I wake up by the wet feeling in my arm. Elise already starting to try to eat my arm. Arlette still sleeping while smiling. I slip out of bed without waking them.
Then take a shower before getting ready. After I change my clothes then I woke them. "Wake up both of you. Don't you want to say goodbye before I leave?" while wiping the droll on Elise's face.
Eventually, both of them wake up and accompany me outside even with their sleepwear. Since I don't have information about the dungeon. Elise suggests me to go to the adventure guild because some adventurer decides to get into the dungeon.
So the adventure guild gives them transportation to regularly bring people into the dungeon.
"Say, Hi to Dad for me. Arthur." Elise said to me. "Stay safe, dear." Arlette said then kiss me on my lips. I startled and look at her in the eyes. Even Elise also shocked but coming close to me with a smile.
Noticing her demand, I also kiss her "Take care, both of you. Don't forget to train." I said while walking out of the gate. Elise notices the change in Arlette "Did something good happen, sister?". Arlette just smiles and went inside "Maybe." She said while touching her lips.
I arrive early but the Guild already crowded with people. Then a commotion broke out "My daughter has come back!!" Kieth runs downstairs shouting while sniffing. "What? Where is my daughter!?" He shouts not seeing his daughter.
Just then he notices me "Oh! It's you. Wait, How do you have her scent? Don't tell me..." I send a kick to his head "Shut up, you old man!!" and send him flying to the wall. Of course, I'm not using full power.
He gets out of the broken wooden wall. "You!! You brat!! You lucky, My daughter fancies you!! You!!" He shouts while some of the guild staff trying to hold him down.
Then Rita came to me "So, how's living together feels like?" She said greeting me. "Oh.. Rita. Long time no see. It's been good. Elise looked happy too.".
After Kieth calms down, he got released by the staff and some adventurers that hold him. "Then, what your business coming here brat. Don't say you only want to greet me." He crosses his arms and turns serious.
"Yeah, I heard that your guild gonna send some adventurer that sign up to the dungeon. I want to go there." I said looking at him. We exchange glare while people looking at us.
"The people that going to take you will be arriving shortly with some adventurer team. Just stay here for a while." He said after he sighs and massages his temples. "Did she know you're here?" He asks.
"Of course, If not do you think I would be here?" I said while taking a seat. "Do you have your party? Don't you die on me, brat." He said sitting at the opposite table. "I'm not planning on dying soon." I said to assure him.
"Then, come with me. You gonna need to meet another party that going with you." Kieth said while inviting me. I follow him outside and meet a waiting group. There are 3 waiting groups standing there.
"Here, you all can introduce yourself." Kieth said while leaving me there. "I'm Arthur, nice to meet you all." I said and introducing myself.
As always there's a person that getting annoyed looking at me. "Tch... Now another weight had been added. I hope it's not dead weight. We have introduced ourselves. We won't do it again." He said while his party consists of only him as a male and there 3 females following him. One is a beast woman and 2 humans.
The other 2 looking friendly, they start introducing themselves. "I'm Grasted, and this is my party. Rhistos, Berrol, and Blaurd." He said. His party looked like a middle-age group that likes drinking every day.
While the last party looked well balanced. Archer, Tank, Mage, and Swordsman. "Haha... Nice to meet you. Are you traveling alone? This is my party. I'm Barton. The archer is Aeri, the Mage is Maria and the swordsman is Laris." He introduces his party, while I detect his archer is using illusion magic to cover her identity. She also looks wary of me, So I leak some mana for her to detect.
'She seems on guard 24/7.' I thought while looking at her for a moment than smile at Barton "Yeah, I'm traveling alone. Maybe to help people there to look for easy money." I said since right now I'm using normal clothes.
"How about you get in my party to get inside the dungeon? You can help us." Barton said but being interrupted by the mean guy "Hah! We don't even know his rank. If it was me I won't take him into B rank party. I had some respect for your party and trying to help you here. Thank me later." He said to make me pissed off.
"Oi, You can't say that, Cade." but before Barton did with his dialogue. I cut in "It's fine. I used to be alone anyway.". He smirks thinking I take the bait.
Soon enough the merchant carriage come. Even though it's a merchant carriage but being used as transportation. Everyone get inside and start the journey.
The journey is relatively peaceful except for some beast trying to attack us. Barton asks me about my weapon and I told them, it's in my bag and Cade decides to sneer on me again.
"Huh! Newbie. Your rank must be E, right? Only low-rank adventurer put their weapon in his bag." Then without care, I answer him "Yes, I'm E rank." while showing my card. "See, Barton. Lucky, I help you there." He said and start to cuddle with his party. The girl in his party looked extremely happy with him.
Continuing the journey, it takes more hours than I thought. We already get past a few villages or small towns. Then the carriage turns toward the road that went inside the forest.
The road is too bumpy and hurt my butt for sure. After about 25 minutes we arrive at the dungeon. The place is guarded and people need to show their adventurer card to went inside. Not only that, there's even a few adventurers that sell their stuff right beside the dungeon.
We get off from the carriage and start going in a separate way. "Oi, Arthur. Do you want to camp beside our party?" Barton said. Since I had no reason to deny. I went along and walk behind his party. "Sure, show the way."
After we arrive at their usual resting place. The view isn't that bad. There's a river close and a small waterfall. The day almost over for today. So, we only made something to eat before going inside tomorrow.
We joke to one another and I ask for information about the dungeon. Where he said every 10th level got a boss that would spawn but the time is random. There's also a chance they will drop something that can be sold for quite of money beside mana stone. Besides the boss room, there's an orb that can be used to teleport me back to the surface. Pretty convenient.
At the end of the discussion, he asks me again to join him but I refuse. He didn't push me too far, so he accepts my answer.
In the morning I wake up to the smell of the fish grill. When I went outside my tent, I got welcomed by Barton and Laris. Laris is a quiet person, so he didn't talk much. "Oh, You already wake up. Come here, eat with us." Barton said.
I took his offer and eat with them. "Where's the other?" I ask since only both of them are here. Barton then answers while taking a bite at the fish he grilled "They might be up there. There's a lake, which maybe they used to take a bath." Barton said while pointing toward the waterfall.
Soon enough Aeri and Maria showed up when we decided to pack up the tent without them. Maria tidy her clothes and stare at me for some minutes before asking "Arthur-san, right? Do you have a girlfriend?" Maria asks out of the blue with a straight face and no emotion also flat tone.
I continue packing my tent "Yes, I have.". "Do you mind polygamy?" She asks again still with the same expression. "No, but I won't add more for now." I said answering her since technically I have Elise and Arlette. "Then, when you want to add more. Remember me." She said with the same expression but with blush and walk back to Aeri. I got a glare from Aeri after that, I don't even know when did I offend her.
I decide to part away from them and said goodbye also good luck for them. Their party goes straight into the dungeon while I decide to take a look at some of the items.
"Oi, old man. How much for that 2 frame necklace?" I look at the sphere necklace with space in the middle and the design looked unique. The middle of the necklace is an empty space that I can use for the mana stone while the design is fish and butterfly, both metal carved.
"Ah! That would be 1 Gold each.". He said "What? 1 Gold? Are you trying to rip me off or something old man?" I said surprised by the price.
"Thing here is expensive. If you, brat can't buy. Go away, don't disturb my business." He said shooing me away. "Fine, I take that both sphere necklace." I said while giving him 2 gold coins. 'Tch... Rip off.' I thought while taking a close look at the necklace.
I put it on my neck before going around to another stall. 'Nothing looked interesting, maybe I should hurry up.'. I thought after going around for several hours
Now I line up the queue going inside, there are 4 soldiers that check our identity with the guild card. I enter without a hiccup, when I enter there are so many people in a big room. Each party sometimes waiting for their member inside.
I ignore them all and start going down the dungeon. The dungeon lit up with light from the stone in the ceiling. It's more looked like a wide maze than a dungeon.
I start going down the stairs and I'm don't want to waste much time on the first floor. People usually bump into each other in the early floor. So I just quickly rush finding a stair going down. While punching and kicking the monster here.
The goblins and kobolds can't hit me with their speed. So, the early floor is an easy cake. Reaching the 10th floor another adventure camp where people waiting for bosses to spawn or simply resting.
Some parties just walk pass and go toward another floor. Then I notice some adventurers selling maps. The maps only reach floor 30 where usually the rank B party goes to fight the strong boss.
Now it even makes it easier. I don't care about the price since I need information. I use 4 gold coins to buy them. Pretty cheap for me that going to rush down the dungeon.
Without getting any sort of contact with other adventurers I went down toward the 30th floor. I got chased by mobs on each floor but they scared to go down the stairs, so I lost them by going down each stair.
Arriving at the 30th floor. I notice Cade's party there, also Grasted's party. Both of them also notice me since my gold hair stands out too much.
Since I don't want to talk too much with them. I just walk past them when they call me. Too much trouble hearing what he gonna say, but I got stopped by another party.
"What's the meaning of this?" I ask them. "Are you new here? The boss already spawns, you need to wait for other parties to draw the lot number and queue." He said.
"What? You want to draw a lot to fight the boss?" I said unconsciously but then Barton came out behind me. "Oh! You can reach here, Arthur-san. Are you really E rank Adventurer?" He said while tapping my shoulder. "I told you, he's something else." Aeri said while the other also gather around me.
Barton asks even apologize for me to the man that stops me. He really a good guy. "Then, do we need to wait for those got the lot number to defeat the boss?" I ask Barton.
"Yeah, that's the plan. We actually aiming to reach floor 48 to gather resources there." Barton said. "Hmm? Isn't the floor record is the 60th floor? Now, you aiming to reach floor 48?" I ask.
"It's true but we can still manage somehow. The problem is after floor 50 the difficulty increase. Since more monsters spawn and the boss is difficult to beat. People tend to go toward the 50th floor just to touch the return orb beside the boss gate." Barton said.
"We also dreaming to reach the 60th floor, but that record is made by the strongest party in the kingdom so far." Laris said. Everyone looked at Laris surprised. "He can speak?" I ask Barton.
"What? Are you mocking me? I'm their fans, they're strong. Lightning Dragon." Laris said with a serious face. I almost let out a laugh but manage to hold it 'Lightning Dragon, yeah sure, no kidding. Nice one, Leon.' I thought.
After waiting several minutes, each party's representative draws the lot. The one that gets the lot is Cade's party. He throws a look at me and seems pissed for some reason.
People can see the fight since the door is open for a party that fails to defeat the boss to escape. The fight is pretty good, but Cade using a sword while the beast woman using gauntlet and the other 2 stay behind to fire some magic or support them.
Every party usually watch such a fight to gain more knowledge. So, the people that watching make it crowded. I decide to wait while saving some stamina. Getting inside the dungeon made you lose time of the outside world.
I decide to sit at a corner and wait. Laris came to me and ask "You, You're the hero that rides beside the King right?". I open my eyes to look at who is talking.
"So, you were there." I said after noticing it's Laris. He decides to sit beside me "Are you strong?" He asks. "I don't know, maybe.".
"I come to watch the lightning dragon party. I was there when they brought the big mana stone to the city. Since then I want to become an adventurer." Laris said to me about his story.
It's the first time I saw him smile, even Maria that come to notify us to make a slight surprise face. "The boss is gone. We can continue." She said.
Since the boss just is gone, we about to start to go down together but a lot of parties charge down since they're behind schedule. The monster quickly cut down and the take too much space, so I decided to wait. So do the other.
"Hey, Arthur. Our offer still stands. Want to come with my party?" Barton asks along the way. Seems like Laris and Maria convinced him to ask me again.
"Sorry, I can't go with people that hiding secret." I said looking at Aeri. Apparently, all the party members know about the secret because no one is surprised by it.
"You... you... I knew it, you notice." Aeri said panic. "Don't shout too loud, people will hear you." I said to her and she quickly shut up. "Sorry, Arthur. It's not like we want to hide something." Barton makes a troubled face.
Soon, some party decides to stay and some decide to get down to the 40th floor to take a rest. I also decide to take a rest. Barton and his party looked like discussing something. So, I made my tent a little far from them. I pull out some meat jerky that Como buys. At least I got something to eat.
"You! Come here!" Aeri said yelling at me. I just ignore her and continue eating. "You! I told you to come here." Aeri said but then Barton also come. "Sorry, Arthur. Actually, we decide to tell you." but before he finishes I stop him.
"No need, you looked troubled. I don't want to hold someone's secret. Even more from spoiled princess there." I said and get inside the tent. I could see Aeri gritted her teeth together. "Forget it then!" She said and went back to her tent. Barton just apologizes before leaving me alone.
After a couple of hours, people already sleeping and snoring sound could be heard from left and right. So, I decide to continue going down. I pack my tent and about to went but my danger sense picks up something.
I stop my step and jump back. An arrow with wind magic flew in front of me. I turn my head and look at someone, it's Aeri. "I knew it, you're not normal." She said.
"Hey, that's my word woman. You're not normal shooting someone like that." I start to get ticked off by this girl. "Humph... You look different than the first time we met." She said.
"Whatever, I'm going." I said before taking another step but another arrow being shot "Wait! I want to make a deal with you.".
"Ugh... Are you insane or something? I never did anything to you, and this is my first time meeting you!" I said while I really want to kill this girl right now.