The Dungeon had been silent.
Too silent.
And then—like a trap snapping shut—the moment that stillness shifted, the Dungeon revealed its true nature.
The War Shadows rose without a word.
They had no vocal organs, yet their movements carried a chilling intent as they calmly spread into combat stances.
Those mirror-like "faces" gleamed with an eerie sheen as they locked onto their prey:
Qianshuo and Lefiya.
War Shadows had razor-sharp fingers—three long digits on each extended arm, their tips shaped like daggers.
They advanced with a speed goblins and gnomes could never hope to match, then struck using those twin "weapons."
Among the monsters of Floor 6, their raw combat ability was nearly unrivaled.
In the so-called Upper Floors—Floors 1 to 12—War Shadows were infamous as the hardest monster for rookie adventurers to handle.
But Qianshuo had already memorized the Dungeon bestiary.
That was why he could stay calm.
If he were alone, he would've chosen a safer strategy—kite, split them, and take them down one at a time.
But now he had Lefiya: a powerful mage at his back.
That meant he could afford to be more aggressive.
He trusted her—because she was his partner in this fight.
And once he chose to trust someone, he did it without reservation.
No "familia rivalry," no prejudice—only trust in an ally.
The War Shadows lunged.
Their attacks were simple in pattern, but the speed and power behind them were enough to shock.
Still—
Compared to the sword-light afterimages Hedin had carved into Qianshuo's body in training…
These were slow.
Even with their arms extending to increase their reach, Qianshuo's blade work sealed them off tightly—so tightly that he could even counter toward their vitals.
Black blades curved like bird talons flashed in from the edge of his vision, skimming so close they almost scraped his skin.
Front. Side. Back.
Centered on Qianshuo, four long black arms stabbed in again and again, weaving and retracting in relentless rhythm.
"Lefiya!"
Qianshuo barked a short call.
He had completely pinned both War Shadows in place.
At that moment—
Lefiya had already finished her chant.
"Liberated arrow of light, sacred wood as the bow's shaft—
I am the one named master of the bow."
"Intercept—Fairy Archer!"
"Pierce through—unerring arrow!!"
A luminous arrow formed from pure magic.
In an instant, it became a streak of light that shot out from behind her—straight at a War Shadow.
Lefiya's Light Bow, Luminous Arrow carried tracking.
So even as the War Shadow jerked into a reflexive sidestep—
It was still struck cleanly.
The arrow punched through its body, and the magic stone inside shattered into dust and vanished.
With one War Shadow gone—
Qianshuo's katana reversed in his grip.
The surviving War Shadow's arm sliced the air—
And in that exact moment, Qianshuo dropped his stance, coiling low.
A sudden acceleration.
So sharp, so abrupt, the War Shadow's strike skimmed past his cheek and whiffed empty air.
He pivoted—
A returning thrust.
The black katana drove straight into the War Shadow's face.
A heavy cracking sound echoed through the chamber.
The mirror-face shattered instantly, pierced through along with its head.
A sludge-like black liquid surged from the back of its skull.
It convulsed once—briefly—then its whole body went limp.
Its knees buckled, and it collapsed.
Two War Shadows.
The infamous "rookie killers."
They didn't even last minutes against Qianshuo and Lefiya's coordinated assault.
That alone said everything about how terrifying this "newbie team" really was.
"Heith… where did you people even find this child…?"
Alicia had witnessed everything.
Her eyes held a complicated mix of astonishment and unease.
Qianshuo's performance was far beyond her expectations.
Even against monsters whose "numbers" exceeded his level, he handled a one-versus-two with composure.
And more than that—
Alicia could tell.
Qianshuo had the ability to kill both War Shadows by himself.
But he understood the risk in doing so.
So instead, he fully exploited Lefiya's magical advantage and secured the win cleanly.
Strength. Judgment. Temperament.
Flawless.
"You'll have to ask Lady Freya."
Heith chuckled, her gaze full of warmth as she looked at Qianshuo.
This kid really makes me look good.
"We're amazing, Qianshuo!"
Lefiya cheered brightly, skipping forward and patting Qianshuo on the shoulder in excitement.
Fighting alongside him was almost too enjoyable.
For Lefiya, it even felt like she'd finally found what "combat" truly meant.
Qianshuo froze.
Then instinctively took a half-step back.
"What's wrong, Qianshuo?"
Lefiya tilted her head, puzzled.
"Lefiya… physical contact…"
He started cautiously.
"Oh! I don't have that habit—uh, that 'cleanliness taboo' thing toward other races."
Lefiya immediately understood what he meant and hurriedly waved her hands.
She wasn't bothered at all.
What Qianshuo had been referring to was the elven "purity" taboo.
Elves revered cleanliness and pristine purity, and were often intensely averse to physical contact with anyone outside their own kind—or those they deeply acknowledged.
It was practically a major taboo among elves.
Male or female, it didn't matter.
That was also why, from the start of the battle until now, Qianshuo had always maintained a careful distance from Lefiya.
Not only because he was playing vanguard—
But because he was avoiding that "taboo."
He hadn't expected Lefiya to lack that habit.
It was… surprising.
"Huh? That child doesn't have it?"
Heith blinked, genuinely startled.
That was a trait most elves shared.
"She's from the eastern Vishen Forest. It's more open there."
"And her personality is lively—so she doesn't keep that habit."
Alicia nodded lightly as she explained.
Every elf had their own way of living.
Alicia understood that.
"I see."
Heith murmured, enlightened—
And then her gaze flicked unconsciously to Alicia's black gloves.
Yeah.
Alicia's pride and cleanliness were beyond question.
Just then—
Both Heith and Alicia's expressions sharpened.
They had sensed something.
Up ahead, Qianshuo was still discussing the next fight with Lefiya when—
His instincts snapped tight.
The katana at his waist flashed out of its sheath.
Lefiya froze at the sudden motion, eyes wide.
"Lefiya—behind you!"
The moment Qianshuo shouted it, he caught her expression as she turned toward the threat.
That wasn't a face meant for battle.
Her pupils dilated, like she'd seen something she was never meant to see.
The color drained from her face in an instant.
Her lips trembled.
Her entire body locked up—like she'd been hit with paralysis.
"Lefiya!"
No response.
Her eyes stared forward, while sealed memories surged out from the depths of her mind.
The War Shadow's claw was already within striking distance—
Close enough to pierce her heart.
"First Secret Sword—Rhinoceros Strike!"
In the next heartbeat, Qianshuo displayed control far beyond what should be possible.
Every ounce of force compressed into speed—
And he exploded forward so fast Lefiya couldn't even track it.
A split second before the claw pierced her—
He pulled her into his arms, vanished sideways—
And in that same motion, his blade point drove through the War Shadow's torso.
"So fast…!"
Alicia couldn't help blurting it out, stunned by what she'd just seen.
Qianshuo released Lefiya carefully.
Her body was trembling.
"Lefiya—are you okay?"
"I… I'm sorry… Qianshuo…"
Her voice shook with fear.
"I… my body won't move…"
She slumped on the ground.
And Qianshuo stood there, staring.
The girl who had been cheering just moments ago—
Was gone.
In her place was someone swallowed by terror, by old shadows crawling up from the past—
A fear that blackened her heart in an instant.
-------
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