Ryuu took on the two captain and vice-captain of the Rudra Familia by herself, along with the remaining Level 2 adventurer.
Roy went after Jura, drawing the Muramasa sword at his waist. "I'll be your opponent!"
"You little brat, are you looking down on me?" Jura felt deeply insulted. A mere Level 1 trash daring to challenge him, a Level 2.
Roy pushed off the ground with both legs and charged straight at Jura.
Instead of meeting him head-on, Jura retreated, pulling a long whip from his waist. "Idiot. I'm a beast tamer. Why would I fight you head-on?"
High stats—especially those that break limits—could mean invincibility among the same level, but the massive gap between levels was something even Roy's SSS-grade Agility could not bridge.
The two chased each other through the cavern, weaving through the white mist. Roy was unable to catch up.
What Roy did not know was that Jura was even more shocked. He could not shake Roy off either. Was this really the speed a Level 1 adventurer should have? The distance between them remained constant, as if they were competing to see whose stamina would run out first.
Snap!
A vicious look crossed Jura's face as he lashed out with his whip. The strike tore through the air with a sharp crack, its serpent-like afterimage whipping across the hide of a dungeon monster.
"Monsters, fight for me!"
With his strikes and roar, nearby dungeon monsters dragged their wounded bodies back to their feet.
Orcs, Imps, Evil Bats, War Shadows, Killer Ants—monsters that moved to block Roy's path.
In this world, beast tamers did not truly "tame" monsters. They crushed their will to resist, forcing them to understand the power difference between themselves and the tamer.
The clearest proof was that tamed monsters would still attack anyone other than their tamer. Making monsters remember complex commands was extremely difficult.
Jura executed this perfectly, making the monsters realize that Roy, a Level 1, was an easier target than himself.
The War Shadows and Killer Ants alone were known on the upper floors as "rookie killers." If Roy dealt with them first, he would have no strength left to fight Jura.
Roy decisively pulled out the Frostblade.
With a light swing, icy cold exploded outward. Magic on par with a Level 3 adventurer surged forth as a blizzard engulfed the area, freezing every monster into ice sculptures.
Crack!
The next moment, all the ice statues shattered, dissolving into glittering ice crystals that scattered like starlight.
The translucent ice blade in Roy's hand shattered as well. This reliable magic sword was finally completely destroyed.
Jura's speed dropped slightly as he controlled the monsters, while Roy wiped them out in one strike with the magic sword. Seizing the opening, Roy closed the distance and slashed.
Jura twisted his body, grabbing the whip with his other hand and blocking Roy's descending sword sideways.
Seeing Roy's magic sword easily annihilate twenty to thirty monsters, Jura sneered. "That power… could it be a Crozzo magic sword? Damn brat, you've got quite a few good toys."
"You're not bad yourself," Roy replied coldly, gripping the hilt with both hands and forcing the blade down. "Pretending to be weak— you almost fooled me too."
During the earlier chaos, Jura had been slippery, never fighting the Pure Giants or dungeon monsters directly, always hiding cleverly behind others.
Though he looked battered and exhausted, his injuries were nothing more than superficial.
Those in the fray were confused; only an observer could see clearly.
And Roy had seen it once he entered the battlefield.
"That's how the Dark Faction does things, brat!" Jura snarled. He still had over seventy percent of his stamina left as he suddenly pushed forward.
In a pure contest of strength, the overwhelming force transmitted from Jura forced Roy to retreat again and again.
"Challenging me at Level 1 is the stupidest thing you could've done!" Jura laughed.
Even as a beast tamer, Jura was still a genuine Level 2 adventurer.
An adventurer who leveled up was no different from a superhuman. Even someone who barely crossed the threshold into Level 2 would see a dramatic leap in physical ability—leaping onto a two-story rooftop with ease, lifting hundreds of pounds without effort.
Seizing the initiative, Jura swept his leg in a whipping kick. Roy instinctively stepped back to dodge.
Whoosh!
Roy retreated two or three meters, but before he could steady himself, a blur like a venomous snake shot toward him. He raised the Muramasa sword to block, but the whip precisely struck the back of his hand.
Snap.
Skin split open as a sharp pain surged into Roy's brain. He sucked in a breath as he saw the flesh on the back of his hand torn away, the wound so deep that bone was visible.
The Muramasa sword nearly slipped from his grip. He hurriedly switched it to his other hand.
"Hahahahaha!"
Jura kept the distance between them at four to five meters, lashing out rapidly and forcing Roy to jump and dodge. Every strike tore flesh, and it felt as though even his bones were being shattered.
Before long, Roy's upper clothes were in tatters. His chest and back were covered in lash marks—purplish-red wounds leaking dark blood. Even his right cheek bore a faint red mark.
Burning pain spread throughout his body. Anyone else would have regretted facing Jura alone—leaving him to Ryuu would have guaranteed his death anyway.
But the light in Roy's eyes only grew brighter.
"Twenty-one wounds. Three minutes. That's all the damage you've dealt me."
Jura froze for a moment.
A crimson glow surged from Roy's body, like flames distorting the air around them.
"This… a skill? Impossible. You're only Level 1!" Jura's pupils shrank. He himself had only obtained his first skill— a beast-taming one—after reaching Level 2.
Roy stepped forward in a burst, crossing five meters in an instant. The Muramasa sword thrust viciously toward Jura's heart.
"So what if you have a skill? My level is still higher!" Jura roared, forcing his courage up as he lashed out with his whip like a striking viper.
The instant sword met whip, Roy gripped the hilt with both hands and spun it rapidly. The rotating blade tangled the whip like a twisted rod.
Blood for blood—double repayment!
Roy discarded the Muramasa sword along with the entangled whip. His muscles tensed as the crimson glow gathered around his fist, which slammed straight into Jura's face.
Jura abandoned the whip as well and threw a punch of his own.
With both sides losing their weapons, the fight devolved into pure hand-to-hand combat—the battle reaching its climax.
Crack!
When their fists collided, power far beyond what a Level 1 should possess surged from Roy's punch. The sound of bones fracturing rang out from Jura's fist, forearm, and upper arm.
Fear flooded Jura's face as he staggered backward.
Roy spun around and brought a knife-hand strike down on the back of Jura's neck, snapping his spine. Nerves severed, the light vanished instantly from Jura's eyes.
Thud.
His body collapsed to the ground.
Jura's eyes stared fixedly at Roy. Even at the moment of death, he could not believe he had been killed by a Level 1 nobody—without any underhanded tricks.
"Huff… huff…"
Roy gasped for breath. Killing a Level 2 adventurer with Level 1 strength was undoubtedly a great achievement.
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