then we can indeed annihilate them all in one strike!"
"Then I'll do it. My Super Illusionary Collapse doesn't require chanting!"
Shirou Emiya had been observing the New Species' movements the whole time. Hearing Finn's plan, he hurriedly volunteered.
"No. Shirou's Super Illusionary Collapse is too powerful. It would drag all of us into it. This place is too narrow!"
Indeed, Shirou Emiya understood as soon as he was reminded.
Although the passage here was spacious, that only applied to close combat. If he unleashed a nuclear blast, no one would be able to escape.
"In that case, the only one who meets the requirements is..."
Feeling everyone's eyes on her, Lefiya cried out.
"Eh!"
Before you continue