19th Floor.
After descending from the massive tree hollow in the center of the 18th Floor, Ryoji noticed that the Dungeon's terrain started becoming increasingly absurd.
The 17th Floor was still a narrow cave system, but by the time they reached the 19th Floor, the space had suddenly expanded several times over. The passageways were like canyons, over ten meters wide, and they were spacious enough for more than twenty people to walk side by side.
From the tight corridors of the upper floors to the vast expanses of the middle floors, the Dungeon formed a conical shape, the deeper you went, the wider it became. It's said that by the time you reach around the 40th Floor, the terrain is wide enough to rival the entire city of Orario.
Looking around, the corridors of the 19th Floor were covered in bark, and glowing moss lit up the walls with countless specks of light. It truly resembled a maze carved out of a giant tree.
And in fact, the official name for the 19th to 24th Floors of the middle section is the "Large Tree Labyrinth."
"Level 2 Adventurers will form the main force. Level 3s will provide support!"
Led by Finn, the higher-level Adventurers all looked calm and relaxed, showing zero signs of pressure, as if they had no intention of even lifting a finger.
Instead, several Level 2 Adventurers, including Ryoji, along with some Level 3s, stepped forward to form a spearhead formation and charged headlong into the hordes of monsters.
The monsters here were all Level 2, and very numerous. If you let your guard down, a dozen could appear at once, like some kind of party. At least several Level 2 Adventurers working together were required to explore this floor safely.
"Ooooh!!"
A massive Bladehorn Deer let out a savage roar, lowering its dual-sword-like antlers and charging straight at Ryoji.
"Hah!"
Ryoji was just about to act when a nearby Level 3 Adventurer raised his shield and charged in first, blocking the antlers.
"Now!"
Having stopped the charge, he shouted back at Ryoji.
Without hesitation, Ryoji stepped forward and thrust his sword into the stunned Bladehorn Deer's throat, finishing it off cleanly.
"You're on your first expedition, right? Try to watch how we fight." The shield-wielder put away his shield and gave Ryoji a friendly pat on the shoulder.
"Don't try to show off or hog all the excelia. If you do that, you won't live long, especially once we reach the lower or deep floors."
Ryoji glanced around.
Among the vanguard squad, everyone fought in tightly coordinated pairs, with a clear distinction between vanguard and middle guard roles. It was like a disciplined military unit, no one was fighting alone.
Even Line had picked up a dagger and was fighting monsters in the middle guard line, maintaining proper formation.
"I understand." Ryoji nodded with newfound clarity.
The battle resumed.
This time, Ryoji blended seamlessly into the team, no longer trying to stand out. Matching his steps with the others, he helped cut down wave after wave of monsters. His rapid adaptation speed left the shieldman from earlier stunned.
"This is completely different…"
Ryoji swung his katana again.
Totally different.
His eyes had become sharper, his dynamic vision greatly improved from before his level-up. His hearing had also become more sensitive. More importantly, his physical strength had increased by multiple folds, not just a little.
His whole body felt far lighter than it had at Level 1.
He hadn't noticed it much right after leveling up, but now that he was in combat, the difference was instantly clear. His movements felt reborn; he was swinging his sword so fast that it was almost invisible.
Ryoji calmed himself and focused.
His eyes turned razor sharp.
"Sshraaak!"
With a flash, his sword cleaved cleanly through a massive snow-white giant bear monster standing over two meters tall, splitting it in two.
The nearby Level 3 shieldman, who was just about to rush in, stared at him like he'd just seen a ghost.
The giant bear monster was among the most powerful of all Level 2 monsters, stronger even than a Minotaur, practically a superior version of it. And yet, it had been insta-killed just like that?
That left the vanguard standing nearby with zero chance to even show off.
'Wasn't this guy just promoted to Level 2? Wasn't this a bit too ridiculous?'
"Something's off."
Even though that slash was clearly more powerful, by more than just a little, Ryoji still frowned deeply.
"This isn't bravery. This is just sharpness. Brave Heart should be about charging forward without hesitation or fear… just like when I use Lightning Flint. But I'm too caught up in clear mirror, still water, it's becoming a mental shackle."
Whenever he entered combat, he instinctively fell into the mental state of clear mirror, still water, a state of perfect tranquility and focus that stripped away all agitation and distractions, allowing him to fight in peak condition.
But that state was extremely calm, while the Brave Heart Skill demanded extreme passion. The two were fundamentally contradictory.
That made it much harder for Ryoji to unleash the full power of his Skill, Brave Sword Heart, which amplified his attack power.
"No… If I was able to acquire this Skill, that means I do have a brave heart. That's my natural talent, there's no reason I shouldn't be able to master it!"
Ryoji took a deep breath, eyes burning with determination.
Calmness and Passion.
They were two contradictory mental states.
It had taken him less than half a month to master clear mirror, still water. So how could he not believe that, given another half month, he could master the balance between calm and fiery will?
All he needed to do was fight.
Train through battle. Fight continuously.
With his innate skill, he would be able to master it.
BOOM!
Roars echoed one after another.
On a desolate wasteland where not a single blade of grass grew, where the rocks and dust had all been dyed blood-red, unfolded a vast, surreal battlefield.
On this seemingly otherworldly terrain, sand and dust billowed into the sky as thunderous footsteps shook the rocky earth into rubble.
A pair of giant, twisted horns, like a mountain goat's, protruded from the grotesque head of the monster. Its horse-like face and grotesque features, coupled with its heavy, snorting breaths and whirling blood-red eyes, made it a terrifying sight.
The goat-headed monster gazed down arrogantly at its prey.
"Shield wall, hold formation!!" Finn's voice thundered across the chaotic battlefield.
The monster's enormous body charged forward, a black tide of stone crashing head-on into the formation.
Dozens of Level 3 and Level 4 Adventurers raised their shields to form a wall at the front lines, but the monster's assault smashed through it like a joke, forcing their heels into the dirt.
"Frontline, tighten formation! Rearguard, keep firing! Tiona, Tione, reinforce the left flank immediately!"
At Finn's command, the twin Amazoness sisters shot across the battlefield.
With their white fists, they shattered the monster's fossil-like bone weapons head-on. A single elegant kick from their tender feet sent a goat-headed monster's head spinning through the air.
"There are too many Fomoire! Even if I had a few extra bodies, it still wouldn't be enough!"
"Quit whining, keep moving!"
Dozens of goat-headed monsters, Fomoire, surrounded Loki Familia on this crimson wasteland.
This was the 49th Floor, deep within the deep floors of the Dungeon.
The Fomoire were overwhelmingly superior to Minotaurs in every aspect, easily over ten times stronger. Even Level 4 vanguards had to grit their teeth to barely hold the line, only Gareth stood unshaken, like a boulder amidst a storm.
But he alone wasn't enough.
The front-line formation shattered like a broken river, allowing one Fomoire to break through and charge straight into the rearguard ranks.
(End of chapter)
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