Episode 31.3

As Arios got in the room, Lecan kept a close watch on the magic beasts with <3D Perceptions>.

They're not moving.

Even after Bruska and Tsuinga stepped inside following Arios, they still won't move.

These magic beasts are waiting till their opponents are done setting their formation.

Magic beasts are unlike wild beasts. Powerful magic beasts sometimes behave like this.

Lecan, and Yoana also got in.

The magic beasts that stand in their way come into view. They don't look like all other White Spectres.

<Black Body> had a rugged exoskeleton, colored black as iron.

Yet these <Armored> has a white exoskeleton. And it's not the kind that's like a full plate armor covering their entire body, you can see gaps here and there. The skin seen through those gaps are red. In short, it's a red-colored White Spectres covered in stitch-like white bones.

Once they got in position, Arios took a step forward.

Bruska and Tsuinga followed after a slight delay.

Lecan also walked forward.

The five beasts are also walking toward them.

Once each sides had walked 10 steps, when they were about 30 steps away, both started to run.

Arios stopped short right before he got in contact with his opponent.

He crouched down a little, and let out a diagonal cut at the incoming <Armored> that was raising its battle hammer as he drew his sword.

Lecan ran past their right, and swung his sword at the short sword beast like he was trying to break it.

To the right, Bruska locked his twin axes with the the halberd beast's halberd, while to the left, Tsuinga parried away the longsword beast's slash.

Just as the scimitar beast was about to attack Arios, Yoana's magic landed on its neck. Arios reaped the scimitar beast's neck while it was bending backward.

Lecan went for the beast to the right. As the halberd beast was blocking Bruska's attack with the halberd's handle, Lecan crushed its head with an overhead slash. That was when <Sword of Odo>'s blade snapped on its base.

To the left, Arios decapitated another beast just as Tsuinga landed a blow on the beast's chest.

Lecan held up the little remain of <Sword of Odo>'s blade, staring at it for a bit before leaving it on the ground. Now that it's broken, the three enchants, <Sharpness Boost>, <Power Boost>, and <Weight Boost> have been lost. They're never coming back even if the sword is reforged.

"W-what fearsome destructive power. Lecan, have you been holding back all this time?"

"Arios too. T'was truly a superb display of techniques, I could only tremble before that. That initial slash you did must have been a skill, is it not?"

Indeed. That must be some sort of skill. Probably an ability of some sort he acquired at the end of intense training.

Lecan had always known that Arios is hiding a lot of tricks under his sleeves, and that was another new trick he pulled.

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He must have been piling up stress thus far.

Due to confined spaces and the huge numbers of enemies, he could not unleash big moves. Further, the fight is always against multiple enemies at point-blank ranges, so he was forced to combine multiple small moves to deal with it.

Lecan was also a bit, no quite frustrated himself.

The further down they go, the faster the enemies, and the more frequent they attack.

Hence, Lecan also had to make a lot of moves, adding more and more as time went on. It's not unfeasible for someone with Lecan's skills, but his attacks gradually shifted to smaller moves.

It's really been quite some time since he could unleash big moves like this. He ended up involuntarily swinging the sword with all his might. As such, even the sturdy <Sword of Odo> finally snapped.

"Aw shuck, you broke your sword."

"Yoana. That attack was very well done."

"Hehe. No kidding?"

Yoana could have shot anytime, but she waited for the right time. She shot in the exact timing the scimitar <Armored> was about to attack Arios. No way the beast could have dodged the magic then.

"Now then, wonder what's in the chest."

Arios opened the chest.

There's a short sword.

"<Appraisal>."

Appraisal results show it's got <State Retention> and <Instant Death> Graces. Quite sharp too.

<State Retention> is a Grace that reduces <Wear Rate> depletion, and <Instant Death> is a Grace that grants a fixed chance of instantly killing an opponent the short sword cuts.

Lecan put it inside <Storage> just like usual. Although Lecan would inform his appraisal results to the party, these items get appraised again at the trading facility once they're out of dungeon, then they're sold unless someone in the party wants them.

"All right. Let's get out of here."

Lecan and Arios stayed and bowed at the magic beasts that had already turned into ash.

"Were you two always doing that stuff whenever you stayed behind in a room?"

Yoana had stopped walking and watched them bowing.

"Yea."

"What's that even about?"

"Just a sign of gratitude to our opponents."

"Hee?"

There is no vacant room on this floor. Lecan's group is resting on the corridor instead.

"Lecan-dono. What's the plan now?"

"If you're all fine with it, I'd like to challenge the Giant Variants, no <Guardians>, was it."

The three <Grindam> members commented on Lecan's word.

"Well, we are unfatigued and unharmed."

"Hmn. And I'm feeling good too. Like, I can do it today."

"But, like, isn't your sword broken, Lecan."

The three were looking at Lecan, thus he spoke.

"No worries. Got another good sword on me."

"Hou. Very well then, let us have a shot at it."

Just in case, Lecan cast <Recovery> on everyone including himself.

They just fought magic beasts on floor 100. Everyone must be nervous, and their bodies tired. They gotta be in top condition if they want to fight <Guardians>.

Although at this point, Lecan is already thinking about what comes after conquering floor 100.

(If my guess on the mechanic on floor 100 and below is spot on.)

(Things will get interesting.)