Adventure!
A Development Ability that only activates when one willingly steps into danger. The conditions were extremely harsh. By choosing to stay, Roy had fulfilled them.
The greater the danger, the more terrifying the boost to his abilities and attributes.
Facing the floor boss Amphisbaina—whose base level was at least Lv. 5—Roy's freshly advanced Lv. 3 stats, all at 1 across the board, began rising at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In the blink of an eye, every ability reached Rank A.
And they were still climbing—showing no sign of stopping.
Seeing that Roy had made up his mind, the elf girl bit her lower lip tightly.
Why?
Why would he still choose to fight an enemy two full levels above him?
She could tell that before her arrival, Roy had already clashed with Amphisbaina.
His back was a bloody mess.
Seeing those severe wounds, Daphne and Cassandra couldn't stop their tears.
"Light of the heavens once rejected, merciful arms that save my shallow self, speak in place of my powerless words and rescue the pitiful. O sunlight, hear this prayer and dispel destruction—Thor's Light!"
Cassandra finished chanting, and her magic descended upon Roy. A green glow shimmered across his body as his wounds visibly scabbed over.
Ryuu stepped to Roy's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
Her expression was conflicted. Could she truly abandon Roy and flee with the two rookies?
She never wanted to experience the annihilation of her Familia again.
This was, without question, the most reckless thing she had ever done.
One Lv. 4. One Lv. 3. Two Lv. 1 rookies.
And they were about to challenge the floor boss of the 25th floor—Amphisbaina.
Truthfully, even when facing Lv. 7 Alfia in the past, Ryuu had not felt such despair.
Back then, the entire Astraea Familia had stood together.
According to the Guild's official strategy guidelines, defeating Amphisbaina required at least ten Lv. 4 adventurers—or twenty Lv. 3s plus one Lv. 5.
Lv. 4 and Lv. 5 marked a massive watershed.
The latter were called First-Class Adventurers—beings who had transcended humanity, so powerful they could be called "superhuman."
True monsters.
A faint smile appeared on Roy's face.
"Cassandra, prepare your magic. Daphne, watch the surrounding monsters and protect Cassandra!"
"Miss Ryuu, I'll block Amphisbaina's azure flames. Circle around from the other side and deal as much damage as possible!"
He issued orders one after another, untying the Water Spirit Guard Cloth from his waist and tossing it to the elf.
Ryuu caught it. It was stained with Roy's blood. She sighed and wrapped it around her arm.
Amphisbaina's left head opened its massive jaws again. The azure flames that had forced Roy into frantic evasion surged forth once more.
This time—
Roy did not dodge.
Burn the Heavens!
The Spirit Holy Sword in his hand devoured the surrounding magic. Crimson flames coiled around the blade.
Boom!!
With a heavy swing, scarlet fire roared out like a dragon, colliding midair with Amphisbaina's azure inferno.
The overwhelming pressure forced Roy backward, carving a deep trail across the ground.
Oni King's Wrath!
Without hesitation, Roy activated the special effect of the Oni King Armor, increasing his abilities by consuming his own blood.
The light armor clinging to his chest seemed to sprout fangs, drawing his blood. His face paled.
But his stats—
All surged to S999.
With the combined boost of Adventure and the Oni King Armor, Roy's Spirit Holy Sword unleashed a "Burning Heaven Flame" now powerful enough to contend head-on with Amphisbaina.
Ryuu, Daphne, and Cassandra stared in disbelief.
A Lv. 3 clashing directly with a floor boss?
Ryuu's gaze fixed on the Spirit Holy Sword in Roy's hand, deep in thought.
Boom!
The two infernos battled violently. Waves of fire radiated outward, scorching everything.
Ryuu had the Water Spirit Guard Cloth. Daphne and Cassandra wore cloaks crafted from Goliath hide.
Roy—
Had nothing left.
Stray threads of azure flame landed on his body, burning him with a sizzling sound. The smell of roasted flesh filled the air.
"—Thor's Light!"
Cassandra hurriedly cast her magic again, but the effect was almost nonexistent.
"It won't work! I can't heal burns caused by the azure flames!"
Tears streamed down her face.
The only effective counter to Amphisbaina's flames was the special fire-extinguishing recovery potion formulated by Amid Teasanare, the "Saint of the Battlefield" of the Dian Cecht Familia.
It could extinguish flames and heal severe burns.
Roy had anticipated entering the Water Capital and prepared the Water Spirit Guard Cloth.
But he had never imagined the Guild's report about Amphisbaina being defeated was false.
Naturally, he hadn't purchased the specialized potion.
With Roy holding back the azure flames, Ryuu dashed forward like a gale, charging toward Amphisbaina.
Immediately, the dragon shifted its target. The azure flames spewed toward the elf girl.
In its perception, the Lv. 4 Ryuu posed the greater threat.
Ryuu moved swiftly, dodging the flames.
Burn the Heavens!
As Amphisbaina redirected its breath, Roy seized the opportunity and swung the Spirit Holy Sword again. Crimson flames swept forward like a tidal wave.
A flicker of disdain passed through Amphisbaina's eyes.
Its other head opened wide, exhaling a massive cloud of red mist that blanketed the area.
When the Spirit Holy Sword's flames touched the crimson haze, their ferocity slowed—
And gradually dissipated.
Roy's expression darkened.
Amphisbaina's other breath.
If the azure flames were its spear, sweeping away prey—
Then the red mist was its shield, suppressing magic.
The Red Mist Breath reduced the power of any magic that entered it.
Countless Familias had concluded the same strategy:
To defeat Amphisbaina, one had to close in—
And cut it down through sheer force.
Thus, subjugation parties always chose battlegrounds with stable footing—on the 25th, 26th, or 27th floors—luring it into carefully prepared terrain.
But Roy's group had no such luxury.
This was an unplanned encounter.
Half the vast cavern was submerged in water.
If Amphisbaina dove into the lake, the difficulty would effectively jump to Lv. 6.
As Ryuu had said earlier—
She knew its attack patterns better than Roy.
While evading, she ran along the wall like a gust of wind, appearing above Amphisbaina's head before plunging downward.
Clang!
Carrying the weight of her descent, Ryuu's wooden sword struck Amphisbaina's head with crushing force.
The impact rang like steel against steel.
The recoil numbed her hand.
When hunting dragons, the greatest trial was always their scales—hard as diamonds.
Layer upon layer of scales formed an impregnable defense.
That was why dragon-type monsters were known among adventurers as the strongest of all.