Chapter 67 - The Difference Between Monster and Human!
"Roar!"
The Kobold leaped out of the wall and pounced on Ais, who seemed the easiest to bully among the three.
However, Riveria, who stood in the front, showed no intention of stopping and simply sidestepped the incoming Kobold.
The monster roared as it charged towards Ais.
Ais stood still, somewhat stunned, apparently not expecting the monster to rush towards her.
Swish!
Plop!
Before the Kobold could reach Ais, Luke swiftly cut it in two halves with his sword.
A 'magic stone shard/fragment' fell to the ground, making a 'ding' sound upon impact. At the same time, Riveria's slightly admonishing words echoed.
"This is your first lesson, vigilance."
"In the dungeon, anything can happen at any time. The moment you step into the dungeon, even on the first floor, signifies that you are in danger."
"Remember, never let your guard down at any moment!"
The glow on Riveria's wand slowly dissipated. She glanced at Luke and then at Ais.
She then said to Ais, "Ais, for now, you'll be the supporter for the team. Pick up the 'magic stone fragment,' and let's continue moving forward."
Ais, without saying a word, stared at the 'magic stone fragment' left behind by the disappearing monster.
After a few seconds, a hint of determination flashed in her eyes.
Ais let go of Luke's clothes, walked forward, put the 'magic stone fragment' into the pocket she carried, and then reached for the 'short sword' at her waist.
In a vigilant posture, she followed behind Riveria and Luke.
A supporter is a non-combatant who enters the dungeon with adventurers. They typically handle carrying luggage, backup weapons and equipment, provide support using items, and collect magic stones. They play a crucial role in the team.
Some novice adventurers may also double as part-time supporters for higher-leveled adventurers within their Familia or be employed as full-time supporters by the team.
The latter are often those who no longer serve as adventurers for various reasons, and thus are looked down upon by some adventurers and treated maliciously.
...
Riveria observed Ais's changes, seemingly indifferent on the surface as she continued walking forward, silently nodding in her heart.
In the dungeon, the appearance of many monsters is often very sudden—walls, bushes, corners, and even under your feet could pose a danger.
Staying vigilant is the first thing every adventurer must do. Failure to do so can lead to death.
The fact that Ais quickly realized this issue seemed to exceed Riveria's expectations.
As for Luke, Riveria glanced at him with her peripheral vision.
Compared to a pure novice adventurer, Luke did show a bit more vigilance, but he hadn't reached the level of experienced adventurers.
However, he possessed a formidable strength that most higher-leveled adventurers didn't have.
This meant that, in the upper levels of the dungeon, even without much vigilance, Luke wouldn't encounter unexpected situations that he couldn't handle.
While Riveria was secretly observing Luke and Ais, forming evaluations in her mind,
Luke, on the other hand, was recalling the scene of the monster disappearing just now.
In the dungeon, when monsters are killed, their bodies instantly turn into black smoke and dissipate completely.
However, the blood splattered by injuring them before the kill does not dissipate along with the body.
To be honest, this strange phenomenon always gives Luke a surreal feeling.
Despite being creatures with flesh and blood, they can turn into black smoke and vanish in an instant, a setting that seems too much like a 'video game.'
While observing and contemplating the dungeon, Luke follows Riveria, heading deeper into the first floor.
Not long into their journey, they encounter several attacks from Kobolds.
However, not only does Riveria refrain from taking action, but she also forbids Luke from intervening.
Any solitary Kobold is left to be dealt with by Ais.
And Ais doesn't disappoint Riveria's expectations.
She effortlessly handles the encountered Kobolds, and herself remains unharmed.
Possessing the 'Spirit Bloodline' and having spent a year learning swordsmanship under a powerful 'father,' despite being only 7 years old, Ais is among the top-tier adventurers in Level 1.
In the original work, she was promoted to Level 2 high-class adventurer within a year, not without reason.
Reaching the spot where the monsters disappear, picking up the dropped 'magic stone fragments' and storing them away, Ais's emotions are evidently much more excited than before.
Perhaps realizing that she, too, can contribute and defeat monsters, Ais's fighting spirit is gradually ignited.
And so, one Kobold after another is defeated by Ais, continuing until they encounter another type of monster on the first floor, the 'Goblin.'
Three green, ugly creatures, only half the height of a person, roar as they attack Luke and the others.
However, this time, when Ais is about to step forward, Riveria stops her.
Using her magic staff to block Ais, Riveria says to Luke, "Luke, it's your turn this time."
Hearing Riveria's words, Luke is momentarily stunned, but without dwelling on it, he draws the 'katana' at his waist and slashes at the goblins.
The katana Luke is currently using is not Ser-Veresta.
The reason is that Finn wanted him to prioritize familiarizing himself with the dungeon, minimizing reliance on weapons during this process.
Luke's Ser-Veresta, due to its unique appearance, is universally understood by Loki and Finn as an inheritance from a previous era, possessing formidable power.
This is not to say that Luke is prohibited from using Ser-Veresta, but that it should be used as little as possible when it is not necessary.
After all, according to Luke's current strength, there is no need to use powerful weapons on upper floors, and it is also easy to attract unwanted attention.
So now, he is using the standardized weapon provided by Loki Familia, and its strength is more than sufficient up to the 10th floor.
Facing three charging 'Goblins,' Luke's katana effortlessly cuts through several graceful arcs, easily slaying them.
Three 'Goblins' were dispatched with just four strikes.
Yes, four strikes.
Because when he was about to slay the last 'Goblin,' it used a peculiar posture of lying on the ground and crawling forward to evade his attack.
Although Luke didn't exert full force, and one might even say he didn't use much strength, his swordsmanship expertise is still there.
For an ordinary person to dodge Luke's attacks is nearly impossible.
Therefore, the successful evasion by the 'Goblin' caught Luke's attention.
---
I've noticed that no one has provided a review for this fanfic. Therefore, I've decided to take some action to encourage you to do so. If this fanfic receives more than 20 reviews, I will upload bonus chapters. So, feel free to share your thoughts and give your reviews.
PS: Only around 15 people posted their reviews, so hurry up ;)
---
More Chapters (More than 25 Chapters in Advance):
patréon.com/tom22
Replace "é" with "e" on your web browser.
(Please vote for more chapters! If this fanfic gets more than 500 powerstones, then I will upload bonus chapters! Also, don't forget to leave a review and comment below.)