As the adventurers continued deeper into the dungeon, Ash's mind wandered, considering the possibility of pocketing a few of the cores from the monsters they encountered.
His thoughts lingered on the potential benefits of using these cores to evolve, a dark temptation tugging at the edges of his conscience.
However, Ash's moral compass prevailed, dissuading him from taking the cores by force.
'Not worth it,' he thought, his eyes falling on the bags of cores being transported by servants near the noble and his guards.
'I can just buy them off the Guild with my fat salary. Stealing them would only create mistrust, and that's the last thing I need right now.'
And so, he continued to follow the S-Ranks, the thought of acquiring the cores through legitimate means simmering in the back of his mind.
****
A few hours later.
Five floors conquered, the adventurers had made significant progress through the perilous dungeon.
