Zongman: The wrong person on the ground, double Shenwei at the beginning

Rod uttered a few words softly.

"Iai Taishou - Five Lights!"

The world seemed to fall silent for a moment.

The moment the leaves drifting in the air hit the ground, the scabbard emitted a sharp, crackling sound!

This was the sound of a sword being drawn with lightning speed.

This is a deadly sound capable of cleaving through anything, moving with lightning speed!

In the orc's eyes, Rhodes was still far away a moment ago, but in the blink of an eye, he suddenly appeared right in front of them!

It swung its wooden stick in terror, trying to use its exceptional strength to defend itself.

However, Rod had already turned his back to it, sheathed his sword, and frowned slightly.

"The maximum output of this move has been determined, so it's a bit unfair to use it against a small monster like you."

"Gah?"

"——!!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, five beams of light seemed to split apart, blocking the orc in the [Absolute Killing Circle] from all sides and above.

Each blade flash was like a wildly dancing petal of the red spider lily, light yet deadly, drawing a beautiful arc in the air, yet mercilessly tearing everything apart!

Blood splattered like a fountain, staining the ground beneath their feet red.

The orc was powerless to resist and, with a mournful and unwilling roar, it turned into pieces and fell to the ground with a thud.

The crimson light of the blade gradually faded, and a strong smell of blood filled the air.

Using untested techniques against troublesome enemies doesn't align with Rhode's combat philosophy.

He has roughly estimated the current output ceiling.

In terms of pure sword technique physical output, the Iai Slash after stacking skill buffs can deal with level 2 enemies, while the Ultimate Technique Five Lights can even threaten level 3 enemies if used unexpectedly!

Although this ability to fight across levels is already outrageous enough for the level of the DanMachi world, and to have the means to rival a level 3 in less than a week is an unheard-of achievement, Rhodes is still not satisfied.

I'm still growing too slowly...

On the other hand, the girls who were seeing Rhodes copy other people's magic for the first time were all stunned and stood there dumbfounded.

Despite being mentally prepared, witnessing it in person was still incredibly shocking.

Is this the kind of move a heartless person would use?!

Within the entire clan, very few people could withstand this attack!

Kaguya slowly loosened her grip on the hilt of her sword, staring blankly at the scene before her.

"I only demonstrated it once, but I didn't expect it to actually work..."

What Rhodes used was the ultimate legacy of the clan she hated.

A composite sword-drawing technique that combines powerful Iaijutsu (traditional Japanese martial arts) with magic!

In the court that ruled the Far East, the Gojo family, who served as the secret agents, relied on the ultimate techniques passed down from their first ancestor, which had been honed to the extreme over a thousand years, to gradually develop and expand their family.

To ensure the continuation of their lineage and prevent its outflow, the Gojo family even resorted to intermarriage within the family generation.

But right now, an outsider who has no blood relation to the Gojo family has successfully used this move!

"Hehehe..."

Kaguya covered the corners of her mouth with the sleeve of her kimono, revealing a wicked smile.

I wonder how furious those guys who should be buried long ago would be if they knew!

Will they come to retaliate?

No, that closed-off place might not even know what's happening in Orario.

As for leaking family secrets, she, a runaway, wouldn't care.

"That ugly and hateful technique used to make me feel nauseous just thinking about it."

She squinted as she recalled what had just happened.

"But when Rhodes used it, there was an indescribable beauty to it... although you can't use that word to describe a boy."

Moreover, given Rhodes's physical attributes, the power seems disproportionately high, almost abnormally so.

Kaguya licked her lips, her eyes filled with the image of that boy.

Haha, this man's hidden secrets are truly endless.

Chapter 55: Four Days, Level 3; All Astrea Familia Members Learn Magic!

As the exploration continued, the girls went from exclaiming in surprise to eventually getting used to it.

After all, it's no longer surprising that Rhodes would do something unexpected.

This idea is almost becoming a reality.

On the eleventh floor, Rhode imbued his black sword with crimson flames in his right hand and conjured a blazing red lotus flame blade in his left, attempting to wipe out the evil bat swarm that had caused considerable trouble for the novice adventurers using a dual-wielding style.

On the twelfth floor, you'll face the Armored Rat, whose defensive specialization far exceeds its level 1 attribute value and whose ability to curl up its body allows it to defend against almost all physical attacks.

Rhodes used Nize's Windclaw magic, tearing it apart with a fierce gale.

On the thirteenth floor, you will face the powerful silverback ape.

Rhodes replicated the dwarf Asta's defenses, which acted like an iron wall, blocking the opponent's attacks. Then, he used Celty's lightning magic to ruthlessly shatter her throat.

On the fourteenth floor, Rhodes chanted Liu's magic, completely pulverizing the dungeon worms.

On the fifteenth floor, Rhodes used the double punches of the Amazonian girl Iska to smash the crystal cockroach to pieces.

On the sixteenth floor, Rhode changed his fighting strategy again, using Leyana's magic flames in combination with Noin's acceleration magic, employing a kiting tactic to wipe out a group of hellhounds.

.....

Using the wisdom of the cunning rat, Rhode quickly familiarized himself with the girls' skills and magic in battle. Under their guidance, he tried to combine them in actual combat and successfully reached the eighteenth floor.

"I originally thought I would encounter the Lone King of the Labyrinth on the seventeenth floor, but it seems that Goliath was defeated before and will not be able to regenerate for at least seven days. What a pity."

The girls walked through the great forest in the eastern part of the 18th floor.

Alexandra held Rod's hand and mysteriously said she was going to take him to a nice place to see, but they kept getting lost, and in the end, a helpless Nize led the way.

Iska was a little disappointed that she didn't encounter Goliath this time. Before setting off, the group had secretly discussed using Goliath's dropped items to forge a piece of armor for Rhodes.

In an effort to help Rhodes find his weaknesses, Lyra and the girls once deduced from the enemy's perspective how to deal with the ever-evolving Rhodes, and their final conclusion was simple and brutal.

— Numerical crushing.

Hidden beneath Rhodes' seemingly omnipotent attack methods lies a huge hidden danger: the inability to improve his attributes.

As long as this matter remains unresolved, Rhodes' potential will be locked.

"Rhodes, do you know roughly what level you're at right now?"

Walking to Rhodes' left was Noin, a sixteen-year-old girl with short, dark brown hair.

Within the clan, she is considered part of the middle age group, taking on the role of the vanguard, wielding a handy one-handed sword and a small round shield.

Unlike Kaguya, who possesses unparalleled melee combat skills in her clan, and Ryu, who excels at using parallel chanting, she doesn't have any special abilities.

Although he undoubtedly possesses the highest level of skill at level 3, to put it nicely, he is reliable; to put it bluntly, he has no special talent.

She was the kind of girl who had absolutely no outstanding abilities, was average in every way, and symbolized the conventional characteristics of the human race.

But she was precisely the one who provided the most valuable advice during the process of Rhodes' fusion techniques!

As the vanguard [number three], she usually protects Alexie and the others from behind, perfectly handling the switching between offense and defense and target, acting as the lubricant of the team.

Without her, the team's defenses would collapse in an instant; this is no exaggeration.

Having already withdrawn Suzuka's blessing, Rhodes gulped down a mouthful of the Panacea to restore the enormous amount of magic power he had consumed, and gasped for breath.

"Stop keeping me in suspense. Don't worry, feel free to comment. I'll try my best not to get defensive."

"Haha, Rhodes is really impatient."

Noin let out a cheerful and carefree laugh.

"Ignoring other factors, from the perspective of fighting monsters, Rhode can be considered level 3 before his mana is exhausted. If he has a burst of maximum power in a moment, he might reach level 4! That's already quite remarkable!"

Of course, the latter is based on the scenario where Rhode uses incantation to stack all the buffs in advance and then releases them all at once.

"But if your goal is to become an adventurer, then you are currently only at level 2 at most."

In short, it's level 3 for PvE and level 2 for PvP.

Noin looked intently at Rhodes, who looked exhausted.

Can you understand the difference?

The elixir began to heal the subtly torn muscles, and Rhodes breathed a sigh of relief, having been mentally prepared for this.

"...Because of the difference in durability and various attributes, my magic may not be able to hit the opponent, and even if it does, it may not be able to kill a level 3 being in one hit."

"But level 3 attacks, if they hit me, will either injure or cripple me."

In short, without considering Kamui, Rhodes is a glass cannon.

The majority of adventurers in Orario are level 1, level 2 are already the backbone of ordinary familias, and those who upgrade to level 3 are all strong individuals who have overcome great difficulties.

When facing such a target as an adversary, their intelligence should never be underestimated!

Rhodes's ability to imitate and his omnipotence may seem impressive, but once they discover his weaknesses, the situation will take a sharp turn for the worse.

This is what Noin wanted to warn us about.

"However, if this conversation of ours were to get out, I don't know how many people would stare at us with envious eyes."

Noin's expression was somewhat subtle, and she looked at Rhodes as if she were looking at a monster.

"After all, even the puppet of the Loki Familia did not progress as dramatically as Rhodes. In just a few days, he has gained at least level 2 combat power... It's simply outrageous."

As for the so-called growth ceiling, that's something only the strong can afford to worry about.

Ninety-nine percent of adventurers in Orario never even reach level 2 in their entire lives; level 3 is the highest level they can usually reach.

Rod felt a slight pressure on his right hand. He turned to look at her and saw a rare look of worry in her usually cheerful and sunny eyes.

"Although I don't know why Rhodes is working so hard, I also know that it's impossible to persuade you to give up."

"But...you must have a way to overcome the growth ceiling, right?"

Rhodes thought of the newly activated "All-World Prayer" function of the system and the several worlds that had been refreshed, and cast a reassuring look at Alexie.

"Don't worry, I already have an idea."

Alexandra's emerald-green eyes gazed at Rhodes, a relaxed smile spreading across her face.

"That's it..."

She held her head high, a smug expression on her face.

"I knew Rhodes wouldn't be the kind of guy who would be held back by something so trivial! Hmph!"

When Lyra was not around, the human mage Leyana, who was walking behind, tacitly filled in for the role of the sarcastic commentator.

"I wonder which guy was so worried he almost cried the whole way here."

"Well, anyway, I'm not exactly pure and beautiful; maybe I'm some immature, stubborn fairy!"

"You idiot captain, don't seriously shift the blame to Ryu who wasn't even there! If she, who idolizes you, knew this, her illusions would shatter!"

Chapter 56 Alexie: Rhodes, you're such a greedy guy (Seeking flowers and votes)

Rhodes squinted and smiled as he watched the heartwarming scene of the girls laughing and playing.