Danmachi: A Mage's Journey

Now, Ais was no longer the silent "Puppet Princess" who only cared about hunting monsters.

A subtle change had taken place. She had begun to show glimpses of her more youthful, innocent side.

More importantly, after spending so much time with Akira, it seemed that his carefree, unrestrained personality had begun to rub off on her.

The days they spent together were no longer just intense training sessions or battles—they were slowly becoming filled with small, unexpected moments of joy.

Ais puffed out her cheeks slightly and shot Akira a discontented look. "Akira is just like Riveria. Always nagging. It's annoying."

Akira reached out and gently poked her soft cheek, teasing, "Oh? Has Ais finally grown tired of adventuring with me? What a tragedy."

Understanding his teasing tone, Ais responded in kind. She reached out, caught Akira's fingers with her own, and gave him a mock frown.

"Yes, Akira is still too weak. I think it's time I abandon you... and go adventure with Gareth instead."

With that, she swung their clasped hands back and forth playfully, her eyes scanning the dim expanse of the 24th floor, searching for signs of powerful monsters. Her Desperate gleamed faintly in the dungeon's unnatural light.

"Huff—"

A sudden, heavy breath of air interrupted the moment.

Akira swiftly pulled Ais beneath a thick-rooted tree, crouching low with alert eyes.

Peeking out carefully, he spotted a massive green dragon not far away. It had leathery wings, a sharp horn protruding from its head, and a body roughly the size of the Infant dragon they'd once faced on the 18th floor.

"That must be it... the green dragon, the apex predator of the 24th floor." Akira muttered under his breath.

"And if I'm not wrong, it's also the guardian of the treasure tree that holds rare materials."

He quickly relayed this information to Ais, matching the creature's features with everything he'd read in the Guild's monster records.

Holding her Desperate, Ais narrowed her eyes and asked in a low voice, "Are you going to fight it? If so, Akira, finish it quickly."

Over the past few days, he had watched Ais fight countless monsters with overwhelming ease.

This green dragon might be formidable, but with Ais's abilities and especially her innate skill that increased damage against dragon-type monsters, she would likely make quick work of it.

However, Akira had a different thought. He unsheathed his one-handed sword and glanced at Ais.

He said, "Let me handle this one. May I?"

Ais gave a quiet nod, obedient and trusting. "If things get dangerous, I'll help you right away."

"Then just watch for a bit. I'll be back before you know it."

Smiling, Akira gently patted her head before stepping out from under the tree's cover.

"RRAAAOOOHHH—!!"

The green dragon immediately sensed the intruder. With a thunderous roar, it flapped its disproportionately small but surprisingly powerful wings, lifting its massive body into the air with ease.

Despite its size, the green dragon was swift and deadly. With potential nearing that of a Level 4 adventurer, its thick scales, razor fangs, and aerial mobility made it a nightmare for most. It wasn't something a mid-tier adventurer could handle lightly.

The beast dove at him, its maw wide open, filled with fangs that looked ready to crush steel. But Akira twisted his body and dodged nimbly, avoiding the attack by a hair's breadth.

He swung his sword upward in retaliation—but the dragon wasn't slow.

It flapped its wings sharply, avoiding the blow with shocking agility, and countered by sweeping its colossal tail in a wide arc toward Akira.

Akira's eyes glinted. Using the thick bark of a nearby tree, he vaulted upward, twisting in the air to avoid the tail. Landing deftly on a high branch, he regained his balance in an instant.

Boom!

The tail slammed into the ground where he'd stood moments ago, reducing several trees to splinters.

Seeing its attack fail, the green dragon snarled and twisted mid-air, preparing for another charge.

But Akira was ready. He crouched, bent the branch beneath his feet, and used its tension to launch himself forward like an arrow released from a bow.

Bang!

While in flight, he slashed at the monster's wing, precisely targeting a weak point in the membrane. The edge of his blade tore through it.

"RAAAAAHH!!"

The green dragon let out a bloodcurdling cry as it lost balance, its wings faltering. It spiraled and crashed to the ground.

But even when injured, this monster wasn't easy prey. With a swift roll, it landed on all fours and snarled with fury, eyes glowing with killing intent.

Akira landed a few meters away, wasting no time. He darted forward, weaving through gnarled roots and shattered trunks, evading the snapping jaws and claws of the monsters.

Then—

His sword flashed.

He slashed across the green dragon's face, and the blade slipped between its thick scales, drawing blood.

In one fluid motion, he vaulted upward, drove his sword into its hide to steady himself, and sprinted across it's back like a gymnast.

As the green dragon twisted to throw him off, Akira leapt again. The white gleam of his blade became a streak as he aimed straight for its head.

Shlunk!

With precision, he drove the blade into the side of the green dragon's skull, twisted, and—

Crack!

It's neck jerked violently. With a final thrash, the head detached, its body collapsing as it gave a final gurgling roar.

Thud!

The green dragon's severed head hit the ground.

Panting slightly, Akira stood atop the corpse. It was over.

Without pause, he dug out the monster's magic stone, broke off the horn, and harvested several pristine scales.

Seeing the fight conclude, Ais stepped out from behind the tree and walked over to Akira's side, her expression calm but her eyes shining with pride.

"I recall there's usually a treasure tree growing near green dragons." Akira remarked as he looked around.

"Do you see anything?"

Ais didn't answer immediately. Instead, she walked over to a seemingly ordinary tree, observed it closely, muttered a brief chant, then leapt gracefully onto its branches.

Akira followed her gaze upward and saw it.

Clustered high above, nestled between thick foliage, were glimmering fruits that looked like they were carved from red and blue sapphires. Sparkling in the dim light, they looked like treasures from a fairy tale.

Akira scratched his head and laughed. "Honestly, I thought they'd be hidden in tree hollows like in those old RPGs. I didn't expect it to be this... literal."

As Ais sliced off the branches holding the gem-like fruits, Akira couldn't help but marvel at her ease.

"You're amazing, Ais. Did you use a special method to find it?" He asked as he took one of the shimmering fruits from her hand.

Ais pointed at the trunk of the tree, her expression tinged with subtle pride.

She said, "This tree doesn't have any claw marks. Also, it gives off a distinct scent."

Akira looked at her fondly and said, "Is that so? As expected of a Level 3 adventurer—your experience really shows."