Roy pulled out the treasure map. It had become a completely ordinary, useless piece of parchment.
This made him realize that with the Gods having descended, the mystery of this world surpassed imagination. Although Orario was known as the "center of the world" and the Dungeon was one of the Three Great Hidden Realms, that wasn't enough to explain everything.
Roy composed himself. He was only a Level 2 nobody. It was better not to know too much until he had the strength to match it.
Since the eerie cave and the silver-haired goddess had disappeared, Roy turned and left without any lingering regret.
He began the journey back to Orario.
Over three thousand kilometers—in his past life, it would take dozens of hours by high-speed train. Roy shook his head and smiled, but seeing his new skill, 'Elven Royalty,' and the Elven Holy Sword on his back, it felt like everything was worth it.
Just as the silver-haired goddess had said, there wasn't a single house for hundreds of kilometers around.
Roy survived on wild fruits and hunting animals along the way. After hiking over three hundred kilometers and passing through a forest, a small town finally appeared in his sight.
"Uncle, I'd like a few pieces of bread, a serving of beef, and some hot soup!" Roy threw a 100 Valis coin onto the counter.
The restaurant owner's eyes lit up. He quickly instructed the staff, and the kitchen became a flurry of activity.
There weren't many residents in the small town, only about forty to fifty thousand people. Everyone knew everyone else, and the social circle was small. When Roy first entered the town, he attracted a lot of attention and was even questioned by the guards.
But now, the owner and staff were clustering around him. Such was the charm of money.
Roy took the opportunity to ask the owner for news.
He was surprised by what he heard.
Roy thought he had only been in the cave for half a day, but in reality, five days had passed. No wonder the silver-haired goddess's first words to him were that she thought he had died in there. It was truly bizarre.
Roy's food was quickly served. He devoured it ravenously. The wild fruits and unsalted roast meat of the past few days had left his mouth utterly bland.
Full and satisfied, Roy left the restaurant and headed to the town's only merchant guild, based on the information he had gathered.
Although the town was small, it had many local specialties. A caravan transported goods to Orario every month. Instead of trekking all the way back to Orario alone, Roy figured it would be better to apply as a mercenary for the caravan. Although it would be a little slower, it was better than wandering alone.
He had gotten lost in the mountains, which was why a journey of just over three hundred kilometers took him several days.
Entering the merchant guild, the caravan was set to depart in two days. Many people had already applied, like new adventurers in Orario, wearing impractical armor and occasionally showing off their weapons.
Roy waited in line honestly behind them.
As expected, many people were rejected outright and left disheartened. Some were unwilling to accept the rejection and argued, which was when the caravan's professional guards stepped in and threw them out.
Caravans were pragmatic. In this chaotic era, they encountered monsters, bandits, and thieves along the way. They didn't need greenhorn soldiers; they needed people truly capable of protecting the convoy.
When it was Roy's turn, he approached the counter.
"What monsters have you killed? Do you have the Falna?" The receptionist lifted his sleepy eyes. Seeing Roy's appearance—around fifteen or sixteen—he immediately lost interest and asked listlessly.
Roy replied, "I am a Level 2 adventurer!"
In that instant, the noisy hall fell silent. Everyone turned to stare at Roy.
"Are you serious? That joke is going too far," the receptionist glared. The strongest adventurer in this small town was only Level 1 with stats barely above 200, yet that was already enough to crush most people.
Zzzt! Zzzt! Zzzt!
Roy didn't waste words. He held out his right hand and activated his magic. Golden lightning surged forth, the electrical snakes crackling, and the light illuminated the entire hall.
"Magic?!"
The receptionist bolted upright, his sleepy expression completely gone, his face stunned.
There was no need to mention the others; they were scared speechless.
Regardless of whether this person was a Level 2 adventurer, just the ability to cast magic was terrifying enough.
Upon hearing that a Level 2 adventurer with magic was applying, the Merchant Guild boss arrived at lightning speed.
This big, fat man, whose weight was comparable to Guild Master Royman, personally waited on Roy, pouring tea and smiling obsequiously. "Mr. Roy, how does five thousand Valis sound for compensation?"
As he spoke, the big man nervously watched Roy, worried that he wouldn't be satisfied.
Roy was not surprised by this treatment. Level 2 adventurers were common in Orario, but in the outside world, they were as precious as giant pandas. Even among Level 2 adventurers, those trained in the Dungeon were far superior to those outside.
"That's acceptable."
Roy replied. Five thousand Valis wasn't much; he could earn that in ten minutes in the Dungeon.
Having lived in this world for over ten years, Roy understood the situation outside. This amount was likely the maximum they could offer.
"Thank you very much!"
The big man bowed deeply, his face filled with gratitude. Hiring a Level 2 adventurer with magic for five thousand Valis was practically free labor. He dared not treat Roy merely as a guard.
Feeling indebted, the big man treated Roy like a VIP, arranging the best inn in town and having his professional chef prepare all three daily meals. Through the big man's explanation, Roy understood the reason for such enthusiasm.
Every time they delivered goods, they lost at least 20% of their cargo and had to pay various "tolls," being subjected to sustainable plundering by mountain bandits. But what else could they do to make a living? They couldn't let their specialties rot. If they sold them somewhere other than Orario, the risk of being robbed was also high, so they might as well choose Orario, where they could at least earn a little more.
Now, with Roy as a guard, any monsters or bandits who dared to approach would be seeking death.
Hearing that a high-level adventurer had arrived in town, countless people swarmed the inn, surrounding it completely, treating Roy like a national treasure. To deal with these overly enthusiastic citizens, Roy didn't even have time to run a dungeon.
At the request of the citizens, during his waiting period, Roy casually cleared out the monsters near the small town, spreading the name of the Astraea Familia's justice.
The monsters Roy killed piled up like mountains.
The small town's residents celebrated wildly. For the immediate future, their safety outside the town was greatly enhanced, and gathering specialties would be much easier.
Two days later, the caravan departed for Orario.
The cargo consisted of about a dozen fully loaded wagons. With Roy's protection, this trip was guaranteed to be incredibly safe. To maximize profit, the big man had been running around for the past two days, collecting a large quantity of specialties.
Roy was positioned at the very back of the convoy as the rearguard. Bandits were cunning and always tried to cut off the retreat route first, a fact the caravan was highly experienced with.