As they descended to the lower floors, Qianshuo remained as composed and steady as ever. He fulfilled his duty as the party's vanguard swordsman—without a single lapse.
At the same time, he protected Lefiya extremely well.
Even when her nerves made her stumble mid-chant, he would comfort her in a low voice and give her encouragement.
Just like he'd said at the start—
As long as he was there, monsters wouldn't be allowed to cross the line and hurt Lefiya.
Even when a monster was right in front of them, the katana in Qianshuo's hands would flash coldly—
Cutting it down before it could even reach her.
Seventh Floor.
Lefiya's hands were still trembling. When she chanted, her voice wavered, and several times she almost bit the wrong syllable.
But every time she paused, Qianshuo's voice came from the front:
"It's fine. Take it slow."
Not urging.
Not scolding.
Just a simple take it slow.
Lefiya inhaled deeply and began again.
This time, she didn't stop.
Eighth Floor.
Her chanting sped up a little.
She realized Qianshuo always appeared exactly when she needed him.
When monsters charged—he was in front.
When she finished her chant—he had already opened distance for her.
It was like… he was always watching her.
Not monitoring.
Protecting.
"Thank you," Lefiya whispered.
"Hm?"
"Nothing."
Ninth Floor.
Lefiya's magic tore through the last monster's body.
She stood there, staring at her own hands.
They weren't shaking anymore.
She didn't know when it stopped. But now she held her staff steadily, and even her heartbeat had calmed.
"Lefiya," Qianshuo's voice came from behind her.
"Hm?"
"You did great."
Four simple words.
And yet, Lefiya suddenly felt her eyes sting.
Nearby, Alicia and Heith watched the scene with quiet appreciation.
From today's performance, Qianshuo had been flawless—there was nothing to criticize, not even the smallest blemish.
Even Alicia, cold and proud by nature, had to acknowledge him now.
She hadn't expected a twelve-year-old to be this mature.
And the way he "looked" at things was clearly different from other people—
Take the way he handled Lefiya, for example. This kind of comfort, this kind of timing… most people wouldn't even think of it, much less pull it off.
"Alright—let's stop here for today. We'll explore the area ahead another time."
At that, Heith called out and walked over toward Qianshuo and Lefiya.
Because going further down meant reaching the 10th Floor—a new region, where stronger monsters would appear.
These two were entering the Dungeon for the first time. Reaching the 9th Floor was already more than enough; there was no need to push deeper.
And it also gave Heith a fairly accurate evaluation of Qianshuo's current strength.
As long as he didn't run into the "Infant Dragon" around the 12th Floor area, and didn't go below the 13th Floor, he could basically come and go freely.
Alicia nodded as well.
Today, for both her and Lefiya, there had already been a lot to take away from this trip.
The floors below would require a proper squad. With just the two of them, the risk would rise.
"Okay," Qianshuo said with a nod.
A hint of fatigue showed between his brows.
Reaching this far was already beyond what he'd expected.
At first he'd thought the 7th Floor would be the limit for him and Lefiya—
But once Lefiya steadied herself again, her magic output became downright astonishing.
Still, anyone with eyes could tell—Lefiya included—
That all of this was thanks to Qianshuo's precise direction and his ability to shoulder both frontline and backline responsibilities.
An adventurer like him was the kind every party wanted.
Too calm. Too quick to adjust. Too decisive with strategy.
"Then we split the profit evenly. Lefiya—this is your share."
Qianshuo handed her a bag filled with magic stones and monster materials.
"Eh—what?! No, no… Qianshuo, I… you should take more."
"You did more than me. I actually… kind of held you back."
Lefiya shook her head frantically.
Sure, she'd killed many monsters too—but she knew she couldn't have done it without him.
They might even have collapsed back when they encountered the War Shadows—
She might not have had the courage to face monsters again at all.
"Take it," Qianshuo said, shaking his head gently, and pushed the bag toward her again.
"Don't overthink it. And if it weren't for your magical support, we wouldn't have gained this much either."
It was the truth.
This was team cooperation—so it should be split evenly.
No matter who "performed better."
They each did their role properly. To Qianshuo, there was no such thing as "dead weight" here.
And without Lefiya's heavy firepower, Qianshuo—at his current level—would've had a far harder time in a sustained extermination run.
Lefiya opened her mouth, still trying to argue—
"I… okay."
In the end, she could only nod.
"Not bad, kid. Pretty loyal."
Heith nodded in satisfaction, while Alicia looked at Qianshuo with a deep, searching gaze.
Both of them understood:
If Qianshuo had taken 70% of the profit today, it would've been completely reasonable.
He had carried frontline, backline, and command.
He had the talent to justify that split.
But he didn't.
He chose to split it evenly.
In his eyes, Lefiya wasn't a "cooperation partner"—
She was a friend.
And they could see it: the sincerity in his gaze toward Lefiya, untainted by calculation or ulterior emotion.
Somewhere along the way, Qianshuo had already placed Lefiya in the category of companion.
…
After a quick cleanup, they began heading back to the surface.
Along the way, monsters did appear—but with Alicia, a Level 4 adventurer, there was no obstacle that could slow their return.
Alicia's magic was ice-element.
It suited her personality quite well.
Qianshuo couldn't help thinking that blessings and magic probably reflected a person's "nature"—
Like his own One Blade Asura, his mimicry of sword techniques, and the secret sword series.
"Surface air really is the best," Heith said, breathing deeply and stretching lazily.
"Alright—time to go home and report in."
"Mm." Alicia nodded.
Lefiya thought for a moment, then bowed solemnly to Qianshuo in thanks.
The sudden gesture made all three—including Qianshuo—freeze for a second.
Lefiya stood there, watching him finish adjusting his gear, preparing to leave with Heith.
She hesitated, then called out:
"Qianshuo!"
He turned back instinctively.
"Um…" Lefiya's face was a little red. "Today… thank you."
Qianshuo blinked. "For what?"
"For… a lot of things."
Her voice shrank smaller.
"I'll remember what you said."
Qianshuo looked at her, fell silent for a second—
Then suddenly smiled.
The smile was clean, like the evening sky.
"Then work hard. Next time we team up, I want to see a different you."
"I will!"
Lefiya nodded hard, her eyes shining with something Qianshuo couldn't quite understand.
"Then… see you next time."
"Mm. Next time."
Qianshuo turned around and, together with Heith, walked into the sunset.
Lefiya stood where she was, watching that figure grow smaller and smaller—
Until it disappeared at the far end of the street.
"Next time," she whispered again, so softly only she could hear it.
Alicia looked at Qianshuo… then at Lefiya.
Freya Familia… has produced an unbelievable genius.
That was what she thought.
Today's performance in the Dungeon was enough proof:
Qianshuo was an adventurer with exceptional talent—and an even rarer temperament.
The sunset dyed the entire street orange-red.
Walking beside Qianshuo, Heith studied his slightly tired profile, then suddenly reached out and gently ruffled his hair.
"Kid… you did really well today."
Qianshuo froze.
It was the first time Heith had praised him like this—
Not teasing.
Not joking.
But sincere recognition from the heart.
"Thank you, Sister Heith."
Qianshuo smiled, exhaled lightly, and looked up at the sky.
A lot had happened today.
First time entering the Dungeon.
First time killing that many monsters.
First time fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with someone else.
The battle wilderness of Freya Familia lay ahead—tomorrow would be a new round of training.
But today…
He had moved one step closer to his goal of becoming the world's greatest swordsman.
Heith chuckled and flicked his forehead lightly.
"Kid."
"Hm? What is it, Sister Heith?"
Heith smiled.
"You were kind of cool today."
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