In the faint morning light, Genichi faced Lunoire, who was leaning against a porch pillar and loosening her wrist joints, and stated today's plan in an even tone.
"Starting today, I'm going to try pushing deeper into the Dungeon. If it's possible, my goal is to challenge LV.2 monsters."
He deliberately emphasized LV.2.
That meant he was no longer satisfied with the standard floor monsters. His gaze was now set on those enhanced, boss-tier individuals that far outstripped normal specimens on the same floor, often possessing special abilities or better drop rates.
Higher risk, without question, but potentially higher reward.
After listening, Lunoire only shrugged like it was nothing. Her brown eyes swept over him once.
"Do whatever. As long as you're not actively trying to die, like diving into a monster mob or picking a fight with a Floor Boss, I'll do everything I can to keep you alive. That's the job."
Her attitude was, as always, strictly professional. But if you looked closely, there was a faint, almost imperceptible flicker deep in her eyes.
These past few days as his escort, even though she'd rigorously honored the agreement not to pry into Genichi's secrets, some things simply couldn't be hidden.
This kid named Genichi. His growth curve was outright bizarre.
What kind of LV.1 adventurer, only a few days after receiving a Blessing, could carve through the terrain-heavy, monster-dense Seventh Floor alone, in and out, like he was taking a stroll in his own backyard?
What kind of LV.1 could have base specs shoot up to such an absurd level? She couldn't see the exact numbers, but combat performance didn't lie.
And what really stuck in her mind was the magic Genichi used from time to time.
He didn't cast often, but every time he did, the output was nothing like what a LV.1 rookie should be capable of. If anything, it was even a cut above the spells many magic-specialized LV.2 adventurers could manage.
It made no sense.
Was she curious?
Of course she was.
But Lunoire's professional code, and the promise she'd made to Demeter, kept that curiosity crushed down where it belonged.
So whatever Genichi wanted to do, as long as it didn't exceed her capabilities or cross the line of her commission, she would comply.
As for the obvious abnormalities surrounding her employer, that wasn't her concern.
"Let's go."
Genichi didn't add anything else. He moved first.
Entering again through the gate beneath Babel, the two of them passed through the first seven floors with practiced familiarity.
Genichi didn't stop on any floor. With a clear target, he pressed toward greater depth.
When they crossed the passage between the Seventh and Eighth Floors, the environment shifted again.
The light grew dimmer. The air felt heavier, steeped in a strange blend of beast-stink, sulfur, and metal.
Even the rock walls seemed different, certain sections glinting with an eerie dark red sheen.
From deeper inside came monster roars, lower and more oppressive.
Starting from the Eighth Floor, the overall threat level jumped a full tier. Individual LV.2-class monsters began to appear.
For any LV.1 adventurer, this was an extremely dangerous zone, one that usually demanded a party or an experienced higher-level escort to enter at all.
Genichi slowed, sharpening his senses.
His goal was LV.2 monsters, but first he needed to confirm the baseline strength of an ordinary LV.2 as reference.
But fate loved giving "surprises" to anyone bold enough to push limits.
Not long after they stepped into the Eighth Floor's main corridor, a deafening, rage-soaked bellow thundered from a wider cavern ahead.
"Moooo—!!!"
Heavy hoofbeats followed the roar as a massive, powerfully built figure emerged from the cavern's shadows.
A monster over three meters tall, its muscles knotted like granite.
It had a humanoid torso, but a vicious bull's head, its blood-red eyes burning with savage fire, twin streams of scorching white breath blasting from its nostrils.
In its hands was a gigantic double-bladed battle axe, rusted yet still glinting with cold light.
A Minotaur.
A classic LV.2 powerhouse monster, infamous for overwhelming strength, berserk aggression, and a body tough enough to take punishment.
For a seasoned LV.2 party, it was an opponent you took seriously.
For a LV.1 adventurer…
Running into one was basically a death notice.
Strength, speed, and durability all crushed you across the board. A lone LV.1 facing a Minotaur had almost no chance. Even escaping was brutally difficult.
Genichi and Lunoire stopped at the same time.
"Tch. Not bad luck. A nice little opening act, and it's a big one."
Lunoire raised a brow, her tone somewhere between dry amusement and plain statement. Her eyes swept the surroundings at once, confirming no other monsters had been stirred into forming a pincer, then she looked at Genichi.
"Want me to handle it?"
She was waiting on the client's decision.
If Genichi chose to back off, she'd cut the Minotaur down immediately. If he chose to fight, she'd step in only if it became necessary.
Genichi's gaze locked onto the Minotaur radiating that terrifying presence.
He could feel it clearly, that vast life force and violent power. The pressure was nothing like any monster he'd hunted before.
His heart beat steady and hard in his chest. His blood seemed to quicken, but it wasn't fear.
It was a mix of hunger for challenge and the rising heat of battle.
Near-capped S-rank parameters. The hidden boosts from [Demon] and [Ascension]. The traits granted by [Seven Deadly Sins]. And the cards he still hadn't fully shown.
He wanted to know: between this insanely tempered LV.1 body and a true LV.2-class monster, how big was the gap?
Or to put it another way…
Could he win?
"Not yet."
Genichi took a slow breath, his voice so steady it didn't sound like he was facing a life-or-death enemy.
"I want to try. If I'm not enough, or if it turns lethal, step in and save me."
He didn't grandstand with "don't interfere." He gave a clear rescue condition.
A rational call, and proof he valued his own life.
At that, Lunoire's lips curved slightly, into a smile that carried both approval and amusement.
"Not sure if that's courage or stupidity."
She didn't try to talk him out of it. She simply retreated a few steps, taking a position close enough to support at any moment, but far enough not to interfere.
Her arms crossed over her chest, but the fingers wrapped in black bindings flexed subtly, ready to explode into motion.
Her brown eyes sharpened like a hawk's, fixed on the battlefield.
With her promise secured, Genichi didn't hesitate any longer.
(End of Chapter)
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