CHAPTER 97: CHAPTER 97: THE FLICKERING DUNGEON AND THE UPCOMING EXPEDITION!

The sensation began with a faint weightlessness creeping up from their feet—as if some unseen force were pulling them through space itself.

In the very next instant, their surroundings changed abruptly.

One moment they’d been standing in the main hall of Twilight Manor, and now, they found themselves in a dim, rocky corridor.

Above them stretched a natural stone ceiling, and the air around them was thick with the faint stench of blood and the clammy smell of damp earth.

In the distance came the shrill screeches of goblins, punctuated occasionally by the footsteps and whispers of adventurers.

There was no mistaking it—they were on the first floor of the Dungeon.

"Th-this is..."

Lefiya’s eyes widened, her staff nearly slipping from her grasp.

She glanced around instinctively, her face full of confusion.

Ais blinked as well, her golden eyes narrowing slightly—but she quickly regained her composure.

Raising her head to examine the familiar passageway, she murmured under her breath,

"...First floor."

"Phew—"

Ryota let out a breath of relief.

By all logic, teleporting two people at once—even with a space-time ninjutsu like the Flying Raijin Jutsu—should’ve put some strain on him.

After all, it wasn’t just about moving from one place to another.

There were factors like spatial folding, dimensional jumping, jutsu anchors, and simultaneous chakra regulation at play.

But in practice? Ryota didn’t feel the slightest bit fatigued.

His breathing was steady, his chakra flowing smoothly through his body—it was as effortless as taking a stroll after waking up.

"These Hashirama Cells really are cheating," he thought to himself.

"Combined with Sage Jutsu Chakra, I can even perform group teleportation without any strain?"

That sparked a wild idea in his mind—

"...What if, next time, I just bring the entire core force of the Loki Familia straight into the eighteenth floor?"

A grin tugged at Ryota’s lips.

If he could really pull off teleportation on that scale, then the concept of "expedition" for the Loki Familia might need a complete rewrite.

The thought alone sent a thrill through him.

He looked down at the two girls in his arms and chuckled.

"You’re both holding on pretty tight, huh?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the flush that had just returned to Lefiya’s face exploded into a deep scarlet.

"I-I-I didn’t mean to! It was the landing, the momentum, and then—and then—!"

She fumbled through her excuse while clumsily adjusting her armor, feet shuffling in embarrassment.

Ais, on the other hand, was much calmer. She said nothing, made no sudden movements—just gently slipped out of Ryota’s arms and stood upright.

Her expression remained as composed and distant as ever, like a doll princess... though behind her eyes was a flicker of subtle embarrassment—and perhaps reluctance.

"Knew it..." Ryota teased silently. The Flying Raijin Jutsu didn’t cost much chakra at all, but these two side effects sure were something to handle.

Shifting his gaze from the girls, Ryota turned to the dark corridor stretching ahead.

"We stopped at the eighteenth floor last time."

"Yesterday, I made it to the nineteenth alone to test the Flying Raijin. Today, I plan to go even deeper."

"How deep are you planning to go?" Lefiya asked, her voice soft beside him.

Ryota thought for a moment.

"Let’s clear the lower levels."

In Dungeon terms, the "lower levels" referred to floors 25 through 36.

This zone marked the true threshold of life-and-death trials for any adventurer who had made it past the middle levels.

Floors 25 to 27 were known as the Water City, an expansive underground region dominated by waterfalls.

The entire area was eternally damp, filled with mud, flowing currents, and thick mist. Most striking was the enormous waterfall that spanned 400 meters wide—its full length was beyond measure.

Water-element monsters roamed freely here.

Without a stable party and solid experience, one could easily be swept away by the current and lose all sense of direction.

The 28th floor was a Safe Zone, but compared to the 18th, it was smaller and more cramped.

Adventurers typically used it as a supply point, to rest and sort through loot.

Further down, the 29th through 32nd floors were known as the Dense Forest Ravine.

Similar to the Large Tree Labyrinth on the 19th floor, but even more intricate and dangerous.

Sunlight never reached these depths. Only the bioluminescence of underground creatures provided a dim, eerie glow.

Towering five-meter-tall red carnivorous dinosaurs called Bloodsaurus roamed here, along with highly magic-resistant man-eating plants.

Each floor conquered represented a new limit surpassed.

Even though Ryota had a whole arsenal of "cheats"—the Mangekyō Sharingan, Flying Raijin Jutsu, Sage Jutsu Chakra, Hashirama Cells—he never once underestimated the living Dungeon.

Despite now being a Level 4 adventurer whose combat strength exceeded that of most Level 5s, even 6s—even Ottar had lost to him—his deepest reach had only been the 19th floor.

Not because he couldn’t go deeper.

But because he didn’t dare rush in.

Cautious by nature, Ryota understood that fighting people was one thing—he could rely on tactics, emotional fluctuations, weaknesses.

But the Dungeon was different—

It felt nothing. Showed no mercy. Offered no luck.

The Dungeon was a devourer.

It didn’t care who you were, how glorious your name or title.

One misstep—a shaky breath, a poor decision—and it would swallow you and your whole team whole.

The stronger you were, the more reverence you needed.

That was a lesson Ryota had engraved into his heart.

"Hold on to me again. I’ll take you... even deeper."

Both Lefiya and Ais were momentarily stunned.

But after their first "test flight," they were far less shy than before.

Still, a faint blush crept onto both their faces.

Lefiya nodded quietly with a flushed face, hugging her staff tightly as she edged closer.

Ais didn’t say a word—just stepped up naturally and leaned into him like it was second nature.

Ryota activated the jutsu with a thought—

Whoosh—!

The trio vanished in the blink of an eye.

...

Dungeon – 27th Floor

BOOM—!

A massive spray of water exploded as a towering monster crashed to the ground.

Ryota stood atop a wet rock wall, casually flicking his burning Kusanagi Sword, embers and blood still clinging to its edge.

At his feet lay the body of a rare monster that only spawned once a month—this floor’s boss: Amphisbaena.

Its right head was crimson, its left sapphire-blue; both eyes rolled back, and a clean slice across its neck had neatly severed its enormous body.

The monster was a true anomaly—capable of moving freely between floors.

Its right head emitted a red poison mist laced with magic—perfect for disruption;

The left could breathe blue flames that burned even on water—perfect for suppression.

Its necks lashed like whips, and it could launch ambushes from beneath the water without warning.

The Guild had rated it a Level 6 threat—the most dangerous monster in the area, without question.

But even so, it hadn’t lasted three rounds against Ryota.

He knelt, picking up its magic stone.

With his other hand, he extracted a rare item—Amphisbaena’s Dragon Liver.

"Good haul today."

His right eye spun—the black spiral of Kamui forming in his palm.

Whoosh!

The magic stone and itwm vanished into his Kamui space, not even a trace of residual heat left behind.

Lefiya and Ais had long lost count of how many times they’d witnessed this spectacle.

"Ais..." Lefiya whispered.

"...Just how many trump cards does Ryota have?"

Ais tilted her head slightly at the question but didn’t look away from him.

After a moment of silence, she shook her head slowly.

"...No idea."

For once, confusion and focus danced in the golden-haired girl’s eyes.

From the 19th to the 27th floor, Ryota hadn’t slowed for a second.

It was like he had already downloaded the Dungeon’s entire map into his mind—every step was precise, every movement perfect.

To keep the girls from feeling like mere spectators, Ryota had even handed them several kunai marked with his Flying Raijin formula.

"You two shouldn’t just stand around. Find some good spots and set up some markers."

Lefiya sighed. It felt like she was just clinging to a powerhouse for dear life.

But on second thought... that didn’t sound so bad.

"How about over there?"

She pointed toward a protruding stone pillar.

"Ais?"

"Mm."

Ais nodded lightly, leaping up to drive the glowing golden kunai deep into the rock.

"Marker set."

From then on, everything felt almost dreamlike in its smoothness.

Mark. Mark. And mark again.

Every floor, every key passage, every safe landing point.

Kunai whistled through the air, their golden seals glowing like stars buried in the Dungeon’s shadows.

Until they reached the 36th floor.

There was no light here. Even the phosphorescent moss had thinned to almost nothing.

Only the occasional monster growl in the distance reminded them that they were still inside the living Dungeon.

Ais stepped onto a flat patch of earth and drove the final kunai into the ground.

A faint golden glow flashed—marker complete.

Not far away, Ryota exhaled deeply as he watched.

"This is far enough."

He looked up at the impossibly high ceiling overhead. The deeper one went, the more the Dungeon resisted intruders.

But now—from floor one to thirty-six—Ryota’s anchor network was complete.

Perhaps no one else in this world could "traverse the Dungeon with a single thought" quite like he could.

"Good work, both of you," he said softly.

Lefiya waved him off. Over time, the emotional knots in this silly elf’s heart had quietly unraveled.

Of course, it was all thanks to Ryota.

"You call this hard work? If all expeditions were this easy, I’d happily go every day!"

She laughed, gazing at the last glowing kunai in the distance, a thrill she couldn’t hide dancing in her eyes.

"Next time, can I take a swing at the monsters too?"

Ryota chuckled and shrugged.

"Only if you can reach them before I do."

"Ugh... never mind, then."

Lefiya pouted, hugging her staff tighter as she inched closer to Ryota’s side.

Before he could respond—

"...Huh?"

He blinked.

Ais had already moved, sliding into his arms with practiced ease.

As natural as breathing—as if this were some kind of ritual between them.

Lefiya blinked, her cheeks turning pink again. After a brief hesitation, she gently grabbed Ryota’s arm as well.

Her face was red enough to cook an egg on, but she still whispered,

"L-let’s go..."

Ryota couldn’t help but smile.

"Yeah. Hold on tight."

A flash of golden light—and the three of them vanished from the 36th floor.

In the very next moment—

At the entrance to the Dungeon’s first floor, a quiet ripple of space pulsed open, and the trio reappeared.

"Alright, let’s head back to Twilight Manor."

Ryota stretched lazily, leading the two girls out of the Dungeon.

Meanwhile—

In the depths of the Pleasure Quarter, within a chamber soaked in temptation and decadence—

SLAP!!

A sharp crack rang through the air, momentarily freezing everything in place.

Ishtar clutched her cheek, the corners of her eyes wet with rage and humiliation.

But when she looked up—and saw Ottar standing coldly behind Freya, flanked by Hedin, Hogni, and other former Freya Familia elites—all of that fury was instantly swallowed back down.

She glared at Freya and snarled,

"You lunatic! Are you out of your mind, barging into my district like this?!"

Freya didn’t even glance at her. She calmly brushed a strand of hair from her face and said,

"Touch Ryota again, and I’ll send you back to the heavens myself."

"You—!!"

Ishtar’s chest heaved with fury.

But it was just that—fury, and nothing more.

"You want that man too, don’t you?" she spat, gritting her teeth as Freya turned to leave.

"Don’t you want to steal him back from Loki’s people?"

Freya paused mid-step, then slowly turned her head with a cryptic smile.

"Who says I don’t?"

"It’s just... the time isn’t right yet."

No one noticed the glint in the goddess’s eyes—a flicker of charm rippling through the air like a seductive wave.

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