She realized her weakness. She wasn't strong enough yet.
Ais had decided to take an "adventure."
----------------------------
The blonde girl's determined expression made it clear to everyone that she had made up her mind, and no amount of persuasion would change it.
Including Lefiya, everyone could see it clearly. Ever since that incident on the 18th floor, Ais had become much more proactive in battle.
Each time monsters spawned, she threw herself wholeheartedly into the fight. Yet, she still managed to maintain the balance between team and battle very well, never once acting recklessly in a way that might endanger her companions.
But that brutal and savage fighting style still left Lefiya deeply shaken.
When the two supporters were collecting magic stones after battle, Ais reverted back to her usual emotionless self. Everyone noticed this change and silently kept it in mind.
Now, Ais finally spoke up, and at least this was something worth talking about.
"Alright, it's about time." Finn agreed to Ais' request, then glanced at everyone.
"Riveria, why don't you stay here with Ais? Just in case."
"Ah, that's what I was thinking too."
"As for Fron, will you remain here or return to the 18th floor with us?"
Everyone turned to look, including Ais.
By coincidence, the young man and the girl locked eyes. The determination in the girl's golden gaze conveyed her emotions clearly, and he had no real reason to refuse her request.
Moreover, if he stayed here, even if it didn't seem like much on the surface, his instincts told him his presence would only bring about some unnecessary effect on the girl. So…
He shrugged, spreading his hands jokingly: "This is the 37th floor, you know. I'm just a Lv.4 burden who'd need Riveria to babysit me. Forget it, better let Mama-san take care of Ais instead."
"Who are you calling Mama-san! You'd better explain yourself clearly!"
The royal elf was flustered and furious at Fron's words, her composure breaking instantly. Sure, she was indeed 92 years old… but that was still considered young among the elves!
"Hehehe, Mama-san." The others covered their mouths, chuckling, shattering the atmosphere Ais had been building.
As they laughed, Fron suddenly remembered the little trinket he had made before coming to the Dungeon, as a result of some wish.
He dug into his waist pouch under his cloak, searched for a while, then came over to Ais.
"Ais, hold out your hand."
"? " The girl tilted her head in puzzlement, but still extended her hand.
"Take this, and make sure to wear it. Think of it as a charm, my blessing for your 'adventure's success.'"
Even though his staying here was unnecessary, he still couldn't shake his concern. So he decided to give the girl a charm.
"This is…?" In Ais' hand was a beautiful crystal pendant, its azure glow shimmering inside, looking especially lovely.
"Always keep it with you. Think of it as my blessing."
Without waiting for her reply, Fron waved his hand, said goodbye to them, and joined the group preparing to return.
"Good luck!"
Watching Fron's departing back, Ais suddenly recalled some embarrassing memory. Her fair cheeks flushed, and obediently, she tied the "charm" onto the hilt of her beloved sword.
"Hehe, Ais has reached that age, hasn't she." Riveria smiled with the air of a doting parent.
…
The return trip was uneventful. Tiona skipped circles around Fron with bubbling curiosity.
"Hey, hey! Fron! What did you give Ais? I'm super curious!"
"Mm… a charm."
"A charm?"
"Yeah, literally. A magic item. As someone who values survival, isn't it normal to prepare extra trump cards?"
--???
Tiona tilted her head, slow to understand, but Tione burst out laughing.
"I just remembered! The biggest coward in the whole Familia is Fron! Hahahahaha!"
"I, I remembered too! During expeditions, Fron always hid behind mages. So shameless!"
"…"
Lefiya thought of that shady black-cloaked figure always sneaking around behind the elf squad. Her face burned with embarrassment. It was far too shameful, she, a young girl, couldn't even stand watching it!
Yet the man himself showed no sense of shame at all, answering casually with a "hehe."
"What do you mean by that!"
"Lefiya, as a proper mage, do you know what the most important secret art is?"
--?
The elf girl frowned, but still answered: "[Calm Mind]!"
"No, it's running away!"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"As long as I can run faster than my teammates, the enemy can't kill me. If they can't catch me, I can chant magic while running and then defeat them. That's the true path of a mage!"
Finn's eyes lit up, his thoughts slightly swayed by Fron's words.
"There's some logic in that… but to skillfully use concurrent chanting, the number of mages capable of it is extremely few."
"That's true, which is why I say advanced mages must know how to run. Combine that with concurrent chanting, and their combat power will leap drastically. Got it, Lefiya?"
"…" The girl puffed her cheeks in anger. Running away, she would never acknowledge such a thing!
"By the way, I heard when you fought that red-haired woman, you cast three spells in a row. The whole town saw it! That crimson aurora streaking across the sky…"
"What was that? Could it be… your new skill?"
Tiona's curiosity sparked everyone's interest.
"Ah, that… yes, it's a new skill I gained after reaching Lv.4. It's really powerful, but… I can't use it carelessly."
"I see, so it's like my 'Chienthropy's Truth,' Tione's 'Berserk Chaos,' or 'Great Struggle', a last-resort kind of skill?"
In other words, a trump card to be used in dire straits!
Fron froze for a moment, then nodded.
Finn's guess was correct, it was his final trump card.
======================
Skill: [Magic Dominator]
· Instant Magic Casting
· Attribute Enhancement [X times]
· Magic Enhancement [X times]
· After activation, consumes massive amounts of mental power, mind, and stamina
======================
All-attribute enhancement, all-magic enhancement.
Whether it's ultra-short, short, medium, or ultra-long chants, after activation, all magic becomes instant-cast. This is Magic Dominator!
It was also the ultimate reason why Fron had managed to instantly cast [Advanced · Sword of Victory] three times which had ultra-long chants in his previous battle.
But the drawback, activating the skill consumed an immense amount of mental power, magic power, and stamina. After the skill usage, with Fron's strength, he could no longer do much.
Thankfully, he had wisely chosen to rely on Riveria's ultra-long chant magic as his finishing strike.