The Dungeon lay directly beneath the center of Orario—a massive, seemingly endless pit. It was a living womb of monsters, where creatures of every kind were endlessly birthed from the walls themselves. The deeper one ventured, the stronger and deadlier the monsters became.
It was a place of immense danger—but also immense reward.
The monsters born within could provide adventurers with invaluable combat experience, and when slain, their bodies left behind Magic Stones and, with luck, rare Drop Items.
Those materials were precious—used in research, medicine, crafting, and the development of magic stone technology. Adventurers could sell them for profit or use them to forge better equipment.
Through their own sweat and blood, they earned everything they wanted—money, power, fame. As long as one had enough strength, anything could be seized with their own two hands.
"A world where strength decides everything," Tsuna murmured, standing at the Dungeon's entrance.
"It's a game of power. You have it, or you don't."
Finn Deimne nodded slightly, smiling at the observation. "Yeah, just like you said. The Dungeon's always been a giant arena for fame and fortune. Everyone in this city is chasing something—wealth, power, glory, even women. The Dungeon just happens to be the place where all that desire takes shape."
He paused before asking, "But what exactly do you mean by the difference between those with power and those without?"
"That's the survival-of-the-fittest part," Tsuna replied. "Weak adventurers can only huddle together for safety. Their limited strength keeps them stuck on the upper floors, barely scraping enough money to live day by day—some drowning themselves in booze to forget it all. For those at the bottom, life in the Dungeon is nothing but licking blood off a knife's edge."
"Right. For adventurers on the lowest rungs, the Dungeon's a cruel place," Finn agreed quietly. The monsters down there were lethal to anyone without talent or a Familia to protect them.
"No," Tsuna said, shaking his head. "The real cruelty doesn't come from the Dungeon itself—but from the people preying on the weak down there. Other adventurers at the same level."
Finn let out a weary sigh. "Adventurers hunting adventurers… yeah, that's something that never changes. Just like you said—'survival of the fittest.'"
He couldn't deny it. The Dungeon had always been ruthless. There were no romantic 'fated encounters' down there—only endless battles and the struggle to survive. Every adventurer who entered knew they might die chasing their own ambitions.
"It's not even the monsters that make it harsh," Finn added bitterly. "Sometimes, other adventurers are far worse opponents."
No one knew that better than Finn himself. Those at the bottom of the ladder bore more malice toward each other than anyone else. They couldn't take on the strong, so they turned their fangs on those even weaker.
But even knowing that, Finn couldn't change it. Not because he didn't want to—but because he knew he simply couldn't.
"Man… it's the same everywhere, huh," Tsuna said, exhaling softly.
He wasn't surprised. He'd seen too much of that kind of cruelty back home to be fazed by it now.
"It's just more obvious here. Where I come from, it's hidden better, that's all."
Then, after a brief pause, he corrected himself. "Actually, that's not true. Sometimes it's just as bad—just a different kind of extreme."
Finn gave a small, knowing chuckle. "Guess every world's got its own brand of trouble."
"Anyway," Finn said, "since you already know about the future, are there any special talents we could recruit early?"
"Talents, huh…" Tsuna tilted his head, thinking. "I'd love to list a bunch of names, but honestly, there aren't that many. And the timeline's still a bit off from when things really start. It won't be easy to find them yet."
"I figured as much," Finn said. "But I still want to try. Like Loki said—maybe fate's just the best way the story looked on paper. Doesn't mean it can't change."
"In that case, I can give you two names," Tsuna said. "Sanjouno Haruhime and Cassandra… something. I don't remember her last name. But I know they're both girls. Haruhime's connected to Takemikazuchi somehow, and Cassandra—I'm pretty sure she got dragged into the Apollo Familia against her will."
Finn mentally noted both names. "If I start looking, which one should I focus on first?"
"Haruhime," Tsuna said without hesitation.
"Any reason?"
"Because if I remember right, Haruhime gets kidnapped from outside Orario and sold into the Pleasure Quarter. She ends up in the Ishtar Familia. But if you reach out to Takemikazuchi's Familia early enough, you might be able to prevent that."
"I see…" Finn nodded thoughtfully, committing the intel to memory.
"That's something we'll need Loki's approval on," he said. "I'll report it when we get back. What about her abilities?"
"Oh, those are simple," Tsuna said. "She's not a fighter—her physical skills are pretty much nonexistent except for her magic. She's the kind of person who needs to be protected. But the magic she awakens later… that's ridiculously overpowered."
He couldn't help but smile faintly as he remembered the fox girl's spell and just how absurd it was.
"In simple terms—it temporarily raises an adventurer's Level."
"—What?!"
Finn's brain short-circuited for a moment, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"There's magic like that?"
"That's exactly the reaction I expected," Tsuna said, laughing.
"Guess that's just how big the world is—always full of surprises. Her magic's basically a cheat. That's why I remembered her name so clearly. Normally, after all these years, I wouldn't remember anyone else from that part of the story."