As everyone was talking, footsteps sounded again outside the cave.
Eris instantly became alert, abruptly stood up, and instinctively placed her hand on the longsword at her waist.
The footsteps grew closer.
"Oops~ I was a little delayed on the way, sorry, sorry."
A familiar voice came from the cave entrance.
The next moment, Rudeus and Roxy appeared before everyone.
" Rudeus! Thank goodness, you're all alright!"
Eris's gaze quickly swept over the two of them, and only after confirming that they were unharmed did she breathe a long sigh of relief.
Being stared at by so many eyes at the same time, Roxy was clearly a little uncomfortable.
She pursed her lips and quietly withdrew her hand from Rudeus's.
"There are two Teleportation Magic circles where Roxy was just trapped."
Rudeus explained:
"After dealing with those monsters, I carefully examined the patterns on the magic circle. I discovered that the principle behind this Teleportation Magic circle isn't actually that complicated. You'll just need to follow me in a bit."
"Excellent! As expected of Rudeus."
Eris put her hands on her hips, and a relaxed smile returned to her face.
" Aisha, Norn, come on up!"
Rudeus crouched down, patted his shoulder, and gestured for his two younger sisters to sit down.
"They're here!"
The two little ones immediately ran over happily and climbed onto Rudeus's shoulders one after the other.
"Yosh~ Let's go!"
Rudeus waved his hand, and the group immediately headed deeper into the cave.
Let me be the avant-garde this time.
Paul stretched his shoulders, gripped his longsword tightly, and said with a touch of pride, "After all, your old man was once the captain of an adventure team."
"A captain who casually toys with his teammates' feelings?"
Elinalise glanced at him and delivered a scathing remark without hesitation.
"Hey? Lise, didn't you say you weren't going to pursue this anymore? Why are you bringing it up again?"
"Hmph! I just can't stand your attitude~"
"Alright, alright, stop arguing."
Eris waved her hand helplessly.
"With your level of strength, you probably won't even get a single assist from the monsters on the way."
"Huh? Why?"
Paul looked completely taken aback.
Roxy was silent for a moment, as if she was recalling something.
"Although I've rarely seen Rudeus actually make a move, I have witnessed it firsthand..."
She paused.
"With a single strike, he twisted a deep-sea monster, over ten meters long, into a pretzel."
"Really?"
Paul clearly didn't believe it.
"Haha, old Deng."
Rudeus couldn't help but laugh.
"It's understandable that you don't believe me. After all, when we sparred back then, I always held back."
"You little brat..."
Paul's lips twitched, and he finally sighed helplessly.
"Fine, forget it. I'll deal with you after I get your mother out."
Just then--
rustling sounds.
A faint, grinding sound suddenly came from above the cave.
Everyone looked up at the same time.
The next instant, everyone's expression changed.
The dark rock face was now densely covered with some kind of creature.
Pairs of scarlet eyes stared intently at them in the darkness.
"Oh no, it's a huge swarm of bats!"
Paul immediately drew his long sword, lowered his body slightly, and assumed a fighting stance.
But when he turned to look at Eris, he found that although she had a longsword at her waist, she showed no intention of drawing it.
"You--"
Paul was just about to scold him when, in the next second...
"Snap."
A crisp snap of fingers echoed through the narrow tunnel.
Immediately afterwards--
Puff, puff, puff...
A series of pattering sounds rang out.
Numerous chunks of flesh and blood rained down from the sky, like a bizarre blood rain, densely covering the ground and rock walls.
Above everyone's heads, Rudeus had already deployed a magical shield, keeping all the splattered blood and pieces of corpses out.
See?
Eris shrugged.
"I told you, if Rudeus wants to make a move, unless you have support magic, he won't even get an assist."
"Resolved."
Rudeus withdrew his magic shield and said casually:
"The road ahead is safe for now. But watch your step, it's a bit slippery!"
Nissan is amazing!
Aisha's eyes immediately lit up with stars.
"Amazing!"
Norn nodded excitedly.
Listening to the praise from his two adorable sisters, Rudeus could only lament that the monsters were too weak and too few, not nearly enough for him to unleash his full potential.
Thinking of this, he quickened his pace involuntarily.
The group continued deeper into the area.
Soon after, they entered an even more spacious cave.
"Here..."
Elinalise looked around, her expression gradually becoming serious.
"We've been here before. I remember it clearly; it was here that the search team from the King Dragon Kingdom disappeared."
Roxy also subconsciously slowed down her pace.
She cautiously observed her surroundings, a strange unease rising within her.
"I think... we'd better leave here as soon as possible."
"Leave?"
Rudeus nodded.
"Of course I have to leave."
He looked up into the depths of the cave.
"However, it may take a few minutes."
"A few minutes? Why?"
Lilia asked, puzzled.
Paul frowned as well.
" Rudeus is right, but... are a few minutes really enough?"
The words had barely left his mouth--
boom!
The magic circle in the corner of the cave suddenly burst forth with several dazzling beams of light.
The next second, a large number of demons poured out of the magic circle like a flood bursting its banks!
Ironclaw worms, skeleton soldiers, armored warriors, giant spiders, two-tailed scorpions...
They were densely packed, almost filling the entire cave.
Lilia's pupils contracted sharply, and her body trembled slightly involuntarily.
"Oh, sir! I'm scared!"
Norn clung tightly to Rudeus's neck, her little hands unconsciously tightening.
"Oh, sis-san~ I'm scared too..."
Aisha also put on a scared look, burying her face directly into Rudeus's neck.
Rudeus glanced down at his two younger sisters, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Don't be afraid.
He raised his head, his eyes full of confidence.
"Today, your brother will show you what true Magic Sword Style really is!"
The words had barely left his mouth.
Rudeus clasped his hands together.
A surge of immense magical power instantly erupted.
The next moment, he slowly opened his arms.
As space slightly distorted, a pitch-black rift suddenly opened in the palm of his hand.
A beautifully crafted staff slowly emerged from it.
-- [Arrogant Water Dragon King].
Rudeus holds his staff in one hand.
The eerie blue magical light gathered like a tide, eventually flowing into the magic stone at the tip of the staff.
Buzz--
A sudden chill swept through the entire cave.
Countless ice crystals condensed out of thin air.
Finally, a massive, chillingly cold ice scythe slowly took shape at the tip of the staff.
At that moment, the horde of monsters had already charged close!
" Magic Sword Style-- "
Rudeus's gaze sharpened.
[ Frost Blossom ]!
Whoosh--!
Accompanied by a low, whistling sound, several enormous crescent-shaped sword energies suddenly swept out.
Wherever the sword energy passed, the horde of demons was instantly cleaved in two.
The dense, surging demons were as fragile as tofu in the face of the sharp sword energy.
boom!
boom!
boom!
One after another, sword energies crisscrossed.
Blood and flesh splattered everywhere, limbs lying strewn about.
It took no more than half a minute.
The once dense and seemingly endless army of monsters had fallen completely, their corpses covering the entire cave like a blood-red carpet of monster carcasses.
silence.
A deathly silence.
Paul completely in place.
He finally understood.
Eris never exaggerates.
She even went so far as to describe something completely extraordinary in the language of ordinary people.
"Incredible skill"
The word seemed somewhat inadequate when applied to Rudeus at this moment.
"Oh, sir! This is it!"
Aisha excitedly pounced on Rudeus and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Oh, Nii-san... thank you for your hard work..."
Norn also came over and, imitating Aisha, gently pecked Rudeus on the other cheek.
Rudeus laughed immediately.
OK! Battery fully charged!
Keep going!
Everyone: "..."
The rest of the journey almost became a one-man show by Rudeus.
No matter how many monsters appear in front of him, once he spots them, they usually don't last more than a few breaths.
The group continued deeper into the territory under Rudeus's almost frenzied sweep.
Finally, they arrived at a vast space that was completely different from what they had seen before.
Before them lay a ruin that seemed to be hidden deep underground.
Ancient stone pillars stand tall, and the crumbling walls are covered with the marks of time.
Around the ruins, there were several magic circles of different shapes scattered around.
Everyone stopped in their tracks as they looked at what was happening before them.
For a moment, no one spoke.
All eyes were fixed on those mysterious magic circles.
This is the final puzzle that triggers the first boss.