At Eina's call, the girl ran over. "I'm Maryse Heiked! Lord Justice Sapling, it's an honor!" Her eyes were full of worship. Roy's record-breaking level-ups made him as famous as any Level 6.
Roy said, "We'll accompany you today. Hopefully, we can teach you a few things."
The group left the Guild. Roy, Daphne, and Cassandra took turns teaching Maryse the basics. They moved slowly—a deliberate move by Roy. While he chatted and smiled with the rookie, he pushed his senses to the absolute limit, scanning the surroundings for tails. With his current stats, not even a Level 5 could easily hide from his perception.
The Freya Familia was currently in a chaotic rush to prepare for their 60th-floor expedition. Even if they were watching him, they wouldn't waste a Level 6 executive on a Level 3 scout.
By noon, after a slow lunch and some supply shopping, Roy's group arrived at the Babel plaza. He was now certain: no one was following him. He had officially cleared his name in Freya's eyes.They entered the Dungeon.
Because they were escorting a novice, their pace was slow. Roy, Daphne, and Cassandra took turns teaching Maryse how to dodge monster attacks, counter-strike, and aim for the magic stones. Daphne and Cassandra, relishing their roles as seniors, felt a surge of satisfaction from guiding the newcomer.
Two hours later, they took a break in a cavern on the 5th floor. Maryse was already flagging. In the Dungeon, unless an emergency occurred, one had to maintain at least 60% of their stamina at all times.
While discussing life and ideals, Maryse said confidently, "I will definitely become a First-Class adventurer and break the Sword Princess's level-up record!"
Roy's record was so absurd that it was considered a unique miracle; no one even bothered to use him as a benchmark. Hearing this, Daphne and Cassandra exchanged looks. They understood a rookie's arrogance, but the reality was... the gap between some people was greater than the gap between a human and a dog. If Roy hadn't carried them, they would have needed another two or three years to level up—especially Cassandra, who, as a healer, usually only received scrap experience.
They didn't know how to advise Maryse. Indulging her would lead her to an early grave, but discouraging her often made self-important rookies think you were just jealous. They looked to Roy for help.
Roy gave them a reassuring look. Eina had entrusted this girl to him; it wouldn't be right to let her leave without learning a real lesson.
"Maryse," Roy asked, "Are you interested in seeing the Middle Floors?"
"The Middle Floors..." Maryse's eyes widened. For a rookie on their first day, the 5th floor was already the limit.
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Danmachi : Starting with an Elf (342 Chapters – Ongoing)
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"Growth requires adventure," Roy said. "You should know that leveling up requires a feat—an 'Exelia' of greatness."
Maryse felt a surge of motivation. Eina had been very conservative, telling her to stay on the 2nd floor, but she felt she was being looked down upon. Spurred by Roy, the girl's rebellious streak took over. Having successfully killed 5th-floor monsters under their guidance, she assumed the Middle Floors couldn't be much harder.
"Let's do it!" Maryse agreed.
Daphne and Cassandra were speechless. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Still, with their strength, protecting a rookie in the Middle Floors was easy enough.
As they descended into the 12th floor, Maryse noticed a drastic change. The seniors who had been chatting casually were now silent, their faces taut with focus. Even the usually timid Cassandra displayed the professional aura of a high-level adventurer.
Without speaking, Roy, Daphne, and Cassandra moved in perfect sync. Roy took the vanguard, handling the densest monster zones. Daphne guarded the rear against ambushes, and Cassandra stayed in the middle, ready to heal. A dagger was strapped to her thigh, and her pouch held emergency antidotes and bandages.
From the 12th to the 17th floor, waves of Hellhounds, Minotaurs, and Needle Rabbits attacked relentlessly. Maryse had no chance to act. When a two-meter-tall Minotaur roared at her, she collapsed to the ground in terror.
Thrust! Roy's sword pierced the Minotaur's chest, turning it into ash. He didn't stop, immediately moving to the next target. Maryse watched their coordination—clean, efficient, and devoid of wasted movement. It was like watching a different dimension of existence.
This is a high-level adventurer.
Remembering her earlier boast, she felt ridiculous. Forget Roy—even Daphne and Cassandra felt like unreachable peaks.
In Roy and Lyu's philosophy, the best "healing" was killing every monster so no one got hurt in the first place. Under Lyu's brutal training, Cassandra had developed solid melee skills, using her dagger to help Daphne clear the rear. Sensing the overwhelming power of the trio, the Dungeon's monster spawn rate actually began to drop. It wasn't an illusion; the Dungeon truly preyed on the weak.
They reached the safety of the 18th floor. Even the beautiful scenery couldn't distract Maryse, who was pale and trembling. She finally understood Eina's warning: Underestimate the Dungeon, and you will die.
"We'll rest here on the 18th. I'll go get the tent," Roy said. The girls agreed immediately; Maryse's legs were so weak she didn't want to move another inch. Roy pretended to go into the forest to retrieve "hidden supplies" from a stash, though they were actually in his ring. He wasn't about to reveal that to an outsider.