The Dungeon's first and second floors were almost entirely goblins, but those born on the second floor were on a completely different tier of strength from the first. Once you stepped onto Floor 2, the number of goblins also increased.
If Floor 1 was a place where one or two adventurers huddling together could notch some results, then Floor 2 was safer with two experienced adventurers acting in tandem.
From Floor 3 onward, the ecosystem grew more complex, and far stronger monsters appeared.
For Sawada Tsunayoshi, however, this first visit to the Dungeon was all about adapting to the environment. As a first-time delver, there was too much to learn; the goal today was never to push the Dungeon.
"Birth rate even crazier than I imagined."
He finally understood why bottom-tier adventurers loathed the Dungeon. Only after experiencing it firsthand did the truth sink in: this place was a man-eating tomb. A single moment of inattention and the Dungeon would take aim at you.
"Finn, does the Dungeon always spawn monsters at this speed?"
"No. Today the Dungeon is… a little overexcited. Under normal circumstances, this spawn rate is unnatural."
Finn shook his head. On Floors 1 and 2—the very top—this wasn't supposed to happen.
"It's not like a 'Monster Feast.' The uppermost levels shouldn't be showing something you'd only see in the Middle Floors. Still, this sort of thing is rare."
An abnormality? Finn rubbed his thumb by habit. This time there was no sting, but his temples ached all the same.
"For this to crop up now is really bad news."
His thoughts jumped straight to the nearly finalized expedition. They'd come down today only to run into this bizarre phenomenon; even if it wasn't aimed at them, Finn had a bad feeling.
"Agreed. It doesn't feel like good news at all."
Tsunayoshi's brow tightened. He couldn't say why, but he felt a distinctly malign intent. It wasn't directed at him, yet even the spillover left him deeply uneasy.
"Finn, you'll want to step up intelligence-gathering."
"Oh? You've detected something specific?"
"No. I'm saying the malice is huge. It's clearly not focused on us, but the aftershocks alone are warping things up here on the top floors. I don't think this is a simple anomaly."
"True."
Finn connected the dots at once. Dungeon abnormalities tended to come with trouble. Even if it wasn't targeting them, the overfast spawns this high up suggested something serious below.
"Can we pause the expedition?"
"Unfortunately, we already turned the Guild down last year at their request. Doing it again this year will be hard. Our preparations are already underway as well—halting without evidence would cause problems. And it's been three years now; no one's broken through to a new expedition floor in a long time. The Guild's impatient for good news."
Finn wanted to accept Tsunayoshi's suggestion—pausing was the safest response. But after delaying once, they likely wouldn't be allowed to again. Worse, they had no proof this was a real precursor to a Dungeon abnormality.
"Stuck in the grinder, huh."
Tsunayoshi understood there was no retreat. Even if the road ahead was trouble, they had to keep moving.
"Finn, be ready for things to go sideways. I doubt the Guild's 'good news' will materialize this time."
"Don't say that…"
Finn's headache spiked. After all the meticulous prep for this expedition, the Dungeon started acting up before they'd even begun. Anyone would feel like tearing their hair out.
"For now, convert long-term stock into emergency supplies—make it fifty percent. We need to be ready to respond at any time if an abnormality hits."
"We should loop in Loki-sama."
"Definitely. We couldn't hide this from Loki even if we tried—and Riveria and Gareth as well. They're in charge of provisioning; if we change the mix, they have to know."
"Looks like you're about to get very busy."
Just rotten luck. Tsunayoshi patted Finn's shoulder; all he could offer was sympathy.
"Even if the Guild doesn't get its good news, at least we know the Dungeon's acting strange. If we didn't prepare, the losses might be worse than going in blind."
"You're right."
It was the only way to think about it. Finn accepted the comfort with a quiet nod.
But the moment he considered how much the expedition was costing, his head pounded again. He had a clear picture of the Familia's liquid funds; every extra day a large force stayed mobilized, money burned. And today's signs pointed to a high chance of trouble.
Running into an emergency unprepared versus running into one prepared—there was a difference. Finn clung to that thought. He no longer felt like lingering in the Dungeon; he wanted to get back and write contingencies.
"Tsunayoshi, how about you?"
"I'm fine. I've acclimated to the environment, gotten a basic read on the monsters, and—most important—picked up some growth in my stats. It's about time to head back."
"Then let's go."
By the time they left the Dungeon, the sky outside was washed in sunset red. Streams of adventurers were pouring out of the entrance.
The taverns around Central Avenue had lit their lamps; shouts boomed from within. The air over the street was thick with steam and the smell of food. The two didn't linger. With a shared destination, they headed straight for the Twilight Manor.
(End of Chapter)
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