At this moment, Roy still didn't know that chaos had already erupted on the surface. One of his seemingly unintentional actions had triggered consequences far more severe than anyone could have imagined.
The entire Dungeon shook violently. Even Orario felt as if a massive earthquake had struck.
In over a thousand years, this was the first time such an abnormal phenomenon had occurred.
Gods, adventurers, and civilians alike were startled. They looked around in confusion, bewilderment written all over their faces.
The Guild's Underground Prayer Chamber
"Ouranos, what is going on?"
Fels urgently questioned the great god seated atop the elevated platform.
Abnormal events in the Dungeon were nothing new—everyone knew that. But this disturbance was countless times more severe than a god releasing divine power in the Dungeon, or even the appearance of the calamity Juggernaut.
One had to remember that with the continuous prayers of the great god Ouranos, the Dungeon had been unable to affect the surface world for over a thousand years.
And yet this time, the disturbance had reached the surface directly!
"I don't know,"
the white-haired old man seated at the prayer altar replied.
The old man possessed a powerful physique and a stern, unsmiling face. A pressure far greater than that of ordinary gods radiated from him—he was one of the few true Great Gods in Heaven.
The Great God Ouranos!
A thousand years ago, he was the first god to descend to the Lower World, bestowing divine blessings upon mortals. He had continuously suppressed the Dungeon with his prayers, preventing monsters from escaping, earning him the revered title of "Guardian God of the City."
"It is angry," Ouranos said, sensing the situation below. "Like a ferocious beast that has been provoked."
Fels was left speechless. He had heard of provoking monsters, or provoking adventurers—but who in their right mind would dare provoke the Dungeon itself?
In other words, to enrage the Dungeon to this extent… could it be an existence that surpassed even the gods?
"Do we need to do something?"
"No. Its anger has already subsided."
The exchange between Fels and Ouranos ended there.
The Dungeon's rage came quickly—and left just as quickly. Mainly because the one who had provoked it had already departed.
Roy returned to the surface via the stairway.
The sky had already grown dim. Inside the Dungeon, there was no sun or moon, so the passage of time was only a vague concept.
As Roy emerged, he saw a blonde elf girl cloaked in a mantle, leaning against a pillar and hiding in the shadows, doing her best to avoid attracting attention.
The Dungeon was vast beyond measure. There was no way the elf girl could have entered it to search for Roy—if he had already left, all her effort would have been for nothing.
When she saw Roy come out, she was still shocked.
"What were you thinking?! Are you insane? Entering the Dungeon without wearing any protective gear?!"
Ryuu looked at him as if she were staring at some kind of monster.
Roy's clothes were badly torn. From the damage alone, one could imagine the injuries inflicted on him by monsters. Although the wounds had scabbed over, bloodstains were still clearly visible.
Dungeon monsters relied on numbers. Even if one met the minimum stat requirements, getting scraped and injured was unavoidable. Any normal person would wear armor—once injured, the consequences could be disastrous.
Although the elf girl herself wasn't wearing armor, the clothes she wore were extremely durable—ordinary blades couldn't cut them. Combined with her high Agility and concurrent chanting, she didn't want heavy armor slowing her down.
Faced with Ryuu's reproach, Roy scratched his head.
"I just released all the passion I've built up over the last fifteen years in the Dungeon. I've temporarily entered sage mode."
As he spoke, a trace of exhaustion flashed across Roy's face. He headed toward the stairs and boarded the automatic magic-stone elevator.
Watching Roy's retreating back, Ryuu felt like her head was about to split open.
What in the world was wrong with this guy?
The Babel Tower had dedicated bathing facilities. Adventurers who returned from the Dungeon drenched in sweat could enjoy a bath for just over a dozen valis.
Where there was demand, there was supply.
Inside Babel Tower was also a dedicated commercial district—equipment, clothing, food, everything one could need. There was even a small exchange counter for selling magic stone fragments.
Roy first went to the shopping level inside the tower and bought a set of properly fitting clothes, spending nearly a thousand valis. He didn't feel bad about it—rent inside Babel Tower was higher than elsewhere, so higher prices were only natural.
It was basically tourist pricing.
Inside the bathhouse, hot water from the shower washed away the blood and sweat from Roy's body.
As the gentle stream passed over the scabbed wounds, he could still feel a faint stinging sensation.
Roy closed his eyes tightly, scenes of combat in the Dungeon flashing through his mind. Revisiting the dangerous moments and reflecting on his shortcomings was the only way to gain more experience.
A short while later, having changed into fresh clothes, a refreshed Roy walked out of Babel Tower and said to the elf girl:
"Find me a place to stay. I'll help you deal with the Dark Faction—but no food or lodging at all? That's just inhumane."
After a day of fermentation, news from the Guild spread rapidly throughout the entire city.
Everyone learned that the Astraea Familia had been completely annihilated. The entire city was shaken.
Those who had once been helped by Ryuu, Alise, and the others were filled with tears. Grief overwhelmed them as they cursed the injustice of the world—good people didn't live long, while scourges endured for ages.
All of Orario sank into an atmosphere of mourning.
In contrast, adventurers were far more interested in the bounty Ryuu had posted.
Eighty million valis.
Even Level 5 adventurers were tempted.
Many had already begun searching for traces of the Rudra Familia in advance. One head was worth several hundred thousand valis—far more profitable than the Dungeon.
If they could get the head of a Rudra Familia executive, it would be at least several million, even tens of millions of valis!
Somewhere in Orario — a remote, dilapidated church
This was one of the Rudra Familia's hideouts.
Inside the church, dozens of people gathered around several tables laden with food and alcohol, drinking and laughing boisterously.
"Hahaha! Those bitches from the Astraea Familia are finally dead! No more people chasing us around yelling about carrying out some bullshit justice!"
A burly man with a face full of scars downed a mouthful of strong liquor.
"Cheers!!"
The crowd echoed his shout, bursting into wild laughter.
If anyone was happiest about the destruction of the Astraea Familia, it was this group.
Amid the revelry, someone voiced a doubt.
"But… what exactly was that monster?"
The feast instantly fell silent.
Fear still lingered deep in many of their eyes.
Even among them, quite a few had died at that monster's hands. Its speed was abnormally terrifying—so fast it was almost impossible to see. The moment it appeared, someone would be instantly killed.
"Who cares?" another member said drunkenly. "As long as those women are dead, that's all that matters."
"Exactly! Hahahaha!"
With alcohol fueling the atmosphere, no one had the mood to investigate that never-before-seen Dungeon monster. The matter was quickly pushed out of their minds.
Only one orange-haired catman hiding in a corner—Jura—had eyes burning with astonishing fanaticism. Unlike the others' fear, he was obsessed with that monster's incomparable power.
A Level 4, instantly killed.
At that moment, a member rushed back in.
"Bad news! Those bitches from the Astraea Familia aren't all dead! Gale Wind has posted a bounty of eighty million valis at the Guild—lots of people outside are already looking for us!"
The church fell into deathly silence.
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