After the intense battle and victory against the Juggernaut, Charlie decided to end his second expedition earlier than planned.
His goal of leveling up to Level 5 had been achieved, albeit with a near-death incident. However, in the end, the results were quite satisfactory—he had not only become stronger but also managed to create a promising original fighting technique.
Thus, Charlie, along with Aishia and Est, began their journey back to the surface. After traversing several floors, they decided to take a short break on Floor 28.
Just like Floor 18, Floor 28 was a safe zone known as the Under Garden. This floor did not resemble the dangerous depths of the Dungeon but rather resembled a flower garden forest of the elves.
Soft light emanated from the crystals on the cave ceiling. The light bathed a vast expanse of green meadows, where various flowers with colors they had never seen before bloomed beautifully. The flowers emitted a soft, sweet aroma, mixed with the freshness of morning dew, creating a fragrance that pampered the senses.
Spreading a picnic mat on the green grass, Charlie began to take out various kinds of food, cold drinks, and fresh fruits from his Space-Time Cache, creating a relaxed atmosphere like a picnic in a sunny park.
"The scenery here is truly beautiful, like in a spirit forest."
Looking around while biting into an apple, Est commented.
"Well, it's hard to believe we're thousands of meters underground." Charlie replied, also admiring the wonders of the Dungeon.
"Charlie must be very tired after that fierce fight earlier, right? Lie down here and rest."
After finishing her sandwich, Aishia patted her thigh, signaling Charlie to lie down there.
"In that case, I accept your offer."
Indeed feeling very physically and mentally exhausted, Charlie gladly accepted the offer. He rested his head comfortably on Aishia's lap, which felt soft and soothing.
"Charlie has worked hard today. Get some rest."
Aishia still had her usual flat expression, but her hand moved gently, stroking Charlie's hair softly.
A gentle breeze blew across the flower meadow, carrying with it the sweet and refreshing scent of various blooming flowers, creating an even more calming atmosphere.
Closing his eyes, Charlie enjoyed the gentle touch on his hair.
"Say, Aishia. Don't you think ending the fight against that nameless monster was a bit anticlimactic? Before, I was completely helpless against it and could only passively endure its attacks."
"However, after I became Level 5, I finished off that nameless monster very easily. If this were a story, the readers would definitely complain that the plot was uninteresting, right? Not dramatic enough."
With his mind now more relaxed after the danger had passed, Charlie had the opportunity to voice the silly question that had popped into his head.
Still stroking Charlie's hair, Aishia tilted her head slightly, looking at him with her characteristic innocent expression.
"I don't quite understand what Charlie is saying, but what's wrong with that? Life isn't a story that needs to meet other people's expectations. The defeat of that monster means Charlie has developed a very powerful technique, hasn't he?"
There was a slight tone of confusion in her voice, as if she didn't understand why Charlie was making an issue of the quick end to that dangerous fight.
"The stronger Onii-chan is, the higher our chances of surviving any dangerous situation."
Est, who rarely spoke, suddenly gave her opinion.
After losing her first contractor, Areishia Idriss, hundreds of years ago, she suffered deep trauma. Est did not want to see her current contractor, Charlie Avalon, die in front of her. If that happened, her trauma would definitely be much worse than before, perhaps destroying her existence.
"Don't make such a sad face, Est. Relax, I've told you I'm immortal. Unless I'm killed, I can even live longer than humanity itself."
"But Onii-chan almost died earlier."
"Cough... That was a special situation. It's impossible for me to constantly experience such events, right?"
Feeling Est's worry, Charlie pulled the small girl into a warm embrace.
"..."
Est did not resist. Instead, she buried her face in Charlie's chest, enjoying the comfortable feeling she always felt near her contractor.
"Let's take a nap before continuing our journey back to the surface."
Aishia was still providing him with a lap pillow, while Est was now lying comfortably on his body like a small cat. Charlie raised his free right hand.
Although Floor 28 was considered a safe zone in the Dungeon, its safety was only relative to monster attacks. The risk of being attacked by fellow adventurers who might have bad intentions still existed. He didn't want to risk being attacked while they were resting and off guard.
*BUZZ!*
Thus, Charlie used his Spirit Art to set up a series of protective magic formations around their picnic area.
*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*
Hundreds of formations with various types and functions were etched in the air with a faint light, forming intricate and powerful layers of defense. There were formations that acted as physical barriers, formations that detected intruders, formations that provided early warnings, and even formations that were ready to launch counterattacks if necessary.
Now, after reaching Level 5, the quality and power of Charlie's magic formations were much higher than when he was still at Level 4. Based on his careful analysis, it would take at least hundreds of Second-Class Adventurers (Level 3 to Level 4) bombarding his magic formations simultaneously to break through them.
As for First-Class Adventurers, their ability to penetrate his magical defenses would depend greatly on their level. A Level 5 adventurer might have difficulty, a Level 6 would have a better chance, and a Level 7 adventurer would be a significant threat to the formations he had set up.
However, with the intricate layers of defense, Charlie felt they would be safe to rest for a while before returning to the surface. He closed his eyes, feeling calm with the protection he had prepared.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
When Charlie opened his eyes again, the shimmering beauty of the flower garden on Floor 28 vanished instantly. He no longer felt the softness of Aishia's lap or the weight of Est's body on him.
The scene that greeted him was not the soft light of crystals and the expanse of flowers, but total darkness that strangely did not hinder his vision. He could still see clearly as if there was a hidden light source nearby.
Charlie found himself sitting in one of the chairs surrounding a large round table. Besides himself, there were nine other figures sitting in the other chairs. Each had the appearance of various anime characters.
'I see. My consciousness has been drawn back to the Void Sanctuary. Is it time to receive the next Quest?' Charlie thought without the slightest hint of panic or surprise. This was not the first time he had experienced this phenomenon.
The Void Sanctuary, a mysterious place whose existence was separate from any space and time. The dwelling place of two cosmic entities—Gaia and Alaya—who were tasked with maintaining the balance of countless multiverses. Saviors, including Charlie, were summoned to this place to receive tasks aimed at preventing the destruction of threatened worlds.
"Hi, everyone! Long time no see, did you all miss this cute Gaia?"
A cheerful and lively voice suddenly broke the silence of the Void Sanctuary. The voice, familiar to Charlie and the other Saviors, drew the attention of everyone present in the room.