Lefiya's Weakness, Latent Crisis

"[Arc Ray]"

As the crisp magical incantation concluded, the light gathered at the tip of the staff was unleashed in the next second.

A "beam" of magical energy transformed into an arc of light, tearing through the ground as it surged toward the remaining Kobold.

After piercing through one Kobold, the massive beam of magical light maintained its momentum, shifting direction to pursue the others.

The Kobold struck were either pierced directly and vanished on the spot, or had parts of their bodies sheared off by the grazing light; even those that tried to dodge could not escape the arcing beam as it hunted them down.

Watching the remaining Kobold being wiped out by Lefiya's magic in an instant, Liber could not help but sigh in admiration.

Is this the true power of magic?

Lefiya exhaled slightly after finishing her spell, offering a shy smile upon hearing his remark.

The magic Lefiya had just used, [Arc Ray], was one of the three spells in her repertoire.

It was a beam-type, single-shot magic capable of automatic targeting and tracking, boasting incredible speed.

This spell utilized a short-chant incantation, requiring very little time to cast.

It possessed the auto-tracking attribute that made Liber envious, a type of magic that was guaranteed to hit its target once successfully activated.

However, in terms of raw power alone, this spell was not originally this formidable.

It was precisely because of Lefiya's own immense "Magic" ability and the assistance of her skills that this otherwise weak single-shot spell, which would normally run out of steam after defeating one or two monsters, had been transformed into the area-of-effect attack just witnessed.

There was almost no one at Lv.3 capable of such a feat; in Orario, only those renowned first-class mages could command such power.

Seeing with his own eyes the magical prowess Lefiya was praised for—the ability to rival a Lv.5 while still at Lv.3—Liber clicked his tongue in secret.

Suddenly, an elongated tongue lashed out directly at Liber.

Reacting instantly, Liber severed it with the Broadsword in his hand, then used his space ability to launch arrows toward the direction from which the tongue had come.

He turned his gaze toward the source.

He saw a large lizard with tan skin and a long, wide body hanging upside down from the ceiling of the passage, its total length estimated to be nearly the height of an adult human.

This was the peculiar monster known as a Dungeon Lizard, commonly found in the upper floors of the dungeon.

Behind the pinned lizard, Liber saw many more, crawling silently toward them in a chaotic swarm.

After slaying the Dungeon Lizard, Liber saw the mass of monsters rushing toward them.

Instead of charging in as he usually did, he released his Broadsword, letting it hover beside him, and drew his Greatsword from his space, gripping it with both hands.

Liber stood his ground calmly, sword at the ready.

Behind him, a voice as clear as a lark echoed.

"[Release the light arrow, bow of sacred wood, I am the master of the bow.]"

The incantation for Lefiya's magic, [Arc Ray], began once more.

The large lizards seemed to sense the impending danger, scrambling forward rapidly to close the distance between them.

"[Intercept! Fairy archer.]"

The second part of the incantation followed immediately.

As the second verse rang out, many of the lizards stopped in their tracks, opening their mouths to fire their tongues.

Watching the attacks hurtling toward them, Liber manipulated the hovering Broadsword to sever the ones aimed at Lefiya.

He then held his Greatsword flat before him, using it as a shield to withstand the incoming tongues; the impact of the multiple strikes forced Liber to slide backward a distance.

Seeing Liber being pushed back, Lefiya's chanting suddenly faltered, and the magic circle beneath her feet vanished.

Lefiya's spell had been abruptly interrupted.

Sensing this from behind, Liber did not hesitate; he swung his Greatsword to knock away the lunging Dungeon Lizards and quickly severed the tongues that continued to lash out.

Then, waving his arm, a dense swarm of arrows appeared around him and began firing toward the monsters' position.

Liber repeated the barrage of arrows four or five times.

The rain of arrows repeatedly blanketed the monsters' bodies.

The atmosphere of the battle suddenly cooled, leaving not a single sound from the monsters.

The walls were left covered in countless arrows and the items dropped by the monsters.

After his emergency barrage of arrows, Liber let out a long sigh of relief as he looked at the thoroughly annihilated monsters.

Behind him came Lefiya's timid voice.

"I... I'm sorry."

"You..." Liber, hearing the resentment in Lefiya's voice, turned around, ready to speak.

He saw that Lefiya's eyes were already brimming with moisture, tears beginning to roll down from the corners of her eyes as she frantically wiped them away.

Liber's tone softened, though his expression remained cold and stern as he spoke to Lefiya.

"You handled the previous monsters well with your magic, so why did you suddenly cut off your spell just now?"

Compared to a three-person squad, a two-person team faces significantly higher pressure; if one person makes even a slight mistake, the chances of the other encountering an accident or danger rise sharply.

Lefiya is a pure backline mage, capable of almost nothing beyond using magic for long-range attacks and fire support.

Considering this specific situation, Liber took it upon himself to shoulder the duties of both vanguard and mid-guard.

In this team, Liber not only acts as the vanguard, charging into the fray to draw enemy aggression, but he must also intercept every single monster, ensuring not one breaks through the defensive line to reach Lefiya.

Precisely because of this, the role of backline support is vital in a two-person team, and Liber had been full of confidence while protecting Lefiya at his back.

"I... I was too nervous and scared."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't be of help..."

Lefiya didn't quite dare to meet Liber's eyes.

It was the same during the previous expedition; although the Familia's exploration hadn't gone very deep, she had been with everyone else in the Familia at the time, so she hadn't been nearly as nervous or afraid.

She had always been nervous when facing monsters alone before. Sometimes, when she became too frightened, she would lose control and suddenly cut off her magic.

Liber sighed helplessly.

"I finally understand why the executives arranged for a Level 2 adventurer like you to team up with a newcomer like me."

Lefiya kept her head down in silence, seemingly trying her best to hide herself.

Liber scanned the surroundings, using magic to retrieve and store the arrows and monster drops.

He looked back at Lefiya, who was shrinking into herself, and reached up to rub his furrowed brow.

Then, he patted Lefiya on the shoulder, causing her to look up as if startled.

Her face was flushed with shame, her eyes were slightly red, and there was a hint of moisture in the corners of her eyes—a shy and fragile sight.

"I have a rough idea now. But since we've teamed up, I'm going to do my best to help you overcome this weakness."

Liber crossed his arms and looked at her earnestly.

"Don't worry, I'm not blaming you. The others in the Familia don't just trust me to team up with you; they also believe that during your adventures, you will surely become a mage like Riveria."

"Really?"

Lefiya looked at him and said in a small voice.

"Really," Liber said with a firm tone.

"Does Liber believe it too, that I can become Riveri..." Lefiya looked at him, her voice growing quieter and quieter until it was as faint as a mosquito's hum, barely audible.

"Everyone does, and that includes me. A failure or two doesn't mean anything." Seeing Lefiya perk up slightly, Liber continued to encourage her.

"Pull yourself together quickly; the exploration isn't over yet."

"Mm." Lefiya wiped the corners of her eyes, her confidence restored.

Just as the two continued their exploration.

On the sixth floor of the Dungeon, a multitude of monsters were rushing toward the stairs leading upward.

An adventurer was running with all his might, a swarm of pitch-black figures chasing close behind him.

The adventurer sprinted toward the upward passage, shedding his gear and weapons as he moved to reduce his weight and increase his speed.

He rounded the corner of the upward stairs.

Suddenly, a Goblin lying in ambush behind the corner launched a sneak attack.

The ambushing Goblin struck his lower leg with a wooden club. Instantly, the adventurer's leg bent at an unnatural angle as he moved forward.

He was stopped by the small Goblin, his body tumbling along the ground due to momentum, blood beginning to flow down his pant leg.

Even so, he let out a cry of agony and continued to crawl forward with all his might.

The Goblin behind him did not continue its assault after the initial strike; it let out a pained wail and then fell silent.

The adventurer, struggling to crawl, felt the sound of approaching footsteps. Hearing the Goblin's scream behind him, he turned his head with a tremble.

Despair washed over his face as he was seized by several black arms from behind, his desperate wails echoing out.

As his cries were suddenly cut short, his figure was completely swallowed by the rushing tide of pitch-black monsters.

Only a large patch of bright red remained on the ground.

Yet, compared to the red tide of monsters chasing behind them, this patch of crimson seemed so dim.