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

The girls' melodious laughter soothed his weary heart, which had been tired from the long battle.

After walking for a while, the sound of the babbling brook came from afar.

"We're here! It's still as beautiful as ever!"

Full of energy, Nize cheered excitedly from the front.

Rhodes also curiously looked around at the scenery, the peaceful atmosphere even making him forget for a moment that he was still in the underground city.

Surrounded by dreamlike crystals and greenery, the overhead foliage has vanished, and chrysanthemum-shaped crystal clusters have replaced the sun, radiating a warm glow.

The shimmering of the crystal was incredibly mysterious, even capable of making one's innermost thoughts transparent. Sunlight, unlike that on the ground, filtered through the gaps in the leaves, warming and healing the bodies worn down by the continuous battle.

Although the occasional sounds that could be heard were not bird calls but monster cries, they sounded quite peaceful.

Nize sat on the branch she had just climbed and lazily stretched.

"In this dungeon full of troubles, only the 18th floor is really great. If there were no monsters, I would want to build a house here and live here."

Norin raised his hands high.

"Ah, I agree!"

The young mage, Leyana, with her three braids hanging down on either side, squinted her eyes and sighed softly.

"It's really like a paradise... Hey, Rod, if I die, could you bury me here?"

Rhodes disliked topics like setting up flags, and the thought that the girl from the original timeline had perished here made him even more displeased.

"Why are you saying this suddenly?"

Although it lacks any sense of tragedy and seems to be mentioned casually as if nothing had happened, it reveals a heartfelt wish that is by no means a joke.

"Haha, I never expected that Rhodes, who is usually so emotionally stable, would get angry at his own people."

"I never expected that it was Leyana, who has the lowest profile, who could do something that even I couldn't do!"

"Um... Alexie, is this really something to be proud of?"

"But I suddenly feel a little relieved. Rhodes, like us, also experiences happiness and trouble, and even has some stubbornness like Ryu... You used to give me a dreamlike feeling."

So-called companions are probably not people who never argue, but rather those who, even after a disagreement, will hold hands and walk together again without any barriers between them.

Over the past few days, Rod has been very kind to them, but there's always a sense of excessive respect.

Now, his occasional outbursts of temper have actually made the girls feel closer to him.

Rhodes endured the girls' constant teasing and jeers, but he couldn't do anything about them, so he laughed helplessly.

Following up on the topic brought up by Leyana, Maru thought about it seriously.

"It's not about building a house here, but a tombstone. It feels good too. When I'm dead, I don't need to care about any monsters anymore. I'll just be buried here."

"Me too~"

"Then I will definitely live in the most beautiful and gorgeous tomb!"

"It's great to be with everyone~"

"So, I'm begging you, Rhodes, if that day ever comes."

Rhodes rolled his eyes at Iska, who had her arms around his neck.

"Why do they all ask me for help?"

This sixteen-year-old Amazonian girl had her long black hair tied back. Although she was dressed conservatively, she showed the warmth and familiarity of the Amazonian people only towards Rhodes.

Unlike her kind, Iska did not focus on masculinity or fighting, but rather on grooming and dressing up.

Her makeup skills were the best in the clan, and she was probably the most girlish in the clan.

Iska nuzzled Rhodes with her cheek and then winked at him.

"Because we always felt that if someone had to die, Rhodes would definitely be the last one!"

"No matter what the situation, I believe Rhodes is always prepared and has a way out."

Rod lightly touched her cheek with his forehead, sounding annoyed.

"Don't imagine me as some kind of god-like being. I'm just a newbie who has just embarked on an adventure."

Iska shook her head disdainfully, her eyes conveying the unmistakable message: "A mere newcomer? Do you think any normal person would believe that?"

Nizar jumped down from the branch and shrugged.

"We're adventurers, after all; one day we'll all lose our lives..."

"Or is it that Rhodes isn't ready for death and loss?"

Rhodes responded to the girls' questions with a firm look in his eyes.

"No, my resolve is that I will not let anyone I care about die. Even if it is just a matter of chance, I will do everything I can to bring the dead back to life."

"If I can't even do something like this, then my life has been meaningless!"

The seriousness and determination revealed in his words left the girls speechless with astonishment.

They probably never expected to hear such an absurd vow, which was practically a joke.

But when Rhodes said those words, they inexplicably felt a sense of trust.

That idiot is a man of his word!

From that moment on, the way all the girls looked at Rhodes changed slightly.

In the end, it was Alexandra who broke the somewhat awkward atmosphere with an untimely, cheerful smile.

"You actually want to live with us forever? Rhodes, you're really greedy and have an insatiable possessive streak!"

"but..."

Alize squinted her eyes as if gazing at starlight.

Unlike usual, it was a clear, transparent, and incredibly gentle girl's voice.

"I don't hate it."

Her beautiful, crimson hair swayed ethereally.

That radiant smile was like the sun, and like a vibrant crimson flower.

Finally, at Alyssa's suggestion, the girls unanimously decided to bathe in the small lake in the forest.

Despite her inner shyness, Iska flirted with Rhodes and boldly invited him, only to be terrified when Maru, with a terrifying smile and a mace in hand, shouted, "Punish the shameless Amazons on behalf of the goddess of justice!" and fled in panic.

Rhodes and Alexandra lay on a small slope shaded by trees, not too far from the lake, where they could faintly hear the sounds of girls playing in the water.

"In this era, dying without regrets is a difficult dream to achieve."

When Alexandra suddenly said this, Rhodes thought she was referring to the cholera peace of the Dark Faction.

"Don't worry, I still have a grudge against them, and I will fight them alongside you."

Alexie suddenly snorted, puffed out her cheeks, angrily flipped over and pinned Rhodes down, glaring at him with a reproachful look.

"Are you really an idiot?"

Rhodes' eyes widened slightly. Even if he was slow to react, he understood what Alexie meant. He just never expected it to happen so quickly, and that Alexie would be the first to take the initiative.

"As the leader of the group, I naturally have to be first! I can't lose to them!"

He saw through Rod's greedy heart, but still responded to him with a hearty smile.

Alexandra frankly and directly expressed her feelings, gracefully untying her ponytail with her right hand.

Strands of crimson hair fell down, brushing against Rhodes' cheeks in the gentle breeze.

Rod gazed at the shy yet bold affection in her eyes.

After a while.

Alexie said softly.

"Hey, what's the next step...? Even the goddess didn't teach me..."

Rod's eyes widened, and then he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Uh, hehehehehehe!"

So it turns out you were just mustering up courage without considering what to do next?

Let's go for it anyway. Only Alexandra would do something like this.

And to complain about Astraea at a time like this, do you want that Virgo goddess to teach you this kind of thing?

Are you really not afraid of being chased down by the enraged goddess with a sword?

"Idiot, you idiot, don't laugh at me! I'll bite you to death!!!"

Alexie, embarrassed and annoyed, bent down and tried to bite Rhodes hard, but Rhodes suddenly leaned back and kissed her lips lightly.

Alexie's pupils dilated suddenly, then she wrapped her arms around Rhodes' neck and slowly closed her eyes.

Chapter 57: A Series of Victories and Defeats, Farewell to Silent Suzuka (Seeking first subscription, seeking self-subscription~)

For the next five days, Rhodes repeated the routine of patrolling in the morning and exploring in the afternoon.

For safety reasons, they did not attempt to conquer the dungeons below the 18th floor.

That labyrinthine amusement park became the place where he and Alise would meet in secret.

When the two are enjoying themselves, Rhodes naturally won't use any buffs.

Because of her inexperience, the two of them were evenly matched every time they fought.

This made Alexie very resentful, and she would always angrily shout for another round afterward, but as soon as Rod got into the spirit, she would always be the first to slip away.

Most of the girls noticed this, and some even tried to run away, but they were always discovered and chased away by Alexie, who had extraordinary intuition.

In her words, at least for the first few days, you belong to me alone.

The goddess Astraea, who held the duties of a virgin goddess, did not utter any words of reproach. Instead, she simply wore the exquisite blue hair ornament she had recently received as a gift and quietly watched over the two with a smile.

Rhodes felt a little uneasy under her gaze, for the goddess's eyes seemed to anticipate the birth of a new baby within her familia...

If we're talking about the only one who doesn't understand what happened, it's probably Ryu.

"Rod, are you going to practice swordsmanship with me again today? My moves and Kaguya's are not the same!"

With a blush on her face, Liu nervously peeked her head out from behind the door, clutching the hem of her clothes.

Since living together, Rhodes' relationships with the girls in the Familia have progressed rapidly, even with the former germaphobic fairy.

In the training room, Rhodes took the towel Kaguya handed him, vigorously wiped the sweat from his forehead, and turned to give Ryu an apologetic look.

"Sorry, Ryu. I have to say goodbye to a friend today. Maybe next time."

The silly fairy doesn't hide her emotions; her joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness are all frankly written on her face.

She lowered her head dejectedly, her expression somewhat gloomy.

"Oh...."

Kaguya nudged Rhodes with her elbow, and Rhodes immediately understood, coughing lightly and quickly adding, "Four, five, three."

"However, I still have some questions about the parallel chanting of [Wind of Light]. I'll ask you about it when I get back. Don't keep anything from me."

The fairy's beautiful sky-blue eyes immediately shone brightly again.

"Yes, it's a date!"

With a simple smile on her lips, Liu turned and ran away happily.

Kaguya inwardly complained upon seeing this.

She's incredibly stubborn about everything else, but she's terribly clumsy when it comes to relationships. She's so easy to fool!

If it were me...

Rhodes turned around and smiled at Kaguya.

"Well then, Kaguya, I'll be going now."