Danmaku, my skills refresh weekly.

“But…” Nar was about to say something when he was interrupted by Charles.

"But what? Didn't you see it was disguising itself before it left? From what I understand, that kind of monster would deliberately create a 'trap' to lure us into its trap!"

"Besides, didn't you see it just took away its 'prey'? By the time we catch up, it will have already devoured the 'prey,' and then, once it recovers, it will become the 'hunter'!"

Charles clicked his tongue, glanced at the blue, sticky substance clinging to the wound on the "Bloody Troll's" arm, then looked away and commanded:

"Heal the wounded first! Healers, begin chanting! Reeves! Gather the most seriously wounded!"

Under Charles's command, the team quickly finished resting.

The number of casualties was quickly tallied.

Aisha's expression was complex: "The number of supporters led by 'noname' who died in battle is 23. The vanguard of the clan also suffered 3 casualties, 5 severed limbs, and 30 seriously wounded."

Most of the people who sacrificed themselves were people she didn't know well. When Aisha came to her senses, she suddenly realized that even in such a dangerous situation, Charles still had the energy to eliminate dissidents.

No, that's too arbitrary. Or perhaps it's simply a matter of protecting one's own people so well while ignoring outsiders?

"Not bad luck. With these casualties, escaping from that monster is quite an achievement." Charles surveyed the surroundings and chuckled softly.

"Thank God for her mercy. That was the destruction of an 11-person level 4 squad. To be able to save our lives is no exaggeration."

After recovering from his shock, Nar blushed and lowered his head in silence as he listened to Charles's sarcastic tone.

He felt that Charles was mocking him; as the commander, he hadn't demonstrated any ability whatsoever in this battle. He'd only managed to save the team and avoid total annihilation thanks to a mere level 1 support character.

The leader of the Modi Familia walked towards Ciel, one of his arms pierced by a bone spike and his hand wrapped in bandages.

He stared at Charles with awe and sighed:

"Wow, amazing! You saved us again! It's unbelievable that you're only a level 1 newbie!"

"And how did you know the monster's characteristics? How did you react so quickly?"

Modi, the group leader, apologized, "I'm sorry, I wasn't questioning you, but I'm ashamed to say that we are the seniors, yet you taught us a lesson."

Charles smiled warmly and said, "Isn't the ability to quickly transform the unknown into the known a basic quality of an adventurer? Captain, those who don't do this won't survive."

One sentence was like a sudden awakening.

As level 3, they had long understood this principle, but when they encountered monsters far beyond their capabilities, fear and helplessness overwhelmed their intelligence.

"To remain calm and composed in the face of such a terrifying monster, you are truly a person worthy of respect," Phil Weiss exclaimed with lingering fear.

"That was a level 5 monster, and it was actually controlled by a level 1? That's... insane!" Veris exclaimed in shock. "I think I just saw you use some kind of beam of light to subdue that monster in an instant... what was that?"

Charles shook his wrist: "This is a magical artifact that can bind and tame monsters. As you can see, I am actually a beast tamer. My strength cannot be measured by my level alone."

"Moreover, I am as weak as everyone imagines," Charles said calmly, touching Pochi, which was wrapped in gauze like a dumpling. "We were able to successfully repel the enemy thanks to Pochi; it played a crucial role."

A fleeting look of joy crossed Phil Weiss's face. Although she shouldn't be happy about the deaths of her compatriots, she still offered her congratulations:

"Your hard work has finally paid off!"

"No, no... it's just the power of Fari," Charles said modestly.

Listening to their conversation, the adventurers who were lying on the ground recovering their strength suddenly understood what had happened. In the battle just now, that strange, dazzling ring had come from that seemingly clumsy bear.

"Come to think of it, I just had the illusion that I could unleash magic indefinitely."

"Both my strength and magic power have increased significantly, as if I've 'leveled up'."

"The speed of their escape has also increased..."

"What a spineless coward! He actually ran away!"

"If we had worked together properly, that monster definitely wouldn't have been able to kill so many of us."

The adventurers quickly shifted their focus from Pochi's support abilities to Sharl:

"No wonder Mr. Charles became the vice-captain of 'Noname.' That surprise attack with the Flame Stone was truly amazing. I definitely couldn't have done something like that when I was level 1."

"If it were me, I would never bring the Fire Stone into the dungeon, okay?"

"That was Mr. Charles's masterful planning!"

"The key is that bear..."

The adventurers' eyes turned red; they seemed to have discovered the secret to Sharl's immense power.

What an amazing pet! Not only does it provide a 7-layer performance boost at once, it's also incredibly durable.

Didn't you see that even a level 2 Vanguard was crippled by that monster in one hit, and that bear only had bandages wrapped around its neck after taking a hit?

The key is……

The magical bracelet in Ciel's hand, capable of taming and hypnotizing monsters, was clearly not a cheap item.

Furthermore, the precious item that the gloomy loli-chan pulled out was also extremely extravagant, even more valuable than Mr. Ciel's.

The adventurer's gaze fell on the backpack that Pochi had thrown down, from which tubes of luxuriously packaged "coconut milk" were being taken out and used to repair the wounded's bodies.

Its effects are comparable to the best "panacea".

If this group still possesses the Demon Sword...

Damn, this is blatant pay-to-win!

Attracted by the high-end equipment, Alfa Romeo's stunning pulling ability paled in comparison.

However, it must be really great to be able to go on an adventure with such a companion.

Farley's weight gives one peace of mind.

No, we have to find a way to keep these people with us. We must get them to come to the 27th floor with us. They don't feel safe without Xia Er.

Nar, who was resting, was about to suggest that a group of supporters escort the seriously wounded back to Rivera first.

Then they heard the prayers of the clansmen:

"Please, Lord Ciel, don't abandon us! Just let Lord Pochi stand by our side, please, Captain Nar/Modi will do anything."

"Ah... these are just support personnel. Shouldn't we escort the wounded back first?"

"We can escort them back together! Please, you must come with us!" The adventurers, remembering Charles's eccentricities, thought for a moment and added in unison:

"You are definitely not a supporter, you should call me Dad!"

Chapter 324 Then I'll go with you.

Rivera town.

"Be careful, don't feel sorry for Fari. Arrange for everyone to stay in hotels, rest well, and wait for reinforcements."

Before anyone knew it, Sharl had become the leader of three clans. His excellent battlefield response, as well as his command and support abilities, had earned him the recognition of all adventurers.

Among the injured were many with severe injuries, such as having their arms or thighs torn apart. Without the severed limbs, even the best medicine would be ineffective.

Those who lose an arm are alright, but for those who lose a leg or both hands, their adventurer career is essentially over.

Another group, with broken ribs and punctured internal organs, although the potent "concentrated coconut milk" could keep them alive, needed to be brought to the ground as soon as possible for treatment.

Charles then instructed Aisha to escort the adventurers back to the surface with her trusted men.

Revis volunteered as well, saying, "Let me join the escort team too. In the previous battle, those combat prostitutes, like [Lijie], must have been seriously injured, after all, they took a direct hit from that monster."

"We still have to pass through the middle layer before we reach the ground. If we encounter a large-scale Minotaur attack, given Lijie's current condition, it won't be easy for her to handle it. Not to mention, we also have to protect the wounded."

Charles nodded, without refusing.

The Modi Familia didn't have many wounded. Most of them were elven mages and sharpshooters, always in the defensive position, so the casualties were minimal. The few forwards were also top-tier level 3 swordsmen or magic swordsmen, and they were among the best-preserved.

Dionysus's kin also suffered considerable losses, with most of the lower-ranking members wounded.

A white-haired elf named Aura stayed behind to care for the wounded.

At this moment, the leaders of the two clans arrived one after another and found Ciel:

"What do we do next? Continue to follow the team on the expedition?"

"Discovering the Blood Trolls already counts as completing the mission, right?"

Charles pondered for a moment and said:

"Yes, but we can't leave yet. The underground city's communication channels are blocked. We need to send someone to inform the team at the front about the reappearance of the Blood Trolls... otherwise, their fate might not be any better than ours."

The two regimental commanders remained silent.

At that moment, a round, blue jelly crawled up Charles's trouser leg.

After fully digesting the [Wing Membrane of the Divine Beast Tentacle], Rimuru can choose whether to transform into the "God Assassin" black form.

Its soft, sticky voice whispered in Charles's ear.

"The target has been completely devoured and is currently being digested."

In four months, Rimuru, relying on his [Devour] ability and borrowing the power of the Heretics, wandered around the 37th floor of the arena, devouring a large number of monsters. With the addition of two magic stones from Udeos, his potential ability successfully advanced to level 5.

The two captains never imagined that the terrible monster that had tormented them had already been secretly killed by someone sent by Charles.

Of course, Charles couldn't say this openly; he could only send someone to inform them.

Just as the three were talking in front of the hotel, an unexpected sound interrupted their plan.

"Mr. Charles?"

The black-haired elf in the room twitched its ears, as if it had heard the voice of a blond-haired creature, and with a whoosh, it reflexively darted out:

"Ah...it's you! [Swift Wind]! What are you doing here?!"

"Sorry, I don't have time to argue with you today." Ryu strode over and asked gravely, "How is the expedition team doing? Are they still resting in Rivera?"

Charles shook his head, then his face lit up with joy: "We were attacked by the 'Bloody Troll' and had to turn back temporarily. You've come at the right time; the monster is badly wounded, and you might be able to defeat it!"

Kaguya frowned: "A bloodthirsty troll? Even that thing has appeared?"

Leila clicked her tongue: "A whole host of troubles have piled up at once."

"What's wrong? Didn't you come here for this?" Leader Modi asked in return.

"Of course not... No, we need to get to the 27th floor as soon as possible." Ryu bit her lip and looked at Ciel with reluctance: "Ciel... you stay here, don't go anywhere."