Danma: Danganronpa, but Monster Hunter!

Rivera's room was extremely luxurious. The ceiling was adorned with magic stone lamps, seemingly made of labyrinthine crystals, emitting a soft glow. The floor was covered with an exceptionally soft-looking fur carpet, likely a relic dropped by some monster.

The most numerous items in the room were bookshelves, which were filled with all sorts of heavy books.

There was also a small shelf on the bedside table, but it was filled with large, perfectly cut gemstones.

However, a rather plain kettle on the corner of the table and a magic wand casually leaning against the wall next to it seem to suggest that the homeowner is not someone who craves luxury, but rather someone who has no other choice but to live this way.

However, what was even more stunning than the luxurious house was Rivera herself at this moment.

Rivera was dressed in a pure white, off-the-shoulder gown, adorned with a magnificent gold headdress. A turquoise belt, embellished with gold ornaments, cinched her slender waist, outlining her shapely curves.

A light veil surrounds her, giving her a dreamlike, hazy look. Her waist-length hair is bound by a golden ring and falls obediently down her chest.

(The picture is at the end)

"You came."

Seeing the flames enter the room, Rivera smiled gently and greeted them.

Because of her previous trip to Fire Village, she had a good impression of Blaze, who, like the elves, loved and protected the forest and the natural environment. Moreover, due to the misunderstanding about the forest fire, this good impression was mixed with a little bit of apology. This is why, when Loki asked her to find a teacher for Blaze to teach Common Tongue, she volunteered to take on this responsibility herself.

"Um, please teach me Common Language."

After a moment of amazement, Lie Yan's eyes cleared again, and then he nodded slightly and said politely.

“Not only the common language, but I will also teach you the sacred script. Sit down.”

Riveria looked at the flames and admired them even more. How could the momentary amazement in the flames' eyes escape the notice of a LV6 adventurer? But the flames were able to quickly shake off the influence of that emotion and focus their attention on what they needed to do. This composure was truly worthy of a strong person who had undergone all kinds of training.

As instructed, Flame sat down in the only chair in the room. At two meters tall, the chair Riveria usually used looked exceptionally small, making him appear like a pitiful bear huddled on it.

Thinking of this, Rivera couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Blazing Flames: ...

Meeting the strange gaze of the flames, Rivera, who couldn't stop laughing, waved her hand and said, "It's nothing, it's nothing, don't worry about me."

How could I not care...

Rolling her eyes inwardly, Flame sighed as she looked at the items on the small table in front of her amidst the melodious laughter of the elves. On the neat table was a book, an ink bottle that looked equally expensive, a quill pen inlaid with gemstones, and a dozen parchments.

There's not much to say about the quill pen, ink, and parchment; the main thing is that book.

The book's cover featured a white-haired man wearing a tattered cloak, opposite him stood a bronze-colored minotaur guarding the iron cage imprisoning the princess.

"You care a lot about this book?"

Noticing that Flame was observing the teaching materials she had prepared, Rivera's lips curled into a slight smile as she sat down on the bed beside the small table.

"Ah."

Lie Yan nodded without looking away. The white hair and minotaur on the cover always reminded him of an 'old friend'.

If we happen to meet, I'll treat him to a meal.

"The book is called Argonautica, and it tells the story of the original hero Argonautica, who went through all sorts of hardships and finally defeated the Minotaur and saved the princess."

Rivera pulled out a silver-white stick about the thickness of a chopstick and gently tapped the several crooked, artistic characters on the cover. "This is Argo's name, and this word means hero."

"Heroes of the Argonauts".

It's really you.

"Flame," he murmured, a slight smile playing on his lips. He picked up a piece of parchment and a quill pen and began to write fluently.

"It seems you understand what I mean."

Rivera watched the flames' movements with a smile in her eyes.

“Hmm.” Blazing Flame replied, flipping through the beautifully illustrated epic tale. Looking at the table of contents in standard script on the title page, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Indeed, this method suits me very well.”

"Then let's continue. Today's goal is to familiarize ourselves with half of this book."

……

"I apologize for bothering you today. I will come again at this time tomorrow."

Flame stood at the door, politely bidding farewell to Rivera who was seeing him off.

The nighttime lesson lasted for about two hours. After achieving the goal set at the beginning of the lesson, Lieyan took his leave. He didn't know why, but during the lesson, he could feel a chill on his back, sometimes and sometimes, as if he were being haunted by a female ghost.

"Hmm, you've mastered the Common Language very quickly. I think it's because you've mastered a language before, so you can apply that knowledge to other languages. Take this book and paper with you and review it in your spare time. You should be able to master the Common Language soon. After you've mastered the Common Language, we'll begin studying the Sacred Script."

Riveria nodded gently, a happy expression on her delicate face. The fiery respect and quick wit gave her a joy and sense of accomplishment that was completely different from when she was training and instructing Lefia and Ais. At the same time, her expression softened.

As she handed over the items used in the lesson, Rivera thoughtfully gave some instructions.

"Alright, Miss Rivera, is there anything you like?" Flame nodded in response, then, as if remembering something, asked...

"Why do you ask that? Are you trying to curry favor with me?" Riveria was slightly taken aback, then her eyes widened with an even deeper smile as she teased.

“No,” Flame shook his head seriously, “I just feel that since you taught me to read, Miss Riveria, I should repay you in some way.”

"Oh, that's the reason. Then let's change how we address each other. Don't call me Miss Riveria anymore, just call me by my name. As for the gift, the thought is enough. I don't need anything."

Rivera's eyes curved into crescent shapes, and she felt happier than ever before.

"I see. Well then, Vilia. Goodnight, sweet dreams."

"Good night."

Chapter Twenty-Five: Pure Love Warrior, Activated!

"Oh, it's Miss Linne today. Nice to meet you."

"Oh no... I'm the one who's been taken care of. The potion Mr. Lieyan provided is very effective, thank you."

In the plaza before the dungeon entrance, Flame smiled as she looked at the human girl with braided hair, carrying a huge cylindrical backpack and draped in a red cloth.

The girl called Line looked somewhat flustered. She looked up at Lieyan's smile, took several deep breaths, and then spoke weakly.

Although Linne already knew that Flame's size was exaggerated and had prepared herself mentally, she was still quite startled when she was actually next to Flame. This gentle sixteen-year-old girl, who was only 155 centimeters tall, was still taken aback.

'Fortunately, Mr. Flame is as gentle as everyone says...'

Linne breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the fiery figure reflected in her wine-red eyes.

Today is the seventh day since Blaze's transmigration. After Raul followed Blaze and watched him hunt minotaurs alone for several days, Finn also acknowledged that Blaze's strength was basically enough to allow him to roam freely in the middle ranks.

The end result was that he abandoned his high-quality requirements for the personnel guarding the dungeon under Blaze, and instead had lower-level LV2 adventurers take turns acting as dungeon guides to assist Blaze in hunting.

So what exactly is the Second Army? Simply put, it's the entire Loki Familia, excluding the main force. However, despite being called the Second Army, the Loki Familia's Second Army consists of seasoned and ruthless warriors.

Finn had his reasons for having some of the adventurers from the Second Army serve as Flame's supporters and guides. Undoubtedly, Flame would become one of the most important figures in the Loki Familia, so it was also very important for Flame to get acquainted with the adventurers they favored.

Of course, most importantly, the fact that these people can follow Blaze indicates that they are on Finn's whitelist. In other words, Blaze can show some special qualities to these people because they are reserves who are going to the Monster Hunter world to replace the Monster Hunter branch personnel there.

Blaze was delighted with this, the more people who could go to the Monster Hunter world to help, the better. The Monster Hunter branch had only been established for a few days, but the large amount of cooperation between the two sides had already boosted the revenue of Blaze Village this year. The special materials from the DanMachi world also allowed Blaze Village's skill tree to develop in an even more powerful direction.

Moreover, during these past few days of monster hunting, he also discovered something.

The minotaurs—oh, no, the Minotaur—can provide him with relatively normal growth experience, although it's still significantly slower than the growth rate of a normal novice adventurer in the upper levels.

But compared to the stingy goblins, shadow warriors, and hellhounds of the past, this minotaur is quite generous.

Well, I had no choice but to swipe it.

In the days that followed, Blaze brought its characteristics to the extreme.

The experience gained from a single monster is minimal, but you can make up for it by attacking multiple monsters.

The Flame's greatest advantage is its body, which is even less prone to fatigue than that of high-level adventurers, and a plethora of highly effective potions. When feeling tired, it drinks a Vitality Potion to restore stamina; when feeling slow, it drinks a Speed-Up Potion to increase movement speed; and when feeling sleepy, it drinks an Energy Drink to dispel drowsiness.

Just do it!

"Yes, we're going to hunt the Minotaur again today. Thank you for leading the way."

Lieyan nodded, somewhat embarrassed. Although it was hard to imagine, Lieyan was indeed stumped by the labyrinthine terrain of the dungeon.

Back in Monster Hunter World, he could find his target simply by following Fukuki Owl flying in the sky, but in the dungeon, Fukuki Owl was no longer of any use.

The terrain of the underground city is intricate and unsuitable for Fukuki Owl's aerial reconnaissance. Moreover, Fukuki Owl himself has no combat ability. Catching a mouse is no problem for him, but in the underground city... well, forget it.

And to be honest, Flame would rather have his dog come to this world than Fukuki Owl.

Wearing heavy armor down to the fifteenth floor of the dungeon was really tiring.

Unfortunately, Finn hasn't figured out a way to allow the Hound to appear openly in Orario yet. Otherwise, bringing the Hound along would make hunting in the dungeons much easier.

Moreover, this improvement isn't just for Flame alone. As long as there are enough Inugami, it will greatly benefit the entire Familia. In fact, if every member of the Familia has an Inugami and a Palico, the entire Familia, with just Inugami and Palico, could probably dominate the mid-level ranks...

Unfortunately, Finn hasn't even revealed the existence of the Transcendental Gate to the entire Familia yet. It's unclear when the Familia will be able to fully realize the existence of cats, dogs, and insects.

Perhaps we'll have to wait until the Loki Familia possesses the absolute power to overturn the table and rewrite the rules in Orario.

"oh, I understand now."

When it came to serious matters, Linne's expression became serious, and she gripped her short staff tightly, with a resolute expression that said, "I will not fail your trust."

Flame was acting strangely; he didn't know what was wrong. Including Raul, all the guides Finn had assigned him these past few days seemed like high-ranking soldiers handpicked by the general—all of them were ready to fight to the death.

Moreover, this symptom seems to be more severe in male members of the family...

What is this?

Twenty-seven years old, the eldest brother in his clan?

quickened their pace, and Flame led Line and the other to the target level.

The fifteenth and thirteenth floors of the dungeon have similar structures, but compared to the straightforward layout of the thirteenth floor, the passageway structure of the fifteenth floor is much more complex and better fits Lieyan's definition of a 'maze'.

Speaking of labyrinths, one cannot help but mention the monsters associated with them, the Minotaur. Throughout history, they have generally served as stepping stones for heroes' growth, but today they have met with utter destruction.

Without wasting any time, upon reaching the fifteenth floor, Flame watched as Line drank a bottle of Hardening Potion G, casually scattering a handful of Hardening Powder. He also gave her a handful of Endurance Seeds, instructing her to take one every half hour, and carefully told her to stay close to him within his reach. After maximizing safety options, he eagerly rushed into the Minotaur horde wandering through the maze.

Pure Love Warrior, activate!

The hunt begins!

Let's hunt down those red Grand Masters, uh, minotaurs, who have fallen into darkness!

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Realistic Expedition