But Fron's mana capacity was huge. Even Airmid wouldn't have been able to heal so many all at once.
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"Hahaha, Miss Ais is right, just easing my pain and slowing the spread of the poison is already enough to let us breathe a sigh of relief!"
As he spoke, the wounded all gave him a thumbs-up.
"Uh, sorry everyone. You'll have to endure a bit longer. Neutralizing the poison with healing magic will take a few hours. After that, I'll come back and cast again, then you'll be completely cured."
"Hahaha, that's already more than enough. Don't forget, we're adventurers too!"
"That's right, don't underestimate us. After all, we're Lv.2, Lv.3 at least. A little pain is nothing to us!"
After chatting with the injured for a while, he finally left the area.
Only when he had walked quite far did Fron let out a heavy sigh.
"Feeling the pressure?" Fron and Ais stood by a small stream, staring blankly at the dreamlike water.
"It's just that everyone was too enthusiastic. More than half of the injured are high-level smiths from the Hephaestus Familia. If I couldn't solve the problem well, it would affect relations between allies. This was my first time handling such a situation, so I was a little nervous."
The girl tilted her head, blinking at the young man's handsome profile.
"It feels like just yesterday… in the blink of an eye, Fron has grown to such heights."
"..." The young man gave a wordless, awkward smile, embarrassed by her words.
He thought of himself as nothing more than a lucky ordinary person. Without his "cheat," his efforts would have been far inferior to his companions.
"Are you thinking your efforts don't measure up to ours?"
As if reading his mind, Ais spoke softly.
"That's not true. Everyone can see it, you have courage, and you even risk your life in battle. After gaining power, you never abuse it to bully the weak. Fron, your actions already make you a true strong one. Everyone acknowledges you."
"..." The girl's serious praise was an emotional blow straight to Fron's heart.
"Alright, you've been busy all day, you must be tired. Go get some rest."
"What about you?"
"Me? I've slept three days and nights, and my passive skill has activated again, so I'm full of energy. I'll apply for a night watch duty. Besides, my staff needs to be repaired, and it's rare to have free time, wasting it would be a shame."
Just thinking about the complicated, tedious process of repairing his staff made him sigh.
After sending Ais back to the girls' tent, Fron returned to his own. He packed his tattered gear into his supporter's backpack, shouldered the heavy bag, and left camp to repair his weapons and equipment.
He walked for over a hundred meters before settling on a raised spot where the stream curved.
Setting down a portable magic stone lamp, he lit a campfire. With it's light, he carefully studied his weapon maintenance notes.
Once he fully entered study mode, his senses dulled to his surroundings.
Fron was all too familiar with this state.
After just finishing repairs on "Night Fa-II," the ceiling of the 18th floor began to glow faintly.
"Mm, " He stretched deeply, then exhaled with relief.
"That's enough for now. Improving the craftsmanship will have to wait, I don't have the tools or materials here. I'll deal with it back at the workshop."
"I polished the staff too. The magic stone replacement will also have to wait."
Given the crude environment, this was the best maintenance he could manage. He rated his own work: passing grade.
"Boom, " Because of the proximity to the 17th floor passage, a deafening rumble shook the area.
Slowly turning his head, his golden eyes flickered with thought.
"Did… the Goliath just respawn?"
The thought of the Goliath's massive magic stone made his fingers itch.
"Tempting… that huge magic stone could sell for tens of millions, even over a hundred million valis."
He grabbed his newly repaired staff, leaving his armor and backpack behind, and strolled casually toward the passage to the 17th floor.
…
The "Middle Floors," last floor of the rocky labyrinth, the 17th.
In a giant rectangular hall, a rampaging giant smashed through the smooth "Wall of Sighs," pounding its chest and roaring.
The presence of a "Floor Boss" shook the entire floor.
"Hey, big guy. Seeing you always feels kinda familiar."
From the sloped passage emerged a figure, showing no tension or fear despite facing the Floor Boss alone. He even joked at the terrifying monster.
His handsome, sharply defined face and sculpted features drew attention.
Golden messy hair and a bright smile made him naturally likable, especially to women.
But that was only for his kind.
For an floor boss like Goliath, though the fragile human looked harmless, its primal instincts screamed danger. The man before it exuded a bone-chilling, overwhelming pressure.
…
"Rrrroooaaaar, !"
"Ah, stop yelling already. Everyone's exhausted from the expedition. I want them to sleep well tonight."
His warm smile turned into a winter wind from the north, chilling to the bone.
"Could you… shut up?"
"[Face the end (Ragnarok)!]"
"[Surtr!]"
Black flame and lightning burst from his body.
"----- "
In an instant, his figure blurred past the giant, leaving only a black afterimage hanging in the air.
With a sharp sound, his weapon sliced clean through its right calf, severing it completely with mirror-smooth precision.
Flicking the blood from his staff tip, Fron narrowed his golden eyes, smirking at the giant writhing on the ground.
"Time really flies. Last time I fought your predecessor, things were a lot rougher. We barely managed."
"Honestly, I'd like to vent all the resentment I've bottled up on you. But if I wake everyone, that would be bad, especially the girls. A good night's sleep keeps their moods bright. So, sorry."
"Three minutes min."
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T/N: First Bonus Chapter for crossing 500 power stones; another bonus chapter will be posted in sometime~