'There's definitely a surprise inside the fog gate!'
But whether it was a Boss room from which there was no return, or a blood pool filled with corruption and curses, along with underhanded monsters lying in ambush in every corner—
At the very least, it was definitely not a surprise in the positive sense.
'Let's ignore it for now.'
After his adventure level had completed its sublimation, Ron did not let his enhanced strength cause him to disregard the cautious attitude that must be maintained in a Soulslike dungeon.
When something is abnormal, there must be something suspicious behind it.
Moreover, after the high-intensity battle with the Imp group, if another Boss fight to the death were to occur now—given his current condition, would there be any possibility of victory?
An adventurer's foremost task is to survive!
He looked at the torch in his hand, which had the effect of dispelling darkness. It burned like the First Flame, as though it would never be extinguished, and he quickly made his next decision.
"Withdraw. Take all these torches with us to avoid affecting other adventurers on their return."
To reduce, as much as possible, the impact of the "Soulslike dungeon" on passing adventurers—one could only say that, in terms of moral standards, Ron was indeed far ahead.
Most importantly...
This would minimize the risk of exposure as much as possible!
No one could refuse a fog gate that led to an "unknown destination," but if he truly wanted to explore it, the candidate he could think of was Senior Ryuu.
"…"
Mikoto gave a slight nod. She had the feeling that this guy handled this kind of "abnormal situation" with remarkable maturity—so much so that it could even be described as cautious.
She looked at the door through which mist flowed.
At least in her understanding, the Dungeon would absolutely never contain such a thing!
"That door… where exactly does it lead?" Intuition told the girl that Ron certainly knew the secret hidden behind it. Her eyes were filled with curiosity.
"In any case, it's nothing good."
"Mm…"
"You can also understand it as—let's explore the area ahead another time!"
...
Ron's speculation was not wrong.
When the mechanisms in this area could not be dispelled, there would inevitably be a corresponding countermeasure nearby. The burning torches could not only disperse the thick frost mist, even when immersed in swamp water, they showed no signs of being extinguished.
And in the darkness, those pairs of scarlet monster eyes seemed to harbor some fear toward the firelight and did not launch an attack on Ron.
Bad news:
After his testing, the torches from the "Ancient Ruins"—once they left the current Floor—the burning flames would dim at a speed visible to the naked eye, until they were completely extinguished.
'If we really want to explore the fog gate, we'll probably have to bring the torches with us.'
They were very likely key items.
After passing through the frost-mist mechanism and reuniting once again with Kashima Ouka, Chigusa, and the other members of the Takemikazuchi Familia, they made it through the area of the 10th Floor without incident.
They returned to Orario once more.
With the obstruction of the "abnormal situation" gone, the process went very smoothly. Ordinary monsters did not require Ron to step in at all. The group quickly left Babel Tower along the spiral staircase.
"Ron, are you free tonight?"
As they were about to part ways, Kashima did not forget the decision he had made earlier regarding Ron, who had taught techniques and led the Familia members out of their predicament.
They were friends to begin with—just a simple meal together.
He explained, "That set of techniques you taught me… it's quite useful. And I also need to thank you. Without you, we might very well have been trapped in the Dungeon."
"So tonight, I'd like to treat you to a meal."
"Helping each other is only natural."
The former only wanted to promote the "Shield Thrust" tactic in the world of DanMachi.
As for the latter that Kashima mentioned, and his heartfelt gratitude, Ron felt it was somewhat strange, but in the end he did not refuse.
With a bright smile, he said, "Then I'll see you later at the collective dormitory?"
"Sure!"
The sunset nearing evening stretched Ron's departing shadow long, until it disappeared into the crowd of adventurers.
Urged by her Familia companions, Mikoto finally came back to her senses.
Rather than constantly reflecting and wearing herself down, she realized that she was being very awkward right now. Pursuing martial skill and strengthening herself more quickly—that was her dream.
So she decided to be frank.
She would speak directly with Lord Takemikazuchi and follow her god's advice.
After returning to the collective dormitory with her Familia companions, Captain Kashima was reporting to Takemikazuchi about what had happened during this Dungeon expedition.
And, the "abnormal situation" they had encountered on the 10th Floor.
He left out nothing, including the matter of receiving Ron's help and successfully escaping. When the report came to an end, Mikoto did not leave.
Instead, she turned her gaze toward the god, who maintained a gentle smile throughout.
As if seeing through the girl's thoughts, Takemikazuchi did not put on the lofty airs of a god. Instead, he proactively poured her a cup of barley tea.
"Mikoto."
His tone was friendly, as approachable as ever, caring about the children's condition. "Did you run into some trouble during your recent Dungeon exploration?"
"You could say that."
The girl was not good at lying.
Only when she began sorting through her thoughts—including her contact with Ron and the secrets he carried—did Mikoto find it difficult to be completely frank, so she could only give a simple example.
"It's just…"
"My feelings are a bit complicated. We once started as rookie adventurers, walking the same path, but his steps are already about to surpass mine."
"You're talking about Ron, aren't you?"
Even though he had to work at the Jagamarukun stall every day, it did not mean that Takemikazuchi was indifferent to the children of his Familia—especially before the Familia expedition, when Mikoto's two status updates had yielded excellent results.
He had not asked in detail about the process.
There must have been gains during the Dungeon exploration. And a few days ago, Hestia had invited him to attend a celebration banquet, though he had matters to attend to at the time.
Takemikazuchi had declined the invitation.
But he also knew—the reason the Hestia Familia held the banquet was because Ron had broken through to Lv2 and become an upper-class adventurer.
"That's right."
As expected, there was no way to hide it from a god…
Mikoto nodded frankly and began recounting how, during the earlier battle in the Dungeon, when facing the encirclement of the Imp group, Ron's actual strength had grown to what extent.
She truly could not estimate it.
But when she heard Takemikazuchi's next words, her previously conflicted feelings could no longer be described as shock—her mind went completely blank.
"He's already a Lv2 adventurer…"
"It must have been during the time you were away on the Familia expedition. This child… has indeed worked very hard. He basically went to the Dungeon every day to explore."
When mentioning Ron, whom he had once instructed in the basics of combat, Takemikazuchi's gentle smile was filled with emotion. After hearing the news of his level sublimation, and learning that Ron had shortened the fastest breakthrough record to sixteen days, he had never imagined—that the "vessel" this child possessed could be exaggerated to such a degree!
"Lord Takemikazuchi."
"I came to you this time… precisely because of this matter. If possible, I would like to transfer to the Hestia Familia… the specific reason is inconvenient to explain."
"But I know that the martial path I seek is there!"
"Alright."
As if he had long expected it, Takemikazuchi nodded with a light smile. The identities of god and Familia member had, in fact, only been defined after coming to Orario to earn money.
Aside from that, when it came to children who had grown up in the orphanage, he was more like a parent who took care of their food, clothing, and shelter.
Facing the girl's guilty gaze, Takemikazuchi smiled gently and comforted her. "What parent would refuse their child from going to a broader sky?"
"Since you've made your decision, then strive toward your goal."
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