Descending the stairs toward the lower depths brought us into yet another section of the underground waterway. For a moment, I wondered if we had somehow doubled back, but the flight of stairs rising behind us told a different story. We were definitely deeper than before. A waterway beneath a waterway—it was a confusing layout, but there was no sense in expecting logic from a dungeon. I’d heard that some dungeons even contained vast, open grasslands deep beneath the earth.
"Tch. I’ve got a bad feeling about this place," Zephyr muttered.
"Yeah, this looks like it’ll be a bit of a headache," Ressel agreed.
I felt the shift in atmosphere just as they did. While it looked the same on the surface, the air was heavy with a sinister pressure that seemed to gnaw at one's sanity just by existing. This was likely the Malice Halfa had warned us about. According to Ressel, the floors intended for high-rank adventurers in any dungeon usually felt something like this.
"We’ll cover the front and rear from here on. Just tell us which way to go."
I was grateful for the offer. The members of Evil-Dispelling Sword moved into position to box us in safely. There was a high probability of encountering monsters far stronger than the Lizard Soldiers we had fought earlier, and it would be disastrous if my party were caught in an ambush.
The first threat we encountered was a Death Crocodile. It was roughly five meters long, a terrifying beast that lunged at prey with teeth like jagged knives. Its body was armored in scales so thick they would deflect any half-hearted blow. While Evil-Dispelling Sword’s shield user drew its ire, the rest of us unleashed a coordinated volley of magic to bring it down.
Lizardmen remained as common as ever, but the groups led by an evolved species called Lizard Knights were exponentially more dangerous. Once they shifted into a defensive formation, they became incredibly difficult to break. It was especially frustrating when they coordinated with Lizard Shamans; if we couldn't shatter the front line, the Shamans would rain magic down on us from a safe distance. The rank-and-file Lizardmen would literally throw their bodies in the way of our projectiles to protect their casters. Normally, I would use Shadow Hiding to erase my presence and finish them with a Shadow Strike, but that was a tall order when they were positioned on the opposite bank of the water. Since Shamans had relatively low defense, I could eventually wear them down by throwing stones, but it turned every skirmish into a long, drawn-out battle.
Shoot Fish were another nuisance. These fish-type monsters would occasionally leap from the water to spray a high-pressure jet. It was no mere squirt gun; the force was powerful enough to bore holes through stone walls. While the dungeon would eventually repair the damage, I had no desire to find out what it would do to a human body. Fortunately, Shiroru could wipe them out by charging up and dropping a Lightning Strike into the water, but even then, a single moment of carelessness could lead to a nasty injury.
We managed to press on despite the dangerous inhabitants, but the mental and physical toll was mounting. It wasn't just the strength of the monsters; it was the dungeon’s malevolent atmosphere. It felt as if the very air was rejecting us, slowly siphoning away our resolve.
Eventually, our conversation died out. Part of it was the need for constant vigilance, but even during the tense moments earlier, we’d managed at least a bit of banter. Now, we were silent.
That was when a soft, gentle melody began to echo through the tunnels. It was Halfa, humming a tune. Curiously, the heavy, clinging fatigue seemed to wash away, replaced by a sense of clarity.
I wasn't the only one who felt it. The expressions of everyone in the group visibly brightened.
"Is that the Song of Soothing?" I asked.
"It is!" Halfa replied. "I got that same nasty feeling I had when we saw the Black Wolf, so I thought it might help."
The Song of Soothing was the same melody that had weakened the Plague-Cursed Black Wolf back in Cygnil. That beast had been a Kin of Garnalava, so it stood to reason that the song had the power to exorcise the god’s influence. With the Malice purged from the air, our spirits finally returned to us.
"Why don't we take a short break?" I suggested.
『Oh? Does that mean it’s time to eat? Give me a hamburger!』 Shiroru chimed in through our mental link.
"I didn't say we were definitely eating... but actually, that’s not a bad idea."
Shiroru had apparently decided that "break time" and "mealtime" were synonymous, but the suggestion was sound. We’d left the surface in such a rush that we’d completely skipped lunch.
Ideally, I would have preferred a wider room to rest in, but the path toward the deepest floor had been nothing but straight corridors. It was likely the reason we hadn't stumbled upon any treasure chests yet, either. Given that our mission was to stop a cultist plot, I couldn't complain, but missing out on treasure felt like I was being robbed of ninety percent of the joy of adventuring.
With Evil-Dispelling Sword’s approval, I began handing out the hamburgers I was currently developing. I’d been working on refining the teriyaki sauce lately, and I was also experimenting with the buns.
The burgers we sold at our stall used bread from the local bakery, but the loaves in this world tended to be dense and hard. While many people liked that texture, I craved something soft and fluffy. Now that I could use the Decomposition magic to produce dough that had already finished its yeast fermentation, I’d been having the bakers trial various new recipes for me.
"Whoa, is this a new kind of burger?! Wait... are you guys the ones who run that shop!?"
Ressel was the most excited of the bunch. It turned out he was a massive fan of the food. I didn't recall seeing him at our mobile stall, though.
"You didn't know? Oh, I guess you guys only got back recently," I said.
"That's right. The day after we finally made it back to the capital happened to be the grand opening of the hamburger shop. It was so packed I had to see what the fuss was about. It was delicious, and I’ve been going back every day since."
It seemed Ressel had become a regular after we transitioned to a permanent storefront. It was heartening to know the business was thriving even while we were away.
"Man, I heard the shop was started by a group of adventurers who used to run a stall, but I never imagined it was you lot. I should have guessed, though—you’ve got a Wingfolk with you."
Ressel nodded to himself, finally putting the pieces together. It seemed the public perception that hamburgers were "Wingfolk Cuisine" had truly taken root.
Recharged by the Song of Soothing and the hamburgers, we felt our strength return. The sinister pressure we’d felt since entering this floor had vanished entirely, easing our mental burden. Our progress became surprisingly smooth from that point on. The monsters were just as strong as before, but the lightness in our hearts seemed to put a spring in our steps.
And then, finally, we reached the heavy doors leading to the dungeon's deepest floor.