The next morning followed the usual routine: breakfast, then training.
One noteworthy detail—Ryuu Lion informed Xien that tomorrow he would be the one cooking. Hearing that, he stiffened as if struck by lightning and hurriedly said he understood.
Suppressing his urge to show off, he threw himself into the day's training. Without realizing it, his temperament had become noticeably more steady.
Since he'd already learned the basics of swordsmanship, the morning session focused on sparring. Ryuu still used only a wooden training weapon, while Xien was given a wooden sword and a short bow.
The rules were simple: Xien could use any method—if he could land a hit on Ryuu, training would end early. Ryuu would limit everything except speed, and she wouldn't use any skills or magic beyond pure technique.
She'd taught him the basic swings. From here, he needed to feel combat in real fights, letting his body learn naturally. In Ryuu's eyes, that was the fastest way for him to improve.
So, once Xien raised his weapons with confidence, the extremely "unequal" duel began.
Half an hour later, as expected, Xien earned himself another "pig-head" face—this time he didn't even brush Ryuu's clothing.
He'd underestimated it. The gap in experience alone was absurd, not to mention everything else. Yesterday's "success" had only happened because he'd caught her off-guard mentally; today, with her speed unsealed, it was a different world entirely.
Still, it only looked brutal. Ryuu controlled her strength well—nothing more than superficial wounds.
After a few minutes' rest, once his injuries had mostly recovered, they resumed.
And with each beating, Xien began to discover his bad habits—one by one—then was forced to correct them the painful way.
By noon, after enduring hell, he finally got what he wanted:
On his status screen, his skill list now clearly displayed:
Adventurer Swordsmanship (Intermediate)
And his Interference Points had increased by 50.
At last, it felt like the suffering hadn't been wasted.
There's a saying: shed more tears in training, shed less blood on the battlefield. He hadn't tested the second part yet, but the first part? Absolutely.
Had he ever cried from being hit?
He had now. It didn't matter how hard he tried to hold it in—one well-placed kick and he was instantly a mess of tears and snot. Utterly humiliating.
By the time lunch approached, he was basically half-dead.
Even worse, Ryuu seemed to have precisely estimated his recovery speed and left him just enough time to be functional by mealtime. Considerate to the point of being terrifying.
He told himself he was "wrapped in love," and somehow that made him want to cry even more.
But for the sake of dignity—especially in front of a girl—he forced himself upright and shuffled home step by step.
The only comfort was that spoon in his hand. The first time he'd held it, it felt heavy; now, it felt almost weightless.
He knew it wasn't the spoon—he'd gotten stronger.
He could even vaguely track the flight path of tiny insects outside the window. Growth like that killed any urge to complain about harsh training and replaced it with genuine gratitude.
He almost felt like making a commemorative plaque for Astraea to thank her for letting him join this family.
"By the way… I haven't seen Astraea-sama today."
"Lady Astraea had business," Ryuu explained. "She left early and will probably return tonight. If the plan hasn't changed, the captain and the others should also be back around then."
"I see… That's nice. Once everyone's back, it'll get lively…"
Ryuu smiled softly. The boy had already started thinking of this place as home. Compared to many others she'd met, he was integrating quickly.
After lunch and a short rest, it was back to the "exciting" training session.
Unlike yesterday, this afternoon's focus was on mastering all sorts of adventurer tools.
To survive the complex conditions across Dungeon floors, adventurers accumulated endless practical know-how—tools and techniques that increased survival odds in real combat.
Bandaging. Rope knots. Where to store potions so they wouldn't be crushed but could be accessed instantly.
After all, being an adventurer wasn't just about raw combat power. Even the famously air-headed Ais Wallenstein taught Bell Cranel plenty of non-combat survival tricks during training in the original story.
Compared to the Dungeon, adventurers were closer to explorers in unknown lethal territory. Strength could handle monsters, but it couldn't automatically solve environmental hazards: toxic miasma, traps, strange terrain, unpredictable conditions.
And idiots who ignored those lessons?
The Dungeon would teach them—with interest.
Xien, driven by genuine interest and boosted by his system, carved everything into memory until it felt like instinct.
After that came the same routine as yesterday: the Adventurers' Guild—where he went to "study" with the adorable Eina Tulle.
…Definitely study.
He'd never felt life this fulfilling.
Once again, after "draining" Eina's prepared teaching material dry, Xien and Ryuu walked home, satisfied—while Eina stared after them with a fiercely determined expression.
Back at the residence, the lights were bright. The two of them exchanged a knowing smile. They already understood.
Sure enough, when they entered the hall, everyone was back, preparing a celebration.
Judging by the cheerful faces, the expedition had gone well.
And once they saw Ryuu and Xien, the excitement jumped another level.
They'd gone into the Dungeon partly to help Xien integrate with the team. So coming back to find that he'd been seriously studying how to become a proper adventurer made them feel… not "unappreciated," but answered.
You could tell how much someone had changed from small details. Compared to the beginning, Xien's breathing rhythm, posture, and habitual movements had transformed completely.
It was a familiar gathering—except tonight's banquet included a new activity:
Everyone would find a partner and dance.
Xien went blank.
Dancing? He'd never learned it. So… he should just watch?
When he shared that thought with their red-haired captain, she raised a finger, smiled, and shook her head.
"Nope, Xien. For us, fighting in the Dungeon takes up most of our lives—but it's not all we are."
"Negative emotions pile up fast when you live around death. You need ways to release them. Joy is one of those ways. So dance—something that makes people happy—is also a blessing the gods gave humanity. Every adventurer has to learn it!"
Xien was stunned—in the best way. His mind opened up, and he found himself fully agreeing.
What he didn't know was that the captain, watching the spark in his eyes, wore the inward expression of "all according to plan."
Everything she said was true.
But it wasn't the whole reason.
She also wanted to see Xien flustered and shy while learning.
Which meant she couldn't be the partner—she needed to be an audience member.
So she scanned the room for someone "perfect"…
And soon, she locked onto her target.
After smoothing her expression, she moved.
A bit of persuasion later, she successfully "assigned" the job of teaching Xien to dance to Ryuu.
Ryuu was, frankly, easy to fool: If you're going to teach as a mentor, you should teach the whole set, plus a little speech about team harmony—and the earnest elf agreed.
Of course, there were deeper reasons too: Ryuu's sense of responsibility as a mentor, her lingering guilt over pushing training too hard, and—most importantly—she didn't actually dislike being close to Xien. Those combined pushed her to accept, shyness and all.
Watching from the side, Astraea didn't say a word.
But the slight upward curve at the corner of her mouth said everything.
This was entertainment she wanted to see, too. The lively interactions among her children were her favorite kind of pastime.
So, with divine tacit approval and the captain's gentle scheming, the "interesting" activity began.
Nearby, Kaguya and Lyra noticed something was off—but neither exposed it.
Kaguya wanted to see the "stubborn elf" Ryuu embarrass herself as usual.
Lyra kept quiet because she'd caught a glimpse of Astraea's expression.
Soon, after several seniors finished their show, it was Xien's turn.
Before he could process anything, Ryuu grabbed him—still dazed—and pulled him onto the makeshift stage.
Ryuu exhaled, lowered her voice, and guided him:
"Put your hands on my waist. Stay with my steps. With your current ability… you should be able to do it. Give everyone a surprise."
She raised his hand, set the posture, and demonstrated the two-person movements.
The best way to calm nerves was to focus on the immediate task—stop thinking.
They weren't dancing some aristocratic ballroom piece, but a more common bonfire-style folk dance.
No disgust—just a slightly faster heartbeat.
And if she looked closely…
His face was actually pretty nice.
Once Xien heard her voice, his body moved almost automatically the way she instructed.
After two days of high-intensity training, his body had developed a reflex: Ryuu speaks, he obeys—before his brain catches up. Did he think all those whacks with a stick were for nothing?
Meanwhile, the system's orange cat had already analyzed Ryuu's motions and calculated the full routine. With his natural talent and the system's assistance, dancing turned out to be far less difficult than he'd feared.
To the warm, lively rhythm, the two figures onstage moved with such unexpected perfection that the captain's hopes of watching a comedy scene fell flat.
But she wasn't disappointed.
Instead, she felt a different kind of satisfaction: clumsy intent turning into a charming result.
Seeing the genuine smiles blooming on both their faces, she realized she'd discovered a new kind of "fun."
Xien matched Ryuu through every movement. He lacked natural flourish, but for a first attempt, it was remarkably complete.
As their steps intertwined, looking at the serious beauty in front of him, something strange rose inside Xien's chest.
She was the first person he'd seen upon opening his eyes in this world.
The one who had reached out again and again when he needed help.
The one who had delivered the perfect "first impression kill."
Dance itself was shaped by emotion. As Ryuu grew more fluent and Xien more passionate, their rhythm gradually unified.
He felt the joy of dancing—
And he realized he might have started to like this beautiful elf.
At that moment, the two onstage were the brightest focus in the room.
Watching them, the other members felt a mix of satisfaction and envy.
They wanted to dance with the new kid too.
When the song ended, Xien barely had time to breathe before the bold werewolf girl, Nize, "stole" him and dragged him back onto the floor for another dance.
Once someone took the lead, everyone else grew bolder.
A line formed.
The dance party turned into Xien's personal partner rotation—everyone fought for a turn, wanting to see who earned the best "evaluation."
Astraea and the captain were delighted. Eventually, even they joined in.
Luckily, Xien's endurance was absurd; otherwise, no one could survive being cycled like that.
Finally, with Astraea publicly declaring that Xien's best match was still Ryuu, the cheerful farce came to an end.
Afterward, Xien—half-dead again—looked at his status panel and saw, glaringly:
Dancing (Intermediate)
He wanted to cry.
But then he saw the +40 Interference Points, and decided it had all been worth it.
He even asked the orange cat why the points seemed "off." Swordsmanship and archery had given +50 to reach Intermediate—why did dancing jump to Intermediate and still give less?
The orange cat explained:
Because it was a life skill, it was simpler. Beginner gave +10, Intermediate gave +30, totaling +40. As for the practical tricks he'd learned in the afternoon—those didn't even count as "skills," so they gave no point bonus.
Hearing that, it actually made sense.
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (400 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (140 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (158 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (400 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (172 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (200 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (200 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (96 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (140 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (160 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (165 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (180 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (160 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (90 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (160 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (130 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal (50 Chapter).
Genshin Impact: A Hundred Confessions? It's Just a System Task (70 Chapter)
OnePiece : Starting as a Veteran of the Roger Pirates (60 Chapter)
Uma Musume : I Have Special Horse Taming Techniques (190 Chapter)
Uma Musume : My other self is a Horse Girl (130 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen : All Affection Stats Maxed Out (200 Chapter)
Satou Kazuma's Decision to Live by Swindling, Starting from Re:Zero (60 Chapter)
Bleach : Ichigo! Take Over the Soul Society (89 Chapter)
Crossover Anime: The Master of Plagiarism with a 'Love Obstacle (140 Chapter)
Arknights Succubus Nurturing System, But I'm a Quiet Office Worker (90 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Using My Personas to Break the Hearts of Players (50 Chapter)
One Punch Man : i am King? (150 Chapter)
Genshin: My Stats Are Irresistible (70 Chapter)
Naruto: Master of Dream Fulfillment! (70 Chapter)
Why Are All My Chat Group Friends Spin-Off Characters? (130 Chapter)
Arknights : Batman System (30 Chapter)
Chat Group: Swapping Bodies with the Bad-Ending Herta from the Start (80 Chapter)
DanMachi: Why Did My Dungeon Turn Into a Soulslike Game? (130 Chapter)
Losing Money on Uma Musume...What Do You Mean You Actually Won? (120 Chapter)
I'm Gotou Hitori—Who Are You? (40 Chapter)
Were You Ever Even a Uma Musume? Stop Making Things Up! (78 Chapter)
Moon Project: A Full-Time Love Adventure for the Lobotomy Corporation (75 Chapter)
The Leisurely Days of the Hyuga Main House (65 Chapter)
Arknights : A Draco Surviving in a Matriarchal Terra (189 Chapter)
Arknights: What if My Luck Is Too Good? (135 Chapter)
Honkai: The Romance System Only Shows Up After I Marry Mei (55 Chapter)
Arknights: Who Are You Calling Repressed, X?! (145 Chapter)
The Chat Group Only Arrived After I'd Cleared the Game (102 Chapter)
Gojo Satoru Flat-Out Refuses to Admit He's a Supporting Character (40 Chapter)
Chat Group Isn't Supposed to Be Like This! (30 Chapter)
If You're Moriarty…then Who Am I? (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: Since I "Can't See," They Take Turns Stealing My Underwear (50 Chapter)
Arknights: Why Are All My "Brothers" Girls? (54 Chapter)
Danmachi: Start Training Haki (59 Chapter)
Emiya Shirou's Rebirth (30 Chapter)
I Can Get Stronger Just by AFK'ing—So I Joined a Chat Group (50 Chapter)
Endfield: I Can Always Pull Out One Yuan (65 Chapter)
Limbus Company : I Started a Company in Project Moon (50 Chapter)
Lobotomy: Do Cooks of Alley 23 Dream of Bloodfiend Knights? (50 Chapter)
DanMachi: Freya Familia's "One-Blade Shura" (60 Chapter)
DanMachi: Emiya, the Great Hero Becomes the Protagonist (90 Chapter)
TYPE-MOON: One Special Instance Every Week (40 Chapter)
From Danmachi: The Abundance Apothecary (70 Chapter)
Lord Shadow Descends on DanMachi (90 Chapter)
Fuse with Me, Exusiai! (41 Chapter)
Honkai: Star Rail — After I Die, I Forge Their Madness (60 Chapter)
DanMachi: The Last Zeus Familia (75 Chapter)
Endfield: Arknights Heroic Spirit Summoning (75 Chapter)
Toyokawa Family Finances (105 Chapter)
Starting From DanMachi to Become Stronger (80 Chapter)
DanMachi: My Familia Is Made Up Entirely of Heroines from Every World! (65 Chapter)
Arknights: My Intel Refreshes Daily (90 Chapter)
Digimon : I Never Meant to Do Evil, Even Though I Wasn't Chosen (40 Chapter)
Miss Holmes Could Never Be the Losing Heroine! (40 Chapter)
Takayama Gamu at Tracen Academy (40 Chapter)
Legendary Trainer Takes on MYGO (40 Chapter)
Arknights : Yandere Game: The Operators Have Come Knocking (70 Chapter)
Arknights: This Dating Sim Is Seriously Wrong! (70 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it