“Well, that was a refreshing jog, huh?” Fennel said, his tone way too casual for someone who’d just narrowly avoided becoming rat food. He shot me a grin, clearly proud of his joke.

  I gave him a long, unimpressed look.

  Instead of backing off, Fennel’s grin somehow got wider. “Tough crowd,” he muttered, shrugging like he hadn’t just barely cheated death.

  Lila, perched on the edge of my bag, decided to cut through the nonsense. She wiped some murky sewer water off her hair and fixed her gaze on me. “Leon,” she started, “what’s the plan now? Are we heading to the next floor, or staying here to grind more?”

  Her question snapped me out of my irritation and back into focus.

  She was right—things had calmed down, at least for now.

  The tide of monsters had disappeared into that pit behind us, leaving us in a moment of relative safety. It meant we had choices again.

  I crossed my arms, thinking it through. “We ran here because of the tide,” I said, speaking more to myself than anyone else. “But now that they’re gone, we’re not exactly being chased anymore. We could stay here a bit longer, grind some more. Might not be a bad idea to have the slime shoot arrows from here into the pit.”

  Lila raised an eyebrow and gestured dramatically toward the portal, which shimmered faintly just ahead of us. “Sure, but the portal’s right there. Like, we could just go. We’ve been complaining about the smell of this place the whole time! It’s a sewer, Leon. How much longer are you planning to marinate in this?”

  She wasn’t wrong. The stench here wasn’t just bad—it was unbearable. The air felt rotten, clinging to everything. My clothes reeked, my boots squelched with every step, and even my slimes, normally odorless, had started to pick up the foul scent. Just the thought of staying here any longer made my stomach turn.

  But leaving now… it felt risky and wasteful. The next floor was a complete unknown. The Sewer Crawlers weren’t hard to manage, and grinding just a little longer could make a real difference in leveling up.

  I sighed, “You’re not wrong about the smell,” I admitted, glancing at the portal again. “But rushing to the next floor without knowing what’s waiting for us? That could be worse.”

  I looked at Fennel, curious about his next move. We’d only teamed up to escape the monster tide, and now that we’d managed that—barely—I had to wonder what his plans were.

  “How about you, Fennel?” I asked. “Are you staying here, or are you heading to the next floor?”

  Fennel flinched slightly, clearly caught off guard by the question. He rubbed the back of his head, his lion-like ears twitching nervously. “Actually… I was wondering if I could, uh, stay with you guys?” he said, his voice uncertain but hopeful.

  His question caught me completely off guard. “You want to stick with us? Why?” I asked. “I mean, now that I think about it, did you enter this dungeon alone? You’re beastkin. From what I’ve heard, you guys usually move in groups, not solo.”

  Fennel’s grin faltered, and for the first time, he looked a little sheepish. His tail swayed behind him, slower than usual. “Well, technically, I didn’t come alone,” he admitted. “I had a group. A pretty solid one, actually.”

  “What happened?” Lila asked, leaning forward from her spot in my bag.

  Fennel sighed, rubbing his temples. “The tide happened. When it hit, I was the fastest in the group. We didn’t see it coming because of the smell in this place—it’s so strong that it completely messed up our scout’s sense of smell. He’s usually the one who keeps us ahead of danger, but here? Useless.”

  “That’s why you got separated?” I asked, crossing my arms.

  He nodded. “Yeah. I volunteered to be the bait, give them enough time to find cover or figure out a way forward. It worked… sort of. I managed to lure the tide away, but I got stuck on my own in the process. Knowing them, though, they probably found their way to the third floor by now.”

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  “And you think they’ll find you again?” Lila asked, tilting her head.

  Fennel grinned, his confidence returning. “Oh, they’ll find me. No doubt about it. Once I’m on the third floor, my scent will stand out again. They’ll pick it up and track me down in no time.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “That’s a lot of faith to put in them.”

  He chuckled. “Well, it’s not blind faith. My team’s been through worse. If anyone can handle themselves in this dungeon, it’s them. Besides, I’m not exactly easy to miss, you know?”

  I didn’t respond right away, mulling over his words. It made sense, in a way. The tide was a freak event, something no one could’ve predicted, and it wasn’t hard to imagine a skilled group making it through to the next floor. But that still left the question of why he wanted to stick with us in the meantime.

  “Okay, but why us?” I finally asked. “You don’t even know us.”

  Fennel shrugged, flashing me that signature grin of his. “You didn’t attack me when things got rough. That counts for something. And honestly? You’re interesting. Figure if I’m gonna stick with anyone, it might as well be someone who’s not boring.”

  Lila scoffed. “That’s your reasoning? Because we’re not boring?”

  I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow at him. “You were the one who brought us into this trouble in the first place…”

  Fennel blinked, his grin faltering for a split second before bouncing back with even more enthusiasm. “Details, details,” he said, waving his hand dismissively. “Let’s focus on the saving part, not the ‘almost got you killed’ part. we're safe now, aren’t we? That’s what counts!”

  I couldn’t help but let out a short laugh, shaking my head.

  As I mulled it over, I couldn’t deny that having Fennel around was a definite positive.

  He wasn’t just some random tagalong—he was strong. A solid close-quarters fighter, the kind of party member i'd be more then happy in having.

  Not only that, but his presence gave us a clear advantage in this immediate situation. Heading to the third floor had been a gamble before.

  I was skeptical about going because I wasn’t prepared. My level wasn’t where I wanted it to be, my slime army wasn’t large enough yet, and the risks of encountering tougher enemies were too high.

  The decision to move forward was more out of desperation than strategy, especially since I’d lost four of my slimes during the chaos with the tide. That alone had left me feeling uneasy.

  But now, with Fennel here, things were different. His strength alone made up for the slimes I’d lost—and then some.

  Honestly, it felt like he was worth at least a dozen of my slimes, at least in terms of raw power.

  His ability to take down Sewer Crawlers with such ease had proven that much.

  Watching him in action, it was clear that he could handle himself even in a dire situation. That kind of strength wasn’t something you turned away lightly.

  And there was something else—something that gave me even more reassurance. Fennel’s inherited ability, Prideful Paragon, meant he couldn’t betray us, at least not intentionally.

  If he joined our group, his innate sense of justice and pride as a Mythroar would keep him from turning against us. If his current party were to show up and even think about attacking us, it would put him in a situation that went against his very nature.

  I let out a small sigh, glancing over at him. He was still standing there, his tail swishing behind him as he hummed to himself, completely oblivious to the internal debate I was having.

  “Alright,” I finally said, breaking the silence. “You can stick with us, but only until you find your group.”

  Fennel’s ears perked up, and his eyes lit up with excitement. “Really? You mean it?”

  “Yeah,” I replied.

  He grinned, placing a hand on his chest in an exaggerated gesture of sincerity. “Mythroar’s honor. You won’t regret it.”

  Lila leaned out of the bag, her expression happy.

  having Fennel with us was the best decision at this very moment. He was strong, capable, and trustworthy—or at least as trustworthy as someone like him could be. And with his presence, the third floor felt a little less daunting.

  "I still think it’d be a waste to leave right now. Let me kill a few of these rats, earn some experience points, and maybe level up a bit before we move on," I said. But as soon as the words left my mouth, Fennel shook his head.

  "Not gonna happen," he replied.

  "Huh? Why not?"

  "Take a listen," he said. "Notice anything?"

  I froze. He was right. The constant screeching of the rats at the bottom of the pit was gone.

  "...?! Where’d they go?"

  "My guess? There’s probably an exit down there—a sewage valve or something. They’ve likely moved on to their next target… or maybe they’re coming back for us."

  I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. If I hadn’t wasted time talking to him, I might’ve snagged a few kills and leveled up.

  Oh well, no use crying over it now. Just another reason to get out of this stinking pit.

  "Then let's not waste any more time," I said, rolling my shoulders and adjusting my bag. "Let’s head to the next floor."

  Fennel grinned, “Now we’re talking! Lead the way, Captain.”

  “Don’t call me that.”

  “What? You’re the one calling the shots,” he said with a shrug, his grin never faltering. “Just trying to boost morale.”

  Lila snickered softly from her perch in my bag, clearly enjoying the exchange.

  I took a deep breath, stepping toward the portal. “Anyway. Let’s see what’s waiting for us.”