Luna vs 17th Floor Boss

As they went in, Hestia, Ryuu and Luna took in the sight of their Mansion...

The Mansion was a large, two-story building with white walls and a red roof. It had a grand entrance with a large wooden door and several windows on the first floor, letting in plenty of natural light. The front yard was well-manicured, with a small garden and a fountain in the center, with a gate surrounding the mansion that was made of sturdy iron bars painted a deep black color. It was tall, reaching up to around 10 feet in height, and had intricate designs etched into the metal.

There were several bedrooms and a spacious living room on the second floor. The interior was decorated with a mixture of modern and antique furnishings, giving it a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Overall, the Mansion exuded a sense of luxury and comfort, making it the perfect home for the Familia.

It was a spectacular sight as although they were not too attached to the fancy building in itself, the short moments of their conversations, worries, and laughing moments filled their minds. At the same time, Haruhime felt a bit out of place, though she was not worried about that as her thoughts were extremely focused on what to start cleaning...

———

Luna, Ryuu and Haruhime had some free time the following day, and since Ryuu had promised to train Luna in the Dungeon, they took the opportunity to head down the floors. They travelled down to the lower levels, with Luna eager to improve her skills and become stronger. As they fought their way through the monsters and navigated the winding corridors of the Dungeon, Luna grew more confident and comfortable with her new stats and ability.

In Ryuu's eyes, this meant that it was time to test her a little…

Luna found herself facing off against a massive monster on the 17th floor. It stood at a towering seven meters tall, with grey skin and endless ferocity in its eyes. According to their information, the monster known as the Goliath made its entrance by shattering a white wall, revealing its presence to them. However, Ryuu did not act in the slightest as he stood at a considerable distance protecting Haruhime while the situation unfolded.

Despite its intimidating size and ferocious roar, Luna could not back down. She unleashed her [Dragon's Inferno] skill as her dragon tail and claws appeared, both a deep blue color that resembled Ryuu's lineage. But that was not all — blue flames seemed to engulf her entire body, and her eyes glowed with a bright, fiery light that accentuated her cerulean eyes…

The two soon engaged in a fierce battle, with Luna dodging and weaving around the monster's massive swings. Its massive limbs crashed against the ground with devastating force as she was forced into a somewhat passive situation. Sweat poured down her face as such a situation repeated tens of times…

She launched herself at the monster, her dragon claws slicing through the air as she aimed for its vulnerable points since she finally had the opportunity to do so.

The monster roared in pain as Luna's claws found their mark, tearing through its skin and drawing blood. Luna kept attacking, her claws flashing with deadly precision as she relentlessly pummeled the monster. She struck with such force that the monster's chest eventually caved in…

After a while, a mighty roar echoed in the entirety of the 17th floor as Luna landed the killing blow, her claws piercing the monster's [Magic Stone].

The monster fell to the ground with a loud thud, creating a deep commotion as it hit the floor. She stood panting heavily, her body soaked in sweat, while she looked down at the defeated monster with a gaze void of emotion.

This fight was not how it was supposed to be. If it were her Master, a single blow would've been enough…

While ridiculous thoughts clouded her mind, her claws dripped with the monster's blood as it soon dissipated along with its massive body, only leaving the [Magic stone] and some drop item…

"Not bad."

Her master's voice echoed as how could he not read her feelings with a single glance? They were a family, after all...

"R-Really impressive, Luna-san!"

The other member of their Familia spoke such words as she only managed to kill a few Kobolds Ryuu had slightly weakened so far, though that was to be expected as she was not the type to hold a weapon and fight.

Her role was supportive as she could cast her [Uchide no Kazuchi] if required. Such a thing was extremely important. It could allow them to go straight to the Deep Floors. However, Ryuu wouldn't head there yet.

Although there was abundant information about them, he would still step into dangerous areas, even for Luna. This meant they had to prepare for the worst, as who knew if the Dungeon randomly broke its own rules to kill them? Just the assurance he could level up wasn't enough for him…

His preparation included commissioning protective gear for them. He wanted to be able to afford at least an armor for both Luna and Haruhime by the end of the week. As of now, only Haruhime wore protective gear. It was needed for her even in the lower floors, given her stats, though that would soon change as Ryuu would be sure to train her properly…

"You did a great job, Luna. You took down a Monster Rex all by yourself, which is usually meant to be fought in parties. You should be proud of yourself and not doubt your abilities. Remember, we are a family, and we support each other."

Ryuu patted Luna's head, a reassuring gesture to boost her confidence. Despite her being a powerful dragon, it was still her first time going down to the deeper floors, and Ryuu wanted to make sure she didn't feel too pressured. He knew she had the potential to grow even stronger, and he was determined to help her potential bloom.

"I understand that, Master. I just feel that is not enough to stand before you properly-"

Her words could not continue as Ryuu chopped her head lightly.

"Do not demotivate yourself using me as your goal. While you may be weaker now, that doesn't mean you don't have potential. Don't you remember the reason I took you home in the first place? Was it because you had 'talent'?"

His eyes lost their emotions for a moment as he stared deeply into her cerulean eyes, the opening of the 18th floor not concerning them at all as their gazes interlocked for a few seconds before she nodded. Although no obvious change could be seen on her face, Ryuu replied with the same gesture as he turned to Haruhime, who watched the event unfold.

"I think it's better to return. I have other matters to settle, but we'll soon come back and head deeper. Haruhime, you need a lot of training, but I am not aiming to have you go through this much, so don't look at me with that pitiful gaze."

A small training regime was necessary for Haruhime, but it was easy for Ryuu to create one with his exceptional observation skills. Luna could continue to improve by facing monsters alone and consuming their [Magic Stones], but Haruhime did not have that luxury as she was too weak for that.

Ryuu wanted her to focus on improving her Endurance, Agility, and Dexterity so that she could always evade or retreat from monster attacks. They could not always protect her when they went out, so it was important for her to have these skills.

The latter nodded as she would do her best…though it was important to consider whether she could actually survive the hellish training he had in mind…