Having given it his all, seen through the elite Goblin's delayed attacks, and successfully defeated the entrance-camping monster, only to be taken out by some dirty camper hiding in a dark corner.
A helpless death.
Never underestimate a Souls-like Dungeon's malice toward players.
Xyros picked up his short sword and scrambled to his feet. Spotting the Goblin raising its bow again, ready to fire, he had zero desire to stick around.
His [Rebirth] charge was used up.
If he took a fatal hit now, he'd probably be done for in this Dungeon!
"Damn it, another rat?"
But then.
As he found cover, he noticed the black-haired girl standing in the distance.
From her purple Eastern kimono, accented with red armor, and her delicate features, her identity was obvious.
Yamato Mikoto.
What was she doing here?
That meant she'd witnessed his entire fight with the Goblin jock, including his resurrection via [Rebirth].
But Xyros couldn't worry about that right now.
Noticing the Goblin archer lose sight of him and slowly turn its aim toward the girl, he shouted, "Look out! You're its next target!"
"…"
The girl moved swiftly.
This was, more accurately, the speed expected of a Level 2 adventurer. The 20-meter distance to the Goblin archer vanished in an instant.
With practiced ease, Mikoto deflected the incoming arrow with her katana, then followed up with a clean, sweeping slash that cleaved the monster's head from its body.
The lifeless Goblin dissolved into black dust.
A dark magic stone hit the ground with a clear clink. Mikoto sheathed her katana and picked up the stone. It was… different.
In size, it was even larger than some monsters from the middle floors.
"Another mutated monster?" Confusion filled the girl's mind. But more than that, she was curious about the miracle she'd witnessed with Xyros.
Resurrection after death.
If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she'd never have believed such a thing was possible.
Puzzled, Mikoto proactively looked at Xyros. The hole pierced through his chest armor was clearly visible, yet there was no sign of any blood.
"Um…"
"Xyros, your body… are you okay?"
"No major issues."
Facing absolute strength, even mutated Goblins couldn't pose a threat.
That was what Xyros aspired to.
The key point was, without Mikoto's intervention, dealing with this Goblin archer with his current equipment would have cost him.
At the end of the day, his combat options were still very limited.
Xyros picked up the magic stone dropped by the earlier Goblin jock. The moment he touched it, a black energy, visible only to him, was absorbed.
[soul fragments +1]
Only by truly brushing up against death could one appreciate the value of soul fragments.
He was still a long way from recharging his [Rebirth], let alone saving up enough to draw a Character Card for a quick power boost.
As for the girl's hesitant expression,
Xyros could guess the reason with his eyes closed. But he had no intention of explaining. "Senior Yamato, are you here exploring the Dungeon too?"
"Yes."
"I didn't expect to run into you here either."
The young man with the clean, handsome features was shrouded in an air of mystery.
Mikoto wanted to ask but found herself unsure how to approach, or from what standpoint, to inquire about the secrets of a fellow adventurer like Xyros.
So she simply invited,
"Are you continuing your Dungeon exploration?"
"I'm done for today."
Xyros shook his head firmly.
Continuing had no margin for error. He couldn't just rely on Yamato Mikoto for safety, even if her strength was more than sufficient.
"Review the issues, keep training."
"That's the only way to make lasting progress in Dungeon exploration."
The girl didn't insist. She watched Xyros's back disappear down the floor passage until only she remained on the current floor.
She pulled out the magic stone from the Goblin archer she'd killed.
Maybe it was just a probability thing?
Mikoto didn't dwell on it. Following her original plan, she headed deeper into the Dungeon.
She hadn't gone far.
Reaching a turn in the cave, the subtle sounds reaching her ears instantly told her there were monsters ahead.
She drew her katana from its sheath.
But upon seeing the monster's appearance, her interest immediately waned.
The monster ahead was another Goblin, but the size difference was stark. It was a pathetic sight, draped in rags and wielding a stone axe.
A completely different level from the giant Goblin that had fought Xyros.
"Isolated incident?"
She had no desire to bother with this level of monster.
And as her Dungeon exploration continued, unremarkable and unchanged as always, the confusion in her heart only grew stronger.
Could encountering special monsters be something unique to Xyros?
If that were true,
Mikoto could probably understand, why Xyros's Dungeon expeditions were so difficult!
For a new adventurer to face monsters of that caliber, just making it back alive would be an achievement. But the moment this thought surfaced, she dismissed it.
"How could Orario possibly have such strange occurrences?"
....
"I really think you owe me an explanation."
"Why is your armor getting damaged so… frequently? If other adventurers found out, they'd probably think our products are substandard."
In the office.
Xyros looked at the deity before him, dressed in a white blouse that perfectly accentuated her alluring figure. Her slightly serious expression, paired with her mature, intelligent features, certainly had a unique charm.
But he wasn't in the mood to appreciate it right now. Faced with her question, he hesitated.
"It's mainly… the monsters I encounter in the Dungeon are pretty special. Some of them ambush me before I can react, and the armor just… shatters."
As he explained, he failed to notice Hephaestus struggling to maintain her serious expression.
She cleared her throat, a hint of curiosity in her voice. "If you don't mind me asking, which floor are you currently exploring?"
"Floor 1…"
"?"
Well, that does sound tough.
If he was running into monsters on the level of the "newbie killer" War Shadow, combined with the effects of the "Dungeon's Hatred," shattering his equipment made sense.
Hephaestus could understand that.
But if what Xyros said was true, it meant the dangers he faced in his daily Dungeon expeditions far exceeded those of most adventurers.
Very interesting.
Gods came to Orario to discover the unknown hidden within their children.
Even though Hephaestus was more curious about bizarre weapons, that didn't stop her from taking an interest in this new Familia member her friend had recruited.
"Have you figured out the problem?"
"Yes."
"I think it's mainly that my combat style is too single. I can't handle unexpected situations. It'd be much better if I could develop a few different tactical systems."
The young man spoke with conviction.
This was also what his own goddess had advised, as long as he had enough nerve, he could always score some freebies from Hephaestus!