Lynn's reaction was faster.
The moment the Shadow Wolves lunged, he didn't even look at Ais. He simply gave a casual wave of his left hand, signaling her not to move.
In the next heartbeat, he dropped his body incredibly low, appearing to slide across the ground. The Bloodhound's Fang scraped the floor, sending up a trail of sparks as the blade accurately sliced through the soft underbelly of the first Shadow Wolf.
Without a moment's pause, he utilized the forward momentum to tap his toes against the rock wall, twisting his body at an impossible angle to double back.
[Bloodhound's Step]!
His silhouette vanished from the spot and reappeared instantly at the flank of another Shadow Wolf. The monster didn't even have time to adjust its leap before the cold blade drove into its eye socket, pulverizing its brain.
The entire process was as fluid as flowing water, devoid of a single wasted movement.
Ais stood rooted to the spot, motionless.
To her, these Shadow Wolves weren't even worth a warm-up. She could have slaughtered them all in a single heartbeat. But now, her golden eyes reflected only Lynn's figure. She saw it clearly: every time Lynn dodged, it was at the precise moment before the wolf's claws could graze him. Every strike was aimed perfectly at a vital point with zero margin for error.
This was completely different from her own style of combat.
Her sword relied on overwhelming power and speed, coupled with thousands of hours of refined sword techniques to crush her enemies. But Lynn... he was like a high-precision instrument, using the minimum possible effort to achieve the maximum result. His fighting was imbued with a unique beauty.
"Done."
Lynn flicked the black blood off his blade and habitually leaned over to pick up a few magic stones. The movement was as natural as pulling radishes from a garden. He looked back and saw Ais staring at him intently. Her golden eyes were startlingly bright, flickering with excitement, curiosity, and a trace of... zealotry that she hadn't even realized was there.
"Did you catch that?" Lynn asked with a grin.
Ais gave a heavy nod, looking like a diligent student listening to a lecture.
"Let's move. The real show hasn't even started."
Lynn was in a good mood as he led the top-tier bodyguard deeper. However, as the two rounded a bend, the sight ahead caused them both to stop in their tracks.
The passage, which should have extended into the darkness, was blocked by a massive stone gate. The gate was ancient in style, looking entirely out of place against the cold, damp rock walls of the Dungeon. Wisps of white mist seeped through the cracks of the door, carrying an eerie aura.
"This is..." Ais's brow furrowed.
As the ace of the Loki Familia, her knowledge of the Dungeon far exceeded the average person. She was certain that the tenth floor absolutely did not have such a thing. This door looked as if it had manifested out of thin air.
"Oho." Lynn's eyes, however, lit up.
This art style, this feeling—it was all too familiar. Wasn't this the relief-style stone gate of the Lands Between!
"Miyazaki's special dungeon is finally here!" he muttered to himself, his face lit with uncontrollable excitement.
Ais didn't catch what he said, but she saw him walk forward without hesitation and push against the ominous stone gate.
"Wait, Lynn! It could be dangerous!" she blurted out instinctively.
"Dangerous?" Lynn looked back and grinned at her. "This is a trial bestowed by my God."
The words had barely left his lips when the stone gate swung open. There was no resistance, and the white mist from behind the door instantly swallowed the two of them.
Ais felt a wave of dizziness as the world around her twisted and restructured. When her vision cleared, she was completely stunned.
The dark, damp Dungeon was gone. In its place was a vast, sprawling grassland stretching as far as the eye could see. A gentle breeze brushed past, causing the grass to sway. Above her was not a rock ceiling, but a dim, amber sky. A tree of unimaginable proportions—a golden giant—stood on the distant horizon, radiating a sacred light.
"Where... where is this?" Ais whispered, her exquisite face written with shock.
Even Lynn blinked, looking around. "Impressive. They gave me an entire map?"
He had expected a small "black room" boss arena, but it seemed the system had literally transported the starting point of Limgrave over.
Just then, the sound of heavy hoofbeats echoed from nearby.
The two looked toward the sound. On a nearby path, a knight clad in thick, golden armor and brandishing a massive golden halberd was slowly patrolling atop a horse similarly draped in armor. The knight's frame was imposing, radiating an overwhelming pressure that seemed to thicken the very air around it.
The Tree Sentinel!
Lynn's expression turned solemn as he drew the Bloodhound's Fang.
"That's a Tree Sentinel. He's a tough one. What do you say?"
Ais's expression was equally serious. She sensed an aura from that knight that far exceeded any monster on the tenth floor—it was more terrifying than even the bosses of the deeper floors.
"O wind—" she whispered instinctively, preparing to cast her signature enchantment magic.
However, nothing happened. The flow of mana was forcibly severed by something.
Ais froze, then realized her body felt wrong. The magic still existed, but her current mana pool was insufficient to support the casting. It wasn't just magic; her strength, speed, and reactions—everything felt sluggish and weakened, as if she were bound by invisible shackles.
"What's happening?" She looked at Lynn in alarm. "My power... is being suppressed. It feels like... I'm back at the peak of Level 1."
"Oh? I get it now." Lynn looked like he had just remembered something.
It seemed that because he had grouped with Ais, the system had recognized her as a "Cooperator" (a Phantom). Consequently, her stats were scaled down to match his level as the "Host."
"Welcome to my God's trial grounds. Here, everyone is equal."
Ais looked at him blankly. Lynn shrugged and explained with a matter-of-fact tone:
"You're currently my Cooperator, so your level is temporarily adjusted to match mine. Those are the rules of this place, set by my God, Hidetaka Miyazaki. It's fair, right?"
Level adjustment?
Ais felt like her brain was failing to process the information. She had never heard of such a thing; how could the power of a God's Falna be altered so easily? She looked at the lethal Tree Sentinel and then back at her own weakened state. She had no choice but to believe it.
To challenge a monster like that with their current attributes? It was practically suicide!
Yet, Lynn's face held no fear, only a near-frenzied excitement. He cracked his knuckles and rolled his neck.
"Don't worry." He noticed Ais's tension and gave a wide grin, showing his white teeth. "You just need to watch from the sidelines."
He slowly raised the Bloodhound's Fang, the blade glinting coldly under the amber sky.
"After all, this is my trial."
The words had barely faded when Lynn launched himself forward like an arrow, charging straight toward the mountain-like golden knight.
"Come on, old friend! Let's see if you've improved at all!"
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