[Successfully hunted Floor Boss Goliath, acquired 1000 Status Points, Silver Chest.]
[Congratulations on receiving Goliath Scarf!]
With the Apollo Familia gone, Roy, now free, checked the pop-up notification panel. Goliath seemed to have exploded in a dazzling golden flash before its demise.
Name: Roy
Level: 2
Strength: $47 \rightarrow 247$ (G)
Endurance: $18 \rightarrow 218$ (G)
Dexterity: $68 \rightarrow 368$ (F)
Agility: $130 \rightarrow 430$ (E)
Magic: $88 \rightarrow 276$ (G)
Development Ability: Adventure (I)
Skills: My Lord is Here, Blood for Blood
Magic: Lord of Thunder
…
Roy allocated his Status Points. Adding the 188 points he had saved previously, he had only recently leveled up, but his Ability Scores were already closing in on those seasoned LV.2 veterans who had been adventuring for years. If anyone knew, they would be terrified.
Next, Roy clicked "Open Chest."
[Silver Chest Opened. Congratulations, you have received: Three High-Grade All-Purpose Elixirs, Epic Equipment Enhancer, Celtya's Treasure Map!]
Name: Equipment Enhancer
Quality: Epic
Description: Select one piece of equipment to enhance, raising its quality to Epic grade. Success rate 99%.
…
Name: Celtya's Treasure Map
Quality: Undetermined
Description: A map to the burial site of the "Elven Saintess Celtya." Please proceed with caution.
…
Name: Goliath Scarf
Quality: Epic
Description: Material dropped by the Floor Boss Goliath. Three meters long and two meters wide. Possesses the same defensive ability as Goliath, with a significant effect against physical strikes.
…
Roy looked at the pop-up panel. Worthy of a Silver Chest. It dropped many good things. Elixirs were a common drop, and an Equipment Enhancer...
But compared to all these rich rewards, Roy's gaze settled on the ordinary-looking parchment scroll—Celtya's Treasure Map.
Celtya!
The name might be unfamiliar to ordinary people in this world, but anyone with a slight knowledge of ancient heroes would know it well.
There is a Hero Bridge in Orario with over thirty statues, representing the glorious figures of human legends who fought continuously in ancient times to seal the huge hole—the Dungeon. They were great heroes who accomplished monumental feats on the land of Orario.
There were figures like Sharlon, descendant of the Wolf Emperor; Empress Iverda of the Amazons; the Undying Lord Gazanef; the Overlord Spear Ceto; Sophia of the Spirit Dynasty; and the Great Hero Albert…
And Celtya was one of them.
She was the first Elf royal to leave the forest, traveling the world, slaying countless monsters that escaped the Dungeon, and was revered as the Saintess of the Elf King.
A Treasure Map!
A fiery glint flashed in Roy's eyes. It meant her tomb certainly contained many valuable things. Wasn't this an outright invitation to someone like him, who loved adventure?
However, this matter required strict secrecy.
The Elf Royal Family is a very special existence among the Elves. The reverence felt by Elves worldwide for the Royal Family even surpassed that shown to the Gods.
For example, the two Elves of the Freya Familia—the Black and White Knights—were both LV.6, the same as Riveria. Yet, they had to be completely respectful in Riveria's presence, daring no offense.
If the Elves learned he was going to dig up the tomb of an Elf Royal, the Elves of the entire world would likely unite and scatter his ashes to the wind.
And right in front of him stood an Elf.
"What is it?"
Ryuu noticed Roy's strange gaze and frowned slightly.
Roy shook his head repeatedly. Forget the two Elves from the Freya Familia; the Ryuu in front of me could crush me.
After defeating the Floor Boss Goliath, the entire seventeenth floor seemed to quiet down, and the frequency of monster spawns began to decrease. Roy picked up the Magic Stone dropped by Goliath. It was heavy, and just this stone alone was worth a good sum.
Roy asked, "The backpack is almost full. Should we return to the surface, or go to the eighteenth floor…"
Normally, the decisive elven girl wouldn't hesitate. Seeing Ryuu delay making a decision, Roy knew exactly why.
"Let's go to the eighteenth floor," Ryuu sighed. Having come all the way to the seventeenth floor, it felt wrong not to go see it. It was something she always had to face.
Roy wasn't surprised. He dismissed his lightning avatar, as it couldn't be seen by others, and took the large backpack filled with Magic Stones and monster materials onto his own back.
The two headed toward the passage to the eighteenth floor.
Walking through the long passage, they were greeted by bright light. Roy instinctively squinted. When he opened his eyes again, they reflected a shocking scene.
The eighteenth floor is a safe zone. There is no labyrinth or dividing walls. It is a large, circular space where monsters typically do not spawn.
Sheer rock walls encircled the entire floor, extending all the way to the ceiling, filled with brilliant, sparkling crystals. It was these countless crystals that glowed, simulating the blue sky.
The beautiful scene was a masterpiece of nature, something far beyond human creation.
It is said that a wealthy merchant once paid a fortune to hire adventurers to protect him down to the eighteenth floor just to see the scenery.
Upon witnessing the beauty, the rich man even decided he wanted to be buried there after his death.
Roy and Ryuu were currently at the southern end of the eighteenth floor, with the cavern leading to the seventeenth floor behind them.
Before them, a large expanse of green forest stretched from the south to the east. They could also see a clear stream and springs. To the north was a sparse wetland.
Roy followed behind Ryuu. As they walked along a small path through the forest, a strange graveyard came into view, dotted with various weapons and staves stuck into the ground.
It was the graveyard of the former members of the Astrea Familia.
Their bodies had been consumed by the Dungeon monsters on the thirtieth floor, and Ryuu had only recovered a portion of their weapons.
The area was scenic, but remote and far from the town. Few adventurers ventured here. The weapons on the graves were also largely ruined, and no one would bother stealing such scrap metal.
Thus, the graveyard could guarantee long-lasting tranquility.
Ryuu placed the wildflowers she had picked along the way before the graves. Her small, usually ice-cold face melted, revealing complex emotions like nostalgia, pain, and bitterness. Large tears began to fall.
"Alise, Kaguya, Lyra…"
Ryuu choked out the names of her former teammates. "The Rudra Familia has been annihilated. I have avenged you. Rest assured, I will eliminate everyone connected to the Dark Faction!"
Roy's face showed respect for her former comrades. He silently offered a bouquet of flowers.
"Let's go back."
"So soon? We could stay a little longer."
"There is no time to waste. I need to repay the debt as quickly as possible. Alise and the others wouldn't forgive me for causing Lady Astrea to bear such a heavy burden."
Hearing the elven girl's stubborn words, Roy muttered silently, She is such a one-track mind. She can't even tell she's been manipulated by that ancient monster.
But it was exactly what he wanted. It was time to play his next card. A sly grin appeared on Roy's lips.