Chapter 266: Nina: I Want to Stand By Your Side!
Since returning to Orario wasn't an option for the time being, heading to the lower floors was a good alternative. After being chased by the floor boss Goliath, Iglin and the others had been forced to confront the reality of their own weakness. That being the case, the only way to get stronger was to gain more practical combat experience and transform the unknown into fuel for their own growth.
Liam began to prepare food and supplies with Reche and the others. Freshwater and food were easy to restock by fishing and gathering water from the 18th-floor lake. Plus, once they reached the 24th Floor, they could resupply their water again.
For Liam, there was almost no danger in leading them to the deeper floors. The only real problem was whether or not he would expose his true self.
"Since this is the first time we'll be entering an unknown area together, everyone must focus on coordination," Liam announced. "Before I came to the Academy, I spent a lot of time studying the Dungeon on my own."
Iglin and the others nodded eagerly, their eyes shining with excitement. "That's fantastic!"
When fighting in the Dungeon, having a veteran guide was a massive buff for the entire party. A good guide could save the team time, help them avoid unnecessary battles, and even steer them clear of dangers that could wipe them all out. If a team of rookies went this deep on their own, they would suffer catastrophic casualties.
As Liam and his team departed the 18th Floor, they encountered all sorts of monsters, such as Mammoth Monsters. If Iglin and the others had tried to fight such a monster one-on-one, it could have easily resulted in injury. Therefore, as they explored the deeper floors, their formation slowly changed.
It now became a formation with Liam as the main attacker, while his companions served as support.
Kris watched Liam move. "I get the feeling Gieg had a ton of real-world combat experience before he ever came to the Academy."
Iglin agreed. "Yeah, he's way too familiar with this place. It's like he's been fighting here for a long time."
Liam didn't respond to their comments, choosing instead to redirect their focus. "From here on, pay close attention to your surroundings. As the floors get deeper, the Dungeon becomes more and more dangerous. That means our rest breaks will become shorter and fewer..."
The party advanced, eventually reaching the 23rd Floor. The monsters on this floor were already very high-intensity for Level 2 adventurers. As long as they didn't challenge the floor boss below, just training on this floor would be immensely beneficial for their futures.
"This is the 23rd Floor? This is amazing! The Academy's information on the Dungeon doesn't even cover this!"
In truth, the Academy's curriculum didn't go into excessive detail about the Three Great Uncharted Regions. After all, each one was more dangerous than the last. The Academy's primary duty was to guide students and let them develop their own interests, whether they became adventurers, alchemists, royal knights, or master blacksmiths. The futures of the Academy's students held infinite possibilities.
As Liam guided these peers, he felt the strange sensation of being a teacher leading his students. He chuckled to himself, then charged toward the next enemy.
"When fighting in the Dungeon, if your own strength isn't enough, you need to master the terrain and the floor's mechanics in advance," he explained in the lulls between combat, passing on his knowledge. "For example, if a lot of monsters are appearing, and they keep regenerating, destroying the walls they're spawning from is the most effective means of survival."
"Shouldn't we clear the monsters first?" Kris asked.
Liam spun around, his longsword killing a respawned monster and shattering the wall behind it in the same motion. "You can do both at the same time. Also, if you are confident enough in your strength, you can try to intentionally trigger a Monster Party. Generally, if a large number of monsters on a floor are killed, or if a certain mechanism is activated, the Dungeon will spawn a massive horde..."
Nina and the others immediately began listening intently. In the Dungeon, the information Liam was giving them was the kind that could save their lives. No one questioned him; they just wanted to absorb as much of it as possible so they would no longer hold him back.
Dungeon, 24th Floor.
Compared to the floor above, the environment here was drastically different. There were clear flowing streams, glittering magic crystals, and all kinds of rare ores and materials. Orario's status as the center of the world was inextricably linked to its monopoly on the Dungeon's output.
Liam wasn't sure when the Dungeon was born, but he knew that after the gods descended, they suppressed it and built Orario directly on top of it. Then, they established their Familias and had their followers become adventurers to fight within it.
Liam guessed that the reason the Dungeon held so much treasure was related to the monsters sealed deep within. Even the power that merely leaked from those beings was enough to alter the flora, fauna, and even the minerals of the Dungeon, making them more dangerous, or more precious.
"This is just... breathtaking!"
Nina's gaze was captured by the Great Azure Waterfall. It was an abnormally clear cascade of water, the color as dazzling as a blue crystal. The water thundered into the pool below, sending up a massive spray, making the air cool and humid. Besides Water Serpents and Mermaids, Nina and the others also saw translucent corals, blue cherry blossoms, and even pure white seashells.
Because they all listened to Liam's advice, no one rashly approached the water, and thus, they were not attacked by the monsters hiding within it.
The team soon descended to the 25th Floor. From here, looking up, they could even see the floor they had just left. Such a fantastical and beautiful landscape surely ranked among the greatest sights in the world.
Nina was beside herself with excitement. "It's so wonderful here... It's so beautiful."
Iglin snorted. "It's the same principle as a rose having thorns. No matter how beautiful the scenery is, you still have to watch out for monsters!"
Liam continued to scan his surroundings, wary of any potential danger. His senses picked up a massive object approaching. He glanced down and saw a ten-meter-long Blue Dragon flying upward. Its body was slender, covered in blue and white scales, its long fins waving gently. As it passed, it left a trail of red, violet, and greenish-white light in its wake.
"That's a Blue Dragon," Liam identified it. "Also called an Aurora Dragon or a Crystal Dragon."
The Blue Dragon's flight pattern seemed to defy gravity, as if it had an anti-gravity engine inside it. Or perhaps it was being held by a giant, invisible hand, floating and flying freely through the air. An anti-gravity engine was characterized by its erratic movement, able to change direction at any angle at any time. This dragon clearly had the same ability.
Liam made a quick calculation. The Blue Dragon was obviously a rare species. Iglin and the others showed no intention of trying to kill it; of course, with their current strength, they couldn't.
Just then, Liam sensed killing intent. He spun, his left hand drawing his blade. A Metal Blue Crab was cleanly cleaved in two. To prevent the drop items from disappearing, Liam had first severed its two claws and then all its legs before delivering the finishing blow to the main body.
Once he confirmed they were all detached, he gave the crab a clean death.
"Looks like our luck is good. We'll grill this later."
Just as he'd planned, the severed parts did not vanish when the monster died.
Nina and the others stared at Liam, dumbfounded. "How did you do that?"
"All that matters is that it's edible. The torso is a meter in diameter. The grilled legs alone will be more than enough for all of us."
Reche subconsciously swallowed. They had been eating nothing but dry rations and grilled fish in the Dungeon. The thought of eating crab meat was just too wonderful.
"Yes! I really want some crab!" Iglin cheered with excitement. Liam's stock of seasonings was plentiful, and his cooking skills made their mouths water.
But in his excitement, Iglin had forgotten to keep his voice down. The noise seemed to have alerted the Blue Dragon. It had been leisurely swimming and floating, having not noticed the adventurers, but now, its eyes locked onto Liam's hidden party and turned blood-red.
The Blue Dragon opened its fang-filled maw and spat a dazzling beam of light.
At the same instant the dragon prepared its attack, Liam released the Oni Power from his left hand. Dark purple energy gathered on his blade, and he unleashed a powerful slash. To avoid revealing his true strength, Liam held back a significant portion of his power. The Oni Slash flew forward as sword qi, slicing the dragon's beam apart and cutting a wound into its body.
The dragon's breath attack landed not far from the team, striking the crystal ground and instantly melting it.
"There's something wrong with that breath!"
Liam slashed again. A whirlwind generated from nothing, scooping up the corroded, melting crystal and flinging it into the distant stream. Immediately, Liam felt his head spin, but the dizziness passed in a second.
However, everyone else except Liam collapsed to the ground.
"Careless."
He'd fought a Crystal Dragon before but didn't know it had this ability. This Aurora Dragon's breath was poisonous. As the melted crystal fell into the water, the water's surface turned a grotesque color and released a foul stench.
Realizing this, Liam prepared to end the fight quickly. His speed exploded as he ran up the surrounding walls. As the Aurora Dragon unleashed another breath attack, Liam gathered an even denser amount of Oni Power. This time, the entire dragon was cleaved in two. Its corpse turned to ash in mid-air, leaving behind a magic stone and a sharp dragon fang.
Nina barely pushed herself up. Her face was pale as she gripped her staff and began to chant: "Wind's Lullaby, Flower's Cradle. Past splendor, bygone majesty. O white city that protects the mother, O hill of a hundred blooming flowers. O flowers, in place of me, a seed that cannot sprout, bloom. O light, sing to illuminate the noble traveler. O endless sky, O pure white, please let a crown that banishes miasma descend here! Bloom in solitude, O Second Spirit Peak! My name is Alf!"
An immense surge of magic poured from Nina's entire body. White feathers, or perhaps petals, expanded outward from her, spreading in all directions.
Kris stared at Nina in shock. "That's high-level purification magic! It can purify any abnormal status! And it has a healing effect! Not only can it cure poison and paralysis, but it can also defend against curses and mental attacks!"
Nina continued to release the magic; it was clearly an area-of-effect spell that lasted over time. Not only did it cure Reche and the others within its range, but the air outside the radius, and even the corrupted water, was being restored to normal.
Amazing. The effect of this magic was truly powerful. As a healer, Liam deeply admired this ability. When he returned to his Familia, he decided, he would do everything in his power to recruit her.
Nina walked over to him. "Gieg, are you okay?" she asked, her voice full of worry. Then, as if she couldn't hold back any longer, she blurted out her true feelings. "I want to be an adventurer just like you! I want to stand by your side and see more of the world!"
Just moments before, Liam had taken the initiative to fight that terrifying enemy to protect his teammates. She had been so worried about his safety, so terrified that she might see him die. And so, just this once, she let herself be bold.
Iglin and the others stared, dumbfounded, at Nina. They had never expected her to confess.
Nina, apparently, had just realized it too. Her face flushed a deep crimson. That speech just now... that was a confession, wasn't it?
It was Kris who broke the awkward silence. "Gieg! How are you so ridiculously strong? That was a rare species, man! I'm so jealous!"
"Gieg has always been strong!" Iglin snorted, not thinking too much about the confession. No matter how strong Gieg was, he could accept it.
After the experience of slaying the Blue Dragon, Liam decided not to take them any further. If they continued, he would be much more likely to expose his true identity. Although, he felt, the strength he had already shown was probably a bit too much.
After returning from the Dungeon to the Academy District, Liam went to the Headmaster's office. He had originally planned to find an opportunity to kill Goliath again, but he clearly hadn't had the chance.
"Liam, that was hard work on the internship." Baldr personally poured Liam a cup of tea, which he accepted with both hands.
"It wasn't that hard," Liam said. "But I've most likely blown my cover."
"Those are minor details. The Third Squad hasn't said a word about your true strength. They didn't even mention anything about going below the 18th Floor." Baldr looked at Liam with admiration. "You did an amazing job. Those extra lessons you gave them after you were trapped in the Dungeon were invaluable."
Liam thought of Nina's purification magic. That had been the first time she had ever successfully cast it. Iglin and the others had also grown in different ways thanks to the internship.