Bell, cloaked in lightning, surged toward the Minotaur.
In a flash, the sharp Hestia Knife sliced through the creature's throat. The Minotaur disintegrated into black ash almost instantly, leaving behind only a Magic Stone, a broken horn, and an axe.
"I can't stick around. I need to get out of here immediately."
Though Bell hoped the one approaching was just a low-level rookie, the reality was that Adventurers had terrifyingly sharp perception. Trying to fight at this range while hiding from someone rushing over was a fool's dream.
Since hiding was no longer an option, a swift and decisive battle was the only choice.
Studying Minotaurs could wait. That was something to think about after reaching the fifteenth episode.
The other Minotaurs sensed the change in atmosphere. They roared, trying to intimidate their surroundings, while frantically swinging their axes.
Unfortunately, all that showed was their complete inability to perceive any movement.
A bolt of lightning flashed through one Minotaur's eye socket at the base of its calf.
"Pssht!"
"Gaaah!"
Blood spurted across the ground, and the Minotaur's screams echoed throughout the fifth floor.
Even the one rushing over paused instinctively.
Bell seized that brief window. Without hesitation, he swung the Hestia Knife in a graceful arc, the air around him thick with the smell of scorched ozone.
In one swift motion, he cut down the four kneeling Minotaurs. They too crumbled into black ash.
Almost the moment they fell, Bell collected the dropped items into his four-dimensional space and bolted from the scene.
He couldn't afford to linger on the fifth floor. Even if he wanted to train, the third or fourth floors were safer options.
The chances of being spotted under the watchful eyes of Loki Familia were far too high.
Bell wasn't willing to take that kind of risk here.
As for the "Sword Princess" of the Loki Familia, it was best to stay away until he had grown stronger. Getting close now could attract unwanted attention from her more... enthusiastic fans.
Suppressing his lightning form, he quickly vacated the area.
...
Almost the moment Bell left, a blonde girl wrapped in wind arrived at the battle site.
Clad in silver armor and a white underlayer, her lightweight gear accentuated her slender, well-proportioned figure. The curve of her hips beneath her skirt drew the eye.
Her name was Ais Wallenstein, a Level 5 adventurer of the Loki Familia.
Youthful, beautiful, and powerful—these were her three most captivating traits. Her rapid rise in strength made her one of the most watched adventurers in all of Orario.
But now, the very adventurer admired throughout the city tilted her head slightly in confusion.
"So fast...?"
Taking out five Minotaurs quickly wasn't particularly difficult, but the speed just now had been beyond expectation.
Ais was certain that from the moment she heard that faint thunder to her arrival here, not even five seconds had passed. Yet, in that short span, the Minotaurs were already dead.
She listened closely. The thunder had vanished—whoever it was had already gone far.
She scanned the area but sensed no one nearby.
Which meant... whoever had killed the Minotaurs had fled immediately after?
Lower-level adventurers couldn't pull it off, and higher-level ones wouldn't bother.
"Ais!"
The rest of Loki Familia arrived one after another, having been a step behind Ais.
"Ais, where are the Minotaurs?"
The one asking was a boy wielding a golden spear—but don't mistake him for a child. In Orario, there existed a unique race called the Pallum. No matter their age, they looked like children.
This particular Pallum was no ordinary one. He was Finn Deimne, the captain of Loki Familia, known by the title "Braver."
Ais shook her head, looking puzzled.
"I heard the Minotaurs scream and the sound of thunder, but by the time I got here, they were already gone."
Finn frowned slightly.
Someone had managed to kill five Minotaurs before they and Ais even arrived—that kind of strength was anything but ordinary.
And considering Ais had rushed over the moment she heard the Minotaurs' cries, only to find that both the enemies and whoever fought them had vanished... it meant this person wasn't just powerful—they were also deliberately hiding their presence.
As for the thunder, it was likely caused by some sort of magic.
"Riveria."
The elf holding a gem-encrusted, ornate staff gave a small nod.
She was Riveria Ljos Alf, one of the three Level 6 members of Loki Familia, and its vice-captain. A royal elf, the strongest mage in Orario, and known as the "Nine Hell."
Being royalty among elves, her affinity for magical elements was exceptionally strong—magic itself was the elves' greatest strength, and the same held true for Riveria.
After sensing the lingering lightning element in the area, her brows furrowed.
Finn noticed the shift in her expression and asked, "What is it?"
"A very aggressive lightning element... completely unlike any other I've encountered. Even with my elemental affinity, just brushing against it was enough to get rejected."
"There are only two explanations for this."
"First, the opponent's power vastly surpasses mine, to the point where the lightning elements they command are beyond my reach."
"Second, the opponent is using a unique form of lightning magic—one that causes the element to become volatile and unusable by others."
"Then it must be the second."
Level 6 was near the pinnacle in Orario. Aside from Ottar, the sole Level 7, no others existed. So the idea of someone being vastly stronger than Riveria and still unknown? Impossible.
Riveria agreed. If someone truly were that powerful—stronger than her in both raw strength and elemental control—they couldn't possibly be a nobody.
That made the first scenario unlikely.
Finn hadn't expected there to be such an adventurer in Orario.
"Ais, how long did it take from when you heard the sound to when you got here?"
"Five seconds."
Ais thought for a moment, then gave the exact answer.
"In five seconds, they killed five Minotaurs, collected the Magic Stones, and avoided Ais's detection."
"That means the other person must have sensed Ais's approach, wrapped up the fight within five seconds, and deliberately vanished. Looks like they're intentionally concealing their identity."
"If they're hiding who they are, it's either because they have something to hide... or they're a newcomer."
Most seasoned adventurers with that level of power were already known—there'd be no need to stay hidden.
As for Evilus members, they wouldn't be active on the fifth floor.
Which meant, at this point, they could only be classified as a "newcomer."
It typically takes a Level 2 to kill a Minotaur, but there were always exceptions.
If this person had some kind of special magic, then taking down a Minotaur in such a short span wasn't impossible.