Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Gold Solis Party
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"We're here because we trust the reputation of the Gold Solis Express. But..."
Lionel pointed at me arrogantly with his chin.
"I hear this woman's got just one carrier run under her belt. Isn't she way below the level of the other carriers? And rumor has it she's got a bad rep in the city, too."
"Are you doubting her skills?"
Gold Solis met Lionel's gaze with a calm, sinking voice.
"Wouldn't you? We have to entrust our lives entirely to the carriers once we're inside the dungeon. It's unsettling when it feels like they've scraped together a last-minute crew."
"She's a crawler who's reached the 42nd floor, guaranteed by the guild. It should be right there in her credentials."
The final destination for this elite party was the 35th floor in the lower levels.
But while 35 and 42 were only seven floors apart numerically in the lower levels, there was a clear gap in difficulty.
35 was just the entrance to the lowers, while 42 bordered the deep layers.
Claiming she lacked the ability was almost baseless.
"Crawler skills and carrier skills aren't the same, are they?"
As the guy kept pushing his nonsense, Gold Solis's eyebrow twitched, and his tongue flicked heatedly.
Word was, when Gold Solis flicked his tongue like that, he was seriously pissed.
But the jerk wouldn't back down.
"Her skills are questionable compared to the other carriers, so paying her the same rate feels off, don't you think?"
...Look at this punk?
The leader was Gold Solis, so I stayed out of it and just listened...
But trying to devalue my rightful labor with a few cheap tongue-lashings?
I could tolerate talk about our church being poor or the goddess being obscure, but touching my earned wages was a line I couldn't cross.
🌙 DIVINE MESSAGE 🌙
Your Goddess cannot help but lament the level of faith shown by Her daughter.
The goddess sighed as she read my thoughts, but it was routine, so I ignored her.
I had a punk right in front of me who needed dealing with.
But my intent was halted in its tracks by Gold Solis's restraint.
Looking up at him questioningly, he smiled reassuringly—or so it seemed—and mouthed, 'Leave it to me.'
...I told you not to smile like that.
That face looks so sly, it's impossible to trust.
"Hey, customer. Cut the crap."
His voice rumbled like a beast's growl.
Gold Solis's expression shifted from polite formality in an instant.
At the same time, an overwhelming presence radiated from him.
Even in this wide-open space, anyone exposed to his aura felt trapped in a cage with a massive beast behind iron bars.
Just the glancing pressure was this intense.
No need to mention the one facing it head-on.
Especially a greenhorn whose experience topped out around the 25th floor, at best.
"...Hah... Heuk."
Lionel, cocky moments ago, went pale as an undead, legs trembling like he might collapse any second.
Gold Solis watched his pathetic display for a moment, then wiped the expression from his face and withdrew his aura.
"No discounts on fees. The expertise of Gold Express isn't up for negotiation."
"B-But that expertise is what's in question—"
"If you doubt the skills, you're free to back out now. However, we won't refund the advance payment in that case."
"What? Where's that fair?"
"It's in the contract. We cover full compensation for any unexpected harm to clients during this dungeon trip. In exchange, no refunds for client change of heart, negligence, insubordination, or intentional slacking leading to contract termination."
Irritation crept into his voice as he spoke, yet he rattled it off smoothly, like this was familiar territory.
"Furthermore, unilaterally breaching the contract this way will result in a formal complaint letter sent via the Crawler Guild to Bugs Lucky Lionel's affiliation."
Gold Solis's eyes gleamed dangerously.
"Got it? Rookie."
"O-Okay, fine. I get it. I'll pay, alright?"
As Gold Solis took a hard line, Lionel raised both arms, palms out in surrender.
Then he pulled a pouch from his pocket and handed it my way.
"100 gold. Given the amount, I'm counting on you for a smooth dungeon trip without incidents."
Punk. He's all embarrassed after cowering to Gold Solis, but pretending to play it cool.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"He's the son of an Annihilation Clan executive."
After the commotion settled and we prepped to head out, Horsdruk Shieldlove approached.
It came out of left field, so I shot him a look. He grinned slyly and continued.
"That Bugs Lucky Lionel from earlier."
"Ah."
Lionel... Lionel...
Maybe it was his rude first impression, but the name left a bad aftertaste.
Seeing that sly tongue of his, he seemed the type to slander or spread baseless rumors.
"Gold Solis said not to worry about client quality just the other day."
"We apologize for the lapse. Lower-level clients are usually of a certain caliber."
I nodded at Horsdruk's words.
100 gold.
Gold as a currency unit was commonplace in RPGs, so it didn't sound huge at first. But here, gold coins were pure gold.
One gold equaled 50 silvers or 5,000 coppers, so 100 gold was 500,000 coppers.
Worlds and economies differ, but living here, one copper felt like 1,500 to 2,000 won.
So 100 gold was roughly 10 billion won.
Someone who could burn nearly 10 billion on a cruise less than two months long was vetted by wealth alone.
The high fees filtered for quality clients.
Though rare exceptions like this one slipped through.
'Lionel... Annihilation Clan.'
I filed it away.
If we crossed paths in the lowers later, I'd settle it then.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Then we're off."
This expedition to the 35th floor was a long haul.
With the Festival of Receiving Flesh less than two months away, the timeline felt tight.
The party entered via the east gate, unlike the northwest gate from the last Kaiden Party trip.
🌙 DIVINE MESSAGE 🌙
Your Goddess prays for your safety this time as well and awaits your return.
The dungeon's rules severed my connection to the goddess.
And at the same moment...
"Whoa..."
"This is the dungeon..."
The now-familiar 1st-floor plains stretched out.
The gate we'd just walked down vanished in an instant, replaced by a blue sky overhead.
A miracle defying physics.
Most of the Novice Package folks, new to dungeons, gasped endlessly at the bizarre environment they'd only heard about.
"From here on, it's the dungeon. Refrain from individual actions outside agreed plans, as dangers lurk anywhere."
Horsdruk's words mixed excitement and tension into the Novice Package group's air.
"First order: We'll stay in the upper floors for ten days. Those new to dungeons or unadapted to the 1st floor, take the provided potions."
They rummaged potions from their pouches.
Alchemists had fancy names, but crawlers just called them adaptation potions.
Nothing fancy—they accelerated floor adaptation time in the dungeon.
No frills, just sped up adaptation, useless for normal parties but gold for elite ones cutting adaptation periods drastically.
Elite parties earned via time efficiency, not just hunting or gathering.
Rotation speed always boosted self-employed profits.
Confirming everyone drank, Horsdruk nodded.
"Mid-layer Package and above clients, rest here. Novice Package, follow the carriers."
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This world's elite raids were a bit unique.
In my past life's games, raids were mostly carriers—raiders—unilaterally hunting monsters and bosses to clear dungeons.
Here, it wasn't always, but usually blended familiar raids with training parties.
Sure, absorbing mana from slain monsters or floor adaptation built superhuman prowess eventually, but humans were still humans.
Monsters and humans differed fundamentally in power.
A man lifting 50kg to 100kg didn't mean he could arm-wrestle a gorilla hauling a ton untrained, right?
So in Dungeon City, elite carrier parties didn't just hunt and adapt clients—they taught experience, know-how, and dungeon acclimation.
"Gray Hounds live in packs and are extremely cunning. They watched from afar when we were grouped but approach now that we're splitting up. As dog-family monsters, their instincts remain."
Gold Solis eyed the approaching Gray Hound pack.
"Gray Hounds are common on the 1st floor. Average 40kg, large ones 70kg, max over 90kg recorded."
He drew short sword and shield—basic frontliner tank gear—and gestured for the watching Novice Package folks to step back.
As distance grew, the Gray Hounds closed in.
At a set range, they growled, prepping to charge Gold Solis.
"Frontliners facing Gray Hounds watch for two things. First: body slams."
As he finished, one leaped.
Clearing an adult man's height easily.
Unlike Kaiden before, Gold Solis didn't block head-on—he deflected with the shield's edge.
Textbook shield parry.
"Gray Hounds use weight and speed to tackle prey down—that's their staple. Bipeds like us lose balance fatally. Once down, the pack swarms, hard to recover. Unless you're confident tanking the charge raw, frontliners should avoid head-on. Basic rule for all dog monsters."
He also demoed shield bash, intercepting a leap mid-air.
Several charging hounds yelped and retreated, smacked by the shield.
Still casual, stepping lightly.
The eight hounds eyed the rear Novices but couldn't cross Gold Solis's invisible line.
"Second: teeth. Claws are sharp but dog claws are spikes for jumping, not slashing—no big worry. But bites pack jaw strength and tenacity. Best to kill pre-close range; otherwise, guard vitals like the throat."
Gold Solis lowered his shield.
Seizing the chance?
One hound charged instantly.
"But you can't dodge or block everything. Then, frontliners must take hits 'properly.' Like this."
Kwajik-!
The Gray Hound's teeth clamped Gold Solis's wrist.
But they skidded off his glossy mystery-material bracer, not piercing skin.
"If you can't evade, lure the bite to armored spots. Don't yank your arm in panic—power struggles favor their quadruped spikes and balance over our biped form."
Gold Solis tugged playfully at first, then advanced.
"Pull strength is fierce, but push isn't. Stay calm, brace against falling forward, advance, raise the wrist like so... then to the throat."
Puuk-
The short sword sliced diagonally, smoothly piercing the Gray Hound's throat.
Even dead, its grip clenched; Gold Solis pried it off slowly with grip strength, then turned to the Novice Package.
"How's that? Pretty easy, right?"