Quick Decision, Solution

Dungeon, 5th Floor.

"Anomalous situation..."

Lefiya, slung over Liber's shoulder, murmured as she watched the swarm of monsters pursuing them.

"I wouldn't exactly call this an anomalous situation."

Liber, who was sprinting while carrying her, replied calmly upon hearing her mutterings by his ear.

Anomalous situation

This is a technical term used by adventurers in the Dungeon to describe any special circumstance that deviates from the basic rules.

Although the Dungeon is a monster-infested cavern feared by all, it still possesses certain established patterns.

These patterns and intelligence have been summarized, recorded, and disseminated by the Guild and various Familias as essential knowledge for newcomers.

For instance, which monsters appear on which floor is a fixed rule.

Or, the deeper one descends into the Dungeon, the greater the variety and number of monsters one encounters.

Another example is the Dungeon's ability to continuously repair damaged walls or floors.

Such rules and information have been verified and are studied by all adventurers in Orario and beyond.

"This is just a floor-jump; it's a relatively rare occurrence. It's far from being a true anomalous situation."

Liber said this without slowing his pace, twisting his body to dodge a rock blocking his path.

As Liber stated, the types of monsters appearing on specific floors are generally fixed.

However, just as Goblins and Jester Demon appear on different floors, it is quite common for monsters to cross floor boundaries.

Normally, monsters do not leave their designated floors to go elsewhere.

But it has been documented that a few individuals occasionally wander into the two or three adjacent floors.

Such cases usually do not involve large-scale floor-jumping.

"But this is too sudden. Seeing this many War Shadow all at once is terrifying."

Lefiya said, looking at the scene behind them with distress after hearing Liber's words.

War Shadow, also known as "Shadows of War."

These are monsters that inhabit the 6th floor of the Dungeon.

The 6th floor is far more dangerous than the 5th, which is known as the first casualty line for adventurers, and War Shadow is the primary monster species there.

They possess a humanoid silhouette, yet their surface lacks any fur or skin-like tissue, appearing as if they had been soaked in black ink.

Their heads are cross-shaped, with mirror-like, perfectly circular parts embedded in their faces, making them alien monsters that bear a striking resemblance to human shadows.

They have long, slender arms tipped with three sharp, hooked claws.

In short, their appearance is that of a shadow: pitch black from head to toe, with two arms and two legs.

While their attack patterns are somewhat monotonous, they possess physical capabilities far exceeding those of monsters on the first five floors, and their long arms can bend and extend from various angles.

Their sharp, hooked claws can slice through human flesh as easily as a machete.

For novice adventurers who have only dealt with low-level monsters like Kobold and Goblin, they pose a lethal threat.

Because of this, they have earned the special moniker of "Newbie Killer."

Especially when the number of War Shadow exceeds five, even a veteran among Level 1s could lose their life if surrounded.

Given this, War Shadow is considered by many adventurers to be one of the most threatening monsters in the Upper Floors.

A single one or a pair is manageable, but if one encounters a swarm of dozens, even an leveled-up adventurer would not face them alone.

For them to suddenly encounter such a staggering number of War Shadow performing a collective floor-jump is an extremely rare event.

In such an emergency, the best strategy for an adventurer is to avoid the brunt of the danger.

Liber continued to run, holding Lefiya.

Gradually, he felt the air currents behind him turn chaotic, and when he looked back, he saw the pursuing monsters closing the distance. Liber decisively cast the Levitation magic on himself and Lefiya to lighten their weight.

Feeling the reduced weight from the magic, he pushed off with his feet and surged forward, his speed increasing dramatically.

He moved as if gliding just above the ground, instantly widening the gap between them and the War Shadow.

After creating distance, he continued to run while conserving his mana to maintain his state.

Liber kept a safe distance from the War Shadow, and feeling the monsters falling further behind, he relaxed slightly and asked Lefiya, who was still slung over his shoulder.

"How is it? Can you use magic in your current state?"

"I'll try my be—ugh!"

Lefiya, slumped over Liber's back, tried to straighten up to answer his question.

However, when Liber swerved to dodge an obstacle, his shoulder slammed into her abdomen, cutting her off with a dry heave, and she collapsed back onto his back.

He felt Lefiya, who had just tried to sit up, slump back against him, twitching slightly as if in pain after her retching.

Liber's face revealed an embarrassed expression, and he felt somewhat helpless regarding the frailty of her body.

Maintaining a constant sprint, he noticed his stamina steadily dropping and glanced back at the monsters still persistently chasing them.

With a grave expression, he pondered for a moment before speaking to Lefiya, who had stopped convulsing on his back.

"Was that Arc Ray from before your fastest spell? Does that magic have enough power to wipe out the group of monsters behind us?"

"Yes... it can, but... in this... state, I... cannot chant the incantation."

Lefiya lay on Liber's shoulder, feeling the jolts as he carried her, and spoke in broken sentences.

"That's good. Calm your mind and get ready," Liber said earnestly upon hearing her reply.

"Huh?" Lefiya was puzzled by Liber's words.

He did not answer her confusion, instead holding her body with one arm.

His free hand reached out to his side, his palm lightly brushing against the various rocks, earth, and obstacles they dashed past, as fleeting as a dragonfly skimming the water.

After they had traveled a certain distance.

Suddenly, Liber's entire body accelerated forward for a short burst.

"Ah!"

Liber came to a sudden halt and dropped Lefiya to the ground. She let out a cry of pain and looked up to see Liber staring at her with a solemn face.

"Prepare your magic with all your heart, as fast as you can. I will hold them off and buy you time."

With that, he turned directly to face the approaching swarm of War Shadow.

He raised his right hand, palm flat toward the incoming monsters, and suddenly clenched it into a fist.

Across the ground they had just run over, various objects began to hover a short distance into the air.

The debris he had touched along the way floated upward and then rained down like a downpour toward the center of the War Shadow cluster.

A vast number of small, varied pieces of rock and earth struck the running monster pack. Many were sliced apart by the sharp claws of the War Shadow, but more struck their torsos and limbs, disrupting their movements.

Several hard, half-body-sized boulders slammed directly into the War Shadow in the lead, pinning them down and hindering their advance.

The War Shadow group was moving too fast, causing many of the objects to strike from the sides and rear of their formation.

This quickly threw their group into chaos, forcing them to halt their advance.

"Now is the time, Lefiya, get ready!"

After throwing these words at Lefiya.

Liber pulled two swords from his inventory, cast a weight-reduction spell, and charged into the chaotic War Shadow swarm, wielding a Greatsword in his hands while keeping a Broadsword floating beside him.

He needed to obstruct the War Shadow as much as possible, widening the distance between them and Lefiya so she could safely focus on chanting her incantation and casting her magic.

Hearing Liber's resolute tone and watching his figure charge toward the monsters without a hint of hesitation.

Lefiya froze for a moment before snapping to her senses and quickly scrambling to her feet.

She faced the monsters head-on, aiming the tip of her Staff at the War Shadow.

Lefiya gripped her Staff tightly with both hands, breathing rapidly as she struggled to calm her nervous emotions.

However.

As she watched Liber's figure dodging amidst the monsters, a sense of anxiety and worry flooded her heart.