Seeing Ryuu's killing intent weaken somewhat, Roy secretly let out a sigh of relief. This matter was settled!
"As a bonus…"
Roy said, "I can tell you information about the Juggernaut. This is something even the gods don't know—at the very least, it will let you know how your companions died."
Ryuu stared at Roy intently, wishing she could tear his mouth open. Always speaking in riddles—was it fun?
Roy continued, "The Juggernaut, also known as the 'Calamity.' When large-scale destruction is caused on a single floor, resulting in severe damage to the Dungeon's structure, the Dungeon will abandon repairs and instead produce this abnormally powerful monster to eliminate the intruders."
"Fire Stones!"
Ryuu's icy expression froze. When they had been hunting down the dark familia, the enemy had used a large number of Fire Stones. Although they hadn't been killed outright, the floor itself had been destroyed.
Judging from the dark familia's reaction, they hadn't known such a thing would happen either.
Unexpected accidents occurring in the unknown Dungeon were, in fact, completely normal.
And yet… they had been annihilated for such a reason.
"Damn it!"
Ryuu clenched her teeth tightly. Images of her companions flashed through her mind, and the vengeful expression she had been forcing herself to maintain finally collapsed. Her eyes filled with tears as she collapsed onto the bed.
Roy complained inwardly—don't cry on my bed, will you? Now I'll have to wash it again.
Her sobbing was low and suppressed, like a stream struggling beneath a massive boulder. Roy put away his flippant attitude. The Ryuu Lion before him was nothing more than a sixteen-year-old girl who had just lost all her companions.
After a long while, Ryuu raised her head and wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes. The strength showing on her small face was enough to put adults to shame.
Ryuu looked at Roy.
"You are?"
Roy extended his hand and smiled brightly.
"Roy. I look forward to working with you from now on, Gale Ryuu Lion!"
Ryuu did not take the hand he offered, only giving a slight nod.
"I agree."
Roy didn't mind at all. He had just secured a Level 4 fighter!
The contract was established!
The elven girl would work for Roy for three years, and he would help her obtain the resurrection secret art.
Elves, who valued contracts and promises above all else, were the least likely of all races to betray an agreement—especially Ryuu Lion, who was renowned even among elves for her sense of justice.
Deceiving an underage elven girl like this gave Roy a slight pang of conscience.
All he could do was work hard to increase his own strength.
After all, the greater the hope, the greater the despair.
If, three years later, he failed to help her obtain the resurrection secret art, Ryuu would kill him without hesitation—by methods far more terrifying than her revenge against the dark familia.
Roy asked, "How's your condition?"
Ryuu replied, "Don't underestimate an upper-class adventurer."
Roy wasn't surprised. The physique and habits of upper-class adventurers were monstrous. Those who spent years in the Dungeon could fall asleep in an instant and recover stamina and mental strength within minutes—standard practice.
The fatigue on Ryuu's face vanished without a trace.
More importantly, learning that her companions might still be revived filled her with a hint of vitality and hope. She looked far better than before, when she had been completely lifeless.
Roy manually operated the panel. When entering instances, teammates could be added—letting a powerful ally carry him.
The teammate interface showed only one empty slot.
Beside it was a prompt stating that for every level he gained, he could add one additional teammate.
[Ryuu Lion has been added as a teammate!]
[Demon Slayer Instance: Hunt Upper Rank Two, Douma. Reward: 600 attribute points, Bronze Treasure Chest!]
…
Roy quickly selected the instance mission. The Demon Slayer world was just right in terms of scale and difficulty—perfect for testing the strength of Ryuu, his Level 4 fighter.
Ryuu couldn't see the system panel. Seeing Roy poking at empty air, she frowned. Had she trusted the wrong person? Was this man simply mentally unstable?
Roy smiled.
"Let's go!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ryuu was shocked to find her body turning into specks of starlight, becoming increasingly unreal—something she had never experienced before.
When Ryuu opened her eyes again—
The tent they had been in was gone. Before them stretched a silent forest, night blanketing the sky, countless brilliant stars scattered above, beautiful like a painting.
"Is this a secret realm similar to the Dungeon?" Ryuu surveyed her surroundings, quietly marveling.
"You can think of it that way," Roy replied.
He followed her line of thought. The DanMachi world was vast; the Dungeon was one of the three great secret realms. Aside from it, there were many smaller secret realms as well. Even the forests where elves lived could be considered secret realms in the eyes of others.
Ryuu felt fortunate. Being transported from Orario into a secret realm in an instant—such a method was comparable to a god releasing divine power. Not attacking Roy earlier had been an extremely wise decision.
Otherwise, if he had escaped into this secret realm, she could search the entire world and still never find him—something she would regret for the rest of her life.
Unconsciously, the boy before her became shrouded in mystery in Ryuu's heart, as if enveloped by a thick layer of fog.
That sense of mystery also greatly increased the credibility of the "resurrection secret art" he spoke of.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sounds of metal colliding echoed from deep within the forest.
Roy and Ryuu exchanged a glance, suppressed their presence, and silently moved closer.
The distance wasn't far. After advancing about two hundred meters, they saw an open clearing where two figures were engaged in fierce combat, their movements blindingly fast.
One was a girl wearing a butterfly-patterned haori, her body covered in wounds. Opposite her stood a strangely dressed young man holding two iron fans, a ferocious, fanatical smile on his face.
Kanae Kocho encounters Upper Rank Two, Douma!
"So that's the target this time?"
Ryuu stared coldly at Douma. Since Roy had brought her here, he clearly wanted her to hunt a monster.
"Not yet!"
Seeing Ryuu about to charge forward, Roy quickly stopped her.
Roy knew that Kanae Kocho would hold out until dawn, avoiding being eaten by Douma, and would later pass Douma's information to Shinobu Kocho.
There was still some time before sunrise.
Lowering his voice, Roy said, "Let me tell you about the target first. That thing is a demon—not an ordinary monster. Demons possess self-awareness."
"A demon? A monster with self-awareness?"
Ryuu glanced at Roy and saw he wasn't joking. Looking back at the battle in the clearing, she noticed the young man speaking fluently, conversing with the girl, which couldn't help but surprise her.
Roy wasn't surprised at all. Before the appearance of the Xenos, monsters with self-awareness were, to people, nothing short of fantasy.
Roy continued, "That demon has abilities similar to ice-based magic. Ice crystals formed from blood fill the air. When approaching it, be sure to block your breathing—otherwise, your internal organs and blood will freeze.
"It also has extraordinary regenerative abilities. Even if its head is blown apart or its body is cut to pieces, it can still recover."
Listening to Roy's explanation, Ryuu frowned. Even floor bosses didn't necessarily possess abilities this abnormal.