Floor 6 looked different from the previous floors.
The walls were darker in color, and the room structure was more complex. Strange sounds echoed from the distance, making the atmosphere increasingly tense.
Kazuma hadn't walked far when a black shadow suddenly leaped from the ceiling, landing right in front of him.
War Shadow—a humanoid monster with a completely black body and sharp claws ready to tear apart its prey.
Kazuma took a defensive position, gripping his spear with both hands. War Shadows were known for their speed and surprising attacks.
The monster wasted no time, immediately attacking with its sharp claws.
Kazuma parried with his spear, the sound of metal clashing with claws rang sharply.
"Fast!" thought Kazuma, almost overwhelmed by the War Shadow's relentless attacks.
However, thanks to his Adaptable Fighter skill, his body quickly adjusted to the monster's attack rhythm. After several attacks, Kazuma began to read the War Shadow's movement patterns.
When the monster attacked again, Kazuma twisted his body, avoiding the attack while delivering a Taekwondo kick to the side of the War Shadow. The monster staggered, giving Kazuma an opening to thrust his spear precisely into what he estimated was the monster's heart.
The War Shadow let out a hissing sound before its body shattered into dust, leaving behind a Magic Stone larger than those from the upper floors.
Kazuma took a deep breath, feeling his heart pounding. The battle with the War Shadow was far more intense than with previous monsters.
"Not enough," he thought, looking at the spear in his hand. "But this is just the beginning."
After collecting the Magic Stone, Kazuma continued his journey.
He faced several more War Shadows, each presenting different challenges, but managed to defeat them all with a combination of martial arts techniques and spear skills.
After several hours exploring floor 6, Kazuma found the way to floor 7.
His body was beginning to feel tired, but the desire to become stronger drove him to press on.
Floor 7 brought him to a larger area, with high ceilings and more complex rock formations.
He hadn't walked far when his ears caught the sound of many footsteps—too many to be considered normal.
From around the corner emerged a group of Killer Ants—large insect monsters with powerful jaws that could crush bone.
What made the situation more dangerous was their number—not just one or two, but at least ten of them.
"Ten Killer Ants at once?" Kazuma tightened his grip on his spear. His blood surged—this was exactly the kind of challenge he was looking for.
He evaluated his situation. Fighting just one Killer Ant was challenging enough for a level one adventurer, let alone ten at once.
But instead of fear, Kazuma felt a strange sensation in his chest—a feeling he had long forgotten. Excitement. Challenge.
"This is... interesting," he thought, a small smile beginning to form on his face.
Kazuma took a fighting stance, spear pointed forward. The group of Killer Ants paused briefly, as if assessing their new prey, before attacking simultaneously.
The battle that followed was a combination of chaos and beauty. Kazuma moved like a dancer among the Killer Ants, his spear thrusting and cutting with frightening precision.
His body dodged and spun, avoiding the bites and charges of the monsters.
When two Killer Ants attacked from different directions, Kazuma jumped high, letting them collide. As he landed, his spear quickly pierced the head of one of the monsters.
When another Killer Ant tried to attack him from behind, Kazuma used an Aikido technique to leverage the monster's momentum, slamming it to the ground before driving his spear into its softer underbelly.
However, their large number began to put pressure on him.
After defeating five Killer Ants, Kazuma's stamina began to decline. His movements slowed slightly, his breathing became labored.
A Killer Ant managed to graze his arm, causing fresh blood to flow from the wound. Kazuma looked at his injury calmly but didn't stop moving.
Kazuma stared at the monster with ragged breath... "Come on," he whispered.
"I will not lose here," he determined in his heart. "I will not!"
With renewed spirit, Kazuma activated his Kyokushin's Recovery Stance skill momentarily, taking a still position with controlled breathing.
In seconds, he felt his stamina return slightly, enough to continue the fight.
With explicit movements, he attacked again, this time more aggressively. His spear danced in the air, creating lines of death for the remaining Killer Ants.
One by one, the monsters fell until finally only one Killer Ant remained—the largest of the group. The monster seemed hesitant, seeing all its companions defeated.
Kazuma stared at the last monster with ragged breath, blood flowing from several gashes on his body, but the smile on his face did not fade. It even grew wider.
Kazuma exhaled, blood dripping from the wound on his arm. But his eyes were still sharp, full of challenge. "Come on, finish me!" he shouted, ready to charge.
The Killer Ant attacked with desperation, but Kazuma was ready.
With a smooth movement, he avoided the monster's attack and countered with a precise spear thrust to the Killer Ant's head, ending the epic battle.
As the body of the last Killer Ant turned to dust, Kazuma fell to his knees, using his spear to support his exhausted body.
However, a broad smile spread across his face—a smile of pure happiness.
Kazuma's chest pounded, his breath still panting, but his wide smile couldn't be contained.
His hands trembled—not from fear, but excitement. This was what it felt like... Fighting with all his ability.
However, the happiness didn't last long. His ears caught a familiar sound—the sound of small bells and rapid movements from several directions.
Needle Rabbits—small rabbit-shaped monsters with sharp horns on their heads. And there were many of them.
Instead of panicking, Kazuma actually chuckled. His body was exhausted, but his fighting spirit burned brighter.
"More?" he thought, standing up slightly unsteadily. "Alright, let's finish this."
With what strength remained, Kazuma took the initiative to attack first, moving toward the dozens of Needle Rabbits with his spear extended.
---
Meanwhile, on the surface, Hestia walked along the streets of Orario with a sullen face.
She had searched for Kazuma in several places the young man usually visited, but couldn't find him anywhere.
"Where did he go?" Hestia grumbled irritably, her cheeks puffed out. "It's not like him to disappear like this."
Though acting annoyed, Hestia wasn't overly worried. Although he had just joined her familia, Kazuma always showed remarkable independence. Unlike Bell, who was still innocent and sometimes careless, Kazuma always appeared mature and capable of taking care of himself.
"I'm sure he's fine," thought Hestia, continuing her search. "Kazuma isn't the careless type."
Her steps halted when she saw Babel Tower in the distance, and a thought crossed her mind.
"Could it be... he entered the Dungeon alone?" she murmured.
Though concerned, Hestia decided to trust in Kazuma's abilities. She remembered how the young man had fought against the Minotaur to protect Bell—showing extraordinary courage and strength.
"That kid," Hestia smiled slightly.
With the thought that Kazuma would surely return safely, Hestia decided to return to the church.
Bell was still resting there, and she didn't want to leave him alone for too long.
"Kazuma can definitely take care of himself," Hestia thought confidently, unaware that at that moment, Kazuma was fighting desperately in the depths of the Dungeon.
---
Back on floor 7 of the Dungeon, Kazuma stood amid piles of monster dust, his breath ragged and his body covered in wounds.
However, a satisfied smile never left his face.
He had defeated all the Needle Rabbits that attacked him, though not without considerable sacrifice. Several sharp horns had pierced his body, and his stamina was almost completely drained.
"Is it over," he whispered to himself, feeling a satisfaction he had never experienced before.
Seeing no signs of monsters, Kazuma was disappointed, feeling as though he was on the verge of achieving something.
With trembling hands, he collected the Magic Stones from the monsters he had defeated—there were quite a few, promising decent earnings.
"A short rest wouldn't hurt," he thought, realizing that continuing exploration in his current condition would only end fatally.
Finding a safe corner free from monster attacks, Kazuma sat quietly and regulated his breathing.
The Kyokushin's Recovery Stance skill: Accelerating recovery of stamina/injuries when not moving, began to work. Several bruises and wounds from scratches quickly healed.
Kazuma realized how overpowered this ability was. How could it not be? It seemed that broken bones would heal in one day, wounds from slashes might need several hours.
Meanwhile, scratches and bruises from fighting the Needle Rabbits healed in just minutes.
And what was even more extreme was that he was only level 1. If he were level 3 or four, would scratches and bruises disappear in seconds?
Thinking like this, Kazuma continued to recover.
30 minutes passed in a flash. Currently, Kazuma's clothes resembled those of a beggar, with lots of blood and tears from battling monsters.
Although his clothes were soaked in blood, there were no wounds on his body. That was thanks to the Kyokushin's Recovery Stance skill.
Standing, patting his clothes, he walked toward the next floor, floor 9.
With faltering steps, Kazuma began walking again toward the next floor.
And that path, though quiet and dangerous, began to feel right for him.