[Personal Information]
"Captain, is it true that a Level 1 adventurer can fight a silverback barehanded?" Raul, a new recruit, asked his captain with curiosity.
Although Finn initially found the question strange, he still replied thoughtfully, "A Level 1 adventurer capable of reaching the eleventh floor should have fairly high stats. But even so, very few can take on a silverback unarmed. Why do you ask, Raul?"
Scratching his cheek with an awkward smile, Raul replied, "I heard a rumor from the guild when I came back. They said someone on the eleventh floor fought a silverback with their bare hands."
Finn narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Did they mention which familia that person belongs to?"
Raul thought for a moment and answered, "Oh, right! Yes, Captain. I think I heard them say it was a new recruit from the Astraea Familia."
"Astraea Familia?" Finn murmured, a faint smile forming on his lips.
"Looks like the righteous familia just added a remarkable new member to their already impressive lineup."
Recalling the powerful group of eleven girls and a certain troublesome one among them, he couldn't help but chuckle bitterly.
Finn said, "You've done well, Raul. You can leave the documents here and return to your duties."
Raul replied, "Understood! I'll head back now."
After gently knocking, Ottar stepped into a room as he handed over a document to Freya.
Freya casually flipped through the pages, her gray eyes filled with lazy disinterest.
Tossing the papers aside, she said languidly, "I've seen this one before. His soul has a decent shine—but only decent. Don't waste time watching him too closely."
"Yes, Freya-sama. Understood." Ottar replied dutifully.
Today, Akira set his sights on the twelfth floor.
Though the monsters on the twelfth floor were mostly the same as the eleventh floor, their frequency and danger had notably increased.
Silverbacks, for instance, now appeared in clusters—four or five at a time rather than just one or two.
There was even the looming possibility of encountering an Infant dragon, one of the upper-floor bosses known for its fearsome might.
Thanks to a recent status update, Akira could now handle these dangers with remarkable ease.
Using a one-handed sword he had purchased for 150,000 Valis, he intercepted a charging Hard Armored's wheel-like body. Then, he shifted his footing, and drove the blade into its core, exposing its insides.
Blood coated his sword as the beast collapsed.
With swift reflexes, Akira dodged a barrage of spinning beasts, then intercepted a silverback's massive punch.
Without wasting a single moment, he sliced through the limb, surged forward, and met the creature's scarlet eyes with his own black ones.
In the blink of an eye, his sword flashed and the ape's head soared.
He stomped on the falling corpse to gain height, flipped midair, and launched another slash at a second Silverback rushing in. Blood exploded as he landed smoothly in front of its crumpled body.
"Too easy. Looks like silverbacks don't even qualify as warm-up anymore." Akira muttered, visibly pleased with his performance.
At this moment, a sudden noise entered his ears.
The ground trembled far more violently than it had before.
Through the dense fog, a shadow began to take shape. Four to five meters tall, its massive figure loomed ever closer.
"Is that… an Infant dragon?"
Akira's eyes sparkled as he watched the monster approach, its long neck and tail swinging ominously through the mist.
The ground-shaking howls echoed through the floor, causing nearby adventurers to pause and instinctively prepare to retreat.
As the mist cleared, its form became unmistakable—amber scales, razor-sharp claws, a maw full of deadly fangs, a muscular tail, and a horned, majestic head that radiated terrifying power.
Akira's lips curled into a grin.
As part of the legendary dragon race—considered the strongest among monsters—this young dragon, despite its undeveloped wings and inability to fly, exuded overwhelming might. Its hardened scales alone hinted at monstrous strength far exceeding that of any orc.
This was a monster that could easily wipe out a low-level party. Many adventurers had lost their lives just trying to escape it.
But Akira didn't flinch.
He stepped forward and then bolted straight towards it.
'There's no turning back now. Let's see just how much nourishment you can offer me!'
The Infant dragon spotted him and bent its limbs, making the earth quake as it braced for combat. Then it spun around and swung its tail with immense force.
Akira ducked low, narrowly evading the sweeping strike. Rising, he dashed forward and carved into the dragon's hind leg with his sword.
The dragon bellowed in pain, its long neck twisting around. It's blood-red eyes locked onto Akira and it raised its front claws, poised to crush him.
'Just one strike from that, and my head will pop like a melon.'
He rolled forward, just escaping the blow, and retaliated by slashing deep into the dragon's exposed belly.
Then, evading its claws again, he leapt, gripping one of the raised scales with his left hand, and vaulted onto its back.
As the dragon tried to shake him off, Akira stepped firmly, drove his fingers into one of its eyes, then kicked its writhing head and launched himself into the air.
He landed on the grass with practiced ease.
The dragon writhed in agony, its rage intensifying. It lunged at Akira, jaws wide and drooling, its breath hot and reeking of blood.
Akira danced through its strikes, carving shallow wounds along its head. The more injuries he inflicted, the slower and heavier its movements became. Now, even its breathing was loud and ragged.
Seeing the monster panting and stumbling, Akira knew it was over.
"Time to finish this."
Power surged around his sword as he gathered wind into the blade. With a sharp cry, he swung down fiercely. A bright green arc slashed cleanly across the dragon's body.
The Infant dragon gave one final roar and then split in two and crumbled to the ground.
In the center of its remains lay a fist-sized magic stone, a dragon horn, and several gleaming dragon scales.