The night was deep.
Patrol teams moved around the campsite, ever vigilant for any signs of disturbance.
Eiji had originally planned to return to his tent to sleep, but before doing so, he rembered sothing and headed in another direction—toward the area where the female mbers' tents were pitched.
"Oh my, is our prince coming to sleep with us?"
The beautiful girls were overjoyed at the sight of him approaching, eagerly trying to pull him into their tents.
"Well, I'm actually here to find soone..."
Eiji was sorely tempted but ultimately declined.
If he really stayed here, it might turn into a wild orgy, and the reputation of Loki Familia would be utterly ruined.
I'm not that desperate.
Absolutely certain.
After getting so information from a kind-hearted girl, Eiji made his way toward the edge of the campsite.
Before long.
Eiji spotted the figure of a certain girl sitting at the edge of the rocky plateau.
"Too nervous to sleep?"
He walked over and sat down beside her.
"Wah! You scared !"
She shot him a startled look.
Then, puffing her cheeks, she turned her head away, letting her golden-brown ponytail sway wildly in the night breeze.
"You were just too focused. I definitely made noise when I walked over, you know?"
Eiji rolled his eyes.
Lefiya muttered sothing under her breath.
She seed to want to argue but couldn't bring herself to say it aloud.
Eiji was right—pure-hearted elves weren't good at being stubborn, so she had no choice but to admit it.
She really was nervous.
So nervous that she hadn't even registered Eiji's footsteps, lost in her own restless thoughts.
"Haven't you been in the Familia for three years? Why are you still nervous now?"
"...This is my first ti entering unexplored territory. Isn't it normal to be nervous?"
Lefiya paused for a mont before giving him a strange look.
"Honestly, you're the weird one here. This is only your second expedition and your first ti in the 51st floor, yet you're not nervous at all. That's what's abnormal, okay?"
Lefiya had been part of Loki Familia for three years.
She had joined quite a few expeditions, but this was her first ti truly venturing into unexplored territory. And in the current assault team, she was the only one at Level 3.
It was impossible not to feel nervous when she was afraid of holding everyone back.
In contrast, Eiji seed completely at ease.
"Is this what they call 'skill breeds courage'?"
Lefiya let out a lancholic sigh.
With the strength of Level 5, entering unexplored territory must have given him a lot more confidence.
"Co on, last ti I ca down here, I was only Level 2. Was I nervous then?"
Eiji rolled his eyes again.
"I just know that being nervous won't help, so I channel that energy into motivation instead. You're overthinking things—that's why you're sitting here all sentintal."
Lefiya fell silent.
He was right.
A month ago, during Eiji's first descent, he had indeed been Level 2. But back then, he had been incredibly bold, performing brilliantly in both the middle and lower floors.
Even when they reached the deep floors—like the 49th—where even the Level 3 mbers were terrified by the invading Formor, Eiji had charged forward without hesitation and ended up slaying it instead.
It always felt like this guy didn't know what fear was—his intensity was on a completely different level from ordinary people.
If it were him from a month ago, even if he were chosen to venture into unexplored territory, he'd probably still be just as fierce. Whether he could win or not was another matter, but he definitely wouldn't be wallowing in sentintality like her.
"I'll teach you a breathing technique. Once you learn it, you won't feel nervous anymore!"
"Really?"
"Of course! You've got to trust !"
Eiji thumped his chest confidently.
Lefiya was half-convinced but still skeptical as she began adjusting her breathing to match Eiji's rhythm.
"No, you need to speed up here!"
"Oh, this part is too slow..."
"This is so annoying..."
Lefiya beca completely absorbed in the learning process.
"Oh my?"
A beautiful fairy princess approached from behind and couldn't help but smile faintly at the sight of their interaction before turning to leave.
"..."
Not long after, a golden-haired, golden-eyed girl hesitantly walked over, seemingly struggling to find the right words. After observing the scene for a mont, she paused in thought before deciding to turn back.
"Mmm...!"
Next ca the sisters Tiona and Tione. Tiona, seeing how well the two were getting along, couldn't hold back her tears (which resembled strips of seaweed), only to be promptly dragged away by her sister.
Eiji glanced behind him.
"Wow, she's really the group's darling!"
He muttered inwardly.
One after another, several groups had co by—each likely intending to comfort Lefiya. Who would've thought this quiet girl was so popular!
"How's this?"
Lefiya shot him a proud look.
She had followed every detail Eiji pointed out and was feeling great.
"Huh? Oh! You're learning fast—you've pretty much mastered eighty percent!"
Eiji pretended to listen carefully for a mont before nodding approvingly.
"Well, I am a mage, after all. Techniques like this are nothing to !"
The young elf was starting to get a little full of herself.
"Feeling more relaxed now?"
"Eh?"
Lefiya froze for a second before suddenly realizing.
"It's true—I'm not nervous at all anymore!"
The unease in her heart had completely vanished, leaving her feeling much lighter.
"This is a technique used by swordsn. Just like a mage's incantations, you need to morize it and practice often. When you're nervous, just breathe in this rhythm, and the tension will fade."
Eiji spoke with absolute certainty.
Trust —it never fails!
"I understand!"
Lefiya nodded vigorously, delighted.
"I'm heading back."
With that, Eiji stood up and walked away.
"Um... thank you!"
No response.
He simply waved a hand before disappearing into the night.
"Haah..."
Lefiya adjusted her breathing, committing the rhythm to mory.
Strangely enough, her nervousness really hadn't returned.
Was it really the breathing technique's doing?
Lefiya wasn't sure, but she wanted to believe Eiji. After all, he was such a fearless person—he couldn't be wrong.
"Ah... I really am an idiot."
Suddenly, Lefiya let out a long sigh.
In the end, people only feel nervous because they have too much free ti.
When there's nothing else occupying their thoughts, they obsess over whether they'll hold others back. In truth, that mindset is the worst—careless mistakes are all too easy to make.
By filling her mind with other things and preventing her brain from dwelling on it, the nervousness would naturally fade away.
Simply put, don't overthink it.
Eiji managed this effortlessly.
But Lefiya couldn't—her nature was too emotional, always prone to overthinking.
What Eiji did was simply make her forget her nervousness. It wasn't the breathing technique that worked, but him.
"Honestly, I was trying to forget him… How am I supposed to do that now?"
***
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