Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Rather than staying in the center of the cave and being surrounded by the enemy from all sides, it would be better to turn your back to the wall and let the enemy concentrate in three directions, which might reduce the burden.

(But is it really a good idea to adopt such a passive tactic!, senior!)

Is it really a good idea to avoid taking the initiative and just "coward" in this situation?

Luke reflexively looked at Lefia, only to be met with a sharp shout.

"hurry up!"

If you linger and get surrounded by more monsters, even "Long Chant" will become difficult to use.

The boy, who had gleaned the above information from the azure eyes, could only trust the instructions given by the more experienced adventurers.

"You three! Come with me now!"

"Hmm, um!"

With his Lv.3 destructive power, Luke fought his way through the encirclement and sliced ​​across the large cavern.

The moment the "Seventh Squad" successfully broke through and ran towards the "Wailing Wall," Lefia immediately began to chant.

"[In the name of Viscount, I make a wish! Ancestors of the forest, noble kin—]!"

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh!"

As expected, Goliath began to act as soon as he sensed the "magic".

Lefia stared directly at the giant rushing towards her, but instead of activating the "magic" she had already completed the incantation for, she cast another summoning spell, invoking the power of the great royal family.

"【—O harbinger of the end, snow-covered peaks. As dusk approaches, let the winds rise!】"

As Lefia withstood Goliath's devastating onslaught, weaving incantations amidst the perilous situation, Luke and the others arrived at the "Wall of Sighs," located on the west side of the Great Chamber.

"We're here, senior!"

As Lefia said, the "Wailing Wall" is a huge wall that only produces Goliath.

Since the giants are already causing trouble here, no other monsters will be born.

Luke arrived at the wall where stones were still falling and quickly turned around.

"You come over here right away—"

Lefia, who faced threats from both powerful floor masters and monsters, yet fought with the grace of a dancer, reached out her left hand towards Luke and the others after completing her incantation.

As the entire "Seventh Squad" froze as if time had stopped, the short staff representing the cannon muzzle shot out icy water.

"[Ecstasy: Fimbulb Winter]!"

The icy blue light instantly overwhelmed the students' vision.

However, the "magic" did not freeze the "Seventh Squad" who were stunned and rooted to the spot, nor did it even harm a single hair on their heads.

Luke and the others trembled from the cold, and when they cautiously opened their eyes, they were all speechless.

"We're surrounded by ice walls...!?"

Not only the front and sides, but also the top of the head were covered with ice blocks and icicles.

Viewed from the outside, it can be seen that this is a giant triangular pyramid made of ice blocks with a somewhat distorted shape.

No matter how many monsters attacked, even if they spewed flames from their mouths, they couldn't break through the thick ice wall.

The snowflakes, adjusted at different angles and split into three streams, formed an "ice barrier," trapping Luke and his companions within it.

"No, Luke! We can't get out!"

"There's no way to break it from the inside!"

"...What is this...Are you kidding me...What kind of joke is this?!"

Cole and Miria kept pounding the ice wall with their weapons and talking loudly, while Luke, who had been stunned, was now trembling with rage and cursing.

"Why!? Why did you do this!? Senior!!"

Nano's question, voiced in a tearful voice, failed to reach the person on the outside.

"I'm sorry for treating you so roughly."

After casting her freezing spell (Ecstasy - Fimbulwinter), Lefia jumped back far away, putting distance between herself and the monsters, including Goliath.

That "ice barrier" is not something that can be destroyed in a few moments; it will likely remain in place even after Lefia's death. If she does meet with misfortune, all we can do is pray that a rescue team from the ground arrives in time, or that reinforcements from the 18th floor clear the way as soon as possible.

In this state, Lefia was not confident that she could protect the "Seventh Squad".

That's why they were ordered to retreat to a safe area and then trapped inside the barrier.

Lefia prioritizes Luke and the others over her own life.

She opted for the safest option.

The key point is—she wanted to give it a try.

Hoping to be like Ais, who successfully challenged the Deep Floor Lord (Udeos) alone, she can also defeat this "monster" on her own.

"I have no intention of dying, nor do I intend to lose... If I were to lose here, the dream of 'protecting myself and saving others' would be an unattainable one."

Lefia explained her reasons for becoming a "magic swordsman" while narrowing her eyes.

Although she could have unleashed a freezing spell (Ecstasy - Fimbulwinter) at Goliath just now, that move certainly wouldn't have killed it. Leaving aside the fact that it was distracted and focused on casting a "full-force attack," "parallel casting" prevents one from properly concentrating magical power, resulting in a significant reduction in both power and accuracy—at least that's how it is with Lefia's current skills. Even now, she hasn't been able to catch up with the "beautiful yet ugly girl" she loves.

Therefore, Lefia reaffirmed her determination to become a "magic swordsman".

Ahead lies a ferocious giant and his minions.

From behind came an endless stream of monsters charging in.

Lefia, who was located in the center of the cave, swung the short sword in her right hand and took a fighting stance with the short staff in her left hand.

The giant monster had no intention of letting people wallow in sadness; it immediately roared.

"Roar! Ro ...

It roared at the single enemy it was facing, and the monsters immediately launched an attack.

Rafia opened her mouth and sang.

"Proud warriors, archers of the forest! The advancing raiders are ahead, take up your bows! Answer the voice of your brethren, nock your arrows!"

One against many.

In this desperate situation where it's easy to imagine that we'll descend into unprecedented chaos, the opportunities and time to use "parallel chanting" are extremely limited.

They can only cast direct-fire spells with simplified incantations (Spirit Bow Light Arrow) and wide-area attack spells (Volley Fire Javelin) that can only be used during battle.

Summoning spells that require two separate incantations can be skipped.

The key to victory is to seize the right moment and use the "preemptive magic" currently stored in her left hand, which is also Lefia's trump card.

"[Light the flames, forest lights! Command your arrows, elven fire arrows! Let them rain down, burn the barbarians!]"

As the enemy forces closed in and Goliath hurled his boulder, Lefia took a step forward.

She charged forward, unleashing the magic she had just finished chanting.

"[Volley of Fire Javelin]!"

"────────────────────────────!?"

Unleash a powerful barrage that no one would choose to use at extremely close range.

The powerful rockets swept across a wide area, instantly annihilating the attacking monsters.

As the monster and the ground were destroyed, sending up clouds of black smoke, Goliath panicked when he suddenly lost sight of Lefia.

"—[Unleash a beam of light, the bow of the sacred tree]!"

Lefia seized this brief opening and ran away as fast as she could.

After the floor owner saw the sprite that was actively approaching through the black smoke, he indeed panicked.

The minions (monsters) that had been blocking its way had all disappeared. Due to its oversight, Goliath, who had been able to approach while chanting, swung its massive arm to meet the attack.

Lefia was fearless in the face of this.

She continued to accelerate, much like she was imitating the "White Rabbit," whom she considered her nemesis.

"hiss!!"

“Hmm!?”

Lefia cut into the enemy's arms before the arm could swing down, and attacked the instant she passed through the opponent's right foot.

First came the dull thud and the feel of a sword being chopped down on a giant tree, followed by the sight of the enemy's skin being torn open and blood flowing freely. The fist, landing a step too late, created a deafening roar on the ground behind Lefia.

The short sword did not succumb to Goliath's incredible "durability," and there was not a single crack on the blade.

However, since it is not a large weapon, "Tears of Ash" cannot cause fatal wounds.

Therefore, if Lefia wants to win, she can only rely on "magic" in the end.

"You are a master archer! Snipe, elven archer!"

The situation was so dire that she had to immediately begin chanting the next spell after casting it. Although continuously casting spells with her current mental strength would leave her exhausted, so what? If the situation weren't so critical, Lefia would have thanked the other party for creating this opportunity for her.

If one wishes to fight as a "magic swordsman," this is undoubtedly the best environment and the strongest opponent.

Goliath's potential ability is estimated to be Lv.4, which is roughly equivalent to Lefia's level.

If you can defeat it, you will become stronger.

Lefia felt a surge of heat in her heart as she firmly believed this.

Despite her icy expression, her heart was burning with passion.

She maintained a close yet unyielding distance from the giant, constantly moving to harass him while bravely wielding her sword in attacks.

(If it were me in the past, I would never have done this.)

Could Lefia from three years ago... no, from a few months ago, have imagined it?

He actually single-handedly broke into the floor master's arms and went on a killing spree.

No matter how high your fighting spirit is, there's always a part of you trembling inside.

No matter how much I change myself, I can never get rid of the weak "Lefia Viridis" in my heart.

My mood was shaken by the giant's roar.

The brain was triggered by the giant's imposing presence, which stirred up memories.

From the depths of my memory, I heard humiliating cries.

The source was her former self (Lefia), who was weak, prone to crying, and whom she utterly loathed.

"Ah, ah──"

Three years ago—

In the same location as now, inside the 17th level of the Great Cavern where the "Wailing Wall" stands, Lefia was trembling uncontrollably, her face ashen.

"Nathan... Yarisa... everyone..."

Looking at her companions lying in pools of blood, and the terrifying giant in front of her, she trembled with fear.

That day, the "Seventh Squad" violated school rules once again.

At the suggestion of the problem student (Badain) to "go to the 18th floor," the members of the first and second teams were also drawn in, resulting in a total of twelve students venturing into the "Cave Labyrinth." Of course, Arisa and Lefia strongly objected, but Badain was completely oblivious to their advice. In addition, Nathan was also quite curious about the "Labyrinth Park" and chimed in. Before Lefia and the others could even complain to Leon and the other teachers, the two had already run out of the "school district," so in the end, they could only shake their heads and sigh, helplessly chasing after them.

But they also harbored a strange sense of optimism.

This has never been a problem before, so it should be fine this time too.

After all, they had explored the "Cave Labyrinth" countless times, and this time they had added two smaller teams, forming a medium-sized group. In addition, almost all members were Lv.2, somewhat similar to an adventurer's expedition team.

Therefore, even though they were worried, deep down they still held onto the hope that there was definitely a way to get to the 18th floor.

Until they met this "giant that defies common sense".

"No way...no way...no way~...!"

According to reports, Goliath, who should have been defeated by adventurers, is actually still alive and is launching a surprise attack from the main passage.

They were driven into the large cavern chamber in a panic, where a horrific bloodbath ensued.

First, the dwarf Nathan was defeated.

He was not directly attacked.