Ais didn't look back; her gaze remained fixed on the world outside the window.
Loki sauntered over and draped herself over Ais like she didn't have a bone in her body. Her hands expertly slid around Ais's waist, beginning to wander upward with mischievous intent.
"Let ol' Loki comfort her wounded little kitten..."
Pop!
A crisp, sharp sound rang out.
Without even turning her head, Ais drove her right elbow backward, accurately knocking Loki right in the forehead.
"Ouch!" Loki cried out theatrically, clutching her forehead as she stumbled back a couple of steps. Despite the pain, the playful smirk never left her face. "You're getting more heartless by the day. My heart is in pieces!"
Ais didn't turn around, nor did she speak.
Loki sat down beside her, mimicking her posture and looking out at the city.
"What's wrong? Did you get bullied by a monster in the Dungeon today? Nah, that's impossible, right?"
Ais remained silent, but her hands, resting on her knees, tightened ever so slightly.
Loki's monologue continued for a while, but seeing that Ais still provided zero feedback, the goddess's grin slowly faded. She studied Ais carefully. Today's Ais was different from her usual lost self. In her silence, there was a flicker of irritability, a touch of longing, and a palpable sense of being unwilling to accept something.
"You weren't really dumped by a bad boy, were you? Whose kid is it!?"
Thwack!
Another knife-hand strike to the head.
"It wasn't like that," Ais finally muttered.
Early the next morning, Lynn stepped out of Eina's apartment with a yawn.
The "personal style" stew he'd made last night had a bit of an aftershock. It wasn't that it tasted bad, it was just that his digestive system needed some time to adapt to such a wild, unrefined flavor profile.
Following his routine, he stopped by the Guild to exchange his loot for Valis before heading straight for the Tower of Babel.
Dungeon, let's go!
The familiar damp, chilly air rushed out to meet him, dispersing the last traces of morning warmth from the surface.
Lynn skillfully drew the Bloodhound's Fang from his waist, while his other hand gripped the battered small buckler. He had left the Banished Knight's Greatsword back at the apartment; he didn't feel like lugging two heavy weapons around all day.
Just as he stepped into the eighth-floor passage and walked less than a hundred meters, Lynn's footsteps faltered slightly.
He came to a halt, tilting his head to listen.
Beyond the sound of his own deliberately heavy footsteps and the distant roars of monsters, there was a faint, almost imperceptible sound of footfalls that blended perfectly into the environment. Those footsteps followed him—neither too close nor too far—maintaining a steady distance of about thirty paces.
Lynn didn't turn around. He didn't need to use his brain to know who it was.
He sighed inwardly. Is that you, Ais? I already rejected you yesterday.
He ignored it and continued forward. Soon, three Kobolds burst from around a corner ahead.
"Awooo!"
With sharp screeches, the three small figures lunged in a pincer formation, their short blades gleaming.
Lynn's expression didn't flicker. He lowered his center of gravity. The Kobold on the far left lunged first, its blade aimed for his throat. Lynn slid his left foot back half a pace, tilting his torso at a subtle angle; the blade grazed past his nose.
With a flick of his wrist, the Bloodhound's Fang carved a beautiful arc from bottom to top, accurately slicing the creature's throat.
Three seconds, maybe five. The battle was over.
The three Kobold corpses dissolved into black smoke, leaving behind three small magic stones on the floor.
Lynn picked up the stones and only then slowly turned around.
Thirty paces away, the blonde-haired, golden-eyed girl stood silently. Encased in light armor with her hand resting on her hilt, she looked like an exquisite porcelain doll. Her gaze was fixed on him, unblinking.
Their eyes met. The silence was bordering on awkward.
Lynn looked at her expressionlessly; she stared back with equal stoicism.
"Are you very free today?"
"Today is my day off."
"..."
Ultimately, Lynn was the first to look away. He turned and continued deeper into the Dungeon.
"Do whatever you want."
The sound of footsteps resumed behind him, maintaining that same unvarying distance.
The entire morning, this bizarre game of "Follow the Leader" played out on the eighth floor. Lynn killed monsters; Ais watched from a distance. Lynn picked up magic stones; she watched. Lynn stopped to check his map; she stopped too.
It felt as though an invisible wire connected them, maintaining a constant gap. There was zero communication for the duration.
Lynn even started to wonder if he had triggered some weird hidden quest and was being followed by a non-interactable, "observer-only" special NPC.
As noon approached, Lynn's stomach voiced its protest. He found a clean rock in a relatively safe corner and sat down, pulling out the lunch Eina had forced on him this morning—two sandwiches wrapped in oil paper and a small flask of water.
The moment he sat, the footsteps behind him stopped.
Ais, about ten paces away, followed his lead by finding her own rock to sit on. She pulled out a black, rock-hard ration and a flask of water from her storage pouch.
Lynn took a bite of his sandwich. Mh, not bad. Eina's cooking was miles ahead of his own alchemical disasters.
As he ate, he kept his peripheral vision on Ais. The Sword Princess was expressionlessly gnawing on that ration—which looked like it could be used as a blunt weapon—her chewing slow and mechanical. But her eyes never once left him.
What is this? Surveillance?
Lynn found it half-funny, half-infuriating. He finished his lunch quickly, took a swig of water, stood up, and brushed the dust off his clothes.
Ten paces away, Ais stood up immediately, stowing her half-eaten ration.
Lynn said nothing and went back to farming. Ais said nothing and went back to following.
If any other adventurer saw this scene, their jaws would likely hit the floor.
Disappointing that no 'Miyazaki Special Events' triggered today. Is it because I'm in someone else's line of sight?
At the entrance to the stairs leading down to the ninth floor, Lynn finally stopped. He turned around and faced the golden figure that had stalked him all day.
Ais stopped as well, her golden eyes quietly meeting his, waiting for him to speak.
Lynn stared at her in silence. Her exquisite face held no emotion, but the stubbornness in her eyes was firmer than the rock walls of the Dungeon. He suddenly realized that trying to talk sense into this girl was likely a waste of time.
"You're coming back tomorrow too?"
Lynn's voice sounded abrupt in the empty corridor.
Without a second of hesitation, Ais gave a soft, firm nod.
Fine, whatever. As long as she doesn't interfere with my farming, she can follow all she wants. Just treat it as having a free top-tier bodyguard.
After parting ways with Ais, Lynn didn't head back to the surface. He checked the light and estimated the time before turning back to head deeper. Now that his stalker was gone, it was the perfect time to explore the lower floors. With the Bloodhound's Step weapon art, the monsters on the ninth or even tenth floors posed no real threat to him.
The environment of the ninth floor was more complex, with noticeably more branching paths and caves. Relying on the sense of direction he had honed in the Lands Between, Lynn navigated the maze-like passages. He wasn't in a rush to hunt; he was carefully observing his surroundings.
This Dungeon always gave him a strange sense of déjà vu.
After circling a massive stalagmite, Lynn walked into a dead-end branch. The end of the passage was a smooth rock wall covered in slick moss.
"Tch, a dead end."
Lynn clicked his tongue and prepared to turn back, but his peripheral vision caught an unusual shimmer. At the very bottom of the wall, a small, unremarkable patch of moss was emitting a faint, flickering golden glow—like a candle in the wind.
The shape of that light...
Lynn's pupils constricted. He strode over and knelt down.
The outline of that glowing moss was identical to the trails of light from a Site of Grace in the Lands Between!
He reached out and touched it. His fingertips met a cold, damp surface. But a second later, an interface that only he could see popped up before his eyes.
[Discovered Site of Grace: Dungeon 9th Floor Branch]
[Would you like to activate this Site of Grace?]
[Activation allows for resting, status recovery, and teleportation to this location.]
Teleportation!
What was the thing Lynn found most annoying since crossing over? It was having to run from the first floor every single time he entered the Dungeon! For a Tarnished used to fast travel, it was ultimate torture.
Lynn didn't hesitate for a heartbeat. "Yes."
[Activating Site of Grace...]
The moment the command registered, the moss beneath his hand exploded into a brilliant golden radiance. The light acted like a living thing, creeping through the cracks of the wall and forming a swaying, bonfire-like pillar of light on the ground. A soft, warm power dispersed the surrounding chill.
"Hell yeah!"
Lynn hummed a tuneless little melody as he headed back to Eina's apartment.
In the kitchen, Eina was preparing dinner. Hearing him enter, her nose twitched, and a look of helplessness crossed her face.
"You're back, Lynn. How was the haul today?"
Lynn flopped down at the dining table and asked out of the blue, "Eina, do you know someone named Ais Wallenstein?"
The spatula in Eina's hand nearly hit the floor.
"L-Lynn?! Why are you suddenly asking about Lady Ais Wallenstein? Did... did you run into her in the Dungeon today?"
Lynn shrugged, grabbed an apple from the table, and took a loud, crunchy bite.
"Yeah, ran into her. She followed me around all day."
"FOLLOWED YOU?!" Eina's expression became even more exaggerated. "How... how on earth did you provoke her?"
"Provoke? She wanted me to teach her some combat moves. I said no, and then she just started stalking me."
Eina was stunned.
"Wait... Lady Ais Wallenstein asked you for combat advice? What... what did she say? Why would she ask you?"
Lynn gave her a brief summary, including Ais's description of how he "saw through attack trajectories."
"So... she followed you for an entire day? Didn't say a word, just watched you kill monsters and pick up stones?"
"Exactly," Lynn sighed. "Her 'sneak-factor' is way too high. It was pretty awkward. Who is this Ais Wallenstein anyway? You're reacting like she's a big deal."
Eina took a deep breath, trying to settle her nerves.
"Lynn," she said with absolute gravity. "Lady Ais Wallenstein is no ordinary adventurer. She is Orario's 'Sword Princess'! A core member of the Loki Familia, a Level 6 top-tier adventurer! She is a legend known to the entire world!"
"Sword Princess?" Lynn recalled Ais's exquisite face. "So she's that strong, huh. No wonder she's so interested in my combat style. Seems like she's hit a bottleneck."
Hearing Lynn's mutterings, Eina's gaze grew even more complex. A bottleneck? It wasn't strange for the Sword Princess to hit one. What was strange was why she thought a Level 1 rookie could help her break through it."So, since she's so powerful and still sticking to me like glue, I can't just let her follow me around like I'm some NPC, right?" Lynn set down the apple core and began massaging his neck, looking a bit miffed.
Eina's mouth twitched. NPC? She's the Sword Princess!
"Lynn... do you really not plan on teaching her?" Eina asked cautiously. She knew he couldn't "verbally instruct" or "demonstrate directly," but surely there was another way?
Lynn shook his head, the system's cold warning resurfacing in his mind.
"It's not that I won't; it's that I can't," he sighed. "But since she's so persistent, I have an idea."
Eina's eyes lit up. "What idea?"
Lynn flashed a slightly mischievous grin.
"Since she wants to watch, I'll let her watch as much as she wants. The Dungeon is huge, and having a top-tier free training partner is actually pretty nice."
Eina: "..." She felt Lynn's thought process was truly on a different wavelength than normal people.
After dinner, Lynn checked his gear as usual and crashed. Early the next morning, he let out a yawn and chose to teleport via the Site of Grace.
A flash of golden light, and the familiar damp, cold air rushed over him. Lynn opened his eyes to find himself at the dead-end branch on the ninth floor.
He habitually cracked his neck and stretched. He noticed a golden figure standing not far from the Grace, looking as if she had been waiting for a long time.
Ais.
She wore light adventuring gear with her iconic sword on her back. She seemed to have just arrived as well, with the morning dew still clinging to her.
Ais was clearly startled by Lynn's sudden appearance. A rare look of shock appeared on her exquisite face. Her golden eyes widened slightly, looking dazed as she stared at the boy who had manifested out of thin air.
"You... when did you get here?" she asked softly, her voice laced with confusion.
"You're the one who should be asked. Why are you here?" Lynn countered.
Ais's eyes flickered, and she looked away awkwardly. "I... I was just passing by."
Lynn nearly laughed out loud. Passing by? Passing by a dead end on the ninth floor? Who 'passes by' this place?
He didn't call her out. Instead, he pointed to the Site of Grace beside him, its swaying golden pillar of light particularly conspicuous in the darkness.
"This is a rest point," Lynn said. "It restores your condition and allows you to teleport directly back to the surface. Since you've followed me all the way here and want to watch, then watch properly. Let's party up."
Ais snapped her head up, her golden eyes filled with surprise.
"Party up?" She clearly hadn't expected this suggestion.
"Yeah, party up." Lynn spread his hands. "You're always lurking behind me; it makes me feel like I'm on some secret mission. It's uncomfortable. Besides, don't you want to see my combat style? Partying up is the only way to observe at close range. If you have questions, you can just ask."
Visible hesitation appeared on Ais's face. She did want to observe him, but the Loki Familia had rules about partying with unfamiliar adventurers, let alone someone of her status.
Lynn found her conflicted expression amusing. He knew what she was worried about.
"Don't overthink it," Lynn waved her off. "You're following me anyway, so we're effectively a party. Might as well be direct about it. Saves you from playing hide-and-seek, and gives me one less thing to worry about."
Ais was silent for a moment. Then, her golden eyes finally lit up. She gave a light nod.
"Okay." She said only one word, but the determination in her voice was undeniable.
Lynn smiled with satisfaction.
"Let's go then. We're heading to the tenth floor today." Lynn set off, leading the way toward the passage.
Ais followed. This time, her footsteps weren't the muffled, deliberate sounds of a stalker; they were open and steady—there was even a hint of excitement.
Lynn walked ahead, thinking that he'd finally "conscripted" his stalker. A free top-tier bodyguard? He'd take that any day.
He didn't know that Ais was far more excited than he imagined. A light she'd never felt before flickered in her eyes.
"Lynn." Ais suddenly spoke.
Lynn paused and looked back at her.
"Do you... really not have a Familia?" she asked again, her tone tinged with curiosity.
Lynn gave a small smile, carrying the effortless vibe of a veteran Souls player.
"I am just myself. I don't belong to any Familia. My God is in the far-off Lands Between. He taught me only one thing: to seek truth within endless suffering."
Ais didn't quite understand, but she knew this boy was different from anyone she had ever met.
"Then can I ask... what is your God's name?" she asked.
Lynn raised an eyebrow, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.
"My God is named Hidetaka Miyazaki. He uses suffering as a furnace and death as a whetstone to forge the souls of his believers."
Ais blinked. She had never heard that name. Suffering? Death? It was the polar opposite of the gods she knew. Wait, why does that creed sound like it has masochistic tendencies?
"Hidetaka Miyazaki..." she repeated softly, lost in thought.
Lynn didn't explain further and kept walking. He knew some things couldn't be understood through words alone. You had to experience it. He looked forward to seeing her face when she truly witnessed "Miyazaki's Grace."
The two of them moved toward the depths of the ninth floor. The shadows of the Dungeon seemed less monotonous with these two unusual adventurers present.
The entrance to the tenth floor was a massive cavern. Deep within, low growls echoed. Lynn tightened his grip on the Bloodhound's Fang, his gaze sharpening.
"Careful. The monsters here won't be easy to handle," Lynn warned.
Ais nodded lightly, her hand already resting on her hilt, her golden eyes alertly scanning the surroundings.
The moment they stepped onto the tenth floor, several "Shadow Wolves"—creatures with pitch-black bodies and razor-sharp claws—lunged from the darkness.
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