The moment Ren Kuroda and his group stepped through the teleportation gate, they were instantly transported into the middle of a vast, dimly lit corridor.
Almost immediately, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from both ends of the passage.
Reacting on instinct, the members of Blue Rose slipped seamlessly into combat formation, their movements smooth and practiced.
"They're coming! Gagaran, take the left! Tia, Tina—you handle the right!"
No sooner had Lakyus finished speaking than the footsteps grew louder—and then, in the next instant, two waves of goblins burst into view from both sides of the corridor, shrieking as they charged.
But against an adamantite-ranked team, numbers alone meant nothing.
The goblins rushing from the left barely made it halfway before being crushed into pulp by Gagaran's massive warhammer.
On the right, Tia and Tina unleashed a coordinated "Blazing Formation," incinerating the goblins into ash in an instant.
With the ambush swiftly dealt with, Lakyus pointed down the left passage, signaling their next route.
Thanks to their previous three attempts, they were already familiar with this floor—the layout, the traps, the enemy patterns. Progress came smoothly.
As they advanced deeper, however, the enemies began to grow stronger.
At first, it was just poorly equipped goblins. Then came goblin mages and archers.
Soon after, massive trolls and ogres began to appear.
What Gagaran and the twin ninjas had once handled effortlessly was now beginning to strain them.
"Third-Tier Enhanced Spell—White Thunder!"
A bolt of white lightning shot from Ren's fingertip at blinding speed, piercing straight through a troll's skull.
Trolls weren't particularly strong—but their regenerative abilities made them a nightmare for melee fighters.
Still, they had a clear weakness.
No matter how powerful their regeneration, once the brain was destroyed… they died for good.
Ren raised his hand again, his finger flicking through the air.
One bolt after another streaked forth like arrows from a repeating crossbow, each tracing a brilliant arc before striking its mark with pinpoint precision.
Every flash of lightning was followed by the thunderous collapse of another hulking monster.
Not a single shot missed.
Ren's effortless display left the members of Blue Rose staring in stunned silence.
They had expected him to be strong—but not this strong.
"To cast third-tier magic so casually… and with such precision and control…" Evileye murmured under her breath. "His mastery might be even greater than I imagined."
With just a brief display, Ren's evaluation in their eyes rose yet again—and with it, their confidence in conquering the dungeon.
"Ren, please don't waste too much mana," Lakyus called out, snapping them back to focus.
"Leave the trolls and ogres to Gagaran and the others.
"The armored spiders on the second floor have high resistance to physical attacks. When we get there, we'll need you and Evileye as our main damage dealers."
Thanks to Ren's rapid-fire lightning, the pressure on the frontline had dropped significantly, and their progress had accelerated.
Even so, as the team leader, Lakyus couldn't ignore the risk.
In her view, monsters like trolls could still be dealt with—given time.
But wasting mana here would make things far more dangerous later, especially without supplies.
Warriors could recover stamina with rest.
But for magic casters, once their mana ran dry… they were as good as useless.
"Up ahead is the end of the first floor," Lakyus continued. "Guarding the entrance to the second floor are two giant lizards.
"They possess both petrification and venom, and their size makes them extremely dangerous opponents."
She quickly issued her commands:
"If possible, Yuri, please support Gagaran and help relieve some pressure.
"Evileye, buff Yuri and Gagaran.
"Tia, Tina, and I will focus on dealing damage.
"As for you, Ren—you've already expended quite a bit of mana, so remain on standby."
As they reached the end of the corridor, the atmosphere grew tense.
The moment they stepped into the boss chamber—
Hiss—!
Two enormous lizards emerged, their deafening cries reverberating through the space.
Seeing the creatures, Ren quietly activated a Monster Appraisal Scroll.
And then—
He froze.
Because the so-called "formidable" enemies that even an adamantite-ranked team like Blue Rose treated with caution…
…were only around Level 30.
…Seriously?
When Gagaran even commented that she might not win in a one-on-one fight, Ren felt a wave of disbelief wash over him.
These guys are the floor bosses?
At this level, they wouldn't even qualify to clean floors in the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
Hell—even one of those Death Knights casually summoned by that skeleton guy using "Mid-Tier Undead Creation" would wipe the floor with them.
"Greater Strength Enhancement! Greater Agility Enhancement! Essence of Life!"
Evileye's buff spells landed on Gagaran, Yuri, and the others.
With a roar, Gagaran charged forward, her warhammer crashing against one of the giant lizards.
Yuri glanced back at Ren.
Only after he gave a subtle nod did she step forward—
—and then, moving faster than Gagaran, she dashed into battle.
Since Ren had already confirmed the lizards' level, he had quietly instructed Yuri to hold back.
After all, as one of the Pleiades battle maids, Yuri might not be the strongest—but she was still Level 51.
That was nearly twenty levels higher than the Kingdom's strongest warrior, Gazef, who stood at around Level 35.
Empowered by buffs, Gagaran held one lizard at bay with brute force, while Lakyus and the twins seized openings to strike.
Meanwhile—
When Lakyus turned her attention toward Yuri, intending to send backup…
She froze.
Yuri, facing a giant lizard alone, looked completely at ease.
Each of her punches landed with crushing force—
—and every impact drew out a piercing, agonized shriek from the creature.
…Too strong.
Realizing she might be attracting too much attention—and remembering Ren's earlier instruction—
Yuri suddenly allowed her footing to falter.
In the next instant, the lizard's tail slammed into her—
BOOM!
Her body was sent flying, crashing hard against the nearby wall.