Chapter 53 - Let's Go!
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Orsted: "Hmm…"
'System, are you trying to turn me into an all-round adventurer?'
'With Mystery, I can craft magic items, and with Mage, I can create grimoires.'
'And now, with Forging, I can not only make equipment but also forge magic swords!'
Orsted fell into deep thought.
Forging was a skill tailored for blacksmiths.
With the Forging development ability, one naturally gained an edge in crafting equipment.
As long as the materials weren't vastly inferior, gear forged by a blacksmith would always outshine that made by one without it.
And now, Orsted had acquired the Forging: EX development ability.
In other words, he had reached the pinnacle in this field—a master craftsman.
With enough materials and the will to do so, Orsted could forge the world's most powerful equipment, weapons, and magic swords.
He could craft magic items, produce grimoires, and now forge top-tier equipment and magic swords?
What was next?
Brewing potions?
Growing medicinal herbs?
Orsted didn't believe the system wasn't grooming him to be an all-round adventurer.
'Why is it like this?'
"Miach-sama must have told you." Orsted's slightly distracted expression led Naaza to mistakenly assume he was unsettled by her appearance.
She smiled and spoke softly.
"No, I was just lost in thought," Orsted replied, shaking his head.
He glanced at Naaza's exposed white arms and offered a gentle congratulations.
"Congrats on overcoming your psychological trauma."
"Let's go," Naaza said with a warm smile.
The group nodded and proceeded inside, descending into the dungeon.
Lili and Tifa weren't just worried about Orsted—they were also concerned for Naaza.
Although she insisted she'd moved past her fears and no longer dreaded monsters, who could say for sure how she'd fare?
Fortunately, Naaza's condition matched her claims.
When she encountered her first monster again, she instinctively stepped back, but in the next moment, she summoned her courage, drew her bow, and felled a Kobold with a single shot.
"Congratulations, Naaza," Orsted said after watching her dispatch the monster he'd deliberately left for her.
"What precise archery," Tifa remarked, looking at Naaza.
"Thank you," Naaza replied.
"It seems the Miach Familia will soon reclaim its former glory," Lili added with a smile.
"Thank you for the kind words," Naaza responded. "But Miach-sama has said he won't expand the Familia recklessly."
"He plans to take the elite route moving forward." She smiled as she explained.
"The elite route? That's a solid plan," Orsted agreed.
Indeed, focusing on quality over quantity was a wise choice.
Take the Astraea Familia from a few years back: every member was an elite, none below Level 3, and with just eleven members, they ranked among Orario's prominent Familias.
"Yes," Naaza affirmed.
With that, the four of them ventured deeper into the dungeon, breaking through floors one by one.
As their adventure officially began, Orsted took the chance to gauge Tifa's strength.
She was formidable—monsters on the upper floors posed no challenge to her.
This wasn't surprising; Tifa had been part of AVALANCHE, so she was far from a mere decorative fighter.
Soon, they reached the middle floors.
This time, Orsted didn't aim for the fifteenth floor specifically, opting instead to explore the thirteenth.
In the past, he'd sought out Minotaurs to earn excelia.
Now, that wasn't necessary—hellhounds and some middle floor monsters would suffice.
While slaying these monsters wouldn't greatly enhance his abilities, he couldn't focus solely on himself.
Neither Lili, Tifa, nor Naaza was ready to face a Minotaur.
Lili lacked the strength to handle one.
Tifa, newly exposed to middle-floor monsters, wasn't yet acclimated, and Naaza, having just returned to the adventuring frontlines, was still adjusting.
Before she'd stepped away, Naaza had only recently ranked up.
She could manage weaker monsters, but Minotaurs were another matter—especially now, as she needed time to regain her footing.
Though they weren't hunting Minotaurs specifically, Orsted and his group still slew monsters as they progressed, gradually descending to deeper.
Returning from the middle floors in a single day was impractical, so they planned to fight their way through, as Orsted and Lili had done before.
Orsted's luck remained as dreadful as ever—in a good way.
Along the journey, he gathered a wealth of rare materials and an abundance of drops items.
When it had been just him and Lili, the drop items were plentiful, but with Tifa and Naaza added to the mix, it grew even larger.
As they pressed forward, slaying monsters along the way, they soon reached the fifteenth floor—the point where Minotaurs began to appear.
Orsted grew especially vigilant.
With Lili, Tifa, and Naaza in tow, he wasn't sure if the latter two could handle a Minotaur, so he stayed on high alert.
Before long, the group encountered their first wave of Minotaurs on this expedition.
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