Is It Wrong To Level Up In A Dungeon?

Chapter 27. Challenge Accepted

The last thing he saw was Baruka standing over him, it was as if the shadow soldier was mugging him, as if he was disappointed. The ice daggers at his sides still gleaming with unspent lethality.

Hyakinthos trembled. He couldn't win.

Bell stepped forward, looking down at him with an impassive expression. "This fight is over," he said coolly.

Baruka didn't move—he simply waited, like a specter lingering for permission to strike again.

Hyakinthos swallowed hard, forcing down his pride. His body ached, his mana reserves were dwindling, and the cold from Baruka's blades still gnawed at his wounds.

With a shaky breath, he turned his head away and spat blood onto the dirt.

"Tch... damn it." His fists clenched, but there was no fight left in him.

Eina's voice trembled with frustration as she pleaded with her superior. "We have to do something! The Apollo Familia is openly hunting him down!"

But her superior barely spared her a glance, arms crossed as he let out a weary sigh. "The Guild has limits, Eina. Interfering in conflicts between Familias is beyond our jurisdiction." His tone was firm, final.

Eina clenched her fists, anger burning in her chest. It wasn't fair. Bell was out there, fighting against impossible odds, and she was stuck here, powerless.

Meanwhile, Bell had already left Hyakinthos behind, his body crumpled in the dirt. Baruka had seen to that. But the fight wasn't over yet. As he and Hestia pressed on, more Apollo Familia members emerged from the shadows, blocking their path.

Just as Bell prepared to defend himself, a blur of motion cut through the enemy ranks. Mikoto, Ouka, and Chigusa charged in, weapons flashing under the dim light. Swords clashed, spells erupted, and the battlefield erupted into chaos.

Then, reinforcements arrived.

Lili sprinted into the fray, crossbow in hand, loosing precise shots that found their marks. Miach followed close behind, offering support. The Apollo Familia had numbers, but they were falling fast.

Bell didn't wait for the dust to settle. With their escape route compromised, he made a quick decision. "Stay with Lili," he commanded, summoning a Shadow Minotaur. The towering beast materialized at her side, its blue eyes glowing in the darkness. "Buy us time."

Lili smirked, loading another bolt. "You got it."

As Bell and Hestia pushed forward, the sounds of battle faded behind them. They ran, breath ragged, until they found shelter beneath a stone bridge. Hestia pressed her back against the cold surface, catching her breath.

"This isn't good," she muttered.

Bell nodded, scanning their surroundings. They wouldn't last like this. The Apollo Familia had them cornered, and reinforcements would come soon.

Hestia looked at him, voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. "We have two choices, Bell. We fight or we leave Orario."

Bell's chest tightened. Leaving meant abandoning everything he had built here. But staying meant being hunted, outnumbered, and overwhelmed.

Hestia hesitated before speaking again, her voice softer this time. "Tell me, Bell... what do you think of me?"

He blinked, caught off guard by the question. "I—" He met her gaze, sincerity in his eyes. "I respect you."

For a moment, there was silence. Then, Hestia's frustration boiled over. "Respect?! That's it?!" Her outburst echoed beneath the bridge.

Bell tensed. They weren't alone.