Cliche Chapter 323-324: Let’s speedrun! (Patreon)

Since Ais landed the final blow, the dragon dropped the golden hide Riveria and Finn wanted. The single hide could cover the cost of their equipment alone, that’s how precious it was. It wasn’t all Finn and Riveria wanted though. Challenging the dragon was an opportunity to train Ais, Tiona, and Lefiya for the future. Their potential was limitless. Throwing them into the heat of the battle was the best method to train them.

Asahi helped Ais with a few pats as he looked over to the spring. He could sense traces of Life Element in the water. He was confident in sensing life forms without using the Life Sense skill now.

“Let’s grab the water while we’re here.

Asahi lifted the whole spring water with his telekinesis and poured it into a giant bucket he bought from Klyscha. The group watched in shock as the water floated by itself and dropped into the giant bucket.

“Done.’’

“You never cease to amaze me…” Riveria said.

“Yes, Mom,” he teased.

Riveria sighed. It looked like the nickname would stick to her for the rest of her life. She hadn’t even had her first love, yet a man barely a fifth of her age was calling her ‘Mom’ like no tomorrow.

“Anything else here?” Asahi asked, receiving a simple head shake from Riveria. “We’re leaving then.”

***

Asahi’s party regrouped with Finn’s party, who seemed to have slain countless numbers of black rhinos during Asahi’s fight with Cadmus Dragon. Asahi poured the loot into the loot. As everyone looked ready, Asahi took the correct path, which led him to the tunnel leading to the next floor.

“Wait.”

Finn stopped everyone at once and explained the horror of the next floor. Asahi curiously listened to Finn’s story of the Valgang Dragons, who would shoot explosive flame beams from the bottom of the 58th floor. Every step could lead someone into the maws of the dragons.

Of course, the new danger wasn't the least bit scary to Asahi.

“Stay in my barrier until we pass.”

It was all he said before he jumped down the tunnel. Alise gave a cheeky smile to Finn before she followed Asahi. Ryuu sighed as she followed Alise.

“Riveria,” Finn said.

The High elf understood his gesture and gripped her staff. “Assemble, breath of the land—my name is Alf.“

Everyone in the party, including Asahi was enveloped in the jade glow of her protection, radiating a warmth. Her support increased both magic and physical attack resistance as well as provided a slight healing effect. It was one of the nine magics she was famous for, leading to the ‘Nine Hell’ alias the gods gave her.

Everyone jumped down the tunnel except for Lefiya. She stood still, her heart beating faster and faster. The anxiety of facing the random attacks of the dragon was all over her face.

“Lefiya!” Riveria called from the floor below.

Lefiya balled up her fists and hopped down. The floor was far below her estimation. Seeing the ground coming closer, a shriek left her throat. She chanted a protection spell in panic, forgetting Riveria’s protection was already on her.

“You clumsy elf,” Asahi muttered and slowed her down with his telekinesis.

Taking Ais’s hand, the elf stood up and bowed her head to Asahi. “T-Thank you.”

“No worries. Be careful.”

Asahi stopped to observe the floor. The 52nd floor didn’t look or feel any different. That said, he could feel the surge of fire element bubbling hundreds of meters below the floor. He wrapped everyone in the Storm Fort barrier of Baal. Just as he stepped forward, his instincts rang lightly.

Flames erupted from the earth, followed by a crimson shock wave. The wind barrier tanked the crimson blast without much of a scratch. It wasn’t a normal barrier after all. He had imbued extra mana into each, making them extra sturdy at the cost of agility. Most people wouldn’t be able to move with the heavy air pressure around them, especially Bete, whose wind barrier was a little heavier.

Asahi floated a meter above the ground and peered into hole. The giant fireball had punched through floor after floor, leaving pure destruction in its wake. A monster destroyed the dungeon to this extent without spawning a Juggernaut.

‘The dragons got Dungeon-chan’s permission.’

From deep within the abyss, a pair of crimson eyes gazed up at him. The dragon hissed, flashing its sharp fangs. Asahi was tempted to charge up the Gae Bolg and explode the arrogant monster’s head.

‘There might be another horde on one of these floors.’

He couldn’t forgo the delicious XP and jump straight into the 58th floor.

He waved at the group. “Time for a speedrun!”

He made a beeline for the next corridor. An array of monsters obstructed his path. A snake who tongue tossed flickering lightning, a bull-sized silver worm, and scorpions with venomous tails. His spear slayed everything that stood in his way.

[—You have leveled up!]

[—‘Spear Mastery’ ranked up to B.]

‘Finally!’

He swiped the spear, cleaning the blood on its tip. Another explosion happened behind him, and shaved the mana off Riveria’s wind barrier. Asahi took a moment to refresh the barriers on them before he continued the journey. Soon, he found himself on the 53rd floor, which had the same set of rules and dangers.

Kill the monsters while dodging the flares.

Asahi forgot how many times he had to pull Lefiya out of the hole created by the fireballs. He cleared floors after floors, reaching level 35 in the process. The hieroglyphs on his back felt heavier and heavier as they accumulated excelia of stronger monsters. His stats were going to skyrocket after this, he just knew it. He also couldn’t help but curse the lack of monsters in the current floors.

Cursing Dungeon-chan in his heart, he cleared the 54th, 55th, 56th, 57th floors in less than seven hours. The speed left Finn’s party in shock.

They arrived at the 58th floor. Very much like the 49th floor, it was a big, wide-open space. No maze. No extra corridors. Just one massive rectangular room with graphite-colored walls and ceilings. Numerous tunnels were etched in walls for the ten meter red dragons to rest their butt and snipe the adventurers. Right now, all of them eyed the adventurers, puffing flames from their noses.

“Dragon’s Urn. We’re at the 58th floor,” Finn muttered, still in disbelief over this achievement. The name came from the holes Valgang dragons created with their attacks.

Riveria took a heavy sigh. Just one floor down, they’d be exploring the territory unexplored since the demise of Zeus’s Familia.

“Gareth, Tiona, Tione, Ais, I need you on the frontline,” Finn roared. “Riveria, Lefiya, Alicia, stay in the rear. Asahi, do whatever you want. Bete, Aki, take the middle and protect the mages.“

“Understood.” Riveria nodded and turned to Ryuu. “Lion, can I ask you to use your famous Luminous Wind?”

“I will,” Ryuu said.

“What about me?” Alise asked, pointing at herself.

Asahi lightly spanked her bottom. “Do whatever you want.”

“Got it.”

As the dragons charged their flame, Asahi and Alise took off first. Alise boosted her parameters with her skill and leaped into one of the tunnels. She shifted the momentum of her sword into her rapier and stabbed the dragon’s face. She ignited her enchantment, burning the dragon’s brain juices.

Asahi pondered whether to switch to his massacre mode or use his current spear. He noticed the Valgang dragons excelled in their ranged fireball attacks, but their physical attributes were comparable to the level 4 Fomoire chiefs. Alise, whose parameters boosted to nearly level 6, could burn them down in an one-on-one fight. Sadly, that wasn’t the case as the hundred plus dragons held an overwhelming number advantage over them.

‘Fuck it.’

He summoned Phenex Wings and took off. Floating a head below the ceiling, he squinted at his targets.

“Israel Judgment.”

The majestic avatar of the divine bird came to life behind him. It spread its wings, scarlet flames compressing at the tip of each feather. Over a dozen thin beams of compressed fire shot toward the dragons sitting in their nests. Almost twenty Valgang dragons were incinerated in the heat of Phoenix’s divine fire without giving a last shriek.

‘Israel Judgment is the best sniper.’

“Thanks for the praise, my king,” Phenex’s soft voice echoed in his head.

Asahi charged up another Israel Judgment and wiped out twenty more dragons. The others watched in awe as the numbers of dragons dwindled without much of a resistance.

Finn smiled wryly. If this was a demigod, he couldn’t imagine the feats that could be done by a real god.

‘Or he is a special one.’

Whatever it was, he couldn’t wait to level up to a demigod’s level. Even if he wasn’t born with divine powers, he could grind out excelia and achieve level someday. With new determination, he raised his spear.

“Charge!”

Tione rushed forward and swiftly lunged at a nearby dragon. With a swing of her halberd, he bisected a dragon’s head.

Riveria opted to provide protection and healing spells instead of chanting an offensive spell. Asahi in his rampage mode won’t give her time to finish her long chants.

‘Will this even be our achievement?’

Instead of one of the executors, it felt like she was a side adventurer or a mere supporter in this expedition.

‘So this is what it feels to rely on someone?’

It was a new experience for the High Elf who had always enjoyed being in a position of authority.

Ryuu, who was about to sing the chants of Luminous Wind, stopped and sighed. She glanced at Riveria to see her nod in affirmation. She squeezed the hilt of her sword and leaped into combat.

The only one who wasn’t moving was Ais. Standing incredibly still, she was observing the dragons. A stray fireball hit her, diminishing the jade glow from her body.

“So many of them. Are you seeing them?” A childish voice spoke in her head. “They killed your father and took your mother. Will you let them be? Will you stay powerless? Will you not… avenge them?”

A black flame crackled around her. A dark light clouded her golden eyes. The pitch-black flames raged, burning her back.

“Ais, embrace this power.”

The flames manifested as her mother’s figure, even speaking in her gentle voice.

Darkness tempted her.

“No…” Ais replied and lightly shook her head. “I can be strong without you…”

She raised her hand, looking at Asahi, who was banishing dragons like they were some mobs from the 1st floor of the dungeon. She didn’t need ‘that’ skill’s aid to become powerful.

He released another burst of beams, wiping a dozen more dragons.

[—You have leveled up!]

‘Level 35, hell yeah!’

Asahi glanced down at Ais. A pitch black radiated from her eyes as if the darkness of her Avenger skill had consumed her. It faded just as quick, and her golden eyes displayed a strong willpower. It seemed the loli had managed to push back the compulsion of her Avenger skill yet again.

‘She is growing up.’

Well, that was true. Ais had matured physically and mentally since the day he met her in the dungeon.

He spotted a dragon spawning in the back of the narrow tunnel to replace a dead dragon’s spot. The spawn rate seemed really slow as though the dungeon had to burn more resources on the Valgang Dragons than the black rhino monsters.

As Riveria had plenty of magic power, Asahi decided to take a backseat in this fight. He had to do it or the Loki Familia would feel like the achievement solely belonged to him. He trailed Alise and Ryuu, protecting them with flame walls whenever a dragon’s fire came to strike them. Ryuu showed a complex expression at his overprotective behavior.

Ryuu pulled out the sword from a dragon’s chest and shook her head. “I… can do this. Please, go look after Alise. She is way more reckless than me.”

“Uh.”

Asahi was at a loss for words. She was so nice yesterday, watching anime and all with all smiles. She was showing an opposite image right now. He checked her affection, finding it at 48. It should’ve been around 80 to 90, according to the affection notifications.

‘Is she suppressing it like Saeko?’

He squinted for a second. Ryuu insisted again to support Alise, making his theory more believable.

‘These girls are too pure for their own good.’

He could only shake his head for now.