What kind of bizarre name was this?!
'Great Fortune.'
Hestia didn't quite get why he had chosen that name, but judging by how confident Ron sounded, it was clearly one he liked.
That was reason enough for her.
She let the matter go and asked instead, "So, what's next?"
"Of course, continuing to temper myself in the Dungeon."
Ron answered without hesitation.
Being able to obtain this second-tier armament, the greatsword "Great Fortune," was entirely within his expectations. One could only say that Hestia's greatness needed no further words.
As for the exact price paid, he would set it aside for now.
When his financial situation gradually improved, he would then consider helping her repay her debts.
It was just that, given the current difficulty of this Soulslike Dungeon, it was hard for him not to suspect just how many billions of Valis his future equipment-related debt would pile up to.
"Right now?"
After hearing his answer, surprise flickered in Hestia's eyes.
Thinking of how Ron was always this diligent and focused, she suddenly found it reasonable again. In the end, she nodded seriously and reminded him patiently, "Be careful."
"I will, for sure."
"However, before setting off, I still need to return to the Familia residence and bring the rest of my weapons and equipment. Only then can proper safety be ensured."
Of course, that did not include the set of heavy armor. If the weight of this greatsword were added in as well, Ron did not even dare imagine just how slow the exploration progress would become.
He returned Great Fortune to its scabbard.
As for how to carry it, Ron chose to sling it diagonally across his back, which would prevent the blade tip from dragging along the floor. Even so, the visual effect was still bulky.
But as long as it was useful, everything was worth it.
After a brief farewell to Hestia, Ron first returned to the communal dormitory. The equipment he carried consisted only of a dagger and a rapier suitable for close-quarters combat.
He abandoned defense.
Pursuing greater mobility while fighting monsters in the Dungeon!
The results were, of course, excellent. When facing special monsters like the Mimic War Shadow, high mobility allowed him to seize the initiative in combat.
The real hidden danger, was actually the mutated Killer Ants in the Floor 7 area. If he could not kill them quickly, getting injured would draw in their other companions.
Just imagining such a scene made Ron's scalp go numb.
"Did something go wrong for there to be an Elden Ring ant nest in the Dungeon?"
"Hopefully that won't happen."
…
Once again standing before Babel Tower.
Under the scorching midday sun, the heat poured down warmly over his body. Relying on this set of equipment, Ron had undoubtedly become the most eye-catching figure among the crowd of adventurers.
The greatsword on his back was truly impossible to ignore.
However, for Ron, a Soulslike veteran, this was something he had long since grown accustomed to. After sweeping his gaze across the Central Plaza and confirming that there were no adventurers from the Soma Familia present, Ron frowned.
This thunderbolt had to be detonated inside the Dungeon.
That way, it could barely be considered a form of home-field advantage. Even if the Soma Familia dispatched Lv2 adventurers, he still had the "Revival" method as a final margin for error.
'Or maybe I should find Lili and have her send a message to the Soma Familia…'
Such a thought suddenly sprouted in Ron's mind.
After all, before heading into the Dungeon every single day, he had to consider whether there might be adventurers tailing him from behind, discovering that the Dungeon's abnormal situation was caused by him.
What he wanted even more was the pure thrill of battle.
To be more direct—to resolve this groundless dispute using the Soma Familia's usual methods.
And the recent "abnormal situation" had already put the Adventurers' Guild on alert. If Orario were used as the battlefield, then even if the earlier thunderbolt did not explode, he would absolutely end up being completely blacklisted for slaughtering adventurers on a large scale.
'I'm already fed up with all these empty formalities…'
'The key point is that I just want to quietly grind in the Dungeon every day. Is that really so difficult?'
No one could respond to Ron.
After passing through layer upon layer of identity verification by the Ganesha Guard, his footsteps did not pause in the slightest as he decisively headed toward today's target exploration Floor.
As for why it had to be this way?
The reason was simple.
At his current stage, his strength was still insufficient to stand upon the stage of Orario. But if he could break records and become the fastest adventurer to reach Lv2, then by standing directly before Zanis, all problems would naturally be resolved.
"Looking at it now…"
After briefly sorting through the situation, Ron became exceptionally clear about his current objective. His gaze hardened as he said, "It feels like the real issue is still that my stats aren't high enough to completely crush everything!"
...
The Soma Familia.
When the truth behind the deaths of Bruno and the others completely surfaced, the choice placed before Zanis next had already become very simple.
An eye for an eye.
Even though Ron's identity information had not yet been fully investigated, judging from the fact that he explored the Dungeon alone and bore no Familia insignia on his body, it could be concluded that he was absolutely an adventurer from some small Familia.
He had some strength—but not much.
Using this guy to establish authority and consolidate the Familia's rule was perfectly appropriate.
And after truly becoming the one in actual control of the Soma Familia, Zanis had rarely ventured into the Dungeon himself. This kind of dirty work—cornering adventurers—naturally had to be handed off to others.
"Ganu."
His gaze shifted toward the beastman adventurer sprawled across the sofa, dead drunk. After frowning slightly, he gave the order, "Leave this matter to you."
"Me?"
Due to the innate traits of his werewolf race, Ganu possessed a sturdier build than ordinary humans. Even lying down, he made the sofa look cramped.
His burning gaze fixed on the wine bottle.
He gave no verbal reply, but his intent was already clear.
"Once it's done, your reward won't be lacking." Zanis hid his contempt well—after all, Ganu was the only Lv2 adventurer in the Familia besides himself.
And the outcome was exactly as he had expected.
As long as they were given "Divine Wine," these wastes of space would act like starving dogs, tearing apart every obstacle in his path with their teeth.
He controlled the distribution of Divine Wine.
Zanis never touched that stuff himself and could not understand the thinking of these vermin, but the results were what he wanted—and that was more than enough.
"Fine."
"If Captain Zanis has gone this far, how could I possibly refuse to show some respect!"
After draining the remaining Divine Wine from the bottle, Ganu stood up again. His eyes were unfocused at first, but moments later, nothing remained but naked desire.
As for Wald, who stood trembling in the distance, Ganu had no such courtesy. His cold tone dripped with disdain. "Trash. Where is that guy right now?"
"…"
"Lord Ganu, I don't know that yet. However, that guy goes into the Dungeon every day. Are we going to act in Orario, or—"
Not even worthy of being called by name.
Even so, Wald showed no anger. Instead, he asked obsequiously, "—or should we go directly into the Dungeon to find him?"
"Stupid question."
"Do you really think we'd have a chance to make a move in Orario?" Ganu stretched casually, his joints cracking loudly.
Even if he couldn't understand it—why a mere ordinary adventurer without even a 'title' was worth his personal involvement—as long as the result satisfied him, that was all that mattered.
"Let's go."
"It's time to look for my prey."
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