“Itadakimasu.”
Fati skillfully used his knife and fork, enjoying his breakfast unhurriedly.
He then washed the wooden utensils and began his morning routine.
Thanks to the presence of the gods and advanced Magic Stone Product technology, the standard of living and convenience in Orario were almost on par with a modern city.
This ‘rented’ house had running water, making daily water use extremely convenient.
After finishing his personal hygiene, he carefully checked his backpack and belongings: various potions, ropes, magic stone lamps, food, supplies, whetstones, oilcloth, etc., confirming each one.
Changing into a black combat shirt and trousers and pulling on his leather boots, Fati began to arm himself.
The black light armor, valued at 49,900 currency, was a labor of love he had managed to ‘pick up’ at a bargain from the Hephaestus Specialty Store during a chance encounter.
This set of protective gear included a gorget, chest plate, pauldrons, bracers, gauntlets, and greaves, paired with a fitted leather vest to strictly protect his vital points.
This light armor was specifically designed to optimize resistance against slashing attacks and was crafted by a top artisan in Orario (a practice piece made from scrap materials); it was light and breathable, not hindering his movement in the slightest.
Next were the Adventurer’s belt, waist pouches, and leg bags, all crafted from tough leather processed from Dungeon monster ‘Drop Items,’ making them sturdy and durable.
He checked his primary and secondary weapons—a short sword and a knife—and hung them at his waist.
Putting on his gloves and finally donning a black hooded cloak to lower his presence, he adjusted the fit of his gear and briskly stepped out of the house.
“Today is another day full of hope!”
…”Morning, Fati.
Heading out?”
“Yeah, Uncle Rita.
Leaving now, see you later.”
“What’s the rush, kid?
Here, take some Fried Potato Balls your aunt prepared for her stall!”
“Fried Potato Balls?
Cream-filled?
Then I won’t be polite.”
Greeting his neighbors in the backstreets along the way, Fati turned onto the main road and headed toward the Tower of Babel in the city center, a path he knew by heart.
He didn’t need to restock on consumables today, so he didn’t take the Adventurer Street to the northwest.
Instead, he took a shortcut, arriving earlier than usual.
But whether it was the West Main Street, the Northwest Main Street, or any of the other main roads, they were already crowded at this hour with Adventurers and Supporters preparing to ‘go to work’.
Pallum warriors in heavy armor with shields and giant axes, Amazon goddesses openly wearing clothes similar to dancer outfits, Beastmen and Dwarves in light or leather armor, Elves in gorgeous robes holding staffs, and Supporters carrying large backpacks with repeating crossbows, bows, and other weapons—on the street, figures of all races jostled against each other.
At this time, Fati low-key followed the crowd and soon arrived at the plaza.
“Hmm?”
Two figures flashed through the crowd.
That gold and silver hair was extremely eye-catching even in Orario, not to mention their tall, slender, and elegant figures, which made Fati couldn’t help but look sideways.
“Elves?
I couldn’t possibly have no impression of such beauties.
A combination of a swordsman and a Mage…
hiss…
they look a bit familiar.”
Fati blended into the crowd with a thoughtful expression until he followed the spiral staircase of the ‘Great Hollow’ down to the plaza on the first basement level, only then pulling back his thoughts.
Glancing at the several Adventurer parties who were constantly stationed there, Fati gave a mental sneer, pulled his hood lower, and quickly ducked into the depths of the overlapping and intersecting passages.
‘Mr.
Jack’s Lucky Golden Egg, a grand prize of one million currency—would it still be your turn?
Idiots.’
…With Fati’s current ability values, farming monsters on the 5th floor was a breeze.
He would only feel a bit of pressure if he encountered more than 10 at once.
But for safety’s sake, his usual strategy was: once more than 5 were born simultaneously, he would immediately retreat to open up some distance, then use kiting tactics to break their formation while moving, and finally deal with them one by one.
For a solo player, such a combat style could both lower the risk of injury and reduce equipment wear, while also leaving maximum leeway for dealing with emergencies.
“The Dungeon is alive.”—Fati used this proverb to constantly remind himself.
He knew deeply that any negligence could invite a ruthless strike from this ‘mother.’ Especially when one’s mind was relaxed or when facing difficulties, the Dungeon’s sudden blow and kicking someone while they were down would teach Adventurers the meaning of despair, with absolutely no room for luck.
“waaaghhhhhhhhhh——”
Having just arrived at the 5th floor, a warm ‘welcome ceremony’ came right at him.
Several green-skinned Goblins screeched as they were freshly born from the passage walls, staring with crimson, evil eyes and brandishing crude weapons as they charged forward.
“The brand-new me doesn’t need to play at close-quarters combat with these brats anymore.” Fati’s lips curled slightly.
“A Mage should fight with an elegant posture.”
He took a firm stance, his left arm holding his short sword in a reverse grip across his chest.
His right hand shot forward from his waist like lightning, index finger slightly curved, palm naturally relaxed.
The mana refined by his mental power surged through his body.
Strands of light pulled by a blue glow flickered at the corners of his eyes.
He uttered the mysterious word clearly and fluently:
“Scorch!”
The short and mysterious incantation was like a magical trigger—without any warning, flames suddenly erupted into a blaze on one of the Goblins!
“Wa-gi-gi-gi-gi——!” The high temperature sizzled, ruthlessly destroying the monster’s life.
Fati’s eyes remained emotionless.
“Scorch!”
A second chant rang out, and another Goblin’s head was instantly enveloped in flames, rolling on the ground in a scream.
Seeing that the two monsters were still struggling in pain and hadn’t died immediately due to their resilient vitality, Fati got a general idea of Scorch’s attack power.
After thinking for a moment, his gaze sharpened as he changed his strategy.
“Scorch!”
After setting the third unlucky fellow on fire, he nimbly leaped back two steps, once again opening up the distance.
Demon King Crest, activate!
Endurance and Mana are doubled based on ability values; Total mental capacity is strengthened a hundredfold (MP bar); continuous mental recovery, significantly increasing the recovery speed and efficiency of mental power (mana regen and efficient casting);
Scholars Learning Heart, activate!
Exquisite: The magic and moves used become more refined, improving their appearance and effects; the performance and appearance of worn equipment are improved;
True Essence of All Magic, activate!
Super Magic: Can charge active behaviors related to spells; the more thorough the preparation, the greater the enhancement effect;
“——Scorch!”
With a low shout, Fati unleashed the final strike with a slight charge!
“BOOM——”
The violent flames exploded like an out-of-control furnace, instantly swallowing the target.
The shrill scream came to an abrupt end.
Only three others remained in the field, letting out intermittent wails; there was nothing else.
Fati stepped forward, gripped his short sword tightly, and swiftly ended their suffering.
Looking at the four charred remains before him, his brow furrowed.
“The power of Scorch…
is a bit too low.”
Squatting on the ground, Fati calmly analyzed while poking at the foul-smelling, charred corpses with his short sword.
“The damage penetrates slowly, the flames seem superficial, and the lethal ‘Ignite’ damage takes time to take effect, causing a delay in the kill.”
“Luckily, it was just fragile Goblins…”
Recalling the information he had consulted in the City Management Authority surface archives, a trace of solemnity flashed in his eyes.
“If it were those large-scale monsters with powerful vitality and high health and defense, such as Orcs or Silverback Apes, even if hit by Scorch, their combat power wouldn’t immediately decline.
Instead, the intense pain might trigger their ferocity, making the battle even more dangerous.”
“Even to instantly kill a Goblin, it requires two instant casts or a finishing blow with the short sword.”
He quickly weighed his own abilities in his mind:
“Right now, my basic Magic value is less than 400.
Even after being enhanced by the Demon King Crest and Scholars Learning Heart, the limit of instant-cast damage…
is only this much.”
He guessed that the damage coefficient of Scorch might not even reach 0.5, let alone 1.
Based on current test results, this magic seemed more like an opening move to apply a burning debuff, primarily existing to amplify other fire-system magic rather than being a main damage skill.
Thinking of this, he sighed slightly: “Unless my Magic reaches 500 or I perform a short charge, I can’t reach the minimum threshold for an instant kill.”
Of course, if other knowledgeable Mages knew Fati was using Scorch as his main damage magic, they would probably laugh themselves to death…
After swiftly digging out the magic stones and summarizing his first actual combat test, Fati had a plan in mind:
“A third of a second charge is enough.
After all, it’s a long-range method with some room to maneuver.
If I encounter multiple monsters again, I’ll just kite them.
Having True Essence of All Magic and still standing there like an idiot to charge a spell would be a bit brainless.”
Reflecting on his recent combat style, Fati felt there was much room for improvement.
Because of his skills, he didn’t need Parallel Chanting and didn’t have to worry about magic backlash or accidental explosions due to surprises; moving while casting was easy for him.
Pulling out his notebook and quill, he quickly recorded key insights and Experience.
Then, he couldn’t wait to proceed to the next round of verification…
“Hey, did you guys hear screams just now?”
“It’s so weird, who would torture monsters here on Level 5?
Isn’t it more satisfying to just end it with one strike?”
“Who knows, it takes all kinds of birds when the cage is big, and this is Orario.
Maybe this expert has some special hobby.
I’ve heard some noble lords outside are…”
“…”
Passing by two Adventurers who were walking together and complaining loudly, Fati’s mouth twitched.
Did he not want to finish them off cleanly?
It was just that he hadn’t fully figured out the magic yet.
‘No, the space on Level 5 is still too small.
The passages are narrow, the monster respawn rate is low, and there are people everywhere; the resources aren’t enough to go around.
Plus, with adventuring parties passing by on their way to lower floors or returning to the surface, if someone sees my “rapid-fire magic,” it’ll inevitably be too high-profile and attract attention, which could lead to trouble from those with ulterior motives.’
Considering he was still weak and in a growth phase, Fati pondered for a moment.
‘In that case, should I change locations?’
After hesitating for 0.001 seconds, Fati decided to go down one more floor.
Even though they were both upper floors, Level 5, Level 6, and 7th Floor were completely different worlds.
The types of monsters, respawn frequency, and accident rate all increased sharply, and the cave environment also changed.
Especially 7th Floor, which was the famous “Rookie Graveyard.”
This floor was jokingly called the First Deadline by Adventurers because the characteristics of the new monsters were extremely unfriendly to rookies.
Consequently, the death rate was very high.