The Dungeon was far too dangerous.
It was not only the vicious monsters prowling through its dark passages.
Members of Evilus might also be lurking in the shadows, ready to leap out from around a corner and bury a knife in his back.
And if Dio’s luck was truly terrible and he encountered a calamity on the level of the Juggernaut, his fragile body would not even make a decent mouthful.
He would be crushed as easily as an ant beneath someone’s heel.
Dio had consumed more than enough fantasy stories in his previous life to develop a natural distrust of places like the Dungeon.
Who could say he would not meet an adventurer who smiled warmly to his face and stabbed him in the back the moment he turned around?
What if someone used him as a shield when a powerful monster appeared?
What if a group deliberately dumped an entire horde of monsters on him with a Pass Parade?
None of those were unheard of among adventurers.
The casual stories Demeter had shared over meals were already enough to give Dio a healthy appreciation for just how treacherous the Dungeon could be.
However he looked at it, he did not want to go down there.
Unfortunately, without entering the Dungeon, he would have no realistic way to earn the great feat required for a level-up.
He would remain trapped at Level One forever.
His Magic might have reached S 999, while his other four Basic Abilities had all risen to H 199, but those numbers were still only Basic Abilities.
They were not a substitute for an actual Level.
No matter how impressive his status became, a Level One adventurer still faced fundamental limitations against genuinely powerful enemies.
He lacked the tremendous physical enhancement and resistance gained through leveling up, as well as the instincts and reactions forged through repeated battles where a single mistake could mean death.
How could Dio possibly accept that?
His position was simple: he wanted the great feat required to level up, but he did not want to take the risk of entering the Dungeon.
He wanted both the reward and the safety.
Unfortunately, even Dio understood that life rarely offered bargains that convenient.
If someone could reach the highest Levels by dreaming from the comfort of their bed, every adventurer in Orario would already be Level Ten.
Nobody would bother risking their life against monsters in the Dungeon.
“Goddess, are you absolutely certain there isn’t another way for me to earn a great feat?”
Dio looked at Demeter with the last of his hope, his expression resembling a puppy begging its owner for food.
“Some method that doesn’t require entering the Dungeon?
You’ve lived for an extremely long time.
Surely you know at least one shortcut.”
He leaned forward and pressed his case.
“Think about it.
If something happens to me down there, no one will be able to take you to another world.
We’re talking about a completely different world—new landscapes, new food, and entirely new people and cultures.
Don’t you want to see all of that for yourself?
You have to help me!”
“There isn’t one.”
Demeter shook her head with a radiant smile, her tone as casual as if she were commenting on the pleasant weather.
“If you want to level up, you must overcome a powerful opponent and earn enough high-grade excelia for a great feat.
The Dungeon is where adventurers normally accomplish that.”
“If there were an easy shortcut that allowed people to advance without facing danger, ninety-nine percent of Orario’s adventurers wouldn’t remain stuck at Level One.”
Her smile widened.
“Do you honestly believe those adventurers who have spent decades desperately trying to advance would somehow fail to discover such a method?”
Dio immediately deflated.
He collapsed into the chair like a punctured balloon, head hanging and shoulders slumped as despair seemed to radiate from his entire body.
Demeter had no reason to deceive him now.
She enjoyed teasing him and clearly took pleasure in watching him suffer, but she would never joke about something that could determine his entire future.
There was no avoiding it.
Dio would have to enter the Dungeon.
“How am I supposed to prepare?”
His voice was weak with resignation, carrying the solemn despair of a man marching toward his execution.
“You can’t expect someone who has never entered the Dungeon before to charge inside with his bare hands.
That would be suicide.”
“That much is true.”
Demeter nodded.
She might enjoy watching Dio squirm, but she would never knowingly send one of her children to his death.
More importantly, Dio was currently her only means of traveling to another world.
If he died in the Dungeon, all her plans would die with him.
“First, you need suitable equipment.”
Demeter rose and walked over to an old wooden chest in the corner of the room.
She crouched beside it, lifted the lid, and searched through its contents before pulling out a worn suit of leather armor, a shortsword, and a small round shield.
“These belonged to a retired adventurer from my Familia.
They aren’t high-quality equipment, but they’re still much better than the clothes you brought from your world.
The armor should at least protect you from goblin claws and the bites of weaker monsters.”
Dio accepted the leather armor.
It felt heavier than expected.
The surface bore several signs of wear, but someone had maintained it carefully enough that it remained perfectly usable.
He turned it over in his hands while already considering how to combine the equipment with [Dreamwalker].
He could recreate the armor inside a dream and fight while wearing it, allowing him to become accustomed to its weight and movement before entering the Dungeon.
That would prevent the unfamiliar equipment from throwing off his balance during a real battle.
“Second, you need to familiarize yourself with the layout and monster distribution of the upper floors,” Demeter continued.
“The Guild sells maps of the Dungeon.
Maps of the first few floors are inexpensive and should be enough for a complete beginner.”
“Then you’ll need potions.
Healing potions, antidotes, and something to stop bleeding.
Bring at least a few of each.
The monsters on the upper floors rarely possess dangerous venom, but even a sting from some poisonous insect can kill you if you have no way to treat it.”
“And most importantly…”
Demeter stepped in front of Dio and bent slightly, resting her hands on her knees as her amber eyes stared directly into his.
Her expression became serious.
“You need to change your attitude.”
“If you enter the Dungeon with nothing but fear and the desire to run away, then the finest equipment and every potion in Orario still won’t save you.
The monsters won’t show mercy simply because you’re frightened.”
Dio fell silent.
He had to admit she was right.
Until now, he had been running from everything—combat, danger, pain, and any situation where he might be injured.
But some things could not be avoided forever.
The Dimensional Gate had given him the chance to explore other worlds, but he first needed to survive long enough to leave Orario.
If he lacked the courage to step onto even the Dungeon’s first floor, how could he ever hope to explore the far greater worlds waiting beyond the gate?