Chapter 102 - Another boring journey
After the Kobolds disappeared, eight small-sized stones remained on the ground.
These were magic stones, the cores within monsters' bodies.
The reason monsters could move and live was entirely due to these stones. They contained a power akin to magic.
Through technological means, magic stones could be crafted into various products.
This world lacked modern technology like power plants, but magic stones enabled the creation of tools resembling electrical appliances.
For instance, lamps made from magic stones functioned like electric lights. Beyond lighting, they could be used in ignition devices similar to gas stoves, freezers like refrigerators, and more.
Thus, magic stones were precious resources.
Orario relied on exporting magic stone products to other nations for immense profit, and the guild managing Orario reaped significant benefits.
Adventurers could exchange magic stones obtained in the dungeon for money at the guild.
Roy, however, had no interest in the magic stones on the ground.
Those dropped on the first floor, of such small size and grade, would likely fetch only a few hundred valis.
Collecting them was a waste of time.
Glancing at the system panel, Roy saw the progress of random task 3.
Without looking back, he headed toward the second floor.
Following the map's directions, Roy moved from the second floor to the third, never pausing, and reached the tenth floor.
Along the way, he came to understand a saying circulated in Orario: the dungeon is alive.
This didn't mean the dungeon's floors or walls attacked adventurers or that its layout changed constantly.
Rather, the dungeon could repair itself. Even if a floor's structure was destroyed by a powerful attack, it would restore itself over time.
Monsters were born within this living dungeon, emerging from walls, floors, and ceilings.
From the first to the tenth floor, Roy stuck to the fastest routes on the map.
Even so, nearly every floor triggered encounters with monsters, as if stepping on traps.
By the tenth floor, the last one mapped by the guild, Roy had dealt with numerous monsters.
The dungeon's structure was conical, with the first floor being the smallest and each lower floor expanding in size.
After the tenth floor, starting at the eleventh, the areas grew wider and the terrain more complex.
Without a map, Roy had to navigate blindly, searching for paths to the lower floors.
By four in the afternoon, he had only reached the thirteenth floor, officially entering the middle floors.
Checking the pocket watch he'd bought, Roy decided not to press further.
Unless necessary, he avoided grueling endeavors.
"If I get the chance, I'll master teleportation magic," Roy muttered. After a day in the dungeon, he realized its value.
Retracing the same routes each time was tedious, especially with random monster encounters.
It felt like the slow, maze-like RPGs of his childhood, complete with random battles.
For someone eager to reach the lower floors, like Roy, this was frustrating.
Teleportation magic would let him skip from the first to the thirteenth floor tomorrow, saving hours.
"Maybe I could commission a guild mission to hire a team of high-class adventurers to guide me," Roy thought.
However, most high-class adventurer teams belonged to specific familias, making it difficult to hire them for an outsider's trip to the middle or lower floors.
With enough money, though, it might be possible.
With this in mind, Roy turned back. Returning to the surface meant retracing his path, inevitably facing more monsters. Since these were upper floors, monsters appeared in small groups, and Roy dispatched them swiftly with Freed's holy pistol, infused with the power of light.
He ignored the scattered magic stones, deeming them not worth his time.
Many adventurers were also concluding their dungeon explorations, heading back to the surface.
"Hurry up, stop dawdling!" a voice barked behind Roy.
A team of low-class adventurers trailed him, accompanied by a short Pallum, barely visible under a cloak, carrying an oversized backpack stuffed to the brim. This Pallum was a supporter, a non-combatant tasked with collecting magic stones and dropped items to aid adventurers—essentially a porter.
Struggling under the massive load, the Pallum lagged behind, drawing ire from the adventurers.
"You're wasting our time!" one snapped.
"Can't even handle a simple job? Don't expect payment today!"
"Do you know how much we've lost because of your slowness? How much money your delays cost us?"
The adventurers hurled insults at the Pallum with sinister sneers, venting their frustration.
Roy overheard but paid no mind. After dispatching another group of monsters, he continued toward the surface.
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