After calculating the time, Ize and Raul chatted for a bit before preparing to end today’s exploration.
There was nothing particularly special about the monsters on the eighth floor either, so there was no need to deliberately go and take a look.
On the contrary, their stomachs had already begun to protest with faint growls.
As the saying went: people are iron, rice is steel; skip one meal and you’ll feel weak.
Although he did not know the exact time right now, Ize was certain of one thing: he definitely had not eaten lunch today.
The two had entered the Dungeon in the morning.
After exploring the labyrinth for so long, fighting and cleaning up the battlefield, there was naturally no need to mention how much energy they had consumed.
By the time they finished collecting the spoils, the backpack on Raul’s back had already gained a heavy weight.
A weight known as money.
Sir, what’s inside this backpack… is all shining silver!
Cough, cough.
Wrong.
It should be glittering golden valis.
The return journey was much simpler than the exploration.
They only needed to follow the indicated route marked in the adventurer handbook.
It was usually quite safe.
The indicated route on each floor was determined by the Guild after countless verifications.
It was the most convenient path between two floors of the underground labyrinth, and it was the road adventurers needed to memorize above all else.
No exceptions.
Whether rushing toward the deeper floors or returning to the upper ones, the indicated route was always the best choice.
A large number of adventurers passed through it every day, which was also why it was considered relatively safe.
But if one wanted to explore the underground labyrinth in search of gains, then it was best not to explore along the indicated route.
Because during battle, depending on the situation, someone might steal your monsters.
And in order to avoid being dragged into trouble, other people would usually choose to turn a blind eye.
By the way, the indicated routes in the adventurer handbook only went up to the tenth floor.
After all, the adventurer handbook was made to take care of beginners.
Providing that much could already be considered more than generous.
Along the way, Ize and Raul saw quite a few adventurers who were also returning to the upper floors like them.
Everyone carried rather bulging packs on their backs, smiles hanging on their faces.
They were probably delighted with their harvests.
However, there were also adventurers with their heads lowered, dejected and utterly dispirited.
Perhaps a companion had been left behind in the Dungeon, or perhaps they had gained nothing at all.
Either way, it had nothing to do with Ize.
After merely glancing at those people for a moment, Ize and Raul continued chatting and laughing as they returned to the surface.
Following the route in their memory, they went from the seventh floor to the first floor, finally completing the Path of Beginnings and arriving at the large hole leading to the surface.
It was about ten meters tall, and its diameter was roughly the same, forming a thick cylindrical shape.
Gentle silver stairs were arranged along the circumference, outlining a huge spiral.
After walking up the stairs, their field of vision suddenly opened up all at once. Find the original chapter at g.com.
An exquisite environment decorated by human hands spread out around them.
This was Babel Tower, located directly above the Dungeon—the first underground floor, and also the largest entrance leading into the Dungeon.
Once they arrived here, they were in a completely safe area.
The tense nerves of many adventurers immediately loosened.
Hidden fatigue pressed down on their entire bodies, making them collapse directly into this space large enough to hold several thousand people and begin resting.
Ize and Raul, however, did not stay here for long.
Their stomachs had already transformed into the most loyal supervisors, urging them onward.
But before they hurried off to replenish their energy, they still needed to exchange today’s gains inside Babel Tower.
“Ize, go wait in the rest area for a bit.
I’ll go to Babel Tower’s magic stone exchange counter and exchange the magic stones in the backpack.”
“Ah, got it.”
The Orario Adventurers Guild had two magic stone exchange counters.
One was at the Guild Headquarters, and the other was inside Babel Tower.
Usually, more adventurers visited the Babel Tower counter.
After all, it was right above the Dungeon entrance.
How close was that?
Most adventurers who had spent the day exploring the Dungeon would exchange their magic stones inside Babel Tower.
Of course, that was not to say nobody went to the Guild Headquarters.
It was just comparatively fewer people.
Ize sat down on one of the resting seats on Babel Tower’s first floor, leaning back and stretching his body against the chair.
He could not help but let out a slightly comfortable hum through his nose.
Beside his hand, the silver-gray spear had already been put away in its spear case and was standing upright next to him.
Now that he had reached the surface, he could finally look at the color of the sky and judge the time.
At this moment, the sky was gradually turning dusk-yellow.
A small half of the sky had been dyed maple-red, clearly showing that the afternoon was almost over.
In other words, he had practically stayed inside the Dungeon for an entire day?
That was rather unexpected…
Exploring the Dungeon really was something that consumed a lot of time.
However, Ize also knew that it should only be like this in the early stages.
Once he became familiar with the Dungeon’s environment, his exploration efficiency would naturally improve.
While Ize was staring blankly at the maple-red sky, Raul walked out of the magic stone exchange counter carrying two heavy bags of golden valis.
The two bags of shining gold coins, engraved with the Guild’s sacred emblem, immediately attracted the gazes of quite a few adventurers nearby.
Envy, or perhaps… ill intent.
“Hiss… Brothers, I have a bold idea!”
A certain adventurer leaned over and whispered into his companion’s ear.
However, his companion gave him a slap across the mouth without the slightest hesitation, then hooked an arm around his head and shouted angrily.
“You have a bold idea my ass!
Look clearly at who that is!
Is that someone we can afford to provoke!?”
“If you want to die, don’t drag us down with you, damn it.”
“Exactly, exactly~”
Adventurers were not necessarily all good and kind people.
Spending every day wandering along the edge of life and death, many of them could be called villains.
But they were merely the kind who bullied the weak and feared the strong.
Raul did not care about these people loudly plotting in secret, nor did he need to care.
They would never dare to provoke the Loki Familia.
The name alone was enough to scare them away.
Carrying the gold coins, Raul came to Ize’s side and woke him from his daze.
With a smile, he weighed the bags in his hands and handed one of them over.
“Over seventy thousand valis.
To be precise, seventy-two thousand eight hundred.
For a first-time Dungeon exploration, this is an impressively rich harvest~”
“As for the money, just keep it with you for now, big bro.
I don’t really have anywhere to put it on me right now.
Carrying it around would be too troublesome.”
Standing up from the chair, Ize waved his hand and did not intend to accept it.
This time, he had entered the Dungeon with light equipment.
Aside from the pockets in his clothes, he had nowhere to store anything.
A bag the size of a soccer ball—where was he supposed to put that?
“You brat…”
Having somewhat sensed Ize’s thoughts, Raul could not help but laugh.
After scolding him jokingly, he took the money bag back and stuffed it into the backpack behind him, temporarily keeping it safe for Ize.
The two walked out of Babel Tower together.
The people around them were all discussing where they should go tonight to eat something good.
Among them, famous taverns such as the Flame Bee Pavilion and the Hostess of Fertility appeared rather frequently in their conversations.
Perhaps influenced by that atmosphere, Ize turned his head to look at Raul.
“Big bro, don’t you think we should also go eat something lavish tonight to reward ourselves?”
Judging by age, Ize was sixteen and Raul was nineteen, so there was nothing wrong with Ize calling him big bro.
Hearing this topic, Raul smiled wryly and scratched his head.
“Although I really want to agree, unless something unexpected happens, everyone should be eating at the Familia dining hall today.
Tomorrow is the day of the expedition, and every time this happens, our goddess gives a little speech.”
Mainly, it was the kind of speech telling the members participating in the expedition to value their lives and make sure everyone returned alive.
One could consider it a pre-battle speech from their goddess.
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