The moment Charles stepped onto the 13th floor, he immediately understood why ordinary LV1 adventurers almost never survived in the middle levels.
In the upper levels, progressing required passing through designated stairways. But here on the 13th floor, vertical shafts leading down to even deeper levels were scattered everywhere across the floor. A single misstep could send someone tumbling into a zone inhabited by far stronger monsters.
Of course, the greatest danger here came from the monsters themselves—beginning with the hellhounds that started appearing at this level. These creatures had an estimated level of LV2 and could use basic fire magic, often attacking in groups.
Fire-resisting Salamander Wool Cloaks were considered essential gear for adventurers heading into the middle levels. According to the records, they were high-grade equipment crafted solely by the spirit race.
Charles silently made a note—once he had more funds, he'd buy one to study.
Spirits were said to be avatars of the gods themselves. It was with their help that the first heroes had driven the monsters back into the Dungeon.
But after the rise of the Familia era, spirits had faded from public sight. Other than the Salamander Wool that still circulated as material evidence of their existence, no other signs of them remained.
That cloak wasn't very defensive, but it could render one immune to most fire spells, making it ideal for the hellhound-infested middle levels.
Not that Charles needed it—fire was more of a dessert to him.
Three hellhounds spewed fireballs directly at him. The blasts hit Charles head-on, but the flames were instantly absorbed into his body as if devoured.
Before the three hellhounds could even react, Charles closed in. With a flying kick, he launched the center one into the wall—boom, it burst into black mist. Then, grabbing the remaining two by their heads, he smashed them together. Both turned into fading mist, leaving behind magic stones.
As Charles picked up the three stones and stored them in his backpack, he suddenly heard a sharp, high-pitched screech.
Looking up, he spotted a small white figure perched atop a cave ledge.
A rabbit.
It had snow-white fur and blood-red eyes. The most notable feature, however, was the single sharp horn protruding from its head. It looked oddly cute.
But anyone who mistook it for a pet based on appearance alone was being dangerously naïve.
This was the Dungeon—specifically, the 13th floor. No harmless creature could survive here on looks alone.
The unicorn rabbit—also called the Killer Rabbit—was a genuine threat. Estimated at LV2, it was absurdly fast and capable of wielding or throwing stone axes with lethal accuracy.
In the original story, Bell's companion even nicknamed him "Bell" after this very monster—white hair, red eyes, and adorable rabbit-like looks. Eventually, Bell earned the title "Rabbitfoot."
His agility and dexterity were his highest stats. He also had a rare development ability: "Luck." And rabbit's feet, after all, were symbols of luck.
Thinking of that, Charles almost imagined a silver-haired boy leaping out from behind the ledge.
But unlike that kind-hearted, enthusiastic protagonist, this rabbit radiated pure malice.
It shrieked once, picked something up from the ground with its stubby forepaws, and hurled it at him.
Whoosh—the stone axe tore through the air. Charles tilted his body just in time to dodge, and the weapon embedded itself deep in the floor.
Incredible. That much force from something so small? Definitely worthy of its LV2 rank.
Seemingly enraged that it had missed, the rabbit hopped in place, screeching madly.
Charles kicked up the embedded stone axe, caught it mid-air, and flung it back with a snap of his wrist.
The screeching stopped instantly. The rabbit's head exploded, and its body collapsed, dissolving into black mist.
Charles walked over to collect the spoils. Along with the magic stone, he found a piece of fur.
Lucky—material drop.
Unicorn rabbit fur was a decent material, excellent for crafting light armor. Charles remembered that Bell's first real armor was forged by Welf using a mix of metal and this very fur.
Stashing his loot, Charles continued onward into the lower floors.
Compared to the upper levels, monsters in the middle levels appeared much more frequently. Newly promoted adventurers often met their end due to relentless ambushes.
Charles kicked one hellhound straight into another behind it. The impact caused both to explode into black mist.
Still, five more surrounded him. Two launched fire blasts while the other three lunged with teeth bared.
"Flame Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Charles' fist met the lead hellhound's head, erupting into a wave of fire that engulfed all three attackers.
The two hellhounds in the back tried to burn him with flame—but their attacks were swallowed by the explosion. The firestorm swallowed them as well.
When the blaze faded, only a few magic stones remained.
Charles collected four, then frowned. "Only four? One got destroyed? What a shame."
In Orario, the most commonly acquired magic stones were low-grade ones from the upper levels.
That wasn't just because LV1 adventurers were the majority. Higher-tier monster stones were far harder to obtain—mainly because powerful techniques tended to destroy them during battle.
High-level monsters often had magic stones as their only true weak point. Heads and hearts were not necessarily fatal. Like the special Goliath Bell fought—it could only be slain by targeting the stone.
Charles had already held back significantly with his punch, but still ended up shattering one stone.
Magic stones from LV2 monsters were valuable. For someone forced to budget tightly, it hurt to lose even one.
Charles advanced quickly, and before long, reached the 17th floor—the layer where the floor boss Goliath typically appeared. There, he saw the white wall known as the "Wall of Lamentation."
The Goliath spawned every two weeks. According to intel, one had been defeated by 18th-floor adventurers four days ago.
So, no chance to meet the first Lord of the Labyrinth today. Charles pressed on into the 18th floor.
As he entered, the sudden brightness made him squint. Unlike the cave-like upper floors, the 18th was covered in lush forest—calming and serene.
It was known as the "Safe Floor," a sanctuary where no monsters spawned. There was even a small town built by adventurers.
Charles decided to rest here and wrap up his first Dungeon dive. Tomorrow, he'd return to the surface.
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