The sound of soil scraping rang out from every direction.
Phosphorescent light spilled down from the ceiling, illuminating the surrounding area enclosed by pale green walls on all sides.
This kind of place was called a chamber, a square open space inside the Dungeon.
“Screech, screech, screech—!”
Within that space, the ones letting out cries that made the scalp tingle, like fingernails scraping across a blackboard, were powerful monsters that began appearing from the seventh floor onward.
Killer Ants.
At the ends of their arms were four well-developed claws.
The crooked, twisted protrusions were now giving off a chilling luster, possessing an offensive power completely incomparable to low-level monsters such as goblins.
The outer shell covering the surface of their bodies was as hard as armor, and half-hearted attacks would simply bounce off.
Not only that, but trying to deal direct damage to their bodies through that carapace was also extremely difficult.
Before an adventurer could even break through their defenses, they would first be fatally wounded by those sharp claws.
This was the common way ordinary adventurers were defeated by Killer Ants.
Because the abilities of this type of monster were clearly different from the opponents they had faced so far, adventurers who had grown used to fighting the small monsters above the fifth floor often became their food one after another.
Among adventurers, they had the nickname “rookie killers.”
“This is bad… That number…”
Calling them a dozen or so already felt like an understatement.
There were probably more than twenty in this area.
It was almost approaching the scale of a small Monster Party.
The corners of Raul’s eyes twitched.
Clearly, he had not expected to encounter such a situation immediately after arriving on the seventh floor.
A Monster Party referred to a phenomenon that began occurring from the tenth floor onward, where a large number of monsters would appear instantly in the same area.
Once this phenomenon occurred, it would only take a moment for an originally empty area to be quickly packed full of monsters.
Although this was only the seventh floor, placing twenty Killer Ants here still made for a force that could not be underestimated.
Moreover, this type of monster could also call for companions.
Although they would not shout loudly, when they fell into a crisis, they could release a pheromone-like substance that humans could not detect, attracting others of their kind.
For rookie adventurers, this was undoubtedly a disaster.
Originally, Raul had only wanted to bring Ize here to let him experience the seventh floor’s signature monster, the Killer Ant.
That way, when Ize explored down to the seventh floor alone in the future, he would not accidentally suffer a loss.
But now…
“Should we retreat?
The stairs back to the sixth floor are right behind us.
Or…”
While observing Ize’s reaction from the corner of his eye, Raul had already placed his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
After all, why did new members of a Familia usually have seniors bring them into the Dungeon?
Right now, Ize turning around and running was clearly the best choice in this situation.
However, directly attempting to challenge his limits and choosing to fight was not necessarily impossible either.
Because Raul, a Level 4, was standing behind him as insurance.
Barring any unexpected situations, the increase brought by an adventurer’s level meant absolute suppression.
Forget twenty Killer Ants—even if that number doubled, they still would not be able to stop Raul, a Level 4.
“Perfect…”
Beside Ize, Raul froze when he heard him mutter softly.
Perfect?
Raul, feeling somewhat stunned, subconsciously asked what was on his mind.
“I actually have another magic spell, Brother Raul.
I feel like now is the perfect time to try it.”
As Ize answered his doubt, he raised his silver-gray spear, lowered the tip, and took his stance.
Hearing those words, Raul could not help but draw in a sharp breath.
A human had actually awakened two spells on his first time?
Completely unaware of Raul’s complicated feelings at that moment, Ize took a slight breath and felt the power within his body.
Call it forth!
Reveal it!
Chant.
Release the magic!
“Draw the Curtain Down — Orionids!”
In the next instant, the magic residing within Ize broke free from its shackles.
—!!!
A radiance like a starry night sky suddenly bloomed beneath his feet, enveloping Ize’s entire body.
However, it only lasted for an instant.
That starry radiance scattered, turning into points of starlight that lingered around him, while Ize underwent yet another elevation.
A faint, deep-blue aura of light danced around Ize like flames.
It was more graceful than anything else and deeper than the ancient night itself.
His short golden hair began to move without wind, and together with his clear blue pupils, it was dyed with strands of silvery white.
Power surged forth like a fountain at that moment.
No—far more than that!
Enchantment Magic.
It was magic that applied magical power to oneself, or even to one’s weapon, thereby assisting attacks, increasing speed, and enhancing physical ability.
It was an extremely rare and powerful type of magic.
There were many ways to develop it, and just as many ways to use it in combat.
Directly covering one’s own body with it like this was considered the simplest and most straightforward method.
“But this is enough…”
Under the enhancement of magic, star flames also flowed across the spear’s shaft, and the high temperature spilling from the spear tip even distorted the air.
Witnessing the human in their field of vision summon such terrifying power, the Killer Ants clearly showed astonishment and fear.
Although their intelligence was low, they had no doubt that if such power descended upon them, it would absolutely be as overwhelming as a tornado tearing through a parking lot.
The mouthparts of the Killer Ants kept chewing, producing sharp, creaking sounds.
These Killer Ants, who were usually accustomed to relying on numbers and armor to ambush humans, were now standing in a position of absolute numerical advantage—yet they did not dare to advance.
“Ize, they’re calling their companions!”
Extremely familiar with that creaking sound, Raul directly exposed their actions.
“Yeah, I know.”
Ize nodded.
In short, he had to end this quickly.
Even if Raul had not said it, Ize would have done so.
When Enchantment Magic was applied to his body, it consumed stamina and mind very quickly.
The recovery effect brought by Heart of the Earth was nothing more than a drop in the bucket compared to that consumption.
“—I’m going in!”
Because of the tremendous surge in strength, his emotions became slightly heated.
Spinning his spear and locking the shaft into position, Ize aimed at the point where the Killer Ants were most densely gathered and chose to thrust.
In an instant, the ground where Ize had been standing exploded, and the powerful force even kicked up a gust of wind.
With the momentum of a meteor, he pierced forward!
Broke through!
Facing the dense swarm of Killer Ants ahead, Ize drove his silver-gray spear forward with all his strength.
“Silver Star Descends — Orionids!”
In the next moment, a tremendous roar resounded throughout the chamber.
Deep-blue magical light raged through the passage, and an intense radiance erupted across everything within sight.
Silver-white brilliance, wrapped in deep-blue flaming vapor, filled the entire space.
It even felt as if the walls of the passage were on the verge of collapse.
Standing at the entrance to the stairs, Raul stretched out his hand to block the storm that reached him.
The intense light stung his eyes so much that he could barely keep them open.
After a long while, when the light finally faded completely—
Raul stared at the devastated chamber, at the magic stone fragments scattered all over the ground, and was left dumbstruck.
“What the hell… This is Level 1?”
Raul felt as if he had been deceived.
It felt as though every Level 1 he had known in the past had been nothing more than a joke.
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