85 Status Points, and the Gray Steel Dragon Scale material!
Roy saw the pop-up notification panel and rejoiced inwardly. Sure enough, slaying monsters in the Dungeon also dropped Status Points and rewards.
The lack of prompts before was entirely because those monsters were too weak and didn't drop anything worthwhile.
He needed to slay monsters with similar or even higher Ability Scores than his own to hit the jackpot.
Strength: 17 (I)
Endurance: 13 (I)
Dexterity: 28 (I)
Agility: 15 → 100 (H)
Magic: 43 (I)
…
After fighting the Apollo Familia and engaging in Dungeon combat, his Ability Scores had generally increased. Roy casually added the earned Status Points to "Agility." There was no need to allocate these small points carefully.
Roy and Ryuu began venturing into the thirteenth floor, marking the start of the Dungeon's middle levels.
Their levels and Ability Scores overwhelmed the opposition. The monsters of the middle floors couldn't stop their progress.
They killed monsters without major incident along the way.
After about eight or nine hours, Roy and Ryuu started heading back. This was not an Expedition. They hadn't brought much food or water and had to return to the surface.
The backpack carried by the lightning avatar was also filled with Magic Stone fragments and dropped materials.
Roy and Ryuu headed to the Guild Headquarters.
When the mountain of Magic Stone fragments was laid before the Guild staffers, they were moved to tears. Their greatest fear these past few days was the Astrea Familia running away. As long as they were willing to repay the debt, everything was fine.
After counting the Magic Stone fragments, a Guild staffer produced a large bag of coins, which was conspicuously eye-catching in the hall.
Today's haul: 680,000 Valis!
Roy and Ryuu only exchanged the Magic Stones for money. They kept the monster materials. If they sold these to the Guild and later wanted to buy them back, it would cost two to three times the price.
They still had to plan for the future.
It was better to keep the monster materials themselves. If they needed any equipment, they could just find a blacksmith directly.
"Mr. Roy, I heard you have leveled up to LV.2. The Guild needs to update your adventurer profile. Is there anything you wish to keep private?"
Remmel approached Roy.
The commotion in the Babel Plaza had already spread the news of Roy's LV.2 status. Everyone knew that a new LV.2 member had joined the Astrea Familia.
Roy's eyes shifted. He put a large hand on Remmel's shoulder and pulled him aside.
Just as Remmel looked confused, Roy grinned. "Mr. Remmel, I have a favor to ask. Please don't update my profile yet."
"Ah… that doesn't comply with regulations." Remmel looked awkward. Other people who leveled up couldn't wait for the whole world to know immediately, often deliberately asking acquaintances, "How did you know I leveled up?"
Roy laughed. "Regulations are dead; people are alive. Mr. Remmel, you must learn flexibility."
Remmel's face was conflicted.
Roy decisively pulled out his trump card, clutching his chest with a sorrowful expression. "Our Familia is small and weak right now. Who knows when we'll pay back that 60 million Valis? Maybe not for another ninety-nine years."
Remmel caught the threatening implication and nearly cried. Brother, you're the ruthless one.
If that pig of a Chairman found out the 60 million Valis wouldn't be recovered, he'd be flayed alive. They were at a natural disadvantage here. Roy was like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water. At worst, he'd run away with the Goddess, smash the Star Garden to pieces, and leave the Guild with nothing.
Of course, that was only under desperate circumstances.
Remmel gritted his teeth. "I can only hold it for a week at most. Those Gods are not easy to deal with."
Updating an adventurer's profile was not a big deal for the Guild. The trouble lay with the Gods. They were very interested in newly leveled-up adventurers.
Many Gods liked to stay in the Guild Headquarters hall, frequently asking if there were any excellent new adventurers. To the Gods, this was a nurturing game, and they certainly wanted to snatch up good prospects.
Moreover, Roy's level-up was already public knowledge.
Remmel could imagine how many Gods would come asking for Roy's information these days.
Especially at the Gods' Assembly, where new LV.2 adventurers were given titles. If Roy's profile wasn't visible, the Gods would riot.
"One week…"
Roy murmured. That time frame was about right—enough for him to become a qualified LV.2 adventurer.
Roy instantly changed his expression, smiling as he patted Remmel's shoulder. "That's enough. I'll treat you to a meal soon. It has to be a luxury feast!"
Remmel smiled bitterly. Just please stop causing me trouble. He was genuinely a little afraid.
Carrying the large bag of Valis, Roy and Ryuu left the Guild Headquarters and returned to the Star Garden.
"What kind of scheme are you cooking up now?" the elven girl asked. She had obviously seen Roy sneaking off with Remmel and wondered what he was up to.
Roy chuckled. "Why would you say that? Can't I be cooking up a good scheme?"
…
In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.
Roy and Ryuu were either in the Dungeon or on their way to the Dungeon. Due to the time limit, they didn't earn an excessive amount each day, averaging around six or seven hundred thousand Valis.
This was because Ryuu was matching Roy's pace. Otherwise, she would have long ago rushed to the 20th floor to seek more valuable materials, where earning a million Valis a day was possible.
Under Ryuu's guidance, Roy filled in the gaps in his fundamental adventurer knowledge and his understanding of the Dungeon, including monster weaknesses and terrain features. These experiences were the life-and-death summaries of countless predecessors.
Roy also used the constant combat to internalize and fully master his LV.2 power.
He also understood what was meant by a qualitative change.
LV.2 power was fundamentally different from LV.1.
He had tested it. His base physical abilities were comparable to a superhuman. With a light jump, he could leap onto the roof of a three or four-story building. His 100-meter dash time was under 3 seconds. Usain Bolt would have to hand him a cigarette...
The Dungeon, Sixteenth Floor.
The environment was a labyrinth of rock caverns. The ground hid numerous natural traps. Should a collapse occur, adventurers would fall to the floors below, like a ferocious beast opening its jaws to swallow the intruders.
The frequency of monster spawns was entirely different from the upper floors. A moment's inattention could lead to being surrounded by countless monsters and worn down until exhaustion.
Middle-floor monsters also began using Magic attacks.
For example, the Hellhound, a canine monster larger than an ordinary hunting dog. Its greatest threat was the flames it breathed, which were condensed Magic Power, comparable to an LV.1 adventurer's flame Magic.
Roy and Ryuu teamed up, defeating over a hundred monsters that surrounded them. Magic Stone fragments littered the ground, and the lightning avatar followed, diligently picking them up.
Ryuu looked toward the passage leading to the seventeenth floor. "Go any further, and it will be the seventeenth floor."
[Hunt Dungeon Seventeenth Floor Boss, Goliath. Reward: 1000 Status Points, Silver Chest!]