The exploration that followed was incredibly smooth.
The goblins on the first floor were laughably weak against Kanae's newly enhanced strength.
Most of them were cut down before they could even react—unable to withstand her elegant and swift movements.
Phaethon, operating through Bombu, followed closely behind, dutifully collecting the fallen magic stones with ease.
The coordination between god and adventurer was seamless and efficient.
Before long, they passed through the first floor and arrived at the entrance to the second.
The second and third floors were still populated primarily by goblins, only in greater numbers.
But even so, they posed no threat.
Kanae immersed herself in the rhythm of leveling up. Each swing of the blade, every dodge—
Further familiarized her with her strengthened body and refined her control over her power.
She could distinctly feel a faint warmth seep into her with every monster defeated—likely what they called "experience points."
Though only Phaethon could update her Falna panel and convert it into actual stat growth—
Even so, this was clearly a step on the road to strength.
With barely any resistance, they quickly pushed through to the fourth floor.
The moment they stepped into the fourth floor, the atmosphere shifted.
Gone was the damp, earthy smell of the upper floors—replaced by a faint, agitated energy.
The tunnels grew wider, and the glowing moss on the walls dimmer.
"Be careful, Kanae,"
Phaethon's voice came through Bombu:
"Starting from the fourth floor, monsters grow stronger and appear in larger groups."
Just as he finished speaking, heavy footsteps and low growls echoed from the corner of the wide passage.
Soon, a pack of over twenty monsters charged into view.
They looked like upright wolves, with coarse gray fur and savage claws—war wolves, a common threat in the upper Dungeon.
Their eyes were blood-red, and saliva dripped from their fangs. The moment they spotted Kanae, they let out bloodthirsty howls—
Charging toward her like a tidal wave, targeting what they assumed was an easy prey.
Yet Kanae's gaze didn't waver. Instead, it blazed with fighting spirit.
"Perfect timing!"
She whispered. The goblins hadn't challenged her enough.
Now, she longed for tougher enemies—to grow faster.
To change her and her sister's fate, she could not retreat!
As the pack descended upon her, Kanae advanced instead!
Her toes touched the ground lightly—she flew like a weightless butterfly into the air.
Her body arched midair, her Nichirin blade tracing an elegant arc under the dim glow.
"Breath of Flowers, Sixth Form — Whirling Peach!"
With a crisp shout, Kanae spun gracefully, unleashing a wide, powerful horizontal slash.
Pale pink blade light spiraled outward like blooming peach blossoms—
Petals seemed to fall midair as her attack swept across the wolves.
Elegant and soft as it looked, the strike was ruthlessly deadly.
"Shrrrk! Slash! Squelch!"
The first wave of war wolves didn't even see it coming—cut cleanly in half, their blood and entrails spraying outward.
Kanae didn't stop.
She landed softly, instantly darting forward—plunging into the pack's center.
With agility far beyond any low-tier monster, she weaved through the horde.
Every turn, every strike was precise and lethal.
Her swordplay didn't seek brute efficiency—it danced with the rhythm and beauty of the Breath of Flowers, as though she were performing on a blade's edge.
Petals of pink light fluttered with every motion.
Wherever she moved, the war wolves fell like wheat under a reaper's blade.
What others considered vicious threats were, in front of this battle-hardened and now divinely blessed Flower Hashira, utterly powerless.
The entire fight lasted under a minute.
As the final war wolf collapsed with a reluctant growl, the tunnel was littered with bodies.
Kanae stood still at the center, blade in hand, breath slightly heavy, but her eyes gleamed brilliantly.
Phaethon moved swiftly through the wreckage, gathering the more than twenty dropped magic stones.
As he finished, the corpses disintegrated into black ash and merged with the Dungeon walls—gone without a trace.
"How are you feeling?"
Phaethon's voice held a hint of praise.
"Exhilarated!"
Kanae beamed with post-battle excitement.
"These war wolves are way tougher than goblins. Fighting them makes me really feel the growth!"
"Excellent."
Phaethon nodded in approval. "Keep up this momentum. That's about the end of the fourth floor."
He pointed toward a stronger energy emanating from an entrance ahead.
"Up next is the fifth floor. Stronger monsters await—far beyond what beginner adventurers can handle.
So—should we turn back here, or press on?"
He left the decision to Kanae, curious to see her resolve.
And she didn't hesitate in the slightest.
Turning to face the darkness of the fifth floor, Kanae gripped her sword tightly.
"Press on, Lord Phaethon!"
Her voice was firm and unyielding.
"I have to get stronger as fast as possible. So I can return to my world, change Shinobu's fate, slay Dōma, and protect everything I hold dear!"
"No matter what hardship lies ahead—I must move forward!"
Seeing the brilliant determination in her eyes, Phaethon's gaze softened with faint pride and anticipation.
"Then let's continue this journey of becoming stronger."
God and girl—together, they stepped resolutely deeper into the Dungeon...