The Fukaros Familia, starting from DanMachi.

Chapter 208 The Robin and Joan of Arc's Upgrade

Even though Fen Yu had already killed countless creatures with magic, looking back, the number of creatures in that dark cloud seemed to have barely decreased.

They were chased all the way down the stairs leading to the second floor in a disheveled state.

Finally, just as the swarm of bees was about to catch up again, they plunged into a huge tree hollow nearby, thus temporarily escaping the terrifying pursuers.

The underground city, the twentieth floor.

After narrowly escaping the swarm of bees, the entire team looked somewhat disheveled.

The robin checked the map and replanned its route.

The "Great Tree Maze," with the same structure as the nineteenth floor, continues to confuse them with its intricate network of tree bark mazes and countless strange plants.

A dreamlike, ethereal light from the moss-covered ceiling and walls cast a pale blue glow, making their profiles appear and disappear in the gloom.

"We'll continue following the guild's established path."

The robin said, pointing to the parchment map he had received from Eina.

Although Fenyu has the [Pioneer] skill, they should theoretically reap greater rewards from exploring unknown areas. However, they don't know enough about the twentieth floor yet, and they have just experienced a fierce battle. They should focus on steady development and avoid recklessness.

"I agree."

Fen Yu nodded.

Having just experienced a "race against time," he felt there was no need to rush.

Safety first, after all, not everyone in the team has S-level [abnormal resistance]. The monsters in the Great Tree Maze all have some kind of sinister attribute, either poison or curse.

The types of monsters on the twentieth floor are not much different from those on the nineteenth floor. They are still the crazy beetles, Berg bears, dark poison mushrooms, dragonfly monsters, and the few "otherworldly specialties" that were created because of Burning Feather's skills.

However, there are other types of monsters besides these.

For example, right now, the lizardmen are charging towards them, brandishing swords.

Faced with the lizard monsters charging like a small army, Tifa and Daphne's bodies instantly sprang to the sides like springs, dodging the first slash.

This is a reptilian creature covered in red scales that walks upright on two legs.

They stand about 1.7 meters tall, wielding weapons. Aside from their cold-blooded reptilian appearance, their fighting stance is almost indistinguishable from that of adventurers.

Fighting them is like fighting a well-trained squad of adventurers.

The lizardmen are equipped with the "Arsenal of the Labyrinth"—a type of weapon naturally supplied by the dungeon.

Their shields were plucked directly from the large, steel-colored flowers blooming on the tree wall; the flower stems served as handles, and the enormous flowers themselves could be used as round shields.

The short swords they wielded were petals plucked from the flowers, gleaming with a cold metallic light, and were known by adventurers as "petal steel blades."

They understand tactical coordination.

One of the lizardmen thrust its steel blade at Tifa, while the other precisely parried Daphne's attack with its round shield.

These lizardmen, who are adept at using swords and shields, are indeed qualified warriors.

They are no longer mindless beasts.

Although they lack independent intelligence, these combat skills are as if they were encoded and deeply imprinted in their instincts.

To make matters worse, several "sniper dragonflies" were providing suppressive fire from mid-air, forcing Tifa and Daphne to be distracted and defend, while the lizardmen seized the opportunity to launch a fierce attack.

Vertical slashes, horizontal cuts, and thrusts—these monsters' powerful arm strength unleashes attacks that are not to be underestimated.

Even Joan of Arc, who had been upgraded by the robin's magic, had to take a half step back to dissipate the enormous impact after blocking a heavy blow head-on.

"A monster's swordsmanship? Interesting, but still too crude."

Fen Yu's figure darted across the battlefield. He dodged a lizardman's slash by sidestepping it, and his longsword drew a dazzling sword light in the air. He struck first, cutting the lizardman's body and the steel shield in its hand in two.

"grumble--!"

Upon seeing their companion killed, the other lizardmen's eyes glowed bright red, and they let out sharp hisses, their attacks becoming even more ferocious.

But Tifa and Daphne are not to be underestimated either.

Tifa suddenly ducked low, moving like a nimble cat to dodge the opponent's shield defense.

With a swift sweeping leg, she sent the lizardman's round shield flying. Then, she unleashed an uppercut, her fist, wreathed in the magical starlight of [Meteor Feather], shattering the opponent's "Petal Steel Blade" into pieces.

Before the lizardman could react, Tifa's second punch had already struck its chest.

The powerful punch pierced through the crimson scales and instantly shredded its internal organs.

On the other side, Daphne flicked her wrist and lashed out her silver whip.

The long whip coiled around the arm of another lizardman like a serpent. Daphne let out a sharp cry and swung it forcefully, sending the lizardman flying.

"Here you go, Joan of Arc."

"clear."

Joan of Arc understood immediately, and took a step forward, thrusting out her holy banner with precision, piercing through the heart of the lizardman who was still airborne and unable to gain any leverage.

The first rays of morning sunlight pierced through the gap in the curtains, transforming into a slender golden sword that silently cut through the gloom in the room.

A new day in Orario slowly begins amidst the distant, melodious chimes and the gradual clamor rising from the streets.

In a room at the temporary headquarters of the Fukaros Familia, Fenyu slowly opened her eyes amidst a refreshing fragrance and a soft touch.

What comes into view is a sight that would make any normal man's blood boil.

The robin lay on her side beside him, her long, silvery-purple hair cascading down the pillow like a waterfall, wearing only a thin silk nightgown.

The morning light perfectly outlined her graceful curves; that hazy beauty was more impactful than any explicit exposure.

"Gurgle—"

Fen Yu swallowed hard, and then, with immense willpower, began his daily morning ritual—gun control.

Since he started dating Robin, he has slept in her room almost every day.

After all, who wants to sleep alone with a pillow when they have a girlfriend? Falling asleep with a robin's fragrant, soft body is just too comfortable.

Although the robin initially had some reservations, he eventually gave in to Burning Feather's persistent pestering and acquiesced to his behavior of coming to hug him and sleep every day.

After all, the two had already established a relationship, and this level of restraint was already the result of Fen Yu's best efforts.

At least, this guy refrained from actually eating her, even though he had to go through a difficult "physical cooling" process every morning.

Almost ten days had passed since they were chased by that swarm of deadly poisonous bees and fled in a sorry state to the twentieth floor.

Over the past ten days, the exploration progress of the Fukalos Familia has been steadily advancing, and they have successfully reached the twenty-second floor of the dungeon.

It's worth mentioning that everyone's stats were updated last night.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the robin successfully upgraded to Lv.3.

Before the upgrade, her [Magic] attribute unsurprisingly reached an astonishing SSS level.

After the upgrade, she gained a brand new development ability – [Harmony].

This is a completely unknown development ability that has never appeared in the guild's records, much like Bell Crane's "Luck," an undiscovered "rare ability."

But just by looking at the name, Fen Yu had a vague idea in his mind.

This ability is probably closely related to the power that robins originally possessed.

After all, in her original world, she was a fellow traveler on a path of shared destiny.

As for how far she can go in this world, that depends on her own performance.

Meanwhile, Jeanne d'Arc, another rising star in the clan, successfully leveled up to Lv.2 with monstrous attributes such as [Strength: S], [Durability: SSS], and [Magic: SSS], officially entering the ranks of advanced adventurers.

At the same time, she also gained a new development ability – [Strong Body].

This is an ability that can significantly enhance physical toughness and defense, and reduce impact damage.

For avant-garde individuals, this is simply a divine skill.

With the "Invincible Body" buff, Joan of Arc's tankiness skyrocketed, making her a truly mobile wall of sighs.

Tifa and Violet's stats have also improved, and although they are still some distance from leveling up, their progress is remarkable.

As for Fen Yu himself, all of his basic abilities have been upgraded to S-level, and it's only a matter of time before he gets another upgrade.

However, he still needs to accumulate some advanced experience points to go from Lv.3 to Lv.4.

Daphne and Cassandra were genuinely pleased with their rapid growth.

Given their talent and growth rate, they would normally need to spend at least another year or two in the dungeon before they could even reach the threshold of Lv.3.

But now, with the Robin's incredibly powerful skill [Tone Harmony], they are likely to successfully level up in the next few months.

Although they still can't compare to the "overpowered" beings like Burning Feather and Robin, their growth rate is already as fast as a rocket among ordinary adventurers in Orario.