Obtaining one of Tsubaki Collbrande's works for 85,000 valis—even if it was a failed piece—made Roy feel like laughing.
The cost of materials alone far exceeded eighty thousand valis. This armor was a near–high-grade piece, its quality surpassing that of his Muramasa Sword, which itself was estimated to be worth over five hundred thousand valis.
Adventurers who visited shops like this were usually Lv.1 novices or those who had just reached Lv.2.
There was no way the shopkeeper could have anticipated that a Lv.4 Ryuu Lion would appear—much less recognize Tsubaki Collbrande's craftsmanship.
If they wished to keep this matter from coming to light, selling the armor at a rock-bottom price was their only option.
Roy donned the armor, fastening the straps behind his back until the breastplate settled firmly against his chest.
Weighing only eight or nine kilograms, it posed no burden at all. The missing corner was also negligible.
Had he paid over a million valis, he might have cursed endlessly—but for something acquired at eighty-five thousand, even if it broke apart, he would still praise it as a good deal.
With the equipment issue settled, the two entered the Dungeon.
Their primary objective for the day was simple: earn money.
With a Lv.4 and a Lv.2, the upper floors offered little challenge.
Monsters such as War Shadows and Killer Ants, known as "rookie killers," had once given Roy considerable trouble during the War Game. Now, he cut them down cleanly, one strike per kill.
Ryuu's efficiency surpassed even that.
She moved like a gale, flashing past in an instant. Monsters crumbled into dust wherever she passed, magic stone fragments scattering like rain.
Even when facing swarms of Killer Ants, she charged straight in, single-handedly wiping out hundreds.
Roy also needed to temper his combat sense and acclimate to his Lv.2 strength. He had no intention of merely supporting from the sidelines. Activating his magic, lightning took form as a thunder avatar, which followed behind to gather dropped magic stones.
Ryuu watched in quiet amazement.
She had witnessed this magic before when Roy tested it in the Dungeon, yet seeing it again confirmed her impression.
She had seen many clone-type spells, but never one that could be maintained for such a long duration, possess independent combat capability, and move freely.
It was akin to having an extra limb.
There was no denying its usefulness. During Dungeon exploration, such a clone could scout unknown areas and act as support, greatly increasing efficiency.
Soon, they reached the 10th Floor.
The floor where they had once fought the Rudra Familia during the War Game bore no trace of that battle. Corpses had long since been devoured by monsters. Such was the nature of the Dungeon—no matter the destruction, it would eventually restore itself.
"Let's take a short break," Ryuu said.
She herself was fine, but Roy was about to enter the 11th Floor, territory he had yet to experience. Carelessness could not be afforded.
They rested beneath a withered tree, away from the walls to avoid ambushes.
"How is the Mind consumption?" Ryuu asked.
"Ten percent to summon it," Roy replied. "Maintaining control costs two percent per minute."
He did not mention that with a low-grade Mind potion, the upkeep could be nullified.
Even so, it was enough to astonish Ryuu. Roy was still only Lv.2—once he grew stronger, the true threat of this magic would fully manifest.
After twenty minutes, they resumed their advance.
The 11th Floor closely resembled the 10th—wide caverns and open chambers. The monsters were similar as well, with one critical exception: the rare species Wyrmling.
In this world, dragons were the strongest monsters without exception. Any creature related to dragonkind saw its difficulty increase dramatically.
Wyrmlings appeared only on the 11th and 12th Floors, were extremely rare, and could easily annihilate an entire beginner party.
With no Floor Boss on the upper levels, the Wyrmling effectively served as one.
As if on cue—
A cry rang out ahead. Seven or eight Lv.1 adventurers fled in panic.
A four-legged monster emerged from around the corner. It had no wings, but its body was covered in gray, steel-like scales that gleamed dully. Its powerful physique clearly surpassed that of half-beasts.
The strongest monster of the upper floors—
A Wyrmling.
"Wait. Let me handle it."
Seeing Ryuu about to strike, Roy stopped her. Rare species were not easily encountered, and he wished to conduct a test.
"The magic stone is located in the center of its chest," Ryuu said, stepping back to provide cover.
"Understood."
Roy moved forward, advancing against the fleeing adventurers and instantly drawing the Wyrmling's attention.
Its blood-red eyes locked onto him as it charged. Its body was larger than an adult human's, exuding overwhelming pressure.
Roy judged it immediately—Lv.2, all parameters at rank H.
Still inferior to him.
He shifted lightly, dodging the charge, and slashed with the Muramasa Sword as he evaded.
Sparks flew as blade met scale, leaving only a shallow mark.
The Wyrmling's scales grazed Roy's chest, carving a line into the armor. Without the breastplate, the outcome would have been disastrous.
Scales as hard as steel. Lv.2 parameters. Against novice adventurers, it was nothing short of slaughter.
Realizing his sword could not penetrate the scales, Roy abandoned reliance on weapon advantage.
The Wyrmling twisted, jaws wide, fangs gleaming as it lunged again.
Roy remained calm. Channeling magic, a lightning sphere the size of a basketball formed in his palm, crackling violently.
He hurled it straight into the monster's mouth.
Boom.
The lightning detonated inside. Blood sprayed, teeth shattered, and half its head was blown away as it staggered back.
Roy charged forward.
Every muscle tensed as he poured all his strength into the Muramasa Sword, thrusting with full force.
The blade slipped through a gap between the scales and struck something solid.
Crack.
The magic stone shattered.
The Wyrmling froze, all strength draining away as its body crumbled into dust. A magic stone the size of a baby's fist fell to the ground, along with a single gray scale.
[Congratulations.
You have defeated "Wyrmling."
Gained 85 attribute points.
Dropped material: "Graysteel Dragon Scale."]