On the 13th day after the expedition team's departure.
In the Dungeon's 50th Floor.
"Hey—! Mr. Puppy, you're too far from the main group! If something happens, no one will be able to cover you in time! Come back!" "Mr. Puppy, stop charging ahead recklessly! Watch for hidden dangers around you. Being rash won't work." "Um, Mr. Puppy, you need to understand that you're a scout, not an assault soldier. A scout's role is reconnaissance, not clearing out every monster in the way."
"Mr. Puppy, don't—"
"Mr. Puppy—!"
"Mr. Puppy—!"
During their descent into the Dungeon, Adam's constant lecturing nearly drove the hot-tempered werewolf Bete to fight him.
If Bete hadn't challenged him more than a dozen times and learned he truly couldn't win, he would have taught Adam a lesson long ago.
"You bastard, stop bossing me around!" Fed up with the endless commands in his ear, Bete finally snapped.
Of course, he'd only confront Adam with words, not fists — he knew better than to start a fight he couldn't win.
"Oh my, are you full?"
"Isn't that obvious?!" Bete, the hot-tempered werewolf youth, exploded at Adam's apparent cluelessness, "You jerk, why do you keep lecturing me? It's annoying as hell!"
"Why... because Mr. Puppy claims to be strong, yet your actions show none of a strong person's dignity, so I must keep reminding you." Adam wore an expression that said "You should thank me".
His relentless lecturing throughout their journey was, supposedly, for the werewolf's own good.
"You—!" Bete raised his fist in anger but forced himself to lower it, despite his frustration.
No good, can't win!
"Mr. Puppy, the world is so wonderful, yet you're so irritable. That's not good, not good at all."
Critical hit!
The words struck precisely at his vulnerable core, yet he could do nothing about it.
Fortunately, he had developed some immunity over these days. His previously stubborn and unreasonable temper had improved under Adam's prodding.
Finn was quite grateful for this.
"Listen here, why call me that when my title should be Fenris!"
"Because Mr. Bete doesn't give off any fierce impression at all. Your attacks are weak, your movements are slow, and despite your keen combat instincts, you stubbornly fall for even the smallest trap... if that's not a puppy, what is?"
"?!!!" Bete was about to explode, but recognizing the truth in those words, he fell silent.
With his tail drooping and body swaying, he slowly retreated.
"Huh?" Adam was stunned.
That's it?
"Mr. Fenris? Mr. Fenris? Hey—!"
No matter how much he called out, Bete showed no response. He had completely shut down.
"Oh no, I broke him." Adam sighed.
"Please don't bully him too much, Mr. Adam."
"Oh, it's Raul."
The one speaking up for Bete was Raul Nord, a Level 4 supporter with the alias 『 High Novice 』.
He looked utterly ordinary, like a background character you might see anywhere. Yet after spending half a month together, Adam discovered he was remarkably talented!
This was no joke!
Unlike the first-line powerhouses who shone brightly, Raul expertly coordinated interpersonal relationships within the Familia. While Finn was their "Leader", Riveria their "Mother", and Gareth their "Elder", he served as the Familia's "Mediator".
An expedition is an exhausting endeavor. In such a tense atmosphere, sensitive Adventurers often clash over the smallest friction. That's when Raul would step in, always managing to calm both quarreling parties. There wasn't a single conflict he couldn't resolve.
Honestly, if Raul hadn't shown any intention of leaving the Familia, Adam would have wanted him to join Hestia Familia as Bell's vice-captain.
Hmm... Wait a minute!
An utterly ordinary background character trait, lacking presence yet playing a crucial role, an indispensable existence for the team...
Kuroko's Basketball?
No!
Raul's Dungeon?
Looking at this black-haired, black-eyed, utterly ordinary man beside him, Adam's expression turned somewhat strange.
"W-what is it?" Raul unconsciously took a step to the side. He had a bad feeling about this.
"Nothing, nothing. Ahem, back to our previous topic... You asked why I keep lecturing Bete... no, 'training' might be a better word."
"Ah... well, I'd still like to know the reason." Though Raul faltered, he pressed on with his question, trying to maintain composure.
"Because I'm bored, Mr. Raul."
"Huh...?"
"You see, our expedition team has perfect composition and overwhelming strength. We've faced hardly any real danger in this Dungeon, yet our mental state is still reaching its limit."
"But..."
"True, the Dungeon has its special charm that draws people in. But eventually, you get tired of it, Mr. Raul."
Over these past 10 days, they had been advancing rapidly.
The Dungeon's structure was remarkable. Some floors consisted of narrow passages riddled with traps, while others were vast chambers that dwarfed even Orario — taking two days to cross in a straight line and impossible to navigate without a map. The magical scenery captivated the imagination.
But Adam had grown weary. Keeping his mind tense and nerves on edge for so long, constantly alert for dangers, was exhausting. Without some form of entertainment, he would lose his sanity.
He had realized that while physical conditioning in the Dungeon was crucial, for someone of his power, maintaining mental state was paramount.
Others like Bete, the Amazon sisters, and even Ais managed their mental state by venting their inner darkness through monster slaying, preventing their nerves from fraying.
Adam's approach was different. He maintained his mental balance by lecturing (training) Bete—a fitting punishment for the werewolf's earlier trash talk.
Unfortunately, the others failed to grasp his true purpose.
When they learned his reason, Lefiya, that foolish elf, had muttered "demon" under her breath. The word spread instantly, gaining unanimous approval from the expedition members.
"Um, if possible, please Adam... Waaahhhh—!!!"
Before Raul could finish speaking, the ground split beneath his feet. Adam swooped in and rescued him instantly.
That wasn't all!
A searing pillar of fire erupted through the hole, shooting up to the floor above.
"What's happening?!" Raul clutched his chest, staring anxiously at the gaping hole in the ground.
Through the chasm that penetrated seven or eight floors down, they spotted a Valgang Dragon unleashing its breath.
"Damn, Valgang Dragons!" The keen-eyed Bete immediately reported to Captain Finn, awaiting instructions.
"What should we do, Finn?" Gareth stroked his thick beard, his grave expression betraying his worry.
This was understandable. Though he was a Level 6 First Class Adventurer, most others in the expedition weren't. With such a large group, descending 7-8 floors without casualties seemed nearly impossible.
"Oh, so these are Valgang Dragons?"
Adam stood at the hole's edge, peering down at dozens of creatures that resembled manga-style fire dragons. They looked up, shooting blazing pillars of fire from their mouths.
Though these fire dragons appeared formidable, Ottar could defeat them with a single punch without breaking a sweat. If he could do it, Adam certainly could too.
"If we don't want to get hit, why don't we just kill them all?" He said matter-of-factly.
Then, to everyone's astonishment, he jumped down the hole.
"Hey, you idiot! Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?!" Bete cried out in panic.
The height wasn't even the main concern — he'd be facing dozens of powerful monsters down there!
Even if Adam was incredibly strong, surely he couldn't take on a group of fire dragons alone?!
"Damn it!" Bete cursed. He wanted to jump down and help.
But before he could even rise, he witnessed something that left everyone completely stunned.
✧✧✧
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