Episode 46.5

Eda and Julius dived into a shaft.

Followed by Arios. He had <Void Cutter> hanging on his waist. <Magic Vacuum Cutter> is stored inside his <Free Box>. Arios only tried using <Magic Vacuum Cutter> twice before putting it away and fought with just <Void Cutter> up to this point. Pure Black Wolves won't spawn until floor 80. Hence, he'd better off deploying <Void Cutter> in combat. Arios seemed to have grasped the knack to fighting magic wolves, he would look completely unwavering whenever he entered a shaft.

Jiza entered her shaft as well. She produced a short wand from her <Free Box> just before she stepped in. This elderly lady looks so reliable as she trots despite her short stature.

Lecan went in his allotted shaft too.

Three mist-like objects dwelt inside. Lecan dashed toward a gap between them.

By the time the three mists turned into two white magic wolves and one black magic wolf, Lecan was already within ten steps away.

The black magic wolf unleashed out a white-colored breath. A freezing breath. Long and thick, this attack looks like a waterfall when unleashed by magic wolves that spawn on floors this deep. It's also backed up by an intense propulsive force.

Lecan swiftly moved to the left to dodge the breath attack and decapitated the black magic wolf. Its head flew in the air while still spewing the freezing breath.

Two fiery breaths hit Lecan, and got stopped by a barrier generated by <Necklace of Intuador>. He had noticed these attacks but prioritized dealing with the black magic wolf first.

Lecan sliced at the right magic wolf's neck as he ran past its right side. The magic wolf stopped moving for a moment just as it was about to bite Lecan.

Lecan immediately slashed the magic wolf's head off. A fatal blow. The left magic wolf leaped over the falling right magic wolf, lunging toward Lecan.

(<Perforation (Sphire)>!)

Lecan made a thrusting motion with his sword while reciting the skill name in his mind.

His sword got in the magic wolf's mouth, but there was no way to stop its gigantic body's lunging momentum. The sword pierced out of its head following the momentum.

Just before his sword hand touched the wolf's fangs, Lecan forcefully twisted his body to the left.

The wolf's charge still didn't stop, Lecan's sword cut apart the wolf's left face.

The magic wolf ran past Lecan's side, before tumbling down a few steps away.

Lecan swiftly made cuts on the three dead wolf bodies.

"<Move>! <Move>! <Move>!"

Then he floated three magic stones into his palm with <Move> magic, put them in <Storage> and made an exaggerated swinging motion to throw blood off <Demon Wolf Cutter (Jegscyll)>. Blood and oil sticking on the blade came off cleanly, lights got reflected off the neat blade inside the dim cave.

After sheathing the sword, Lecan bowed at the crumbling bodies and ran to the exit.

Eda and Julius ran out their shaft just as Lecan did.

"Oh. That was quick."

"Ehehe. There was only one white magic wolf this time, so you know. I shot its face with <Bow of Yelvitz> to dazzle it, then Julius-kun went and cut its head off, then we ran to the exit. And here I was sure we'd finally beat Lecan this time."

Julius probably used the upward slash technique where he runs at low posture and swings his sword from the lower left to the upper right. Julius has completely made that technique his own and he's currently on the refining phase. Lecan could only imagine the look n Arios's face once he witnessed his son performing that technique.

"Julius. Have you been honing that technique."

"Yes, master. I am working on it."

"Keep it up."

"Yes."

<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka.com >

Arios left his shaft.

"Arios. How many were there?"

"Two white and two black."

"Hou. Still got out quick huh."

"I'm still no match to Lecan-dono however."

"Hey, Lecan."

"Hm?"

"We gotta keep the thing about Shira-baachan hush-hush from Guide Jiza-sama, don't we?"

"Hou. Exactly."

Lecan didn't expect Eda to notice that.

"That's what I thought when I heard her chats with you. And besides, Shira-baachan said so too."

"Said what?"

"You know, that time when we met Yurika, I asked Baachan if she would stay, but then she told me she's someone who's gone already."

"Right, she did."

"I mean, Shira-baachan's gotten too famous and all. Baachan's not going to like it if many people go after her, and besides."

"Besides?"

"Feels like she's got lotsa secrets she doesn't want people know."

Just when did Eda become capable of this level of discernment anyway.

People grow up. Eda was a 14 year old girl when she first met Lecan, she caused no ends of trouble to Lecan and Shira due to her hyper activeness and honesty.

However, that's an age where humans grow most. Eda has grown up so much over the past two years and seven months. Of course, her growth in magic study, combat, <Purification> was quite something to behold as well, but her growth inwardly was hard to notice until now.

Observation, analysis, consideration and imaginations, the powers to know what one has to do and not do in a situation. Eda has acquired those.

She likely wouldn't turn out this way had she not met Lecan and Shira. She'd probably experience getting duped, used, harmed and doubted by people resulting in her learning nothing but ways to outwit people.

When you think about it, her run in with Lecan was truly a stroke of good luck to Eda. And Lecan himself believed that meeting Eda was good for him as well, though he can't really explain what and why. That's just how he feels.

He almost instinctively patted Eda's head, but stopped short. That's how you treat children. Lecan gently smiled at Eda instead.

Were Zaidmahl people saw Lecan during this moment, they would have doubted if he's even the same person. The ferocity and short-temper he had when he first came to this world were nowhere to be seen, that smile was truly gentle.

Jiza came out of her shaft.

Followed by Ui slightly later. She's got some wounds.

Urged by Lecan, Eda cast <Purification> on Ui.

Then the party warped to floor 62.