In the frost-fog of the tenth floor, the lingering heat of battle had yet to fully dissipate.
The flames wreathed around Alise's body gradually flickered out. She let out a soft breath, a hearty, satisfied smile playing across her face. Lyu stepped silently out from the edge of the mist, her wooden sword already returned to her waist.
"Continue onward," Lyu said calmly. "Su Lun, you will take the lead for the next stretch. Alise and I will hold the rear; we will not intervene unless absolutely necessary."
Su Lun nodded and took a deep breath. Inside his consciousness, the Abyssal Grimoire flipped open slightly, its pages revealing the clear models for various cantrips and first-tier spells.
"Understood. I'll start with Eldritch Blast."
The three of them pushed deeper into the frost-fog. Visibility hovered around ten meters, and the magic stone lamps cast hazy, glowing halos through the mist.
Before long, new enemies appeared. Three Orcs—pig-faced beastmen—burst from the mist on the left. They seemed to have been drawn by the noise of the previous skirmish, their stone axes still stained with drying blood.
Su Lun raised his right hand, his index finger pointing at the lead Orc.
"Eldritch Blast."
A beam of violet energy erupted soundlessly, tearing through the mist and striking the Orc squarely in the chest. The monster let out a pained howl as its forward momentum sputtered, a charred wound smoking on its thick hide.
The other two Orcs were already within five meters. Rather than retreating, Su Lun stepped forward, his left hand gripping his shortsword.
"Emerald Flame Blade."
Green magical fire ignited out of thin air, coiling around the blade in his left hand. He stepped to the side, slashing the emerald-flamed sword toward the neck of the Orc on the left.
The property of the Emerald Flame Blade triggered—upon hitting the first target, a portion of the flames leaped toward a nearby enemy. As the first Orc's throat was laid open, emerald sparks splashed onto the shoulder of the Orc on the right, igniting its fur.
"ROAR!"
The Orc on the right swung its axe in a berserk frenzy. Su Lun sidestepped the blow, electricity beginning to pool in his palm.
"Thunderous Blade."
A clap of thunder echoed through the mist. Su Lun's sword, wreathed in dazzling arcs of lightning, met the stone axe head-on. Lightning collided with stone, sending blinding sparks flying. The Orc was surged with electricity, its entire body locking up in paralysis. Su Lun seized the opening, delivering a follow-up Eldritch Blast to end the fight.
The three Orcs dissolved into black smoke, leaving behind a few crude magic stones and a single tusk.
"Eldritch Blast to open at range, Emerald Flame Blade for multiple close-range targets, and Thunderous Blade for a hard interrupt. Practical," Alise critiqued from the side. "A very solid cantrip rotation, Su Lun. However, your casting motions could be more subtle."
Lyu nodded. "Dungeon monsters are not fools. If they realize your starting posture is tied to magic, they may move to dodge or interrupt you prematurely."
Su Lun looked thoughtful. It was true; his habit of raising his hand for every spell was a bit too obvious.
They pressed on.
The passages of the tenth floor began to branch out, with some even sloping downward, clearly leading to deeper reaches. The frost-fog waxed and waned; in the thinner patches, one could see ice crystals forming on the rock walls.
Then, they encountered their first true swarm.
Dozens of Imps closed in from three directions, letting out piercing, cackling laughs while brandishing short blades coated in venom. More troubling were the two Badbathers circling high above, emitting mind-warping sonic waves.
"Quite a crowd," Alise said, her hand resting on her hilt. She glanced at Lyu, then relaxed her grip. "Su Lun, want to try that area-of-effect spell you mentioned?"
"Yeah." Su Lun quickly assessed the situation. The Imps were scattered; a direct attack would be too inefficient. Meanwhile, the Badbathers' sonic waves were already starting to mess with his concentration.
He began constructing spell models with both hands simultaneously—the Transmutation-school Grease in his left, and the Conjuration-school Ice Knife in his right.
"Control first, then clear the field."
He pressed his left hand forward into the empty air. "Grease!"
A fifteen-foot square of ground ahead was instantly coated in a layer of slick, magical oil. The lead Imps, caught off guard, slipped and went tumbling to the ground. The remaining Imps warily skirted the grease, flanking from the sides.
Right then, the spell in Su Lun's right hand was ready. "Ice Knife!"
A shard of crystalline ice formed in his palm and shot out like an arrow. Mid-flight, the ice knife shattered, exploding into dozens of razor-sharp shards. It blanketed the area containing two Imps on the left and one of the Badbathers.
The Imps shrieked as they tried to dodge, but the spread was too wide. Struck by multiple shards, their movements grew sluggish—the frostbite effect of the spell was taking hold. The Badbather in the air couldn't fully evade either; its wings were shredded by ice crystals, making its flight erratic.
"Beautiful area control!" Alise couldn't help but praise.
But the battle wasn't over. The Imps on the right were within three meters, and the other Badbather had adjusted its position, making its sonic interference more focused. Su Lun felt the difficulty of constructing his next spell spike sharply.
He didn't force the cast. Instead, he took a step back and raised his hands again—this time, he used single-handed casting while using the other hand to steady his mental focus.
"Eldritch Blast." Su Lun aimed at the flying Badbather.
The violet beam pierced the creature's wing, sending it plummeting with a mournful cry.
"Emerald Flame Blade." He swapped back to his sword to meet the lunging Imps. The green fire severed an Imp's arm, and the leaping flames ignited the shoulder of the next.
Two Imps retreated, screaming. Su Lun didn't give chase. Instead, he turned back to the greased area where the fallen Imps were just starting to scramble up. He clasped his hands together and made a throwing motion.
It wasn't Eldritch Blast, but another cantrip. "Acid Splash!"
A small orb of potent acid flew into the center of the fallen Imps. Upon impact, it burst into a spray of corrosive liquid. The monsters' leather armor and skin hissed as the acid ate through them, and they curled up in agony.
The battle was over in thirty seconds. The remaining Imps dissolved into smoke, and the two Badbathers vanished. Over a dozen magic stones and various monster materials lay on the floor.
Su Lun panted slightly. Casting two first-tier spells and multiple cantrips in rapid succession took more out of him than expected. The mental burden of constructing Grease and Ice Knife at the same time was particularly noticeable.
"How is your mana?" Lyu asked.
"About one-fifth gone," Su Lun estimated. "Grease and Ice Knife are first-tier; they cost significantly more than cantrips. But the results were worth it."
Alise gathered the loot, adding, "The combo of control plus area damage is very effective. However, when you cast those two spells at once, there was a clear moment of stiffness. If the enemy had ranged attackers, that would be dangerous."
"I noticed," Su Lun gave a helpless smile. "Dual-casting requires more refined mental splitting, and…" He looked at his palm. "The power of the Ice Knife seemed a bit weaker than I expected. Maybe the frost-fog environment interfered with the spell, or my mana output isn't stable enough yet."
Lyu walked over to him, her voice gentle but firm. "To have such self-analysis after your first real battle is impressive. Your cantrip combinations are already enough to handle most situations. High-tier spells should be reserved as trump cards for decisive moments."
They pushed further.
For the next two hours, Su Lun completely immersed himself in the practical refinement of his spells. He experimented with different cantrip combos: using Lightning Lure to pull monsters close for an Emerald Flame Blade or Thunderous Blade follow-up; using Ray of Frost to slow them down before picking them off with Eldritch Blast; and even testing the reach of Thorn Whip to set up Alise for a plunging strike.
His use of first-tier spells became more fluid. Beyond Ice Knife and Grease, he tested others: Faerie Fire was remarkably effective in the frost-fog, making marked monsters clearly visible even in the thickest mist. The "always-hit" nature of Magic Missile was perfect for high-mobility Imps. Shield blocked several sudden ambushes, including a War Shadow lunging from a shadow on the ceiling.
The most harrowing moment occurred toward the end of the tenth floor. They ran into a mixed horde: fourteen Orcs, six Imps, three Badbathers, and two War Shadows hidden in the mist. Su Lun used Grease to split the battlefield and Ice Knife to suppress the aerial threats.
However, in a gap between casts, a War Shadow lunged from Su Lun's blind spot, its claws aiming for his ankle.
"Shield!"
The instantaneous shield blocked the strike, but another War Shadow emerged from behind him almost simultaneously. They were too close; there was no time to cast. Just as the claws were about to make contact—
The whistle of a wooden sword cutting the air.
Lyu's figure appeared beside Su Lun like a ghost. Her wooden sword tapped lightly against the War Shadow's "forehead." There was no sound, but the monster froze before its entire body shattered like glass.
"Th-thank you," Su Lun exhaled.
"War Shadow ambushes are difficult to guard against. Do not blame yourself," Lyu said, retracting her sword. "However, your Shield reaction was fast. If you had cast it just a moment sooner, you could have blocked it entirely."
She looked toward the battlefield. "Continue. Alise has nearly finished clearing the rest."
Indeed, in the few seconds Su Lun had been under attack, Alise had swept through the remaining monsters like a firestorm. With her flames at full power, these upper-floor monsters were simply overwhelmed.
After the battle, the three took a brief rest by a relatively dry patch of rock.
"We've explored three-quarters of the tenth floor," Lyu said, checking the map. "According to Guild data, the entrance to the eleventh floor is to the southeast. Shall we enter?"
Alise looked at Su Lun. "How's your condition?"
Su Lun felt the mana within him. "About half left. I can use cantrips indefinitely, but I can only manage four or five more first-tier spells."
"Then we shall only dip our toes in," Lyu decided. "We will enter the eleventh floor, explore no more than a hundred meters from the entrance, and return immediately. The goal is for you to feel the jump in difficulty between floors, not a full conquest."
"Understood."
Floor 11: Attribute Requirements D~B.
The moment they stepped onto this floor, the air became heavy and oppressive. The bioluminescent moss on the walls was sparse, leaving the light dim. A scent of earthy musk mixed with old metal hung in the air, and the faint sound of falling rock debris echoed from the distance.
"It feels different," Alise's voice was very low. She leaned forward, entering a combat stance. "Something is approaching… and it's more than one type."
A heavy dragging sound came from the main passage ahead, accompanied by the screech of hard objects scraping against stone. Three silhouettes gradually sharpened in the gloom.
They were squat and stout, about 1.5 meters long, their backs covered in overlapping plates of heavy armor that glinted with a cold, metallic sheen—looking like massive, segmented armadillos. These plates weren't smooth; they looked like crudely forged steel, grinding against each other as the creatures moved. They had no obvious heads, only armored wedge-shaped protrusions at the front with two dull yellow lights glowing underneath. Their thick limbs ended in claws suitable for digging, but currently, they were using those claws to drag heavy, bone-like tail-maces covered in spikes.
"Armadillo-type monsters, heavy-armor variants," Lyu explained calmly from behind. "They are troublesome enemies that start appearing on the eleventh floor. The composite armor on their backs is highly resistant to physical attacks; blunt and piercing strikes are particularly ineffective. Though slow, the swing of that tail-mace is powerful enough to shatter the bones of a Level 1 adventurer. If they take enough damage, they might curl into a ball, increasing their defense even further."
Just then, a rustling sound came from the upper walls!
Several gray shadows swung down from the crevices and overhangs, landing lightly—they were three ape-like monsters. They stood about 1.8 meters tall, hunched over with long arms that reached past their knees. They were covered in thick, silvery-gray fur, especially on their backs where the hair was long and shimmering, like a silver cloak. Their faces were hideous, fangs bared, with yellow eyes that darted about with a mix of cunning and ferocity.
"Silverback Apes," Lyu's speaking pace quickened slightly. "Also from the eleventh floor. They hunt in packs, are highly agile, and excel at using the terrain for high-altitude attacks. Their claws and fangs are sharp, and they possess basic tactical awareness. Watch for their pincer maneuvers."
The Armored Armadillos continued their heavy approach, their tail-maces dragging and kicking up sparks. The Silverback Apes let out screeching cries, moving nimbly between the walls and ground, circling toward the flanks to form a pincer.
"Handle the fast ones first!" Alise judged quickly, her sword pointing toward the apes. "Su Lun, restrict them!"
"Got it!"
Su Lun thrust out both hands. Right hand aimed at the agitated apes, Conjuration energy surging—
"Faerie Fire!"
A burst of brilliant, multicolored light-dust splashed out, accurately shrouding the three Silverback Apes. Glowing magical marks instantly lit up on their bodies, and their movements faltered.
His left hand pointed toward the steadily advancing Armored Armadillos—
"Magic Missile—Metamagic: Empowered Spell!"
Three enhanced missiles hissed through the air, striking the joints of the side-plates on two armadillos and the hind leg of the third. The missiles exploded into energy sparks against the metal plates; the one that hit the joint clearly hampered the creature's movement.
Enraged, the marked Silverback Apes shrieked and lunged from different directions. Alise met one, Red Order thrusting toward its chest. The ape actually twisted its body mid-air, its claws slapping against the sword to propel itself into a backflip—stunningly agile.
The other two tried to bypass Alise to reach Su Lun. Su Lun's brow twitched.
"Grease!"
Slick magical oil appeared right in the path and footing of the Silverback Apes. One ape slipped and fell with a startled cry, while the other barely managed to cling to the edge of the rock wall.
"Now's the chance!" Seeing this, Alise exerted sudden force to finish the ape in front of her before spinning toward the fallen one.
But the three Armored Armadillos had entered striking distance. Two of them moved horizontally to block the path between Su Lun and Alise. The third turned slowly, raising its heavy, spiked tail-mace high toward Su Lun, beginning to charge—a low, unsettling power gathered in the mace.
"Su Lun, watch the tail-mace! Don't take it head-on!" Lyu warned.
Su Lun felt the heavy pressure of the tail-mace locking onto him. He couldn't let it swing! He abandoned the attack on the apes, focusing all his concentration on the threat before him.
His right hand gripped the Stream-vein shortsword at his waist.
Just as the tail-mace was about to swing, Su Lun moved. He didn't retreat; instead, he stepped forward. Mana and holy concepts within him surged through the mana-conducting runes of the hilt, pouring entirely into the blade. The shortsword erupted with a blinding golden radiance.
Su Lun gripped the sword with both hands, facing the terrifying tail-mace. He twisted his body, stepped in, and slashed—
"Supreme—Holy—Smite!"
The Stream-vein shortsword, wrapped in pure holy energy, turned into a condensed golden arc. It didn't strike the mace itself; it struck with pinpoint accuracy at the root joint connecting the tail-mace to the body!
CLANG—CHHH!
After the metallic ring of the blade hitting heavy armor came the violent hissing of holy energy corroding matter. Under the elemental advantage of the holy attribute, the seemingly indestructible joint plating was sliced open with a deep gash, destroying the internal structure.
The tail-mace dropped heavily to the ground. The armadillo let out a muffled, pained roar, its entire rear half malfunctioning due to the structural damage.
"Nice! You broke it!" Alise, having finished an ape, shouted as she found a spare second.
The crisis wasn't over. The other two Armored Armadillos approached like moving fortresses, and the last Silverback Ape circled to Su Lun's rear flank, forming a pincer.
Su Lun breathed softly. His mana was low, but his eyes were calm. Without looking back, he cast an instantaneous Eldritch Blast toward his rear, the violet beam forcing the ape to dodge and retreat.
Immediately after, facing the two armadillos charging almost side-by-side, he poured the majority of his remaining mana into one last spell.
"Shield—Metamagic: Empowered Spell!"
Vwoom!
The translucent forcefield expanded forward in a fan shape, like a wide magical pavise, barely holding position in front of the two armadillos.
THUD! THUD!
The two monsters slammed into the invisible wall, their charge coming to a dead halt. The shield flickered violently, emitting an overworked hum, but it held. The crushing advance was stopped.
"Alise!"
"On it!"
A flame-like sword light slashed in from the side. Alise seized the window Su Lun had created, pouncing on the armadillo crippled by the Holy Smite. Red Order, wreathed in the blazing flames of Agaris Alpenbroel, bypassed the hard back armor and plunged accurately into the torn wound at the tail's base. Fire surged into the opening!
The armadillo let out a deafening wail as its internal structure was incinerated, and its heavy body collapsed.
The rest of the fight was a foregone conclusion. Having lost their momentum, the armadillos became clumsy targets. Alise's flaming sword sought out the gaps in their plating and joints. Su Lun used his remaining mana to coordinate with Magic Missile and Eldritch Blast, pinning down the last ape until Alise delivered the killing blow.
The passage was left with only the sound of heavy breathing and the dim light of magic stone lamps.
"Hah… hah…" Su Lun leaned on one knee, his forehead drenched in sweat. He felt his mana dip to the edge of the safety line, and waves of mental exhaustion washed over him. The hand gripping the Stream-vein sword trembled slightly.
Alise was also breathing a bit hard, her face flushed with excitement. "Our coordination is getting better and better! Su Lun, that wide-area shield was so clutch! And cutting off that tail-mace with your sword—that was beautiful!"
Her gaze lingered on him—the way his chest rose and fell, his knuckles white against the sword hilt, his black hair damp with sweat, and those eyes, which were exceptionally bright despite the fatigue.
He was exhausted, his hand was shaking, yet his eyes were brighter than before they had descended. Like… a sword tempered in fire. Is this the potential of a hero? Something stirred in her heart as she remembered him seven days ago, unable to even hold a basic stance on the training ground. Now, he could draw his sword and face monsters head-on.
Lyu walked over to Su Lun. She didn't say anything at first; she reached out her hand, not touching him, but hovering an inch above his shoulder plate. A faint green light flowed from her palm, gently sweeping over the surface of his armor.
"Song of the distant forest, melody of life past—descend with your healing mercy upon the one who asks."
Lyu used her magic: Noah Heal.
"Are you alright?" she asked, her expression softening into a gentle look.
Su Lun took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to steady his breathing. "I'm okay, Miss Lyu. Just a bit drained." He looked down at his checked armor and thanked her softly. "Thank you. And thanks, Alise."
Alise, who had crouched down beside him, looked up and grinned. "Don't mention it! That's what companions do! But Su Lun, you really lunged in close back there. My heart almost jumped out of my chest!"
"Because I had to be close to use Holy Smite," Su Lun's voice was raspy but clear. "And… seeing that tail-mace charging up, I felt like I couldn't let it swing. If it had hit home, or swept toward you, it would have been trouble."
As he spoke, his gaze drifted involuntarily to the wreckage of the armadillo, specifically the jagged rift at the base of the tail. Then, his eyes slowly scanned the entire battlefield—the messy magical traces, the stiff corpses of the monsters, the dark, seemingly endless passage.
"This place…" Su Lun paused, choosing his words carefully. "It feels completely different from the upper floors. It's not just that the monsters are stronger. There's a kind of… malice. The apes specifically look for blind spots to ambush, and the armadillos coordinate to block the path. It's like they know how to make things harder for us."
He tightened his grip on the sword hilt.
"My current level is still far from enough," Su Lun looked up. He looked at Lyu, then at Alise, a stubborn seriousness in his eyes. "I could only manage because of your cover and warnings. If I were alone in an environment like this, I probably wouldn't even be able to retreat."
He paused, his voice dropping slightly. "I want to… at least train until I can safely come and go from floors 1 to 12 on my own. I can't always rely on you to turn back and save me, or to watch my back for me."
Alise blinked, seemingly wanting to offer some comfort, but she was stopped by a look from Lyu.
Lyu listened quietly, her emerald eyes fixed on the boy's serious face. He wasn't complaining about the cruelty of the Dungeon, nor was he becoming arrogant from the recent victory. He was analyzing, measuring, and setting a clear, perhaps even harsh, goal for himself.
Was he afraid? No, it wasn't fear. It was seeing the distance and deciding to cross it. That soft corner of her heart was nudged once again.
"You did well," Lyu finally spoke, her voice carrying a softness that naturally put one at ease. "It is easiest to panic when two types of monsters appear at once. You didn't."
She looked back at Su Lun. The boy's face was still flushed from battle and his breathing wasn't fully steady, yet he stood straight.
"We have seen the way you have practiced your swordplay these past days—Astraea and I," Lyu's voice grew even softer, carrying an almost imperceptible tenderness. "We know you didn't mention the blisters on your hands from gripping the sword, and that you practiced your footwork in the courtyard late at night. We knew."
A faint, embarrassed flush crept onto Su Lun's face. He hadn't realized his extra practice was being watched. "I just… I felt like my foundation was too poor. I didn't want to hold you back."
"No one thinks you're holding us back!" Alise cut in immediately, patting his back gently. "You just saved me, didn't you?"
Lyu stood up and walked to Su Lun. Since they were of similar height, she only had to look up slightly to meet his eyes. "So, when I saw you swing that sword today, I wasn't surprised," she said, her lips curving into a rare, genuine smile. "I was just… a little worried. Don't get that close to a charging tail-mace next time, alright? If it hits, a Shield spell might not block it entirely."
There was no reproach in her tone, only concern—as natural as an older sister reminding a younger brother not to step in puddles on a rainy day.
Lyu continued, her gaze falling on Su Lun's hands, which were still trembling slightly. "But look, your hands are still shaking. You drained too much mana at once; your body will remember this burden. In the future, leave a little bit of strength in reserve—even just a little. The Labyrinth is deep, and the road is long."
She reached out and, this time, truly patted Su Lun's shoulder. The motion was light and comforting. "For a rookie to encounter a combo like that on the eleventh floor and walk away unscathed…" A light flickered in Lyu's eyes. "Alise and I weren't nearly this composed our first time down. You did… better than we did back then."
Alise nodded vigorously, her green eyes full of agreement. "Totally! I almost got my face scratched off by a Silverback Ape back then!"
Hearing this, the heavy sense of inadequacy and the perceived "malice" of the Dungeon seemed to melt away under their gentle words.
Su Lun nodded and said seriously, "I'll remember that, Miss Lyu. As for soloing floors 1 to 12… I'll take it one step at a time."
It wasn't a boast; it was a promise. To himself, and to the companions who cared for him.
Lyu pulled her hand back and turned toward the way they had come. Her back was straight, her wooden sword hanging at her side, every step steady. She didn't look back, but she left her most stable side to them.
Alise quickly scooped up the last few drops and scurried to Su Lun's side, her voice low but unable to hide her amusement. "Did you hear that? Lyu praised you! She rarely praises anyone that directly! I'm definitely telling Lyra and the others when we get back! Oh, and you want to train until you can solo the first twelve floors? I'll train with you! Our Familia doesn't have much, but we have plenty of time for training!"
Su Lun turned to follow them. Fatigue washed over him like a tide, but the strength born from seeing the path ahead and the determination to walk it sustained his steps. He took one last look at the dark passage of the eleventh floor, where countless eyes seemed to peer from the shadows and silent malice flowed between the rocks.
Lyu walked at the very front. Listening to the low conversation of her companions behind her, that small curve of her lips didn't disappear.
He's improving so fast. And… he isn't afraid at all.
She sighed softly to herself in her heart.
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Danmachi: My Magic Style is Different from Yours (43 Chapters – Ongoing)
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