Just That "One Hundred Millionth" of a Difference

The moment Ais and Bete appeared, the monsters from the 17th floor were instantly taken down.

The crisis was over.

Ais sheathed her sword with practiced ease. Her gaze swept over Thor and Bell, who lay in a pool of blood, and she asked in a calm voice touched with concern, "Are you two all right?"

Thor smiled faintly and held his index finger and thumb close together, showing just how tiny the gap had been. "You really came through for us. I was just that 'one hundred millionth' of a step away from being in trouble."

He looked perfectly composed, as though the brush with death had been nothing but an illusion.

Confusion filled Ais's golden eyes. Even she couldn't make sense of Thor's bizarre instantaneous movement just now.

Was it a skill?

Or... had she imagined it?

"You just—" she began.

"Hey! Tomato brat!"

A furious shout rudely cut Ais off.

Bete roughly grabbed Bell by his blood-soaked collar, nearly lifting the limp boy off the ground.

"Where the hell were those useless eyes of yours looking just now?! Huh?!"

His words were full of undisguised contempt.

"You were fighting that thing for your life, and you still let yourself get distracted? You trying to get yourself killed faster?!"

He shoved Bell toward the remains of the Minotaur he had kicked to pieces.

"Look! Take a good look! This is what happens to half-baked weaklings like you! If we hadn't shown up, you—and that idiot standing there staring into space beside you—would both be a couple of piles of minced meat by now!"

He spat on the ground and continued his vicious verbal attack.

"Listen up, rookie! If you can't cut it, tuck your tail between your legs and crawl back upstairs to bully Goblins! The Dungeon isn't a place for useless trash like you, who can't even fight, to play house!"

His scolding was cruel and grating. Every word landed on Bell's heart like a lash.

Seeing Bete insult him like that, Ais turned to Thor beside her and apologized awkwardly. "I'm sorry about my companion..."

Thor waved it off. "Don't worry about it. We don't mind."

Thor could see it.

Beneath Bete's rough actions and harsh words, there was an unspoken logic.

He had pointed out the deadly consequences of being distracted and emphasized the absolute importance of strength.

Rather than pure abuse, it was more like a "warning" rooted in a brutal reality, wrapped in the cruelest possible delivery.

Perhaps it had something to do with the past experiences of this young werewolf.

They had led him to despise the weak, especially those he thought would "drag others down." Perhaps it was a projection of his own past trauma.

Just then, the faint roars of Minotaurs echoed from a fork farther away.

The monsters that had fled up from the 17th floor were likely numerous.

Bete shot a disgusted glance at Bell, who was covered in blood and looked utterly dazed, then growled, "Ais! Let's go!"

He paid Bell no more attention, turned, and sprinted toward the direction of the roars.

Ais nodded quietly and prepared to continue clearing out the monsters that had escaped from them.

Before leaving, she glanced at Thor again.

That instantaneous movement... it must have been an illusion, right? His beginner's gear wasn't anything special, either. He was just a super rookie...

Ais shook her head slightly, putting the question aside.

"Please wait!" Thor suddenly called out in an even voice. "Could you leave the Minotaurs' Magic Stones for us?"

Ais paused, then simply nodded.

In the next instant, she flashed away, following Bete into the depths of the passage.

Thor immediately bent down and picked up the dark red Magic Stone on the ground. It was still faintly warm and about the size of a baby's fist.

He rubbed his fingertips over its rough surface, sensing the energy within, and his face lit up with delight.

He called over to Bell, "Bell! Good news! The Magic Stones from these Minotaurs are top quality. I only need ten to condense a Stardust!"

His only answer was a heavy silence.

Thor turned to look.

Bell was still in the same position he had been left in after Bete shoved him. He sat curled up on the cold ground, his arms wrapped around his knees and his head buried deep in the crook of his arms. His bloodstained white hair hung in disarray.

An oppressive gloom seemed to radiate from him.

As Thor approached, he could just make out Bell's barely audible voice, thick with frustration and self-blame. Bell kept repeating the same words, as if interrogating himself—or confessing to the ground.

"...Useless... a burden... I almost had it... why am I so weak..."

It seemed that Bell had poured all his strength into the fight and nearly defeated his prey on his own, only for Bete to finish it off with a single kick.

Then Bete had mercilessly called him "useless" and "a burden." The crushing gap between Bell's effort and the result, combined with the sharp humiliation, had sent him spiraling into self-doubt.

Thor wasn't the slightest bit bothered by Bell's bloodstains or disheveled appearance.

He went straight over, reached out, and grabbed Bell precisely by the collar at the back of his neck. Then he hauled him up off the ground like a dejected little animal.

"All right. There's no point dwelling on the past."

Thor's tone was calm, but carried an undeniable firmness. He dragged Bell, still lost in his dejection, toward the passage where Ais and Bete had disappeared without slowing down.

"There are plenty more Minotaur Magic Stones waiting to be 'delivered' over there. Miss Ais promised them to us herself. Let's not waste this 'gift.' We'll go claim it."

With that, Thor half-dragged, half-pulled the dazed Bell along. Their figures soon disappeared into the dark passage ahead, leaving only the faint sound of their boots scraping over the rubble as they receded into the distance.

The scene shifted.

The Guild's spacious reception room felt somewhat tense.

"Lord Thor!"

Eina planted both hands on the table with an almost audible thud.

She leaned forward, her voice brimming with barely contained anxiety and a hint of lingering fear.

The force of the movement sent a slight tremor through her already ample bosom.

"Please don't enter the Dungeon on your own again! This time, you even caused a major incident with Minotaurs from the 17th floor appearing in large numbers on the fifth floor!"

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"Fortunately, no adventurers were injured this time. Otherwise..."

She had barely begun her stern admonishment when Thor, who had remained at ease the entire time, acted as if he hadn't heard her at all. Without a care, he pushed the empty plate in front of him toward Eina and interrupted in a casual tone:

"Could I have some more pastries, please?"

Bell, sitting beside him, was still trapped in his own world. His head hung low and his hands rested limply on his knees. He was oblivious to everything around him, clearly still reeling from what had happened.

Eina's long lecture caught in her throat.

She looked at Thor's unbothered expression, then glanced at Bell, who sat beside him looking completely dejected, as though he had suffered a devastating blow. In the end, all she could do was let out a long, helpless sigh inwardly.

No matter how much she cared for her children, a "god" couldn't personally follow them into the Dungeon and protect them...

That would only hinder their growth...

She rubbed her temples and quickly composed herself.

Her professional instincts helped her set aside her personal feelings.

She took the empty plate Thor had pushed toward her, her tone returning to its usual warmth.

"Please wait a moment."

With that, she temporarily swallowed the rest of her admonishment and left the private reception room.