Afterward, Finn reported the red-haired woman's information to the guild.
He initially intended to use the guild to identify the red-haired woman's name and Familia and have her punished. However, after searching through all the records, the guild staff couldn't find any Level 5 adventurer whose characteristics completely matched hers.
Perhaps she was from outside Orario, or maybe she had hidden her level information from the guild.
Whatever the reason, it was certain that they couldn't locate her for the time being. Although, due to the strong request of the Ganesha Familia, the woman was added to the guild's wanted list, and the information was disseminated among high-level adventurers. The guild continued searching, but ultimately, the matter ended inconclusively.
Ais was somewhat dejected.
She had finally obtained information about "Aria," but now she had hit a dead end again.
Moreover, she was unwilling to accept this outcome.
Back on the 18th floor, she was actually weaker than that red-haired woman. Despite using the footwork taught by Eiji and improving her swordsmanship under his guidance, overall, she was still at a slight disadvantage.
If not for Eiji helping her hold the line in the end, she might have been completely defeated by that woman.
For Ais, who had always yearned for strength, this was unacceptable.
A fire burned inside her.
And she released it during her leveling up in the deep floors.
37th Floor.
This floor was also known as the "White Palace."
It earned this name because of its snow-white walls and ceilings. This massive floor, comparable in size to Orario itself, had wide and spacious corridors and rooms, with passageways no less than ten meters wide.
Its structure resembled a colosseum, with circular layers forming a fortress-like shape, consisting of five massive ringed walls. Adventurers needed to find the correct path within the walls and reach the central layer to proceed to the next floor.
As the first floor of the deep levels, monsters of Level 4 began to appear frequently here.
"Ever since the incident on the 18th floor, Ais has become kinda terrifying!"
Tione, arms crossed under her chest, with a newly forged scimitar from the Hephaestus Familia at her waist, clicked her tongue as she watched Ais.
While navigating this floor, they were ambushed by more than twenty monsters.
Ais, acting as the vanguard, charged in immediately, diving into the horde of monsters.
Her eyes burned with an intense fighting spirit, her entire being exuding a thirst for battle. Every circular slash she unleashed tore apart the incoming monsters, and her presence was almost intimidating.
"That one over there is incredible too. This is the first time I've seen him use a sword in combat, and I didn't expect it to be so precise..."
Riveria, standing a short distance away, watched the boy ten meters from Ais, her eyes filled with astonishment.
Around Eiji, monstrous warriors swarmed—Beastmen with hulking physiques, Obsidian Soldiers with black, stone-like bodies, and elite Lizardmen, all warriors that thrived on the 37th floor. They attacked him relentlessly.
Eiji shifted his footwork constantly, using Tai Chi Sword techniques to divert the force of the Beastmen's punches into the ground before swiftly turning and sending an Elite Lizardman flying with a Magic Light Blade.
Amidst the chaotic enemy formation, he maneuvered skillfully, never allowing himself to be surrounded, always engaging only one enemy at a time. Within three minutes, he seized opportunities to take down three monsters.
At the same time, Ais finished off all twenty monsters.
"How should I put it... Ais's fighting is more aesthetically pleasing, but Eiji's battles make you break out in a cold sweat."
Finn commented with keen interest.
Ais's overwhelming power made short work of these Level 3 and Level 4 monsters, allowing her to slaughter them with ease, making her combat appear fluid and artistic.
Eiji, however, fought enemies of equal or even greater strength. Yet, through superior technique, he defeated them, making the entire process thrilling and nerve-wracking.
To someone untrained in combat, Ais's battles might seem more impressive, but to Finn, Eiji's skill was truly terrifying.
"Good work, vanguards. Let's move toward the central area of this floor."
While Tiona enthusiastically handed out food and potions, Finn gave the next set of instructions.
It had taken them five days to reach this point from the 18th floor.
During this time, Ais and Eiji had acted as the vanguard the entire way. The two of them seemed to never tire, completely immersing themselves in leveling up, only stopping to grab a quick bite when hungry or drink stamina potions when fatigued. Their behavior was eerily similar.
Riveria's gaze toward them grew increasingly fond, and the warm smile on her lips never faded.
"Those two are really a perfect match."
"Tione, how much money have we earned in total?"
As two Level 3 supporters went to harvest the monsters' magic stones, Finn turned to Tione, who was following him like a secretary.
"Yes, Captain. Roughly 30 million valis!"
"Still a bit too little..."
Finn sighed in slight dissatisfaction.
For ordinary adventurers, this was a staggering sum, but for top-tier adventurers like them, it was only mediocre. Any one of them carried tens of millions of valis at all times.
Well, except for Tiona.
She was currently bankrupt after taking a loan from the Hephaestus Familia to forge her second-generation dual blades.
As they fought their way forward, Finn carefully led the group along a well-documented path toward the central area, avoiding unexplored routes to ensure a steady advance.
Near the center of the 37th floor, there was an enormous white chamber.
This chamber had a terrifying characteristic: it continuously spawned monsters up to a fixed maximum number.
Every time a monster was slain, the dungeon would immediately generate a replacement, keeping the number constant.
For adventurers trying to delve deeper, this was a nightmare. But for those looking to level up, it was paradise.
"Dragonbone Soldiers—around ten of them."
At the entrance of the chamber, Ais gripped her beloved sword, staring at the monsters like a predator eyeing its prey.
Dragonbone Soldiers, like the Beastmen and Obsidian Soldiers, were warrior-type monsters that inhabited this floor.
However, unlike the others, Dragonbone Soldiers were the strongest monsters of the 37th floor, each at Level 4.
They had no flesh, no skin—only skeletal frames. Their exposed, pale-white ribs and bony structures were covered with sharp, armor-like protrusions, and they wielded weapons made from bone—bone swords, bone axes, bone shields.
"How many do you want?"
"I'll take two."
"I'll handle the rest."
With just a few words, the two claimed their prey.
Then, they charged forward together, splitting the monsters into two groups. Each took on their respective share, and in an instant, flashes of blades and swords illuminated the battlefield.
"This whole expedition... feels like it was set up just for those two."
Tione muttered, exasperated.
***
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