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

The dragon's enormous body crashed to the ground with a deafening roar.

Seeing the great red dragon's head explode in a spectacular display, not only Tiona and the others, but all the monsters stopped what they were doing.

A moment of silence swept through the crowd.

The figure descended from the large hole in the ceiling, having slain the cannon dragon, and slowly pulled a great axe from the fallen dragon corpse.

"Are you guys still alive, you bastards?"

When the dwarf veteran peered out from under his helmet, Lefia and the others stared in astonishment.

"grid……"

"Grace...?"

Lefia murmured hoarsely, and Tiona's voice followed.

As Bert and Tiony stood frozen in place, the two great axes in the hands of the first-level adventurer Grace Landrock gleamed with a silvery light.

"Oh, oh ...

As their comrades were instantly killed, the furious roar of the cannon dragon reached the heavens.

Starting with this, the monsters began to move, attacking the dwarf who appeared alone in the center of the dragon herd.

"Grace!?"

"Old man!!"

Tiony and Bert called out from afar, while Grace tossed the cloak draped over her shoulders—and vanished.

He shattered the ground, approaching the feet of a cannon dragon (Valgon) with a speed no dwarf should possess.

The first-level adventurer, fully utilizing his Lv.6 ability (stat), with eyes wide with fury, smashed the double axes he had been charging up behind him into the dragon's feet.

"——————!?!?!"

The great red dragon was unable to put up any resistance; one of its legs was torn apart and it crashed to the ground.

Tiona and the others gasped at his lightning-fast speed and decisive action.

In fact, the forelimbs of the Cannon Dragon (Valgon Dragon) have evolved into enormous wings like those of a Pteranodon, making close combat impossible. This bombardment-specialized monster can only swing its long, thick tail, meaning that the Great Red Dragon's embrace is its only safe haven. Moreover, charging into the dragon's embrace can frighten other Cannon Dragons into fighting each other, thereby sealing their massive fireballs.

The great red dragons were momentarily at a loss as to how to attack. Grace seized this opening, kicked the ground again, and began to move.

He tossed aside his main weapon, the Giant Battle Axe, which was as heavy as the Great Double Blade (Ulga), and his indestructible Great Battle Axe, the Roland Great Axe.

With his hands freed, Grace grabbed the tail of the Valgonosaurus, whose legs had been broken and which had fallen to the ground.

"Hmph! Ugh! Ohhh...!!"

He used both hands and his whole body to pull the dragon's tail and lift it up.

Five fingers pierced and sank into the hard red scales, dragging the cannon dragon's huge body along the way.

He ignored the fireballs raining down from the dragons overhead, only letting his face flush red and several veins appear on his forehead.

Then, Grace let out a mighty roar:

"...Ooo ...

As the dwarf twisted his upper body, the dragon's enormous body began to rise from the ground.

——No way.

Lefia and the others shared the same sentiment; their premonition had come true.

Grace began to spin, and the Valgonosaurus, whose tail was being grabbed, seemed to naturally follow suit.

The enormous red dragon, whose body was ten meters long, was grabbed and tossed about by a dwarf.

"Ah...ahh ...

The dragon, whose tail had been grabbed, let out a miserable scream.

Grace used his superhuman strength stat and the unique dwarven skill that enhances strength to swing the cannon dragon like a hammer.

"No, this is bad!?"

"Get down right now!?"

Tiony and Bert screamed and, along with Tiona and Lefia, fell to the ground.

「!?」

Three laps, four laps, five laps, six laps.

With each additional lap, its speed and destructive power increased dramatically, instantly scattering all approaching monsters. Even the other cannon dragons (Valgon Dragons) were blasted away by Grace using the bodies of her brethren, wiping them out completely.

First-class adventurer, Grace Landrock.

This incredibly strong veteran truly embodies the characteristics of the dwarven race. Not only within the Loki Familia, but also throughout the entire city (Oario), Grace's "strength" and "endurance" are among the best. He is a natural-born frontline attacker and can also serve as a frontline wall, making him a true super-frontline specialist. His punches are like a shattering hammer that crushes all enemies, and his robust physique is the strongest shield.

Grace can crush anything that stands in his way, and no attack can subdue him; the gods of Orario bestowed upon him the nickname "Elgarm".

Legend has it that he once single-handedly lifted the severely damaged giant sailing ship (Galeon), making him a great dwarf warrior on par with the Brave and the Nine Hell.

"Ugh ugh ...

The monster was crushed, its dying screams echoing, followed by the sound of a vicious vortex.

Grace and the Great Red Dragon, now transformed into a massive storm, blew away all the surrounding monsters.

"Fly, Aa ...

Grace used her last move, releasing the dragon's tail.

The enormous body flew diagonally upwards with a powerful centrifugal force, affecting the flock of flying dragons overhead.

The dragon flail, hurled high into the air, traced an arc, crushing the flock of dragons and exploding on the wall of the 58th floor.

It crashed violently into the rock face, causing a collapse and creating a sound like a meteorite impact.

"...It's a lie, isn't it...?"

Tiona lifted her head from the ground, covered in dust, her cheeks twitching.

Five cannon dragons lay on the ground with their tongues sticking out, while the monsters that had been blasted away were gone without a trace. In the distance, a large red dragon's head was buried in the wall.

Seeing the scene after the storm, Bert, Tione, and Lefia remained in a prone position, their faces contorted in pain.

"Haa, haa... Whew, I really want to drink the dwarf's strong liquor to my heart's content."

The person who did this had his shoulders heaving as he took out a high-grade elixir from his robes and gulped it down like wine.

Grace rudely wiped his mouth with his arm, then looked at Tiona and the others who were lying on the ground in a daze.

"What are you standing there for, you kids? The monster's coming back for a while longer, get up!"

He was right; cracks had appeared on the wall of the 58th floor, far away.

The flock of dragons flew in once again from the slowly repaired hole in the sky.

Grace picked up the two large battle axes he had thrown away and assumed a fighting stance.

"...It seems like Mr. Grace alone is enough...?"

"Stop talking nonsense. How can you act like that all day long?"

Lefia and Tiona staggered to their feet and met up with Grace, who immediately denied what Lefia had said.

The dwarf warrior insisted that he had just been lucky, and raised his double axes, crossed in front of his chest.

"We'll hold out until Finn and the others arrive, okay?"

His armor was charred black by the dragon's flames, his cloak was tattered, and he was covered in cuts and bruises.

Seeing the injuries Grace sustained when she launched that absurd attack, Bert and the others understood.

The reason Grace doesn't usually exert such great power is because she leaves the front lines to them and always takes care of the rear affairs herself.

In order to protect Bert and the others, as well as Raul and his young team members.

Seeing that Bert and the others remained silent and looked serious, Grace turned around and grinned at them.

"Hey, where did your usual mischievousness go? Why don't you go and cause some trouble so the old lady can rest?"

Hearing his half-joking, provocative tone, Bert and the others raised an eyebrow and reacted in different ways.

"How can an old man like you be old?"

"I won't lose!"

"I don't think I'm cut out to be a leader. How am I supposed to be one when I see this kind of situation?"

Hearing these spirited young adventurers talking to themselves, "You young people, huh?" Grace laughed too.

Seeing them pick up their weapons and make a sound, Lefia quickly raised her wand as well.

"Hmm! That's... a new species."

In front of Grace's line of sight, the empty passageway at the north end of the 57th floor spewed out countless terrifying shadows. The horrifying surface of yellowish-green and mottled colors made Grace squint.

"The path to the 57th floor..."

"I'm stuck! Seriously, this is never going to end... Don't you guys leave my side!"

Lefia let out a gurgling sound, and Grace beside her charged out with overwhelming force.

Witnessing the tight threat deep within the territory, the first-tier adventurers, unwilling to fall behind, followed the dwarven warriors in the attack.

◆

"Change formation! Ais, move to the front!"

In order to rescue Lefia, Grace and the others jumped down into the pit.

The main squad, including Finn, who were separated from them, fought against the monster horde as they advanced through the 52nd floor.

"Raul, you hold the center line and cover Ais! Riveria, please cover the rear!"

"yes!?"

"understood."

As Finn raced forward, he wielded his indestructible spear to cover Ais, who was fighting on the front lines, or to kill any monsters she managed to cut through.

He swiftly ordered a formation change from his central defensive position to address the emergency, guiding the squad with his cultivated leadership skills. The leader's powerful voice prevented a drop in morale and wavering, guiding the adventurers even in dire straits.

Raul and the others understood that only by faithfully obeying his orders could they escape danger, so they changed formation in unison.

"Tsubaki, I'm sorry, but I need to borrow your power."

"No problem, leave it to me."

Hearing Finn, who was staring intently ahead, say this, Tsubaki smiled and nodded.

Also positioned in the center, she drew her katana at high speed, slicing the monster in two, and joined Finn in supporting Ais at the front.

Ais was at the front, followed by Raul and three other supporters. Finn and Tsubaki protected them on the left and right, and Riveria was at the very back.

With the supporters at the center, they rushed through the passage on the 52nd floor at an even faster speed than before.

"Don't stop!"

They dodged the relentless bombardment from below, managing to scare away only the minimum number of monsters.

Faced with the "floor-ignoring" attack, the situation is unpredictable. As long as a bloody path can be fought through, the remaining monsters will be annihilated by the Cannon Dragon's (Valgon Dragon's) massive fireball.

Ais and the others had no choice but to advance, with reaching the 58th floor as their top priority.

Finn had a complete grasp of the vast, deep map data that extended beyond the city of Orario, and he provided route instructions one by one, pointing out the shortest path to the next floor amidst the continuous bombardment of the dragons. Raul and the others gathered their large weapons and other personal belongings and handed them over to one of the supporters, freeing their hands to continue supporting the vanguard with daggers and spears.

Riveria's green light protection (veiled breath) enveloped the entire team. The protective magic not only protected Lefia and the others, but also made Ais and the others glow. She blocked several dangerous attacks for them.

"Oooooo ...

Ferocious and vicious monsters blocked their path.

Giant venom scorpions, thunder snakes, silver worms... the monsters in the deeper levels are completely different in combat power from the monsters on the previous floors. Coupled with the cannon fire that flies across the floors, all kinds of powerful monsters have been hindering Ais and her Loki Familia's dungeon exploration to this day.

"Finn, there are nine enemies!"

"Break through here! Ais, go!!"

Ais ran off along the shortest path calculated by Finn.

The monster roared from the front of the passage, pounding against the girl's body. She shouted as if trying to deflect the roar: