The Journey Begins in Danmachi

Even if they were to get close to a Minotaur, they would struggle to defend themselves, let alone a projectile from a Floor Boss that even Ryu and the others dared not face head-on!

Once Goliath closed the distance, casualties were inevitable!

Without needing detailed orders, the girls of the Astraea Familia relied on the tacit understanding and experience formed from years of fighting together to quickly formulate a response—

Ryu, Alise, and Kaguya, the three vanguards, drew their weapons, intending to delay Goliath from the front.

Iska the Amazon, Nize the werewolf, and Noah the human covered the rearguard as they retreated quickly into the long slope of the rock cave.

Fortunately, they only needed to retreat into the cave to avoid Goliath's attacks—

"Crack—"

At that very moment, a sound that made everyone's blood run cold echoed through the cave.

It sounded like the malicious, cold chuckle a hunter might make after a long wait, finally catching its prey.

Ryu and the others looked up and saw the cracks.

In the ceiling of the cave, which had not been subjected to any attacks or collateral damage, cracks appeared abruptly.

Immediately following was a rapid collapse.

Although the falling debris consisted only of stones that didn't warrant much concern, the cave, originally only three meters wide, expanded several times over in an instant.

And in those less than ten seconds, Goliath had already crossed the two or three hundred meters from the Wall of Sighs to the exit.

Furthermore, a massive boulder suddenly appeared in its hand, which it hurled toward the Astraea Familia like a cannonball.

An attack that could have been avoided by retreating just ten meters into the cave could now likely penetrate over a hundred meters.

And there was no escaping it!

In the narrow rock cave, there was no room left to dodge; Goliath's strength would be displayed to its fullest extent.

The boulder would slide through the cave like a cannon barrel, crushing them all to death inside.

In the blink of an eye, the sanctuary had turned into a stone mortar of death; the turn of events was so sudden, so absurd it almost made one want to laugh.

An ambush!

In an instant, everyone witnessing this scene understood the intention of Goliath—or rather, the Dungeon.

Perhaps from the moment of its birth, it had realized it was no match for Noah, and instead shifted its target to the other adventurers—the Astraea Familia.

Abandoning the hope of defeating a strong enemy, it sought only to inflict casualties on the 'Mother's' enemies!

That was why, during the seemingly futile attacks just moments ago, this Goliath had quietly gripped a stone in its hand, waiting for this very moment!

And the once quiet Dungeon had also delivered that fatal blow at the critical juncture.

The Dungeon is alive!

It waits patiently for the right moment, sets traps in the shadows, and the second the adventurers let their guard down, it seizes the opportunity to push the creatures of the Lower World into an abyss of despair!

This point had now been verified once again!

It was too late; someone was going to die!

As the harrowing images of her familia members' deaths flashed through her mind, Ryu's brain went blank, followed immediately by a raging fire.

Her body reacted before her consciousness could catch up; the elf dashed out of the cave entrance, a brilliant green magical glow surging over her.

"Ryu!"

"Don't!"

"Come back!"

Leaving the shouts of her familia members behind, Ryu, knowing she had no time to chant for magic, prepared to forcibly mobilize the mana within her body, causing it to explode in a chaotic surge.

Just like when a mage's chant is interrupted and their massive mana goes out of control.

—At the very least, she could buy some time!

Just as Ryu thought this, the anomaly occurred.

Her consciousness raced at high speed, and time stretched infinitely.

Everything else faded away, turning into a pure white field of vision where a strange radiance emerged in the corner.

Deep and pure, beautiful yet ominous, like a piece of deep blue crystal or the brilliant glow of the northern aurora.

It was an electric arc; it was a flash of lightning...

Although it was not yet close, the moment a slight tingling sensation of numbness rippled across her skin, Ryu's heart recognized that presence before her consciousness did.

Immediately after, the aurora truly appeared!

A dark, brilliant bolt of lightning tore the world of her vision completely apart.

From far to near, it pierced the sky, delivering its main body before the roar of thunder could even arrive—

It was a long sword wrapped in electric arcs and plasma, stained with a deep blue radiance.

The moment Ryu saw the true form of the aurora, the long sword completely pierced Goliath's skull, and then, with its momentum undiminished, shattered the massive boulder it had thrown.

Were they saved?

The ensuing Thunderclap told Ryu that things were not so simple.

Whether it was the head of the Goliath or the stones flying through the air, once pierced, they quickly began to emit a melting, deep crimson glow.

Immediately, countless cracks appeared across their entire bodies, leaking light from within and illuminating the elf's pupils.

Oh no, I'm done for!

I wasn't crushed or beaten to death, but it looks like I'm about to be blown to bits?

And to top it off, did I bring this upon myself?

No way!

This way of dying is too stupid, too embarrassing!

The Loki Familia wouldn't replace their flag with me, would they?!

In that fleeting moment of consciousness, the regret Ryu felt for her own clownish behavior far outweighed her fear of death.

Then, the world before her eyes was engulfed by a scorching jet.

Plasma and searing heat rained down like a storm, the blinding radiance drowning everything like a churning tide, casting Ryu into a pure white world of intense heat.

Her consciousness sank into an endless void, with only a faint, numbing tingle circulating across her skin, serving as the only reminder that she still possessed a body.

Yet, the expected agony of being burned all over did not come; in its place was a somewhat lean, firm embrace.

Someone... saved me?

Perhaps ten hours had passed, or perhaps only a few seconds.

When Ryu regained control of her body and her consciousness cleared, the first thing she smelled was not the peculiar, pungent odor that should have lingered after a lightning rampage.

Instead, it was a fragrance.

Clear, elegant, gentle, and faint, it reminded her of a long-lost homeland—

Beneath the canopy of lush sacred trees, clear streams surged through the deep forest, and white flowers swayed gently.

I wonder, has that lilac I planted before leaving finally bloomed?

As such melancholy rippled shallowly through her heart, Ryu opened her eyes.

She met the gaze of a pair of azure eyes—reminiscent of the brilliance of polar glaciers.

And then, there was the unfamiliar sensation at her waist.

"Hmm?"

44 Ryu: Why are you so practiced at this!

Seeing the elf in his arms open her eyes to reveal bewildered sky-blue pupils, Noah felt a strong sense of déjà vu.

Is this girl alright?

Why does she keep staring at me so blankly?

She didn't get her brain fried by the explosion, did she?

Wait, why did I say "again"?

Fortunately, the blonde elf quickly regained her senses.

Noah could be certain of this because, first, her pupils suddenly widened, focusing entirely on his face.

Second, the soft, slender waist in his palm suddenly became exceptionally rigid.

Or rather, the elf's entire body had stiffened, becoming as hard as a salted fish that could be used as a weapon.

At this moment, Noah felt his back suddenly grow hot, and a sense of unease surfaced in his heart.

He knew this was a warning from that skill which always gave him such strong intuition.

Did I... overlook something again?

A monster?

Noah subconsciously glanced around.

The long hall, originally composed of pale rock, had mostly turned charred black, with large patches of amber-colored sand in a melted, crystalline state remaining on the ground.

Patches of flame dotted the area, possessing a strange, otherworldly beauty.

Gale winds whipped up boiling heat waves that lashed against his body, scorching his skin, the high temperature distorting the light and shadows.

Without a doubt, that massive floor boss had vanished in the bombardment and explosion just now, leaving not even ash behind.

I don't see any other monsters, either?

After confirming the surroundings, Noah turned his gaze back to the elf in his arms.

Then, he saw the elf's fair cheeks turning red at a speed visible to the naked eye!

"Hey! You! Are you injured somewhere?"

Could it be internal injuries?

Startled, Noah held the elf's waist with his sword-wielding right hand while carefully feeling around her body with his left.

Although his movements were light, the various strange sensations against her waist, legs, and stomach made Ryu feel as if she were dying.

Ba, bastard!

Stop touching me!

She roared this in her heart, but Ryu felt all the blood in her body rushing to her head; her cheeks and ears burned red, and her heart hammered as if it were about to leap out of her chest.

Dizzy and lightheaded, she couldn't muster any strength from her thighs to her fingertips.

Wh, why is it like this?

Hit him!

My damned elven instinct, you only ever cause me trouble!

It's supposed to be useful at a time like this, so why did you have to fail me at the critical moment?

But no matter how much Ryu scolded herself internally, her body seemed to rebel on purpose, refusing to obey her commands.

Her legs went completely limp, causing Ryu to stumble forward and bury her face into Noah's chest.

Oh no!

Her pupils dilated, and as Ryu desperately tried to hold her breath, it was already too late.

The faint fragrance that had only been barely perceptible between breaths suddenly surged into her nostrils, thick and heavy, accompanied by the warmth of the opposite sex.

And then...