Moving forward, the four of them arrived at the entrance to the 18th floor of the dungeon.
This is the spawn point of the Floor Boss, Goliath.
However, Goliath had obviously been killed.
When Su and Mobius arrived, they happened to see a group of people coming up from below.
Generally speaking, people from the lower floors do not ascend near the time Goliath is scheduled to respawn.
The strength of a Floor Boss is two levels higher than the monsters that regularly spawn on that floor.
The adventurers who can reach this area and move between the upper and lower floors are mostly Level 2, or have just reached Level 3.
With their strength, fighting Goliath is no different than seeking death.
Therefore, they usually avoid the area temporarily when Goliath is about to spawn.
Only after those with the strength to kill Goliath deal with him will traffic be restored.
So, as long as you see someone passing through this entrance, it means Goliath is gone and will not respawn for a while.
This made Takumi feel a little disappointed, but he didn't pay much attention to it. He turned around and said to Sister Kanae:
"Below is one of the only two confirmed safe zones in the Dungeon: Rivira."
"There may be monsters on the 18th floor below, but due to the floor's characteristics, they will not attack you as long as you do not actively attack them."
"Although it is called a safe zone, it is not absolutely safe."
"While there is no threat from monsters, there are many people. Sometimes, people are more dangerous than monsters."
"There are Familias in charge of Rivira who maintain basic order, but don't expect them to govern well. Just treat it as a lawless zone with no control."
"Therefore, you still need to maintain a minimum level of vigilance when moving down here."
"Let's look around for a bit and get familiar with the environment before returning. I have other things to do on the surface tomorrow."
"In the future, you can use this place as a base. Going up allows Kanae and Shinobu to level up, and going down is almost perfect for Kanae's progress."
The three girls nodded, indicating they understood.
So, the four of them went through the passage and arrived at the 18th floor.
What caught their eyes was a world made of crystals.
Kanae and the other two girls were instantly mesmerized by the beautiful scene, staring in a daze.
Takumi was relatively calm and only slightly shocked.
After a quick glance, he regained his composure and said to the three girls:
"Don't be stunned, let's go. If we stay too long, it will be dark by the time we return to the surface."
"Yes!"
_
_
_
_ There were many malicious glances.
Takumi sighed slightly and silently released his pressure again, causing those gazes to instantly pull back.
Many people even hurriedly ducked into the nearby alleys to avoid getting into trouble.
But others would not back down; they had a clear conscience.
"Who is this person? When did such a famous figure appear in Orario?"
"I don't know, I haven't heard any rumors at all."
"Hiss! This pressure must be at least at the level of a Level 5, right?"
"That's impossible. With such strength, how could there be no news about him?"
"Could it be..."
"Could it be what? Speak up! People who talk in half-sentences deserve a beating."
"I'm afraid he came from the outside."
"Outside?"
"Are there really such strong people out there?"
"Exactly, how is that possible? Even for an outsider, if you were that strong, you should be famous."
"..."
...
Takumi ignored the whispers and started walking around the town with the three girls.
At the same time, he silently memorized the route and constructed a map in his mind.
At that moment, with a casual glance, Takumi spotted a familiar figure.
A girl with blonde hair, animal ears, and a tail, wearing a red kimono.
"Hm? Haruhime?"
This person was none other than Haruhime, whose magic [Kokonoe] and [Uchide no Kozuchi] were included in Takumi's redemption list.
It's just that...
"Why is she here?"
Looking closely, Haruhime was locked in a cage.
There were other cages next to it, holding many people, mostly women.
Looking at the situation, it seemed she was waiting to be sold.
For a place like Rivira, this kind of industry was not surprising to Takumi.
After all, this was inside the Dungeon. Even if it was a safe zone, the pressure on people was even greater than on the surface.
Since there is pressure, there is naturally a need to release it. Once a demand is created, a market for survival follows.
But...
"This timeline is obviously wrong, isn't it?"
Takumi remembered that Haruhime was sold to Orario when she was eleven years old. It was mentioned in the records of the Ishtar Familia member, Aisha Belka, who took good care of her. She cared for the young Haruhime as if she were her own sister.
Therefore, Haruhime should have been bought by the Ishtar Familia shortly after she was sold in Orario.
But what about now?
Takumi looked at Haruhime's height and development.
She was clearly in her mid-teens!
But Takumi didn't worry too much. Since he had encountered her...
"Boss, we want this one. Please tell me the price."
Takumi stepped forward, pointed at Haruhime, and spoke to the nearby merchant.
However, with murderous intent flashing in his eyes, he exerted heavy pressure on the man.
To put it politely, he was a boss, but to be honest, wasn't he just a damn human trafficker?
For a guy like this, even if this business was permitted in this world, Takumi would not show him any respect. He was being very restrained just by not killing him outright.
...
When the boss heard a potential customer, he was quite happy.
However, in the next second, a terrifying pressure rushed toward him.
Turning around, he saw that the young man who spoke was the one unleashing the pressure, glaring at him with murderous intent.
He took a closer look.
Behind the boy were three girls wearing similar traditional clothing to the girl in the cage.
In an instant, the boss realized he was in trouble!
He feared that his supply had been obtained through "unclean" means and the rightful owner had come to find them.
In less than a second, the boss, sweating coldly, imagined a drama about someone searching for his bride across thousands of miles.
His reaction was quick, and he immediately offered an apologetic smile.
"The customer has truly excellent eyesight. You picked the best one at a single glance."
"Let me tell you, I just received this batch of goods, and they are all of the highest quality—especially this one. Look at her—she is still in good condition. Even I have treated her well. She has eaten better than I have."
The boss spoke at the fastest speed of his life.
He was very careful with his words. The entire speech was intended to convey one message:
That is, I only accepted this person, but her capture had nothing to do with me, and she has not suffered any injustice while under my care.
Although he didn't praise himself directly, every sentence was an attempt to excuse himself, revealing how truly cowardly he was.