"Now I see…"
"These monsters really are a bit outrageous!"
Having followed a Familia expedition into the lower floors before, Lefiya had even seen—entirely new types of special monsters that adventurers had never recorded.
But on her first encounter, she had never felt anything as strange as when facing these Giant Dogs.
If she had to point out the difference, it was probably that… those monsters weren't quite as strong?
And she had already formed a judgment.
The elven girl knew that the real reason these Giant Dogs had gathered here—ultimately came down to the secret that Ron possessed.
The atmosphere grew extremely tense.
Up ahead, in the distance, an enormous number of monsters lurked in the darkness—evident just from the densely packed crimson eyes.
"What should we do?"
This was, in a real sense, her first time teaming up with Ron.
With no experience fighting these special monsters, Lefiya's first instinct was to seek the captain's judgment. She looked forward.
Just as she was about to speak—
she saw that Ron, walking at the very front of the group, had already gripped his greatsword with both hands and charged straight toward the gathering swarm of special monsters.
Right behind him followed the rather quiet Mikoto.
No tactical arrangement whatsoever.
This was completely different from the dungeon expeditions Lefiya had experienced before—this was just going head-on, wrestling with monsters.
Only the victor gets to live…
Seeing this, the elven girl couldn't help but feel a strange, indescribable emotion.
"This kind of exploration…"
"Isn't it a bit too reckless?"
No one could give her an answer.
...
When they first arrived at this floor yesterday, because Ron wanted to move quickly back and forth to Orario, he hadn't brought much equipment.
When using incantations to fight, he had been swarmed by a massive pack of Giant Dogs—leaving him somewhat battered.
Now, he was here in the dungeon to get his payback!
When you play as a devout incantation caster,
and run into Giant Dogs that can close the distance fast, breathe fire, and tank hits—fine, I won't argue with you. I'll just leave the dungeon.
But now—as a proud warrior returning to the dungeon once more—what should you call me?
"Quite a lot of them."
Ron understood perfectly.
Ever since becoming an adventurer, the dungeon's intent had been crystal clear—it would stop at nothing to kill him.
Not that he was rebelling.
He just wanted to experience that thrill of domination.
Since that so-called useless husband of the Black Dragon hadn't shown up yet, then the dungeon was like a wife left alone at home.
The stronger the resistance—the greater the satisfaction of conquering it.
He had to dive deep—push forward relentlessly—and wrestle with that unwilling "wife" until she was completely reshaped by his will!
There was no battle plan.
Mainly because there was no need.
With two Level 5 adventurers holding the line, plus ten Panaceas sponsored by Finn—there was no need to worry about the safety of the Familia members.
Fighting individually—only in this high-pressure, Soulslike dungeon environment—could they directly sharpen their ability values and combat skills.
"Then…"
"Let me test their quality first!"
Fully prepared for battle,
Ron could feel the burning fighting spirit within him.
At the same time, the surge of adrenaline kept his mind razor-sharp.
Gripping the greatsword with both hands,
he stared at the Giant Dog charging at him—its grotesque maw wide open, fangs gleaming coldly, as if they could tear apart any living thing.
Because of its bizarre proportions, the monster's running posture looked extremely awkward—its center of gravity leaned heavily forward, exposing a massive opening.
"…"
Ron's leg muscles exploded with force.
The nearly twenty-meter distance—vanished within a single breath.
Carrying Great Fortune, he surged forward, quickly adjusting his stance.
He raised the weapon, holding it parallel to the ground.
Aiming the tip directly at the Giant Dog's fully opened maw—
he thrust forward without hesitation.
Combat Art: Impaling Thrust!
In Elden Ring, this move could bypass guarding.
And in this world—these Soulslike monsters didn't even have the intelligence for that kind of defense.
With the brutal thrust of the greatsword, as a second-tier weapon, its razor-sharp tip—driven by Ron's strength—pierced forward without the slightest delay.
It went straight through the Giant Dog's skull.
Yet the massive creature did not dissolve into black ash.
Its terrifying vitality allowed it to resist, trying to prevent the greatsword from being withdrawn.
Its withered front claws—even as flesh was torn open by the blade, crimson blood dripping down with a putrid stench—still clamped tightly onto Great Fortune embedded in its head.
Stalling for time?
Everything unfolded exactly as Ron had expected.
The moment he launched his assault, several Giant Dogs that had been circling to the sides suddenly burst forward at incredible speed, charging at him.
"Improved, huh."
A very familiar scenario.
Three wolves.
Just swapped out—for tougher, stronger Giant Dogs.
Feeling danger for the first time in a while, Ron relied purely on instinct to react.
He decisively released the greatsword.
Facing the multi-directional assault,
the Shinobi Prosthetic mounted on his left arm fired a grappling hook toward the ceiling.
Bang!
The hook embedded firmly into the rock.
Shattering fragments of stone.
Pulled by the rope's tension, he leapt upward—nimbly evading the encirclement.
The Gravel Stone Seal that had been hanging from his wrist—was now firmly gripped in his palm.
As magic flowed through him—
Lansseax's Glaive!
Crackling crimson lightning erupted, radiating a violent, tyrannical aura that bathed the dim tunnel in red light.
No chanting required.
Almost instantly—a blade of red lightning formed in Ron's hand.
"The same move…"
"Won't work a second time!"
After charging forward with their massive bodies, the Giant Dogs realized they had lost their target—but it was already too late to adjust direction.
Their bodies collided mid-charge.
And as Ron cut the rope, he gripped Lansseax's Glaive and swept downward from midair toward the clustered monsters below.
A dazzling explosion of crimson lightning erupted.
Violent magic spread across the ground—a wave of red lightning detonating outward.
The explosive force instantly tore the monsters apart.
[Soul Shards +5]
"Now that's what I'm talking about."
The ability to switch between Character Save Slots freely—using the high-growth Tarnished and Ashen One to establish the combat baseline, then layering it with the high mobility of the Sekiro-style build—the result was absolutely greater than 1 + 1!
Ron adjusted his posture and landed steadily.
Looking ahead, the monsters that had been lurking in the darkness—seemed to sense the danger.
They were retreating.
So what came next—was simple.
He picked up the greatsword dropped by the dead monster.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward—and began hunting the Giant Dogs that had already started to falter.
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