With me being on the first watch along with Ryana last night, I was able to sleep soundly until the morning rush to quickly prepare to reach the 28th floor by the end of the day.
As it turns out, the simulated night sky was just as beautiful as described.
The sparkling gleam from the ceiling's crystals cast a stunning scene, reminiscent of the clearest night sky one has ever seen.
It was gorgeous, and in a way, very romantic.
I could easily picture confessing under the beautiful glow.
Ryuu! I know this is an impossible ask, but please reach 18 faster, it's getting hard to wait.
Though I need to speak with Mother Astraea before that.
Haa, much to do.
Anyway, after eating and washing up, I hurriedly packed my tent and helped the girls with the cooking equipment before starting our journey to the next floor.
Today would be a day of many firsts, if I thought that yesterday was tough with the somewhat foreign terrain on the 16th and 17th floors, this would be a whole other beast.
Floors 19 to 24 make up the Large Tree Labyrinth, floors with an abundance of plant and monster diversity, resulting in many resource-gathering quests being issued for these floors.
Many monsters use poison on these floors, so I not having Abnormal Resistance will need to be careful with getting hit, luckily, we do still have antidotes, so by no means will it be a death sentence.
The start of lower floors, floors 25 to 27, is known as the Water City, it is where monsters begin to appear that I have no hope of handling, so I will likely need to rely on my team during this portion of the expedition.
Due to the abundance of water in this area, having Undine Cloth is highly recommended, and we are likely to wear it over our armour before entering the 25th floor.
Thankfully, the largest threat to this area, the monster rex Amphisbaena has already been killed by a Freya Familia expedition earlier this week, meaning we should make it to Balor and back before it respawns.
Reaching the stairs, I'm broken out of my thoughts by Alise.
"Ready Sirius?"
Looking over at her, I tilt my head and crack my neck after noticing the stiffness before responding.
"Yep. Finally gonna work in a team. Anything I should know about you guys that I don't already?"
"Hmm, well I have my fire magic enchantment, Ryuu has her Luminous Wind and healing magic, and Celty has a fire barrier and homing fire arrow magic. Uhh, due to my skill, I attack up close to the enemy... Ah! And Ryuu is always running because her skill Aero Mana makes her stronger the faster she is."
"Uh, except for your skill, I already know all of that."
"Then you're good! Don't worry about it, we'll help you along and we'll mesh together the more we fight."
I stumble forward as she pats my back reassuringly.
"Whoops! Forgot the strength difference!"
Bruh.
If I didn't already know her cheerful and innocent personality, I would say she was mocking me.
"Anyways, just be sure to have your antidotes handy. Everything's gonna be fine, besides, we're still focusing on going fast, not fighting."
So nothing of learned. Great.
It seems that Ryuu picked up on my blank stare.
"Don't fight with monsters until you learn their basic abilities, much like you did on the past two floors. The monsters will be stronger than you from this point on, so use their moments of weakness to strike, don't engage in a drawn-out battle."
Ah, so I should go for the rogue role.
"Thanks, Ryuu."
"Hmph! I was just about to say that! Anyways, we're off! Make sure everyone sticks to their teams, and don't you dare die! Our goal is the 28th floor, so let's get going!"
And like that, the expedition force advances.
The Astraea Familia is on the right side while the Loki Familia takes the left, with Finn and Lyra as the strategic leaders staying near the center of the formation.
Exiting the staircase, I am greeted by a large cavern, with stone pathways and mountains splayed across the landscape and dense vegetation strewn throughout.
Large flowers and vines can also be found peeking through the bushes and trees, with a soft blue glow radiating from the moss across the floor.
Seeing the sight, I am greeted by an odd sense of nostalgia.
Why would I ever feel nostalgia for this place?
Wait.
"Alise! Was this the floor where I first met you guys?"
"Shh! Not so loud! Secret, remember? And no, we met on the 21st floor. Though I can see why you would say that, floors 19 to 24 are all identical except for the monsters that appear."
I see, that makes sense.
If it wasn't for the constant threat of poison and monsters, this place would be really beautiful.
A fantasy jungle retreat.
Running for a while, I observe how my Familia deals with some of the monsters.
Battle Boar, a giant boar monster, was easily dealt with by Neze embedding her spear into its skull, killing it instantly.
Bugbear, a bear monster that is like a faster Minotaur, was bombarded by Noin's arrows before being decapitated by Kaguya's sword, again, killing it instantly.
Ok, I admit, not much to observe.
But it is enough that I learn the basics of how to deal with the monsters, mostly by using my previous experience with similar types of monsters from earlier floors, just keeping in mind that these are stronger.
Seeing a Bugbear blocking the path in front of us, Ryuu and Alise instantly shoot forward, with me following them slightly behind.
Rogues follow behind, hiding in the shadows, right?
Enchanting my body with Celestial Ascent, I see that Ryuu has already disabled the monster's leg with a passing sword strike while Alise and Celty have already burnt the approaching Gun Libellulas to a crisp.
My time to shine.
With my body coated in stellar magic, that is quite literal.
Seeing the Bugbear distracted by Ryuu who is running circles around it, I take the opportunity handed to me on a silver platter, launching myself toward the monster's nape.
Taking inspiration from a light novel I still remember, I hold Infinite Eclipse steady with both hands while distributing the stellar magic in my body to concentrate on the parts of my body that will enhance my swing.
Hips, shoulders, triceps, biceps, flexing every muscle that's powered up by stellar magic, I slash my sword sideways, with all the power that I can.
Although not reaching the speed of light, my pseudo-Longsword of Light does its purpose in decapitating the beast, leaving a shockwave at the end of my swing.
The first thing I feel is satisfaction. That worked, really well at that. And seeing the surprise evident on Ryuu's face, it seems that she agrees with its impressiveness as well.
If this is what an improper version of it can do, I don't want to ever face the true thing. Doubtlessly worthy to be called an ultimate technique.
My momentary high of elation is then brought down by the second feeling. Pain.
My arms are burning, like I just did 100 push-ups straight, at least before receiving my falna that is.
Damn, I should've known such a devastating attack will lead to devastating consequences.
It seems that I will need to get stronger before I can use it properly, but thinking of the potential in the move excites me.
"That was quite the surprise, Sirius. I know I said to use their moments of weakness, but that was impressive regardless."
"Owowow, thanks Ryuu. Unfortunately, I don't think I can do that again, I need to get stronger to use that."
"I see, then shame on you for your recklessness."
Ouch, such harsh words, and said with a stoic face laced with disappointment.
I am going to cry.
"Pff."
Huh?
Looking up, I see Ryuu walking toward me with a smile, shaking her head in amusement.
"Here's a potion, don't try new techniques in the dungeon unless you need to. Silly boy."
"U-uh yeah, thanks."
What the hell? Is this the infamous 'gap moe'?
From the shiver of pleasure that shot up my spine at those words, did I just awaken something?
'Silly boy', are you my mother or something?
Know what? I'm gonna ignore that, or I have a feeling I will be very very distracted.
Downing the potion, I immediately feel the soreness from my muscles start to disappear as I return to the formation while pointedly not looking at a certain Elf.
The group continues the journey at a constant pace with no issues except for some lower levelled Loki Familia members breaking off to complete a separate collection quest for some herbs.
With me getting gradually more experienced with the monsters on this floor, I slowly get more involved with the fights rather than just finishing off any distracted monsters.
Though I do have to return to being careful with every floor due to new monsters.
As it turns out, the monsters are just as diverse as the plants on these floors, there being nearly 20 unique monsters in the span of 6 floors.
It's a lot to keep up with, especially when you're blitzing through the floors on your first time like me.
Oh well, when I start truly conquering these floors as I have been it will be easy in comparison.
Breaking me out of my thoughts, the entire force stops before the stairs to floor 25 with everyone crowding around Iska.
"All right girls! Time for the Undine Cloth! Make sure to wear it under your under where you can so it doesn't get scratched up."
Following Alise's orders, I get handed a large blue robe, much like Salamander Wool but with the consistency of plastic. Weird.
I put the Undine Cloth under my armour with minimal effort after cutting a small notch to be able to pee.
Speaking of that, don't even get me started on how embarrassing it is to call out to your group of girls that you gotta go to the bathroom.
The girls haven't needed to go once through the floors, apparently, as one levels up they can hold their bladder for longer.
Not sure how that works, maybe through the endurance stat since it relates to stamina?
Whatever, time to focus on what's about to happen.
25th floor, the start of Water City, a giant waterfall that continues until the 27th floor where the environment is more of a large lake or marsh, and where the Amphisbaena would be if it hadn't already been slain.
With an abundance of new monsters, this area is even more diverse than the Large Tree Labyrinth, the most dangerous of monsters being the Iguazu.
A suicide bomber, the Iguazu is a small bird-type monster that uses its numbers and speed to strike enemies with the impact of its body.
And when I say fast, I mean it's the fastest monster on the lower floors, adventurers of my level would only see a blur, if anything.
The best way to deal with these monsters is wide-scale magic, which, unfortunately, I have a distinct lack of. So in the event that I spot an Iguazu, I call for a mage like Ryana to deal with them.
"All right, Astraea Familia move out! And Sirius, be careful on the edge of the path, monsters like to hide in the water and ambush adventurers passing by, so be on your guard."
A chorus of various acknowledgements is given in the response, signalling the start of the second half of today's journey.
With the pace set to a light jog, I take Alise's words to heart and stand clear of the edge of the path.
Entering the 25th floor, I am momentarily stunned by the majestical sight.
A grand cave, with dark blue rock walls and smooth paths arching across various cliffs and ridges. Light blue crystals can also be seen strewn about the terrain, casting a captivating blue glow. Blue lighting seems to be a common theme, huh?
The most intriguing element though, is the great waterfall that starts at the entrance to the floor and cascades downwards to create numerous streams and water features that encroach on every corner of the land.
Due to this, the air is very humid, and you can even see stalagmites dripping water from above.
I can already see the importance of having Undine Cloth on these floors.
Staying vigilant of the water for ambushes, the group makes its way through the floors with surprisingly minimal interruptions, with the battles that do inevitably occur, I make sure to gleam as much information as possible.
From my gathered information, it seems that making many movements on this floor is ill-advised, after asking Ryuu it is due to the moisture and water making the floor extremely slippery in some places.
Yeah, falling or sliding in the middle of a fight would have devastating consequences. From how Ryuu wore an annoyed glare while explaining this to me, it seems that her fighting style conflicts with these floors.
Well, at least she has her magic.
Soon enough, I get my first chance to experience fighting in this new environment, my enemy being a Harpy.
A woman from the waist up and an eagle from the waist down with eagle wings, not only do you have to ignore its extremely human appearance, but you also have to ignore the, let's say, distractions, two of them.
As far as attacks go, it can shoot feather projectiles or attack using its sharp claws. Thankfully, its flight capabilities are minimal with it only being able to glide momentarily float.
Facing the Harpy, I parry a barrage of feathers before approaching the monster to deliver an attack of my own.
Trying to do a much less powerful version of my Longsword of Light, I leap forward while arcing my sword horizontally, slashing at blinding speed.
Right before it makes contact with the raised claw, I stomp on the ground and pivot with another kick, adjusting the trajectory of my slash to weave around the claw and decapitate the Harpy.
That was, not bad?
No, not bad at all.
It seems that pivots and small, flowing movements are needed to excel on these floors. In fact, this lesson can be taken into various other situations where your mobility is restricted.
Neat.
Picking up the dropped magic stone and Harpy claw, lucky, I rejoin the formation as our group continues to make their way through the floor.
With me being on the first watch along with Ryana last night, I was able to sleep soundly until the morning rush to quickly prepare to reach the 28th floor by the end of the day.
As it turns out, the simulated night sky was just as beautiful as described.
The sparkling gleam from the ceiling's crystals cast a stunning scene, reminiscent of the clearest night sky one has ever seen.
It was gorgeous, and in a way, very romantic.
I could easily picture confessing under the beautiful glow.
Ryuu! I know this is an impossible ask, but please reach 18 faster, it's getting hard to wait.
Though I need to speak with Mother Astraea before that.
Haa, much to do.
Anyway, after eating and washing up, I hurriedly packed my tent and helped the girls with the cooking equipment before starting our journey to the next floor.
Today would be a day of many firsts, if I thought that yesterday was tough with the somewhat foreign terrain on the 16th and 17th floors, this would be a whole other beast.
Floors 19 to 24 make up the Large Tree Labyrinth, floors with an abundance of plant and monster diversity, resulting in many resource-gathering quests being issued for these floors.
Many monsters use poison on these floors, so I not having Abnormal Resistance will need to be careful with getting hit, luckily, we do still have antidotes, so by no means will it be a death sentence.
The start of lower floors, floors 25 to 27, is known as the Water City, it is where monsters begin to appear that I have no hope of handling, so I will likely need to rely on my team during this portion of the expedition.
Due to the abundance of water in this area, having Undine Cloth is highly recommended, and we are likely to wear it over our armour before entering the 25th floor.
Thankfully, the largest threat to this area, the monster rex Amphisbaena has already been killed by a Freya Familia expedition earlier this week, meaning we should make it to Balor and back before it respawns.
Reaching the stairs, I'm broken out of my thoughts by Alise.
"Ready Sirius?"
Looking over at her, I tilt my head and crack my neck after noticing the stiffness before responding.
"Yep. Finally gonna work in a team. Anything I should know about you guys that I don't already?"
"Hmm, well I have my fire magic enchantment, Ryuu has her Luminous Wind and healing magic, and Celty has a fire barrier and homing fire arrow magic. Uhh, due to my skill, I attack up close to the enemy... Ah! And Ryuu is always running because her skill Aero Mana makes her stronger the faster she is."
"Uh, except for your skill, I already know all of that."
"Then you're good! Don't worry about it, we'll help you along and we'll mesh together the more we fight."
I stumble forward as she pats my back reassuringly.
"Whoops! Forgot the strength difference!"
Bruh.
If I didn't already know her cheerful and innocent personality, I would say she was mocking me.
"Anyways, just be sure to have your antidotes handy. Everything's gonna be fine, besides, we're still focusing on going fast, not fighting."
So nothing of learned. Great.
It seems that Ryuu picked up on my blank stare.
"Don't fight with monsters until you learn their basic abilities, much like you did on the past two floors. The monsters will be stronger than you from this point on, so use their moments of weakness to strike, don't engage in a drawn-out battle."
Ah, so I should go for the rogue role.
"Thanks, Ryuu."
"Hmph! I was just about to say that! Anyways, we're off! Make sure everyone sticks to their teams, and don't you dare die! Our goal is the 28th floor, so let's get going!"
And like that, the expedition force advances.
The Astraea Familia is on the right side while the Loki Familia takes the left, with Finn and Lyra as the strategic leaders staying near the center of the formation.
Exiting the staircase, I am greeted by a large cavern, with stone pathways and mountains splayed across the landscape and dense vegetation strewn throughout.
Large flowers and vines can also be found peeking through the bushes and trees, with a soft blue glow radiating from the moss across the floor.
Seeing the sight, I am greeted by an odd sense of nostalgia.
Why would I ever feel nostalgia for this place?
Wait.
"Alise! Was this the floor where I first met you guys?"
"Shh! Not so loud! Secret, remember? And no, we met on the 21st floor. Though I can see why you would say that, floors 19 to 24 are all identical except for the monsters that appear."
I see, that makes sense.
If it wasn't for the constant threat of poison and monsters, this place would be really beautiful.
A fantasy jungle retreat.
Running for a while, I observe how my Familia deals with some of the monsters.
Battle Boar, a giant boar monster, was easily dealt with by Neze embedding her spear into its skull, killing it instantly.
Bugbear, a bear monster that is like a faster Minotaur, was bombarded by Noin's arrows before being decapitated by Kaguya's sword, again, killing it instantly.
Ok, I admit, not much to observe.
But it is enough that I learn the basics of how to deal with the monsters, mostly by using my previous experience with similar types of monsters from earlier floors, just keeping in mind that these are stronger.
Seeing a Bugbear blocking the path in front of us, Ryuu and Alise instantly shoot forward, with me following them slightly behind.
Rogues follow behind, hiding in the shadows, right?
Enchanting my body with Celestial Ascent, I see that Ryuu has already disabled the monster's leg with a passing sword strike while Alise and Celty have already burnt the approaching Gun Libellulas to a crisp.
My time to shine.
With my body coated in stellar magic, that is quite literal.
Seeing the Bugbear distracted by Ryuu who is running circles around it, I take the opportunity handed to me on a silver platter, launching myself toward the monster's nape.
Taking inspiration from a light novel I still remember, I hold Infinite Eclipse steady with both hands while distributing the stellar magic in my body to concentrate on the parts of my body that will enhance my swing.
Hips, shoulders, triceps, biceps, flexing every muscle that's powered up by stellar magic, I slash my sword sideways, with all the power that I can.
Although not reaching the speed of light, my pseudo-Longsword of Light does its purpose in decapitating the beast, leaving a shockwave at the end of my swing.
The first thing I feel is satisfaction. That worked, really well at that. And seeing the surprise evident on Ryuu's face, it seems that she agrees with its impressiveness as well.
If this is what an improper version of it can do, I don't want to ever face the true thing. Doubtlessly worthy to be called an ultimate technique.
My momentary high of elation is then brought down by the second feeling. Pain.
My arms are burning, like I just did 100 push-ups straight, at least before receiving my falna that is.
Damn, I should've known such a devastating attack will lead to devastating consequences.
It seems that I will need to get stronger before I can use it properly, but thinking of the potential in the move excites me.
"That was quite the surprise, Sirius. I know I said to use their moments of weakness, but that was impressive regardless."
"Owowow, thanks Ryuu. Unfortunately, I don't think I can do that again, I need to get stronger to use that."
"I see, then shame on you for your recklessness."
Ouch, such harsh words, and said with a stoic face laced with disappointment.
I am going to cry.
"Pff."
Huh?
Looking up, I see Ryuu walking toward me with a smile, shaking her head in amusement.
"Here's a potion, don't try new techniques in the dungeon unless you need to. Silly boy."
"U-uh yeah, thanks."
What the hell? Is this the infamous 'gap moe'?
From the shiver of pleasure that shot up my spine at those words, did I just awaken something?
'Silly boy', are you my mother or something?
Know what? I'm gonna ignore that, or I have a feeling I will be very very distracted.
Downing the potion, I immediately feel the soreness from my muscles start to disappear as I return to the formation while pointedly not looking at a certain Elf.
The group continues the journey at a constant pace with no issues except for some lower levelled Loki Familia members breaking off to complete a separate collection quest for some herbs.
With me getting gradually more experienced with the monsters on this floor, I slowly get more involved with the fights rather than just finishing off any distracted monsters.
Though I do have to return to being careful with every floor due to new monsters.
As it turns out, the monsters are just as diverse as the plants on these floors, there being nearly 20 unique monsters in the span of 6 floors.
It's a lot to keep up with, especially when you're blitzing through the floors on your first time like me.
Oh well, when I start truly conquering these floors as I have been it will be easy in comparison.
Breaking me out of my thoughts, the entire force stops before the stairs to floor 25 with everyone crowding around Iska.
"All right girls! Time for the Undine Cloth! Make sure to wear it under your under where you can so it doesn't get scratched up."
Following Alise's orders, I get handed a large blue robe, much like Salamander Wool but with the consistency of plastic. Weird.
I put the Undine Cloth under my armour with minimal effort after cutting a small notch to be able to pee.
Speaking of that, don't even get me started on how embarrassing it is to call out to your group of girls that you gotta go to the bathroom.
The girls haven't needed to go once through the floors, apparently, as one levels up they can hold their bladder for longer.
Not sure how that works, maybe through the endurance stat since it relates to stamina?
Whatever, time to focus on what's about to happen.
25th floor, the start of Water City, a giant waterfall that continues until the 27th floor where the environment is more of a large lake or marsh, and where the Amphisbaena would be if it hadn't already been slain.
With an abundance of new monsters, this area is even more diverse than the Large Tree Labyrinth, the most dangerous of monsters being the Iguazu.
A suicide bomber, the Iguazu is a small bird-type monster that uses its numbers and speed to strike enemies with the impact of its body.
And when I say fast, I mean it's the fastest monster on the lower floors, adventurers of my level would only see a blur, if anything.
The best way to deal with these monsters is wide-scale magic, which, unfortunately, I have a distinct lack of. So in the event that I spot an Iguazu, I call for a mage like Ryana to deal with them.
"All right, Astraea Familia move out! And Sirius, be careful on the edge of the path, monsters like to hide in the water and ambush adventurers passing by, so be on your guard."
A chorus of various acknowledgements is given in the response, signalling the start of the second half of today's journey.
With the pace set to a light jog, I take Alise's words to heart and stand clear of the edge of the path.
Entering the 25th floor, I am momentarily stunned by the majestical sight.
A grand cave, with dark blue rock walls and smooth paths arching across various cliffs and ridges. Light blue crystals can also be seen strewn about the terrain, casting a captivating blue glow. Blue lighting seems to be a common theme, huh?
The most intriguing element though, is the great waterfall that starts at the entrance to the floor and cascades downwards to create numerous streams and water features that encroach on every corner of the land.
Due to this, the air is very humid, and you can even see stalagmites dripping water from above.
I can already see the importance of having Undine Cloth on these floors.
Staying vigilant of the water for ambushes, the group makes its way through the floors with surprisingly minimal interruptions, with the battles that do inevitably occur, I make sure to gleam as much information as possible.
From my gathered information, it seems that making many movements on this floor is ill-advised, after asking Ryuu it is due to the moisture and water making the floor extremely slippery in some places.
Yeah, falling or sliding in the middle of a fight would have devastating consequences. From how Ryuu wore an annoyed glare while explaining this to me, it seems that her fighting style conflicts with these floors.
Well, at least she has her magic.
Soon enough, I get my first chance to experience fighting in this new environment, my enemy being a Harpy.
A woman from the waist up and an eagle from the waist down with eagle wings, not only do you have to ignore its extremely human appearance, but you also have to ignore the, let's say, distractions, two of them.
As far as attacks go, it can shoot feather projectiles or attack using its sharp claws. Thankfully, its flight capabilities are minimal with it only being able to glide momentarily float.
Facing the Harpy, I parry a barrage of feathers before approaching the monster to deliver an attack of my own.
Trying to do a much less powerful version of my Longsword of Light, I leap forward while arcing my sword horizontally, slashing at blinding speed.
Right before it makes contact with the raised claw, I stomp on the ground and pivot with another kick, adjusting the trajectory of my slash to weave around the claw and decapitate the Harpy.
That was, not bad?
No, not bad at all.
It seems that pivots and small, flowing movements are needed to excel on these floors. In fact, this lesson can be taken into various other situations where your mobility is restricted.
Neat.
Picking up the dropped magic stone and Harpy claw, lucky, I rejoin the formation as our group continues to make their way through the floor.
