If you want to support, you can do so at: https://www.patr eon.com/finlegost
There, you can find 18 chapters in advance.
Thanks to my patrons and to those who comment on the chapters. It means a lot to me and motivates me to continue this hobby of mine.
And, of course, thanks to everyone who reads this novel.
*************************************
After our encounter with the zombie dragon, several weeks passed without anything noteworthy happening.
Today, the three annoying beauties, my girls, Arya, and I have come to the Altamira Labyrinth.
We are on the 33rd floor, so any extra help is more than welcome.
We hardly ever come together, but it's beneficial to do so from time to time to train our coordination as a group.
However, we do not require much training in that area.
Somehow, every time the three annoying beauties come to the labyrinth with us, coordination in combat just flows naturally.
Alessia fights alongside Irina, with whom she has begun to find a mysterious new camaraderie, while Zia and Miria make a perfect duo.
I imagine their perfect coordination is due to the fact that they are a couple.
On the other hand, Arya continues with her usual problematic attitude, but she has no problem interacting with Delia, so they often fight together.
Finally, I mostly fight alone, but I also sporadically assist any of the duos that need my help, since my stats are high enough to take care of the monsters on this floor with ease.
The gap between my stats and those of my girls has been growing a lot lately, due to the ridiculous amount of stat points that each new level of the Hero class gives.
But they are slowly closing the gap, as I haven't leveled up in any of my classes in a few days.
My stats have increased so much that I would need to face much more powerful monsters to level up optimally.
And that would probably still be the case even if I activated a lower-level class.
Anyway, it's not as if there is no solution to the problem.
I could create a profile that didn't use all my available stat points, which would probably allow me to level up normally again.
But right now, increasing my stats isn't that important to me anymore.
I'd rather help my girls improve theirs.
Besides, climbing the floors of the no man's zone isn't just a matter of stats.
To reach the new floor of the labyrinth, we would have to find the way down, which is not simple in an area that is constantly changing.
We could climb more quickly if we stayed here for long periods of time, but that would be a miserable lifestyle, even considering how efficiently our group operates in the labyrinth.
In the no man's zone, enemies can appear in groups of up to five as long as we stay on the path, so with the type of organization we have, each pair of fighters only needs to deal with a maximum of two enemies.
A few days ago, the three annoying beauties would not have been at high enough levels to help us on this floor, but that is now a thing of the past.
[Irina] [Lancer Lvl 45] [Swordsman Lvl 35] [Warrior Lvl 33] [Strategist Lvl 38] [Leader Lvl 42] [Survivor Lvl 25] [Archer Lvl 30] [Knight Lvl 32] [Great adventurer Lvl 22]
HP= 45 || MP=6
Agility=49 || Strength=49
Intelligence=49 || Luck=9
[Resistance]
Physical=25 || Magic=25
Poison=25 || Curse=25
[Zia] [Warrior Lvl 47] [Archer Lvl 33] [Swordsman Lvl 36] [Survivor Lvl 27] [Strategist Lvl 27] [Explorer Lvl 38] [Lancer Lvl 34] [Knight Lvl 42] [Great adventurer Lvl 20]
HP= 45 || MP=6
Agility=50 || Strength=50
Intelligence=49 || Luck=10
[Resistance]
Physical=25 || Magic=25
Poison=25 || Curse=25
[Miria] [Warrior Lvl 46] [Archer Lvl 28] [Barbarian Lvl 45] [Explorer Lvl 39] [Lancer Lvl 33] [Survivor Lvl 36] [Swordsman Lvl 37] [Knight Lvl 39] [Great adventurer Lvl 23]
HP= 45 || MP=6
Agility=60 || Strength=60
Intelligence=50 || Luck=13
[Resistance]
Physical=25 || Magic=25
Poison=25 || Curse=25
When Irina, Zia, and Miria found out, thanks to Alessia, about everything I could achieve through my interface, they asked me to help them become stronger.
They were willing to pay any price for my help.
But they are Alessia's best friends.
It would be foolish to charge them for something that also benefits me.
After all, the fact that they are getting stronger will help them better protect my girls.
So, some time ago, I started editing and optimizing their statuses.
The three of them are truly grateful to me for this, which has gradually begun to show in the way they talk about me.
Since then, the three of them have grown at a relatively similar rate.
Miria is a little ahead of her friends, but only because she is much more reckless than they are.
Under normal circumstances, that attitude would have hurt her, but her friends are always ready to cover for her when something goes wrong.
The only thing I asked in return for helping them is that, when they are not training or fulfilling their duties as bodyguards, they help my girls and me keep Delia's clinic safe.
During all this time, Delia's work at the clinic has continued to gain notoriety.
This has begun to attract some unwanted attention.
That's why the clinic needs extra security, as a few days ago a mysterious thief targeted Delia's premises.
So far, he has only dared to steal a few random items from the premises.
However, as we don't have anything really expensive or irreplaceable on the premises, it hasn't caused us too many problems.
In fact, with the money Delia earns from her work, we have bought many replacement items to replace those that have been stolen.
Even so, the idea of having this unknown stalker lurking around my girlfriend's workplace is not pleasant.
That's why the sooner we lure him out, the better.
'I could hire someone to stay at the clinic when we're not there… But it's not that easy to find someone trustworthy for that kind of job,' I think as I wield my great sword with Chain+ to distractedly face two Fire Lions.
Fire Lions have the ability to envelop their bodies in flames, forcing their enemies to take damage if they want to engage them in close combat.
Or so it would be if we were fighting on equal terms.
But all my resistance stats are so high that I barely notice a slight discomfort from the intense heat emitted by the monsters' bodies as I make a few lethal cuts to their bodies.
Now that my resistance stats have finally caught up with the rest of my normal stats, I feel a confidence in my body that I didn't have before.
It's a very strange feeling of harmony.
I feel as if everything in me is in perfect sync.
This feeling is the ultimate proof that having a balanced status is the way to go.
When I finish with the 'threat' of the two super-developed cats, I turn around to see if any of the duos need my help.
But at first glance, it appears that the six women are managing perfectly well without me.
Everything seems to indicate that Alessia and Irina will be the first to defeat their enemy: a Level 33 Giant Centipede.
A Giant Centipede is a monster that looks similar to an ordinary centipede but is about the size of a human body.
The second difference between the monster and a normal centipede is that each of the monster's multiple legs is sharp enough to cut through the trunk of a medium-sized tree.
However, the monster is clearly on the losing side, as Alessia moves around its body at blinding speed, repeatedly cutting off the insect-like monster's countless legs, while the blue glow of the young woman's eyes leaves a trail of light in her wake.
Alessia's speed is such that at times I find it difficult to follow her movements with my eyes, even though I have Agility Profile activated.
But Irina is not far behind, moving her body with impressive elegance, almost as if her movements were dance steps, to dodge the monster's long, pointed legs while she stings it with her spear.
Thanks to the combined attack of the two girls, as time passes, the Giant Centipede's body increasingly resembles that of a giant worm that has been used several times by some giant as fishing bait.
I know that the monster will not take long to die, so I turn my attention to Delia and Arya.
The fox girl and the elf are fighting a Carnivorous Flower, and I see that both young women are fighting in a much more conservative manner than the previous duo. But that is the most appropriate decision, considering that they are facing a monster with reduced mobility.
Arya is continuously burning the monster with her magic while Delia concentrates on nullifying the effects of the toxic fog that the monster spreads around it with her Detoxification (ex).
The fire is very effective against the plant monster, and I can see that it won't be long before it falls, so I turn my attention to the last duo.
Zia and Miria are facing an Ancestral Turtle.
A monster with incredible defensive capabilities and an aura that absorbs health, making it difficult for anyone who wants to get close to its body.
They do seem to be having slight difficulties because every time they try to cut the monster with their swords, the monster moves to block the attacks with its hard shell.
After each failed attack, the two young women grow paler and paler.
Despite this, they do not slow down their assault at any point until finally Miria manages to slip through the monster's defense, jumping on its shell, after which she cuts off the enormous turtle's head with a single clean blow.
The young woman faints at the same time as the monster's body begins to dissolve into golden particles, but Zia arrives just in time to catch her before she falls to the ground.
They are the last to defeat their enemy, so Delia rushes towards them, saying, "Miria! How many times do I have to tell you not to be so reckless?"
"We had it under control, Delia..." says Zia, looking at her with a warm smile, then gesturing in my direction and continuing to speak.
"... Miria and I saw that Emir had already finished off his enemies. That's why we decided to take a little more risk than usual."
"Emir can't help you if you die! And I am unable to do so as well. I've already explained this to you, but you two keep risking your lives stupidly every time I take my eyes off you," says Delia, after which she begins to chant to use her Energy Recovery (ex).
"What can I say? My girlfriend is an airhead, but that doesn't mean I'm going to leave her alone," says Zia apologetically, shrugging her shoulders.
'I don't think my sword would have been able to penetrate that shell's defense either, despite my strength...
Haa...
I have to get a new sword with Edge+.'
As that thought takes shape in my mind, I suddenly notice a slight feeling of discomfort coming from the sword I carry at my waist, but I don't pay too much attention to it.
I have Zariche equipped almost all the time, so I can have it handy in a moment of need.
But I try not to use it, as I haven't yet found a safe way to use it normally without risking losing control.
Fortunately, my great sword with Chain+ is more than enough to fight most of the monsters we encounter, thanks to how much I outclass them in stats.
That's why, for now, it's not so urgent for me to get a better sword.
'I hope Erick manages to create my shield soon'
A few days ago, I went to see him to order a great sword and a sword with three free slots, but he told me that he's not accepting any more orders until he can finally create the shield with three free slots that I ordered from him.
The blacksmith had a strange expression on his face when he told me this.
According to Jack, his assistant, Erick's inability to create what I asked for is affecting him emotionally, as he has never before had such a difficult time fulfilling a customer's order.
I imagine that the difficulty the blacksmith is encountering is because he is more accustomed to making conventional swords and shields.
This is probably the first time he has attempted to make a tower shield with three free slots.
…
"Haa... It doesn't make sense," I think, slowly lowering my sword in a slash through the air while paying attention to the way the blade cuts through the air.
I have recently started practicing with Alessia to improve my skills.
But the faint blue glow in Alessia's eyes when she holds a sword in her hands is not the only change Sword Saint has brought about in the girl.
Alessia now seems to instinctively understand the perfect way she has to move to use her sword perfectly.
Her movements are so perfect that Alessia's sword now cuts through anything with insulting ease, and it appears that the only way something won't be cut is if it's out of range of her weapon. Which is quite difficult given the speed of the girl's movements.
That in itself is an excellent thing, as it means I don't have to worry too much about getting her a better sword, since any sword seems to cut just as well when it's in her hands.
But the downside to this new natural talent of hers is that, no matter how hard she tries, she can't find explanations that are understandable enough for me to improve Sword Breathing Style and Wind Slash Sword Style.
After many weeks of practice, I was finally able to improve Sword Breathing Style, but I don't really know how I did it, as Alessia's best explanation was, 'You have to get used to activating and deactivating the skill faster.'
I tried again and again, but her advice didn't seem to lead anywhere.
Despite everything, the skill eventually leveled up to its second stage, and now I can move at an even faster speed while under its effects.
However, no matter how hard I tried to follow Alessia's advice to 'Let the blade of the sword guide your hand,' I couldn't improve Wind Slash Sword Style.
'I'm tired of this nonsense...
A sword can't guide my hand...
Normal swords don't have consciousness...
The Sword Saint class must affect the user's mind in some strange way to make them feel things that don't exist...
That's the only logical explanation...
Anyway, it's about time we went home.'
"Girls, the next group of monsters is still a long way off and it's already quite late..." I say as we walk along the path in the no man's zone.
"... Let's go home. We've trained more than enough for today."
"Okay..." Irina says, putting her spear away in her storage ring, then starting to walk toward me.
"... I was thinking the same thing."
The other girls don't say anything, but they also start walking toward me.
So I open an illusory door to the entrance hall of our house.
After passing through the illusory door, the first thing I see through the glass windows of our house is Delia's pet horse, grazing in our garden, next to the stable that Alessia and I built for it.
'I need a shower...
Now that I think about it...
It's been a while since the three of us had fun in the shower.'