Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Gold Solis Party (Complete)
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There had been a brief commotion with Lionel, but it didn't cause any major delays to the schedule.
Once they reached the 10th floor, Gold Solis began organizing their supplies.
It was time for the 16 Novice Package customers to head back.
Thanks to that, the campsite grew a bit bustling.
"You want to take this too?"
"Ugh... It's heavier than I thought."
"Looks like that's the last of the food supplies."
Convenient but bulky items like large pots, along with the miscellaneous materials gathered on the way up to the 10th floor, were distributed to the returning customers. In exchange, compact and useful items from the customers' gear were transferred to the continuing party's inventory.
This was what they called a supply swap.
The Novice Package group was the largest at 16 people, but even all together, they only brought in 80 gold.
That came out to 20 gold per carrier, and while no one knew the exact subsidy from the Crawler Guild, it probably didn't cover the principal.
It was labor-intensive work that didn't even match the earnings from a single mid-layer customer, but this was precisely why they included such a party in the expedition.
The Novice Package members were essentially porters who transported supplies all the way to the 10th floor.
Think of them as expendable boosters.
For the novices, it was a cheap(?) package deal that let them safely experience their first dungeon up to the 10th floor alongside skilled crawlers.
For the veteran crawlers, materials from the first 10 floors just took up space without much value, so they could recoup some costs.
And the remaining parties could stock up generously on supplies and comforts for the upper floors.
Large pots and big tents were handy, but outside of specific situations, they were excessive baggage for dungeon delving.
By maximizing their use and then offloading them onto the returning group, the party could fill their packs with high-efficiency items in terms of volume and weight.
It effectively let them start from the 10th floor instead of the 1st.
Plus, the carrier party pocketed extra cash on the side.
'This must be the wisdom accumulated from long years of experience.'
Or perhaps the relentless obsession of those who had always pursued extreme efficiency in rice-eating.
Memories from his past life surfaced—of rice-eater users endlessly developing builds for maximum efficiency.
If they'd put that effort into job hunting instead, they probably would've landed jobs ages ago.
"Arjen, we've been in your debt these past days."
At the return stone, Ellis bowed politely.
Lucas, with a pot strapped to his back like a turtle shell, gave a slight nod as well.
Though it had only been ten days, their experiences had tempered the excited, childlike energy they'd started with into something calmer.
"You'll probably be fine, but stay cautious once you're back in the city."
I said this while eyeing Yohan, who was standing beside them, pale-faced and groaning quietly.
Gold Solis and I weren't particularly worried about the threats Lionel had made before leaving.
Becoming the president of a small business was impressive in its own right, but it was all relative.
From our perspective, it wasn't much of a threat.
Especially since he wasn't even the clan leader or an executive—just some exec's kid.
Lionel might fantasize about burying us in city gossip and chewing us up...
'But if mere thoughts made it happen, we'd all be gods' champions or heroes who'd conquered the labyrinth's depths.'
I didn't know the Annihilation Clan's tendencies, but they wouldn't act rashly on Lionel's word.
Especially not against Gold Solis, who owned a business deeply tied to the guild and was the scion of the Shieldlove family.
Yohan, with no backing at all, might be the one in real trouble.
"Don't worry!"
"We'll report straight to the guild the moment we get back to the city!"
Some of the returning novices were eager to report Lionel's behavior during the expedition to the guild.
Apparently, they were customers who'd been caught in the crossfire when he'd swung his sword.
'Hoisted by his own petard.'
Yeah, he should've thrown his tantrums in moderation.
Making this many enemies in such a short time was practically a talent.
"May the gods bless you, and may your remaining journey be smooth."
With Ellis's prayer as the finale, the entire Novice group returned.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After the novices left, the remaining group pushed through to the 19th floor in just two days.
It was a blistering pace.
But since everyone left was a crawler experienced with mid-layers from the 18th floor up, it wasn't anything extraordinary.
Plus, while the novices had served as porters and boosters, they'd also been newbies dragging down mobility.
A little over ten days in, they reached the 25th floor, and the mid-layer customers had fully acclimated.
"This expedition has broadened my horizons immensely."
Delinger said this ahead of his return at the return stone.
He glanced around with a wistful expression before continuing.
"Far harsher than the rumors I'd overheard."
The 25th floor, where the heat haze from the lava below warped vision as a daily occurrence.
Taking in the lava field's sight, Delinger's face grew complex.
"I wanted to reach here on my own strength. I believed I could. In the end, I resorted to this shortcut because I couldn't."
Delinger seemed ashamed of reaching the 25th floor not with a standard party, but via a carrier service.
I didn't see the need for that, but crawlers—most of whom made their living butchering monsters—lived in a macho world.
Tailing after the strong and buying power with money, skipping hardships, looked weak.
And as a small, physically weak halfling thief by race and class, his drive for recognition was probably stronger than most.
"Still, it was good to witness the feats of someone like you, who's reached such distant heights. My word. I thought cold resistance potions were mandatory for the 25th floor, but who knew about this blessing? Most of what I prepared ended up useless."
Delinger shook a blue potion bottle rimed with frost.
An item that cost over 20 silver per bottle even at discount alchemist stalls—one of the essentials for smooth movement on the 25th.
Most parties lacked mages or priests like me who could block heat with magic or blessings.
"If it's useless, shall I take it off your hands?"
"...You must make a fortune, yet you're possessed by the spirit of greed? Even the faithful of the God of Gold and Scales aren't as money-hungry as you."
Delinger chuckled dryly and shook his head.
He tucked the cold potion back into his pack.
What a cheapskate.
"Now that I know my limits, I can leave this line of work without regrets."
He looked both wistful and relieved.
"I wish you a safe end to your journey. If you show up at the Festival of Receiving Flesh in a few days, drinks are on me."
With those lingering words, Delinger, Adel, and the other 8 mid-layer customers returned.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Kee-kee-
Kwachik!
Something burst and crushed with a sound, black venomous blood spraying up.
"Hoo..."
I purified the toxic blood on my body, flinging it away, then looked up and called out.
"How's it over there?"
"Done."
Gold Solis replied from where he hung upside down like a bat.
The 35th floor.
Known as Apeiron's Corridor, this layer was a bizarre space reminiscent of M.C. Escher's Relativity from his past life's art history class.
A world where absolute up, down, left, and right ceased to exist, definitions of space shifting with the observer's position.
Vast staircases extended in every direction, illogically linking floors, walls, and ceilings into a grand labyrinth.
Shadows stretched in conflicting directions under a single light source, start and end blurring, common spatial perception crumbling.
Dungeons were full of the unknown to begin with, but once you entered lower layers classified as such, even physical laws could warp like this.
"Any injuries?"
"None."
Even the great Gold Solis accumulated fatigue around the 35th floor?
His voice carried a hint of weariness.
"...This place is brutal."
A queasy voice came from behind me.
The mid-layers had returned, and this was one of the remaining customers, minus Lionel.
"Right? This floor's a real nasty one."
I gestured to the blood-smeared corpses on the floor.
Akishigenes.
The main monster of the 35th floor, also called the space hounds.
They resembled ghouls, bat-like monsters, or canines in a grotesque hybrid form.
Raw physical prowess was mid-20s level, but their terror lay in moving freely amid the floor's bizarre rules.
They wielded blink-like spatial jumps effortlessly, stalking like hounds once encountered—hard to shake.
The terrain made standard formations impossible, forcing reliance on individual combat strength to avoid being picked off.
All around, a horrific spot for protecting others in battle.
"Looks like the last customer's acclimation is complete."
"Ah. Finally."
Finally escaping this godforsaken place.
Horsdruk's words, walking horizontally along a side-wall staircase with the customer at a 90-degree angle, filled me with relief.
"Let's get out now! Right now!"
Nod, nod.
As I shot my hand up and shouted, the other carrier mage nodded vigorously too.
"Was planning to anyway."
A standard crawler party might cull supplies here, but we opted for immediate return.
Carriers didn't make bank from trash loot or selling dungeon mats.
"Gonna rest up proper during this Festival of Receiving Flesh."
The expedition had been eventful; Gold Solis looked more fatigued than usual at the return stone.
"Still, settle up on time, yeah?"
"......"
With Gold Solis shooting me a dirty look as the final sight, the return stone's light enveloped us.
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When I opened my eyes in Rimen Square, the sun was setting—it wasn't full night yet.
"Gotta hit the grocer before they close! Settle up quick, please! Got someone nagging me!"
I shuddered briefly, recalling the silver-haired, blue-eyed receptionist, then dashed to the grocer.
Wine, whiskey, fresh fruits and veggies, meat, newly baked bread and pastries.
To shake off the forced abstinence of over a month, I bought like mad.
And a bottle of citrus perfume for the Goddess.
Our church was in mandatory austerity, though, so nothing fancy.
"How long were we in the dungeon this time?"
Bags stuffed in my arms, I left the shop to find the central district even busier than usual.
Everyone wore excited expressions; more people in flashy or distinctive outfits than normal.
Calculating from departure and time inside, it was either just before or smack in the middle of the Festival of Receiving Flesh.
"Hmm~ Hmm~ ♪"
Bags in hand, I headed west toward Ariadne Street.
Like crossing from light to shadow, the central district's vibrancy and clamor shifted to drab silence.
Ignoring gazes from the alleys, I walked to the familiar building.
Stepping naturally into the prayer room.
Festival season, perhaps—inside were neatly arranged small foods from locals and kids' trinkets.
Village chief must've tidied them.
I set my bags beside them, took out perfume and a dry cloth, and meticulously cleaned the goddess statue.
Then placed the remaining perfume bottle on the altar.
"I'm back."
I offered a quiet prayer.
Then, the energy I'd felt from Rimen Square wrapped around me in response.
🌙 DIVINE WELCOME 🌙
—Welcome back, my child.
Whooooosh—!
Bang! Bang! Bang—!
As if celebrating my safe return with the Goddess's gracious welcome, brilliant fireworks lit the central district sky beyond the prayer room windows, their booms echoing from afar.