Two days later, Rayleigh sat in the plaza before the Tower of Babel, waiting for his team to arrive.
The final team roster was set at six members:
Ardi Varma, Level 2, Ganesha Familia
Alise Lovell, Level 2, Astraea Familia
Gojouno Kaguya, Level 2, Astraea Familia
Ryuu Lion, Level 2, Astraea Familia
Lyra, Level 1, Astraea Familia (Support)
Rayleigh, Level 1, Hephaestus Familia
This was Rayleigh's first time exploring the Dungeon as part of a team, and he was quite excited.
With this lineup, they could easily venture into the Middle Floors.
He felt the familiar thrill of tackling a new raid.
The deepest reaches of the Dungeon remained unexplored. Rumor claimed the Zeus and Hera Familias had once reached the 60th Floor, but the Guild's official records currently capped at the 55th.
Whether the actual progress was concealed for some reason or there was another explanation entirely, Rayleigh couldn't say.
One thing was certain: the Dungeon grew increasingly vast the deeper one descended.
Down in the Deep Floors, its area exceeded the entire city of Orario.
Moreover, the Dungeon housed magnificent landscapes nowhere to be found on the surface.
'Seeing it in person must be breathtaking.'
Rayleigh waited a few minutes.
A group of beautiful girls approached, drawing the gazes of nearby onlookers.
The five stopped before him.
Ardi spoke first. "Rayleigh, you're already here! I met up with Alise and the others. Did you wait long?"
"No, don't worry about it," Rayleigh said, waving a hand.
They still had nearly twenty minutes until their agreed departure time. Adventuring wasn't about rushing. Proper preparation was paramount.
"Ah, it really is you!" Alise smiled.
"Yes, good to see you again. Let's watch each other's backs from now on," Rayleigh said, extending a hand.
Alise gripped his hand firmly, her voice full of confidence. "Absolutely! You can count on me!"
"Hold on," Kaguya interjected, her tone serious. "We're heading to the Middle Floors. It's dangerous for a Level 1 Adventurer. Can you guarantee you can take care of yourself?"
Unlike Lyra in the rear guard, Rayleigh's position in the mid-guard meant he had to provide offensive support while the vanguard held the line, all while protecting the back.
Kaguya had every right to voice her concern.
Faced with her question, Rayleigh replied calmly, "No problem. I'll prove it when the time comes."
"Alright then."
Kaguya meant no harm, she was simply stating a common Adventurer knowledge.
The two shook hands.
Next up was a certain 'useless elf.'
Rayleigh extended his hand halfway when he suddenly remembered something.
He skipped over Ryuu and shook hands directly with Lyra.
He had almost forgotten—Elves were notorious for their extreme aversion to physical contact.
They only allowed those they truly trusted to touch their skin. It was an innate trait ingrained in their nature.
Rayleigh already liked this group.
In short, the Astraea Familia was full of wonderful people, and all these wonderful people were beautiful young women.
He didn't notice the complex expression that flickered across Ryuu's face as he skipped over her.
When she left her homeland at age eleven, it was precisely because she couldn't bear the Elves' irrational obsession with purity.
Yet upon venturing into the outside world, she discovered that she couldn't defy the pride ingrained in her race's heritage either.
"Let's set out, then."
"Onward, onward!"
The moment the six of them entered the Dungeon, Rayleigh spoke up. "I'll clear the path until we reach the 10th Floor. Please maintain a steady pace."
Alise blinked. "Huh?"
Kaguya frowned. "Are you serious?"
Ryuu was momentarily speechless.
Although they were all Level 2 and didn't pay much attention to the weaker monsters of the Upper Floors, the thought of one person handling all the enemies down to the 10th Floor without slowing down was exhausting just to imagine it.
For a moment, the girls felt Rayleigh was a bit too eager to prove himself.
The Upper Floor monsters offered little value as a benchmark.
It would just be a waste of stamina...
"Then we'll leave it to you," Ardi said, agreeing before the girls could voice their objections.
'Wait, Ardi?'
The Astraea Familia girls exchanged puzzled glances.
But since the decision had been made, they decided to observe for the time being.
They maintained their pace, but by the time they reached the 7th Floor, the girls' confusion couldn't be contained any longer.
"Hey, this is strange, isn't it? It's been so long, and we haven't encountered a single monster," Lyra pointed out, looking anxious.
In a place like the Dungeon, the absence of monsters was even more terrifying than a swarm.
"It's definitely abnormal," Ryuu agreed, on high alert.
Kaguya glanced at Rayleigh.
Rayleigh finally spoke up to explain. "It's not that we haven't encountered monsters. I've just dealt with them before they could approach us."
He manipulated the dust particles in the air, allowing them to coalesce around the group and form blade-like shapes.
"Is this the same ability we saw last time?" Kaguya asked hesitantly.
Recalling Rayleigh's display in the Dungeon, Alise gasped. "Ah, I remember now! It's that!"
Seeing their reactions, Rayleigh began to explain. "Perfect timing. We should familiarize ourselves with each other's combat styles and abilities anyway. I'll start."
He held his two swords upright.
"My swords are Haineko and Ruri'iro Kujaku. Haineko can transform into ash, allowing me to manipulate dust in the environment, while Ruri'iro Kujaku can grow vines that absorb energy. I'm proficient in swordsmanship, martial arts, offensive magic, binding magic, and healing magic. However, my Magic stat has limits, so I can't cast spells constantly."
"Ever since we entered the Dungeon, Haineko has been in its released state. I have been eliminating the monsters before they enter our line of sight."
After speaking, Rayleigh lowered the blades and faced the girls.
He immediately noticed their strange expressions.
Ryuu blinked. "You are.... only Level 1? How can your skillset be so comprehensive?"
Kaguya chimed in. "The useless elf is right. Are you being serious?"
Lyra simply stated, "I've never met someone so absurd like you."
Rayleigh: ...
'I'm not making this up!'
"Yes, everything I've said is true. I can prove it."
Alise's eyes lit up. "Amazing! If you can do so much, we can definitely explore much further with you on our team!"
Seeing their Captain's total lack of skepticism, the other two—aside from Ryuu—exchanged exasperated glances.
As for Ryuu... she also believed Rayleigh wasn't lying.
His eyes held no trace of deception or exaggeration and his tone was completely natural.
And the fact remained: they hadn't encountered a single monster since entering the Dungeon!
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Bonus Chapter for every 100 power stones!