The four of them stared at the spot where the boss had stood. One Level 4, one Level 3, and two Level 1s had slain the Floor Boss of the Water Capital. Roy had been the undeniable anchor. Between his [Luck], the Demon King's Armor, and the reforged Holy Sword, he had produced Level 5 firepower.
They shared a look and burst into manic laughter. It was insane. Roy pocketed the magic stone and forced a weak smile. "Let's go home."
The journey out of the cavern was grueling. Roy was in the worst shape—covered in burns and broken bones. Ryuu and Daphne weren't much better, having risked their lives as decoys. Cassandra had passed out from mental exhaustion, but she had a smile on her face; her "Prophetic Dream" of the saving "Sky-Fire" had come true.
Ryuu used a final "Noah Heal" on Roy, her voice raspy. Roy downed a mental potion to keep from fainting. As they neared the exit of the 24th floor, Roy caught a glimpse of Marie, the mermaid, watching from the river. He gave her a grateful smile. He knew now that Marie had guided Ryuu to him by leaving a trail of seashells. Marie beamed and dove back into the water.
The Dungeon seemed to sense their weakness, spawning monsters relentlessly to keep them trapped. Roy swung his sword on pure instinct, his mind numb. Ryuu led them through six floors, finally emerging from the Great Tree tunnel onto the 18th floor.
The moment they saw the crystal ceiling of Rivira, Roy, Daphne, and Cassandra finally collapsed.
When Roy opened his eyes again, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling, and his consciousness quickly sharpened.
"If you've had enough rest, get your ass up and stop getting in the way of my business!" barked Bors, the middle-aged adventurer with a scarred face and an eyepatch. Roy glanced at him and immediately began gathering information. "How long was I out?"
A flash of admiration crossed Bors's eyes; he thought Roy was a lunatic for taking on Amphisbaena with only four people. "Three days!"
In a short time, Roy finished his assessment. He was in a room at the Rivira inn. Daphne and Cassandra were already awake; he had been the unconscious one, lying in bed for three days and nights. He had indeed been gravely injured. Even a slight movement made him feel like his body was falling apart; he heard that during those three days, Ryuu and Cassandra had continuously cast recovery magic on him.
"What's the cost of the room?" Roy asked.
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Starting with an Elf (300 Chapters, Ongoing)
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Bors huffed. "This one's on me. Next time you come, I'll fleece you for every Valis you've got!"
Roy had killed the Enhanced Mermaid and saved the entire subjugation party. Bors had his pride; if he overcharged their savior, the other adventurers wouldn't let him hear the end of it. As for the corpses of the adventurers Roy had killed in the cave, they had been incinerated by Amphisbaena's blue flames before Ryuu and the others arrived, saving Roy the trouble of explaining.
"Kid, nice work," Bors grunted, turning to leave.
Left alone, Roy checked his stats. After clicking "Update," he saw that defeating the Floor Boss had caused a massive surge. Several of his attributes were now higher than "veterans" who had been Level 3 for years.
Name: Roy Level: 3
Strength: 611 (C)
Endurance: 685 (C)
Dexterity: 455 (E)
Agility: 631 (C)
Magic: 768 (B)
Development Ability: Luck (H), Abnormal Resistance (I)
Roy allocated his 1,500 bonus points mainly into the first four categories. With his magic aptitude boosted by the "Elven King's Blood," his Magic stat grew naturally without much help. Defeating the Floor Boss gained him 1,650 points, plus the 1,500 bonus points—a total increase of 3,150!
The door opened, and Ryuu walked in. Roy met her sky-blue, jewel-like eyes. They stared at each other under the dim magic lamp until Ryuu spoke first. "I'm sorry... I panicked back then..."
"It's fine, as long as we're alive," Roy said, shaking his head. It wasn't just panic; she had been willing to throw her life away. Roy loved adventure, but he cherished his life. Her attempt to give up the fight had genuinely angered him.
Seeing this boy who fought so valiantly to challenge an impossible enemy, an image of a hero was etched into her mind. Her voice trembled. "Roy... will you be the one to save me one day?"
In Roy's eyes, Ryuu wasn't the famous Level 4 adventurer known as "Gale"; she was just a girl covered in scars. "That day isn't far off!" Roy said firmly. He knew what she meant—the Juggernaut, the nightmare that haunted her. One day, they would destroy it.
"Thank you." A glint of tears appeared in Ryuu's eyes. She reached out her small hand. This wasn't for magic; this was personal. For an elf, skin contact was reserved only for those they truly accepted. Roy gripped her hand with a heart free of any ill intent.