It was called a mansion, but in truth, it was more like a castle.
Akira passed through the grand entrance and made his way to the inner gate, which creaked open under the push of his hand.
In the vast hall at the heart of this opulent structure, two figures could be seen sitting quietly on a plush sofa.
Ais and Riveria.
The moment the sound of the door echoed through the room, both women turned their eyes toward the entrance.
Upon seeing that the visitor was Akira, Ais's golden eyes lit up with subtle delight. Her lips curved gently into a soft smile as she lifted a hand and gave him a small wave of welcome.
"Good morning. I'm not late, am I? Ais-san, Riveria-san."
Akira quickly approached the pair, offering his greeting with an apologetic grin, realizing the two had clearly been waiting.
Riveria gave a light shake of her head, a warm chuckle escaping her lips.
She said, "It seems Ais is quite excited to adventure with you today. She was up earlier than usual."
Her voice carried amusement, but also a hint of curiosity. After all, she had heard Loki's report the day before.
The news had shocked her—another Limit Breaker had emerged. But when she considered that it was Akira, somehow, it didn't feel strange at all.
"Is that so?" Akira chuckled in response.
"I suppose I'm also quite looking forward to exploring the Dungeon with Ais."
He cast a glance at Ais, thinking perhaps Riveria was stricter with her than necessary, prompting the girl's eagerness to venture out with others.
"Let's go, Akira."
Ais suddenly grasped his arm, tugging him toward the exit with barely restrained anticipation.
However, Akira dug in his heels slightly, resisting the pull as he gently patted Ais's head.
He said, "Wait just a moment. I've got a little something for you."
From his pouch, Akira produced five magic tools he had crafted in haste the previous night. He held them out with care, explaining their functions and limitations to both Riveria and Ais in a calm tone.
"These four necklaces are meant for teleportation. This one here—"
He pointed at the fifth item and said, "—this serves as the teleportation anchor point."
Riveria raised an eyebrow in admiration and said, "Such a remarkable item. So it seems you went with mystery as your development ability?"
"Mm." Akira nodded.
Riveria didn't press further. Her gaze turned to Ais, who looked as though she could barely sit still. She sighed with quiet resignation before waving a hand in concession.
She approached Ais and, looping her arms around the younger girl's shoulders, fastened the necklace around her neck.
Her expression became firm, her tone motherly. "You may explore together, but do not take Akira into the deep floors. Understood?"
Ais nodded seriously and said, "I understand. I'll protect Akira."
Riveria handed the remaining magic items to Akira and smiled gently.
"With these, I suppose there's little to worry about. Sorry to trouble you, Ais, but please take care."
The moment Riveria stopped speaking, Ais seized Akira's hand with childlike eagerness and rushed for the door.
"Don't be in such a hurry, Ais." Akira offered Riveria a helpless smile and waved as he was dragged off.
The two soon found themselves racing along North Street. Without warning, Ais slowed down, her gaze fixed on a familiar stall.
"Akira, do you want to eat?" She asked, pointing to a vendor selling fried potato balls.
Akira glanced at her curiously and asked, "Didn't you already have breakfast? Can you still eat more?"
"No problem." Ais replied coolly before turning to the vendor.
"Boss, two red bean cream flavors, please."
"Coming right up! Two fried potato balls, just a moment."
A short wait later, Ais received the food and immediately turned to Akira, lifting one of the potato balls to his mouth with the innocence of a child.
Taking the offered snack, Akira glanced down at the girl who now walked beside him, gently clinging to his arm as she nibbled her own.
He couldn't help but wonder—why did she seem to like him so much? They had only met a handful of times, hadn't they?
The pair soon reached the first floor of the Dungeon, where monsters like goblins and ogres sprang forth with predictable regularity.
Without hesitation, Ais dashed forward, cutting them down with smooth sword strokes as she ran.
Akira followed close behind, his one-handed sword flashing as he kept pace.
He called out as they cleared another corridor, "Ais, can you stop for a moment? We'll take forever to reach the middle floors at this pace."
Ais slowed down, turning back with a puzzled look. "But if I use magic now, I won't be able to last."
Though she was already a Level 3 adventurer, magic still couldn't be used endlessly. Ais typically reserved it for the mid-levels and beyond.
Hearing her concern, Akira asked with a grin, "Then… Ais, can I carry you on my back?"
Her eyes widened slightly, and then an unexpected joy spread across her face. "Okay."
To his surprise, she actually agreed. Akira crouched, offering his back, and waited as Ais climbed aboard.
She slung Desperate over her shoulder and hopped on with unrestrained happiness. Her slender arms circled around him, golden hair brushing against his black locks.
The cold touch of her breastplate pressed against his back as she nestled close, resting her cheek gently.
After making sure her skirt was tucked securely, Akira lifted her up by the thighs and said, "Alright, hold on tight. I'm going to speed up."
"Mm," came the quiet, almost childish reply near his ear.
As soon as she spoke, Akira activated Swift Master. The surrounding air shifted—his hair and Ais's both fluttered in the rising breeze.
Wind coiled around his form like a living spirit, and with a single powerful step, the duo launched forward with breakneck speed.
They soared down the dungeon halls like a gust of stormy wind, blurring past monsters and obstacles alike.
Roughly thirty minutes later, they arrived at the safe zone on the 18th floor. Familiar glowing crystals bathed the cavern in gentle light as Akira finally slowed and bent down to release his passenger.
Ais stepped off with sparkling eyes and said, "We reached so fast… Akira, that was amazing. How did you keep the wind going for so long?"
"Ah… Maybe my magic power capacity is just a bit higher than yours." Akira scratched his cheek, looking away shyly.
"You'll be able to do the same in the future, I'm sure."
With a nod, Ais smiled brightly and said, "Okay. Let's start hunting from this floor, alright?"
"Alright, let's go."
Leaving the safety of the 18th floor, they ventured deeper—into unknown territory for Akira.
The 19th floor.
Massive, ancient trees loomed overhead. Their branches twisted and interwove, forming complex natural tunnels.
A thick scent of decay hung in the air from decomposing wood, while a dense white fog blanketed the area, reducing visibility to nearly nothing.
Landmarks were nonexistent. The forest itself was an endless, disorienting labyrinth. Poisonous swamps dotted the ground, hindering movement and radiating a faint but dangerous miasma.
From above, predatory insectoid monsters watched in silence, waiting to ambush. Others crept within the fog, striking unseen with precise lethality.