Solon returned to the Stardust Garden carrying a package of deep-fried potato puffs.
"Oh my, what took you so long to get back?"
Ryu was already standing at the entrance, her eyes fixed longingly in the direction he would come from. Upon seeing Solon, she first feigned a look of reproach. "Why are you so late?"
Her expression quickly softened into a gentle one. "You aren't allowed to be this late in the future, okay?"
"Why do you sound like my mother?" Solon teased.
"Well... if it's you saying it... I'm actually quite happy to accept that role," Ryu replied.
Solon smiled and took Ryu's hand. A shy expression bloomed on her face.
Standing nearby, Kaguya immediately chimed in with her usual mockery. "Good grief, you useless elf, it's like this every single time..."
She was about to follow up with "When are you two going to have a baby?" but Alise quickly clamped a hand over her mouth.
Alise wore a somewhat forced smile, though she quickly recovered her usual sunny disposition. "Welcome home. And what did you buy?"
"Potato puffs. Red bean, wasabi, spicy, milk... I got every flavor to make sure everyone's happy."
Ryu naturally took the paper bags from Solon's hands and set them on the table. However, she gave the air a suspicious sniff. "Did you... run into any girls today?"
"I did," Solon admitted candidly. "I met Riveria and little Ais today. We even had a quick spar outside the city walls. Oh, and Loki and the others were there too."
As the words left his mouth, the other Familia members exchanged looks. Seriously? You're really going to say that right in front of Ryu?
But Ryu didn't have much of a reaction. After all, knowing he possessed the "Heroic Nature" skill, she had long realized that Solon would always attract all kinds of women—whether they were goddesses, women, or young girls. As long as she held her own place and stayed true to herself, it was enough.
"Right, Alise," Solon said, suddenly remembering something. "Since everyone is free lately, shouldn't we head into the Dungeon? Everyone is at a bottleneck and only needs a 'Great Feat' to level up. I'm planning to head straight to the 18th floor, and then try descending to the 24th floor's Great Tree Labyrinth."
"That fast? We'll need to prepare thoroughly then," Alise said, her expression shifting into that of a serious Captain. She thought for a moment. "Fair enough. I'll head to the Guild to pick up a quest for Jewel Trees."
"In that case... Kaguya, I'll leave the logistical arrangements to you."
"Hey, hey, Captain! Don't just dump everything on me! Are you even the Captain anymore?" Kaguya grumbled at her irresponsible leader, though her face showed a look of helpless resignation.
"I'll help you then, Kaguya," Solon offered.
"I don't need your help! Just go be all lovey-dovey with your useless elf," Kaguya snapped irritably.
Ryu looked embarrassed but couldn't find a way to argue. It was true—the two of them were already a bit of a spectacle at the Familia home. It wasn't exactly that they were showing off, but because of their relationship, everyone else subconsciously kept a subtle distance from Solon.
Solon knew this in his heart, but due to the influence of the "Heroic Nature" skill, everyone still felt drawn to him. It was a contradiction, to say the least.
Just then, Lady Astraea entered the room. Seeing Solon and the bags of potato puffs, she picked one up and took a bite. "Mmm, the red bean ones are still as delicious as ever." She looked toward the group. "If you're heading into the Dungeon, you need to be prepared. Noin, Maryū, Aste, and Neze are all ready for their Rank Up."
"So soon?"
"Yes, it has been quite fast. Since that's the case, everyone should get ready to move out. Let's set off in about five days."
"Sounds good," Solon nodded. "I need to make some preparations too, just to have some insurance."
"Then we'll leave it to the invincible Sir Solon~" Captain Alise said playfully.
However, Solon keenly noticed the flicker of a forced smile behind her eyes. He suddenly realized something. She was only holding back because of Ryu's presence. If things were ever brought into the open... given the relationship between Ryu and the Captain, Ryu would likely step aside for Alise, or Alise would step aside for Ryu. It would almost certainly be the latter.
Solon could only scratch his head. In this Familia full of beautiful women, even he felt at a loss. Should I just accept everyone? I have to protect everyone's smiles... The thought surged within him. Thinking this way, he felt like he was following in the footsteps of that old man, Zeus.
I hope I don't end up on the receiving end of a kitchen knife.
Five days later, the Astraea Familia party had reached the entrance of the Dungeon.
For the past two weeks, Solon had mostly been on patrol duty and hadn't spent much time hunting monsters in the Dungeon. Now, he gripped Pale Justice, his equipment having reached quite a high standard. While not all of it was First-Tier gear, the overall quality—enhanced by his magical items—meant they could no longer be viewed as an ordinary exploration-type Familia. Their collective strength had to be adjusted upward by at least one level.
They proceeded through the Dungeon for nearly three hours until they reached the 17th floor.
The 17th floor was the domain of the Monster Rex, the Floor Boss known as Goliath. According to Guild estimates, it was a Level 4 monster, roughly seven meters tall. It was birthed from the pure white wall known as the "Wall of Grief," and its overall power was formidable.
"Should we take it down together or individually?" Solon asked as they faced Goliath.
Alise simply smiled, while Solon waited for a response.
"Let's take it down together. Everyone can use this Goliath as a warm-up," Alise decided.
Solon nodded. "Got it."
He then cast a series of simple but highly effective spells, bestowing Aura of Vitality, Bless, and Shield of Faith upon his comrades, while marking the enemy Goliath with Faerie Fire. He also used the invincible Silver-Tongued enchantment.
The seven-meter-tall Goliath let out a terrifying roar. Compared to the Black Goliath they had encountered before, this one was decent, but limited by the terrain, it struggled to even touch Solon's group.
Solon employed various tactics to divide and conquer the beast. He used the third-level spell Fly and Grease. With just these two spells, Goliath was practically turned into a sitting duck.
Next, Alise unleashed her magic, "Agarutium." Through this enchantment magic, flames wreathed her limbs and her blade, drastically increasing her speed and melee combat power.
Ryu Lion utilized concurrent chanting for her magic, "Luminous Wind."
"The far-off forest canopy. The infinite stars set in the boundless night sky. Respond to the voice of one as foolish as I, and grant me the protection of starlight once more. Grant light and mercy to those who have forsaken you—Come, wandering wind, roaming traveler. Fly across the sky, race through the wilderness, and run swifter than all things. Smite the enemy with the radiance of the stars!"
As she chanted, a massive amount of light motes gathered around Ryu. Under her command, an unrivaled barrage turned into a sea of light, slamming into Goliath. Although Ryu was currently only Level 2, her magic had a massive area of effect, allowing for wide-range bombardment. Coupled with Solon's previous buffs, the result was devastating.
Goliath let out a horrific wail of agony.
Solon then cast Maximilian's Earthen Grasp. A giant stone hand erupted from the ground, grabbing Goliath's leg and pinning it firmly in place. Given Goliath's strength, it would likely break free in under ten seconds. But in those ten short seconds, the other members—Kaguya, Lyra, and Alise—all rained their attacks down on the monster simultaneously.
Finally, under the terrifying onslaught from all sides, Goliath collapsed.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Although Goliath was Level 4, in reality, a typical Level 3 adventurer would be pulverized if they took a direct hit. Not to mention, these Floor Bosses far exceeded upper-level monsters in strength, stamina, and regeneration speed.
"Come to think of it, Solon, is this your first time taking down a Floor Boss?" Kaguya asked. Solon turned to look at her.
"I think you're right."
"Regardless, we should keep moving," Lyra added.
Ryu took Solon's hand, her face filled with concern. "Are you alright?"
Feeling the warmth of her hand, Solon smiled. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Look at me, I'm perfectly okay. Is everyone else alright?"
"We're fine," the others chorused.
Lyra said breezily, "This is mostly thanks to your magic items. Without them, it would have taken us much longer to deal with that Goliath."
It was true. Ever since Solon had completely overhauled the Familia's gear with magical items, he had layered on buffs like Jump, Longstrider, Mage Armor, Aura of Vitality, and Shield of Faith, along with various energy protections. With these cumulative buffs, their theoretical power could no longer be judged by their base levels.
Take Ryu, for example. Between Bless, Aura of Vitality, Magic Weapon, and Shield of Faith, she was easily performing at more than double her original level of strength.
By now, Alise had carved out the Magic Stone from Goliath's corpse. Looking at the enormous stone, she asked, "This should fetch a good price on the surface... or should we sell it directly in the Dungeon? But going back and forth is such a pain."
"How about we head up, sell it, and then come back down?" Solon suggested.
And so, they hauled the massive Magic Stone back to the Dungeon entrance, sold it to the Guild for a tidy sum, and then descended once more. After this round trip, they finally reached the 18th floor.
The 18th floor, known as the "Under Resort," was a relatively safe floor filled with crystals and natural scenery, spanning about half the size of Orario. The entire ceiling was covered in crystals that changed over time; when the light faded, the floor entered "night." Incidentally, there was a massive opening in the central ceiling that allowed for downward movement.
The north was a majestic wetland, largely devoid of monsters. To the south and east lay a forest. To the west was a small lake with an island in the middle. On the eastern part of that island was the town of "Rivira," where the prices were daylight robbery—often ten times higher than on the surface. Even so, supply lines in the Dungeon could never be allowed to break. That town had been destroyed over three hundred times, yet it was always rebuilt.
Even in the safe haven of the Under Resort, monster "Pass Parades" from the upper and lower floors could still occur. It was only "relatively" safe, meaning monsters didn't spawn there naturally.
"By the way, Solon, you haven't been to our spot yet, have you?" Alise asked, stopping and looking at him.
"Which spot?" Solon asked, his eyes showing a hint of confusion.
"Ah, look over there," Alise pointed in a certain direction with a grin. "Hehe, this is the secret base I found when I first started out."
The elder member, Maryū, nodded. "Ah, right. Honestly, it is quite beautiful here."
Solon gazed up at the endless crystal ceiling and the stunning natural landscape, unable to help but feel impressed. "To think the Dungeon holds such a sight. I've read descriptions in Guild books, but seeing it once is better than hearing about it a hundred times."
Alise said cheerfully, "Exactly. The Dungeon is beautiful, and in a way, it's quite fun, isn't it? But thanks to me, everyone made it to the 18th floor in one piece."
They soon arrived at a secluded spot. It was surrounded by small groves of trees with a clearing in the middle. A small lake sat in the distance, with wetlands even further out.
Alise pointed toward the horizon. "Look, look! From this angle, you can see the entire scenery of the Under Resort."
Solon looked where she pointed, and indeed, the entire 18th floor was breathtaking.
Noin whispered, "In the future, if I die, I want to be buried here. It would be quite romantic in a way."
The others chimed in, but Solon didn't agree. "I think everyone should make it back to the surface alive. What's the point of being buried in the Dungeon? Besides, you have me."
"I hope so," Alise said softly, before returning to her usual carefree self. "So, you said you wanted to go deeper into the Dungeon to earn a Great Feat, right?"
"Right," Solon nodded.
"But Solon, I remember you mentioned you could use those 'Create Food' and 'Goodberry' spells, right?" Alise asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"I can," Solon confirmed.
Since leveling up, he had so many spells to choose from that he sometimes forgot which ones to use. One of the most useful, however, was Create Food and Water, which could manifest forty-five pounds of food and thirty gallons of fresh water in a container or on the ground. This food and water could prevent the dangers of hunger and dehydration, meaning they didn't need to buy anything from the overpriced shops in Rivira.
Though the flavor was bland, it was highly nutritious; one meal provided enough sustenance for an entire day. Most importantly, he could choose the appearance of the food. Thus, he chose potatoes, eggplants, carrots, and pumpkins, easily creating a medley resembling a classic vegetable stew.
Furthermore, even at night, he had the second-level spell Daylight. This spell radiated a sixty-foot radius of light from the point of casting, creating an effect nearly identical to daylight.
Beyond that, there were many other spells, such as the famous Leomund's Tiny Hut. This spell created a ten-foot-radius dome that remained fixed in place for the duration. Creatures and objects inside could move in and out freely, while everything else was blocked. Most importantly, the air inside was dry and comfortable, and the illumination could be adjusted regardless of the weather outside.
In a sense, as long as you had a wizard with you, whether for traveling or adventuring, basically any situation could be handled with ease.
"Sometimes I'm just amazed by how versatile your spells are," Alise marveled.
"True. In theory, as long as you use the right spells, you can handle almost any predicament," Solon replied.
Beside them, Ryu said a bit shyly, "Everyone's clothes got dirty during the battle... Is there a spell that can fix that?"
"Definitely. Let me check."
Solon thought for a moment, searching the "Tome of Ten Thousand Laws" in his mind for a cleaning spell. The best option was Prestidigitation, which could be used to clean various items of clothing. He then used Mage Hand to assist, making everyone's clothes look brand new.
Not only that, he used Mending to directly repair any minor tears in the fabric.
Lyra remarked, "To be honest, Solon has a lot of tricks in battle, but he's just as convenient for daily life. Spells like Mage Hand and Unseen Servant are perfect for chores. With him around, we don't even need to carry much luggage. That leaves more room for the Magic Stones we loot from monsters."
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Danmachi: My Magic Style is Different from Yours (Simulpub – Ongoing)
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