"I'll introduce my abilities first, Lefiya."
Qianshuo spoke calmly, like this was routine.
"I'm an agility-and-strike type swordsman. I can serve as both vanguard and rearguard—leave the front line to me."
"My skills are the Secret Sword series. I can use multiple sword techniques."
Qianshuo knew there was no point hiding his swordsmanship or his "Secret Sword" techniques, so he laid them out plainly.
Of course, he still kept Ittou Shura to himself.
This wasn't a fight to the death.
Alicia listened, and quiet surprise flickered in her heart.
Not a magic swordsman?
She'd assumed Qianshuo would be one—after all, Hedin was a versatile magic swordsman, and disciples often followed their master's path.
But Qianshuo was a pure swordsman—like Ais.
That was unexpected.
Then it was Lefiya's turn.
She glanced at Alicia, and when Alicia gave a small nod, Lefiya spoke.
"I'm Level 2… a mage. My magical firepower is very high—at its peak, it can reach Level 4 standards."
The moment Lefiya said it, even Qianshuo blinked.
Heith too looked a little shaken, staring at Lefiya in surprise.
No one had expected such talent from a girl that young.
Now Heith understood why Loki Familia had assigned Alicia as her guide into the Dungeon—there was a reason they valued her so highly.
But in truth, Lefiya was still hiding a lot.
There was an even more terrifying secret she didn't reveal:
While most adventurers could only possess three spells, her skill "Elf Ring" allowed her to learn all elven magic.
Meaning…
In theory, Lefiya could learn hundreds—thousands—of spells.
Qianshuo gave a soft exhale.
"So you're that strong… Then if we run into monster swarms later, we won't have to worry."
He couldn't help admiring it.
A twelve-year-old, daffodil-colored elf girl his age—yet carrying strength like that.
Orario truly never runs out of geniuses.
In that moment, Qianshuo understood that saying more clearly than ever.
"Ehehe… I-I'm not as amazing as you make it sound…"
Lefiya scratched her head with an embarrassed, goofy smile, clearly floating from the praise.
After all, since arriving in Orario, this was the first time someone her age had complimented her like that.
Of course she'd be happy.
"Then let's go, Lefiya."
Qianshuo slid his katana back into the scabbard at his waist and spoke lightly.
"Okay!"
Lefiya tightened both hands around her staff, and the two of them moved forward—front and back—toward the next floor.
Behind them, Heith and Alicia walked side by side.
"Alicia… prying for intel isn't a good habit, you know."
Heith glanced at her with a relaxed, knowing tone.
Alicia returned a gentle smile.
"Heith, isn't it good for children to interact? Even if our familias compete, that doesn't mean we're true enemies."
"And besides—didn't you learn Lefiya's abilities too?"
Both of them were speaking with subtext, but both also knew where the line was.
More than anything, it was curiosity—
Curiosity about what the two great mages, Hedin and Riveria, were shaping their disciples into.
The Fifth Floor: Firepower Unleashed
Once they reached the fifth floor, Qianshuo changed tactics.
Compared to the upper floors, the number of monsters had noticeably increased.
He could no longer wipe them out cleanly before full contact.
And Lefiya's magic finally came into play.
A charge of dozens of goblins was something even Qianshuo couldn't brute-force head-on.
He had to avoid the brunt.
"Qianshuo—move!"
Lefiya's voice came from behind.
He didn't hesitate.
With a flash-step, he slipped away, hugging the wall and retreating to Lefiya's rear flank.
The next instant—
"Firebolt Volley!"
Lefiya's chant ended, and she shouted—short, sharp, and forceful.
The temperature spiked.
Qianshuo could even feel the heat bloom against his back.
Flames swallowed the entire corridor.
Goblins screamed.
The walls crackled and burned.
A stench of scorched flesh and smoke filled the air.
Everything told Qianshuo the same thing:
This is her firepower.
"With Lefiya here, we'll probably push down to the ninth floor today. You're a huge help."
After cutting down a cat-monster that tried to ambush Lefiya, Qianshuo returned to a position three body-lengths ahead of her.
Lefiya smiled shyly.
"You're amazing too! If you didn't gather them together, I couldn't cast so easily."
Their cooperation started to form real rhythm.
Qianshuo pulled the monsters in, used his speed to slip out of Lefiya's blast zone, and enabled efficient area wipes.
And any monster that tried to break formation and rush Lefiya—
Qianshuo killed it, every single time.
They couldn't even get close.
His speed and strength proved he really was an agility-strike swordsman.
And his swordsmanship was ruthless—clean, sharp, almost always a one-hit kill.
Alicia watched with quiet approval.
Even if Lefiya was the main damage dealer, Alicia understood something clearly:
If Qianshuo wasn't there, once monsters got in close, Lefiya would be in serious trouble.
A Level 1 swordsman—
Yet maintaining calm, sharp battlefield awareness…
Taking responsibility for both the front and the back…
Always watching Lefiya's safety…
He wasn't eager to show off.
He adapted his style for team combat.
That alone was enough to be called excellent.
Alicia couldn't help admiring him.
"Heith… I understand now why you people value this child so much."
Even as a member of a rival familia, Alicia praised him sincerely.
Because excellence wasn't only about raw strength.
Heith's lips curved upward.
"Well… he is Hedin's disciple."
And in her heart, she felt oddly proud.
This kid really makes us look good.
Alicia narrowed her eyes slightly, watching Qianshuo and Lefiya as they rested briefly and moved toward the next floor.
"But next is the sixth floor… Can these two handle it?"
The Sixth Floor: The Newcomer Killer Appears
Upon entering Floor 6, Qianshuo immediately noticed the change.
The walls were no longer the familiar pale blue.
They had turned a pale green.
The corridors tightened.
The maze structure became more complex.
But Qianshuo didn't panic.
He hadn't slacked off on Hedin's assigned reading, so even in a new environment, his mind stayed clear.
"Lefiya, stay close."
"Floor 6 isn't like the earlier floors. Monster clustering increases here—and a new monster appears."
"War Shadow."
Qianshuo's calm voice echoed in Lefiya's ears.
She unconsciously gripped her staff tighter.
"Okay!"
She nodded hard.
But tension crept into her heart.
Ahead was a square chamber with no obstacles—no cover at all.
As far as the eye could see, only pale green walls.
And the War Shadow—
A monster known as the newcomer killer, something first-time Dungeon adventurers struggled against.
Then—
Crack.
A strange sound like something splitting open rang through the silent hall.
There was no monster in sight.
No shadow moving.
Only that unsettling sound, pulsing against the eardrums.
The pale green Dungeon wall ahead began to rupture.
The breaking spread wider and wider—
Until finally, the wall burst.
A monster broke through from the inside—born in an instant.
No growth phase.
It emerged fully formed: tough, mature, ready to fight immediately.
Hands thrust out of the cracked wall, clawing at open air, tearing the surface wider as its body forced its way out piece by piece.
Dungeon fragments scattered across the floor.
Then came a loud final crack—
And the creature's feet hit the ground.
If you had to describe it in one word:
A shadow.
About 1.6 meters tall.
Pitch black from head to toe.
Limbs shaped close to human.
But there was no fur, no skin—its whole body looked like it had been painted in glossy black ink.
The only notable feature was its cross-shaped head, with a round, mirror-like component embedded where a face should be.
A grotesque monster, like a living shadow pulled into reality.
A monster of Floor 6—
War Shadow.
Qianshuo locked eyes on the two War Shadows ahead, drew his katana, and released a razor-edged killing intent.
"Lefiya—coordinate with me. Chant Light Bow and Arrow. I'll hold these two War Shadows in place."
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