Chapter 45.
The Dungeon.
Floor 18.
As one of the extremely rare floors in the Dungeon that does not continuously spawn monsters, this place is also known as the "Safe Floor."
There is also a theory that it is because the Dungeon consumed too much power when spawning the "Goliath" on Floor 17, thus leaving a gap.
In any case, this unexpectedly became a resting place for adventurers.
At the unusually high cavern ceiling, peculiar crystal structures are scattered, which, through a special interplay of light and dark, create the unique day and night within the Dungeon.
In a highly defensible area, people have even built a small town for trading and resting.
Its name is "Rivira."
A crooked, black-market-ridden, but genuinely convenient and legendary place for everyone.
"Oh~ looks quite popular."
The Minotaur Eugene made a dazzling entrance.
At this moment, he had already transformed into a strong man with the help of transformation magic.
After all, the deeper caves are very bright, unlike the upper floors where darkness can be used to conceal his bull face.
By chugging an unknown number of Magic Potions, Eugene's MP could probably maintain the transformation for a month without a problem.
There was absolutely no need to worry about being exposed.
He swaggered into the town. His unusually tall stature and dominant aura made people look sideways.
"Hey, little brother! A new face, your physique is really great!"
Someone immediately came up to solicit business.
"Buying something, staying at an inn? Or looking for special services?"
"We have everything, guaranteed to satisfy you!"
Eugene looked at the guy who might as well have "shady dealer" written on his face, but he didn't refuse.
His voice was hoarse, making people very uncomfortable: "I want a drink and to ask for some information."
"Alright! This way please!"
The two walked along, passing all sorts of crooked wooden houses, and along the way, cries of those who had been scammed were common.
They arrived at a bar built with wooden planks. The smell of alcohol and body odor was quite strong, but no one complained.
The glamorous life only belonged to the truly skilled, such as the brilliant members of the Loki Familia.
For lower-level adventurers, this kind of dirty, muddy life was the norm.
"Serve me whatever." Eugene casually tossed out a handful of money.
Although they were only coins, it counted as distributing cash in person.
It is worth mentioning that this money did not take up space, appearing as just a line of numbers in the system status bar, and could be withdrawn at will.
It could be said to be incredibly thoughtful.
He now had sixty million from opening boxes. Among the adventurers in Orario, he was definitely one of the wealthiest.
After all, even Ais Wallenstein, a top-tier Level 5, would be troubled by a forty million Valis debt.
Not everyone could casually spend hundreds of millions on equipment like Orario's strongest "Conqueror," Ottar.
"Oh, honored guest, you are too generous!"
Perfectly embodying the virtue of being money-hungry, the bartender showered Eugene with praise before giving him a large glass of alcohol.
He lowered his voice: "Ahem, what do you want to inquire about, please tell me."
"Monsters," Eugene shook the drink in his hand, "the kind that can talk."
The bartender's expression froze, and then he looked speechless at this cash-throwing guy.
Monsters that can talk? Pigs can fly next!
"Apologies, honored guest, I really don't know about that."
The bartender offered a compensatory smile, just about to introduce some other services, when he was suddenly interrupted by a loud laugh.
"Hahaha! Brother, I think I heard something interesting?"
A bald, bearded man with a tattoo on his face, smelling strongly of alcohol, leaned over, unceremoniously placing his hand on Eugene's shoulder.
"What did you just say?"
"Monsters that can talk? Isn't that bullshit!"
This person... Eugene looked at the bald man's ill-intentioned smile.
Seems familiar?
"Who are you?" His voice remained short and cold.
"I'm Grandpa Gran of the Ikelos Familia."
The bald man did not try to hide it, and was quite proud of his identity.
Even though the reputation of the Ikelos Familia was not good.
But a bad reputation is still a reputation.
It came back to him. Eugene's eyes slightly changed.
This person is a minor character, probably something like Dix's deputy.
His strength is not outstanding, but not weak either.
A low-level Level 4, or a top-level Level 3 like Aisha?
"Brother, I'm very curious, what kind of rumor did you hear that made you ask a question like that?"
Gran's expression was playful, but Eugene showed no fluctuation in the face of such a fierce criminal.
"...The outside world."
"Oh~~ I see, then it's no wonder." Gran's eyes widened, "After all, the world is vast, and anything is possible."
He asked a question again, but this time, his voice was noticeably lower.
"So, why are you asking this, what do you want to do?"
Sure enough.
Eugene sensed the fluctuating hostility.
Regarding "talking monsters," also known as the Dungeon's bug, the self-aware "Xenos," the Ikelos Familia was deeply involved.
Because, in all of Orario, only they knew about the existence of the Xenos.
And they were the only ones hunting them, secretly shipping them out of Orario, and selling them to noble and wealthy people around the world with peculiar fetishes for an exorbitant price!
The Xenos, who struggled to survive the merciless encirclement of the Dungeon, often huddled together, seeking "peers" like themselves.
The Ikelos Familia, after accidenTalli learning of the existence of these strange anomalies, began their cruel hunt under the leadership of their captain, Dix.
These unscrupulous people, although not degenerated into maniacs like the Dark Faction who kill indiscriminately.
They still showed their vile nature in the abuse of the Xenos.
Not only for money but also to vent the evil in their hearts.
"So? Tell me, your purpose." Gran's voice grew increasingly gloomy.
"...For money."
Eugene did not lie.
It was just that his way of making money was different from this kind of unsustainable killing.
"For money?" Gran looked somewhat unconvinced.
"Outside, talking monsters are worth a lot of money."
After a moment of silence, Gran let out a scoff through his nose.
"You're honest, brother."
He heavily patted Eugene's shoulder and leaned in: "If you want to catch those guys, you can't do it by yourself."
"If you're interested, I can introduce you to the right channel another day."
"Another day?" Eugene narrowed his eyes.
"Heh heh, how can an adventurer stay in the Dungeon all the time?"
Gran shook his jacket and turned to leave.
"After all, our Ikelos Familia is very famous, and we are busy all the time!"
He left behind what he thought was a dashing figure and disappeared out the door.
...Terry has started his move.
Eugene's eyes gradually grew cold. Gran's words almost confirmed that the other party was about to join the war.
One Level 5, several Level 3s, and this suspected Level 4.
Besides these, he didn't know if the remaining underlings would join the war.
Putting them together, it was indeed a bit troublesome.
But it was a perfect opportunity to deal with some troubles in advance.
Eugene's mouth stretched wide, his smile like a ferocious monster.
"I am truly lucky."
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