"Hey, Blake, how far down did you go? These stones aren't from half-beasts," Eina asked after selecting some of the largest stones, her tone filled with both shock and suspicion.
"Well, I stayed on the seventeenth floor for a while," Blake said calmly.
"Seventeen…?! I thought the map I gave you…"
Eina gasped, her tone incredulous.
"What?! Seventeenth floor?! Is this guy really a rookie adventurer?!"
Around them, other adventurers sucked in their breaths sharply, staring at Blake in disbelief as if he were some prehistoric creature. The seventeenth floor was a death zone for lower-level adventurers—even groups of Level 2s struggled there. Was he really a rookie?
"Well, I ran into Ais, Tiona, and Tione on the way. It was convenient to go deeper. The monsters on the tenth floor were a bit too weak," Blake said with a faint smile.
"Weak… the tenth floor…"
Eina stared at him strangely, unsure of what to say. For high-level adventurers, perhaps the tenth floor was nothing, but for a rookie, going alone was courting death.
"Luckily, you ran into the Sword Princess. With three Level 5s protecting you, going to the seventeenth floor wasn't too dangerous. Don't be reckless like this again," Eina said sternly, wagging a delicate finger in front of Blake.
"Haha, so that's it! I was wondering why this rookie was so terrifying. Turns out he had the Sword Princess backing him!"
"Yeah, these magic stones must be leftovers from the Sword Princess. I'm so jealous! If only I had such luck—I wouldn't need to go to the dungeon for half a month!"
The idle adventurers finally regained their composure, muttering enviously as their rugged eyes glinted with jealousy.
"Blake-sama doesn't rely on the Sword Princess! He can kill a Minotaur in one strike!" Lili protested angrily before Blake could respond.
"Hahaha! A rookie killing a Minotaur in one hit? Who are you trying to fool? Stealing the Sword Princess's credit? How despicable!"
"Indeed, people these days really overestimate themselves."
Lili's words were like a spark igniting a fire, provoking loud laughter from the seven or eight adventurers present.
"You lot!"
Lili gritted her teeth as she glared at the adventurers she already disliked, feeling helpless. She couldn't possibly outargue so many people on her own.
"Don't project your own incompetence onto others."
Sensing the negativity around him and Lili's frustration and anger, Blake's expression turned icy. A sharp and overwhelming aura radiated from him.
Initially, he didn't want to bother with these adventurers who enjoyed stepping on others for amusement. Engaging with them would only lower his own standing. However, insulting his companion was crossing a line—one that warranted retribution.
"Kid, what did you just say?! Don't think that just because the Sword Princess is backing you, you can act so arrogant! At the end of the day, you're just a coward hiding behind a woman!"
Startled by Blake's cold voice, the adventurers quickly regained their composure, their embarrassment turning into anger as they yelled back.
"Shhhk—Shhhk—Shhhk!"
In the next moment, seven or eight sword energy blades materialized, slicing the corners of their mouths and drawing streaks of crimson blood.
"Ahhh!!!"
Instantly, cries of pain echoed through the guild like a series of explosions. The more they screamed, the sharper the pain from their torn mouths, making it unbearable.
"Dammit! How dare you ambush us!"
Furious, the adventurers drew their weapons, preparing to rush at Blake.
"Swish—!"
However, before they could take a step, a dozen solidified sword energies pointed directly at them, causing cold sweat to drip down their foreheads. Frozen in fear, they dared not move, their gazes filled with terror as they looked at Blake.
At this moment, they finally believed Lili's earlier claim. With such terrifying techniques, it was indeed plausible for him to challenge the seventeenth floor.
"Scram."
Blake's indifferent voice sent chills down their spines.
But those words were also what the adventurers longed to hear. Grateful for the chance to escape, they hastily fled.
The strange behavior of the seven or eight adventurers caught the attention of those outside the guild, who wore perplexed and curious expressions as they pointed and whispered. Embarrassed, the adventurers covered their faces as they hurried away.
Still, it was likely that their names would spread throughout Orario before long.
"You scared me! I thought you were going to kill them," Eina said, rolling her eyes and glaring at Blake as the guild suddenly became much quieter.
"Why would I kill them? I didn't even want to deal with those guys at first. But since they dared to insult my companion, they needed a lesson," Blake replied, shaking his head.
"Thank you, Blake-sama!" Lili murmured softly, her eyes slightly trembling as she lowered her head, hiding her expression.
"It's nothing."
Blake smiled gently, patting Lili's head. Lili's body flinched slightly at his touch, as if she wanted to pull away, but in the end, she stayed still.
"Eina, could you tally the earnings? It's getting late, and my goddess is probably impatiently waiting for me."
"Alright," Eina replied with a soft smile and quickly began counting.
"That's a total of 1,180,000 valis," she said after a moment, letting out a sigh.
"Over a million? That's some quick money," Blake muttered to himself.
"..."
His comment caused both Eina and Lili to twitch their lips in unison as they shot him glares.
Quick money? For an average adventurer, earning even a hundred magic stones in a day was remarkable. And that was with a team, meaning they'd earn far less individually. On top of that, Blake's stones came from monsters below the tenth floor, making them even more valuable.
Of course, compared to the typical adventurer slashing away at monsters one by one, Blake's strategy of gathering a horde and wiping them out in one move was far more efficient.
Still, who else in Orario would dare to herd hundreds of monsters just to train basic skills and then wipe them out in one fell swoop? Blake was likely the only one. Ordinary adventurers wouldn't even attempt it, knowing it would lead to their annihilation
-------
🔥 Power Up This Novel! 🔥
Every 200 Power Stones = 2 EXTRA CHAPTERS! 🚀
Want faster releases? Smash that power stones, drop your reviews, and flood the comments! Your support fuels this story and keeps the chapters rolling in!
[Support link: pat reon.com/RioRaRyu
You can find 10 chapters ahead here]
Let's make this novel unstoppable—Power Stones, comments, and reviews are the key! 💥