Chapter 81: Chapter 81
"Was the Goliath always that smart?" I heard someone say. Gradually, my consciousness returned and I began to regain my senses. Pain seared through my body as I opened my eyes and struggled to stand.
"Ugh," I grunted, mustering enough strength to get on my feet. Memories of battling the Goliath flooded back, and I couldn't help but berate myself for the mistake I had made. It was a miracle that I had survived.
"Are you okay?" a voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see Kaguya and Iska standing next to me. So it was their voices I had heard earlier.
"Yeah, just a few sore bones, but I'll live," I replied, checking to ensure all of my limbs were intact. Thankfully, nothing seemed broken. It seemed that they had given me an elixir and taken care of my injuries.
"How long was I unconscious?" I asked, curious as to how much time had passed.
"About three days," Kaguya answered.
"What time is it now?" I inquired further.
"It's evening," she responded.
"What about my familia members and their training?" I asked, concerned for their well-being.
"Don't worry, I personally took care of it," Iska confidently replied. Kaguya avoided my gaze, her expression giving away her apprehension.
This worried me. Iska, being an Amazon, had a reputation for her intense training methods despite her elegant personality. Seeing Kaguya's reaction only confirmed my concerns.
"Thank you," was all I could say in response.
I spent some time healing myself, channeling my magic spell to alleviate the discomfort in my body until it had completely subsided. Feeling as good as new, I decided to visit my familia members and assure them of my well-being.
As I approached their location, I was met with the sight of their battered bodies and lifeless eyes. They didn't even seem to notice my presence.
"What on earth did Iska do to them?" I wondered to myself.
I cleared my throat to make my presence known, hoping to snap them out of their stupor.
"Draco nii!" Lili was the first to come to her senses and jumped at me. "Draco nii, you're awake!" Vasiliki chimed in.
After our emotional reunion, we talked about their days of training with Iska, while I recounted my intense battle with the Goliath.
Though I had always hoped they would forge their own path to strength, it seemed they were following in my footsteps. Nevertheless, they had their own journey to walk.
Soon, we found ourselves gathered around a bonfire, enjoying a peaceful dinner together. The atmosphere was warm and comforting as we chatted away, discussing our worries and dreams.
The thought of potentially losing the Astraea familia in a little more than a year filled me with anger. I knew I needed to become even stronger, capable of tackling any butterfly effects from my actions.
I had taken a three-day leave from the training to recover, but now that I was feeling better, I was ready to resume my training and gather more excelia.
"Draco, what's wrong?" Lyra asked, sensing my unease.
"Nothing, just remembered something unpleasant," I replied, trying to brush off my worries.
"Cheer up, okay!" Iska interjected, slapping my back with her incredible strength. It stung, but I knew it was her unique way of showing support.
"Who gave her alcohol?" Celty teased, earning a playful scowl from Kaguya.
"Are you alright? You just recovered," Neze asked, concerned for my well-being.
"Yeah, I'm all healed up, so don't worry," I reassured them.
The night passed cheerfully, and as we awoke to the next day, I was geared up and ready to take on the dungeon once more.
...…
3 days later
"Fire bullet!" I bellowed, unleashing my spell to finish off another deadly hornet.
Fwoosh!
Boom!
The sound of the spell hitting its target echoed around us. The Astraea familia and I were currently on the 23rd floor of the dungeon, where the monsters were as annoying as ever.
I was eager to complete the expedition and return to the surface within the remaining 10 days of the month that we had planned.
I felt that I was ready to level up, but not before a rematch with the Goliath that would spawn within 2 weeks.
I needed to push my stats beyond their limits. Additionally, I was now certain that no matter how much I pushed my sibling in this expedition, they would not level up within the one-month limit, despite their increased growth rate.
However, they would still be able to handle the upper floors on their own and level up faster than most adventurers.
Furthermore, I didn't want to spend more than a month here. I felt I was taking too much advantage of the Astraea familia.
They could go deeper into the dungeon, but my familia's presence was somewhat restricting them.
We always needed to return to the 18th floor daily. They were our allies, and stalling their growth due to my selfishness could lead to things changing beyond my control.
Wham!
I slammed the last deadly hornet to the ground. It was time to head to the 24th floor.
....
Clang!
The sound of my claw hitting a metal rabbit echoed.
"Tsk, you're tough to kill for a rabbit," I muttered to the monster. The 24th floor was brutal, with numerous powerful creatures to deal with. There were sword stags, deadly hornets, bloody hives, hobgoblins, and metal rabbits, among others.
'This would be extremely difficult to solo,' I thought. I had initially planned to solo these floors after levelling up, but it seemed like I would have to team up with stronger adventurers if I wanted to delve deeper into the dungeon.
As we explored the 24th floor, hunting any monsters we could find, my blood began to boil as if drawn to something. I decided to follow this strange sensation and see what it led to.
"Are you alright, Draco?" Lyra, who was at my side, asked.
"Yeah, let's go this way," I said, leading the Astraea familia to the location where I felt something peculiar.
We walked for a while and soon came upon a tree, but it wasn't just any tree. It was a treasure tree, and I knew what protected such a tree—a green dragon.
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HungryMushroom
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