章 28: The Calm Before the Storm
The battle ended quickly.
In the midst of the storm of slashes, not a single monster survived, all turning into a scattered mess of limbs and debris, leaving Riezel victorious.
"What happened?"
Returning with his slender sword in hand, Riezel was puzzled as he saw Lefiya standing there with a blank expression.
"No-Nothing!" Lefiya snapped back to reality, shaking her head while hesitating as she looked at him.
"Just say what you want to say."
Seeing her hesitation, Riezel spoke up.
"T-That..." Lefiya stuttered for a moment. "Do you know Miss Ais?"
Clearly, witnessing his fighting style so similar to Ais's, Lefiya began to doubt their relationship. She even recalled that not long ago, when she and the others returned from the expedition, Ais seemed to have noticed the newly joined Riezel and was quite attentive to him.
This unavoidably made Lefiya think too much, and her gaze towards Riezel changed.
In response to her question, Riezel raised an eyebrow while smiling faintly.
"Are you that concerned about my relationship with Miss Ais?"
Without hesitation, Lefiya nodded, then quickly shook her head afterward.
"I-I'm just a bit curious!"
Her face turned inexplicably red, with a guilty look.
Seeing her funny reaction, Riezel chuckled and answered her question.
"I consulted her about magic and coincidentally learned some of her swordsmanship. Apart from that, there's nothing else between us."
Instead of calming Lefiya, his explanation left her stunned.
"Consulted about magic?" Lefiya looked perplexed.
"Yeah." Riezel nodded. "I have magic with a nature similar to your 'Elf Ring'."
"Oh..." Lefiya instantly understood. But precisely because she understood, she became even more astonished.
"Does Mr. Riezel have the same magic as me?" Lefiya was extremely surprised.
"Well, somewhat similar." Riezel didn't elaborate much and simply agreed with her.
'Does that mean... He learned Miss Ais's magic...?' Lefiya muttered quietly inside her heart.
Her first thought wasn't about getting closer to him, who had the same type of magic as her, but rather, an instinctive urge to shout.
'So envious!'
Without warning, she looked at him with eyes filled with envy, almost as if there was a great divide between them.
'Why isn't Miss Ais an Elf?'
Lefiya couldn't help but puff her cheeks as she thought about her magic, which was restricted to learning only from the same race.
"Okay, let's keep moving." Riezel chuckled awkwardly, quickly changing the topic and turning to leave.
"Wait a moment!" Lefiya hurriedly stopped him. "We haven't collected the magic stones yet!"
After saying that, she jogged over to the corpses of War Shadows that Riezel had just defeated. She took out a knife she carried with her, digging out a small crystal from the chest area of one of the War Shadows.
That crystal was a magic stone, a crystallization of magical energy obtained from a dungeon monster's body. It could be used to create various incredible magic stone products, such as the magic stone lamps in Twilight Manor's courtyard.
Due to the Guild's monopoly on dungeon resources, they managed the purchase of these stones, processing them into products, and shipping them to other countries for big profits.
Adventurers actively explored the dungeon to exchange the magic stones they obtained from monsters for money with the Guild.
It was said that the stronger the monster, the larger and more valuable the magic stone in its body. In comparison, magic stones from the 6th Floor wouldn't fetch much, perhaps not even a thousand valis.
Nevertheless, money was money.
Lefiya enthusiastically dug out more magic stones, causing the monster corpses, now devoid of magic stones as their cores, to rapidly lose color and turn into dust.
This was the fate of monsters without cores. Their corpses couldn't even be preserved, as if they never existed in the first place.
Occasionally, only some particularly developed parts could be left behind, called drop items. These could be used as materials for weapons, armor, and potions, exchanged for money with the Guild, or sold to merchants in need.
Besides magic stones and drop items, the dungeon also contained special minerals, plants, and natural products with unique properties. Adventurers sought these as treasures and hoped for wealth, especially for some exceptionally precious and rare items that could fetch a fortune on the market.
In essence, most adventurers entered the dungeon for this purpose—to strike it rich overnight. Familias like Loki Familia considered these resources crucial for their operations.
The dungeon was indeed an incredible place, both magical and dangerous.
Watching Lefiya collect the magic stones and toss them into her large backpack, Riezel rubbed his nose.
He dared not tell her that he had never bothered to collect any magic stones or drop items in the dungeon before. The former great young master, who couldn't wait to rush into the dungeon and slaughter everything in his path, had never developed the habit of managing resources properly.
"Can I say I completely forgot about this?"
Riezel couldn't help but say that as he saw Lefiya so energetically collecting magic stones to the large backpack swaying behind her.
"Or maybe I can carry the backpack for you?"
Upon hearing his suggestion, Lefiya decisively shook her head in refusal.
"Mr. Riezel is the vanguard and even takes on the role of the mid-guard. Your responsibility is to charge forward and defeat monsters. How can you fight while carrying such a big backpack?" Lefiya said with an earnest expression. "In the dungeon, if there isn't a dedicated supporter to accompany us, it's common for the rearguard to take on the role of a supporter. You just have to be vigilant."
She referred to a supporter as someone who specialized in recovering and storing magic stones and drop items.
These people were typically not strong combatants, their purpose was to free adventurers' hands and bodies, preventing them from fighting with heavy backpacks or items.
In Orario, some less powerful people specialize as supporters and take on employment from adventurers. In larger Familias with generally strong adventurers, supporters were often temporarily filled by lower-level juniors or rearguards.
Lefiya was a rearguard and obviously had no intention of handing over the supporter's job to Riezel.
"But your level is higher than mine..." Riezel emphasized.
"But I don't need to charge into the fray, so it's fine." Lefiya asserted firmly. "On the contrary, a vanguard like you absolutely cannot add too much weight to the body. No need to worry."
As for whether it was appropriate for a girl to run around with such a large backpack, Lefiya didn't even bring it up.
Even as a pure rearguard mage with limited close combat ability and lower physical endurance, she was still a bona fide Level 3 second-class adventurer. Carrying a backpack was easily manageable for her.
"Fine..."
Seeing her stubborn attitude, Riezel had to give up.
If not for the awkward issue of how to explain, he would have suggested putting the backpack in the Dimensional Magic Cube's storage space.
With the existence of storage space, he didn't need to worry about the weight problem.
Unfortunately, he couldn't say that, so he could only watch her diligently retrieve every magic stone and continue to carry the large backpack.
"Done!"
After a while, Lefiya finally ran back.
"Let's go." Riezel nodded, turned, and walked away.
"W-Wait for me!"
She hurriedly caught up, temporarily setting aside another question in her mind. But this question lingered throughout the day in her heart.
'Even though he's a rookie who recently received a blessing, why is he so powerful?'
Staring at his figure speeding up and charging into the group of monsters ahead without fear nor hesitation, this question persisted in her heart.
===
Amid Riezel and Lefiya boldly pushing forward as a newly formed party, little did they know that right after they left, an anomaly erupted in the very place they had just departed from.
*Crack—*
It started as a faint cracking sound.
On the dungeon walls, a crack appeared without any warning, emitting a subtle gleam from within.
*Ba-dump! Ba-dump!*
A heartbeat seemed to echo within, growing louder with each passing moment.
This spectacle wasn't uncommon in the dungeon. Any adventurer had encountered this phenomenon more or less. Because this was the sign of a monster about to be born.
Indeed, monsters in the dungeon were birthed this way.
They didn't exist as life in the dungeon from the start; rather, they incubated and hatched within the dungeon.
Just like birds breaking out of their shells, monsters would emerge from the dungeon walls at regular intervals, ensuring an endless supply and an unchanging number of monsters in the dungeon.
This explained why the types of monsters encountered on each floor were typically fixed.
Each species had a designated birthplace and rarely ventured to other floors unless something unexpected occurred.
Of course, exceptions existed.
And now, this exception was unfolding on the 6th Floor.
This was the so-called anomaly.
*Crackle—!*
Amidst the grating cracking sounds, the dungeon walls were giving way, allowing a massive figure to emerge from within.
*ROAAAAAARRR—!!!*
Before long, an ear-splitting roar reverberated through the floor, causing it to tremble slightly as if offering a blessing for its emergence.
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章 29: Abnormalities
Dungeon, 9th Floor.
On this floor, close to the 10th Floor, were numerous chambers and short pathways. The ceiling, nearly ten meters high, let in a luminous glow resembling sunlight, dispelling the darkness.
The wood-colored walls were covered in moss, and the ground was carpeted with short grass, creating a small meadow. Bathed in the luminous glow from above, it gave the illusion of walking in a wilderness rather than an underground labyrinth.
Different from the previous eight floors in terms of terrain and environment, this floor presented a chaotic mix of monsters that had appeared on the earlier floors, all enhanced and ready to hinder adventurers aiming for the 10th Floor.
No new species of monsters appeared here; instead, creatures like Kobold, Goblin, and War Shadow from previous floors showed up in stronger forms.
At this moment, groups of red-colored monsters appeared on the meadow, launching attacks against adventurers who intruded into their territory.
These creatures resembled ants but with a distinctive feature—their entire bodies were a vivid red, and they were much larger than ordinary ants.
Killer Ant, appearing from the 7th Floor onward, was considered a rookie assassin along with the War Shadow from the 6th Floor.
With sturdy shells and developed claws, Killer Ant excelled in both attack and defense. In times of crisis, it could emit pheromones imperceptible to the naked eye, summoning its companions.
It was a powerful monster, even more threatening than War Shadow. Adventurers rarely dared to confront a Killer Ant directly, let alone face a group of them.
However, facing this group of Killer Ants that would terrify low-class adventurers, Riezel fearlessly blocked their path.
In the background, a bright and melodious voice soon echoed.
"Unleashed streak of light, bow limbs of the holy tree. You are an expert of the bow."
This was a chant, the chant to awaken magic.
"Shoot, sniper of the fairies."
Lefiya held her staff with her eyes closed, and shortly after, a deep golden magic circle appeared on the ground beneath her, slowly revolving.
"Penetrate, arrow of absolute accuracy."
On her raised staff, a dazzling magical energy condensed into light.
"Arcs Ray!"
The next second, the gathered light on the staff was released.
*Whoosh—*
A colossal magic beam, resembling a curved arrow of light, plowed through the meadow and surged towards the approaching swarm of Killer Ants.
*Squeak!*
The Killer Ants, sensing danger, hastily halted their charge, but they were struck head-on by the incoming beam.
Riezel witnessed Lefiya's released beam curving in midair, continuously hitting many Killer Ants.
The affected Killer Ants either evaporated within the overflowing light or lost a significant portion of their bodies. Even attempting to dodge was futile as the curving beam quickly caught up to them.
Her magic relentlessly eradicated the monsters, reducing their numbers without mercy.
*Squeak!*
Three Killer Ants, closer to the two than the rest, leaped with ear-piercing shrieks toward Riezel recklessly while ignoring the magic beam.
Riezel's eyes flickered, and his figure finally moved.
Bursting with astonishing speed, he advanced instead of retreating, swiftly reaching them before they could attack.
*Pu-chi!*
A silver flash of an agile sword severed the head of one Killer Ant.
Upon closer inspection, the sword's edge didn't strike directly on the ant's hard shell but sliced through a vulnerable spot around its neck before severing its head.
*Squeak!*
*Squeak!*
The remaining two Killer Ants angrily cried out, raising their aggressively clawed limbs. Without hesitation, they flicked Riezel's sword.
As his sword got flicked, Riezel remained unfazed. Not only did he keep his composure, but he drew his secondary weapon, a short sword.
With a swift sidestep, he avoided their claw strikes.
The short sword in his hand moved rapidly, carrying a chilly gleam as it stabbed into one of the Killer Ants' mouths.
*Kiiik!*
The Killer Ant attempted to let out a scream of agony, but its mouth was pierced by the short sword, causing only an inaudible whimper.
Ignoring the monster's dying wail, Riezel twisted his hand holding the sword and mercilessly crushed the head of the Killer Ant, causing a spray of blood.
*Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!*
The last surviving Killer Ant, sensing the danger, straightened its upper body and emitted rhythmic cries.
This was its special skill—calling for reinforcements.
Unfortunately, there were no other Killer Ants nearby.
*Pu-chi!*
With a decisive slash, Riezel cleanly severed the upper body of the last Killer Ant. His sword cut through its body at the joints, leaving it split in two.
The meadow finally returned to calm.
"Is it over?" Lefiya, positioned in the rear, released the staff she had been nervously gripping.
"It's over..." Riezel observed the surroundings and nodded. "There shouldn't be any more monsters in the vicinity."
"Thank goodness..." Lefiya patted her chest in relief, placing the magic potion she had been holding back into her backpack.
"How was it? Are you okay?" Riezel asked as he saw her condition. "You used magic quite a few times, can your mind handle it?"
"I'm fine..." Lefiya forced a somewhat strained smile. "The pressure from the upper floors isn't too much, and I don't need to infuse too much mind to use magic. So, I'm okay."
In this world, the fuel for magic wasn't stored in the 'Gate' like in his main world; it was the so-called 'Mind'.
Magic consumption depleted the mind, and the stronger the magic, the greater the mind consumption.
To maintain a sufficient supply of mind at all times for using magic, Lefiya constantly held a magic potion.
Whenever she felt her mind depleting, she would immediately take a magic potion, using its effects to restore her mind.
"Don't you have development abilities like 'Spirit Healing' that can automatically restore the mind?" Riezel asked.
"No." Lefiya shook her head quickly. "That's not an easy-to-obtain ability. I heard you need to regularly use magic and consume your mind to a significant extent. Among the people I know, only Lady Riveria possesses that development ability. I still have a long way to go..."
She had a low opinion of herself, even a hint of an inferiority complex, which caused him to frown.
"In my opinion, your abilities are excellent." Riezel said with an earnest expression. "Like the magic you just used, that 'Arcs Ray', it's supposed to be a short chant magic with not much power. However, when you used it, a magic that should have been just a 'ray' turned into a 'light beam', a rare level of power for Level 3, right?"
The magic Lefiya had just used—'Arcs Ray', was one of the three magic she possessed. It was an arrow-type magic that emphasized speed and had a short chant.
Although it had an automatic tracking feature that made Riezel raise an eyebrow, it was supposed to be a low-power single-target magic. Yet, due to her powerful 'MAG' basic ability and skill assistance, what should have been a relatively weak single-target attack had turned into a beam-like group attack.
This level of capability was something no ordinary Level 3 could achieve. Only those truly top-tier first-class mages could manage it.
Riezel had personally experienced Lefiya's magic firepower that could rival a Level 5. It was indeed exaggerated, said with no trace of politeness.
The only problem was...
"Your chanting speed seems a bit slow. Is it because you're nervous?" Riezel pointed out.
"Uhh..." Lefiya immediately lowered her head in embarrassment.
"I think I understand why Loki said you need to train..." Riezel chuckled. "Even though your magic is excellent, your temperament is a bit fragile. Your mind and emotions are all over the place, which is dangerous when using magic that requires a calm mind at all times."
Without a strong heart, how could you calmly chant magic and cast it when threats approach?
Lefiya's problem lay here, despite her natural talent being excellent, there were indeed some immature aspects.
"Sorry..." Lefiya felt a bit discouraged and her pointed ears drooped.
"Don't mind it. Just overcome your shortcomings, it's not a big deal." Riezel comforted her. "Okay, let's call it a day. Tomorrow, think about how to solve your issue."
"Okay!" Lefiya naturally had no objections and repeatedly nodded.
The two began to pack up their things, picking up the magic stones and drop items from every Killer Ant's corpse, and preparing to return.
Now it was getting late, and it was probably dark outside. Adventurers who had been exploring the dungeon one after another were heading back. This allowed Riezel and Lefiya to avoid encountering monsters on the way and walk smoothly on the clearly marked paths used by adventurers, making their way up without hindrance.
In this way, the two quickly returned to the 7th Floor and stepped onto the 6th Floor.
"Hmm?" Riezel suddenly raised his head.
"Kya!" Lefiya, who was following behind him, let out a surprised cry as she bumped directly into his back.
However, he paid no attention to this and instead frowned while looking ahead.
For some reason, he felt something was wrong.
The airflow was abnormal.
The atmosphere was abnormal.
This was due to the perception of his wind element magic, Ariel.
As a wind enchant-type magic, even when not in use, the user's sensitivity to the wind would relatively increase based on the special nature of this magic.
After learning Ariel, Riezel discovered this and sensed some abnormalities because of it.
"Wha—What happened?" Lefiya asked puzzled while holding her forehead where she bumped.
However, the moment she finished speaking, Riezel's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
"Get down!"
Without hesitation, he immediately pushed down the surprised Lefiya.
*BOOM!*
At the same time, a dark shadow flew over their heads and collided with the dungeon wall, creating a resounding crash.
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