"What's the situation?!"
Looking at the pitch-black "box" before them, the girls all fell into a state of confusion.
"Hey! Isagi! Are you okay!!"
Tiona shouted at the top of her lungs, yet her voice didn't seem able to convey across.
"Let's wait. We don't know what's happening inside either..."
"Just now, I seemed to see a red human figure pop out. Ah, it might have triggered some special battle or something!"
While Ryuu was worried, Lefiya actually analyzed the situation quite quickly. After all, as the first person to party with the boy, the Elf girl was somewhat accustomed to the "special situations" occurring in the Dungeon before her eyes.
Hmm.
Come to think of it, Tiona and Ryuu also nodded, but for some reason, the two faintly felt something was amiss.
"Isagi is locked inside. It can't be that we just need to wait outside, right?"
As the second most "senior" member, Tiona obviously discovered a crucial point!
Clearly.
That was impossible, absolutely impossible! Based on the girls' understanding of the current Dungeon, since it deliberately separated them from the boy, it would definitely—
Thud, thud, thud!
Accompanied by heavy sounds.
As the one with the highest Level and sharpest senses, Ryuu flew to look towards the top of the stairs on one side. Subsequently, she discovered a monster looking down from above, drooling as it gazed at the group.
That was an incomparably huge Silverback!
It was also the most dangerous type among all monsters on the Upper Floors, possessing a massive physique and terrifying strength almost comparable to a Lv.2 monster.
And now, after being "enhanced" by the Dungeon into a special monster, what the girls saw was a pair of incomparably crimson, muscularly bulging sturdy arms that looked like pillars of meat, giving one a sense of considerable discomfort.
It roared, leaped up abruptly, and smashed down towards the girls—
At the same time.
Inside the pitch-black barrier, Isagi looked at the Red Spirit before him—['Mad Oni' Hatamoto Sasaburo]. He carried a Far East style large sickle spear, wore a bamboo hat, and was clad in Far East style light bamboo armor.
He was even wearing straw sandals!
This flavor! It's really a bit too authentic!!
So, is he an adventurer?
He couldn't be some guy DIY-ed by the Dungeon, right?
Isagi guessed that he might be an adventurer who had once died in the Dungeon, because there were rumors in the city. The souls of adventurers who died in the holes would have a part of them remain inside the Dungeon.
Although the gods hadn't confirmed this theory—after all, souls and reincarnation were simply too mysterious and difficult for the children of the Lower World to understand.
While Isagi was thinking this, he saw the opponent silently wave his left hand. Several shurikens flashing with cold light pierced the silence of the garden, shooting aggressively towards him.
Clang clang clang clang!
Isagi also threw out shurikens from his [Shinobi Prosthetic]. While knocking all of them away, the Red Spirit "Hatamoto Sasaburo" had already swung his giant spear, smashing towards him!
The giant spear carried heavy force. Even though it was merely swung with both hands, it still gave the illusion of the earth shaking and mountains swaying.
Isagi first wanted to use the [Blade of Myriad Skeletons] to block, but the moment they made contact, he realized he couldn't block it at all.
[DANGER]?!
Fortunately, after deflecting the force, he quickly dodged to the side and wasn't directly hit.
He drank a mouthful from the [Healing Gourd].
Every attack of the Red Spirit swinging the giant spear gave a sense of indescribable power. He stepped forward again, charging as if riding a galloping steed.
Thrust!
The target was still his lower body!
This guy, it feels like he has some technique. The large spear, several meters long, always stabbed obliquely from the side. Not only did it give a dazzling illusion, but it was also difficult to use a weapon to defend downwards.
Accompanied by a missed stab, the giant spear dragged along the ground again, kicking up dust in the grass, and then abruptly swept upwards!
Each move and stance wasn't exactly fast, but they were continuous and unbroken, like a rushing river. Mixed within were many heavy strikes with great momentum; there was simply no way to use a long blade to parry.
In that case...
Isagi sheathed the long blade into the cloak behind him, then took out that pair of short swords.
[Sword of Benevolence], [Sword of Righteousness].
Then, he activated the new ability he obtained after going to find the "Giant Mimic" [Azure Princess] when he came to the Dungeon previously, using the [Remnant Miracle] dropped by the [Infant Dragon] to grant it a blessing.
[[Seppuku]:
· Self takes a certain amount of damage
· Blesses the weapon with True Dragon Blood
· Aggression increases
· Destructiveness increases
· Attaches a certain "Dragon Fear" attribute, causing every attack to allow the opponent to accumulate "Dragon Fear" abnormality. It can lower their fighting will, and when full, it bursts, causing them to fall into a panic state;
(Even if it hasn't fully grown, and now only remains in the world as a remnant.
But an Infant Dragon is still a Dragon!
It is a colossal entity that looks down upon the world and views all living things with disdain!!)]
The twin swords sliced across the boy's own arms. The flowing fresh blood quickly traveled along the blood grooves, completely soaking them.
Isagi never expected this in a million years.
That one day, he would also learn Tiona's "self-harm skill". By the way, does this stuff smeared on the sword count as True Dragon Blood? Does that mean he has turned into a "Dragon"?
No, it should be that the blessed weapons carry the "Dragon" attribute, and his blood simply activates it, right?
Amidst his thoughts.
Isagi had already leaped up rapidly. Seizing the interval of the Red Spirit's attack, he utilized the grappling hook of the [Shinobi Prosthetic] to quickly close in on the opponent.
Subsequently, the short swords in his hands unleashed a flurry of thrusts!
The weakness of polearm weapons is close-quarters combat. What's more, Isagi now had dual swords in hand, constantly using the ability of [Cancel] back and forth.
Right hand switches to left hand, left hand switches to right hand.
The twin swords flowed back and forth in the boy's hands, just like performing magic tricks—disappearing rapidly, then appearing all at once.
It made the Red Spirit "Hatamoto Sasaburo" before his eyes visibly flustered.
He raised his spear to block.
He constantly tried to jump back to widen the distance from him, but how could Isagi, who had undergone the strict training of the [Golden Miracle], let him run away?
Not only that, Isagi rarely used a [Shinobi Prosthetic] function that he didn't use often before.
[[Mist Raven]].
Facing his approach, the Red Spirit wielding the large spear first pushed forward, while his left hand tried to grab towards him.
However.
What he touched was merely a burst of black mist, and a few small falling raven feathers.
In this instant, Isagi's figure appeared directly above the opponent's head instead. Immediately following, holding dual swords, he fell simultaneously, ruthlessly stabbing into his chest and then pulling out, causing a massive spray of fresh blood to explode.
Similar to a "Parry".
The moment the opponent is about to hit him, activating [Mist Raven] means that if the attack touches him next, he enters an invincible "Mist Form". While taking no damage during this period, he can also adjust his position within a short time and move freely.
Combined with the Benevolence and Righteousness swords in hand, the effect was simply too good, especially facing such a rigid enemy.
Except for the relatively long cooldown time, and the inability to switch [Shinobi Prosthetic] functions during cooldown, it had almost no drawbacks.
Thus, he continued to stick close, engage in melee, then dodge as much as possible. Occasionally opening [Mist Raven], he would circle to the back and give the opponent a [Visceral Critical]!
The crimson sword edges constantly pierced into his body.
Isagi was like a slippery loach, circling the Red Spirit before him, leaving him with no options.
Got him!
If this continues, this guy is going to be poked with ten thousand holes by him!
And as he finally fell, his body turning into deep crimson light particles and dissipating, the large spear in his hand and the armor equipment on his body all exploded onto the ground.
As the pitch-black barrier also slowly vanished, Isagi turned back to look around, but what he saw was...
Time dialed back a little bit.
After defeating the suddenly arriving Silverback, the girls didn't suffer any injuries. However, the surroundings of the garden, including the stairs they just came down, had been completely destroyed.
The monster's power just now was too strong, resulting in exaggerated destructiveness.
At this moment, the surroundings were simply like ruins, with scattered rocks and cracked ground and walls everywhere.
"There's actually only a Magic Stone!"
Lefiya used a small knife to extract the Magic Stone from the monster's chest, which had been blasted open by magic. As its gigantic body turned to ash and dissipated, Ryuu on the side became alert again.
"There are more monsters!"
The Elf girl's judgment was correct. Very quickly, numerous Hellhounds walked out slowly from the depths of the darkness all around.
These pitch-black giant wolves draped in magnificent sky-blue robes mostly held several Goblin heads in their mouths. At this moment, coming from all directions, they had already completely surrounded the group.
"Break out first, then come back later?"
"Then what about Isagi?"
"We can't be surrounded here by this kind of monster."
Even the airhead Tiona knew that being surrounded by monsters like Hellhounds that could release magic remotely was an extremely dangerous thing.
When that happens.
With fireballs and spewed flames coming from all directions, sticking to their position in this situation would be too difficult.
So, they could only break out first, then lead the opponents in circles around the area. Just like before, whittle down their numbers first, then finish them all off in one breath!
The combat plan was quite clear.
But the monsters gathering around did not launch an attack on the girls.
Instead—
The Hellhounds located directly in front of the group spread out to both sides. Subsequently, an even more massive Hellhound, with a body size fully two or three times that of the others and about as big as the Silverback just now, walked out.
Its eyes presented a pure mercury color; even the pupils had disappeared.
Amidst the pitch-black fur, silver holy patterns were outlined.
Golden chains hung around its neck, linking one Goblin soldier or noble's head after another. Draped over the sky-blue long robe on its back, there was also a magnificent seat interwoven with gold and silver.
Within it.
The girls saw a petite humanoid monster sitting properly atop it.
Its body was completely wrapped in a sky-blue and gilded long robe. Its head also wore a hood; even the eyes weren't revealed. It simply presented the outline of a rabbit head overall, with that pair of long pointed ears being particularly conspicuous.
[[Anthropomorphic Witch · Yaldani]].
"?!"
BOSS?!
The moment the opponent's name surfaced in their minds, the girls immediately became incomparably serious and focused.
Fortunately.
The opponent did not launch an attack, but gently shook the bell in its hand.
Ding-a-ling~
The crisp sound of the bell inexplicably gave one a sacred illusion.
Immediately following, that Witch sitting high atop the giant wolf spoke. Her voice was somewhat deliberate and strange, as if imitating something, speaking one word at a time.
"Miracles, exist because we exist."
As the voice fell.
Ryuu, who was observing the opponent's every move at all times, suddenly discovered that the ruins beneath her feet cracked open. It was as if the ground suddenly opened its massive maw; in an instant, it swallowed the girls inside. This was—
[[Drop Shaft]]!
Starting from the 13th Floor, the "Middle Floors", the first and most terrifying thing adventurers would encounter wasn't the brand-new monsters.
Rather, it was the unpredictable "falling pit traps" that would occur randomly and appear beneath their feet!
It would directly drop adventurers to a lower floor.
And then close up again.
This caused adventurers to get injured during the fall, lose their direction, and become completely trapped in the labyrinth, isolated and helpless.
Especially for adventure parties that had just entered the Middle Floors, once they encountered a "Drop Shaft" event, it was a massive crisis sufficient to wipe out the team!
"Lefiya!"
The moment the earth cracked open beneath her feet, Ryuu had already looked towards the direction of her compatriot junior.
Fortunately.
Tiona was very professional. Being responsible for support by the Mage's side, she had hugged the Elf girl immediately.
Then, as she quickly said something to the other.
Lefiya was also quite decisive, rapidly firing a grappling hook from her left hand.
That was the [Legion Prosthetic] Isagi gave her before coming to the Dungeon this time. Considering that the girl, as a Mage, lacked rapid mobility, he gave the grappling hook prosthetic named [Puppet String] to her.
It was a huge help right now!
The grappling hook didn't nail into the rock wall, but quickly wrapped around the Familia senior in the distance, allowing the three to gather together quickly, and then fall downwards.
Ryuu and Tiona, who both had Middle Floor exploration experience, knew that at a time like this, the most important thing was to keep the personnel from getting separated!
Furthermore!
While falling downwards.
Ryuu also struggled to take out a red ball from her small pouch, throwing it upwards towards the opening with all her might.
That was the "signal" agreed upon with the boy beforehand.
It was also taking into account that accidents might happen in the Dungeon, leading to everyone getting separated or something else.
It was agreed before starting the adventure.
If an accident occurred, leave this as a mark. It would inform the companion that they had gone elsewhere due to force majeure, and could also leave traces later to facilitate regrouping with the other party.
It was just that—
As the girls fell continuously downwards, and that cracked opening closed up again.
Around the originally messy garden, as the pitch-black barrier dissipated.
The monsters surrounding this place just now, as well as that "Anthropomorphic Witch", had long since vanished. It looked as if they had already left.
But regarding the red ball located amidst the ruins.
A small opening cracked open beneath it again, quietly swallowing it inside all at once. Subsequently, the ground instantly restored to its original state, as if nothing had ever existed there...
____
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