Chapter 198
"Th-Thank you."
Having been saved by Kiriya yet again, Ryu felt a warmth ripple through her heart.
Even she failed to notice how much softer her voice had become.
"Pretty impressive, wasn’t it?"
Kiriya glanced back at her with an unbearably smug look.
"..."
Ryu pressed her lips together.
Couldn’t he remain quiet for just a little longer?
He looked so impressive when he fought, yet the moment he opened his mouth...
The two continued onward and soon entered an enormous cavern.
A vast chasm stretched before them, its depths hidden in darkness. The only route forward was a narrow stone bridge several meters wide.
Beyond it stood a towering coliseum.
Its weathered walls bore the scars of countless years, and through the cracks, they could see monsters moving inside.
Skull Sheep crowded together beside weapon-wielding Spartoi and packs of wolf-headed Loup Garous.
There were hundreds of them, most possessing strength around the upper reaches of Level 3 or even Level 4.
For countless adventurers, this place was nothing short of hell.
"The Coliseum."
Ryu’s eyes narrowed.
This was the region of the thirty-seventh floor with the highest concentration of monsters.
Even at full strength, she would never claim she could pass through such an army without danger.
"Watch out for the Spartoi—the skeletal warriors carrying weapons."
Ryu raised her dagger and assumed a guarded stance.
"They’re extremely skilled in close combat. Underestimate them, and they’ll punish you for it."
Kiriya patted her shoulder.
Under her puzzled gaze, he smiled.
"There are so many monsters here that it’s perfect for practicing my new technique."
"Your new technique?"
Ryu looked confused, then sighed.
"This many monsters is no joke, Kiriya-san. We need to conserve every bit of stamina and Mind we can."
"I know. Don’t worry."
Kiriya closed his eyes.
"This won’t take long."
Energy Perception—fully activated.
Every source of monster energy within a kilometer appeared inside his mind.
Their positions, movements, and distribution formed a detailed three-dimensional map, as clear as though he were looking down on the entire area from above.
Kiriya formed hand seals and exhaled a narrow stream of water.
"Water Release: Severing Wave—Fission."
Ryu watched as the water blade shot straight ahead.
Then it divided.
One became three.
Three became nine.
In an instant, countless high-pressure streams filled the Coliseum, each one curving through the air as though guided by a mind of its own toward the nearest target.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
The cavern echoed with a relentless series of cutting sounds.
The powerful Loup Garous, the stone-hard Spartoi, and even the Skull Sheep concealed by natural camouflage were all sliced apart.
Hundreds of monsters vanished into smoke within seconds.
And Kiriya had accomplished it by exhaling once.
Ryu stared at him.
"Are you... really a human?"
"Completely human."
Kiriya nodded firmly.
Before Ryu could respond, cracking sounds spread across the Coliseum.
Walls and floors split open as an unknown number of monsters crawled out, filling the space that had only just been cleared.
"A Monster Party?"
Ryu drew a deep breath but did not look particularly surprised.
The Dungeon always seemed eager to produce another unpleasant surprise.
"Can you use that technique again?" she asked.
"I can, but repeating the same move would get boring."
Kiriya created a Wood Clone.
"You stay here and practice Severing Wave—Fission. I’ll work on my close combat."
Using Forest of All Things, he produced several wooden swords.
He handed two to Ryu, kept a pair for himself, and charged directly into the monster horde.
"Another one down!"
His blades flashed repeatedly, each strike claiming another monster.
The creatures attempted to surround and overwhelm him, but between his Energy Perception and the enhanced vision of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, every ambush failed before it could begin.
His swords moved in smooth, rapid arcs, cutting down several monsters at a time with an almost artistic precision.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Wood Clone repeatedly used Severing Wave—Fission, refining both its range and accuracy while casually speaking to Ryu.
"What do you think, Miss Ryu? Want to join us?"
"Gladly."
Ryu tightened her grip on the wooden swords.
Kiriya’s fearless charge into the horde stirred her own fighting spirit.
Choosing one section of the battlefield, she rushed forward.
...
Despite the enormous number of monsters, the Monster Party was quickly wiped out through the combined efforts of Kiriya, his clone, and Ryu.
This time, the Dungeon did not immediately spawn another wave.
They passed through the Coliseum and eventually discovered the body of a female adventurer beside a narrow path.
After quietly apologizing to the dead woman, Ryu removed the intact clothing and changed into it.
"You seem very practiced at that."
Kiriya turned his back while teasing her.
"This is the Dungeon. Death is ordinary here."
Ryu’s voice remained calm as she dressed.
"If you become too concerned with dignity and appearances, you’ll eventually lose your life because of it."
Once she had finished, she tossed Kiriya’s coat back to him.
Kiriya caught it and instinctively raised it to his nose.
"Good. It doesn’t smell like sweat."
Ryu stared at him.
Had she been strong enough, she would have punched him twice in the face without hesitation.
Who spoke to people like that?
Unable to defeat Kiriya, Ryu took all her frustration out on the monsters they encountered afterward.
The Dungeon soon became the site of another one-sided massacre.
...
By evening, the sun was sinking toward the horizon on the surface.
Kiriya stretched and turned toward Ryu.
"Let’s stop here for today. Maybe we can explore the Dungeon together again sometime."
"Yes."
Ryu nodded before offering another formal bow of gratitude.
"Thank you."
In truth, she had greatly enjoyed exploring the Dungeon with him.
Whenever they grew tired, his shadow clones guarded the surrounding tunnels, allowing them to rest without fear.
Whenever she was injured, Everflowing Vitality restored her condition and allowed her to return to battle almost immediately.
Those two advantages alone increased her endurance in prolonged combat by nearly sixty percent.
If she could continue training under these conditions, the growth of her ability values would be astonishing.
’He really is the perfect adventuring partner.’
"If you truly want to thank me, words alone aren’t enough."
Kiriya leaned closer.
Ryu felt his warm breath against her skin and instinctively shrank back.
"Wh-What kind of thanks do you want?"
Kiriya was just about to answer when a quiet voice suddenly whispered beside his ear.
"Come to the alley east of the plaza."
Kiriya’s playful expression disappeared as his eyes immediately sharpened.
’Who was that?’
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