Roy liked to leave the hardest bones to chew for last, so he first took Cassandra and Daphne into the Dungeon.
"Mr. Roy, what is it?"
Daphne and Cassandra looked at him curiously. He had called them over in secret, even avoiding the goddess's gaze.
"I'm going to take you somewhere to train your status values. Is that okay?"
"Of course!" Daphne's eyes lit up.
Cassandra, however, hesitated. "I'm only a healer… maybe I shouldn't go."
"What are you saying? Of course you're coming!" Daphne forcibly dragged Cassandra along.
"Uuu…" Cassandra wailed with a tearful face.
Roy's expression turned serious. "Let me make this clear first. Everything that happens next must not be told to anyone. Not even to the Goddess. This is our secret."
Seeing his solemn expression, Daphne and Cassandra understood the gravity of it and nodded firmly.
Roy smiled faintly. In truth, he wasn't too worried about the Dungeon being discovered. Confidence came from strength. He was no longer the ordinary person without Falna he once was—his mentality had changed drastically.
If such a treasure were placed in the hands of the weak, that would truly be courting disaster.
At worst, he could simply choose a "World Dungeon," stay there for a few years, raise his Level, and then return.
"Close your eyes first."
The two girls shut their eyes tightly.
Roy operated the Dungeon panel. The bodies of the three turned into light and vanished, entering the Dungeon world.
Name: Highschool of the Dead
Difficulty: Lv.1
Description: Over 90% of humanity has turned into zombies. The world has fallen into chaos and disorder.
[Rewards adjusted. Based on each member's status values, different reward tiers will be granted!]
[Roy: Kill 6,500 zombies to gain 1 point in a basic ability. Kill 1,000,000 to obtain a Bronze Treasure Chest!]
[Daphne: Kill 8 zombies to gain 1 ability point. Kill 1,500 to receive bonus ability points!]
[Cassandra: Kill 5 zombies to gain 1 ability point. Kill 1,200 to receive bonus ability points!]
Roy twitched at the reward panel. It was even more outrageous than last time. He had to kill thousands of zombies for a single point.
He'd hack until his hands cramped.
But that only proved how vast the gap between Levels truly was. Even if surrounded by a hundred thousand zombies now, Roy wouldn't even blink.
Still, the protagonists of this trip were the two girls.
"Where is this?"
When Daphne and Cassandra opened their eyes, towering modern buildings filled their vision.
And the streets were packed densely with zombies.
"What are those?"
Staring at the grotesque undead, the two girls felt fear welling up inside them.
"Don't worry," Roy said calmly. "Those monsters are weak. Physically, they're only slightly stronger than ordinary people. Since they act purely on instinct, they're even easier to deal with than adults."
"Go. Those are your targets."
Roy led them onto the street first, then struck a steel pipe against the ground with a crisp clang. The surrounding zombies suddenly lifted their heads, eyes gleaming with ferocity.
Seeing waves of zombies rushing toward them, the girls turned pale.
But after killing the first one, they realized Roy was right. The zombies were weak—about the same as goblins on the First Floor of the Dungeon.
Aside from their numbers, they had no advantage.
Even Cassandra, whose close-combat ability was weak, could kill them easily. Gradually, the two gained confidence, cooperating as they began slaughtering the undead.
Roy did not step in to steal experience. This scrap of "mosquito meat" meant nothing to him. Instead, he observed their combat, evaluating the growth they had achieved over the past month.
If they failed to satisfy him, he would rather leave them on the surface during the next expedition than bring along two burdens.
As he watched, Roy nodded inwardly.
Their movements were somewhat immature, but still commendable. Daphne, as a warrior, went without saying. Even Cassandra, a healer, wielded a dagger and killed zombies. Though disgusted when their blood splattered across her face, she did not panic.
Miss Ryuu's Spartan-style training—Roy knew it well. During the twenty-plus days he had been away, Ryuu had trained the two relentlessly.
At first, they couldn't endure it at all. Cassandra cried every single day.
Only then did they understand how comfortable their lives had been in the Apollo Familia.
Ryuu did not force them. She told them plainly: if they didn't wish to train, they could leave the Familia. No one would be compelled.
In the end, they persevered.
Ryuu taught them what it meant to be adventurers. Even if only teeth remained, they must struggle and defeat their enemies.
True adventurers were far less glamorous than they appeared. Every day required taut nerves. A single lapse in concentration could cost one's life.
Yet there were always those who joined blindly.
At home, they were little darlings. Once outside, they were easy prey. Of those who entered the Dungeon for the first time, only half ever walked back out. Within that great cavern lay countless bones.
Ryuu stabilized their foundation. Upon that base, Roy pushed their status values to the limit.
This was the Astraea Familia's education.
Daphne and Cassandra slaughtered until they lost track of time. Corpses piled up on the streets like a small hill.
Roy wasn't worried about them being bitten. A Panacea was overwhelmingly effective against corpse poison.
He took them into the Dungeon every day.
After more than half a month, the number of zombies they had slain was beyond counting. Their status values had reached the limits of their aptitude.
Name: Daphne
Lv.: 1
Strength: 57 → 628 (C)
Endurance: 42 → 555 (D)
Dexterity: 36 → 813 (A)
Agility: 68 → 889 (A)
Magic: 5 → 456 (F)
Skill: Arrow of Suffering (When being pursued, Agility increases.)
Magic: None
Name: Cassandra
Lv.: 1
Strength: 17 → 238 (G)
Endurance: 18 → 211 (G)
Dexterity: 18 → 252 (G)
Agility: 12 → 489 (E)
Magic: 90 → 815 (A)
Skill: Princess Who Sings of a Tragic World
Magic: Thor's Light (Area recovery magic. The better the Mind, the wider the effective range.)
Goddess Astraea updated their status every day. Watching the numbers rise as if they cost nothing, she was surprised only on the first day. After that, she grew accustomed to it.
Of course, she could guess that their rapid growth was connected to Roy.
Roy had expected Astraea to question him, but she showed no reaction. As always, she greeted him with a gentle smile.
She upheld the promise she had made with Roy—never probing into his secrets, never revealing any information about him to others. This was the "justice" she presided over.
Roy couldn't help but sigh. Among that group of mischievous gods, the existence of a principled goddess like Astraea truly felt like heaven's blessing.
"Mr. Roy, thank you!"
Holding their freshly updated status sheets, Daphne and Cassandra looked at him with shining eyes. The ability points that would normally take years to accumulate had reached their limits in just over ten days.