Eiji took a bath and returned to his room.
There was no trace of worry or fear on his face, and he wasn't concerned about his secrets being exposed at all.
He hadn't sensed any malice from Loki, after all, his intuition wasn't for nothing.
In comparison, the steady improvement in his strength made him even more delighted.
Among these improvements, the increase in physical strength was within his expectations, but what excited him the most was undoubtedly the growth of his magical power.
In this world of DanMachi, magical power is also a form of spiritual energy. However, unlike in the Rakudai world where it serves as fuel for supernatural abilities, in this world, magical power is used to cast spells.
During the day, while he was in the dungeon, he had used the
However, since his total magical power was already quite limited, and he needed to reserve some for unexpected situations, he didn't use his ability too many times, and thus consumed very little magical power.
Even so, his magical power had still increased.
Although it was just a tiny bit, almost negligible compared to his original total, the important thing was that this small increase gave him hope of becoming stronger!
He had been quite anxious before.
He was afraid that his magical power couldn't be enhanced through blessings and would remain stuck at this level forever. However, the recent update to his status broke through this barrier, giving him a real sense of relief.
As long as he could improve both his physical strength and magical power, his biggest weakness would be addressed, and his strength would take a huge leap forward!
"The dungeon!"
The key was still the dungeon!
For him now, that place was the greatest treasure trove!
***
Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!
Three human-sized rats blocked Eiji's path, emitting fierce cries.
Each of these rats was over 1.5 meters long, standing upright on their hind legs. Their forelimbs were equipped with sturdy claws, and their backs were covered in pitch-black armour that even extended over their heads, making them look incredibly tough.
Armoured Rats.
The armour on their backs was harder than ordinary steel, capable of easily deflecting attacks even from dwarves, making it one of the excellent materials for crafting armour.
When faced with enemy sword attacks, they would immediately curl up, using the armour on their backs to block the strikes, and then tear their enemies apart with their forelimbs.
Swish~!
Eiji swung his blade.
His wrist trembled due to his erratic breathing, causing the Armoured Rat directly in front of him to freeze in place. In the next moment, his blade pierced through the soft fur of the rat's chest and abdomen.
According to the guidebook, the chest and abdomen of Armoured Rats were very soft, and even low-quality swords could pierce through their skin and kill them.
Using his "Flickering Light and Passing Shadows" sword technique, Eiji disrupted the rat's senses, causing it to freeze momentarily, preventing it from curling up in time, allowing him to strike with precision.
The "Flickering Light and Passing Shadows" technique was almost foolproof. As long as the opponent's method of analyzing information remained within the scope of carbon-based life forms and wasn't as comprehensive as a robot's, it would work every time.
The downside was that it could only be used on one target at a time, making it unsuitable for group battles.
The other two Armoured Rats had already charged forward, their forelimbs gleaming like sharp blades, slicing through the air toward Eiji's chest.
Thud!
Eiji twisted his body, hiding behind the Armoured Rat he had just stabbed, causing the attacks of the other two rats to miss.
At the same time, he exerted force with his arms, sending the rat impaled on his blade flying into the other two rats.
The blade flashed continuously, accompanied by the sound of slicing.
Caught off guard, the two rats were swiftly decapitated, letting out their final cries before dissipating into nothingness.
"Phew…"
Eiji exhaled deeply, breathing somewhat heavily.
This was the 12th floor.
The final floor of the upper levels (1-12), and the limit of what a Level 1 adventurer could explore.
The terrain here was almost identical to the 10th floor, with thick fog drifting through the corridors and grasslands, severely limiting visibility.
Because of this, Eiji had encountered very few adventurers.
In the past two days, he had run into several third-rate adventurers who had their eyes on his "Bling" blade, wanting to steal it and sell it for money. Today, however, he hadn't encountered a single one.
"That's the staircase leading to the 13th floor."
Eiji continued to advance through the mist, defeating every monster he encountered, not letting a single one escape. Like a miser, he refused to let any experience points slip through his fingers.
After walking through the thick fog for half an hour, the mist gradually thinned, and Eiji arrived at the entrance of a massive cave, about two people tall.
Inside the cave was a stone staircase winding downward, dark and damp, with dew condensing on the steps and moss growing in the corners. The humidity was intense.
This was the passage leading to the 13th floor.
Between two floors of the dungeon, they were generally connected by passages. Some were staircases, while others were simply slopes. As long as you passed through these passages, you could reach the next floor.
However, the 13th floor was already part of the middle levels, where Level 2 monsters began to appear. The threat level would increase by more than a notch compared to the 12th floor!
More importantly, Eiji didn't have a guidebook for the 13th floor, so he had no idea what kind of monsters would appear there.
The monsters in the dungeon didn't have levels; it was the guild that assigned them levels to indicate their threat level. Saying that the 13th floor had Level 2 monsters meant that the monsters there had the power to threaten Level 2 adventurers.
Even a Level 2 adventurer venturing in alone could easily meet their death.
"I have my intuition, as well as the
This was what Eiji thought.
It was true that the deeper you went into the dungeon, the stronger the monsters became, and the greater the threats. However, they also served as excellent resources for growth, allowing him to become stronger at a faster pace.
Moreover, he had confidence in his ability to escape if necessary.
In that case, he might as well go in and test the waters!
Having made up his mind, Eiji stepped into the staircase leading to the next floor.
...
...
...
Five minutes later.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amidst a series of explosions, Eiji ran back, covered in dust.
"What's up!"
He cursed fiercely.
This is insane!
The monsters on the 13th floor can use "magic"!
With a range of about 30 meters! When several of them gather together, there's no way to get close!
He had only been inside for a few minutes when he was blocked by a pack of three-headed dog-like monsters. They didn't engage in close combat at all; from a distance, they opened their mouths and hurled fireballs the size of washbasins, startling him.
The most frustrating part was that the terrain on the 13th floor was incredibly punishing. The corridors were long and narrow, and when you encountered fireball-spitting monsters in such a confined space, there was no way to dodge. It was pure torture!
He activated his sword step, rolling on the ground several times to barely escape with his life, and then hurriedly ran back, not even caring about his dignity.
No wonder they said even Level 2 adventurers could die in there. It's not something humans should be dealing with!
"You can't go into the 13th floor alone. You need a strong team! And you need to make some special preparations!"
Eiji brushed off the dirt from his body, moved his ankles around to make sure they weren't sprained, and then breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly left the entrance of the passage and headed back toward the surface.
***
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