On a special floor of Babel Tower stood Fels' secret workshop. It was here that Charles and Fels carried out their research.

As a magician capable of crafting Philosopher's Stones by hand, Fels obviously lacked nothing in terms of resources. Owning such a space was no surprise. If needed, he could easily write a few grimoires and sell them for a fortune—such was the confidence of someone who possessed the skill [Mystery].

Fels looked at the large, nest-like structure before him and remarked, "As expected of Hephaestus' prized child. Only a smith like you—who holds both [Forge] and [Mystery]—could finish something like this in such a short time."

Charles waved off the compliment. "Thanks to you too. You made most of the precision components."

The two exchanged a bit of mutual praise before turning their eyes to the fruit of their combined labor.

Using knowledge Charles had gathered from several worlds as the theoretical foundation, paired with Fels' technical expertise, they had created this prototype of the Regeneration Cradle.

The actual crafting hadn't taken too much time. The most draining part had been refining the theory and drafting the designs. The two had poured heart and soul into the process, creating a magitek device that couldn't possibly exist in today's Orario.

Its core principle was reconstructing the body without damaging the soul. It was thanks to Charles' extensive knowledge from other worlds that such a complex process could even be theorized, let alone realized.

Of course, it was still just a prototype, because Charles' ultimate goal was to create a device that could bring back Igneel.

For now, the machine could only help Xenos like Wiene gain human bodies.

After all, Igneel was far different from a Xenos—not just in strength, but also in structure. Xenos had magic stones acting as soul cores, making soul preservation and transfer significantly easier.

This time, Charles had even mixed in a bit of personal flair by adding Dragon Slayer crystal tech. If everything went smoothly, Wiene would be reborn as a Dragon Slayer Mage.

Charles let out a deep breath, and for the first time in days, a smile spread across his previously tense face. Although untested in practice, all theoretical and structural validations indicated the device was indeed functional.

Since starting the project, Charles and Fels had locked themselves inside the secret lab. Even meals were replaced with nutrient potions. Neither had slept for who knew how long, yet they finally completed the prototype.

Fels, in high spirits, said, "No time to waste. Go bring the girl."

Charles nodded and immediately headed back to the mansion.

Before the project began, Charles had instructed Stella to keep a close eye on Wiene and not leave Hephaestus Familia's headquarters.

But when Charles returned, he found neither of them. Though the mansion doors and outer walls had been repaired, Charles could still see signs of previous damage.

As he stared at the empty room, face dark with unease, Hephaestus approached.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I couldn't protect Stella and Wiene."

Charles composed himself and asked, "What exactly happened, Lady Hephaestus?"

She replied, "The day after you left, someone broke in. Stella detected and drove them off. But then Loki Familia came to demand Wiene be handed over—though they didn't make any moves beyond that.

But then Freya Familia got involved. They weren't so polite. They stormed the mansion.

Stella, trying to prevent the situation from escalating, took Wiene and escaped into the Dungeon. But don't worry—I already sent Tsubaki and others after them.

There's been no word yet, but also no reports of their capture. They should still be safe."

Charles clenched his fists. No matter how he looked at it, this was all tied to the Icarus Familia. But what really pushed things over the edge was Freya Familia's involvement. Without them, things wouldn't have escalated to this level.

He had never imagined that both Loki and Freya's Familias would get involved—and that Freya's group would be so aggressive. Had he known, he would never have left the two unguarded while conducting research.

Exhaling slowly, Charles pushed his rage down, though the fire inside only grew hotter, ready to erupt.

Despite Hephaestus' calm recounting, Charles knew it hadn't been simple—especially with the outer walls having needed repairs. The pressure she must've faced was unimaginable. No wonder Stella had made that choice.

Right now, there was only one thing he had to do—bring them back. As for the enemies… he'd make them regret ever getting in his way.

Charles turned to Hephaestus. "Don't worry. I'll resolve this."

With that, he walked over to the window and leapt out. Hephaestus only caught a glimpse of him taking off, fiery wings blazing behind him as he vanished into the sky.

…

20th Floor of the Dungeon

Stella and Wiene sat around a campfire. Stella took a kettle from the flames and poured a sweet-smelling drink into Wiene's cup.

Charles had always believed in being prepared, so he had stocked Stella's ring with a wealth of practical supplies.

The drink, in fact, was a potion Charles had made specifically for energy recovery. Regular food was just too impractical in the Dungeon. He even made it taste like milk tea—Stella's favorite—delicious when heated.

Thanks to those supplies, the two had managed to hide this long.

Wiene stared at the rippling liquid in her cup and said softly, "Stella… have I caused trouble for you and Charles?"

Stella looked at the guilt-ridden girl with sympathy and gently stroked her hair. "Of course not. You haven't done anything wrong. Don't worry—Charles will fix everything."

Wiene nodded, but her face showed no trace of relief.

Just then, Stella suddenly looked up. Her expression turned grim.

Though she lacked Charles' extreme detection abilities, her "Dragon Senses" were still keen enough to detect approaching enemies.

"What clingy bastards," Stella muttered. "Time to move. They're back on our tail."

She packed up the kettle and cups into her ring, took Wiene by the hand, and dashed deeper into the forested section of the Dungeon.

About ten minutes later, a group arrived at the still-warm campfire.

The vice-captain of Freya Familia, the cat-person youth known as the "Goddess' Chariot," smiled smugly as he examined the flames. "We've caught up to the little mice."

A nearby elven youth smiled too. "Didn't think Lady Freya's latest task would be this troublesome."

Standing barely 1.4 meters tall, the "Fastest in Orario" Allen Fromel tilted his head and said, "Are you complaining about the goddess, Hedin?"

Hedin shook his head. "Of course not. But even Ottar's joining us this time. Feels like something big is coming."

Allen frowned slightly. Ottar always acted alone—his presence definitely signaled something serious.

Still, he didn't think too hard about it. All that mattered was that it was Lady Freya's will.

"I'm done playing tag. I'm capturing them now."

He crouched low into a starting stance. Hedin saw a puff of dust rise—and Allen was already gone from view.

Sighing, Hedin gestured for the others to speed up and follow.

Up ahead, Stella's expression turned serious. Someone was rapidly closing in.

No perception skill needed—she could see the figure now.

Though he was running, he looked more like he was gliding just above the ground, plowing through giant trees in a straight line.

She recognized him from their encounter at the mansion—the one who had busted down Hephaestus Familia's front gate. The "Goddess' Chariot."

Allen locked onto them and charged without slowing.

Stella pushed Wiene aside and raised her hand. Google seaʀᴄh N0v3l.Fiɾe.net

Allen's eyes widened in shock. His momentum halted instantly—stopped by a pair of delicate-looking hands grabbing his shoulders.

Allen Fromel, a Level 6 adventurer with the magic "Granez From," had speed that scaled infinitely and could convert it into ramming force. This was the origin of both his "Fastest" and "Goddess' Chariot" titles.

Even Ottar had to go all out to withstand Allen's full-speed charge.

Though Allen hadn't gone full throttle just now, it was still powerful enough to level a floor boss. Yet he'd been stopped cold—by one woman.

He was both furious and stunned.

Stella wasn't unscathed either—her arms throbbed in pain. Stopping Allen was anything but effortless.

Still, the frustration she'd bottled up finally ignited.

They'd been hiding to avoid causing more trouble for Hephaestus, and to protect Wiene without escalating things.

She even understood why adventurers feared Wiene—given their positions, they weren't entirely wrong.

But after being hunted this far, and seeing Allen's relentless pursuit, her patience had run out.

"You didn't seriously think I was afraid of you, did you?"

Flames erupted around her, pushing Allen back. Stella drew her Crimson Dragonblade and slashed down.

Allen dodged the incoming flaming arc just in time. The scorched trench left behind extended far out of sight.

This unknown woman was way stronger than he expected. A single strike had such terrifying power.

Still, she wouldn't escape Freya Familia's hunt. He wasn't alone.

"Endless conflict, immortal thunder soldier! Callus Hildr!"

A chant rang out. Thunderballs rained down toward Stella.

She wisely retreated and looked up—spotting a mage standing on a branch, holding a staff with a blade at the base.

The barrage cratered the ground. But just as Stella exhaled in relief, a dark-skinned elf appeared, swinging a cursed-looking blade.

She barely had time to block with her own sword—only to be flung backward.

"Stella!" Wiene cried out, rushing over. "Are you okay?"

Stella smiled. "I'm fine. Don't worry. Just stay back—I'll take care of them."

"You're quite the braggart," Allen said, walking forward. "You're not getting away."

The two were now completely surrounded by four small, armored figures—the Flamegold Brothers, a quartet whose combined power rivaled Level 6 adventurers.

Aside from Ottar the "Mighty," Freya Familia's elite had all mobilized.

(End of Chapter)

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