The atmosphere was slightly different after the reveal Miria had dropped onto the adventuring party. The shock was still present on their faces, though mostly replaced by honest anxiety. Even the Cleric seemed taken aback, perhaps finally reconsidering his haughty remarks. He was the target of multiple glares, especially from his female companions.

This amused Asterios to some extent as the duo hadn’t shown any displeasure with his actions earlier, either quite used to his frivolous nature or even interested in bringing more people into the family. Now, though, they pecked at their man, like angry hens hounding a too-prideful rooster that had gotten out of line. Only the human Ranger was saved from the lecture.

As for the cause of that distress, it was nonchalantly walking ahead with a satisfied smile, aware of everything that was happening but not paying much attention to it. Asterios could feel Miria relishing their initial expressions, definitely proud and happy she’d managed to resolve things peacefully.

Or, at least that was what she was trying to convince herself to be the reason for her elated mood. Someone with easy access to the panthergirl’s very open and honest thoughts would be able to notice her replaying the moment she’d made her beloved master an even bigger deal than he already was.

And that someone was hiding right next to the group.

Asterios only shook his head with a wry smile. Her getting the opportunity to boast about him might have been the only thing that had stopped Miria from showing that rude guy exactly why she had the teal-colored badge on her collar. Though, at this point, it was unclear if she still fit in that category. With the level of her power and mastery, she and most of her sister-mates could be counted into the next tier. The final one.

As long as the guild didn’t bring back the even more special title.

There had been no Living Legend for quite a few decades now and making it reappear with not just one but a bunch of holders simultaneously would certainly cause a noticeable ruckus.

Thankfully, it shouldn’t be as easy to skip the EX-rank as they had done with a few of the lower ones on their way to the top.

Nevertheless, those musings could wait for another time. Miria was reaching the end of the fleshy tunnel, the others following shortly after her, keeping a safe distance. They were now more scared about his adorable mate than the dangers lurking in the ominous dungeon. It made Asterios chuckle quietly, earning himself a flick of a cute, rounded ear from the attentive feline. Fortunately, that bit didn’t give him away.

Stopping in front of the weakest segment of the Devourer, Miria turned to face her followers. “From what I can tell, you four might have some trouble getting through this part and this is most likely where our little adventure would have ended for today. But, I’m sure that would have been disappointing, so I’ll let you give it a try and then open the passage up myself so that we can experience one more floor. Is that acceptable?”

Everyone nodded hastily and the panthergirl stepped aside, gesturing at them to have at it. The Cleric took the first turn, most likely aiming to regain some of the face he’d lost just recently. Even if Asterios could tell that the demon man was more than decent in his craft, his Holy Magic was way too weak, focused on support for the most part. The agile defender didn’t even attempt while the other magic user threw a few precise spells to try and cut through, but to no avail. Surprisingly, the Ranger got the furthest, making use of some mixtures and oils for both the wall and his arrows, causing the membrane to reach a state of slight frost.

When everyone had their turn, Miria unsheathed one of her new shortswords in a showy fashion and let her bloodline run free, surprising the group with her beastly appearance. It was completely unnecessary, but Asterios had a feeling that she would be continuing to mess with them for the entirety of their remaining time. The panthergirl casually flicked the blade in a cross shape and the invisible sharpness sliced through the wall like through paper. After regathering themselves, the party followed her inside, reaching the swirly portal.

“Alright. Prepare as much as you can now. The next floor is new and I have no idea what we are going to find there. Don’t worry, though. Nothing bad will happen to you under my watch. I think,” Miria said, speaking the last part with a cheeky grin.

“Wait a moment. What do you mean by new? Weren’t you supposed to have ventured much deeper into this place?” one of the girls asked in tense confusion.

“And how do you know it’s new if you’ve never been there?” the other woman added.

Miria wrinkled her nose while figuring out a good excuse. Asterios could pinpoint the moment her smart mind caught onto something good, recognizing the excited spark in her black eyes.

“That’s exactly why I can tell. I’ve seen and experienced a lot in this dungeon. I can navigate it almost like it’s speaking right to me. You just miss all the hints.” She giggled and puffed her chest out. “Now, let’s not waste any more time. My beloved mate is eagerly waiting for my return and I can’t wait to snuggle to Master too!”

Asterios rubbed his eyes with a silent snicker as Miria broke the character near the very end. He couldn’t really blame her for it, though. Everyone knew how excitable the cuddly panthergirl got when even thinking about him.

As for the adventurers, they had clearly expected more time for their preparations and tried to fight off the strong catgirl while begging for her to wait a moment longer as she dragged them towards the shadowy lake. One by one, she hoisted them into the portal and jumped in herself. Asterios went right after her.

Immediately, he confirmed that she’d been right. The place they had ended up in was nowhere familiar to him, and seemingly to her too. They had all arrived at the same spot, which looked like an entrance to a tall labyrinth with an open top. It was all made of violet crystal and similar minerals. A spacious, dark cavern surrounded it, making it feel like the entire thing was suspended in the darkest abyss.

After gawking at the sights alongside everyone for a little while, Miria waved at the group to get their attention. “As you might have guessed, you have a labyrinth in front of you. I’ll let you experience it on your own. I’m sure there is plenty of treasure and fun challenges waiting for us inside. Just make sure not to peek over the walls! It’s your only warning! So, enjoy yourselves to the fullest! I’ll come to collect you when you decide you have had enough! Good luck!”

Before anyone could question her, shadowy tendrils swallowed the panthergirl and dragged her into the floor, spooking the party. The girls squealed while the Cleric cursed loudly. Asterios was aware of Miria’s location and knew she hadn’t moved out of the trial chamber, simply reappearing… above it?

He glanced up curiously, seeing nothing else but sparkly darkness. Focusing on his enhanced sight, he smirked under his nose and soon transferred himself next to his sneaky mate. In the next moment, they both stood atop a see-through panel of crystal hanging above the whole labyrinth. The view down was perfect while those underneath it had no idea they were being watched.

Such a clever contraption.

It took the quartet about five minutes of discussion before they actually ventured into the crystal maze. From what Asterios could see, it was filled with numerous small segments housing either a monster or two, some simple treasure, a puzzle, or similar opportunities. He could easily pick up on the source of inspiration for this particular floor, a hint of a reminiscing smile sneaking onto his lips.

And that was also why he wasn’t surprised in the slightest when his curious mate got bored of just observing, lasting no more than half an hour. He felt her exchange a few words with Umbra and then disappear from his side, showing up on the opposite end of the labyrinth. Her proteges would never know they had been abandoned so that their instructor could have some fun of her own.

It didn’t last that long, though. After about forty-five minutes more and a few locations cleared, the party stumbled on an undead monster that gave them a run for their money and began shouting for help, interrupting the joyful experience of their supervisor, who had gone through thrice as many challenges. Umbra must have given Miria a notice as she quickly moved right to them and defused the situation. 

Making up something about an artifact for emergency returns, she wrapped the group in a big hug and shadows began to swallow them. Before they were fully gone, Asterios escaped first, aiming to show up outside before them. Umbra picked up on his intentions and properly delayed their arrival, giving him enough time to cancel his techniques and appear to be casually strolling through the woods.

Miria’s team resurfaced a minute later in front of the swirling gate. The adventurers stumbled a bit from the transfer but managed to survive without any visible mental scars. His cheerful panthergirl began her debriefing as he unhurriedly walked from behind the treeline. The moment the adventurers saw him emerge from the background a distance behind their instructor, they all stiffened instantly. And when Miria noticed the change in their expressions, glancing over her shoulder just to happily hop in place next, they paled to the bone, especially the Cleric.

“Master!” the panthergirl shouted reverently and shot towards Asterios without holding back.

She crossed the clearing in a blink, smashing into Ast’s chest and snuggling her face into his neck. Her fur retreated to its usual places soon after as she began purring affectionately like a kitten in love, which she technically was. Tenderly caressing her cute ears, Ast’s crimson gaze remained locked on the others, creating an interesting contrast between authority and affection.

Somehow able to still move with his sweet mate anchoring them to the ground, Asterios approached the group with a soft smile. Unfortunately, it seemed that it only made things worse, perhaps appearing more ominous rather than welcoming after Miria’s introduction and the memory of their little offense. Not much he could do about that, honestly.

“Greetings, friends. Already finished with your delve? Plenty of loot must have still been left behind as you don’t look that exhausted,” he began calmly. “I hope you had fun?”

The four exchanged silent glances, clearly unwilling to speak up. They battled each other with their gazes to determine the unlucky one. In the end, it fell upon the Ranger, who attempted his best at a cordial, albeit extremely nervous smile.

“It’s an honor, Your Lordship.” The human made a polite bow, followed by the rest. “I’m sure you are aware that knowing when to retreat is an important skill all adventurers should possess, seeing as you are one yourself too. But even if we chose to leave early, we value everything we experienced during this guided lesson. Your… uhhh… mate… is an excellent instructor, My Lord.”

Miria giggled into his neck and Asterios barely withheld a smirk. “I’m glad to hear that. It’s a young dungeon, but also quite a unique case, which makes it very exciting. There’s hardly any theme to it so you can never completely predict where you will end up and what you are going to experience. One moment you might be fighting a horde of monsters, and the next you are crawling through a complex maze. I surely love the mystery, don’t you?”

Pretty much everyone flinched during his short speech, once more looking between themselves. Miria was practically trembling from amusement as her recent charges internally fussed over the coincidental example he had given them, wondering if he could actually know about things happening in the dungeon.

“Y-Yes… It’s such a novel adventure… Hahaha…” the demon Cleric croaked awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. “We will never forget the events of this day until the end of our lives…”

The others nodded to his words as one man.

“Truly?” Asterios raised an intrigued brow at them. “That sounds like you don’t expect to ever return and delve in once again. If you had such an amazing and interesting time, why wouldn’t you? There’s so much more to explore. You are all welcome to reenter the queue, and as a token of goodwill, I might even push your request a few spots ahead.”

That evoked some conflicted emotions in the party as at least one member seemed to grow excited about the prospect of such a privilege while the others grew only more uncertain.

“Of course, I don’t intend to pry into your personal reasons for migrating to another place.” Asterios shrugged nonchalantly, then squinted a bit. “Unless there’s something on your conscience. You didn’t break any rules or conducted yourselves rather improperly during the delve, did you?”

As he moved his questioning gaze to the feline instructor cuddling him lovingly, the youthful four reached the levels of pale he had never ever witnessed before on a living being. The girls subconsciously retreated behind their man a little while the demon guy stood still like a deer caught in front of the tip of an arrow. They weren’t even aware of how guilty they looked at that moment, but Asterios showed no signs of noticing.

“Everything went great, Master!” Miria chimed in from his shoulder. “We had lots of fun together, cleared a few floors, and chatted lots! Do you know that the male demon is aiming to build a big family and already has those two females as his mates? It’s almost like we were with Selene back when we were starting out!”

The adventurers let out a collective sigh of relief when their supervisor didn’t mention anything about their tiny upset.

“I see.” Asterios smiled at them warmly and presented his own lover with a peck on the nose, evoking more giggles from the bubbly feline. “Such a goal shall definitely make it an exciting experience. Most seek riches or fame, but searching for an understanding family with the same passions and interests is an engaging idea. I wish you luck on your journeys, then.”

Receiving a nod afterward, the group took it as a sign of being politely dismissed and didn’t waste a second in giving him their thanks while hurriedly trotting away.

But, when they were passing by Asterios and Miria, the former placed a hand on the demon man’s shoulder, stopping him dead in his tracks, wide eyes snapping to meet his intense vertical pupils on a crimson background.

“A word of advice as a parting gift, from one follower of such a path to another,” Asterios said, giving the man a firm squeeze. “Be careful of how and who you approach on your delves. You wouldn’t want to offend someone short-tempered by accident. In the end, what happens in a dungeon, stays in a dungeon.”

The Cleric swallowed heavily and jerked his head in affirmation. After one last smile, Asterios let him go and watched the guy wobble on his way forward, barely keeping himself straight. To the man’s credit, though, he managed to reach his companions without fainting, supporting himself over the shoulders of his ladies by making it look like a bold move on his part.

When the four were out of earshot, Miria started giggling adorably and perhaps slightly maniacally, hugging Asterios for balance. He snickered too while brushing his fingers through her black hair until she calmed down and glanced up at him with a dazzling smile.

“That was so much fun, Master!” She pushed herself up to steal his mouth with a deep, love-filled kiss, nibbling on his lip cutely. “We should do it more often!”

He bit her back, pulling away enough for them to see each other properly. “It’s not nice to bully others. Even if they slightly deserved it.”

“How did you know, Master? Did Umbra tell you?” Miria tilted her head at him.

Instead of replying vocally, he sent her a few flashes of his perspective from the dungeon. Her mouth formed a charming loop at the revelation.

“I knew it!” The panthergirl jumped in place. “I just knew I wasn’t mistaken about almost noticing you once or twice down there, Master! I can’t believe you hid yourself from me completely! You are getting so good at concealing your auras and masking our connection!”

Chuckling lightly, he nuzzled his cheek into hers the way she loved it. “You would have found me out the moment you honestly started investigating. But thank you for the compliment. You did an incredible job as a dungeon guide and an instructor down there. I’m sure you can feel how proud I am of you.”

Miria flushed deeply, turning quite timid at his words. “I still have a long way to go… Suanori and Ellie are helping me out, though… They say that if I get some more on-field experience, I might even be able to train the future guides…”

“That’s my mate.” Asterios kissed her tenderly. “You will become a legend on your own in no time. And who knows? Maybe it won’t be limited just to our realm. I bet some of your friends would be excited to follow you into Kori’s domain.”

She gasped loudly. “Are you saying what I think you are, Master?”

“Give me just a little bit more time and we’ll be hopping worlds with everyone whenever you want.” He grinned at her.

Squealing from joy, Miria spun them together. “Yes! Yes! Yes! I want to bring Mom! And Dad! And Zoe! And Selene’s friend! And everyone!”

They laughed in circles for a solid minute before Miria started getting dizzy and lightheaded. He scooped her into his arms by supporting the joyful panthergirl from under her thighs as she wrapped her legs around his waist and rained kisses at him from above. Spending a moment longer basking in the bliss of their mutual affection, they soon resurfaced for some air.

“When can you do that, Master?” Miria asked with an eager expression, gently nibbling on her bottom lip.

“Soon. I’m going to meet Althea for another lesson in a bit. I believe we are close enough to move onto some real tests,” Asterios replied. “But first, I’m curious about Umbra’s and Kori’s progress. It looked like you three had quite a few things figured out in terms of taking in adventurers. Let’s pay our Dungeon Master and his Core a visit.”