That's right, that's what adventure is like!

"As expected, they're just three scoundrels; they can only bully newbies."

Inside the passage, the residual heat of the explosion receded rapidly like a tide, black ash settled in the air, and the pungent smell of burnt leather masked everything.

Blood dripped down the crevices of the rock wall, seeping into the unburnt ashes at the bottom. Roland used his longsword to search through the charred corpse, finding several bronze badges belonging to adventurers, and finally came to this conclusion.

Such badges are only given to adventurers who have just joined the guild, which means that these three are basically focused on killing newcomers and dare not provoke higher-level professionals.

However, this does not mean they are weak. If Roland did not have the advantage of sneak attacks and black ember explosions, they would still be in some trouble.

Roland also learned some lessons from this battle.

"I bought a light crossbow but forgot to use it. Although it's because I'm used to using a longsword, I need to change this habit."

"If I had drawn the light crossbow when the blade was blocked, the opponent would have had no time to react, and I wouldn't have needed to ignite the black embers to trade injury for life."

Having learned his lesson, Roland, despite his aching body, began searching for the spoils of war.

Needless to say, the three men's weapons were two daggers and a bow and arrow. Although they were slightly worn, they could still be exchanged for some silver coins.

The most valuable item was the money, totaling 7 gold, 35 silver, and 86 copper. Although it was slightly distorted in the explosion, it was still usable.

There was also a slave contract, densely covered with the names of more than thirty people, most of which had been crossed out. At the bottom it read: "By signing this contract, in exchange for the slave—Ramona."

"It really was her."

Roland put the contract away, not finding it strange at all.

As a slave trader, besides monsters, intelligent creatures are also extremely valuable commodities. Although the town hall has explicitly prohibited it, even the officials' houses are filled with sexy female slaves, so what effect does it have?

Finally, Roland picked up a bottle of dark liquid that he had scavenged from the boss.

There were no explanatory words, but he had been cramming on the common supernatural items in the guide these past few days, and he quickly identified what it was by its smell.

"Dark squid ink? That's a rare stuff, I wonder where they got it from."

Roland poured the liquid down the spine of the sword and gently tapped the rock wall with his longsword, but this time no sparks flew out.

This property makes it particularly useful in the Ember Dungeon. Although it is only worth 35 silver coins, it is often out of stock and can be considered a rare commodity.

After collecting all the spoils, Roland was about to head to the third floor to complete his mission when his peripheral vision suddenly caught something.

A box appeared in the shadows.

It sits quietly half-embedded in a recess in the rock wall, its entire body a dark bronze color. Time has etched mottled rust marks on the edges, while the surface is engraved with intricate patterns that seem out of place in this rough environment.

It's a specialty of the dungeon—a treasure chest.

Upon closer inspection, Roland was astonished to discover that the treasure chest was not locked and could be opened with a gentle push.

More importantly, he clearly remembered that just seconds before, the place was completely empty.

Something's not right, something's really not right.

"In the dungeon, treasure chests that will choose their owners on their own are even more greedy than traps with their mouths wide open."

The warnings in the guide came to mind, making Roland hesitate slightly.

Could it be a mimicry monster?

He cautiously tossed a pebble, but it only produced a dull thud on the surface of the treasure chest, negating his judgment.

Is there really such a good thing?

He slowly approached the treasure chest, but did not trigger any mechanisms or traps. Even when his longsword touched the edge of the lid, there was no unusual movement.

It's not a living thing, it's a real treasure chest!

Roland's gaze instantly turned fervent, eager to open the tightly closed metal box and see what kind of wealth was hidden inside.

However, at that moment, a furious shout suddenly came from afar, trying to stop him: "Kid, stop! That thing is ours!!"

Um! ?

Upon hearing this sound, Roland advanced instead of retreating, forcefully prying open the treasure chest with his longsword. He reached in, scooped out the contents, and stuffed them into his bag without even looking at them.

According to the rules of the dungeon, treasure chests can be stolen, but only before they are opened; otherwise, you will be punished by the association after you leave.

Upon seeing his actions, the speaker instantly flew into a rage, reaching out his thick arm to grab Roland, but Roland deftly dodged it.

"Never mind, Torger... we were just unlucky this time."

The familiar, gentle voice made Roland feel as if he had seen it before. He turned his head and his pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

It's her again.

Once at the Adventurers' Guild, once at the dungeon entrance, and now here again—Roland simply refuses to believe it's a coincidence.

The newcomer was the female half-elf with long, light golden hair. She had changed into a light and practical outfit, and her outstanding appearance made her quite recognizable even in night vision.

Besides her, she was accompanied by three orcs. Apart from "Torg," whom she had already met, the other two were orcs, and they looked very similar to Torg.

A female half-elf with three orc brothers?

Roland narrowed his eyes, took a small step back, and looked at the half-elf who had helped him twice: "What a coincidence, we meet again."

The half-elf seemed to only then recognize Roland, blinking in surprise: "Oh, it's you? How...lucky."

"Am I lucky? Or... have you been following me all along?"

The pointed remark made the half-elf's eyes widen slightly, but after feigning ignorance for a moment and realizing it wasn't working, he laughed: "You figured it out?"

really.

Roland scrutinized her closely, his gaze lingering for a moment on the ancient staff she held: "The Shadow Assembly?"

The Shadow Assembly was the organization to which the necromancer he met in the cemetery belonged. It was very famous in the town, and he obtained relevant information with just a little inquiry.

The defining characteristic of this group is that all its members are sorcerers, and they are extremely adept at disguise.

Despite having her identity exposed, the half-elf's smile remained bright, and she even chuckled, "You guessed it already, that's impressive."

One against four is a huge disadvantage, and escaping is extremely difficult.

Just as Roland was about to take out the pebble again to detonate the black embers, the half-elf spoke up, "Don't worry, I'm not with Luca, nor am I here to avenge him."

These words slowed Roland's movements, but he still gripped the pebble tightly in his hand and asked calmly, "What do you want from me?"

"This..." The half-elf pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't want anything, I just need you to do me a favor."

She then extended her hand: "Let me introduce myself first. My name is Daphne. I am an apprentice member of the Shadow Order, a spy planted in the Adventurers' Guild, but I have not yet become a full-fledged professional."

Roland was slightly taken aback by such an open and honest attitude, and took a half step back: "What do you want me to do for you?"

Daphne touched her soft blonde hair, smiling broadly: "I hope to complete that three-level exploration mission with you."