It began to pour the day after Iz and the others left.
Lu Cang lay in bed all day.
This was the first time he'd been so listless since coming to this world.
He didn't read, didn't practice Magic... he just lay there.
No one saw him.
And no one knew what he was thinking all day.
The next morning, the rain had passed and the sky was clear.
Lu Cang bought a copy of the "World Shocking News" from a street vendor selling information.
"Shocking Event: The Tier Seven Dungeon—Valley of the God Burial Stele—Expeditionary Force Officially Begins Its Assault"
"The Valley of the God Burial Stele, Discovered Last November, Has Its Seal Broken Today as the Subjugation Begins!"
...
'The Valley of the God Burial Stele... so it's that famous, huh?'
'They really went to challenge a Tier Seven Dungeon.'
After lying in bed all day yesterday, Lu Cang had sorted out his thoughts.
While Iz and the others were off challenging a Dungeon, he couldn't just sit around and do nothing.
In a world with supernatural powers, immense strength was the greatest guarantee of safety. Continuing to explore the world was something he couldn't avoid.
The next day, he went to the Adventurer's Guild.
"Yo! Little Lu Cang!"
"Haven't seen you here in a while, Little Lu Cang!"
"Little Lu Cang, want a drink?!"
These Adventurers still greeted him with the same enthusiasm.
Lu Cang felt the emptiness in his heart fill up a little. It was a sign that he had, to some extent, integrated into this world.
Lu Cang smiled awkwardly and declined their invitations to drink.
"Celia."
She seemed to have grown a little taller these past few days. Now she could just barely reach the counter on her tiptoes.
"I'd like to post a request."
Celia looked at Little Lu Cang below the counter.
"Posting a request?"
...
Soon, Lu Cang's request was posted on the notice board.
[Protection Request—Seeking a Healing Mage, a Defender, and a Gatherer to provide protection during the exploration of a Tier Two Dungeon. Reward: 20 silver coins per Dungeon.]
[Additional Requirement: The Defender must know the Combat Skill—Shared Damage.]
The request was much more effective than he had imagined.
Lu Cang sat reading in the Adventurer's Guild while he waited. Before long, a few Adventurers approached him.
"You're Little Lu Cang, right?"
"I'm a Level 2 Healing Mage, Ji Di."
"I saw the request you posted."
Lu Cang looked at the girl beside him. She was about eighteen years old, with black hair tied in a "dangerous wife" hairstyle, a few freckles on her face, and average looks.
Lu Cang closed his book and asked, "What kind of injuries can you heal?"
The child before her had a sense of composure that didn't match his age.
Ji Di was taken aback for a moment.
But she quickly replied, "I can temporarily alleviate the effects of severe injuries, block pain for a short time, and reduce the impact of wounds during combat. Minor or moderate injuries take a day to fully heal, but I can perform emergency treatment on severe wounds to get them to a non-life-threatening state."
'So it's mainly about mitigating the impact of injuries during battle.'
'But the most dangerous moments are always in the middle of a fight. Ensuring you can finish the battle is what's most critical.'
'There will be plenty of time to heal any wounds afterward.'
Lu Cang nodded. "Alright, you're in."
Not everyone was a Kumironi, and Lu Cang already had an idea of the capabilities of a Level 2 Healing Mage.
Soon, he recruited a Defender as well—a fat man in plate armor who looked... very beefy. Just as Lu Cang had requested, he knew Shared Damage, a Skill that would allow him to take a portion of any damage Lu Cang received.
The last to arrive was a Warrior who was also a Gatherer.
A Level 2 Warrior and a Level 2 Gatherer.
But he only asked for one person's pay, which was an unexpected bonus.
Since the man wasn't asking for more money, Lu Cang certainly didn't mind his additional Level 2 Warrior Profession.
Lu Cang went to the counter.
"Celia, I'm looking for a Tier Two Dungeon request."
Celia: "Hmm..."
"It's the Harvest Moon right now, so everyone is very enthusiastic about taking quests."
"There aren't many requests for Tier Two Dungeons left."
As she spoke, Celia pushed two quests toward him.
One was for [Deceitful Snake Forest].
The other was for [Anomalous Spider Cave].
After looking over the detailed information for each of the two requests...
Lu Cang chose [Deceitful Snake Forest].
"This one, the Deceitful Snake Forest... Please."
Celia took Lu Cang's request and stamped it.
As she handed the request form back to Lu Cang, she couldn't help but say worriedly, "Little Lu Cang, don't worry too much about Iz and the others. They're very strong. They'll come back."
Lu Cang looked up at Celia, who gave him a warm smile.
Lu Cang smiled back. "Thank you."
He accepted the request form.
Lu Cang waved to the teammates he had just assembled.
"I've got the request. Let's head out."
...
「Onboard the Dragon Rhinoceros Carriage.」
'This Dragon Rhinoceros was one that Chi Cheng had brought back two days ago, saying it was a mount for me.'
'It was even specially equipped with a carriage.'
'I was so happy the day I received the mount.'
'Who wouldn't want to own a cool-looking mount?'
'It also made my opinion of Chi Cheng rise a little. At least my impression of him wasn't just some bastard who only knew how to chug alcohol at victory celebrations.'
'They had decided on their departure schedule long ago but only told me right before they left.'
'Were they afraid I'd make a scene?'
'I guess so... a normal child would definitely have thrown a tantrum.'
'Too bad my soul is that of an old man.'
'After hearing them give such a reasonable explanation, how could I possibly act willful? This must be the inconvenience of being an adult; you can't demand things like a child can.'
"Um..."
Just as Lu Cang was lost in his thoughts, the Warrior-Gatherer in the carriage raised his hand.
'Come to think of it, it seems like Gatherers are always moonlighting Warriors.'
Lu Cang asked in his childish voice, "Hm? What is it?"
"If I may ask..."
"You should have the strength to take on a Dungeon by yourself, right? Why did you choose to recruit teammates?"
'You?'
'An uncle who's probably twenty years older than me is using such a respectful form of address.'
'It feels a little strange.'
'Although my soul is also that of an old man not much different in age from him.'
'But right now, I'm a kid.'
Lu Cang paused for a moment, then replied with a smile, "There's no need to be so formal, uncle. Just call me Lu Cang. I just don't want any accidents to happen. But why do you ask?"
Iz had said that being in a Dungeon alone versus with teammates were two completely different things.
It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to defend against an arrow from the shadows.
Lu Cang was still very modest with his temporary teammates. 'There's nothing wrong with acting like a child...'
'After all, a child can grow into an old man, but an old man can't become a child again.'
Hearing Lu Cang's reply, the man seemed a bit embarrassed. He scratched his head and gave a dry laugh. "Haha, I just feel that if I had your strength, Lu Cang, I'd definitely choose to solo it."
"Keep all the loot from the Dungeon for myself."
"At most, I'd bring along an extra Gatherer."
Lu Cang sized up the Warrior before him.
'Stubble-covered face, shifty eyes.'
'His equipment also looked a bit old and shabby.'
"Is that so? But I don't like taking risks. I'd rather have a few people to protect me."
'It seems I'm quite famous.'
'In Raine Town, I'm already considered one of those "very capable" Adventurers.'
'Even though no one has ever seen me in a single fight, he just assumes I have the strength to solo a Dungeon.'
'Perhaps it's because of the momentum Chi Cheng built for me at that victory banquet back then.'
"Then, why did you all choose to join my team?"
"It's the Harvest Moon, so a reward of 20 silver per trip is obviously lower than the normal income, right?" Lu Cang asked curiously in his childish voice.
He appeared completely harmless.
'Come to think of it, I rarely interact with anyone besides Iz.'
'I should take this opportunity to talk more with the locals. It'll be a good way to gain a deeper understanding of this world.'
'After all, knowledge from books is ultimately shallow.'
"Because... it's safe," said the Healer, who was holding a Wooden Staff.
"Safe?"
"Because you're very strong. I think it's safe to follow you."
'Oh... so that's the reason.'
'Indeed, compared to risking their lives exploring a Dungeon, following a strong person for a fixed reward of 20 silver isn't a bad choice.'
The fat man at the side also spoke up. "I-I feel the same way she does."
The man beside them nodded in agreement.
'Oh?'
'He just said that if he had the strength, he'd solo a Dungeon, but he himself chooses to follow a strong person for a fixed wage?'
'What he says and what he does are completely different...'
'Is this normal for Adventurers, too?'
Lu Cang committed these things to memory.
The Dungeon's location wasn't far.
The Dragon Rhinoceros was indeed very fast. It was, after all, a mount hand-picked by Izparut and his companions. The journey was uneventful.
They traveled along a wide, paved road. The wilderness around Raine Town had been thoroughly cleared, with most of the Demon Nests eliminated.
In less than half an hour, they had arrived at their destination.
A dark and ancient forest.