An eerie silence fell over the area.
The three chose not to speak, instead focusing their attention on their hearing, listening for any abnormalities.
Patiently, they waited... mentally preparing themselves for the appearance of the first boss monster of the deep floors.
'The spawn interval of Udeaus is about three months... and the last ones to have slain it were the Loki Familia...'
Glancing briefly at Ais and Riveria, both of whom remained alert, Judas crossed his arms and closed his eyes.
A sonar-like wave erupted from his feet and propagated through the ground beneath them.
He could feel it... a vast amount of energy gathering as the malice of the Dungeon was directed toward them.
When he opened his eyes again, he spoke without turning to look at Ais.
"It's coming."
Ais nodded and swiftly unsheathed her sword, rushing toward the center.
As if on cue, the walls and floor began to tremble.
Dust and small fragments of rock fell from the ceiling as a low screech echoed throughout the chamber.
"Guys... once again, I'm sorry for being selfish."
Ais' voice was steady as she lowered her stance, the hilt of her sword held firmly in her hand.
"But I want to do this alone."
Judas gave a small nod in understanding, while Riveria let out a weary sigh.
"You've been giving me headaches ever since you were a child."
"But since we agreed to this beforehand, I won't argue."
Even as she spoke, deep fractures spread across the ground, spiderwebbing outward.
Then...
The earth violently bulged upward.
A massive clump of stone was forced out of the floor, and from within it, enormous skeletal hands burst forth, tearing through the earth as if ripping free from a cocoon.
To announce its arrival, the monster unleashed a deafening roar that shook the chamber to its core.
Golden eyes and hollow sockets locked onto one another.
Judas narrowed his eyelids, analyzing Udaeus in his mind.
A towering black skeletal frame... nearly ten meters tall, its lower body absent as if it had been fused into the ground.
The sheer pressure radiating from it made its power unmistakable.
'Level six... at the very least.'
Its presence alone was enough to crush the will of most adventurers, instilling terror and despair before a single blow was struck.
Yet the people standing here neither flinched nor retreated.
Judas shifted his gaze between Ais and the floor boss.
Considering the vast difference in size, any onlooker would have thought the girl's actions suicidal.
Still, neither he nor Riveria moved.
They remained silent, watching as everything unfolded.
'I can't boost her with my magic.'
'Doing so would only cheapen her achievement.'
He glanced at Riveria.
For the briefest moment, concern flickered across her elegant features... not towards the monster, but for Ais.
Then it vanished.
Her expression returned to complete composure, calm and resolute as ever.
'I don't know the specifics of Ais' status, but ever since Judas appeared, the rate of her improvement has clearly accelerated... just from observing her movements.'
Riveria thought as she watched Ais charge forward.
'For her to challenge Udeaus right now means her stats must have already reached their limit... long since qualifying for a level up.'
'To gain greater strength and reach the milestone that is Level 6...'
'She must accomplish a feat worthy of that rank... an achievement that even the Gods would acknowledge.'
That was why Riveria had allowed Ais to face such danger alone.
Without accepting risk, no matter how hard an adventurer trained, their level would never rise.
Not everyone could remain fearless in the face of death for the sake of strength.
Most adventurers treated their profession as nothing more than a means to earn money and live comfortably.
That was why nearly half of Orario's adventurers remained at Level 1 for the rest of their lives.
...
'It has begun.'
Judas and Riveria watched as Udeaus initiated the first strike... its massive skeletal arm sweeping horizontally toward Ais.
Ais dodged by leaping upward, soaring more than a dozen meters into the air as the attack struck nothing but empty space.
Udeaus lifted its head, the two locking eyes.
Before the monster could retract its arm, Ais landed atop it and surged forward in a burst of speed.
She adjusted her grip, her gaze fixed on the magic stone hidden behind its ribcage.
Her wrist blurred as she brought her sword down.
A dull, heavy sound echoed as the force rebounded violently into her arm.
Ais narrowed her eyes.
The slash had barely chipped Udeaus' defenses... more a shallow scratch than real damage.
Then, a massive shadow fell over her.
'Move!'
She retreated instantly as Udeaus slammed both of its elongated arms downward.
Jumping back dozens of meters, Ais landed cleanly on her feet, reestablishing her stance.
'I can't reach its magic stone... let alone damage its bones with my sword alone.'
The thought had barely formed when she heard the ground beneath her feet creak.
Her instincts screamed.
Ais leapt into the air just as a massive spike of bone erupted from below.
'The lances of Udeaus.'
One of Udeaus' defining traits was its ability to channel attacks through the ground itself... striking from below without warning.
Ais didn't even need to look back to know that a trail of black spikes had erupted from the ground, relentlessly pursuing her with every step.
When she turned her head and met Udeaus' gaze once more, a sharp glint of challenge flashed in her eyes as she made a silent declaration.
'I will win.'
The Sword Princess roared those words within her heart.
...
Meanwhile, deep within the middle floors of the Dungeon...
A pair of white-haired women walked through the winding corridor, one wearing a calm, unshaken expression, while the other bore a tense yet focused look.
Naturally, it was the aunt-and-niece duo... Alfia and Belle Cranel.
"Belle, are you prepared?"
Alfia asked as she continued forward, not bothering to turn back.
Bell didn't mind.
She simply nodded.
"Yes. After all the training you put me through over the years... I've never been more ready than I am now."
Her voice carried firm conviction, even as she worked to suppress the fear tightening her chest.
Alfia stopped for a brief moment before giving a small nod.
"Good," she said.
"Because I have no intention of making this easy for you."
She raised two fingers to her mouth and let out a sharp whistle.
The piercing sound echoed through the corridor.
Belle's hand immediately closed around the hilt of the Hestia Knife as she sensed something approaching.
Heavy footsteps reverberated through the passageway.
From the shadows, a menacing presence emerged...
Its glowing red eyes locking onto her the instant it appeared.
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