Chapter 36: Chapter 36
Forest of All Things—the result of the First Hokage’s Wood Release merging with this world’s Falna—was a practical power.
It let Kiriya command trees at will, serving as a weapon for both offense and battlefield control.
However, it had one flaw.
It could not create clones with minds of their own.
This meant that while Kiriya restrained his enemies, it was hard for him to move in and land the final blow.
Before, he relied on the element of surprise and his speed to close the distance, using Forest of All Things to strike from within the enemy’s body.
As his fame grew and more people learned of this ability, they would guard against this tactic.
If he faced a well-rounded fighter with fast reflexes, immense strength, and a durable body, he would struggle.
’Looks like it is time to add that world to my schedule.’
Kiriya gazed into the distance, as if looking across space into the ninja world.
Kekkei Genkai, ninjutsu, Tailed Beasts...
That place held countless treasures waiting for him to claim.
’But with my current strength... forget it.’
Counting his swordsmanship, taijutsu, and magic, his current power would only rival an elite Jonin in the Naruto world.
At a glance, that might sound impressive.
It was considered high-level strength in the major hidden villages. Yet, anyone who knew the truth understood the hidden dangers of that peaceful-looking world.
Setting aside Madara and Kaguya as the ultimate threats, Nagato’s Rinnegan alone could turn Kiriya to dust in a second.
Even looking only at Konoha, the village was full of hidden powerhouse.
The Legendary Sannin, the Yellow Flash, and the Third Hokage—the Professor who stayed sharp despite his age—none of them were easy foes.
One wrong step, and he would meet his end there.
Still, Kiriya wanted the secret techniques hidden within Konoha.
After some thought, Kiriya decided that growing stronger must be his top priority.
He needed to raise his stats.
Ideally, he should reach Level 3 before traveling there.
’And then there is Danzo and the Third Hokage. Maybe I can use the conflict between them. But the plan still needs some work.’
With these thoughts, Kiriya reached the entrance connecting the seventeenth and eighteenth floors.
Goliath’s attacks had struck this area, leaving a massive pile of rocks blocking the path.
For anyone else, clearing this rubble would take a long time. But with the Forest of All Things, Kiriya made short work of it.
He summoned large trees to push the rocks aside, opening a wide path.
After a brief walk, he stepped onto the Dungeon’s eighteenth floor.
Before he could take in the legendary view, he heard a familiar voice.
"Eh, you came to the eighteenth floor too? What a coincidence!"
Kiriya froze for a moment before smiling.
"Yeah. What a coincidence indeed."
He looked up to see a familiar figure standing at the entrance, waving at him with bright, cheerful energy.
It was none other than Tiona.
As usual, she wore her bold, revealing outfit.
Her lively voice felt like it could light up the entire floor! And she was not alone.
Beside her stood her sister, Tione, and a blonde girl in light armor.
The Sword Princess, Ais Wallenstein.
"What are you doing here?" Kiriya asked.
"We came down with Ais to train for a bit, then stopped on the eighteenth floor to rest. I did not expect to run into you here, little guy. Looks like it’s fate, huh?"
Tiona bounced toward him like a rabbit, reaching out to hug his arm out of habit.
However, her eyes caught the damage on his chest armor.
"Huh? You are hurt?"
She reached out to check his chest, but Kiriya slipped away.
"Oh? Are you shy, little guy?" Tiona teased, her lips curling into a grin.
"Don’t mess around. Me, shy?" Kiriya snorted. "I just believe in being fair. If you touch me, I will touch you back."
"Oh? That sounds fun." Tiona’s eyes lit up!
Instead of backing off, she pushed her chest forward.
"So? Want to try?"
Kiriya’s eye twitched.
’Are Amazon women always this aggressive? She should say that kind of thing in private. Saying it so loud makes it impossible to act! Am I supposed to throw away my gentlemanly image right here?’
"Tiona, stop fooling around."
Tione and Ais caught up, and Tione took over.
"Kiriya is injured. He needs treatment first."
"Thanks, but I already handled it," Kiriya waved it off. "It is nothing serious."
Tiona clasped her hands behind her head and whistled.
"Tione is so boring. I just wanted to get a little closer to the little guy."
Tione ignored her sister and continued. "That’s good... still, it’s strange. Are there monsters around here that can hurt you?"
"You make me sound like a first-tier adventurer." Kiriya clicked his tongue. "I’m just a Level 2 in the end. Getting hurt on the middle floors is normal, isn’t it?"
Ais stared at him with eyes as calm as a quiet lake.
After studying him for a moment, she asked, "Did you run into Goliath?"
The air grew quiet.
The Amazon sisters stared at Kiriya in shock before realizing the truth.
"So thats it. No wonder you got hurt! You ran into that big guy." Tiona gave a strange grin. "So? Getting beaten up by him did not feel great, did it?"
"Tiona!" Tione raised her voice.
Her sister had no filter!
Who talks like that to an injured person? It was like rubbing salt in a wound!
"What’s the big deal?" Tiona said without a care. "When we were Level 4, that monster gave us a lot of trouble. Little guy here was alone, so of course he took a beating. He can just get his revenge after he levels up."
She smiled. "If you are still upset, big sis can beat it up for you. Want me to?"
"Thanks for the offer, but there is no need." Kiriya waved his hand. "I already dealt with it."
"Right, i know you can do i-..."
Tiona put her hands on her hips and nodded, but then she froze.
Her eyes widened.
She turned to Tione and Ais, only to see the same shocked look on their faces.
"You... dealt with it?" Tione stumbled over her words, forcing a tense smile. "You’re joking, right?"
"Yes, I dealt with it." Kiriya sighed. "That guy was tough, and its healing speed was scary. I almost died there."
He raised his hand, leaving a tiny gap between his thumb and index finger to show just how close the fight had been.
The three girls fell silent.
After trading glances, Ais grabbed Kiriya’s hand and pulled him toward the upper passage.
Tiona and Tione followed.
...
Soon, the four passed through the tunnel and reached the cavern where Goliath spawned.
The battlefield was a mess.
The massive wooden dragons left behind made the truth undeniable.
Kiriya did kill Goliath.
After wiping out a wave of monsters that picked the wrong time to attack, they went back to the eighteenth floor.
...
For a while, the air felt strange.
The girls looked at him with odd expressions. It felt like they were no longer looking at a human, but a monster in human skin!
Their silent stares made Kiriya nervous.
"What?" Even a proud man like Kiriya felt tense and took a step back.
Tiona said nothing as she reached out to touch his face, pulling on his cheeks.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing. I just want to make sure you are not a Level 5 pretending to be weak to mess with us," Tiona said with a straight face.
"I’m Kiriya." He rolled his eyes. "The real deal. Not a fake one!"
"Little guy, your real level is 5 or 6, right?" Tione asked, looking at him with hope. "The whole Level 1 and 2 thing was an act, right?"
"What kind of logic is that?" Kiriya sighed. "Do you think the Guild is stupid? Or that I can fool the gods? If I were that strong, I would be in the Deep Floors! Why would I waste time here?"
"Whoa!"
Tiona pounced on him and hugged him tight, shouting with joy.
"You’re amazing then little guy! You beat a floor boss all by yourself!"
"That’s incredible," Tione said, still in disbelief.
Ais looked at Kiriya and for the first time, emotion stirred in her calm eyes.
"How did you do it?" she asked, her voice shaking a bit.
"Me? Nothing special. My magic just works well against huge, slow monsters."
Kiriya made it sound easy, but the three girls knew better.
Magic was magic.
Strength was strength.
Some adventurers unlocked rare magic at Level 1. However, no one had ever killed a Level 4 floor boss alone while still at Level 2!
That alone was a miracle.
A miracle great enough to shock countless gods and adventurers across Orario!
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