Great, now we are dead!

When asked, Sensi also shook his head in denial, saying he didn't know if the ancient dwarves had ever made such a thing. He explained that perhaps it was because he wasn't a professional blacksmith and therefore wasn't very familiar with this area.

To be honest, the dwarves and elves in this world are quite resourceful. Many ancient artifacts that have been unearthed now look like products from another world, so it's still somewhat acceptable.

But Marushir quickly realized something was wrong:

Ye Shou learned magic very quickly, as if he had a photographic memory. He could use any grammar and cipher after hearing it only once, and he could read through the entire magic book without any difficulty.

This can certainly be explained by exceptional talent, but another point puzzled the elven mage greatly—

Ye Shou seems to be able to cast spells without paying a price!

Most apprentices, due to limited magical and physical strength, increase their proficiency by repeatedly writing and memorizing, rather than actually casting spells.

But Ye Shouyi would practice whenever he had free time, sometimes dozens of times a day... Although they were all basic spells, the magical power was still a bit much for a newcomer...

Can his mental and physical strength really keep up? He's also working part-time at the avant-garde!

—A mysterious man.

Maruhiel knew that Ye Shou must have some secret, but she herself was also studying forbidden ancient magic, so she wisely refrained from trying to delve deeper.

Besides, this isn't the right time. Everything has to wait until we rescue Farin!

With Ye Shou and Senxi joining the team, the squad no longer had any problems with supplies, as ingredients could be obtained locally. In addition, Ye Shou could always retrieve what everyone needed from his magical backpack.

Moreover, Ye Shouji greatly enhanced the team's strength. In Marushir's opinion, Ye Shouji's skills might be better than those of the Japanese "Kikuro" in the previous team, but she couldn't say for sure.

In short, he seemed to handle both the snake-tailed chicken and the mobile armor with ease. Although his role was "vanguard", he gave the impression that he could overcome any obstacle on his own without any support.

The key is that this guy has plenty of stamina and always takes the lead, which naturally reduces the stamina consumption of others.

This allowed the team, which originally had to proceed cautiously due to a lack of equipment and props, to move much faster than in the "original story".

Incidentally, this was the first time Marushir had ever learned that the "moving armor" was not a magical puppet, but an aggregate of soft-bodied creatures!

While Ye Shou pried open the gaps in the armor and enthusiastically discussed with Leios how to dig out the soft flesh inside, Marusir felt a little resigned to her fate.

Well, despite the urgency of the situation, neither of them seemed tense at all. It was understandable that Ye Shou was an outsider, but Leos was the same…

Of course, one shouldn't be impatient or flustered when exploring a maze, and Leos's approach was correct, but emotionally it still makes one want to complain.

...What's most unacceptable is that the mobile armor actually tastes pretty good!

hateful!

Why does it taste so delicious?!

I accidentally ate two big bowls!

Marushir, enjoying the monster food while indulging in self-loathing, followed the team forward with extremely complicated feelings, and soon arrived at the third floor.

On this floor, everyone encountered the mobile vegetable field "cultivated" by Senshi—the Golem.

Sensi didn't know how to create Golems, but he accidentally learned about their creation principle. So before the Golems were created, he sowed seeds and fertilizer on the land. Once the Golems shaped their bodies with the soil, they naturally became mobile fields, so there was no fear of the crops being destroyed by monsters or adventurers.

— You really can't come up with such a brilliant idea unless you've lived in a maze for decades!

Thanks to this, Marushir was able to eat normal vegetables in the dungeon, a rare treat, and was so moved she almost cried.

According to the plot, after this, because the vegetables were difficult to carry, they went to the black market on the third underground level to sell them. There, they encountered orcs who came to rob them, and thus inadvertently obtained information about the Flame Dragon.

Instead of sleeping, it wandered from the sixth floor, where the battle had taken place, to the fifth floor.

It was here that Leos's team obtained accurate information about the Flame Dragon; they had previously thought they would have to go to the sixth floor to encounter it.

This time, however, Ye Shou simply used his magical "ancient magic backpack" to collect all the vegetables, and the team naturally continued on their way without any incident involving the orcs.

--unnecessary!

Ye Shou already knew this information; he only needed to remind these people on the fifth floor, without having to take a detour through the orc side quest.

Time! What Ye Shou needs most right now is time!

The more days you save, the more room for maneuver you'll have in the future!

Therefore, Ye Shouyi intentionally or unintentionally guided the team to avoid events that would slow down the progress in the original work. Apart from Leos occasionally doing something surprising that was hard to guard against, the journey was incredibly smooth, as if they had a cheat code.

Besides the orcs, the fourth floor also avoids provoking the Undine (water sprite). The giant squid (Kraken) that the main group encountered was replaced by a sea serpent. Ye Shou then ate a hot snake soup, which was the most nourishing food he had eaten so far.

After just one meal, he was full of energy, making him even more eager for the dragon meat feast to come.

The path from the fourth to the fifth floor differs from the original work, and they encounter a large number of dire wolves. However, Leos is very good at dealing with these canine creatures. He first intimidates them by shouting loudly, and then Ye Shou, who was lying in ambush on the side, suddenly attacks and, together with Marushir's magic, quickly defeats them.

After the battle, Leos watched Sensi skinning the wolf and fell silent for some reason.

"What, you really like dogs?"

Marushir asked curiously.

"No... I do like it, but a battle is a battle, and that's not why."

Leos said with a hint of worry, "Dire wolves are said to be monsters, but they are more like wild beasts. They prefer hunting to absorbing magic, so they usually live in forests and grasslands."

Neither the fourth nor the fifth level is suitable for their survival, so why did they encounter a large pack of dire wolves here of all places?

"really."

Senshi also looked up: "I haven't seen them on the first four floors yet."

"Isn't this being too sensitive? We can't predict how monsters will behave at all, so there's no need to worry, right?"

“No, Marushir, animals don’t change their habitats easily; there must be a reason!”

Just then, Ye Shou, who had been observing the road ahead, suddenly turned around and said, "I don't know about demons, but the reasons why ordinary wolf packs migrate, besides chasing prey, are to escape natural disasters."

"A natural disaster?"

"For example, wildfires."

fire!

A massive crimson figure inexplicably flashed through Leos's mind, and he quickly rubbed his forehead: "Could it be... no way..."

"In any case, we must keep moving forward to find out why."

Ye Shou reached out, and a soft white light emanated from his fingertips, illuminating a distance of about four or five meters in the descending passage ahead.

"Don't worry, if we all work together, there won't be any problems."

"Ok!"

Leios nodded, moved.

Throughout the journey, Ye Shou acted even more enthusiastically than he did, as if Fa Lin were his long-lost younger sister, which made the older brother feel ashamed.

The team members didn't think anything of it, but Marushir stared intently at Ye Shou's fingertips, her features subtly scrunched up, squinting as if an elderly person couldn't see clearly.

The Light spell is very simple. It's not common for a beginner to cast it so easily, but it's reasonable.

...But how is this possible, casting spells barehanded without chanting?

Of course, it's not to say that you can't do it without a staff. In fact, a skilled mage can do it barehanded or even forgo chanting, but at least you need a gesture or a syllable—and then the accuracy and power can't be guaranteed.

Someone who has only been learning for less than three days can use the light spell so effortlessly... This isn't magic!

Is it possible that Easterners have such a high level of magical adaptability that they are even stronger than elves?

Kikuro has never shown any talent in this area... Is it because of different races?

Ye Shou seems to have said that although he lives in the Far East, his ancestral home is on another continent, and he must go and see it if he has the chance in the future!

Hopefully, people won't call me a country bumpkin when the time comes...

As she was still thinking this, the sensation under Marushir's feet suddenly changed. The sloping ramp had turned into a solid brick floor, and the world in front of her was completely different from the fourth floor. It had become a city street with houses arranged in distinct tiers, and she immediately felt refreshed.

"Alright, we've arrived at the fifth floor!"

The elven mage earnestly encouraged himself: "If we just go down one more level, we can go and rescue Farin!"

"Yes, in that case, let's rest on the fifth floor and replenish our energy before—"

Leos suddenly felt his body sway, and he blinked involuntarily. Then, his armor and the longsword in its scabbard trembled slightly.

"This is……"

The vibration effect became more and more obvious, and gradually everyone could clearly feel that every three seconds a vibration would come from under their feet, from muscles to bones to teeth, just like a slight numbness when eating.

"This is!"

"It can't be wrong!"

"So fast!"

"Hide now!"

Everyone's expression changed drastically, and they immediately scattered and hid behind the walls of the houses on both sides.

Cold sweat slowly trickled down their faces. Even Leos couldn't help but feel nervous, and Marusir and the others were even more on edge.

Only Ye Shou leaned against the wall, peeking out half his face, coldly observing the movements on the street.

As the tremors grew increasingly intense, roof tiles slowly slid off and fell, and amidst a series of noises, a vivid and deep red shadow enveloped the street—

It's a dragon!

A crimson-scaled dragon, 25 meters long and as tall as a three-story building, dragging a thick, long tail like a battering ram, majestically patrolled past Ye Shou and the others, separated by only two houses!

—I want to eat it!

Ye Shou's pupils contracted, and his entire body tensed up, not out of fear, but out of instinctive excitement; saliva even welled up in his mouth.

With a quick swallow, Ye Shou took a deep breath to suppress his awakening appetite; it was the first time in his life he had felt such a craving for a certain food.

Taste? That's not the point!

Sea serpents are much smaller than large whales, but their beneficial effects are far greater.

So what about the Flame Dragon, which is also a monster but stands at the top of the food chain and is several times stronger than the Great Sea Serpent?

He didn't want to waste a single bit of this meat.

—As if sensing something, Yanlong suddenly turned his head and looked this way!

Chapter 62 Traveling Twenty Years, Toilet Paper Treatment Has Finally Arrived!

"..."

The deserted streets appeared especially desolate under the cover of darkness. Yanlong had excellent night vision, but he didn't see anything unusual. He paused for a moment, then turned around and continued along the main road.

Generally, these large monsters prefer to stay in their nests rather than exercise, but this one was wandering around rather casually, as if patrolling or searching for something. In this city that had long lost its former prosperity, it was like a tyrant who had lost its subjects.

When the vibrations gradually faded away and became barely noticeable, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's the Flame Dragon... It's truly astonishing!"

Senxi gripped the double-edged battle axe tightly, and only when he relaxed did he realize that his palms were covered in sweat.

"If I were alone, I would never challenge such a monster; it would be tantamount to suicide... Leos, how did you guys manage to do it before?"

That's right, Leos and his team are a legendary team that once "slayed dragons," and more than once!

Despite Leos's lack of outstanding combat ability, he has almost never made a mistake as a commander. Even large monsters like dragons can be dealt with by a team of about six or seven people—provided that there is sufficient preparation rather than a sudden encounter.

“Fallin… my sister used defensive magic and fire resistance, along with timely healing magic, to prevent being instantly killed by the dragon. Before that, the dwarf in the party and I took turns drawing the dragon's attention, while Marushir used magic to weaken the dragon, allowing Kikuro to find an opportunity during the battle to target [Reverse Scale] and end the fight.”

Tanks hold their positions, healers keep them alive, DPS go all out, and then the katana user finishes off the enemies.

As expected, our katana-wielding hero is just too cool!

"It's a very standard method."

"Ordinary is best. Dragons are powerful monsters. Their scales are as hard as armor, their strength is so great that even dwarf warriors can't withstand them, and they can breathe fire that is stronger than a mage's—we must use a method with a higher margin of error."

Leos frowned: "But the dragons we encountered before weren't super-sized like the Flame Dragon... To be honest, I'm not very confident either; there are too many unknown possibilities!"

"But we were lucky; the dragon somehow ended up on this floor."

Ye Shou took over the conversation, drawing everyone's attention to himself, "Given the size of the Flame Dragon, it can only travel on a few main roads, and it goes straight, which means it's easy for us to detect its route."

"what!"

Chilchuk clapped his hands. "A trap! Yes!"

"A trap... a trap that can hold a fire dragon? How can we, with just a few people, build such a facility?"

As Leos gazed aimlessly at the distant city, a sudden inspiration struck him.

"That's right! We don't need to build it ourselves; this maze has already provided me with enough materials!"