If You're Willing, You Can Follow Me for Now...

Carl pondered.

After all, aside from Vanessa, there were only three possible types of people who could appear here.

One possibility was that some special power existed here, a surviving creature from the Ancient Elf Dungeon Ruins.

Another was Mimosa, a member of the Golden Dawn.

The final possibility was an enemy capable of generating diamond crystal ore here.

But no matter which it was, it was worth Carl investigating.

Just then, a thunderous rumble suddenly sounded in the distance. The ground shook nonstop, and waves of shattered stones came crashing down.

The phantom image of the Red Thread Cat on the back of Carl's hand suddenly trembled before vanishing.

Carl's gaze instantly sharpened.

Outside, Asta and the others stared intently as well.

Someone was fighting nearby, and the fluctuations of power were terrifying.

They looked at one another.

Asta immediately roared from outside.

"Carl, since you can break this turtle shell, hurry up and get out here!"

"There's definitely something wrong with the sounds of fighting in the distance. If you stay in that trap, the longer you remain, the worse things might get!"

Carl said in a low voice from inside.

"I'm certain there's a problem here too. As for the disturbance in the distance just now, it may be the enemy trying to lure us away."

"But no matter what, the Red Thread Cat on the back of my hand suddenly trembled. There's a strong chance Vanessa is the one fighting in the distance."

Asta immediately cried out.

"You mean Big Sis is fighting someone in the distance?"

Carl nodded from inside.

Although the diamond ore kept blocking their view, they could still vaguely see one another through the overlapping layers.

Carl said solemnly.

"You go help Vanessa. I'll come later."

"There's a trap beneath this diamond mine, and there's the aura of a living creature inside."

"No matter what, if we don't deal with the trouble in front of us, we may end up attacked from both sides even if we go help."

Finral's expression immediately turned anxious.

"But if you aren't with us, Carl, won't our combat power be insufficient?"

Carl broke into a smile.

"Everyone, don't underestimate your own strength, and don't underestimate the bond between us."

"Go help her."

"Vanessa's Fate Magic is incredibly mysterious, but its actual offensive power is still lacking."

"If this drags on too long, she may not be able to hold out."

Hearing that, everyone nodded.

However, Noelle stared stubbornly at Carl.

"Carl, I'm not leaving. I want to stay here with you."

Everyone looked at one another.

But Carl said.

"Noelle, it's time to show your true strength."

"There's no problem with me staying here. I only need to find out what's wrong with this place."

"But for the Black Bulls right now, you are undoubtedly the most crucial one."

Noelle's face stiffened at once, and she said in disbelief.

"You're saying... I'm the most important one?"

But before Noelle could continue, Carl encouraged her.

"Among everyone here, you're the only one with ultimate defensive capabilities."

"Only your Sea Dragon's Cradle can create a defensive barrier for the other companions."

"Without you, how could Asta and the others unleash their full strength without worry?"

"I believe you can create the strongest defensive barrier and show them the results of your training."

"After all, your efforts back then weren't in vain."

"I still remember everything you did to obtain Sea Dragon's Cradle."

Noelle seemed to recall a certain scene. Her face reddened as she looked into Carl's earnest eyes.

Noelle immediately felt the burden on her shoulders grow heavier.

"I understand, Carl."

"I'll definitely protect everyone."

Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have obtained Noelle's shyness. Favorability converted: +500.

Watching her companions race away into the distance, Carl finally let out a breath.

Since this place was so unusual, she wanted to see exactly what secrets it was hiding.

Boom—!

Carl threw another punch.

The Metal-Covered Four-leaf Grimoire flew out.

The next moment, the enormous fist slammed directly into the Four-leaf Grimoire.

Earth Creation Magic—Dragon Claw.

A gigantic dragon claw formed from dense rock instantly shattered a large area of diamond ore before her.

Although the diamond ore was incredibly hard, under Carl's unceasing output, even the hardest stone was gradually broken apart.

Finally, when a massive pit appeared, Carl jumped straight in without hesitation.

Inside the trap, gray smoke had already begun drifting through the passages formed by transparent diamond deposits.

The gray smoke was exceedingly sinister, even tangling with itself.

As Carl opened a path with punch after punch, she finally reached the deepest part of the trap.

A total of nine special crystal pillars condensed from diamond ore formed a circle.

Thick black smoke coiled around the pillars, fully displaying negative magical effects such as weakness and corrosion.

Carl's gaze fell upon the prison formed by the diamond ore.

A woman with long, wavy brown-gold hair sat inside.

Her clothes were extremely tattered, even revealing her fair, deep cleavage.

Carl froze for a moment.

The other woman appeared to be at death's door, yet countless plants and flowers had grown around her.

Tiny flowers bloomed, making it seem as though one had entered a wilderness. Those flowers and plants continuously released life force.

Healing Magic!

What an intense healing effect.

At this rate of healing, she would likely regain a considerable amount of strength within minutes.

However, the weakening poison smoke before her was truly detestable.

Clearly, the weakening poison smoke was resisting her magic. That was why she looked so weak and could barely even speak.

Carl naturally guessed the identity of the woman before her.

"You are... Mimosa Vermillion?"

Carl stared at her intently.

When the woman heard Carl's words, her body trembled slightly.

Her Plant Magic seemed to have been stimulated somehow. Green light flared brilliantly, and the dense life force instantly pushed back the surrounding smoke.

The woman's condition rapidly improved at that moment.

Then, she sat up.

When her eyes landed on Carl's cloak, her pupils instantly contracted.

"Black Bulls, Blue Rose..."

"Y-you're Carl Rock?"

Seeing her state Carl's name so easily, Carl smiled faintly.

"That's right. It's me."

"I didn't expect the one trapped here to be a member of the Golden Dawn."

Mimosa seemed to be forcing herself to recover. The green radiance around her grew increasingly bright.

Her words came faster and faster as well.

"That's right, I'm a member of the Golden Dawn."

"However, I got separated from Senior Klaus and Mister Yuno."

Carl revealed a slight smile.

"I've seen them before."

A glimmer of light appeared in Mimosa's eyes, only to dim again soon after.

"You've seen them..."

At that moment, Mimosa seemed to have already guessed something.

Carl told her truthfully.

"I saw them."

"However, your two teammates seemed focused only on completing the mission. For now, they had no intention of rescuing you."

Mimosa fell silent.

She slowly lowered her head.

Although she was badly injured, she still looked deeply upset, nearly burying her head in her cleavage.

Carl smiled.

"Still, meeting me is your good fortune."

"If you're willing, you can follow me for now."