The War Game was two days away.
Roy and Ryuu did not enter any more instances.
Firstly, Roy's status scores were already nearing the limit for LV.1. The rewards from ordinary instances continued to decrease and couldn't provide him with many more Status Points.
Challenging high-difficulty instances carried uncontrollable risks. If an accident were to occur before the War Game, it would be a failure before the fight even began—a truly laughable outcome.
So, after recovering from his injuries, Roy chose an alternative path: human-to-human combat training!
The instructor was undoubtedly the Elven girl.
After joining the Astraea Familia, Miss Ryuu's attitude towards Roy had noticeably improved; she no longer immediately threatened to kill him as she used to.
In the Starry Sky Garden courtyard, two figures flashed past quickly, constantly crossing paths. The crisp sound of weapons clashing echoed in the air.
It was Miss Ryuu and Roy.
Both held training weapons—swords with sharpened edges, as adventurers weren't so delicate.
Combat with people is fundamentally different from fighting monsters. Monsters lack intellect and only possess the instinct to kill. Intelligent beings, however, are cunning.
To offer a simple example: if Roy slashed forward, a monster would charge straight ahead like an iron-headed brute. An adventurer, however, would dodge, parry, counterattack, or even deliberately expose a weakness to lure the enemy in.
In short, when fighting a person, unless you possess absolutely overwhelming strength, you must be doubly vigilant. Your opponent might pull out a devastating magic sword or unleash a strange skill the next second.
"Too naive!"
Once Miss Ryuu entered instructor mode, she became ruthless. Though she wouldn't strike with the sword's edge, her fists and feet landed on Roy without mercy.
Her LV.4 stats completely overwhelmed Roy.
The force unleashed by her delicate small hand was like a mountain, sending Roy flying.
Before long, Roy was beaten black and blue. This was Roy's requirement, of course: If you don't sweat in training, do you plan to bleed in battle?
"That's brutal!"
Listening to the sounds from the courtyard, the members of the Ganesha Familia at the gate clicked their tongues. LV.4 versus LV.1 was a foregone conclusion—pure masochism.
Roy often brought them snacks, so they were on good terms, but they were powerless to intervene at this moment.
For Roy, it was a coexistence of pain and pleasure.
After breaking his limits and awakening skills, and single-handedly wiping out the American squad, it was impossible for Roy not to feel a shred of pride and complacency. Miss Ryuu immediately smashed him down from the clouds, reminding him that he was still an LV.1 novice!
Until he leveled up to LV.2, his treatment in Orario would be vastly different.
Although there seemed to be many adventurers in Orario, over half of them struggled at LV.1.
Only adventurers of LV.2 and above were considered high-level adventurers. They gained development abilities and received titles from the Gods. Regardless of their Familia, they would be honored guests and could join any other Familia at will.
On the other hand, under Miss Ryuu's fists, Roy's human-to-human combat experience rapidly improved.
After about five hours, Roy's stamina bottomed out, and he couldn't even stand anymore.
Miss Ryuu said, "Take a rest."
Roy slumped onto the ground, exhausted and covered in injuries, his face showing deep fatigue.
Miss Ryuu frowned prettily.
Sensing Miss Ryuu's dissatisfaction, Roy immediately straightened his back. She constantly warned him that an adventurer must always remain vigilant! The more exhausted the mind, the more important it was to remember this, because the enemy would seize the opportunity to attack at that very moment.
Seeing this, Miss Ryuu finally left with satisfaction.
Roy rubbed his aching lower back and gave a wry smile. Under Miss Ryuu's Spartan training, his combat instincts were practically carved into his bones.
In the evening, Remuel, the Guild's scapegoat, came over to verify the eligibility for the War Game.
Upon seeing the Sword of Justice and Wings etched onto Roy's back, a flicker of surprise crossed Remuel's eyes. To stand with the Astraea Familia at a time like this required genuine courage.
Remuel said, "Alright, I confirm the participants for the War Game are two: Ryuu Lion and Roy."
Roy asked with a grin, "How many members of the Rudra Familia are participating in the War Game?"
Remuel's mouth twitched. To ask him for inside information so blatantly—this person was simply shameless.
By principle, he couldn't tell him, but the Principal himself (Ouranos) had given consent. As long as it didn't affect the overall situation, and out of consideration for the Astraea Familia's past contributions, they could be given some leniency.
Roy knew this; the man would talk!
Remuel lowered his voice. "The number of Rudra Familia members participating in the War Game is one hundred and fifty-two!"
"That few?"
Roy and Miss Ryuu looked surprised. They had expected at least three hundred people.
In Orario, where gambling, prostitution, and drugs were legal, it was hard to stay good but easy to go bad. The number of people with dark intentions was beyond imagination, and these individuals formed the new blood of the Dark Factions.
The stance of those wicked Gods was also: the more vicious the temperament, the more they liked them. Scum walked everywhere, and they rejected no one.
Thus, the numbers of the Dark Familia were generally very high.
Remuel explained with a bitter smile, "Because you raised the bounty, many members of the Rudra Familia have been killed in recent days, including several LV.2 adventurers."
At this, the two understood.
"Let them claim the bounty based on the head count," Roy smiled. This instantly cut their pressure in half. Those adventurers deserved credit; it would be inhuman not to give them the reward. Give and take—that's how a business lasts.
...
The Artificial Labyrinth—Daedalus Path.
The final work of the artisan Daedalus, who built the Babel Tower a thousand years ago. It was left unfinished upon his death, a labyrinth similar to the Dungeon.
It now served as the most important stronghold for the Dark Factions.
In the central hall of the deepest part, stone radiated a faint light, illuminating the surroundings.
The walls of the hall were adorned with the emblem of the Faction: a heart of iron and bronze, and a black single wing resembling the Grim Reaper's scythe.
The Thanatos Familia!
A man seated on the stairs radiated a faint divine aura. He heard the report. "A War Game in the Dungeon? Hahaha, how interesting. Those surface dwellers always come up with the fun things."
A Familia member standing below reported, "The Rudra Familia wants us to help them transport supplies."
The Dungeon entrance beneath the Babel Tower was sealed by the Guild, so neither Familia could enter early. But the artificial labyrinth offered an alternative entrance to the Dungeon!
"Tell them to scram. One hundred people dealing with one young girl, and they still need to resort to such petty tricks. It's truly despicable," Thanatos, the God of Death, scoffed.
Their strength and foundation were nowhere near the Rudra Familia's level! After gathering the remnants of the Dark Faction defeated during the Great Conflict, the Thanatos Familia was filled with LV.3 and LV.4 adventurers, and even had LV.5 and LV.6 powerhouses!