Lili, don't worry, we're not bad people."
Seeing Lili looking so nervous, Blake couldn't help but reassure her.
"Actually, I have something to ask of you."
"Something to ask of Lili?" she asked hesitantly.
"Mm, you saw it too. I came to the dungeon just to train my basic abilities. I didn't bring much luggage, so I haven't picked up any magic stones along the way. I'd like to ask you to be my supporter."
Blake smiled lightly as he spoke. Although he didn't care much about money, he still had Hestia to support back home. He couldn't just ignore his expenses.
"Since the adventurer said so, Lili will take it on."
Lili hesitated for a moment before finally agreeing, her gaze drawn to the pile of magic stones nearby.
"Well, since we're companions now, just call me Blake. 'Adventurer' isn't necessary. We're not superior and subordinate."
Blake spoke seriously.
"Uh, I understand, Blake."
Lili struggled for a moment but, seeing Blake's sincerity, finally nodded.
As she went to collect the magic stones, she suddenly stumbled due to an injury on her foot. She winced in pain, trying to get up.
Without hesitation, Blake converted his aether energy into holy power and healed her injury. Holy power, though not capable of healing internal wounds, was highly effective for external ones.
"What kind of power is this? Hey, Blake, can you tell us about it?"
Tiona immediately pestered Blake, her eyes filled with curiosity. The more mysterious Blake became, the more intrigued she felt. She had never met anyone like him in Orario.
"Let's go, we don't have much time."
Seeing Tiona's eager curiosity, Blake sighed and responded helplessly.
"Tch, so stingy. You're so nice to Ais."
Tiona pouted in dissatisfaction, shooting a glance at Ais, who was caught off guard by the remark.
"Tiona, stop fooling around."
Tione intervened, her calm voice diffusing the situation before it could become awkward.
With that, the group continued their journey, their laughter and voices filling the air.
Being high-level adventurers, they naturally knew the fastest routes through the upper floors. The monsters along the way were few, and the occasional ones that appeared were swiftly dealt with by Blake in a few swift strikes.
"Blake, the monsters are appearing more frequently. You've been using that technique a lot—aren't you tired? If you need backup, just say so. We're about to reach the Minotaur area."
Tiona teased as they walked through the increasingly oppressive corridor.
By now, she had a good grasp of Blake's strength. While his sword techniques were terrifying, his overall attributes weren't quite at their level (Lv.5). Otherwise, he wouldn't need to rely on precise strikes to land one-hit kills on Level 2 monsters.
Of course, Tiona wasn't belittling him. For a newcomer to achieve this level was unheard of. Even Ais and the only Level 7 adventurer in Orario had been cautious in their early days, exploring only the upper floors with companions.
The dungeon's floors were divided into difficulty tiers:
Deep Floors: 37 and below
Currently, the deepest explored floor was the 58th, meaning no adventurer or familia had reached beyond it.
With each phase, the dungeon's difficulty increased dramatically.
If the upper floors were manageable for Level 1 adventurers, then the middle floors required at least a Level 2 adventurer to have a reasonable chance of survival—and even then, teamwork was preferred.
So, for a rookie like Blake to reach the 17th floor on his first day and still be underestimated? That would make the other adventurers feel like... slimes.
"Don't worry, this level is still easy for me."
Blake raised an eyebrow, casually slaying another monster before responding. He had already gotten used to Tiona's personality—enthusiastic, lively, and quite the chatterbox.
Her constant banter had made their monster-hunting journey feel much less dull.
"Minotaur, it's here."
At that moment, Ais spoke, her golden eyes scanning the surroundings as cracks appeared in the walls.
From within, hulking monsters with dark red skin, massive horns, and wielding stone axes emerged.
These were Minotaurs, the dominant species of the 17th floor. A Level 2 adventurer could be easily killed by one if they weren't careful.
"Ten Minotaurs... just what we needed for our task."
Seeing the monsters surrounding them, Blake smiled slightly, his grip on his iron sword tightening. His demeanor shifted—sharp and battle-ready.
"Ais, Tiona, Tione, same as always. Just watch over Lili. Let me handle the Minotaurs."
"Got it. Really, Blake, can't you let us have a little fun? We've barely fought anything on the way, and now we just stand here again?"
Blake's sword flashed. A streak of silver cut across a Minotaur's throat, blood spraying as it collapsed.
He then rolled his eyes at Tiona.
"Could you not complain right before kicking a monster halfway across the room?"
A loud crash echoed as the Minotaur Tiona had just kicked slammed into a distant wall, leaving a crater.
"Can't help it. Didn't you say we should keep Lili safe?"
Tiona grinned, unfazed.
Lili, standing to the side, couldn't help but twitch at the absurdity of the situation.
Hey, hey, hey! Are you two even taking this seriously?! These are Minotaurs—monsters that terrify most adventurers! And you're just chatting like it's a casual stroll?!
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