Under normal circumstances, a Level 1 adventurer could never defeat a Level 2.
Level 2s were known as "third-tier adventurers," Level 3s and 4s as "second-tier adventurers," and Levels 5 and above were collectively known as "first-tier adventurers."
"Phew... I've finally reached the starting line. Next, I need a weapon. If I use magic, I probably won't need armor for the early floors."
At present, Fron's total savings were less than 2,000 valis.
He could just barely afford a low-quality short sword if he gritted his teeth.
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After finishing his business, there was no rush to return home.
Fron strolled down "Adventurers' Avenue" with a leisurely mindset. Having just arrived in this city, he found many sights fascinating.
For example, the weapons displayed outside the weapons shops along the street — each one he looked at filled him with excitement.
It wasn't until he passed a luxurious store labeled [Hephaestus Familia] and saw, through the glass, weapons and armor with an absurd string of zeros following the price tag, that Fron felt his head spinning wildly.
"A rapier… priced at 38 million vali, damn."
He sucked in a sharp breath. Startled, Fron swore aloud, then quickly backed away.
Let alone those meathead frontliners and midliners, Fron was a mage.
The saying "No gold, no mage" suddenly made a lot more sense to him.
If even a basic adventurer's longsword costs tens of millions, how much more would a decent magic staff cost?
As everyone knows, mage gear is never cheap.
After all, swinging a sword wildly can't compare to casting spells and launching massive area-of-effect attacks in terms of style.
"That's right, my skill allows me to learn two development abilities per level. I've decided… I'll list 'Smithing' and 'Mystery' as candidates for my first-level up skills."
Driven to the brink by reality, Fron made his first firm decision.
Besides… in this lower world where gods and their followers live together, "divine techniques" are tangible things you can actually see and touch.
They're lifelong skills.
...
On the bustling street, he wandered around for the better part of the day.
Eventually, in a small, inconspicuous general store in a back alley, he bought a short sword worth 1,600 vali.
The blade was 40 centimeters long — a bit longer than his forearm. While not exactly shiny, it was decently sharp.
This weapon was more than enough to deal with small upper-floor monsters.
The shopkeeper even threw in a sword sheath made from some unknown type of leather — a pretty satisfying purchase overall.
"Alright, I've got a weapon for now. I'll head back to the base, build up some knowledge, improve my stats, and explore the dungeon before I run out of money."
By the time he returned to "The Twilight Manor," the sky was already ablaze with red. The distant mountains looked as if they were on fire — magnificent and fantastical.
He went back to his room first, set down his cloak and weapon, then grabbed some bread from the cafeteria before heading to the underground library.
As one of the most powerful Familias in Orario, the [Loki Familia] naturally had an impressive library.
Far larger than the cafeteria, the massive two-story library was lined with elegant carpets and staircases circling the entire space.
Just standing there, he could smell the scent of knowledge in the air.
With eyes burning with a thirst for the unknown, Fron pulled out a book titled Orario, the Labyrinth City, and the Dungeon, and began to read silently.
The massive white tower in the center of Orario is called "Babel Tower," constructed under the direction of the master craftsman Daedalus a thousand years ago.
This building seals the only exit to the Dungeon below — acting as a sort of "seal" that suppresses the monsters within.
Fron, aware of the secrets behind it, knew that due to the divine might and prayers of the god king Ouranos, monsters could not appear on the surface and not the tower.
The closer the floors are to the surface, the weaker the monsters they spawn.
Beneath Babel lies one of the world's three "Unexplored Regions," the "Dungeon," also known as the "Underground Labyrinth."
A thousand years ago — now referred to as the Ancient Era — the gods had not yet descended to the lower world.
Back then, monsters born from the Dungeon surged up to the surface, unleashing a massacre across the world.
It was an age of chaos — an age of darkness.
The people of the lower world were powerless against the monsters and nearly faced extinction.
Then, in their mercy, "they", the gods sent down avatars — the spirits.
The great spirits aided human heroes in a desperate battle against the monsters, barely managing to hold back the tide.
As time went on, the tide of battle began to shift.
The heroes fought with blood and will, enacting grand epics, eventually forcing the monsters back into the Dungeon and building a massive fortress there.
This is also the origin story of "Labyrinth City Orario."
Then, the ancient era ended, the gods descended, and the [Age of the Gods] began, unfolding the myth of the Familia.
However, the legends of the ancient heroes are still passed down to this day. They are sung by bards, praised by people, and written into fairy tales, such as the "Heroic Divine Saga."
"The Familia myth, huh? So this is the Age of the Gods."
Closing the slightly worn parchment book, Fron felt a surge in his heart.
"How exhilarating. Even someone like me, who is no longer a youth, is stirred. Heroes truly are what young boys admire."
Then he laughed at himself:
"Too bad I passed the age of the age of acting like a child long ago."
He shoved the book back into the shelf, then pulled out another hardbound parchment book.
"Introduction to Upper Dungeon Terrain and Monsters"
"This one's good."
Muttering to himself, Fron opened the pages.
After a thousand years of exploration, the dungeon has been divided into the "Upper," "Middle," "Lower," "Deep," and "Unknown Floors."
The Upper Floors generally refer to floors 1–12.
There is no sunlight or water here, only a variety of branching paths, caverns, and endless maze chambers.
Relatively speaking, the difficulty of exploring the "Upper Floors" is not high. Even Lv.1 lower-class adventurers can form parties to explore them.
However, once you reach the "Middle Floors," things become completely different.
Starting from the 13th floor begins the "Cave Labyrinth," which also has a special name: "First Line," as adventurers call it.
Not only do "Abnormal Situations" occur here, but the terrain also changes—usually large-scale collapses that block off official routes. The complex paths quickly drain adventurers' stamina and supplies, eventually driving them into vertical shafts while being swarmed by monsters.
If one cannot handle such situations calmly, the only fate awaiting adventurers is death.
As for the monster types that appear on the Upper Floors, they are generally smaller species that are relatively easy to deal with. Most do not have special abilities, making them the easiest type to fight.
Recorded monsters include kobolds, goblins, dungeon lizards, frog shooters, wall shadows, killer ants, and so on.
New Lv.1 adventurers can handle the early floors, where the monster spawn rate and numbers are low, as long as they remain calm.
With a "snap," Fron closed the book and relaxed his furrowed brow.
"As expected, it's not as simple as I imagined."
After returning the book, this time he didn't rush to open another, but quietly digested the unfamiliar knowledge he had just gathered.
Only after a long time did he pick up another book and walk to the reading area to continue reading.
The moonlight had just risen, and the night was serene.
The entire "Twilight Manor" had grown dim, with the lights scattered throughout the courtyard faintly illuminating a corner of the darkness.
The stronghold, shaped like a castle, stood silently like a giant beast crawling in the dark.
It was the complete opposite of the bustling Pleasure Quarter, which were brightly lit by magic stone lamps.