With the heroic boost, the dozen-plus Level 7 dragons were dismantled with clinical efficiency. But the Dungeon was far from finished. As the last of the first wave fell, the magma bubbled again, and a new wave emerged.
The group fought for five grueling hours on the 66th floor, systematically exhausting the floor's spawning energy until the air finally grew still.
After a brief rest and a quick weapon check by Tsubaki, Leon located the next key.
Following this pattern, they pushed through the 67th, 68, and 69th floors. By the time they reached the 70th, the routine was a well-oiled machine of slaughter.
"Let's rest here for the night and set off again tomorrow." Leon announced to the group from a high stone platform on the 70th floor.
The 70th floor was a confirmed "Safe Floor." After the long trek from the 50th floor, a sanctuary had finally appeared, exactly where the records of the Zeus and Hera Familias said it would be.
"Ah, finally. A night of real rest." Finn nodded, exhaustion finally touching his features.
"We've been fighting for two days and two nights straight. It's time."
The others echoed his sentiment with weary sighs of relief.
Leon retrieved the camping supplies from his spatial storage, and the group—all experts in subterranean survival—quickly transformed the platform into a functional campsite. Tents were pitched, and a central campfire was soon roaring, casting dancing shadows against the cavern walls.
"Phew! This expedition is even more intense than the last one. I wonder if I can pull a Ryuu and level up twice when we get back to the surface." Alise said with a bright smile, finishing a bowl of hearty stew.
"Two levels at once?"
The phrase hung in the air, causing nearly everyone to stop eating and stare at Ryuu.
Aside from Leon, most of the alliance had assumed Ryuu had simply updated her status in secret over the years. Alise's casual comment suggested something far more legendary.
"Oh... did I not mention that?" Alise blinked, realizing she'd let a secret slip.
"Ryuu hadn't updated her Falna for years. When she finally found Astraea-sama recently, her accumulated excelia was so vast she jumped two levels in a single update."
"Two levels in one go?" Hedin adjusted his glasses, his sharp eyes narrowing as he stared at his fellow elf.
Ryuu didn't offer a verbal boast, she simply gave a small, solemn nod.
"Ryuu, do you have any idea what triggered it?" Finn asked.
No one doubted the truth of it—Alise had no reason to lie—but the implications were massive. They were currently fighting in the deepest reaches of the world, their attributes were likely hitting their limits, and their "Great Feats" were stacking up. If a double-level up was possible, they wanted to know the criteria.
"I'm not entirely sure. But I suspect it was the sheer density of high-intensity battles. You all know of my past. I spent years in a mindless massacre of Evilus. I was on the verge of death more times than I can count, yet I survived. I believe the sheer volume of life-and-death struggle simply overflowed the vessel of my falna." Ryuu said softly, looking into the fire.
The veterans fell into a deep, pensive silence. Only Argana and Bache looked lost, having joined Orario long after the Astraea Familia's tragedy.
Leon took a moment to quietly fill the Amazon sisters in on Ryuu's history, and soon, they too were lost in thought.
...
After dinner, Leon found himself "conscripted" by Riveria and the other women.
After forty-eight hours of blood and grime, they were at their breaking point and desperate to find a subterranean lake to wash up. Leon was tasked as their guardian.
He had no objections. Since Riveria and the others were his, it was only natural he'd want to ensure their privacy.
He leaned against a massive tree nearby, keeping watch.
However, he hadn't been waiting long when two shadows detached themselves from the darkness and approached him.
"Argana? Bache? That was fast. Are you finished washing already?" Leon tilted his head.
Argana didn't answer with words. Instead, she flashed a wide, predatory grin, her white teeth gleaming in the faint bioluminescence of the floor.
"Tione and Tiona gave us their permission." She said.
Before Leon could process what that meant, Argana closed the distance with startling speed.
A thought flashed through Leon's mind as he looked at her determined face.
'Permission? What on earth are they planning?'
'And more importantly... we are literally in the middle of a dungeon wilderness!'
—
The next morning, the group set off without a second of delay.
The monsters on the 71st floor were familiar species, but the power balance had shifted. While floors 66-70 had a mix of Level 6 and Level 7 threats, the 71st floor was almost entirely populated by Level 7 monsters. The weaker Level 6 variants had become a rare sight.
For most adventurers, this would be a death sentence. But for this group, it was fuel.
Emboldened by Ryuu's revelation about the double level up, the vanguard was more motivated than ever. They didn't even wait for Finn's signal. The moment a cluster of crimson dragons or deep-floor horrors appeared, the executives charged.
The battlefield became a symphony of high-level techniques and magic.
Finn, Ottar, and the others fought with a renewed, hungry intensity, eager to push their Falna to the absolute breaking point.
Leon watched the carnage from the rear, manifesting the Gate of Heaven to keep their momentum absolute.
He looked deeper into the darkness of the passage ahead, his voice a low murmur only he could hear. "Black Dragon... Corrupted Spirit... just wait a little longer. I'm almost there."