"Don't worry, it'll be fine."
Ryota waved his hand casually with a reassuring smile.
"No need to be so nervous—just leave everything to me."
Despite his confident words, Ryota secretly couldn't help but acknowledge Lefiya's experience. She was indeed an elf mage who had participated in multiple expeditions with Loki Familia.
Experience was something that couldn't be replaced merely by talent or raw power. Things like formation, vigilance, and scouting—seemingly trivial details—were aspects he'd never considered before.
It seemed he was still too accustomed to solo battles.
Hearing Ryota's easygoing reassurance, Lefiya paused briefly. She was about to persuade him again, but quickly remembered Ryota's absurdly rapid growth rate.
In less than a day, he'd transformed from a complete rookie into a monstrous newcomer quietly discussed throughout Loki Familia.
Lefiya opened her mouth, but in the end, she only followed behind him, half-believing, half-doubtful.
Though her heart still fluttered anxiously, she instinctively chose to trust Ryota.
The two entered the Dungeon, one after the other.
Lefiya felt slightly dizzy.
She wasn't exactly sure how they'd gotten here. All she remembered was that whenever a monster appeared, Ryota vanished like a shadow from her side.
In the next instant, those monsters either exploded from a single punch or shattered beneath one swift kick.
The entire process was so fast she didn't even have the chance to begin chanting her magic.
As a Level 3 adventurer, Lefiya felt an absurd sense that she was merely strolling around while clinging to the thigh of a Level 1 rookie.
And what astonished her most was that Ryota hadn't even seriously exerted himself from start to finish.
Even when facing dangerous monsters like War Shadows—infamous as "Rookie Killers"—he dispatched them with casual punches, as if this perilous Dungeon, filled with deadly dangers, was nothing more than a slightly oversized bedroom to him.
Just as Lefiya was still lost in her thoughts, Ryota's voice suddenly rang in her ears:
The elf girl snapped back to reality, quickly raising her head to look ahead.
From the shadows not far away, a massive red ant slowly crawled out, a pungent, nauseating scent of blood filling the air.
Lefiya shook her head to clear it, immediately refocusing her thoughts and adopting a serious expression.
Killer Ant. She was intimately familiar with this monster.
With its extremely tough carapace and formidable attacking power, it could even emit a cry to summon nearby companions, quickly swarming adventurers.
Among upper-floor monsters, it was considered especially dangerous.
Just as she prepared to chant her magic, Ryota stopped her with a relaxed smile:
"Wait a moment, Lefiya."
As his words fell, the crimson three-tomoe Sharingan in Ryota's eyes spun rapidly.
In the next instant, a piercing mental impact shot straight into the Killer Ant!
The monster, normally vicious and aggressive, suddenly froze in place—as if held firmly by an invisible hand.
With a dull sound, the Killer Ant collapsed limply to the ground, completely robbed of strength.
Ryota withdrew his gaze, speaking softly:
Although she had no idea how Ryota had accomplished this strange feat, Lefiya nodded instinctively, trusting his confident tone.
She steadied her breathing, magic energy gathering gently in her hands.
Then, the elf girl's clear and gentle voice echoed softly through the silence of the 7th Floor:
"[Unleashed beam of light, bow of holy wood—I am the famed archer of the bow.]"
"[Take aim! Fairy Archer.]"
"[Pierce through, arrow of certain strike!!]"
Even though her heart was pounding rapidly, even though she faced a monster that usually required multiple adventurers to defeat—
With Ryota by her side providing a sense of absolute safety, Lefiya was able for the first time to complete her chant without distraction in real combat.
A sharp, dazzling golden beam shot forth from Lefiya's fingertips, slicing through the air in a perfectly straight trajectory to strike the immobilized Killer Ant.
The piercing light instantly penetrated the monster's skull!
The giant ant's body convulsed violently as its life force rapidly drained away. Within seconds, it lay completely still, dissolving into black ash and vanishing without a trace.
Ryota applauded cheerfully, smiling warmly at Lefiya:
"Nicely done, Lefiya."
"But does magic always require such lengthy chanting every time?"
The elf girl paused briefly, considering her response before explaining:
"Lady Riveria once said that the longer and more complex the chant, the more powerful the magic becomes."
"But there are exceptions."
"For instance, short-chant magic uses extremely brief chants to cast quickly, ideal for continuous combat."
"And then there's swift-cast magic, spells you can cast without chanting at all—but those usually require special innate talent."
After explaining, she tilted her head curiously at Ryota:
"Ryota, don't you need to chant?"
Ryota shrugged casually.
"I prefer hand signs."
Hmm... she didn't understand at all.
Lefiya scratched her head in confusion, about to ask more when Ryota continued with an amused grin:
Lefiya nodded obediently.
"Um, could we try a bit more this time?"
Lefiya lifted her head proudly, straightening her posture confidently. After her successful chant just now, she felt incredibly powerful!
"That's good, because coming up next..."
Ryota narrowed his eyes, gazing toward the shadows as numerous silhouettes began emerging:
"—There might be quite a few more~"