The Journey Begins in Danmachi

It was fortunate that Ryu had run away, otherwise—the moment this thought surfaced, an ominous feeling abruptly rose in Noah Cipher's heart.

The next second—

"BOOM!!"

Accompanied by an explosion even more terrifying than the one caused by the rampaging magic swords moments ago, a figure was thrown into the sky, only to fall back down in a wretched state.

It was Ryu, who should have left dozens of seconds ago; now, her cloak was stained with flames, and even her golden hair was slightly scorched.

In particular, the spot where she landed was right in the middle of a purple-red magic circle!

"Noah! They have other ambushes in the forest! So many suicide bombers!"

Before Ryu could even finish shouting, Noah dispelled the arcs of electricity coiling around his body and rapidly closed the distance to her.

This augmentation magic was immensely powerful for a vanguard needing to charge into enemy lines, but those arcs would also destroy everything nearby, friend or foe alike.

But faster and earlier than him was Valetta's shrill command.

"Noah! Watch how I toy with you until you die! Guys, bring out your weapons!!"

In an instant, several times more members of the Dark Faction than before swarmed out from every direction.

At the same time, the magic circle beneath Noah's feet flared with light, the purple-red radiance transforming into countless invisible spider threads that bound him and Ryu.

When Noah ignored the strange sensation in his body and scooped Ryu up, intending to dash out, three or four Dark Faction members blocked his path, and then—

"BOOM!!"

A pillar of fire and an explosive shockwave shook the earth, forcibly pushing Noah back into the magic barrier.

"Damn, that's ruthless!"

Seeing even more of the Dark Faction surrounding them, Noah could only retreat repeatedly.

Even if he could tank that kind of massive explosion, the elf in his arms certainly couldn't!

The problem was that, trapped in the encirclement, Noah's room for maneuver was shrinking rapidly.

In particular, the speed and determination with which the Dark Faction used suicide tactics to stop him made even Noah click his tongue in disbelief.

They would detonate without hesitation the moment they saw which direction he was heading, making it too late by the time Noah charged over.

To protect the elf and the three children in his arms, he could only retreat once more.

Under normal circumstances, given the rate at which the Dark Faction was blowing themselves up, Noah wouldn't even need to draw his sword before they all perished.

However, Noah could feel that his stats were being drained away by Valetta's magic, almost returning to the level he was at before receiving his Blessing.

The elf in his arms was in an even worse state, having almost reverted to an ordinary elf.

Originally, Noah only needed to carry her, but now he had to hold her completely.

He couldn't hesitate any longer!

No matter what, he could fight his way out, but he might not be able to protect the little ones in his arms!

"Elf! Use that move from before!"

That move? Which move?

Ryu looked up, bewildered, but upon seeing the look in Noah's eyes, she understood.

Eh, but is that really okay?

Ignoring Ryu's terrified expression, Noah roared loudly, grabbed the elf by the back of her neck, and hurled her into the air!

"Go! I choose you!"

Noah Cipher! I hate you!!

The height, which she usually wouldn't care about at all, now left Ryu feeling genuinely terrified due to the total loss of her stats and the fact that she had been thrown passively into the sky.

But seeing Valetta looking up with a shocked expression, Ryu closed her eyes as if she had nothing left to lose and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Wind of Light!!"

Feeling the ripples of magic power spreading through the air, Valetta's expression changed drastically.

What was happening?

Didn't this elf's wide-range bombardment magic require a super-long incantation?

Why had it become an instant cast!

But the situation didn't allow Valetta much time to think.

She had witnessed the bombardment magic of the 'Gale' before and certainly didn't believe she could take it head-on!

Dodge!

As she leaped backward without hesitation, Valetta saw three more small things appear in the sky—it was those children!

Doesn't that mean—

In Valetta's constricted pupils, countless flashes of lightning were reflected.

"Let's see if you die or not!!"

A slash—no, that should have been a massive shockwave generated by the direct release of her entire mana reserves.

By discarding efficiency and precision, she traded everything for an immense area of effect and lethal power!

It's all over. Stuck in mid-air, she absolutely could not dodge this strike!

Realizing this, Valetta's face twisted as she hurled the remaining half of her cursed sword toward Ryu, who was still suspended in the air!

Even if I die, you won't get off easy!

As this thought flashed through her mind, Valetta was swallowed by the rain of lightning and thunder.

At the same time, the cursed sword tore through Ryu's combat suit and plunged deep into her abdomen.

Rivira

In the 18th floor of the Dungeon, a place devoid of weather or seasons, a heaven-shaking roar suddenly erupted.

It was as if a massive thunderstorm, usually reserved for the height of summer, had descended; uncontrollable arcs of lightning swept and spread in every direction.

Rocks, giant trees, and crystals were annihilated in an instant, and countless monsters were ground into dust before they could even attempt to flee.

A scorching gale, born from the shockwave, swept across the floor, bleaching everything in sight white.

The entire floor felt as if it had been bombarded by wide-area annihilation magic, shaking violently like a ship caught in a raging sea.

The cataclysmic event lasted for over twenty seconds before the thunder and wind vanished completely.

After the deafening roar, the 18th floor fell into an eerie silence, as if even the monsters were holding their breath in fear.

Only the vast, charred plains that had appeared abruptly in the forest and the lingering flames on the surrounding trees remained.

"I should have... killed her, right?"

Enduring the stinging, swelling sensation throughout his body after the mana eruption, Noah looked at the charred remains that were barely recognizable as human.

This was the first enemy he had faced since arriving in this world—ruthless, vicious, shameless, and cunning. Seeing her die like this actually made Noah feel a twinge of regret.

However, an enemy is an enemy. Noah only ever enjoyed his own pleasures when they didn't harm others.

Right now, it was clear someone was injured and needed his attention.

"Hey! Elf? What's wrong? Are you dead?"

Before the lightning storm swept out, Noah had promptly unfurled the cloak wrapped around his waist, shielding Ryu and the three young girls beneath it.

The protective cloak, seemingly blessed by the power of spirits and crafted from rare materials, clearly hadn't withstood his power and was now in tatters.

The girls were still unconscious; whether it was the potency of the sedative or the shock of being tossed around, they appeared unharmed on the surface.

The critical issue was Ryu—

"Ugh, I... I am not 'Hey'! Call me Ryu!"

Ryu, whose attention was focused on the strangest things, leaned weakly against Noah, clutching her abdomen. Her waist-length golden hair was stained with blood.

The shard of the black blade had pierced her combat suit and embedded itself into her fair skin, blood bubbling out.

Whether it was due to the weakness following the mana eruption or something else, Noah felt a strange, parched itch in his throat upon seeing the blood—

No! Now is not the time for that to act up!

"Alright, Elf. No problem, Elf. How is your wound? Do you want me to pull it out for you?"

Ryu, who had been wilting, suddenly sobered up at that and glared at Noah with resentment.

"I won't die!"

Without waiting for Noah to act, Ryu gripped the broken blade herself and pulled it out with a sickening sound of tearing flesh.

At this moment, Ryu displayed the true mettle of an adventurer. Even though the wound was deep, her expression remained steady, showing not a flicker of hesitation, save for her face turning paler and sweat beading on her forehead.

"Oh, song of the distant forest, melody of ancient life, I beseech thee, grant thy healing mercy to those who seek it—Noah Heal!"

It's so nice to have healing magic. I really want some too... That way, I could heal my opponents and fight them again, instead of just having to put them down after breaking them.

Noah, who had been constantly advancing on a path of destruction, sighed.

Oh, if only the special bloodline inside him, which seemed to acquire mana through female bodily fluids, counted.

Even though there were no obvious traits yet, Noah felt that his bloodline should be basically activated by now.

The problem was, aside from an increased ability to entice women, there didn't seem to be anything unusual.

However, under Noah's somewhat envious gaze, after the emerald light faded, the wound on Ryu's abdomen showed no signs of closing.

"How is this possible?!"

Compared to the surprised Ryu, Noah rested his chin on his fingers, wearing the expression of a scholar.

"It must be an incurable curse. Truly impressive. Even healing magic can't take effect. I'd really like to ask the people who developed these curses for advice."

Ryu had seen that look—the one a child wears when pulling and tearing at a toy to see how it reacts—far too often when her teammate Laila studied various novel weapons and items. Sometimes, she would even stand by and watch.

But when she became the object of someone else's observation, Ryu couldn't find the interest at all!

"Hey! Why are you acting like this has nothing to do with you?!"

This only made Noah tilt his head in confusion.

"That goes without saying. The sword is stuck in your stomach, not mine, so why would I be in a hurry?"

This statement, so matter-of-fact and cold-blooded, made Ryu's eyes widen; she nearly died of pure indignation.

However, Noah didn't wait for her to get angry. He slipped one arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders, lifted Ryu into his arms, and leaped into the air.

As for the three little ones? He simply swept them up in his cloak, the tattered holes in the fabric serving perfectly for ventilation.

Is this... a princess carry?

With the wind whistling past her ears, Ryu instinctively wrapped her arms around Noah's neck, looking up at the youth's face.

Reaching this height would be a breeze for a nimble swordswoman like Ryu, but being held in someone's arms was an entirely different sensation.

The heartbeat of the opposite sex resonated through his armor and reached her ears. Even with her wound still bleeding profusely, Ryu felt her face flush, her head spin, and her heart race...

Wait, is this just an illusion caused by excessive blood loss?

In the great lake of the eighteenth floor, there was an island connected to the mainland by a bridge made of massive logs.

On the eastern side of the island, atop a cliff at least two hundred meters high, sat a town.

Though called a town, its walls were constructed merely from nearby rock crystals, and the buildings were stacked upon the cliff like blocks.

An archway made of wooden pillars and banners bore the inscription: 'Rivira'.

This town was originally a large-scale relay base established by the Guild to more effectively explore unknown floors, but it was eventually abandoned due to monster invasions and the exorbitant costs of defense.

Later, however, a group of greedy, profit-driven adventurers took it over and transformed it into a black market beyond the reach of the Guild.

Beyond grimoires and treasures of equal value, it was said that one could even purchase the 'Unlock Potion'—a forbidden concoction requiring divine blood to forcibly unlock status points sealed by a deity.

At this moment, a commotion was erupting in Rivira. Adventurers burdened with massive packs were scurrying about like ants on a hot pan.

When they saw Noah leaping across the lake and sprinting directly up from the base of the cliff, they all raised their weapons in unison.

"Who goes there!!"