Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

"...Does the goddess Freya have any orders?"

"I advise you not to be so narcissistic, oh it."

The implication was that Allen had asked what was wrong with the surface, but he quietly denied it.

Although Allen, who was naturally rough, rarely spoke like this, his eyes were different.

Allen's eyes shone with an unprecedented fighting spirit.

"Hmph, hmph hmph hmph... If a honed blade is the paradise the world longs for, then we too are part of that world..."

The dark elf Hegni, whose implication was that "since the [Family] tacitly allows its members to compete and hone their skills, then it applies to us, who are ranked as first-class adventurers," exuded an unprecedented aura of danger.

The brutal infighting between factions doesn't just happen among lower-ranking members.

As first-class adventurers, Allen and his companions would naturally strive to reach the pinnacle for the sake of the main god (Freya). Even though they belong to the same faction, it's not surprising that they want to drag Otto, who is known as the "strongest" in the city, off his throne.

Within the Freya Familia, which undergoes daily "baptisms," there is a rule prohibiting its members from engaging in infighting on the surface. This measure is to avoid unnecessary provocation to other factions.

However, Freya didn't say much about the battle inside the dungeon.

Moreover, this trip to the dungeon was not a direct order from Freya to train "a certain boy," unlike when Otto trained the Minotaur.

Therefore, internal strife can occur.

"Wait, let's talk about that later, now..."

"Shut up, O Ta! As servants of that goddess, how can we forever remain subservient to you? I refuse to swallow this insult, and I will now defeat you and surpass you."

It was the dwarf Alfrick who interrupted O'Its speech.

Since the quadruplets had long disliked Ota, who stood out from the crowd at Lv·7, the younger brothers also spoke up.

"Stop talking nonsense, you wild boar."

"You are merely excellent experience points."

"Delicious experience points."

“…………”

Oh, it's about to explode.

"Come on, watch me wipe you all out today."

The first-level adventurers were in high spirits.

Ota threw his backpack on the ground, his face showing no anger, sigh, or bitterness. Instead, he calmly picked up his weapon and assumed a fighting stance.

The cat people, dark elves, and dwarves launched an attack simultaneously.

*

Time moves forward.

Every day, Ota trains his body and mind through "baptism," and through constant thinking and research into "skills" and "tactics," he devours the dishes made by Mia herself to build up his steel-like bones and muscles, thus becoming a true "strongman."

At the age of seventeen, he finally became the deputy regimental commander in a legitimate capacity.

The total ability is Lv.5.

However, more than Otto's growth, it was his relationship with those around him that changed.

By this time, Otto had already met the three leaders of the Loki Familia, who were both arch-enemies and entangled in a "karmic entanglement," and often competed with them.

As for the future officers of the [Family], the first to join were Hegny and Hedin.

Next up are the four Jaliba brothers, led by Alfred.

Finally, there's Alan and his "sister".

Those who were chosen by the goddess of beauty all demonstrated a speed of sublimation (upgrade) equal to or faster than Otto, and were all outstanding individuals with the qualities of a "hero".

Mia had already left the Familia by this time.

Although Otto ultimately failed to defeat her, he understood the words she had left behind.

At some point, it transformed from a position of chasing others into a target that others chase.

Whether it was the four brothers—Hegney, Hedin, Jariba, and Allen—they all saw Ota as a thorn in their side and relentlessly pursued him. Just like Ota in the past, they trained hard for the goddess, having no intention of keeping pace with Ota, only wanting to surpass him and desperately climbing the ranks. Even during one expedition to the "Deep Layer," the eight of them abandoned the monsters and engaged in a fierce battle. The expedition naturally ended in failure, and even Freya couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. To avoid repeating the same mistake, they all practiced self-discipline afterward (but ultimately, it was just "self-discipline").

This coincided with the worst period in the history of the labyrinth city (Orario), so Orario spent this "dark period" with them.

During that time, we experienced many acquaintances and partings.

All the senior members of the [Family] who were more senior than Otto have perished.

Alan no longer has his "sister" by his side.

This group of people were all eliminated in the "Hero" Trial.

The most outstanding officers and strongest fighters of the Freya Familia have now assembled. Otto and his companions are indeed the most formidable warriors (Einheriar) in the history of the Familia.

By the time Ota came to his senses, he had already taken over as the head of the group.

He didn't realize it until he came to his senses.

Moreover, he was completely immersed in the battle, showing no awareness whatsoever of being a faction leader.

But even if his stance changes, the path he takes forward remains the same, and the things he should do remain the same.

It's about being obsessed with strength, recklessly pursuing it to the point of being almost pathological and thoughtless.

Allen, Hegney, Hedin, Alfred, and his three brothers were in hot pursuit of him.

However──

Ota felt deeply guilty—because he hadn't taken these people seriously.

Even though Otto held Allen and others in high regard, they were ultimately just "behind" him.

He was always looking "ahead".

Gazing at "that era" that has already passed.

"Why do you want to continue becoming stronger?"

One day, a young member asked this question in bewilderment. This girl was the healer who had been sent to clean up the mess after the faction's "baptism" and always had a pair of dead fish eyes.

That's a stupid question.

That could be described as incredibly foolish.

But responding to the girl in this way would be too cruel.

After all, she knew absolutely nothing about it.

That's right.

People praised it as "the highest peak".

Everyone revered it as "the strongest".

However, no one realized that this fame would further fuel his fighting spirit.

No one could understand that beneath that upright and unwavering face lay a heart surging with passion, like boiling magma.

-- The life of the "fierce warrior (king)" is extremely arduous and also very glamorous.

Someone once said that.

When Otto heard this, he had only one thought.

"ridiculous."

Perhaps only Mia and the three leaders who are her sworn enemies can understand the true meaning of this sentence.

*

"hateful!!"

Allen's loud curses mingled with the sounds of fierce sword clashes.

Otto easily deflected the silver spear aimed at his throat with his greatsword.

A massive hole was blasted into the lake on the 27th floor of the dungeon. This hole cuts through the side of the Great Fall and leads directly into the interior of the dungeon. Passing through this cavern opened by the aftershocks of magic, the battlefield for the first-level adventurers shifts to a vast cavern.

The water flows around the wide ground made of crystal, causing the crystal clusters to sparkle.

Six figures, reflected in the surrounding crystals, moved at a speed that was impossible for the naked eye to follow.

The pathetic monsters who mistook Ota and others for prey were immediately blasted away or torn to pieces as soon as they entered the battlefield.

"……drink!"

Otto stands on a broad piece of land surrounded by water—no, it stands in the center of an "island" and continues to wage a war of attack and defense.

The cat-people unleashed a rain of piercing attacks at lightning speed, leaving afterimages in their wake. The dark elf, transformed into a war king by activating a magic-altering technique (Dark Elf Magic Sword), cleaved the floor in two with a single strike. The four dwarf quadruplets displayed unparalleled teamwork, launching a relentless attack from all directions. The boar-man warriors were exposed to the fierce onslaught of the first-tier adventurers.

However, it was Allen and his group who gradually lost their composure and continued to launch attacks.

With just his gauntlets, Ota deflected the silver spear that had formed a diagonal line. With a single swing of his greatsword, he neutralized the terrifying power contained in the black sword. Then, he drew a circle with his greatsword, knocking away all the weapons that came from the front, back, left, and right at the same time.

Allen and the others gritted their teeth in anger upon seeing this.

Although it could leave abrasions on the warrior's rock-like skin, it was slow to inflict fatal wounds on his body.

Seeing that Ota could easily defeat him with just a greatsword, Allen was filled with killing intent and rushed forward in one breath.

"You didn't use enough force, Allen. You should eat more."

"You think you're my mom?! Prepare to die!!"

After Allen's spear was blocked, he was blown away like a feather.

Enraged, the cat-man youth twisted his body in mid-air, forcefully pushing off the crystal pillar with both feet. As he did so, he created cracks on the crystal's surface and transformed into an arrow that shot out.

However, Otto simply twisted his body slightly to dodge the thrust that was powerful enough to cut through space.

The spear, hurtling through the air, pierced the ground, creating a shockwave and a massive crater, which swept up a large number of crystal fragments.

Countless fragments obscured his vision, forcing Ota to squint. In that instant, the four Jariba brothers saw an opportunity and immediately launched their attack.

"Don't even think about blocking it!" "Don't even think about deflecting it!" "This is the true essence of a sneak attack!" "Don't even think about using your muscles to distort spacetime!"

"I did not distort spacetime."

Ota instantly blocked the simultaneous attack of the four people and politely answered the youngest (Ger)'s words.

He was like a beast crouching on the ground, lowering his center of gravity to deal with the coordinated attacks launched by the four brothers from a low position from which they could not retaliate.

"You're overusing your short stature as an advantage. You also need to learn to attack from above, otherwise your methods are too rigid."

"They're even capable of offering advice with such ease!"

"Don't underestimate people, Ota!"

"That's not true. I just think you guys can expand your tactical options simply by standing up straight."

"Your statement is tantamount to making an enemy of all the little people in the world?"

"……Feel sorry."

Faced with the quadruplets' eyes, now devoid of light and filled only with murderous intent, Ota frankly apologized.

The four brothers deployed a deadly formation, launching an attack from all four directions. This encirclement tactic, akin to a self-sacrificing assault, posed a significant threat to the lives of martial artists. Aota instantly assessed this furious attack—a single miscalculation could lead to certain death—and stomped down with his left foot.

The incredibly powerful stomp shattered the ground on the spot, sending the four Jaliba brothers flying.

"【The power of the demonic sword, annihilation for eternity】."

Suddenly, a very short lyric was sung from the side.

"【Burn Dain】!"

Hegni stretched out his right hand and unleashed a roar of fire from his palm.

Although this attack has a very short range, it is a powerful explosive fire magic that can incinerate all enemies within its range. Watching the Crimson Light, amplified once again by the black magic circle beneath his feet, Otto mustered all his strength and swung his greatsword upwards.

“Ooooooooooooooooooooo!!”

"!"

A deafening roar, loud enough to drown out the sound of the waterfall, came from the scene.

Otto used brute force to disperse the exploding flames, then unleashed two sword beams to intercept the dark elf's slash that followed immediately by "magic." The greatsword, which changed direction the next second, clashed head-on with the black sword, and Hegni's double slash was blocked on the spot.

"You hateful embodiment of power! Even my secret sword couldn't sever your massive body. You truly stand at the pinnacle of the demonic realm, O it!"