On the first floor of the dungeon, instead of beast-type wild monsters, there were goblins. They rushed forward while making loud, cluttering noises, raising their crude wooden clubs high in the air as they charged.

A dozen Splash Shooters appeared in front of Reigns, hovering steadily before firing all at once. Bright energy orbs shot forward in a straight line. The goblins did not try to dodge. Instead, they swung their clubs like they were playing baseball, grinning wildly as they tried to smash the incoming attacks.

That proved to be a fatal mistake.

The moment the energy orb collided with the club, it shattered it instantly. The force did not stop there. It continued forward and struck the goblin directly in the head, tearing it apart violently.

CRUNG!

Blood splattered across the ground. The decapitated goblin body staggered forward for a few steps, its legs still moving out of instinct before it collapsed lifelessly onto the floor.

The same scene repeated itself across the battlefield. One goblin after another fell, and destruction spread everywhere.

[You have gained 420 days tradable lifespan.]

[You have gained 460 days tradable lifespan.]

[..]

[..]

[Splash Shooter Lv3 → Lv4]

[Splash Shooter Lv5 → Lv6]

[Splash Shooter Lv2 → Lv3]

[Splash Shooter Lv4 → Lv5]

Notifications began flashing rapidly one after another in front of Reigns. The steady stream of messages continued until another window appeared.

[You have met the necessary requirements to advance.]

[Do you want to advance?]

[Yes] [No]

It was asking if he wanted to move to the next floor or stay. Reigns glanced at Nyxara. She noticed his look and stepped forward immediately, understanding his intent without needing words.

Since he had already met the requirements, it was now her turn to move.

Swish!

She stepped ahead and moved through the zone to hunt the prey.

In the next moment, all Reigns could see were flashes of cold arcs slicing through the air.

Nyxara walked forward as if she were strolling along a beach under a gentle breeze, her expression relaxed and almost bored.

However, behind her, monsters were cut apart into clean pieces without any resistance. Bodies fell silently, and the ground was soon covered in dismantled remains.

Reigns ignored the scene after a glance and looked ahead at the goblins again, a faint frown forming on his face.

The others behind him noticed it.

Mira hesitated for a moment, then stepped closer and asked, "What happened Reigns?"

Reigns kept his eyes forward as he replied, "These goblins... They feel weird in certain sense."

His words confused them. Before anyone could respond, Ren spoke up after activating his scouting skill.

"I somewhat agree," Ren said, narrowing his eyes. "As far as I know, goblins are intelligent beings and their behaviour coincides with those of bullies. They oppress and slaughter the weak while they fear the stronger ones."

"Now that you said it, it makes sense," Lira added, nodding slowly.

"Witnessing such a brutal slaughter, they should have run away. Instead, they are rushing ahead."

As they spoke, Nyxara finished clearing the required number and lightly jumped back, landing near them.

"I am done."

"Hm," Reigns nodded.

He turned toward the squad. Some of them looked slightly down.He understood the feeling, but he also knew that such emotions could become a burden if they lingered too long.

"I will go ahead," he said calmly. "You all should be careful and don’t push your luck too much. Retreat if there lies a strong danger."

"We will. You better take care of yourself," Austin replied with a small smile.

Reigns returned the smile briefly, then selected the option to proceed.

In the next instant, Reigns and Nyxara’s bodies flashed and disappeared, leaving behind only a faint afterglow in the air.

"Can we tag along?" Kellar asked, rubbing the back of his head.

Ren clicked his tongue and kicked him lightly. "You don’t understand a thing, musclehead."

"That woman won’t act unless her darling is in danger. Also, she doesn’t seem to be pleased with us tagging Reigns."

"Uh... I see... Now that you said that, damn it, I am feeling jealous," Kellar muttered, gritting his teeth.

"It’s same bro... We are all on same boat."

"Hmph! Boys and your fantasies," Mira snorted. She waved her staff forward and began walking ahead.

Arvin followed her with a faint chuckle. "Let’s go guys. Time to level up."

...

Reigns and Nyxara were transported to the next floor.

The moment their feet touched the ground, another notification appeared.

[You have entered the second floor of dungeon.]

[Kill 10 monsters to advance.]

The message was the same as before, so the rules likely remained unchanged. However, something about this place felt different.

The first floor had been a vast open plain, but this one was not.

They now stood on dry, cracked land. The ground looked parched, and a faint mist lingered in the air, limiting visibility. The atmosphere felt heavy and strange.

Reigns suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu. His senses sharpened instantly, and his body tensed as he looked around carefully.

"Bloom!"

He summoned his Splash Shooters and surrounded himself with them. He turned around to say something to Nyxara, but before he could speak, she suddenly lunged at him.

"What!"

He gasped as he fell back. Nyxara landed on top of him, straddling him with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Nyx, what’s going on?" he asked, confused.

"Nothing much. It’s just I hadn’t tasted those sweet lips of darling," she said softly while tracing her finger across his lips.

"Wait Nyx... This isn’t time for that!"

"You said the same thing yesterday, saying you were shy before others so I waited..."

Before Reigns could respond further, Nyxara moved like a wolf and captured his lips.

Her kiss was not gentle. It was possessive.

Her tongue slipped inside as she deepened the kiss. Reigns felt a warm, sweet sensation spreading through his mouth. It was unfamiliar, yet strangely addictive. Without thinking, he responded, tasting that warmth.

’Damn... Such a lady throwing herself into my arms. You can’t expect me to be beta or saint.’

His expression changed. He tightened his arms around her waist and suddenly rolled over, reversing their positions. Nyxara let out a soft gasp as he pinned her down, her eyes widening slightly in surprise.

"Remember this Nyx..." he said, his voice low as he looked directly at her.

"I don’t like to be passive. And..." he paused, his gaze shifting briefly to her lips.

"I am kissing you because I want to, not because you initiated.And also,this will be the last time I kiss you here."

"No kissing until we are out of the dungeon."

With that, he leaned forward and closed the distance between the lips.