[94] Affection

"In the dungeon, beyond encountering beautiful girls, lies more danger... danger from monsters, danger from adventurers. Sometimes, the threats brought by adventurers far exceed those from monsters." Aiden said solemnly, his voice heavy with gravity.

"Adventurers?" Bell's excited expression froze instantly.

"Yes, adventurers. The actions of those adventurers last night, known as nocturnal assaults, are a common occurrence in the dungeon. There's also Pass Parade, where adventurers lure swarms of monsters they cannot defeat to other adventurers." Aiden whispered.

"Nocturnal assaults... common... Pass Parade..." Bell's demeanor shifted uneasily. He scrutinized the adventurers around him as if expecting them to draw weapons and charge at any moment.

Seeing his words take effect, a slight upward curve appeared at the corner of Aiden's mouth. He lightly patted Bell's shoulder and reassured him, "Relax, with so many people around, who would do such a thing? I'm just cautioning you; not all adventurers are bad."

"O-Okay." Bell is still unable to fully relax.

"I think you've misunderstood. My purpose in telling you this isn't to make you hostile towards adventurers from other Familias. It's to make you more vigilant when dealing with them. Adventurers are just people, there are good and bad among them. Don't harbor evil intentions but always be vigilant against others' intentions. Understand?" Aiden smiled gently.

"I understand, Senpai." Bell nodded vigorously, indicating his comprehension.

"Good, now it's time for the dungeon exploration you've been looking forward to. Remember what I taught you yesterday and make good use of it." Aiden said, his smile unwavering as they stood before the looming entrance to the dungeon.

"I won't disappoint your expectations, Senpai!" Bell raised his head confidently, gripping his fist tightly as he stared at the bustling entrance to the dungeon.

Entering the passageway and descending the stairs, Aiden and Bell ventured into the first level of the dungeon, the goblin slaughterhouse.

This level housed few types and a moderate number of monsters, making it ideal for the inexperienced Bell.

Just as Aiden and Bell set foot into a corridor, cracks slowly formed on the wall ahead, and a goblin wielding a gleaming wooden club made its dramatic entrance.

Upon spotting the goblin, Bell instinctively placed his right hand on the hilt of the Roman shortsword Aiden had entrusted to him the previous day, his face filled with excitement.

"It's just a goblin. Go ahead, Bell. Keep an eye on the map and continue forward. I'll be watching over you from the shadows." Aiden stepped back a few paces, giving way to Bell.

"Got it, Senpai! Here I go!" Bell exclaimed eagerly, drawing the Roman shortsword and charging towards the goblin.

Unbeknownst to him, Aiden had vanished without a trace right after those words left his lips.

...

*AOOOOOOU*

Amidst a cacophony of uneven wolf howls, a horde of kobolds, resembling werewolves straight out of a movie, brandished their only weapons, their claws, and relentlessly chased a young boy with white hair and crimson eyes.

It was akin to wolves chasing a rabbit.

Facing the relentless pursuit of the kobolds, Bell, in his first battle, was on the verge of tears.

Initially prepared to confront a single kobold, he now found himself surrounded by a relentless stream of them and promptly turned tail and fled.

"Why are there so many kobolds on the first floor?! Senpai, save me!" Bell cried out in despair, recalling Aiden's advice as he ran and shouted simultaneously.

"Don't blame me, Bell. This is all part of your senpai's affection." Aiden appeared nonchalantly nearby, watching the spectacle of wolves chasing after their prey.

Bell leaped to the left, narrowly avoiding an attack from a kobold.

An hour later, Bell's initial excitement had drained away with his stamina, leaving only despair.

"Senpai, help me!" Bell cried out once more.

"Here I come~" Suddenly, as Bell continued fleeing, he realized he was being carried over Aiden's shoulder. Glancing back, he saw the horde of kobolds growing smaller in the distance.

"Thank you, Senpai." Bell whispered in relief.

"Didn't I tell you I'd protect you from the shadows? But I've protected you today. What about tomorrow? The day after? I can't always be there to protect you." Aiden said solemnly after setting Bell down.

"But... I'm really no match for them." Bell wiped tears from his eyes with a troubled expression.

"Bell, you see, to level up, you need to achieve great feats. That means challenging formidable foes, turning the impossible into possible. Today, you retreated. What about in the future?" Aiden smiled reassuringly, patting his own shoulder.

"But... but..." Bell hesitated, wanting to say more but ultimately remaining silent.

"Of course, challenging formidable foes doesn't mean throwing yourself to your death. These kobolds currently exceed your capabilities, but I'll handle half of them for you. The rest is up to you. How does that sound?" Aiden watches the relentless pursuit of the kobolds.

"Half... Can I really do it, Senpai?" Bell looked up at the approaching horde of kobolds.

"Of course, I believe in you, Bell." Aiden extended his right hand towards Bell. "Now, hand me the sword."

"Uh, sure." Bell hesitated for a moment, then obediently passed the Roman shortsword to Aiden.

"Now it's Aiden-sensei's teaching time. Pay attention and learn well." Aiden turned back to Bell.

"Alright."

Before Bell could finish his sentence, Aiden exerted force with his right leg and shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

Facing the oncoming Aiden, the kobolds, devoid of any semblance of intelligence, promptly launched an attack.

The leader of the kobolds leaped up, claws gleaming coldly, aiming a fierce stab at Aiden's chest.

With a slight smile, Aiden activated a complex and dazzling blue magic circle beneath his feet.

Placing his right hand on the magic circle, Aiden kicked out without any unnecessary flourish, delivering a straightforward roundhouse kick directly into the kobold's iron-like head.

There was no sound as Aiden's kick, aimed precisely to incapacitate rather than kill the leaping wolf, sent it soaring higher into the air with minimal force.

Simultaneously, just before Aiden touched the ground, another elaborate blue magic circle materialized beneath his feet. Stepping on the magic circle, Aiden effortlessly leaped once more.

"Since you're so cooperative, I can't disappoint you by not showing off a little aerial combat, can I?"

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