Monster Feast, simply put, is when a large number of monsters gather in a specific area. In the context of Dungeon exploration, it is a rare situation.
Upon hearing Lili's explanation, Ouka's expression collapsed. As the captain of the Takemikazuchi Familia, he had heard about Monster Feast. However, he never thought he would encounter one inside the Dungeon.
Encountering a Monster Feast in an area near the middle floors would require even a mature party of Level 2 Adventurers to avoid the brunt of it, let alone his party, who were only Level 1.
As for those in the party whose strength was relatively up to par, there was only Mikoto.
Ouka's heart was churning with complex hesitation, but when he turned his head, he saw Zephyr, who was filled with the desire to fight, and Lefiya, who was holding her staff and eager to try.
Was their choice to confront the Monster Feast?
Ouka asked, "Zephyr-san, um... are you guys planning to fight?"
"That's for sure." Zephyr smiled.
After clearing the Infant Dragon and the Crab Pig, he hadn't encountered any monsters of decent strength during the subsequent exploration.
After Zephyr and Lefiya exchanged glances, they determined their combat objectives without needing to say a word.
Zephyr did not intend to drag Ouka or Mikoto into this. "We're just quite interested in the Dungeon's abnormal situation. You all can retreat first."
After hearing the exit strategy offered by the other party, an expression of embarrassment appeared on Ouka's face.
The thought that had just sprouted in his mind had been seen through, so it was inevitable that he felt a bit guilty.
However, remembering the Minotaur meat that Zephyr had generously shared in the Dungeon yesterday, as well as the mutual support provided during today's joint exploration, he frowned and made a difficult decision in his heart.
"If I didn't know you guys, I would choose to retreat with my Familia members. But since you are Mikoto's friend, I can't just abandon my teammates and leave."
"Get ready to fight."
Even if the joint exploration party couldn't clear out today's Monster Feast, at least they could support each other and retreat if the battle situation turned unfavorable, providing a bit more guarantee for safety.
"Then what should we do next?"
Mikoto drew the katana hanging at her waist, her hair swaying with the motion of drawing the blade.
Just as she was about to ask Ouka and Zephyr for specific combat advice, she saw Zephyr drop the axe in his hand to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust, seemingly preparing to face the tide of monsters about to surge from the depths of the cave with his bare hands.
Seeing this scene, Mikoto tightened her grip on her katana, her eyes twitching as she looked at the appearance of Lefiya and Lili. Their expressions were extremely calm, without a single ripple. It was as if they had long been accustomed to this kind of scene.
'What on earth is this guy doing?'
The following scene made her begin to doubt life itself.
If these were high-level monsters from below the middle floors, then in the face of such a large group, having a handy weapon would be extremely important. But the monsters currently surging from the depths of the passage were basically ordinary monsters that a Level 1 Adventurer could handle, and using weapons would instead slow down the speed of clearing them.
Weapons could easily pierce through a monster's defense. However, the continuous movements of retracting the weapon, adjusting the angle, and dodging the charges of the monsters in front would cause the combat flow to gradually slow down.
So instead of using a weapon, it would be much more refreshing to just use his talent.
Unicorn!
At the fist he clenched with his left hand, a spiral horn appeared.
'Come to think of it, the Unicorn talent only increases stamina consumption, so if I try dual-wielding? I should be able to do it, right?'
After all, in the description provided by the system, Unicorn did not emphasize a single-hand restriction.
Thinking of this, he activated his talent again, pouring his stamina toward the fist of his right hand, and the result was no different from what he had expected. Immediately after, a spiral horn appeared on his right fist as well.
Zephyr briefly moved his body. 'It just feels... a bit like cosplaying as Wolverine?'
There was a subtle sense of incongruity in terms of appearance, but since the talent effect had been fully verified, the details could be ignored.
Looking at the monster swarm only about 10 meters ahead, Zephyr's eyes were filled with anticipation. He didn't intend to go all out. To be precise, these low-level monsters didn't have the qualifications to make him use his full strength.
In the depths of the pitch-black cave, the first to charge was a Goblin. The green-skinned monster brandished a wooden club and lunged at Zephyr's side at full speed.
Zephyr slightly turned his body, and the horn on his left hand pierced through the Goblin's chest along the bottom of the swung wooden club.
Following closely was a Orc. It swung a stone club, smashing down toward the top of Zephyr's head. The horn on his right hand pierced through the chest cavity, its tip rotating to crush the heart, and the monster's massive body fell backward.
Adjusting his stance again, Zephyr rushed into the monster swarm, alternating his left and right fists as he swung.
Goblins, Kobolds, Dungeon Lizards...
The blood gushing from the monsters' wounds stained the dry rock layers of the Dungeon floor, creating large patches of dark red.
What surprised Zephyr were the occasional Minotaurs. He couldn't kill them quickly in a head-on collision.
Dragon Roar!
All the monsters charging at the front froze. Whether it was the weapons raised by the Orcs or the stone axes lifted by the Minotaurs, in an instant, all of them solidified in place.
Seizing the opening, Zephyr rushed into the monster group. The horns on both hands, combined with the force of his body's rotation, made every attack clean and efficient.
However, as the battle continued to progress, Zephyr quickly realized the problem: relying solely on melee combat was not efficient enough for clearing them.
Thus, a dark red flame, condensed by consuming Mind, erupted from his mouth and swept along the passage toward the group of monsters.
The shrieks were incredibly chaotic, and the air was filled with a pungent, charred stench.
When the flames dissipated, only charred corpses remained on the ground, while magic stones scattered among the remains reflected a faint luster.
The number of remaining monsters was no longer high.
Zephyr flicked his hand, shaking off the bloodstains on his horns, his breathing rhythm remaining steady as he gazed at the now quelled Monster Feast.
He turned around and said, "Looks like it's resolved."
The savage battle scene had left Ouka stunned. He clutched his axe, his expression filled with bewilderment.
The blade of his axe hadn't even touched a single hair of a monster and the Monster Feast had just been solved like that.
He turned his head to look at Mikoto beside him, questioning reality, "Are all Level 2 Adventurers like this?"
"Who should I ask?" Mikoto's lips twitched.
Takemikazuchi was proficient im Martial Arts, and technique was arguably her greatest strength and the foundation of her exploration.
But what about Zephyr?
Thinking of this, her gaze involuntarily drifted toward the back in front of her.
Fighting empty-handed yet using all sorts of inconceivable methods.
No technique, just pure life-or-death slaughter.
"Perhaps." Mikoto finally gave a vague reply.
Not only that, but not far behind, the magic cast by Lefiya was a devastating blow to the monster swarm with every bombardment.
Those pure white tails exploded continuously among the monster group, taking out several monsters with each hit.
Only now could Ouka, Mikoto, and the others finally understand why this exploration squad of the Loki Familia could explore all the way to the perilous middle floors with such a streamlined size. They could even stroll leisurely, camping and cooking in the Dungeon as if on an outing.