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[Chapter Size: 1614 Words]
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"Lyra, did you really hear him say that it he has been to the dungeon only two times?" Alise looked at the pallum behind her and asked the her the same question once again.
"Sigh, Alise, you've already asked the same question to me twice now. And no matter how many times you ask, the answer won't change."
"Light did indeed say to me that he had been in the dungeon only twice. And didn't Noin say he was still a normal person a month ago."
"And I'm even more curious than you, how can he be so composed when it's just his third time diving into the dungeon."
Alise nodded at Lyra's words, but she still couldn't believe it.
After Light took up the vanguard, they had come across four goblins, which was a rare occurrence on the first floor. The usual being one or two goblins spawning at a single time.
As Lyra and Alise got ready to give a helping hand to Light, if needed. They were dumbfounded to see Light swiftly dispatch the goblins.
*wisssh* *thud*
A clean cut from his sword decapacitated the first two goblins, a kick to the third goblin's shin disorienting it.
Another stab through its head before it could even regain its balance.
Another swift chop at the fourth and the last goblin, turning it to ash and dropping its magic stone.
As they watched, Light was easily able to more goblins which showed up as they moved further into the dungeon.
A few goblins had tried to ambush them from the back, but they were easily taken care of by Kaguya, who was the rear guard.
"Lion, what do you think?" Alise turned to look at the golden-haired elf who was strangely silent.
"Lion? Ryuu, what are you looking at? "
Looking at Ryu who was staring intensely at something, Alise followed the elf's line of sight, only to see that the elf was so focused on was Light.
No, more precisely the wood sword in Light's hand.
"Alise, you said something?" Ryu hearing Alise call her name, tore her gaze from the wooden sword and looked towards her captain, who was now staring at her.
"Isn't the sword Light is using similar to yours, but a bit darker in color? Is it a sword made from the branches of the holy tree from some elven village?"
Alise spoke out her guess to Ryu, before the elf could say something.
"Yes Alise, I feel like it is made of the same material but I also feel like it's different from the swords made from the branches of Holy Trees."
"As I was the guardian of the Holy Tree of my village, I can identify weapons made from the branches, but the one he is holding feels a bit different."
...
We were standing near the stairs to the fourth floor, and were taking a small break waiting for Neze and Iska to map this floor.
After entering the second floor and seeing the Astraea girls not say anything, I continued leading the party acting as the vanguard.
Same on the third floor.
"Light wasn't this you second dungeon expedition? How are able fight against even monsters from the third floor so easily?"
Without even wasting a single second, an impatient pink haired pallum questioned me as soon as we dispersed to rest along the stairs.
Looking around I could see a few other girls too looking towards me waiting for my answer.
"I felt like the monsters on this floor were not much stronger, except for the dungeon lizard's surprise attack, there not much different from those on the earlier floors they aren't even that strong."
"During my two times in the dungeon, I did not go any deeper than the first floor due to Rose asking me not to, if I knew that they were not that stronger I would have gone to the second and third floor."
I replied to the pink haired pallum, after all even before getting the system, with just a month of practice, I was able to take down the goblins on the first floor.
Not in one or two slashes like I could do now after getting the system, but I would have been able to defeat them without getting injured or exhausted.
"Tsk, tsk, another show-off. Just because you're a little strong compared to the others."
It looked like Lyra was muttering something under her breath, but I heard only her Tsk and nothing else.
"Light did you have any fighting experience from before?"
Before I could say something to the pallum in reply, Kaguya who had approached me asked her question.
"Gojouno-san, no I did not have any fighting experience from before, I was just a normal person wanting to become a merchant."
Nodding to herself, Kaguya left as swiftly as she came.
...
Everyone spread out standing guard.
I was also standing at a side entrance of the room we were in.
Looking around I did not see any monsters, even looking at my map was the same, except for the yellow marks, i.e., allies, the members of the Astraea Familia, next to me, the rest of the map was a plain white.
By the way, I felt like I had forgotten about something or someone.
'Ah, yes! The silver-hair little healer, Airmid, who had come with us.' Looking back, I saw her standing next to Maryuu, the two speaking to each other.
I had forgotten her because she did not speak much and replied only if anyone asked her something.
Turning around once again and not seeing any monsters, I started to think of any useful moves which I could come up with, by combining my abilities.
As I was thinking, I got a random but a very useful idea depending on the way I used it.
The expedition commander, Finn had asked us to our separate ways and then meet at the 18th floor and that whatever magic stones we got could be exchanged with the guild and the guild would not charge any fees.
If I was a little smart about it, I could exchange the magic stones from my earlier dungeon trips which were still in my inventory and I wouldn't even have to pay a single Valis on that to the guild.
'Wow, I really am a f**king genius.'
As I was praising myself in my mind, I felt my spatial sense which I had kept activated, tell me that there was a presence moving towards me.
I turned around just in time to see the yellow-haired elf who had extended her hand towards me.
Maybe she was trying to call me by patting on my shoulder?
"Yes, Lion-san?"
Asking her and looking at her still holding her hand in the air, I reached out my hand trying to shake her hand like a handshake to avoid making her feel embarrassed.
But before I could even touch her hand, she jerked it backwards and clasped both hands behind her back.
Now it was my turn to let my hand hang in the air.
Feeling embarrassed, I quickly pulled back my hand and once again asked her, "Ahem, anyway, Lion-san, do you need anything?"
"Sorry, I just wanted to ask about the wooden sword you're carrying. If you're okay, can you tell me what is it made of and where did you get it made?"
Ryu bowed her head a little apologizing for the earlier display and asked about my sword.
'Lion-san, my sword is given to me by the system, it is only visible to me, and the material used to make it something called a world tree. '
I did not speak out my thoughts and told her a half truth instead.
"Lion-san, sorry even I don't know what materials are used to make this sword, or who made it, I got this as a gift."
"No problem, I just felt that it was similar to the swords made by the holy tree, so I asked you."
"Here if you want you can check it out."
I took the wooden sword and handed it to Ryu, not able see her trying to stare a hole into the sword.
"Then, thank you."
Saying that she took the sword, and swung it a few times, I was able to even hear sound effects due to the strength in her swings.
*woosh* * swoosh*
"Yea, it's not made out of the branches of the holy tree, but from some other material, even I can't accurately guess what it is."
...
Neze and Iska were soon done with the map, and we picked up our pace.
I was back to the role of a spectator, carrying the supporter bag and Alise and Ryu were at the front with their sword drawn.
Kaguya had taken up the rear.
The rest of the party members were vigilant but being in a party of Level 3's and Level 4's, I found that I did not even need to lift my hand.
Any monsters in their path had two choices, either being cut down by Alise's blade or by Ryu's blade.
With the two of them in the lead, we were climbing down the floors of the dungeon much faster than before.
We came across a monster party of twenty war-shadows on the sixth floor, but a few sword attacks from Alise's sword, then dropped down dead.
I started collecting the magic stones with the others helping me so that we could move faster.
...
Two hours later, I was now entering territory which was unknown to me, the eighth floor.
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[ A / N : Another slow chapter. ]