Traveling Companions

"Damn it! I won't let this slide!"

A dwarf sitting at a marble round table slammed his fist down hard.

The heavy impact rattled the goblets, drawing the collective gaze of everyone in the room.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary banquet hall, but the divine air filling the space and the extraordinary countenances of those present made it clear they were no mere mortals.

A goddess adorned in amethysts tipped her silver goblet and spoke bluntly.

"What's with the God of Blacksmiths? Did Antagon pluck his beard again?"

"Just leave him be. He's a bit sensitive right now."

"Why? Did he lose some legendary artifact?"

"Not that... Apparently, a beast he was raising escaped while he wasn't looking. He was raising it carefully to extract its rune... I believe it was a monster called a Night Stalker."

"A Night Stalker? That's an incredibly rare monster! I recall its fur being quite beautiful... But he wanted to extract its rune?"

Wasn't the Night Stalker's rune famously a dud?

While it granted a powerful active skill, its side effect was a slow, agonizing death as darkness crept through one's veins like viper venom.

There was even a famous anecdote about a hero of old who absorbed the rune without knowing any better, only to waste away and die.

Unless one possessed an exceptionally powerful poison resistance, it was a useless, double-edged power.

"It seems he wanted to extract the rune to forge a magic sword, but the beast escaped, causing him to fail at the very last step."

"Then can't he just catch it again? Making such a fuss over a single monster."

The dwarf god drained his goblet in one gulp and roared.

"Damn it! The mana trace was cut off! I don't know which mortal did it, but when I find them, I'll rip out their spine and use a bone saw...! Wait, with your ability, you can find out who the culprit is, right?"

As he glared at her, the goddess sitting across from him sighed and replied.

"Hey, God of Blacksmiths. We cannot punish a mortal over a mere monster. It was your fault for not guarding it properly anyway. Do you not remember our First Principle?"

A law established to prevent the excessive intervention of the gods.

The First Principle, built upon the blood of countless mortals.

"I just want to check out of curiosity! I won't seek petty revenge! If things go well, I might even negotiate to get the rune back. ...If you help me, I'll give you an accessory from my collection!"

"Sigh... Just this once. I just need to find the children who defeated your pet monster, right?"

While the other gods lost interest and drifted back to their gossip, the goddess placed her hand on a crystal ball.

As divine power flowed into it, the crystal ball emitted a violet glow and began to project the world below.

Soon, the image of a black-haired young man and a beastman girl appeared within the crystal.

"The results are in. Oh... they're quite young, aren't they? Cute faces, a handsome boy and a pretty girl... Wa-wait a minute."

"What is it? Let me see!"

Seeing the goddess's fluster, the dwarf approached and peered into the crystal ball.

The moment he saw the black-haired youth's face reflected in the crystal, he froze solid.

Fearing the other gods might see, the God of Blacksmiths hastily covered the crystal ball with his palm and, barely suppressing his emotions, asked:

"......Who was in charge of the transmigrators this quarter?"

"...I believe it was Agatha, the Goddess of Healing."

"Right, that wench... How dare she pull something like this and keep her mouth shut?"

Suppressing his fury with all his might, the God of Blacksmiths dragged his limping leg and headed somewhere.

Putting away the crystal ball, the goddess called out to his retreating back.

"I have to ask, what are you planning to do?"

"......I have found my cause."

Leaving only those words behind, the dwarf kicked open the door and left the banquet hall.

In his red eyes, flickering with the flames of the forge, an intense question burned.

...Why on earth?

"Doran... Are you actually here?"

"Achoo!"

Is it a pollen allergy?

A week had passed since he defeated the Night Stalker. Doran headed to the meeting place, enjoying the beautiful weather.

Passing by adventurers and mercenaries chatting in small groups, he arrived at the dungeon entrance and spotted a familiar blonde elf.

"Yo, Malton."

"It has been a while, Doran! Good to see you again. ...Did you rest well?"

"Rested plenty. Though there were a few twists and turns. More importantly, where did you go? I didn't see hide nor hair of you all week."

"I stepped outside the dungeon town for a bit. An acquaintance I owe a debt to lives quite far away."

Doran lined up with Malton, not thinking much of it.

Today was the day they were to enter the dungeon again after their break.

As they killed time with idle chatter, Malton suddenly spoke in a regretful tone.

"Still... it feels a bit lonely thinking that only the two of us will be entering the dungeon this time. I thought you and Radie would get along well..."

"Ah, the kid? Don't worry. He'll be here in a bit."

"How can you be so sure?"

"The body is honest."

"...Stop saying weird things."

Turning around at the sudden voice, he saw Radie standing there with a displeased expression.

Radie naturally adjusted her backpack and joined them.

"Hello, Malton-nim. Have you been well? ...And nice to see you too, Doran-nim."

"Hey, did you get your new gear? Now that you've tasted big money, other parties just don't cut it, right?"

"I didn't come back because of the money! ...You know exactly why."

As Radie grumbled with a sigh, Malton exclaimed with delight.

"Radie! You decided to return? That is wonderful news! ...But it seems something happened between you two while I was away?"

"Oh, plenty. Getting mauled by a monster, hovering between life and death in a temple, and then spending a whole week in a tent..."

"W-wait! Doran-nim, come over here for a second!"

Radie suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

Following her out of the line in confusion, he heard her whisper urgently.

"Are you crazy? I told you not to talk about me nursing you in the tent!"

"Ah, right. ...But why?"

"What do you mean why?! If Malton-nim finds out we slept and lived in the same tent for a whole week, what do you think he'll think?!"

"What is there to think? We're both guys."

"......."

While scrambling to escape her kicks, they reached the entrance of the dungeon, where a stark difference from before was immediately noticeable.

Just a week ago, the entrance had been incredibly narrow, but the expansion work was already complete.

After paying the expensive entry fee and stepping inside the cavern, they saw Troll laborers widening the passages with massive pickaxes.

"...It's only been a week, and it's already changed this much."

"They must be developing it in earnest now that people are flocking here. The more adventurers visit the dungeon, the more taxes they can collect."

"They even put log stairs on the ground! People used to slip all the time before..."

"Yeah... that's already a memory."

Doran replied casually as he looked around.

Knowing that a monster outbreak would flood this place in the near future, he couldn't bring himself to be entirely happy about it.

Passing through the descent, which felt much shorter than before, a vast, breathtaking grassland opened up before them.

It's changed quite a bit here too.

Unlike before, quite a few merchants were visible, along with burly demi-humans carrying luggage.

The sight of adventurers wandering aimlessly in the wilderness was gone; now, there were even signposts, giving the place a fairly organized feel.

As Doran stretched and caught his breath, Malton returned from gathering information nearby.

"Ah, Malton. Any new news?"

"Hmm... nothing in particular. However... do you see those adventurers over there?"

"That group of about fifteen? They look like total beginners. Why?"

"They are members of the Achaia Guild, also from Verastin. I know a few of them. They proposed traveling together until the mid-point of the 1st floor. What do you think?"

"Traveling together, huh..."

Doran stroked his chin, pondering for a moment.

It was common for adventurers to form groups and travel together inside a dungeon.

A larger group deterred bandits and made dealing with monsters much safer.

Most of all, it would reduce the grueling two-to-three-hour night watch shifts.

The problem was, I have more than a few secrets...

The Rune of Antagon is fine as long as I don't transform... and there's almost no chance of them finding out I'm a transmigrator... My black hair is always covered by my hood anyway.

And if a fight broke out, they could serve as perfect fuel for my Chaos skill.

Having quickly made his decision, Doran replied casually.

"Well, traveling together for a bit should be fine. Since you know them, their identities are guaranteed... Kid, what about you?"

"I don't mind."

"It is decided, then. Even if we travel together, it will only be for a day or two, so it shouldn't be an issue. I shall call them over."

As Malton gestured, a young man who appeared to be the representative of the group approached and greeted them.

"You must be Malton-ssi's companions. Nice to meet you! I've owed Malton-ssi a great deal since our time in Verastin!"

"Nice to meet you. Is this your first time in this dungeon?"

"Ah, yes. We just arrived. ...But how did you know?"

"I can tell just by looking at your gear. You'll be walking for a long time here, so it's better to put heavy items in your backpack. You won't need that machete in your hand, either."

"Haha... you have an incredible eye. Thank you for the advice."

Just as the young man bowed in admiration, excited voices drifted over from behind.

"Whoa! So this is the dungeon! Are we going to make a fortune in gold coins and head back?!"

"Of course! I even took out a loan to get new gear!"

Gold coins? What's that about?

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No matter how lucrative dungeon diving could be, it was impossible for beginners to rake in that kind of money right off the bat.

"Ahaha... they're a bit noisy, aren't they? I'm sorry. It's everyone's first expedition, and they're all excited because we just heard rumors about the legendary trio at the guild."

"The legendary trio?"

"Yes! The party that swept up rare golems on their very first exploration and made a massive fortune! It's already a famous story in our Achaia Guild! Everyone is full of anticipation, thinking, 'I can do that too'!"

"......."

As Doran kept his mouth shut, Radie nudged his sleeve and whispered.

"Is that... by any chance, talking about us?"

"Seems like it. Fortunately, they don't seem to have realized it's us yet."

As Doran wore a bitter smile, Malton skillfully took charge of the adventurers and spoke.

"Well then... let us depart. Since I have experience exploring this dungeon, I shall lead. Everyone, follow behind slowly."

Radie and I took our positions at the very rear of the column, slowly moving forward.

The journey went smoother than expected.

Instead of cutting through the forest like last time, they traveled across the open plains, which was much easier without any thick underbrush in the way.

Though there were minor disagreements along the way regarding crossing rivers or bypassing monster habitats...

Malton's reputation certainly comes in handy at times like this.

With the leadership of a former high-ranker, he smoothly resolved every situation, allowing Doran to simply look on.

Walking leisurely with his hood concealing his hair, the peaceful scenery of the dungeon filled his vision.

"Hey, kid, see that alpaca running on the hill over there... Kid?"

Looking around, he saw that Radie had somehow ended up surrounded by a group of female adventurers near the front of the column.

...Well, the kid is pretty good-looking.

With those delicate features, it made sense for him to be popular with the ladies.

As Doran watched his back, a female adventurer, seemingly driven by curiosity, slinked over to him and asked.

"Excuse me... you're Doran-ssi, right? I've been curious about something..."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Are you and Radie-ssi dating?"

"Huh?"

Doran slowly chewed over the meaning of the question, then snorted as if it were the most absurd thing he had ever heard.

"You've got to be joking. No way. I mean, I admit the kid is pretty enough to be mistaken for a girl, but..."

"Uh...?"

"I'm straight. Haha..."

"......??"

For a moment, the adventurer doubted her own ears.

If what she had just heard was correct...

No way... Is this guy mistaking Radie-ssi for a boy?

Even though they're in the same party?!

Ah, no... wait. Radie-ssi is a beastman... maybe it's easy to get confused if they're from different races...

No, that definitely wasn't it.

Even for a beastman, except for the ears and tail, she looked exactly like a human. How on earth could anyone mistake such a pretty girl for a boy?

Should I... should I tell him? No, is that poking my nose in too much...?

No... but maybe just a tiny hint...

Would it be okay to just drop a subtle hint?

It should be fine, right...?

Just as the adventurer was about to open her mouth, Malton suddenly cut in.

"Pardon me. Do you have a moment?"

"What, Malton? Is it okay for you to be back here? Weren't you leading at the front?"

"This is an open area with no monsters, after all. I came back because I was a bit bored."

"Fair enough... So, what did you want to say?"

Waiting for the woman to walk away before whispering, Doran saw Malton grin and speak in a low voice.

"Actually... as you have likely noticed, rumors are circulating about our slaughter of the golems. From the fact that there are three of us, down to our general descriptions."

"...So that's why you proposed traveling together? At least while we're with them, other adventurers won't suspect us."

"Precisely."

In the canyon, they hadn't just slaughtered golems; Doran had also transformed into an undead to defeat the boss. It was best to avoid any association with that incident.

If a connection was made, someone might start questioning his identity.

"...It works out well. I wanted to get to the 2nd stratum as quickly as possible anyway. With more people, combat time will be reduced."

"Hmm... is there a particular reason you must hasten to the 2nd stratum?"

"So we can level up quickly, obviously. You also need to hunt strong monsters to recover from the aftereffects of your curse..."

Doran trailed off, checking the messages in his log window.

Damn it...

As time ticked away, he could feel an invisible shackle slowly tightening around his neck.

With only low-grade monsters scattered around here, gathering enough experience would take an eternity.

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To level up reliably, he had to hunt the higher-grade monsters inhabiting the 2nd stratum.

Furthermore, there was another decisive reason.

"...Hey, Malton. Remember when you said mages were flocking to this dungeon?"

"Hmm... was that when we were exchanging materials at the Adventurers' Guild? Thanks to that, the golem cores sold for a high price. But why do you ask all of a sudden?"

"What do you mean why? What else would those high-priced mages be doing in a new dungeon, going so far as to buy golem cores in bulk?"

"Hmm... are they preparing some large-scale magic?"

As Malton watched with interest, Doran lowered his voice and whispered.

"...A Gate."

"A Gate? Isn't a Gate a spell where even a gathering of first-rate mages pouring in their mana cannot guarantee success? The maintenance cost is so high that unless it's a dragon vein overflowing with mana, one wouldn't even dare... Ah, I see."

"Exactly. Mana is practically free for the taking here. There are plenty of adventurers who would pay to use it, so in the long run, it'll be highly profitable. ...By now, the mages should be preparing a Gate at the entrance of the 2nd stratum."

Back when he was actively playing in this dungeon, Gates had been installed on every stratum.

A cheat-like magic that allowed instantaneous travel between the surface and the dungeon.

Using the Gate meant not only being able to return with far more materials from the depths, but also growing at a speed incomparable to before.

Of course, using the Gate required paying an exorbitant fee...

"...But if we arrive at the 2nd stratum early and help the mages set up the Gate, we can get passes for dirt cheap."

Seeing the newly appeared quest confirm his deduction, Malton smiled and stepped toward the front of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the column.

"Now that we have a goal, we must make haste... I shall increase our marching pace."