Chapter 130
After rejoining Ais and the others, the expedition continued downward.
They followed a long tunnel that sloped deeper and deeper until they soon arrived in an exceptionally vast underground cavern.
The 25th Floor.
Everywhere Kiriya looked, roaring torrents of water poured down from above, crashing with unstoppable force into the black abyss below.
The grand, breathtaking sight drew a low whistle even from Kiriya.
"What a view. This really is something."
"It is," Riveria agreed from beside him. "No matter how many times I see it, I’m still reminded how strange and magnificent the Dungeon can be."
Then her expression turned serious.
"From this floor onward, the terrain becomes much more uneven and complicated. You need to be especially careful during battle, particularly around the water."
Riveria’s tone grew even more solemn.
"The currents here are extremely fast and flow directly toward the 27th Floor. If you get swept down... the consequences would be hard to imagine. And..."
"And who knows how many strange monsters are hiding in the water. Once you fall into their territory, you’ll probably be torn apart before you can climb back out, right?" Kiriya finished for her.
Seeing Riveria look slightly surprised, he smiled.
"I did my homework before entering the Dungeon, you know."
"Is that so? Then I underestimated you." Riveria shook her head lightly. "I had only seen your strength before. I didn’t expect you to be so careful too."
"Hey, hey, you’re making it sound like all I have in my head is muscle!"
Kiriya pretended to be offended, which drew a burst of laughter from the others.
"Handsome, most of the monsters here shouldn’t be a problem for you, but there’s one type you really need to watch out for."
As they walked along the narrow stone path beside the rushing river, Tiona raised a finger and spoke seriously.
"Flash Birds! Like the name says, they’re swallow-type monsters that move as fast as lightning and have terrifying piercing power. If one hits you while you’re careless... well, it’s basically like getting stabbed by Ais."
"That said, they fly in a straight line. If your reaction speed is good enough, you can block them with a strong shield or another hard object, and they’ll crush themselves with their own momentum."
"Flash Birds, huh? That sounds interesting." Kiriya rubbed his chin, his expression becoming intrigued.
"Whoa, handsome, why do you look excited?" Tiona leaned closer and grinned.
"Mm, I remembered a story. They say there was once a swordsman in the Far East who trained his swordsmanship for years until he could cut down a swallow in flight with a mortal body. That technique was called Tsubame Gaeshi." Kiriya smiled.
(Idk why but i need to say this, Far east in Danmachi is basically Japan, the shinto gods rule there, so its not china at all)
"I kind of want to see whether my sword can reach that level."
"If it’s you, I think you can do it," Ais said.
Although Flash Birds were fast, they were still only around the upper range of Level 4 in terms of threat.
They could dominate this depth near the start of the lower floors, but against an agility-focused Level 5 adventurer, they were not impossible to deal with.
"Haha, thanks for thinking so highly of me."
Kiriya’s words sounded modest, but his face clearly said, ’Praise me more.’
The expressions of the people nearby became rather subtle.
"So this is how first-tier adventurers see the world? How terrifying." The supporter Park whispered to Orben beside him.
"Those troublesome Flash Birds look like toys to them."
"Otherwise, they wouldn’t be called first-tier adventurers." Orben answered casually, though his face was serious.
"Stay sharp later. If we run into those things, hide immediately. They might not be able to do much to the big shots, but killing us would be as easy as crushing ants."
"Yeah, yeah, I know... Hey, look over there. Labyrinth Coral." Park caught sight of something from the corner of his eye and immediately grew excited.
"It really is." Orben followed Park’s finger and saw a cluster of coral hidden among the rocks.
His breathing quickened.
Labyrinth Coral was a precious material found only on the 25th Floor.
It was an excellent material for forging weapons and could sell for a high price.
Even better, it could sometimes produce Labyrinth Pearls, which were worth at least three million valis.
With good negotiation, they could even sell for more than three and a half million.
Since the Loki Familia often went on expeditions, the members usually upgraded their equipment before setting out.
Weapons, armor, potions, and other supplies were all chosen from high-grade goods, which meant the expenses were enormous.
They were counting on gathering rare materials during the expedition to earn that money back.
Now that something valuable had appeared in front of them, there was no way they would ignore it.
The two immediately reported it, and Finn quickly gave the order for people to harvest it.
Only the one keeping the books knew how expensive everything was. As the captain of the Loki Familia, Finn often worried about the Familia’s finances.
Now that they had a good chance to make money, he naturally would not let it pass.
Park and Orben had discovered the coral, so they were the ones sent to collect it.
Afterward, both would receive a sizable share.
As members of an elite force like the Loki Familia expedition party, even supporters had respectable physical ability.
With a light jump, they crossed the wide riverbank and landed on a rock in the middle of the river to begin harvesting.
The work went smoothly. In just a few minutes, they collected several clusters of coral.
With more than ten million valis practically in their pockets, both men were in high spirits.
Even their bodies felt light as they returned.
But just as they leapt into the air, something unexpected happened.
Two huge monster fish, each four meters long, burst out of the river.
Their mouths opened wide, full of jagged fangs, as they lunged toward the two men, eager to feast.
Feeling the foul, fishy breath rushing out of those mouths, the two supporters turned pale with fear.
Shhk—
A flash of sword light cut through the air.
The two monster fish were split cleanly in half and scattered into smoke before they could bite down.
Thud.
The two supporters landed on the ground and collapsed onto their backsides, their legs going weak.
They looked at Kiriya with eyes full of gratitude.
"S-Saved... We’re saved."
Kiriya landed on the rock at the center of the river and was just about to return when a sharp, piercing whistle reached his ears.
"Careful! Flash Birds!"
Ais and the others, seasoned as they were, immediately identified the threat and rushed forward to support him.
But just then, a stinging sensation spread across their skin, making them instinctively stop.
At that very moment, the swarm of Flash Birds had already closed in to within three meters of Kiriya.
He didn’t seem to move at all.
He simply took his sword in both hands and looked dead ahead, his stance was calm and unmoving, still as the face of a windless lake.
"Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Dead Calm."
For a brief moment, everyone seemed to see a vast sea spreading outward with Kiriya at its center.
At first the waves heaved and crashed.
Then all of it went still.
In that single instant, the battlefield turned inside out.
The moment the Flash Birds entered that calm surface, their forward charge suddenly stopped.
Invisible sword blades cut through them, and their bodies burst one after another into clouds of blood mist.