-----

Frank and his party had already explored the dungeon for about four and a half hours and had already defeated many monsters while exploring the vast corridors of the Dungeon. ​​

As Cathyl and Gwendolyn gained the System, they had begun to level up the moment they slew a beast, and they were also able to gather experience points from the kills of others within the party, allowing them to level up quite fast.

Even though they had already built up some strength before having the System, they still started at Level 1 and needed to level up from that point onwards.

Even Gwendolyn who was a Rank 2 Magus was still at Level 1 at first, so she quickly leveled up all the way to level 4 in this time, as Frank had used his authority as the Dungeon Master to make the Monsters slightly more attracted to the party, to the point that they would come across monsters in every corner of the Dungeon.

Although such an ability was not completely overpowered, as he could only do so as much without having to spend Divine Power, precious energy that he really did not want to waste in such things.

As Frank saved the corpses of the monsters, the party decided to take a break.

"I am Level… 4! I cannot believe that I do really feel stronger… It is not a feeling like strengthening my Mana Core, but it gives me the same power or even greater… Not only my magic has increased, but I feel like my muscles and bones had been slowly strengthening as I leveled… What a wonderful power…" said Gwendolyn.

"Yep, I even leveled up my Axe Technique Skill! Skills are interesting, and techniques seem to be like Magic Spells, but to use for weapons… And they are of no attribute… Pretty interesting… Oh, and my Gust is Level 3! It leveled up crazy fast… Why is it?" wondered Cathyl.

"That's because I have been using Tutoring, one of my Skills, to teach you how to control Gust. The more insights I give you and the more you understand them, you gain Skill Proficiency bonuses, which helped you level up the Skill quite fast," said Frank.

"Oh yeah, my Gust is also Level 3! It works exceptionally well with my Fire Attribute Magic, as I can use fire alongside wind to generate new types of spells that can be faster and more precise," said Gwendolyn.

"Nii-sama, I leveled up Holy Light Magic too! It also seems that Charity and Humility are helping everyone level up faster… I am Level 3 though…" said Kamei.

Thanks to Kamei's Humility and Charity Skills, she was able to make the journey through the dungeon even easier, while also giving everyone she saw as allies double the experience points gained.

However, Frank was the only one that did not seem to level up yet, as he seemed to have hit some kind of progression wall, and was still stuck at Level 14.

But thanks to Kamei's double experience buff, he was confident that today he should be able to reach level 15 if they were to continue slaying monsters for a few more hours.

Currently, the party was having lunch, which Frank had packed on his Inventory.

The hour and a half that they spent preparing were also used by Gwendolyn, Annabelle, and Kamei to cook some lunch, which Frank was able to keep warm and fresh inside of his Inventory.

Now the party sat down in a table and chair that Frank also brought through his Inventory, and were all enjoying quite the picturesque lunch in the middle of the eerie Dungeon… If an Adventurer Party were to find them, they would surely begin to ask several questions.

However, as they were deep within the Dungeon, it was not quite likely.

As Frank had dinner with his family, he heard the voice of Orb within his soul.

"Master, she's approaching from the other corridor, it seems that she lost herself within the dungeon for a bit, just like you planned!" she said.

"I see… Very well then, time to go for a hunt…" said Frank to Orb, as he stretched his arms.

"I will tell you the truth, we have been chased by someone mysterious this whole time, it seems to be a woman covered in dark clothes and a hood, her Rank seems to be Rank 2 middle stage…" said Frank.

"EH?!"

Everyone had the same reaction…

"Sorry for not telling you previously, but it was better for her to not realize that I had noticed her presence… Orb, the Dungeon Core of this Dungeon, had kept track of her, and had slightly manipulated the Dungeon using the most of her capabilities to make her get loose within the corridors… However, she seems to have realized this, and is coming here even faster than before," said Frank.

"Those are like… the bandits you killed the other day that you didn't tell us about?" asked Annabelle.

"Indeed, they were former bandits and now have become Nezhit, who all of you already know," said Frank.

"Then let us help you out, with this System, I feel capable of everything!" said Cathyl.

"Yeah, let us help you, we already reached level 9!" said Asterion.

"Yeah!" said Hilvera.

"Nii-sama, let's fight!" said Kamei, bravely.

"Sorry but no, all of you are still weak, and your strength cannot compare to a Rank 2… I know this very well…" said Frank.

"But at the very least, I will go," said Gwendolyn.

Frank could not deny that Gwendolyn was indeed strong, as a Rank 2 middle stage magus herself, she was supposed to have the same level of strength as his pursuer… However, he felt like such pursuer packed more tricks than he could imagine.

Nonetheless, Gwendolyn was a strong addition, and although he has not practiced his coordination with her as much as with Nezhit, Ruby, and Zhulong, she was still strong and reliable enough.

"Very well, based on your glare, it seems that I can't convince you to stay anyways," said Frank.

"Indeed, I will protect you, Frank. This strength I have is not for nothing after all," said Gwendolyn.

"B-But nii-sama, I also want to protect you! W-What if… something bad happens to you? I don't want to lose you!" cried Kamei.

"Don't worry, Kamei… I will not doubt nor falter any more," said Frank with a confident and calm smile as his crimson eyes gleamed with conviction.

Kamei was surprised by her brother's words, and the confidence and strength he emanated from his very self, the hardships and mishaps he had gone through had shaped him into someone different than before… yet, he still had the same gentle heart as her brother.

"…Okay, make sure to come back in one piece though…!" said Kamei, as she kissed her brother's cheek.

"Don't worry. Let's go, Gwendolyn," said Frank.

"Alright then… Fufu, you've grown up a bit since the first time I met you, boy," said Gwendolyn.

"Is that so?" wondered Frank, as both he and Gwendolyn rushed out of the room where they were having lunch.

Boom!

Suddenly, the room-only entrance closed itself.

"Eh? It closed?!" asked Kamei.

"That must have been Orb-chan, she can control the dungeon after all!" said Hilvera.

"Maybe she did this to protect us, so that pursuer does not reach us by accident…" said Cathyl.

"This is… frustrating… I want to be strong too! I want to become… someone reliable for Frank!" said Asteron, clenching his fist.

"Nii-san…" said Hilvera.

"I think the same, Asterion… Let's train very hard to catch up with him and Gwendolyn-san… So we can become reliable allies that our brother doesn't have to always be taking care of…!" said Kamei.

"Kamei… You're right!" said Cathyl.

"Let's hope for the best for now…" said Hilvera.

As the party hoped for the best, Frank and Gwendolyn slowly walked towards the pursuer, that was quickly rushing through the corridors while tracking Frank.

"Gwendolyn… We'll kill her," said Frank.

"That's… Well, you've already killed before, right?" asked Gwendolyn.

"Yes. Nezhit is the unliving proof of that… If everything goes alright. I will raise her into an undead similarly to Nezhit, and interrogate her more about who sent her… Although if it's the same Thief Guild as Nezhit's original souls, then… She is probably working for the Boss of such organization, a Rank 5 Magus…" said Frank.

"Rank 5?! I wonder why such a strong Magus would be controlling a criminal organization… Rank 5 Magus have enough strength to be considered Champions, there isn't any need to control a criminal organization if their whole authority can even give them so many riches and resources within society…" said Gwendolyn.

"It is indeed mysterious. I believe that such a strong Magus might not only be connected with these bandits, but also with many other organizations, and most probably is even controlling the ones within the main capital of the nation… Perhaps, he might even have a connection with many aristocratic houses…" said Frank.

"That's…!" muttered Gwendolyn.

"Yeah… Because I killed those three, even when I made sure to not leave any trails behind, I was still found out and tracked. Whatever resources they have, they are an immense organization to be able to track me even after I did all of that, and whoever is the Boss, he genuinely wants my head now… The only thing we can do for now is to grow strong enough that even he would become wary of us… And this pursuer… This woman is our first challenge amongst the many that we shall face… I believe that there might be still time for you to go back there, if I can manage to make it seem as if you're not related with us, perhaps we could-" said Frank.

"Frank, shut up already. I am not backing down, we'll face these challenges together, as a family," said Gwendolyn, her emerald eyes blazing with fiery determination.

"Gwendolyn… I guess I shouldn't even have asked then…" said Frank with a bitter smile.

"You really should have not," said Gwendolyn with a calm smile.

"Brat, she's here!" roared Hades.

"Yeah, I noticed her, Hades," said Frank, as he and Gwendolyn glanced at a certain figure emerge from within the shadows…

The figure of a woman with slender legs and arms, wide hips, and sharp emerald eyes below her hood that covered the rest of her face with shadows emerged, she quickly took off two black-colored daggers from the belts around her hips.

"The human boy and a Rank 2 Magus… This will certainly not be as easy as I imagined… However, I must fulfill my duty and assassinate you two. Ah, do not worry, as I will make sure of it to be a swift death, you have my word," said the woman as her entire presence seemed to be submerged in bloodlust.

"I don't think that the word of an assassin amounts to anything," said Gwendolyn teasingly as the woman in black stared at her blankly.

-----