Chapter 37: Wild Legal Rich Lolita! ?
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Not long after, a young girl descended the stairwell from the second floor of the store.
As a human, her appearance immediately evoked the image of an "exquisite doll." Her petite stature, barely reaching 150 cm, only amplified this impression.
Her long, soft, silver-white hair cascaded down to her waist, framing her large eyes adorned with long, dreamy lashes.
She wore the Cecht Familia's uniform, primarily white, evoking the image of a healer.
This was Airmid Teasanare.
A member of the Cecht Familia, she was a Level 2 high-ranking adventurer, one of the three most renowned healers in Orario, and bore the title "Saintess of battlefield."
"Hello, Mr. Izzy Long time no see," Airmid greeted politely.
"It's only been a few days, hasn't it? That's hardly 'long,'" Izzy responded with a chuckle.
"A few days can feel like a long time for adventurers—especially for someone like Mr. Izzy, who delves into dungeons daily," Airmid replied, her tone light yet knowing.
As she spoke, she picked up the small bottles Izzy had placed on the counter, examining them carefully while continuing to chat.
"It's all just to make a living—I don't have much of a choice," Izzy said with a shrug.
"A rookie adventurer, barely half a month into his career, venturing down to the sixth or seventh floor to 'make a living'? Your approach is certainly... unique, Mr. Izzy," Airmid remarked, her tone tinged with amusement.
"Ahem, Airmid, if you keep talking like that, you won't make many friends," Izzy retorted, feeling a bit flustered at her blunt observation.
Airmid was one of the few people who had some insight into his rapid progress in dungeon exploration.
Apparently, before the Loki Familia embarked on their expedition, Dionysus, who had visited the treatment center to purchase elixirs, had mentioned in passing that a new recruit in their family was making waves. Airmid had taken note of this.
Given Izzy's frequent visits to the treatment center over the past few days, it wasn't difficult for her to connect the dots.
After all, Izzy had been an adventurer for only half a month.
For someone so inexperienced, venturing below the fifth floor was widely regarded as suicidal—a fact well-known in Orario.
Even Airmid struggled to understand how Izzy had managed to collect so many blue swallowtail butterfly wings and purple moth powder while the primary forces of his Familia were away on an expedition.
However, prying into the secrets of her guests wasn't Airmid's style.
While curious, she quickly pushed the thought aside and focused on the task at hand.
"For this quantity of blue swallowtail butterfly wings and purple moth powder, would you prefer payment in cash or elixirs, Mr. Izzy?"
"Elixirs. I don't need cash at the moment," Izzy replied.
"Understood."
Aimid nodded and turned to the glass cabinet nearby.
After a moment, she returned with two boxes of elixirs carefully packed in protective molds.
"How about ten bottles of high-grade spirit recovery potions and ten bottles of high-grade physical recovery potions?" she offered.
The former was priced at 20,000 Vali's per bottle, and the latter at 10,000 Vali's each.
The total value of the traded materials—just these two dropped items alone—amounted to approximately 300,000 Vali's, or one-third of what Izzy had earned earlier from the Goibniu Familia.
It was hard to deny that being a healer was a lucrative profession.
"So rich…" Izzy thought with a tinge of envy as he accepted the potions.
Wait a second. Speaking of being rich... Isn't there a wild, legal, rich loli standing right in front of me right now?
Izzy suddenly realized this.
Whether in terms of appearance or body shape, Airmid was undeniably petite. Standing at only 1.5 meters tall, she completely fit the image of a loli.
But, unfortunately—or amusingly—she was already seventeen this year, making her an adult in this world...
Suddenly, a bold idea flashed through Izzy's mind.
"Um... Mr. Izzy?"
"Hmm? What's up?"
Airmid's slightly hesitant voice broke through his thoughts, and Izzy instinctively responded.
"It felt like you were thinking something… impolite just now…"
"Really? That must be your imagination," Izzy replied with a straight face, not a hint of guilt to be found.
Airmid's doll-like face scrunched slightly in doubt. She trusted her intuition, but the earnest expression on Izzy's face gave her pause.
He answered too quickly and too naturally. For a moment, she felt conflicted.
In the end, Airmid sighed inwardly and chose to believe him, chalking up her earlier feeling to a fleeting illusion.
Meanwhile, Izzy casually stored the two boxes of elixirs and gave her a friendly wave.
"Thanks, Airmid. I'll visit again if I run into another blue swallowtail butterfly~"
"Very well. I wish you a safe journey," she replied with a polite nod.
After saying goodbye, Izzy returned to the Twilight Manor to secure the Vali's he had earned. He then packed a few necessities, including elixirs, and set off toward the Adventurers' Guild.
"With my current ability, there are two best options for collecting enough 'Great Deeds' experience to level up," Izzy began mulling over his strategy as he walked through the bustling streets.
"Either I hunt multiple monsters with potential values of Lv. 2 in the middle levels… or I focus on taking down 'enhanced' monsters in the same area. If I meet either condition, the upgrade requirement will be satisfied."
He exhaled lightly. "There's no avoiding the middle levels anymore…"
Until now, Izzy had held off on venturing deeper into the dungeon, focusing on developing his magic to shore up his weaknesses. But with three new spells now integrated into his repertoire, he felt confident it was time to explore the middle levels.
These strategic choices weren't made lightly. Izzy had consulted with Loki, whose many years of experience as a Familia's chief god lent weight to her advice.
The next step was gathering reliable information on the middle levels.
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Adventurer Street – Guild Headquarters
The Adventurers' Guild headquarters was abuzz with activity, especially during the morning hours.
From sunrise to noon, many adventurers passed through the spacious hall on their way to the dungeon.
Some came to discuss plans with their guild advisors, while others simply gathered to absorb the latest news. The focal point for most was the massive notice board mounted prominently in the hall.
The board featured a variety of updates, ranging from advertisements for new gear and potions from commercial factions to purchase requests for specific dropped items. Detailed maps marked the power distributions of prominent Familia, ensuring adventurers knew which territories to avoid—or exploit.
Equally crucial were reports of rare monster sightings, alerts about abnormal dungeon phenomena, and updates on the status of floor bosses—whether they had been defeated or were still at large.
This treasure trove of information wasn't just useful; it was indispensable. Adventurers' fates often hinged on these details, as they shaped strategies and even determined life-or-death decisions.
In a world where tomorrow's fortune or ruin could turn on a single piece of intelligence, adventurers tirelessly worked to stay informed.
The guild hall, awash with the golden glow of morning light, hummed with activity. Adventurers of every race bustled about, their footsteps a steady rhythm against the polished stone floor. Voices rose and fell in animated conversations, each exchange a potential key to wealth or survival.