The crystals were shining like the sun again, I was using my shadow Zael to make tea for the three of us while still curled up with Lili inside the sleeping bag, Ryuu-san was watching the shadow making tea I asked if she wanted any of the types we brought, a gift from Tsubaki when she came to visit us a few weeks ago.
"Surprising not Ryuu-san?" I spoke to her.
"Hm, is this magic, or a magic item?" she asked curiously.
"You might think being a part of us, similar to the monsters I told you about before, only more 'artificial'.
"You say artificial, what do you mean by that?"
"This is for the future, Ryuu-san, but I can tell you it has to do with my magic"
"So you and Lili have the same magic, why?"
"Can you say yes, maybe we're just soulmates?" I said smoothing Lili's hair as she snuggled into me.
"Come on Lili, we can rest more at home, weren't you planning on leveling up today? We're going to need to kill some monsters on the way"
"But it's so good here" - 'you don't let me "rub" on you so much when we're home humph'
'You know why Lili, maybe I'd end up 'eating' you instead' - "Come on Lili, breakfast is ready, you don't want Ryuu-san to think you're lazy right?"
"YOSH!" Lili broke away from my embrace and slipped out of the sleeping bag, without forgetting to stretch.
After that I got up and did the same, while Tach and Zael packed our gear, we ate breakfast together.
"Miss Ryuu, would you mind if we help with a training spar after that??" I asked while we ate breakfast.
"I'm interested, but Sinn, you are only level one right? I'm a level four, you're okay with being beaten?"
"We are willing to be taught by Gale, Ryuu-san"
"Yes, Ryuu-chan"
"Ok, so we'll fight, I won't strike lightly!" She said in her serious mood.
Ready to fight, we started the fight attacking Ryuu in a pincer attack, me with a flaming blade open slash, and Lili a cut on the side that would be unprotected by Ryuu.
Ryuu reacted extremely quickly, perhaps spurred on by pride in the level difference, but she chose to block my attack, or rather 'break' hard.
A slash with one of her Kodachi Futaba's split the flames and pushed me back, nearly ripping the blades out of my hands even with my status equivalent to a level two.
After that she used the other blade to block Lili's flexible sword, running through the blade to eliminate the kinetic energy that would cause the flexible sword to hit her.
But that wasn't all, she was now surrounded by our shadows that materialized on her legs. Probably remembering yesterday's events, she leaped into the air to escape and kicked a branch to gain distance.
"You are strong for a first level, or even a second level, but you can't count on just that against someone who outperforms you by a large margin." She said as a bright wind began to escape her, enveloping her blades.
"Then we'll do our best to surprise you Ryuu. Lili now!" I said as my stress passives activated making us glow, combining with Lili's connection to strengthen our abilities.
Then Ryuu attacked us like a gust of wind, Gale. Getting surprised when we create a wall of shadows and then blow up a smokescreen.
Then four shadows appeared, glowing auburn green and purple, surrounded by an outline of light within the smoke.
Lili and I had used [Cinderella] to transform into our contracted phantasms, so we could use their abilities to the fullest even without equipping them. Leaving them free to help us in the fight.
Four blows enhanced by my magic, all at least a level three in strength. We attacked Ryuu with two enchanted four-weapon strikes from the shadows, and two cursed four-weapon strikes from me and Lili.
"In the sky of a now distant forest. Infinite stars scattered in the endless night sky. Respond to my foolish voice, give me now divine protection of starfire. Give the mercy of light to the one that abandoned you. Come, wandering wind, the wandering traveler. Cross the sky and run through the wilderness, run faster than anything else. Imbue the light of stardust and destroy the enemy. [Luminos Wind]"
Ryuu chanted while fighting the four shadows inside the smoke, not getting hit directly, but injured by the magical effects, though most didn't do much due to her resistances.
In a stroke of luck, she hit me with an ass attack as she blinded me with her magic spheres and jumped back and then yelled "Luvia" exploding with the light wind spheres the smoke along with us and ending the battle.
Then Ryuu stood in the clearing holding her's 'Kodachi Futabas', watching the destruction caused by the fight.
Lili and I were sitting on the floor, catching our breath and back to our original form, and the shadows were equipped again.
"Ryuu is really strong, we did our best and just scratched her." Lili said as I nodded.
"Don't say that. I'm surprised I was taken to this point by two, level one adventurers." Ryuu said as he adjusted her clothes and then came over to us and used [Noah Heal]
"The song of a now distant forest. The nostalgic song of life. Please bring the mercy of healing to those that seek you" She chanted and then our wounds began to heal.
I and Lili watched her until Lili attacked me and told me to stop looking at Ryuu's exposed skin.
"Don't look Sinn!" she said as she buried my face in her chest.
"Alright, I was just wondering if Ryuu-san would accept a shirt..."
"It better be"
"Don't be mad Lili. It's not like I was playing with Ryuu yesterday, right?"
"Uhh" She was embarrassed.
"So Ryuu-san would you mind wearing one of my shirts? It's new, Lili can attest." I spoke sincerely.
Ryuu then looked at the state of her clothes (slushy shorts, and torn shirt) and agreed to wear one of my spare outfits, despite knowing that her fellow waitresses would certainly not pass up her wearing a man's clothes. Unfortunately for her, Lili's clothes were too small.
After recovering and "dressing up", we set off towards the surface.
Motivated by the battle with Ryuu. Lili and I fought even more adventurously. Being hit by some fireballs and having to parry blows from the Minotaur that we insist on fighting hard.
'It was almost certain that Lili would Level up today, her main stats were already A and S, no doubt.' I was thinking if these fights against 'worthy' opponents should be enough, or else we'll have to kill level 3 monster(s) to level up.
Our normal hunting tactic was to provoke monsters into using their 'standard' abilities or attacks. That way we would use their strength to increase the damage of our blows, or we could simply block their movement and get a free hit.
But now Lili and I directly attack the monsters. Dodging or blocking their blows at point-blank range, and using Risky Strikes, relying on our knowledge gleaned from hundreds of adventurers, and our quality armor to withstand the pressure of the blows.
A minotaur using a stone ax [natural weapon] landed a full blow on Lili's crossed Kris daggers and threw her down the wide cave corridor we were on the 16th floor.
She recovered in midair using [Shadow Body] to touch the ground, leaving a trail with the shadow's claws.
'This seems like a good target for Level up' I thought while walking away feeling that Lili wanted to defeat the monster, alone.
Ryuu and I watched as a 9 ft tall Minotaur, taller and hornier than I was in my last body, dueled Liliruca who was only 4 ft tall in a legendary battle. Stone ax and heavy ox horns against two undulating blades swimming and colliding in midair.
Finally, Lili managed to make the minotaur spread its legs. Passing between them and slashing the beast's thighs.
Then she stabbed the two daggers into the minotaur's neck and pulled them up to the nape of his neck, put her foot on the cut-covered back, and decapitated the minotaur, covering herself with blood.
Not so worried about blood due to being covered by the equipped Scäthach. She dug the minotaur's magic stone causing it to turn to ash leaving a Minotaur's hide as a drop item behind.
"Wonderful, Lili-sama fought like a true hero, right Ryuu-san?" I said while clapping.
"Spectacular, Lili defeated an expert minotaur using only her own strength and technique."
Lili then became noticeably more cheerful with red cheeks and her tail wagging as she unequipped Scathach to get rid of the blood.
"Thank-wahhh!" Lili 'tried' to say thanks only for me to hug her tightly.
"Don't thank me, seeing you happy is more than enough for me Liliruca." Of course, I didn't forget to rub my face in her ears and hair in the meantime. A man must not lose his aim...
Then we returned to the surface quickly with Ryuu. We only stopped to test a Lamia Mormos with curses.
"Free yourself from savagery, Regain your mind, Control your instincts. [bestow curse]!
Then the Lamia Mormos turned into a vegetable... Until the curse was consumed by the Lamia's magical resistance and she came to herself confused, but still wild.
After repeating it a few times and asking Ryuu if she had any ideas on how to help a soul recover its memories, we came to the conclusion that it wouldn't be that easy.
So Lili had the brilliant idea to create a situation where the Lamia Mormos wouldn't want to remain 'wild' despite her idea involving leaving the Lamia in heat... I had a better idea, remembering the Xenos. I used sobriety, addiction, and conscience curses and fed a piece of cake into the confused Lamia's mouth.
She ate the cake quickly after noticing the taste and then stared at the rest of the cake I gave Ryuu.
Ryuu then ate the cake and made pleasant elf sounds...
"Cough, sorry. Continue" Ryuu spoke after realizing he had been distracted for a moment.
The Lamia slowly walked towards the elf, looking focused at the cake. So the curse ended. The confused Lamia stared at the cake for a few seconds, not knowing what to do.
"She really doesn't seem to want to kill you right now, Ryuu." I spoke.
"Maybe she just doesn't know what to do to get the cake," Lili added.
Then Ryuu offered the cake to her. She continued confused, then suddenly vocalized something and attacked, trying to grab the cake.
Ryuu walked away with him, and the weaker Lamia followed. Then they continued for a few minutes. Until the Lamia Mormos gets tired of sliding behind a level four focused on agility.
Finally realizing that she would never get the cake that way, the monster began to cry. It finally looked like a 'person'.
"It seems that unlike sentient monsters she has no memories of how to proceed. Like a child" I said.
"Uhh, what an idiot I am." I spoke out.
"Yeah, I forgot about that too, Sinn." Lili spoke with a sigh.
"What's up?" Ryuu said scared.
'I have an ability that allows me to communicate directly with the target's mind.' I spoke with Ryuu through the mind, thinking that this is not such a big secret since there are similar or stronger [skills].
'Lamia, can you understand me?' I thought connecting telepathy to the four of us.
'Wahrrrr?'
'Well if you want the cake tap the tail twice' So she did.
"It seems that monsters can understand common without problems." I pointed.
"Well, I always thought they understood teasing..." Lili said thoughtfully.
"It still doesn't make them 'people' Ryuu said."
'If you want the cake, stretch out your hands together and open your mouth with your tongue out, towards the elf, And stand still' I transmitted, so the Lamia did.
"Well, try giving her the cake Ryuu." I spoke with an interested tone.
"Huh, right."
Ryuu then placed the cake in the hands of the Monster, who remained in the pose despite shivering from wanting to move.
"Interesting, it almost seems cruel."
'You can eat now'
So the snake girl happily ate the cake. She smiled and then lost the meaning of life and disappeared into ashes.
"What? It wasn't poisoned!" I spoke under the strange gaze of the two adventurers.
"So why did she die?" Ryuu asked annoyed.
"Correction, she was reabsorbed by the dungeon, probably her corrupted magic stone has run out."
"Reabsorbed?" Ryuu spoke.
"Yeah, don't worry. She'll probably be reborn after a while, probably as a person this time."
"Reborn as a person? You mean..."
"Yes, the dungeon 'reincarnates' the monsters, at least the ones she created. Considering that she should become one of the so-called Xenos and then her people will recover her, probably."
"Don't worry Ryuu-san, we won't let her be captured." Lily spoke.
"Let's go home, it's no use staying here." I spoke.
Then we quickly climbed the floors. Thinking telepathically about Evilus, Xenos, the guild, monsterphilia and Soma familia.
We finally reached the square around Babel and prepared to say goodbye.
'So Lili suffered so much in the Soma family?' Ryuu asked annoyed.
'Yes, if it weren't for Sinn I would still be a mistreated support, who has to steal from adventurers to survive in the family.' Lili replied indignantly.
'don't worry Lili, you can leave the family with your own hands, and I'll be there to support you.' — 'Besides, I'm sure Hephaestus-sama and Tsubaki would love to have you in the family.' I said encouraging her.
"Our adventure is just beginning Lili. You too Ryuu, I'd like to think we're adventure friends right?"
"Friends huh?" then she relented over Lili's beady eyes and said "okay friends, Lili the Minotaur slayer and Sinn the big pallum." she said smiling.
"Yay, Ryuu-chan" Lili said hugging her and making her blush.
Meanwhile, I watched the view.