“You can send all the materials collected in this storage cube whenever Brendu takes her breaks.” Liza hands me a small purple cube.
It's quite common for caravans to use this type of storage cube to transport important materials or valuable objects. They have both advantages and disadvantages. Their enchantments don't preserve perishable materials very well over long periods, and they're incredibly expensive to make, easily costing more than twenty caravan trips while not even transporting five percent of the same volume.
The Solar family can afford several of these items. Flowers usually spoil quickly, but they have a teleportation platform, so they use this delivery method like an express service and charge an additional fee.
“Good luck with your dungeon dive. Don't forget that your life is the most important thing. If you ever find yourself in a difficult situation, just run away. There will always be more opportunities in the future as long as you're alive.” Liza stares at me for a moment before giving me a hug and saying goodbye.
I appreciate her concern. My aunt already explained everything I need to know about the dungeon and the rules I have to follow. Brendu is waiting for me outside so we can catch up with the girls. They already went to the shopping district to choose clothes for their new semester.
The day was calmer than I expected. We simply walked around, ate good food, and enjoyed spending time together. I've already promised to visit them at the academy after the dungeon and after trying to conquer the Escamus territory, so there shouldn't be much of a problem.
“See you in about two months.” Arisa gives me a tight hug.
“Stop getting into trouble or disappearing. As long as we can communicate regularly, distance isn't a problem.” Marga is hugging me tightly as well.
“Please take care of him. Try to keep an eye on him at all times, even though I know that's very difficult.” Sol hugs me from behind, but her words are directed at Brendu.
“I'll do my best, but you already know him. One moment of carelessness and he disappears without a trace. I still think putting a tracker on his forehead is a good idea.” The princess's answer makes me roll my eyes.
“I'll miss all of you too, and I love all of you.” I say it with a bit of sarcasm. Their farewell words have been rather cold.
I can feel the strength of their hugs increasing. Their quiet giggles echo in my ears, and their Imra are in perfect harmony. Their feelings are obvious and incredibly warm.
“Are you sure? You don't want to leave every day?” I ask Brendu while we're riding in the carriage.
I had no idea her family had acquired a house in this territory. Well, it's more like a mansion. Her father has improved his relationship with Uncle Camux, and many flowers and plants are shipped from here to the Kingdom of Juka. Several workers from the Qolud family are stationed in that mansion.
“Yes, someone will come pick me up every three days so I can take a break. Remember, I'm still a ruby rank. I can go several days without sleeping without any problems, and you have that sleeping tent you got during the tournament. We can place it in the safe zone, and I can return whenever I need to rest.” She's already made up her mind. There's nothing I can do. Arguing with her is like talking to a wall.
As soon as we enter the dungeon, we feel the flow of spatial mana absorbing us, and a few moments later, our surroundings completely change. A forest where the trees have snow-covered crowns stretches before us, and several mountains can be seen in the far distance.
I set up the sleeping tent, leave several essential supplies inside, and both of us prepare to hunt monsters. We're carrying only the bare necessities. There is nothing and no one that can slow us down.
The first monsters appear quickly. This dungeon is overflowing with monsters. It has far more life than ordinary dungeons. These monsters, called Escamus, have brown skin and scales covering various parts of their bodies, which is where their name comes from.
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These orange-colored scales serve as natural armor, protecting their vital areas. Large portions of their faces remain exposed, as well as their necks, chests, forearms, and everything from their knees downward. They use those reinforced scales for both offense and defense.
Escamus are average monsters in most of their abilities. They only stand out slightly in terms of speed and intelligence. What truly makes them dangerous is their high defense.
I swing my sword without the assistance of gravity mana, only enhancing my speed and strength through my other abilities. The sword strikes the Escamus's forearm, and a smile forms on my face when I see that its body managed to withstand my first attack.
It doesn't seem to have suffered any deep cuts, only a small scratch. I haven't used my strongest ability to enhance my body, but even so, most grade 4 monsters wouldn't have been able to withstand one of my strikes so easily.
“Glia, if you'd like, come out and have some fun.” The moment I finish speaking, I feel one of the spaces inside my cube become vacant, and Glia appears beside me.
The number of monsters keeps increasing. At first, there were only eight, and now there are almost twenty. The enormous number of monsters nearby is the real problem. If the battle lasts long enough, nearby reinforcements will probably arrive immediately.
Several minutes later, I finally allow myself to cut loose a little. At first, I wanted to observe how Brendu and Glia handled the situation. They're both performing perfectly. I don't have to worry about them suffering severe injuries because of some mistake. They wouldn't make such a foolish error.
Serpents made of electric current dance around me, striking everything that enters the range of the ability. The gravity also becomes stronger, and I can feel the ice mana trying to freeze everything around me. I've managed to slow their movements enough.
First, I'll try to combine my abilities. Once I succeed, I'll finally be able to focus on improving my death ability.
I've noticed that my swordsmanship is slowly improving, and that makes me happy. My body reacts like a gazelle as I move from side to side, and my swords become blurs amidst this horde of monsters.
I've intentionally placed myself in a somewhat disadvantageous position. It's the only way to improve. I'm getting injured more often than usual, and that's exactly what I want. It'll help my brain improve, while my healing and mental abilities will also receive some benefits.
The first three days passed in an instant. I only rested enough to avoid feeling sluggish or slow during battle. I've pushed my body to its limits multiple times throughout this training without crossing the line.
I've healed so many injuries that I lost count on the very first day. Destroyed arms and legs, claws embedded in different parts of my body, severe and minor wounds everywhere.
My efforts have been rewarded. I've gained a few levels over these three days, but the ones benefiting the most are Glia and Brendu. Both of them have improved tremendously. Fighting monsters of the same rank for several hours is pushing both their bodies and minds to the next level. What worries me a little is their new fighting style.
Glia and Brendu have become much bolder when fighting monsters. They both know they can heal their injuries after every encounter. Glia heals herself and helps Brendu whenever I'm busy. Under normal circumstances, I'm the one who heals the princess.
It broke my heart to see her shattered on the first day, covered in blood, much of it belonging to the monsters, and she even lost an arm during the final battle. Exhaustion caught up to her, and she made a small mistake that cost her an arm in exchange for killing several enemies.
I enter the safe zone again, my body covered in injuries. One of my arms is made of ice because I lost the original, and I have a large hole near my abdomen. My mana reserves are extremely low. I couldn't heal all my injuries after the battle, and reconstructing my arm could have cost me even more.
I look at the princess lying on her back, breathing softly. She sits up as soon as she senses me. Her clothes are covered in blood, and her face shows exhaustion. Glia is curled up resting. She at least cleaned herself before sleeping. She hates being dirty.
“How can you still look so beautiful in this condition? You're covered in blood and look like you're in a terrible mood.” I sit down in front of her while making my comment.
“You don't look that bad either. You look like a war veteran, and it gives you a masculine charm.” She observes my injuries with a sad expression. “Take better care of yourself. I don't want to hear that you've died while I'm gone.” The princess looks very serious.
“I'll try...” Before I can continue speaking, a sphere of concentrated mana strikes my forehead and knocks me onto my back. It reminds me of my grandmother.
“No trying. If you don't promise me you'll take proper care of yourself, then I won't leave. I'll just send the Escamus bodies and their cores with one of my family's workers.” She slowly moves toward me and lies down on my chest.
“I promise I won't die while you're gone.” I gently stroke her hair. I don't understand how it's still so soft after being covered in blood and sweat. She could have brought a portable bath, but we only brought large quantities of water so we could experience what living through war would feel like. It's a challenge we've imposed on ourselves for one week. After that, we'll bring a bath.
“I'm only leaving for less than a day. Don't miss me too much.” She stands up and kisses me before leaving. I can only smile as she walks through the portal back home, and I fall deeply asleep.