Ten minutes later, the girls, having dealt with the surrounding monsters, sat together to rest.
Floor 7 was still somewhat strenuous for Hayasaka Ai and Katou Megumi. If this team only consisted of the two of them, or if Seryu hadn't joined yet, Hayasaka Ai probably wouldn't have decided to come to Floor 7.
If adventurers outside knew about their situation, their jaws would surely drop in surprise. Reaching Floor 7 in just over a week would make them geniuses among geniuses in any Familia—no, legendary geniuses.
Even Ais, the fastest to level up, stayed at LV1 for an entire year.
Floor 7 of the Dungeon doesn't necessarily represent much, but the strength of the monsters here is relatively stronger compared to some of the floors above.
"Captain Hayasaka, when do you think we can level up to LV2? My Justice is getting impatient."
Lately, whenever Seryu had free time, she would mention this. Her goal of Justice was, of course, the Apollo Familia in Orario.
"Seryu, we just need to listen to Lord Lin Feng. We just need to be ready at all times."
Hayasaka Ai also had a bit of a headache. Seryu was a good teammate in battle, but she was somewhat obsessive about Justice. Fortunately, it was just an over-emphasis on justice.
Moreover, she could already imagine what would happen on the streets of Orario once Seryu grew into a First-Class Adventurer. Those petty criminals would probably be scared witless upon seeing Seryu or the adventurers of the Lin Feng Familia.
"Mhm, I understand, Captain Hayasaka!"
Seryu was very respectful of Hayasaka Ai, as all combat and logistics were smoothly conducted under her command. If she were in charge of such things, it would certainly be a mess.
"Monsters…"
Kanao, who had been resting with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them and spoke to Hayasaka Ai and the others.
Hayasaka Ai and the girls instantly stood up from the ground. If they weren't quick enough at a moment like this, wouldn't it be the same as seeking death?
Sure enough, about thirty seconds later, a dozen Killer Ants rushed out from the right-side passage. There were no other types of monsters, but they still had to pay attention to the surrounding walls.
After all, the Dungeon is 'alive.' When it senses prey that has entered a weakened state, it will gather a large number of monsters around you to hasten your death.
"The usual! Seryu, Megumi, and I will go, with Kanao providing support from the side!"
This was only a small group of monsters. Although Kanao was providing support, her main role was to ensure their safety.
They didn't always do this; sometimes, Kanao would be sent alone. After all, they were companions in the same Familia, and they couldn't always let one person sacrifice her own interests to help everyone else.
Even if Kanao didn't say anything, she would surely have some thoughts.
This was Hayasaka Ai's current arrangement for their four-person squad. The strongest primary force remained Kanao. Seryu was also quite strong, but when there were many monsters, she would easily get bogged down in a drawn-out battle due to her lack of area-of-effect skills.
The dozen or so Killer Ants that suddenly appeared were quickly dealt with by the efforts of Hayasaka Ai and the two others, giving Kanao no chance to take action.
After finishing this wave, Hayasaka Ai and the group stayed in the Dungeon for about another hour before heading back toward the surface.
Based on their calculations, the time they had spent traveling meant they would likely reach the surface around five o'clock.
"Hehehe!! Let her hold them off here; we'll go first!"
A voice came from a passage not far away, catching the attention of Hayasaka Ai and the others. However, there was also a possibility that it was a trap, specifically designed to lure in those with a sense of justice.
"Let's go see."
When Hayasaka Ai spoke, everyone naturally agreed to check it out. Seryu, in particular, would have rushed over already if it weren't for Lin Feng's guidance.
"Adventurer-sama! Please don't! Don't leave me behind! Wuwu."
As they got closer to the passage, the voices Hayasaka Ai's group heard became clearer. Amidst the clamor of monsters, they could vaguely hear a girl crying out.
"Captain Hayasaka!"
Seryu heard the girl's plea for help and called out softly to Hayasaka Ai, wanting to rush over immediately and rescue the person from the monsters.
"Mhm! We'll go save her!"
Hayasaka Ai quickly made up her mind. She wasn't the type of person to turn a blind eye to someone in danger. Furthermore, since they had the strength, why not extend a helping hand to others?
"Coro! Get Bigger!"
After hearing Hayasaka Ai agree, Seryu quickly threw Coro forward and commanded him.
Hayasaka Ai and Katou Megumi followed closely behind. Kanao's speed, of course, was even faster than the three girls and one dog. In the blink of an eye, she arrived at the gathering point of a small group of monsters.
With the sword technique executed using her Breathing Style, faintly illuminated by a pink glow, Kanao performed three consecutive wide-range slashes, instantly clearing out a small area of monsters.
Seryu and the others, who came running out of the passage, first saw the area Kanao had cleared. Lying there was a petite girl wearing a hood and carrying a large backpack.
She seemed to be injured, bleeding non-stop, and her lips were pale. If another moment passed, even if the monsters didn't kill her, she would die from excessive blood loss.