Hearing Navi's unexpected outburst, Axel couldn't help but grow curious.

"Navi... you know this place?" he asked quietly.

[...No, I don't.]

But Navi shook his little head.

[I'm not familiar with this place at all,] he clarified. [However, this seal... this is something I recognize.]

He paused for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts, before continuing.

[This seal is one that I, the Harem Settlement System, made. That's for sure. It has my signature on it, after all,] he said. [However, I don't recall making this, which is weird.]

"...Huh?"

From the story he heard from Nina, this fortress should have existed during the Age of Chaos, several millennia ago. If this truly was something Navi made, then that would mean he had already existed for thousands of years.

Yet despite the proof being present, Navi himself was confused. He didn't remember sealing anything away.

"Could it be..." Axel muttered, speculating. "...The same System existed in the past, and that one made this, not you?" he asked.

[...Possible.]

Navi didn't deny it.

Although he was a System Spirit and knew everything about the System, his memories didn't span several centuries. In short, Navi was basically a "baby" in the grand scale of things.

"Anyway," Axel shrugged. "If a different you made this seal, does that mean you can undo it too?" he asked, returning to the main point.

[That much is a piece of cake!]

Navi nodded, returning to his cheerful attitude.

[However, I'd suggest not doing so. According to my protocols, anything that requires this level of sealing can't be something proper... At worst, whatever's sealed down there might end up killing you instead, Contractor.]

Axel frowned at the warning.

From Navi's tone, this seal wasn't meant to "protect" what was inside, but rather to keep something at bay. Whatever it was, it had been something the previous Harem Settlement System user couldn't handle.

"...Do it."

Despite the warning, his curiosity won out.

What could have been sealed inside? Was it really something dangerous, or something beneficial? Axel couldn't help but hope for the latter.

[...Well, if you say so.]

Navi looked reluctant, but still did as told. He was curious as well, after all.

To unlock the seal, Navi floated forward and touched the glowing array with his flipper. In the next moment, Axel felt his body weaken, as if a massive amount of mana had been drained instantly.

A wave of lethargy hit him, making his head spin.

"S-Sir Axel?!"

Nina reacted quickly, catching him—

No, Fenrir was even faster, supporting him from the other side before Nina could fully react. Her expression was firm and serious. Her gaze wasn't on Axel, but on the glowing magic circle that was slowly disintegrating—no, on the something that unsealed it.

[Alright, my job here's done!]

Navi said as he jumped back.

[I wish you luck, Contractor! Namu...!]

Before disappearing, he even acted like a Buddhist monk praying for his soul to rest in peace.

"Damn...!" Axel grumbled, pressing a hand to his aching head. "You took a huge chunk of my mana and just ditched me? And I'm not going down there to die either!"

"...?"

Nina looked confused by Axel's outburst, but took it as one of his usual antics. She let it slide, acting as if she'd heard nothing.

Thankfully, a few seconds later, the seal fully broke and fizzled away.

Only a large panel—like an underground hatch—remained.

"...Let's go down," Axel said, then turned to Fenrir. "Fenrir, you go first."

Of course, despite his curiosity, he wouldn't risk going in first. Fenrir was far better suited to take point, given her strength and toughness.

"Yes, Master."

And despite realizing she was being sent ahead as a minesweeper, she didn't doubt Axel's command at all. After leaving his wobbly body in Nina's care, Fenrir carefully opened the hatch and peeked inside.

Beyond it was a short vertical ladder descending a few meters. Below that was a landing, connected to a wide set of stairs leading even deeper.

"...I don't sense any living beings or traps inside," she reported. "I'll go in first and check. Please don't follow until I say it's safe."

Ensuring the hatch stayed open, she jumped down.

Fenrir looked left and right, sensing everything within, before letting out a long breath.

"It's clear!" she called out. "Master, you can come down now!"

"Got it..."

Axel's dizziness lingered, but it wasn't as bad as before. Though he couldn't walk steadily on his own, climbing down a ladder was manageable.

With Fenrir below, ready to catch him if he slipped, there was little danger. Axel descended without worry.

Nina came last, closing the hatch behind her and ensuring nothing followed them.

"So it's just a small room connected to a set of stairs spiraling downward?" Axel whispered, puzzled. "I was worried when Navi said it might be dangerous, but—"

"Master, please don't lower your guard."

Fenrir cut him off quickly.

"Although this place is safe for now, I can feel something... dangerous a few hundred meters below."

"Danger, huh..."

Her words carried uncertainty, as if even she wasn't sure what she sensed. Still, it was enough to make Axel tense.

He gulped, then spoke firmly. "Let's move. Watch your steps."

As before, Fenrir led the way.

Axel followed with one hand against the wall for support, while Nina trailed behind, watching over them with concern. As the path grew darker, the deeper they went, Axel bought a few torches to light their way.

"I don't need one."

Fenrir refused when he offered her a torch. "My eyes can see clearly even in this darkness," she explained.

And so, the three continued downward... until an hour passed.

"How long is this fucking staircase?" Axel cursed, his legs starting to ache.

They had already gone several kilometers deep, judging by the height and number of steps. Yet there were still no signs of reaching the bottom.

"Is this staircase bugged? Are we stuck in a loop?" he muttered.

"No..." Nina replied, easing his concern. "I've placed markers on the walls as we went. I can still feel them above us. We're not in a spatial loop."

"Ugh..."

The fact that Fenrir hadn't warned them of traps meant the stairs were simply that deep. Still, Axel was quickly running out of curses for whoever designed this place.

"Huh?"

Just then, the stairs changed.

Instead of spiraling, they angled forward in a straight diagonal.

"This..." But rather than feeling relieved, Axel frowned. "I've got a bad feeling about this part..."

As if in response, Fenrir's ears twitched, and she spun around.

"Oh no!" she gasped. "Master, it's a trap—!"

But she noticed it too late.

The ceiling opened, releasing a sticky, slippery liquid that poured over them.

Like some sort of slime.

"Shit!" Axel cursed. "Brace yourselves! We're going to slide—!"

Before he could finish, the stairs shifted, transforming into a smooth, straight plane.

"UGH!!!"

"WAAAH!"

"...!"

And just like that, the three figures slid helplessly downward—Accelerating endlessly.

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