The Fukaros Familia, starting from DanMachi.

Chapter 187 Rivera Town

This is a huge circular space without a maze or walls separating it.

The steep rock walls that surround the entire floor extend all the way to the ceiling that gleams with crystal light.

At the southern end is the cave they came from, leading to the seventeenth level, and their campsite was set up nearby.

The vast forests stretch from the south to the east, dotted with emerald streams and springs.

To the north lay sparsely wooded wetlands, where the monstrous shadows roaming about stood out conspicuously, like wild animals on the grasslands, due to the lack of any barriers.

Bathed in the white light of the sky, a flock of bird-like monsters took flight from the distant water's edge.

"Just like us, monsters also enter this floor—" Daphne explained.

"Rather than calling this our paradise..."

Cassandra added in her usual tone, "It's more accurate to call it a monster's paradise; they also come here in search of fruit and water."

To the west lies the rocky island that sits firmly on the lake beneath their feet.

At the very center of the entire floor stands a colossal tree with an exceptionally thick trunk that pierces the sky.

Although Robin and Tifa had seen far more magnificent scenery than this, seeing such a paradise-like landscape in this world, especially in the oppressive dungeon, still made them feel refreshed and happy.

Soon, they left the highlands, climbed the remaining mountain path, and finally reached their destination.

They were first greeted by a simple archway made of wooden pillars and flags.

Above the archway, a wooden sign reads in a crooked, Common tongue: "Welcome to Rivera!"

"I advise you not to be fooled by their seemingly warm and hospitable appearance."

Daphne pouted, clearly still resentful after being cheated. "They just wanted to please you so you'd willingly spend the last of your falcons."

Built at the highest point of the island, atop a cliff, is a beautiful village-style "town" adorned with white and blue crystals that grow on the ground.

Those shops with signs hanging up were more like temporary stalls made of wood and curtains than actual residences.

Of course, there are also many cave-like shops and inns that are directly transformed from natural horizontal caves or cavities in the rocks.

The entire town is built on the cliff face of what can be described as a barren mountain, with steep slopes everywhere and simple steps made of logs set up in various places.

This well-arranged streetscape, viewed from any angle, offers a beautiful view with the deep blue lake in the foreground.

Magnificent views from the building.

Rivera, a town of inns surrounded by crystals and rocks.

"The people who run this town are none other than us adventurers."

Daphne was very dedicated and continued to play her role as an interpreter, "There are no complicated rules like those in guilds here, and there are no lords. Everyone does business according to their own will."

She deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of the last three words.

"It is said that the town in this underground city was originally intended to be an official base for the guild, but the plan was halted halfway through. So, the restless adventurers took over and built it into what it is today."

She pointed to the surrounding terrain, "The reason we chose this place is because it is surrounded by lakes, and its geographical conditions make it a small fortress, easy to defend and difficult to attack."

Apart from the south gate they passed through when they arrived, the north gate which was in the exact opposite direction, and the cliff to the east that bordered the lake, the entire town was surrounded by man-made walls.

These walls, built using a mix of terrain, crystal, and rock, may not be as thick as Orario's city walls, but they look sturdy enough.

"Adventurers often use this place as a base when conquering floors below the eighteenth floor."

Daphne explained, "As is customary, everyone repeats the process of staying overnight, exploring, and then staying overnight again—until their strength and supplies are exhausted."

"Of course, this town is often attacked by monsters, but the adventurers are all first-rate at making a quick getaway. They rarely fight to the death with the monster army. After the monsters retreat, they sneak back to rebuild the town. And so it goes, building, destroying, and rebuilding, an endless cycle."

She held up three fingers and gestured again, "Although adventurers of level three or higher are always stationed here, whenever an anomaly occurs," the town always suffers inhuman destruction, only to be rebuilt by the returning adventurers, rising again and again. The Rivera Town we see now is the 333rd generation."

"The town's name comes from honoring the first great female adventurer to establish this town, whose name was Rivera Santillini."

""

After Daphne finished speaking, she pointed to the sparkling crystals by the roadside and said, "See those crystals? Actually, the crystals from the eighteenth floor can be sold for money when brought back to the ground. Those noble merchants from outside love these shiny things the most."

Upon hearing this, Fen Yu's eyes lit up instantly, as if he could see countless Fali waving at him.

"Don't get any funny ideas."

As if she could read his mind, the robin helplessly stretched out her slender jade finger and gently touched his brow, silencing him before he could blurt out, "Can we dig some up and sell it?"

"These crystals shouldn't be worth much, and it would be too much trouble to carry them out of the dungeon."

"All right."

Fen Yu nodded dejectedly.

There's nothing they can do; their clan isn't really wealthy right now.

Even though they defeated Apollo's clan and seized all of the sun god's wealth, they had already spent most of it on building a new headquarters and replacing the equipment of everyone.

In addition, he also had to feed that money-devouring behemoth system, making the financial investment a bottomless pit; even a wealthy family wouldn't have any surplus grain.

Due to its nature, the town of Rivera has temporary shacks that are almost entirely shops.

Weapon shops, item shops, inns so narrow you could barely turn around, and a handful of taverns—all these establishments cater primarily to adventurers.

The only people walking on the streets were adventurers and a very small number of supporters.

These high-ranking adventurers were all heavily armed and of excellent quality—and all of them were fully equipped, ready to immediately engage in battle in any emergency.

Everywhere you look, there are people carrying two-handed greatswords, wielding axes and spears, and even people wearing full heavy armor strolling around.

Compared to the "Adventurer's Street" on the ground, this place presents an unusual, tense atmosphere where battles could break out at any moment.

After seeing this scene, I believe that apart from a monster with a screw loose, probably no one would be foolish enough to want to attack the town of Rivera.

Under the vast, crystal-clear sky, the group walked through the intricate, narrow rock alleys, admiring the unique streetscape.

In the town with its varied terrain, lush vegetation and sparkling crystal pillars grow in every corner.

"Tsk, as expected, the 'special features' here are unsettling."

In the direction of Fenyu's gaze, each shop window displayed a price list for weapons and items, and the prices on the list were one or two zeros higher than the prices of the same items on the ground.

This isn't just a regular premium; it's outright robbery.

"Wow—that's really expensive!"

Feng Jin approached the window of a prop shop and looked at the price tag following a bottle of ordinary recovery potion, and couldn't help but let out a small exclamation.

The numbers on it almost made her think she had added an extra zero.

Although Daphne had warned me beforehand, seeing it with my own eyes was a different story.

"There's no other way. It's not easy to secure supplies in the dungeon, so no matter how much you inflate the prices, the items will still sell."

Daphne wore a helpless expression that said, "I told you so." "This is called market monopoly, understand?"