The Dungeon possesses a will and may even harbor life, yet the truth remains something not even the gods can fully decipher.
Its very existence can only be described as a miracle.
It spawns monsters, driving them to assault the surface—a threat thwarted by the gods.
The elder god Ouranos further suppresses the Dungeon with his divine power, preventing powerful monsters from reaching the upper floor.
Monsters born in deeper floors grow stronger.
When monsters die, the Dungeon absorbs them and re-spawns anew, which explains why monsters "refresh."
Among these monsters exist boss-level entities known as Dungeon Boss, referred to as Floor Masters by adventurers and regarded as formidable foes.
These terrifying beings require large teams of high-level adventurers cooperating to defeat.
"Amphisbaena," the two-headed dragon, is the boss of the 27th floor in the Underground Labyrinth, with its precious dropped material being the Dragon Liver.
"Amphisbaena's Dragon Liver"
・Dropped Item
・Rare Material
・Can be processed into various products through different methods (Alchemy, Mysteries, Smithing, Engraving...)
Noah briefly appraised the item the elf produced using Truth Seeker.
"Correct, this is the material I commissioned through the Guild. To obtain it so smoothly—truly, the Astraea Familia reputation is as it says," he sincerely praised.
Normally, defeating Amphisbaena requires a team of at least twenty adventurers, all at least level 3, with the crucial addition of powerful adventurers capable of genuinely threatening the creature and drawing its attention.
In other words, it necessitates leadership by a level 5 first-class adventurer.
Of course, this is under ordinary circumstances.
If every level 3 were as absurdly powerful as a certain golden-haired elf, a single round of saturation attacks would likely suffice.
That future member of the Loki Familia, known as the "Thousand Elf" Lefiya Viridis, is the designated successor to the city's strongest mage—no other such bug-like existence can be found in all of Orario.
She should still be studying at the academy now.
The Astraea Familia has eleven members in total, but nine of them are level 4.
Being able to defeat Amphisbaena and retrieve its drops is a level Noah can only look up to for now.
Without at least level 3 strength, one's only role in a floor boss operation would be to hold the team back.
"So, how do you plan to handle the commission fee?" Noah asked the elf before him.
After all, for this precious material, he had paid a 3 million valis deposit.
Leaving aside the final payment, carrying all that money back alone—well, given this elf's abilities, it shouldn't be a problem.
But flaunting such wealth openly might be more than she can handle.
Ryu understood this.
However, her perspective had shifted since her arrival.
"Mr. Noah, I heard from Misha that you're a blacksmith of the Hephaestus Familia. Forgive my bluntness, but I've never heard your name before. Is it because you're still new?"
The elf's words were straightforward.
But this was a good sign.
Upon learning he was a blacksmith, Ryu clearly had some thoughts—a situation Noah wasn't unfamiliar with, almost identical to Alicia's reaction back then.
Only, the amount involved was ten times greater.
Millions of valis could buy a proper second-class weapon from the Hephaestus Familia's specialty store, and the blacksmiths' names were mostly renowned throughout Orario.
In this dungeon city where strength reigns supreme, weapons are the most expensive luxuries, incomparable to anything else.
Wielding a master's work not only enhances one's power but also brings prestige.
In contrast, unknown blacksmiths remain unknown simply due to their skill level.
Excellent blacksmiths shine like fireflies in the night, pursued by all adventurers—this is taken for granted in Orario.
If you're so skilled, why is no one aware? Unless you never sell your works and spend all day just sharpening blades?
And damn right, that's exactly the case!
So far, the only weapon he's engraved with his name "Noah" is Alicia's sword-staff "Frozen Lotus."
Beyond that, while he's sold some decent quality weapons, they were just casually handed over to ordinary weapon shops for shipment.
He wouldn't bother carefully engraving his name on those mass-produced items.
They were just for monetizing excess materials.
"Ryu-san, I am undoubtedly a member of the Hephaestus Familia."
"And I consider myself a blacksmith of some skill. This isn't boasting, just a professional assessment."
Without the Development Ability "Smithing," a blacksmith like him holds no credibility in Orario.
But unless others have an appraisal skill like Truth Seeker, no one can know someone's Development Abilities unless disclosed.
The Guild requires adventurers to disclose their levels but doesn't force revelation of abilities or skills.
For him, disclosure was naturally impossible.
Whether Truth Seeker or Spell-Weaver, even Denier and those unprecedented Development Abilities that even divine script can't interpret would attract crazy attention and envy.
"I see. Then I'd like to change the commission reward, and I hope you'll agree."
The elf saw confidence in Noah's face—a powerful self-assurance devoid of pride or exaggeration.
Many of her companions were like that; their expressions revealed their extraordinariness.
This young man before her was the same.
"You want me to craft equipment for you?"
"Yes, but not for me. Actually..." Ryu softly recounted a story about an elf who, invited by a cheerful girl, joined a god Familia.
Though it was their first meeting, the elf took the girl's hand without any resistance.
Though she claimed it was about someone else, her cold beautifull face blossomed into a breathtaking smile, unnoticed even by herself.
Noah nodded.
'Hmm.'
'This give me a yuri vibes.'
'But....'
"Um, I have a question. Is this elf you're talking about... yourself?"
"..."
Ryu fell silent.
After a brief moment of stunned realization, her perpetually cold expression rapidly flushed crimson, her entire demeanor weakening significantly.
"A-anyway, I just want to give my best friend a gift!"