Aster was unable to forget what the monster, the one called Nefra Eigen Solstice, said before sending them to random floors. He remembered her words clearly.
"With the power vested in me by the Dungeon Master, I hereby transport you all to a random floor. Survive and visit me again, and I will grant one wish for each of you."
Of course, aside from the part about "granting a wish," Aster's attention was drawn to something else.
"Dungeon Master..."
It was a term that didn't make any sense to the current generation, as only God's Thirteen Dungeons remained in the world. In short, "Dungeon Master" and "Dungeon Cores" were words that had lost their purpose... Since the things they referred to didn't exist anymore.
An unused word typically fades after a hundred or so years of disuse, with only linguists and eccentrics being aware of it. And thousands of years had already passed.
Still, a dungeon's monster not only spoke words but also used that ancient term. "This either meant she saw the Dungeon Master herself, or that she's a descendant of one."
To confirm his suspicions, he planned to visit the 5th floor again.
'I can't take the girls with me; it would be too dangerous. I should bring them next time, after making sure it's safe.'
Of course, he couldn't dismiss the possibility of being thrown onto random floors again. As such, it would be too risky for the girls to accompany him.
With his increased speed, even without running, he reached the dungeon's entrance in under 20 minutes. After paying the Oni uncle manning the gate, who flashed a bitter grin upon seeing him, Aster entered the portal with caution.
"..."
He quickly looked around, assessing which floor he had dropped onto. A familiar forestscape greeted him, one he had already become accustomed to after seeing it many times. "This is the 5th floor, as expected!"
He was worried he would be thrown straight onto the 30th floor again, but thankfully, that didn't happen.
"But if I ended up clearing the 30th floor, would that mean I get to skip floors 6 to 29?" he wondered.
*Arf!*
"Hup!"
After a few seconds, he landed on the cave's ledge. At a glance, there was nothing strange about it. However, he could see signs of a group entering the cave with wary steps. After checking for traps, he let Argus out, before drawing his sword.
"Be ready. Enemies could be lurking around," Aster warned.
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However, Argus behaved differently. He started sniffing the entrance and, shortly after, released a loud bark. Then, without waiting for Aster, he ran into the dark cave by himself.
"A-Argus!" Aster tried to reach for him but was too late.
The little puppy's figure vanished into the darkness within seconds! "Just don't kill them, alright?!" he shouted a reminder, just in case.
After fetching his flashlight from his pack, he started running after the rascal. It took him a few minutes before exiting the winding passage and reaching the main door. It was already wide open, which made Aster frown.
"So the intruders also know the password. This is bad. I hope they haven't encountered the Pharaoh yet."
He was sure that someone had entered before him but didn't know "when" they had entered. It could have been a few hours ago or maybe a day or two ago. If they were unlucky, they would still be stuck in the multiple passages, exploring them one by one. But if they were lucky, then...
*KYAAAH!*
"...!"
As if confirming his worries, a shrill scream echoed, reaching Aster's ears. Without a second thought, he dashed forward, crossing the familiar paths he had already navigated before, and reached the source in seconds.
"Argus, stop! Miss, are you alright?!"
Right as he arrived, however, it took him a few moments to comprehend what he was seeing.
"Eh? Cassy, Kali... everyone, what are you doing here?" he muttered in disbelief.
The entire party, except for him, was present!