The passageway connecting the halls in the upper levels of the Riana Dungeon.

While there are similar dungeon structures, in most cases, these passageways are free of monsters and are used as resting spots.

However, the Riana Dungeon consistently spawns monsters even in such passageways.

The passage itself is spacious, bearing a resemblance to the shallow depths of the Royal Capital Dungeon, and the monsters appearing are…

“Hah!”

Alec braced himself with his shield to block the charge of a Great Boar.

But as the Great Boar’s momentum was halted, Kobolds emerged from behind it, attempting to slip past Alec’s flank.

“Hmph!”

Elena’s skillful thrusts with her 【Green Fang】 pierced the foreheads of each Kobold one by one.

“Whoa… There we go!”

Admiring Elena’s prowess, which I hadn’t seen in some time, I thrust downward, piercing the Great Boar’s core Alec had stopped.

Looking around, I saw that Zighart and the others had already finished off the remaining monsters.

After the battle, we patrolled the area to be cautious, but no new monsters appeared.

For now, this passageway’s skirmish is over.

“Good work, everyone.”

Descending to where the others had gathered, I called out to them.

Today’s team consisted of Alec, Zighart, Fiora, and Elena.

While Teresa usually accompanied us in the upper-level explorations, today she was busy with her duties in the knightly order. Elena stepped in as her replacement.

This was Elena’s first dungeon dive since returning from the Royal Capital and her stay in the Zelkis territory—over two years ago.

I had been concerned about whether she could handle diving into a new dungeon suddenly, but… it seems my worries were unnecessary.

During my absence in the Royal Capital, she had apparently spent some time acclimating her body outdoors. Using 【Green Fang】 deftly, she dispatched monsters with ease.

Even though she has mostly served as Seriana’s handmaid, her combat skills haven’t dulled at all.

Could it be a testament to her rigorous training from childhood?

“Good work, Sera. Are there any monsters nearby?”

Noticing me, Elena responded.

“No, there don’t seem to be any in this passage for now.”

Hearing this, everyone visibly relaxed.

“They aren’t particularly strong, but they’re annoying because we can’t clear them all in one go,” Alec noted.

“True. With a mix of beasts and demon types, you can’t afford to let your guard down,” Zighart added.

“Exactly. To make it through here, we may need either a larger group or multiple coordinated parties.”

As we rested, Alec and Zighart reviewed the previous battle, sharing their thoughts, while Fiora jotted down notes nearby.

The passage wasn’t too narrow, but unlike the halls, it wasn’t wide enough for a massive magical assault to clear it all at once.

We had to deal with the monsters one by one, but the variety was a challenge. The mix of demons and beasts weren’t particularly strong, but their numbers made battles tiresome, requiring adaptable strategies.

Thanks to Alec’s role as a tank, we could take them down one by one, but if the tide turned into chaos, it could become a serious problem.

Well, that’s something for the second wave hunting in the shallows to test based on our information.

“Alright, let’s head out,” Zighart suggested.

With the discussion over, it was time to resume our exploration.

◇

“Ha!”

I launched an arrow from 【Dunlem’s Thread】 at the center of the approaching monsters, taking down five or six of them at once. Zighart and Fiora followed up with magical attacks on both flanks.

Any monsters left standing usually tried to flee, but those that advanced were handled by Alec and the others.

This process repeated itself.

If 【Dunlem’s Thread】 wasn’t ready to use, I joined the melee, but overall, the upper-level hunting had become more stable.

It’s nice not to have to hold back. We can unleash everything here.

For now, this hall’s battle is complete.

Our current strategy is to aim northward, exploring the upper levels. Some halls branch into multiple passageways, but for now, we’re going as far as we can in one direction.

However…

“The atmosphere feels different ahead,” Alec said.

We cleared the seventh or eighth hall from the entrance and approached the next passageway. The air felt different, even without using 【Fairy Eyes】 or the snakes’ vision.

Everyone stopped before advancing.

“Shall I scout ahead?” I offered.

Since I could float and stay in contact with walls or ceilings, I could quickly retreat into 【Hideout】 if needed.

“Better not,” Zighart advised.

“Agreed. There’s no need to take unnecessary risks. Let’s stop here for today and head back,” Alec concurred.

With everyone in agreement, we began our return after a brief rest.

What could lie beyond that passage?

◇

After returning from the dungeon, Elena and I went to Seriana’s room to report on the day’s exploration.

“By the way, you’ve accumulated quite a few Holy Coins. Aren’t you going to use them?”

With the report done, Seriana, who had me on her lap, asked if I planned to use the coins for gacha.

The fever time from monopolizing the shallows had ended, but with our steady hunts, the coins had piled up.

“I’ve got over 40 coins now. This time, I’m planning to save a bit more and use them all at once,” I replied, grinning.

When I got serious about farming in the dungeon, I realized I could gather this many coins. Even I was amazed.

“Quite the indulgence. Well, they’re yours, so use them as you like.”

“Will do!”

At this pace, I might have an incredible amount before the public gets access. I can’t wait!

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sera: 【Hideout】 +1, 【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】, 【Floating Orb】【Shadow Blade】【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy Eyes】【Dragon Lung】【Amber Blade】【Dunlem’s Thread】【Snake Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】 – 41 cards
Seriana: 【Range Identification】【】 – 28 cards
Elena: 【】, 【Green Fang】 – 0 cards
Alec: 【Strong Strike】【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】 – 0 cards