Tough Enemy

Night began to fall in Orario.

On the 24th Floor of the Dungeon, the atmosphere of the dark, wooded forest became increasingly ominous.

A cold wind blew gently, carrying faint sounds of monsters moving in the distance.

For most adventurers, spending the night inside the Dungeon was a huge risk—too many dangers lurked in the darkness. Monsters could strike at any moment, especially on the Middle Floors, where threats constantly loomed.

However, Charlie and Aishia were different.

After defeating the Hobgoblin and Deadly Hornet, Charlie prepared an area to spend the night. Unlike other adventurers who had to take turns standing guard, he relied more on his skills in Spirit Art and the extraordinary survival abilities he had from his previous life.

With Aishia by his side, Charlie had a strong belief that they could survive any situation.

He began setting traps around their campsite. Each trap was carefully designed, hidden behind the blue glowing moss that grew around the area. He made them quickly and efficiently—hidden pit traps, trigger wires that could launch projectiles from the ground, and eradicated poisonous insects around them.

After that, Charlie used Spirit Art to build a thick earthen wall around his tent. The wall was sturdy, made of layers of compacted earth that he built with tremendous strength. It not only served as a physical barrier but also absorbed sound, preventing monsters from hearing their movements inside.

Meanwhile, Aishia damaged the Dungeon wall so that no monsters would be born from the wall while they slept.

She approached Charlie after completing her task.

"I'm hungry."

"Wait a minute, I'll be done soon."

Hearing Aishia's tired voice, Charlie sped up his work.

Finishing building the earthen wall, he sat down beside Aishia, who had already lit a campfire with Spirit Art.

"What do you want to eat tonight?"

"Food I haven't tasted before."

"Okay."

Knowing Aishia's request, Charlie opened his Space-Time Cache and pulled out a new dish.

They both ate heartily in silence. After their stomachs were full, they bathed together as usual. Of course, nothing inappropriate happened. At most, Charlie only touched most of Aishia's body, and didn't cross the line.

"Hoam~, so sleepy... Let's go to sleep."

Materializing pajamas on her body, Aishia pulled Charlie's hand into the tent.

"Let me put out the fire first."

Just with his mind, Charlie used Spirit Art. Then, a ball of water formed above the campfire and fell to extinguish it.

They both went into the tent, their bodies slightly tired after the long battle. Inside the tent, the atmosphere was calmer, although the tension of the Dungeon could still be felt from outside.

Charlie lay down, stretching his body.

"This should be enough to prevent monsters from bothering us."

Aishia smiled softly and sat beside him, the air around her always felt warmer and more peaceful.

"With Charlie's traps and my strength, I'm sure we'll be safe."

Without another word, she lay down next to Charlie, her eyes closed peacefully. Although she didn't need as much sleep as ordinary humans because she was a Spirit, she still liked to be near Charlie when they rested.

"..."

Charlie looked at her for a moment before closing his eyes, feeling calm with Aishia by his side. Even though they were on the dangerous 24th Floor, he felt safe. The traps and defenses were in place, but more importantly, he knew Aishia would always protect him, even when he was asleep.

That night, Charlie and Aishia slept peacefully, their bodies leaning against each other in warmth. Although the threat of monsters could come at any time, they knew that with the strength they possessed, nothing could touch them tonight.

At least, that's what Charlie thought. However, he underestimated the level of danger in the Dungeon, not just from monsters but also from humans.

❀❀❀

The previously silent night in the Dungeon suddenly changed.

Aishia, who usually slept peacefully, suddenly opened her eyes, feeling danger approaching rapidly.

Without hesitation, she acted immediately. In a flash, Aishia grabbed Charlie, who was still asleep beside her, pulling him out of the tent with incredible speed, as if the wind was guiding them.

*WHOOSH*

*BOOM*

They shot out just seconds before their tent was destroyed with a loud bang. A blast of dust and soil was thrown into the air, creating a deafening roar. The tent they had just left collapsed completely, swept away by the tremendous force.

"Enemy?!"

Charlie, who woke up because of the commotion, quickly regained his senses. He stood up, taking a short breath, then looked towards the source of the attack. His eyes narrowed as the dust slowly dissipated, revealing the figure who had just attacked them.

"You can react, huh..."

From behind the cloud of dust, emerged a woman with shoulder-length blood-red hair. Her green eyes emitted a piercing coldness. Her face showed no emotion, only indifference.

She wore brightly colored battle attire, protective armor that looked sleek but clearly tough.

'This woman's strength is equivalent to Level 6!'

Charlie's pupils shrank as he sensed the amount of Essence/Mana from within the other party's body. For others, it was almost impossible to assess an adventurer's Level just by looking. But he was different, he had the ability to see other people's Essence/Mana.

Yesterday, he had met directly with the three senior executives of the Loki Familia, namely Finn, Gareth, and Riveria. The three of them were Level 6s who were famous in Orario.

So, he immediately knew that the woman in front of him had the strength of Level 6.

'I have to get my equipment.'

Facing a Level 6 opponent, Charlie had to respond to the situation with the greatest urgency he had ever encountered so far.

With Wind Spirit Art, the Space-Time Cache flew towards him. He took the Aegis Eclipse and the Sword of Damocles, and put on the rest of his equipment in a short time.

"Unexpectedly, I found a Spirit. I thought it was just my feeling, but it turns out it's really a Spirit."

The woman ignored Charlie's actions, her gaze fully focused on Aishia, as if only she caught her attention.

"What kind of Spirit are you? There shouldn't be any Great Spirits in this era?"

"..."

Aishia remained silent, her face calm, but an aura of alertness enveloped her body. Beside her, Charlie furrowed his brow, confused and surprised.

'This woman can sense that Aishia is a Spirit? Who is she?'

After pondering for a moment, he gave up. After all, he only watched the first season of the Danmachi anime. Years had passed, he had forgotten many things.

"Not willing to answer... No problem, I'll know after I capture you."

"Who are you really?"

Feeling ignored by the other party, Charlie stood in front of Aishia to block the other party's gaze.

"Revis. Now it's my turn, what's your name."

The blood-red haired woman named Revis looked at Charlie with a hint of interest.

From what she knew, only Heroes could make contracts with Spirits. In other words, the person in front of her was the Hero of this generation.

"My name is Charlie Avalon. I'm sorry, but I can't let you take Aishia."

Drawing the Sword of Damocles, Charlie pointed it at Revis.

"Charlie Avalon... I've never heard of him. Let it be, the existence of the barrier will only hinder our plans. You must be eliminated."

Revis put this issue aside after not knowing the name.

No matter what, because she happened to meet the hero of this generation, she had to eliminate him before he grew up.

No matter how much potential and genius talent a hero had, it was useless if they died early.

Only geniuses who could survive and grow strong could be called great warriors.

Those who died along the way were just tragic stories.

Revis could sense through her intuition that the young man named Charlie Avalon was not strong. Therefore, this opportunity should not be missed.

"Charlie, this woman is strong."

"I know."

Hearing Aishia's reminder, which carried a note of concern, Charlie knew he was in a life-or-death situation.