âEvan, being in the dungeon for too long is not good for your health. So donât get selfish or greedy, and come out at the right time. Got it?â
âYes, yes. I get it.â
âEvan will be fine in there, and you donât have to worry about him either. Belois, there will be no problems for you as long as you keep in mind what you have been taught.â
âEverything is engraved in my mind, Madam.â
The next morning, Evan and the group were finally able to leave for the dungeon. Of course, the Marquis didnât just let him go like that. The whole of the Marquisâ family had gathered to bid them farewell and good wishes.
âIn the dungeon, you always have to keep your eyes peeled. Itâs a place where you donât know whatâs going to happen the next moment.â
âOkay, brother. Iâll be careful enough.â
Eric, meanwhile, was even sniffling with tears as he was worried about his brother. He had already explored the Dungeon to the 10th floor, so he was keenly aware of how dangerous the Dungeon was.
Evan thought that the 20th floor was for beginners. He could break through it alone without getting caught in any traps.
âCome back quickly, Evan. I want to start your classes right away. Or should I go with you?â
âIf we go with Grandpa Leo, we wonât have to do even a single thing. Iâm not running away anymore, so please just wait here for me.â
âEvan, goodbye! Belois, Shine, Arisha, and Raihan, take care of yourselves. May the grace of God be with you.â
Leo and Aria had been staying there as the guests of the Marquis.
Leo, who knew about his abilities from when he had fought with Evan, wasnât worried about him at all.
He was one of the few people who knew that even if Evan walked through all the traps with his bare body, he wouldnât even get a scratch.
âAbu, Eva! Eva!â
âYeah, yes, our Liz. Letâs cheer up.â
ââŠâŠHow can our Liz say Eva before she says Dad?â
âI canât wait to see her pronounce the whole name.â
Elizabeth was continuously weeping. She rubbed Evanâs face with her tiny hands. It looked like she knew that she would not be able to see her for a while.
Evan patted her a few more times and handed the child to the second wife, Miriam. The child had gotten one and a half years old by now.
She had also gained quite some weight. She also seemed to be bigger than a normal child of her age.
âIâll be back soon, mother Miriam.â
âGood luck Evan. Keep in mind that the more late you are, the more difficult it will get to take care of Liz.â
âI will surely keep that in mind.â
âEvaaaa!â
Only after barely separating Elizabeth, who was clinging onto him and crying hysterically, they were able to get out of the mansion.
âYour family seems to be very nice. You have a good relationship with all of them.â
âI think itâll be better to focus on other things nowâŠâ
Evan shook his head and muttered at Arishaâs words.
It was a happy family, indeed. Evan wished none of them would get hurt when he was away.
âMy family will be alright. Letâs talk about some strategies for the dungeon.â
â⊠Okay.â
Evanâs party crossed the street and headed to the dungeon in the center of the city. They briefly talked about the guidelines of action within the dungeon.
It was still dawn, so there werenât many people out about. But some of the people who were already up and the people coming out of the dungeon widened their eyes as they watched the movement of Evan and the party.
âWe have 5 members, but Iâll leave everything to you, Arisha, from the first to fifth floors. I want you to judge and act by yourself⊠But Iâll help you to find the right way. We canât waste our time.â
âWill you serve as our guide?â
âYes, you can say itâs like that.â
A guide was the one who specialized in finding a safe and clear path in the dungeon and led the party. The guideâs participation in the battle wasnât very high.
Usually, someone with a Rogue aptitude having good eyes and an agile body took on this role, and if the guide was good at his or her job, the dungeon attack time, as well as the safety, increased drastically.
âOf course, when a major dungeon change occurs, the guides also make another uproar that they would now have to adapt to the changed dungeon.â
What about Evan? Of course, he didnât have to behave like that. It was because he already had a complete grasp of the dungeons even after the transformation! In Yo-Ma Great War 4, the great change in the Sherden Dungeon took place!
âIt is calculated that if I perform an assistant role with alchemy in addition to the role of a guide, we can proceed even beyond the 60th floor.â
âBut the Masterâs calculation does not include his combat skills, right?â
âMy combat skills donât really matter.â
When Evan replied that as if it was absolutely natural, Shine turned to Arisha and said.
âPlease try to remember that in the future, Lady Arisha. Itâs exactly the same as I have always insisted. By keeping all of these things in mind, you have to contribute as much as possible to evolve properly.â
âYes, I get it. Not a day goes by without me having fun while in Evanâs company.â
âDonât you think you are being very rude to me right nowâŠ?â
The party soon arrived at the dungeonâs entrance. The knight guarding the entrance politely bowed to them and guided them to the magic circle.
When the five people grasped each otherâs hands, the magic circle automatically revealed the limit of the floor, they could all conquer together. Of course, it was showing the first floor.
âMaster Evan, you have to be careful inside. In order for Miss Arisha to be surely recognized in the contribution while attacking the dungeon, other people of the party shouldnât be too active.â
âThank you for your concern. Iâll be careful.â
When Evan responded with a smile, the knight felt slightly embarrassed and stepped back.
Of course, the knight didnât know that Evan had the ability to quickly raise the dungeon levels of his companions as he had mastered Yo-Ma Great War 2, 3, and 4!
â⊠Whoo.â
âWhat is it, Arisha? Are you feeling nervous?â
Before entering the dungeon, Arisha breathed out loud enough to be heard by Evan. Arisha, who usually didnât show such emotions at all, seemed to be quite anxious right now.
It seemed to Evan that she was finally doing something that suited her age. Seeing Evan smile at her, she said.
â⊠The dungeon itself is not scary. What if I donât meet Evanâs standards? That is what Iâm a little scared of.â
âDonât worry. Itâs nothing like that. You may very well be able to exceed my expectations too.â
How could he even dare to compare the abilities of the main heroine with an extra!? Well, of course, compared to Shine and Belois, the Rookie children, her skills might have been less powerful but stillâŠ
However, among the Yo-Ma Great War seriesâs main heroines, Arisha was praised for her unique visual, importance, and outstanding ability.
She was a character that received an evaluation that the triple beat fit well.
Moreover, she had both magical and physical capabilities so that she could be active in all situations!
âIs she being more timid than I remember?â
She was extraordinary, and Evan already had a rough idea of her current capabilities.
It was really amazing that she, who had no knowledge of the games, had such power at this age. And her next words were even more surprising.
âI have always evaluated others from a superior standpoint. Itâs because I havenât met many people who are better than me. So this is a new stimulus. Everything I do comes back to me someday, now I know it.â
âSo, what are you going to do?â
â⊠I must prove that I deserve to be cocky in the future.â
At that moment, when Arisha muttered in a strong tone as if vowing to herself, her whole body trembled slightly.
Overcoming her body with just a will, she was absolutely not an ordinary twelve-year-old!
âI know that I have the qualities worthy of being a member of the Dungeon Knights.â
âItâs enough already.â
âAnd that Evan is a fun person that should not be lost.â
âNo, you donât need to prove that. And isnât that premise wrong?â
âBut Evan is really fun. I want to keep watching him from the sides.â
âI donât need that kind of attention!â
A series of serious questions and answers were being exchanged until a while ago, and now Arisha was again looking at him with a creepy gaze.
Evan simply couldnât be off guard when he was with her!
âThe two of you look good together⊠No! Belois, what are you doing!â
âSilly Shine.â
Shine has been admiring the exchange between Evan and Arisha, and when he said that, Belois nudged him with an elbow in the ribs. Shine fell to his knees due to the pain. Although, he was fortunate that he didnât get hit by the fox fire.
âWell⊠Itâs a bad game.â
Seeing the four children who he had to enter the dungeon with, Raihan made a secret pledge.
âI should always keep upright! I must protect these children at all costs!â
âOkay, the stairs will be located at the end of the first floor. There are no traps on the first floor.â
However, to begin with, at least, there was no immediate danger for Raihan to deal with.
He didnât even need to lift the shield once.
âBecause we have already taken all the achievements that can be won, those which have already been found are invalidated⊠Letâs see, I cleared it in 2 hours.â
âIs this really the dungeon?â
It was so easy for Arisha in the beginning.
She simply went as quickly as Evan led her.
Next to him, Shine said with a wide smile.
âCongratulations on following the smartest guide, Miss Arisha.â
âItâs too early to be happy. Clearing the dungeon quickly means that there is no additional reward for you on this floor. Youâve only leveled up, havenât you? Weâve already gotten extra skills at this point.â
Arisha nodded silently at Evanâs blunt remark. She got a little protection, but it must be different from what Evan meant by rewards.
Of course, Arisha, who conquered the first floor of the dungeon according to Evanâs directions, was able to casually achieve an overwhelming level of achievements compared to other dungeon explorers.
However, since it was the first floor of the dungeon, she did not get additional rewards, and the last dungeon exploration that had acquired the skills on the first floor of the dungeon was strange, but Arisha did not realize that.
The criteria for her to recognize dungeons were becoming similar to Evanâs!
âIn other words, for you, the real dungeon starts from the 6th floor, right?â
âIâm already prepared for that.â
Arisha said, squeezing the handle of the rapier in her hand.
âI am ready to do anything, so help me evolve and get as many achievements as possible up to the fifth floor of the dungeon. I want to catch up as much to you guys as soon as possible.â
âOkay, enough with that attitude.â
In such a situation, the easiest and most effective way to get an achievement was to acquire an additional reward from God.
âI donât think we need more speed.â
Evan laughed as he said so. Arisha also laughed weakly.
Five hours later, they were standing in front of the stairs leading down to the 5th floor of the dungeon.