Elena leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding the pincer that lunged at her with blinding speed. As if anticipating her escape, a sharp poison stinger swept down from above to strike her mid-jump.
Under normal circumstances, such an attack would have been impossible to dodge while in mid-air. For her, however, the laws of physics were a mere suggestion.
Activating her Sleipnir's Shoes, Elena kicked the empty air to propel herself laterally. With a second mid-air jump, she used the momentum of a triangle jump to close the distance with her foe. Channeling her magic power, she swung her weapon with a sharp snap.
The blade instantly transitioned from a longsword into its whip-like form. The whip-sword lashed out across the right side of the six-meter-long giant scorpion, severing all four legs and its massive pincer in a single fluid motion.
Deprived of half its limbs, the scorpion was unable to remain upright. It lost its balance, and half its body collapsed heavily into the desert sand.
"Rei!"
Rather than kicking off the shifting sands, Elena activated the Sleipnir's Shoes once more, leaping backward through the air while calling out the signal.
Rei was already waiting. Having finished his chant, he unleashed his magic. Multiple Flame Arrows—the same spell he had used to dispatch the sandworms—slammed into the scorpion.
As Pleiades had cautioned when the monster first emerged, Rei avoided the valuable material parts like the pincers, tail, and head. The arrows struck the torso instead, puncturing the thick carapace as if it were parchment. The heat carbonized the monster's insides, burning straight through the beast.
In a matter of seconds, the monster was reduced to little more than a charred husk. Standing guard nearby, Seto let out a low purr as the savory aroma of roasted meat stimulated its appetite.
Rei chuckled and stroked the Gryphon's neck. "It hasn't even been an hour since lunch, Seto. Be patient."
"Guruuu..."
Seto let out a disappointed whine, drooping its head at Rei's words.
Watching the one man and one beast, Pleiades and his companions voiced their astonishment once more.
"I can't believe you took down a Grand Scorpion that easily," Pleiades said. "It's a D-Rank monster, sure, but it's an apex predator here on B11F."
"A D-Rank isn't much of a threat to us," Rei replied. "I'm a B-Rank adventurer, after all. And Elena doesn't struggle with anything in the D to C-Rank range, either."
"That may be so, but one must never lower their guard," Elena interjected, giving her whip-sword a sharp flick to clear the Grand Scorpion's fluids from the blade.
The party had been making their way toward B12F following their lunch break in the Magic Tent when the Grand Scorpion had burst from the sands. However, it had failed to elude Seto's sharp eyes as the Gryphon patrolled the skies. The monster’s attempt at an ambush had backfired, leaving it the one who was caught off guard.
With Elena in the vanguard and Rei in the rearguard, they had faced the threat in a formation that allowed Rei to minimize his movements—partly to protect Iero, who was tucked inside his Dragon Robe. The result was a swift and effortless victory.
Pleiades and Otis had drawn their weapons, and Sharl—who had recovered enough magic power since the sandworm fight—had intended to provide support. However, the battle was over so quickly that their help was never needed.
Less than a minute from start to finish, Pleiades thought. He definitely lives up to his reputation as an Alias Holder. And the same goes for Elena. She fights alongside 'Crimson' without ever looking outclassed.
Unaware of Elena's true identity, Pleiades marveled at her skill. His teammates seemed to feel the same; they exchanged silent nods, trying to burn the image of such high-level combat into their memories.
Aware of their gaze but finding no harm in it, Rei turned his attention back to the dead Grand Scorpion. "How do we dismantle this thing?"
"Well," Pleiades began, "the primary Proof of Subjugation Part is the right eye. It's also a valuable material. Then there are the pincers for weapons and armor, and the poison stinger. The stinger is a key alchemy material—it can add poison properties to weapons or be processed into potent antidotes. The venom-producing organs fetch a high price too. Just be careful; Grand Scorpion poison is incredibly lethal."
Following the scout’s advice, Rei and Elena began stripping the materials. Rei could have simply stored the entire carcass in his Misty Ring for later, but since he had experienced guides present, he decided to perform the dismantling on the spot to learn the proper technique.
Using his standard stripping knife, Rei carefully extracted the right eyeball. He had wondered if taking both eyes would count as two kills, but a quick comparison of the left eye cleared his doubts.
The right eyeball was flecked with multiple fluorescent yellow spots, while the left eye was clear.
"See those spots?" Sharl asked, leaning in. "They're only in the right eye. It's crystallized magic power. No one knows why it only happens on that side, but they're highly sought after in alchemy—especially for increasing the sharpness of blades."
"Is it rare?" Rei asked. Considering it was an apex predator's material, he expected it to be quite valuable.
Sharl shook her head. "There are other monster materials with similar effects, so it's not exactly a luxury item. But the demand is steady, so you'll always find a buyer for it."
"I see." Rei tossed the eye into a glass storage jar he produced from the Misty Ring, typically used for preserving internal organs.
"Whoa, even that container is a high-end magic item," Sharl remarked. "You really do have all the best gear."
Between the Misty Ring and the Magic Tent, Rei’s collection of rare items had clearly piqued Sharl's curiosity. While Pleiades oversaw the overall stripping process and Otis advised Elena on the fine details, Sharl kept a fascinated eye on Rei.
"Guruuuu."
Seto continued to stare longingly at the scorpion, its beak clicking as it smelled the parts roasted by Rei’s magic.
"These pincers look tough, but look," Otis said to Elena, "if you slide the blade along the joints like this, they come off quite easily."
"I see. So... like this?" Elena mirrored the technique, sliding her dagger into the joint and severing the pincer with a clean cut. Her movements were so precise and efficient that no one would have guessed she was a novice at dismantling.
Rei and Elena proceeded to extract the magic stone from the heart, the poison stinger from the tail, and the venom glands, storing each carefully. Once the valuable parts were secured, Seto was allowed to feast on the remaining meat. With only a pile of scraps left behind, the party resumed their trek.
"Seriously, Rei, that Item Box of yours is incredible," Sharl said as they walked. "Where did you get such a rare artifact?"
"From the master who taught me magic," Rei replied.
"Talk about a generous master. I wish I could apprentice under them."
"Give it a rest, Sharl," Otis sighed. "No master would take on an apprentice motivated by pure greed. Stop talking nonsense and focus on the heat."
The desert sun was merciless. Even with their cloaks—magic items designed to regulate temperature—the relief was minimal. Pleiades and his team wore cloaks that lowered the ambient temperature by nearly ten degrees, but in a desert where the air exceeded forty degrees Celsius, it was a drop in the bucket. High-performance cooling gear was prohibitively expensive, even in a Labyrinth City where such items were more common.
Both Otis and Sharl were struggling with the oppressive heat, and Otis had little patience for Sharl’s flighty comments.
Sharl huffed. "Look, I'm interested in the magic items, sure, but I'm more interested in his teaching. Otis, you saw the raw power of Rei’s magic. If I could cast spells like that, our party's combat rating would go through the roof."
"And how long would that take?" Otis asked, uncapping her canteen and taking a sip through a straw. She carried her bow in her hand and her quiver over her cloak; though the equipment was cumbersome in the heat, she couldn't afford to be without it.
Rei had filled their canteens back in the Magic Tent using his Dagger of Flowing Water. The water was cold and pure—celestial nectar to their parched throats.
Rei shrugged. "I was raised by my master since I was a child. I spent at least ten years training."
"See? Forget it," Otis said. "Unless you plan on leaving the party for a decade? If so, just quit now so we can find a replacement."
"I-I didn't say I wanted to reach Rei's level exactly! And I have no intention of leaving Exil..."
Elena glanced at Rei as the two women bickered. Knowing Rei’s "master" was a fabrication, she likely felt a twinge of guilt seeing the others argue over it.
Rei sighed inwardly and spoke up. "Besides, I was forcibly moved from my home via teleportation magic. I lived in a mountain range so remote you couldn't find a trace of another human being. Even if you wanted me to introduce you, it’s impossible."
"Oh... well, I guess that settles that," Sharl muttered, her shoulders slumping.
"Hmph. There are no shortcuts to getting strong," Pleiades said. "I have to train every day just to keep my spear skills sharp... Ah, there it is."
Pleiades, who had been using the butt end of his spear like a walking stick, pointed toward the horizon. Rei and Elena followed his gaze, but all they saw was the same monotonous landscape of dunes, rocks, and cacti.
"What do you see?" Rei asked.
Pleiades looked at him with a puzzled expression before realizing the confusion. "Right, I forgot. From B11F onward, the stairs aren't hidden inside rooms like the upper floors. They're just... out in the open. It’s a mystery why they don't get buried by the sand, but that’s the dungeon for you. Look closely near that rock formation over there."
Rei and Elena squinted. Sure enough, right next to a cluster of weathered rocks, a set of stone stairs led down into the earth, completely exposed to the desert sky.
"Well... that was unexpected," Rei muttered, staring at the lone staircase in the middle of the dunes.