"The fight was amazing! Both of you have improved so much!" Line clapped continuously, her expression filled with admiration.
Whether it was Ryoji or Lefiya, their fighting stances had changed drastically compared to a month ago, with significant progress.
In contrast, as a rearguard, Line rarely faced monsters directly and thus had minimal improvement.
"Today, we should be able to earn around a million Valis." Line picked up a Magic Stone from the ground, calculating the day's earnings.
As they delved deeper into the dungeon, their daily earnings had grown substantially. Just one Magic Stone from a Minotaur could sell for tens of thousands of Valis. Even after splitting the earnings, each member could earn over thirty thousand Valis daily, a handsome sum.
Of course, this was because their party was exceptionally strong, daring to charge into battle against any monster. For an ordinary party, earning this amount would take at least several days.
"Thirty thousand is barely enough to buy a few dozen mind and energy recovery potions." Ryoji sounded unsatisfied.
Over the past few days, among his basic abilities, his Magic Power had increased the least. This was because his total Magic Power was inherently low, and he used it sparingly. Even with the mind and energy recovery potions, his progress was limited.
"Magic Power is all about innate talent, you know!" Lefiya heard this and immediately revealed a proud smile, flaunting her abilities to Ryoji.
Ryoji glared at her. This girl, who was once so reserved when they first met, now dared to boast in front of him. It seemed that throwing her into a group of monsters for training had given her a lot of confidence.
In DanMachi, "innate talent" for Magic Power referred not to control over Magic Power but to the amount one was born with. The more innate Magic Power one had, the more opportunities they had to train and improve quickly with the help of Blessings or Falna.
For example, Lefiya hailed from the Wailing Forest, where the Elves were renowned for their abundant innate Magic Power, even rivaling the Elven royal family. The reason her single fiery arrow caused such an explosive impact was precisely because of her vast Magic Power. Being chosen by Riveria as her successor meant she was no ordinary mage.
In contrast, Ryoji's innate talent for Magic Power was subpar. With so little Magic Power to begin with, he had fewer opportunities to train and was always falling behind.
"Let's call it a day. The sun is setting." Line intervened, separating the two as they were about to argue.
"I won't stoop to your level."
"Are you envious?"
Damn it. Ryoji was indeed envious.
"Clatter!" Just as they were bickering, a faint "kacha" sound caught Ryoji's attention, freezing him.
On the wall, a shallow crack suddenly appeared, and a slimy, faceless head emerged. The creature resembled a giant earthworm, with rows of sharp teeth in its maw. Its elongated body darted out of the wall's opening with lightning speed.
"Hiss!" The worm targeted Lefiya, who was the closest, twisting its body in mid-air and snapping its jaws at her head.
The Dungeon Worm was a formidable monster found on the 18th Floor, its danger level comparable to that of a Minotaur. It excelled at ambushes, remaining still in wall crevices until prey approached. Even warriors specialized in vanguard roles could be caught off guard and killed in an instant.
Lefiya couldn't react in time and stared wide-eyed in shock as the monster closed in.
"Slice!" In an instant, a sharp, cold light flashed through the air, tearing through the atmosphere with a piercing whine. The worm's body was severed in two, its Magic Stone shattering into fragments. Its corpse disintegrated into black smoke in the blink of an eye.
Lefiya remained stunned for a long moment before gasping heavily, her face pale with fear. Her legs trembled uncontrollably, barely avoiding the worm's deadly bite.
"Heh!" A mocking chuckle came from beside her. Turning her head, she saw Ryoji looking down his nose at her, his hand raised as if he had just thrown something, a smug expression on his face.
"See? Even if your Magic Power surpasses mine, when it comes to actual 'Magic,' I'm the sharper one." Ryoji's special ability, the throwing knife, was a form of Magic in itself.
"Are you okay, Lefiya?" Line glared at Ryoji for his callous remark and hurried to support Lefiya, concern etched on her face.
"I... I'm fine." Lefiya finally composed herself, forcing a smile.
"Th-thank you... for saving me..." The Elven girl lowered her head, her voice trembling.
"Don't mention it. Speak up, I couldn't hear you. Are you out of energy?"
"Bastard! Go die!" Seeing Ryoji's smug expression, Lefiya stamped her foot angrily and stormed toward the 16th Floor.
"Lefiya, slow down! Don't get ambushed by another worm!" Line chased after her.
Ryoji gazed at the Magic Stone on the ground, wincing at the loss. But he couldn't help feeling satisfied at having one-upped Lefiya. A shattered Magic Stone was worthless, its power gone.
"Ryoji, that move of yours was incredible. The flying knife was so fast, I couldn't even see it. What was that Magic?" Line asked as they headed back.
Lefiya walked ahead, smashing monsters with her staff whenever they appeared, her anger still evident. Line's question made her turn around curiously.
Over the past month, whenever the group faced danger, Ryoji had used his flying knife technique multiple times, instantly killing monsters and saving them all. Its effectiveness was undeniable.
"That's called Sword Throwing. It's a family secret, so don't even ask." Ryoji smirked, keeping his secret under wraps.
In truth, it was a simple matter of hurling a small piece of a sword at supersonic speeds, guided by sound waves. While its attack power was limited compared to Lightning Flint, it required no physical exertion, making it perfect for quick, certain kills. And since it involved a sword, Ryoji could control it with ease.
Lefiya muttered under her breath, saying she didn't want to learn it. But deep down, she was envious. This "Magic" required no incantation and was incredibly convenient in high-frequency battles.
(End of Chapter)
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