"Huh? Returning?"
At night, while resting at the camp, Riveria suddenly announced the end of this expedition.
On one hand, they had been depleted by the Evilus incident.
On the other, they needed someone to escort the captured Evilus members back to the surface and hand them over to the Guild.
There were still many unclear details regarding the "Nightmare of the 27th Floor."
Since the mastermind behind that incident had died in the chaos, both Orario and the Evilus had suffered devastating blows in the end, and they hadn't captured anyone who could provide testimony.
This time, discovering a hidden area on the 27th Floor and destroying the Evilus's stronghold might allow them to capture surviving members for interrogation.
More importantly, Valetta actually appeared in the Dungeon—this was an incredibly important matter.
After all, Orario's "only" entrance was heavily guarded, making it impossible for the Evilus to infiltrate.
So how did she enter the Dungeon?
Could it be that, like the people here, she had an unknown stronghold within the Dungeon?
There were simply too many things that needed investigation.
Moreover, the second team had accumulated valuable experience in combat against human opponents this time—experience that couldn't be gained through ordinary Dungeon exploration.
The baptism of blood and tears was the best catalyst!
Noah and Tsubaki remained silent.
They were merely external support, participating as accompanying blacksmiths.
Since the expedition was ending, they naturally needed to return to the surface together.
"But is it really alright, Tsubaki? Weren't you originally plan to gather materials on the 37th Floor?"
Noah and Tsubaki were currently helping the Loki Familia maintain their equipment.
Ais sword 'Despair' could only be sharpened with equally hard Orichalcum, rubbing his hands until they nearly blistered.
He really wondered how Goibniu could create such a weapon for her and tirelessly repair it without getting fed up.
"Hehe, it's completely fine! The Evilus's stronghold had a ton of materials, plus Riveria promised we could prioritize selecting ten percent of the materials. We've hit the jackpot this time!" Tsubaki slapped him hard on the back, nearly sending him flying.
"This is all thanks to you, Noah-boy. You're really amazing."
"..."
It fucking hurts.
It felt like a handprint had been stamped on his back!
"That hurts, Tsubaki! I'm not a muscle monster like you!"
"Then you should train more! Muscles are really convenient, you know? When you don't know what to do, just leave it to your muscles and it'll work out immediately!"
"How could it be as simple as fixing an old television!"
Tsubaki's statements reflected the thinking style of a female gorilla.
Using brute force to create miracles often backfired—had she never encountered such situations?
Or had she truly reached the level where overwhelming force could overcome all techniques?
"Tele...vision?"
"Never mind, forget it. I'm going to wash up in the river."
Noah stood up and walked into the forest.
About twenty meters in, he found a quiet stream.
It was a tributary with a gentle current, perfect for soaking in and cleaning up.
After all, he'd gotten quite bloody during the day, and Noah was feeling uncomfortable.
Soaking in the water, he cupped some river water in his hand and observed it through Appraisal.
"Incredible..... It's just ordinary water."
Carbonates, sulfates, and calcium... judging from the composition, it was completely ordinary river water.
What significance does the Dungeon have in nurturing something like this?
Do monsters need to replenish moisture too?
Or is it to nourish the plants within the Dungeon?
Come to think of it, there seems to be something noteworthy about this absurdly massive waterfall.
I remember hearing that aquatic monsters from the Dungeon flow out along with this water to lakes outside Orario, because there's a giant hole in the Dungeon.
Monsters from underground and the surface are completely on different dimensions of power.
Few forces other than Orario's adventurers can contend with monsters that escape from the Dungeon to the outside world.
Even an entire country might not have the capability to subdue lower-level monsters.
Precisely because of this, the hole had to be blocked.
Creating something that massive was far beyond just time-consuming and labor-intensive.
If the gods used their divine power it would be one thing, but otherwise, even Level 6 or Level 7 adventurers couldn't possibly complete such an engineering feat.
In the end, the Zeus Familia and Hera Familia at that time had a brilliant idea—they actually transported the corpse of Leviathan they had defeated, and used it as a plug to seal the giant hole.
It's unimaginable just how enormous Leviathan must have been.
'Following the river's flow, would I eventually reach that very spot?'
Noah lay by the riverside, his thoughts drifting further and further, even becoming wildly fanciful.
The Three Great Quests for adventurers.
"Behemoth, the Monarch of the Land,"
"Leviathan, the Monarch of the Sea," and...
"The One-Eyed Black Dragon, the Monarch of the Sky."
Behemoth was devoured by the Glutton Zald and killed in one strike.
Leviathan was instantly killed by the Silent Alfia's ultra-long chant magic.
Finally, the Black Dragon, It annihilated the Zeus and Hera Familias.
The Level 9 Empress was driven insane by terror of it.
The Level 8 Maxim was critically wounded and near death from just its breath.
If that creature were used as material, what kind of things could be created?
'Huh....wait, Black Dragon, material...'
Noah's wandering thoughts suddenly focused on one point at this moment.
He abruptly stood up.
That's right!
Speaking of the Black Dragon, there are Black Dragon scales right outside Orario!
Because they carried the Black Dragon's aura, even after ten years or more, just the Black Dragon's presence made monsters afraid to approach that village.
When the Black Dragon was wounded by the Zeus and Hera Familias and flew away, numerous dragon scales and even dragon blood scattered around that village.
The dragon blood was probably hopeless, but the dragon scales—couldn't he find a way to obtain them?
What are materials from floor bosses or rare monsters compared to this?
These are possibly Level 10+ Black Dragon scales!
As materials, they're undoubtedly the highest grade!
One could even call them a divine grade!
The Leviathan's corpse is out of the question—he couldn't possibly bypass those absurdly powerful water monsters, let alone confront them head-on.
But the Black Dragon scales... Located in a peaceful, isolated village—it's practically saying "come and get them" to him!
But even the Hephaestus Familia isn't permitted to leave the city without authorization.
That's Orario's rule.
The only exception... It belonged to that bastard Hermes, whom he hated the most!
If he wanted to obtain the Black Dragon's scales, would he have to seek help from that bastard's Familia?
'Impossible.'
'If that guy dared to appear before me now, I wouldn't be confident I could restrain myself from killing the bastard!'
...
The next day.
The plan for the return journey had been decided, and everyone moved with unusual speed.
This was because, on the way here, the group had been heading toward the deep levels, requiring meticulous planning and careful conservation of resources like items and stamina.
Moreover, the enemies would grow progressively stronger, and the battles would become increasingly difficult.
But on the return trip, they only needed to face the middle layers.
For the expedition team, no matter how many monsters came, they posed no threat and were nothing to worry about.
If the journey here was an exploration, the return trip was nothing short of a leisurely outing.
The appearance of the Jester's emblem in the Dungeon spread like wildfire, even reaching the surface ahead of the group.
The 18th floor, the safe floor.
Noah and the Loki Familia arrived at Rivira.
Although they hadn't entered the town on the way here, camping instead, on the return trip, there were many "ill-gotten goods" that couldn't be handled on the surface and had to be dealt with here.
Most of the adventurers living in Rivira were those who had committed crimes on the surface and couldn't show their faces in the light.
Engaging in gray-market transactions was commonplace among adventurers here.
Of course, they were still different from the Evilus.
Otherwise, even if they hid in the Dungeon, Orario would hunt them down relentlessly.
For those whose Familias had been destroyed or who were being pursued by enemies, escaping to the safe floor and changing their names was a decent option.
Noah followed behind Aki and Raul, hoping to gain some experience.
The three arrived in front of a shop.
The shopkeeper seemed very familiar with the Loki Familia and greeted Aki and Raul.
Unexpectedly, upon seeing Noah, the shopkeeper widened his eyes and pointed at him while asking.
"Artisan Spirit?"
"Huh?"
'What was that?'
Seeing the shopkeeper suddenly point at him and say something he couldn't immediately process, Noah glanced behind him and found no one else there.
What he had said seemed to be "artisan spirit."
Aki noticed his confused expression and asked, "Noah?"
Hearing the cat girl say the boy's name, the shopkeeper seemed instantly convinced.
"You're Noah! It's really you. Black hair, black eyes, a human kid around 10 years old, never-removed metal gauntlets—all the features match. Hahaha, I never thought I'd meet the rookie who broke the record for the fastest level-up here!"
"What?" Noah was taken aback.
Why did the other person seem to know so much about him?
He looked at Aki and Raul beside him, only to find that they didn't seem the least bit surprised.
"Raul, let me confirm something. Is the 'Artisan Spirit' the shopkeeper mentioned referring to me?"
"Huh?" The question left Raul speechless.
He asked in return, "Noah, don't tell me you dont know your own title..."
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