In the dim forest, several monsters with glossy black skin and long horns charged toward the group.
[Black Rhinos]. These monsters possessed extremely tough bodies. They were born on Floor 51 of the Dungeon, and these few had clearly wandered through the passageway into the Safe Zone Floor.
A Black Rhino about two meters tall led the charge. Its glossy black hide was like armor, smashing through dead trees as it rushed straight at Tiona.
"Whoosh~"
In the span of a single second, just as Tiona's petite body was about to collide with the monster, her huge double-bladed sword swung out and tore the Black Rhino's tough hide apart.
The weapon's two blades were connected by a heavy hilt in the center, and together they were far taller than Tiona herself. Yet with a bright, cheerful smile, she swung it as easily as if it weighed nothing. If one ignored the splattering blood, the agonized howls, and the oversized double-bladed sword, Tiona's slender figure could almost be described as dancing gracefully.
In the blink of an eye, every charging Black Rhino had been reduced to a corpse.
"Phew~ I feel great today. Is it because I slept with Argonaut-kun last night?"
Tiona returned to the group with a smile.
Her sunflower-like smile was enough to make anyone forget the bloody battle that had just taken place.
"Hey, you lot… are you treating Bell Cranel like the sun or something?"
Tsubaki could not help commenting.
Although she had not seen exactly what happened, a group of women sleeping around one boy sounded strange no matter how she thought about it, didn't it?
Not to mention Tiona had even said something that odd.
"Tiona, stop talking about last night."
Tione once again stopped her younger sister's tactlessness.
Even from some distance away, she could feel a wave of heat called shame surging from behind them. Its source was naturally Ryuu and Lefiya.
"Huh? But I'm telling the truth. My hands feel stronger, and I feel like I'm running a little faster too."
Tiona described how she felt in plain terms.
Although Adventurers could accumulate Excelia and improve their ability values, a God's update was still essential. Under normal circumstances, this sort of thing would not happen.
"Now that you mention it, I feel a little of it too. The change is very slight, though."
Tione weighed the heavy halberd in her hands.
"Right? Right? I wasn't lying, was I?"
Tiona's steps grew a little lighter.
"I don't feel any change at all. Is this some kind of field effect? Or…"
Finn frowned.
After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Does anyone else here feel a change in their ability values?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Bete shrugged dismissively, and Gareth shook his head in answer.
"Finn-sama… actually, I was thinking the same thing. The backpack on my back doesn't feel heavy at all."
Alicia was the first to respond.
She was carrying a huge backpack filled with items, potions, and heavy spare weapons, yet her steps were completely unaffected.
"..."
Lefiya's face was bright red, her lips pressed tightly together like a doll's.
She no longer knew how to describe her current state. It felt as though the very vessel of an Adventurer had risen to another level.
Her Magic Power surged, and strength welled up within her.
Lefiya even had the illusion that if she used [Elf Ring] to borrow Riveria's magic right now, then activated [Fairy Cannon], which amplified magic effects and doubled the enhancement of attack magic, the annihilation magic she unleashed might surpass everyone's imagination.
However, Lefiya knew perfectly well that her current state was definitely because of the boy.
Why was she shaken this badly just because they had slept together once?!
Wouldn't this make it look like she loved Bell Cranel so much she could die for him…?
Lefiya gripped her staff tightly and could not say a single word.
Fortunately, Finn knew about Lefiya's Skill and did not deliberately steer the topic toward her.
"What about Ais and Riveria?"
Finn intentionally ignored Lefiya and asked the other two rear guards.
"A little… It feels like a weakened version of [Ariel]…"
Ais honestly described her condition.
As a Level 6, she could clearly sense that all her ability values had received a small boost.
Could it really be like Tiona said, a result of sleeping together with Bell?
The little Ais in her heart took out paper and a pen, recording this important information in her book. A meaningful smile hung on her face, and beside her feet lay a coil of thick rope with an unknown purpose.
While Ais used her airheaded expression to hide the dark passion in her heart, Riveria returned from her thoughts.
The Elf princess was clever and quick-witted, so of course she would not believe Tiona's explanation.
Without a doubt, this was definitely the effect of some Skill.
Considering the elite squad's composition, the source was most likely either Ryuu or Bell.
Riveria's guess could only go that far. She did not know the conditions needed to activate the Skill. To avoid any accidents, she still informed the others of her current state.
"To be frank, the amplification I feel is very strong. Judging by my [Magic Power], the effect is already comparable to the enhancement from [Alf Regina]."
Her calm, composed voice spread along the forest path and entered everyone's ears.
While Finn was still thinking over the details, Ryuu's vision went dark. She crashed into a towering tree trunk and fell to the ground.
"Ryuu-san?"
Bell hurried forward to help her up.
They were currently walking through the depths of the Gray Forest. The ground was not uneven, and the trees were spaced far apart, making them easy to avoid. Ryuu had been moving without any burden, yet she had still somehow fallen, drawing speechless looks from the others.
"S-sorry, I was distracted just now…"
Ryuu shyly tried to explain.
Since she knew the inside story, she naturally understood what a strong amplification effect meant. Riveria's words just now indicated that her feelings for the boy had already grown to a point that could not be ignored.
Ryuu had sensed it before, but that had only been her own one-sided guess. Now, it had been confirmed completely. Riveria held intense love for Bell Cranel.
Setting aside their identities as a royal princess and an Elf who had sworn loyalty to her, the two of them were also romantic rivals.
Ryuu held onto the boy's right hand and quickly stood up. She gathered her chaotic thoughts and explained:
"Actually, the changes in everyone's ability values are the effect of my Skill. I can't explain the details, but if you feel it's getting in the way, I can turn it off."
Although [Astrae Serenade] was described as always active, that mainly meant the Skill could be maintained indefinitely without consuming anything. Whether the effect itself was active could still be controlled by Ryuu.
By the halfway point of the expedition, Ryuu had already become familiar with this Skill. She had activated it on her own now because a major battle lay ahead, and she needed to inform everyone in advance.
However, Ryuu had truly not expected it to affect almost every woman, or for the amplification on Riveria to be especially strong.
"Amazing~! It doesn't get in the way at all. Actually, it's a huge help!"
Tiona answered with a smile.
"I'm glad it helps everyone. However, this Skill only works within a certain distance of me."
Ryuu added carefully.
The group adjusted their feelings once more. As they continued forward, they grew accustomed to their current state.
Amid the cheerful laughter of the Amazoness girl, the elite squad finally passed through the Gray Forest.
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