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

"Hand out."

Torg gritted his teeth and stretched out his bloodied left hand in front of Roland. The wound was deep, with the skin and flesh at the edges rolled up, and the wrist bone could be vaguely seen.

If he hadn't controlled the force of that previous sword strike so precisely, his entire left hand would probably have been sliced ​​off.

Without hesitation, Roland immediately took out a pouch containing orange-yellow fruit, carefully peeled off the skin to reveal amber-colored flesh.

A unique aroma, a blend of rich, fresh, and spicy fragrance, wafted through the air, making Torger involuntarily swallow.

However, Roland did not intend to feed it to him. Instead, he carefully tore off a small piece of the fruit and applied it directly to the wound on Torger's wrist.

"hiss--"

Torger gasped, not from the intense pain, but from a gentle yet intense burning sensation that gradually spread through his skin and flesh.

Upon contact with the wound, the fruit pulp quickly melted into a viscous golden sap, actively seeping deep into the wound. The surface wound also began to wriggle and close rapidly until it was completely healed.

"This..." Torger's eyes widened. He shook his wrist and found nothing wrong. He couldn't help but exclaim, "This fruit... is truly miraculous."

Roland examined Torger's injuries for two seconds and, finding no further mutations, breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, he glanced at the information about the fruit again.

【Black Ash Fruit (Decay)】

Type: Consumables/Oddities

Grade: Excellent (Purple)

Effects: Rich in vitality, it has powerful effects whether applied externally or ingested.

Note: This item contains abyssal power and has a very low probability of causing "slight changes" in the user.

……

"After all, Black Ash is a product of the Abyss, and it needs flesh and blood as nourishment, so it's best to use it sparingly..."

A thought flashed through Roland's mind, and seeing Torg staring longingly at the remaining fruit, he handed it to him without hesitation.

After all, I promised to give him one, and breaking my promise would be detrimental to the spread of the story... Besides, isn't there a more valuable prize right in front of us?

Approaching the motionless construct, Roland used his longsword to pry open its chest armor and quickly found a fist-sized, multifaceted, deep blue crystal still bearing sword marks.

Even after leaving the puppet's body, the crystal still pulsed with a faint light in a regular pattern, clearly indicating that it was not an ordinary energy body and should fetch a good price.

And when Roland turned it over, he made a new discovery.

On one plane of the crystal core, a logo is clearly etched—three overlapping rings that gradually become thinner from the inside out.

"It's that pattern again," Roland said thoughtfully. "It seems that the last time was not an accident. That dungeon lord is very likely a member of this mysterious organization, which is why this symbol is everywhere."

However, since his extraordinary knowledge is still relatively shallow, he is unable to conduct in-depth research and can only keep this clue firmly in mind and look at his other gains.

The construct has a lot of equipment, but only a few lightweight alloy armor plates and some rivets that appear to contain rare metals can be carried with it without affecting its movement.

The most regrettable thing was that greatsword, which was extremely heavy. Even Torg couldn't lift it, let alone take it with him.

After the inventory was completed, the two sat quietly and rested for a while. Suddenly, Torger spoke in a low voice: "Roland... there's something... I might need to tell you."

coming!

Roland's spirits lifted. He had done so much to get closer to Torgra, even consuming the precious Black Ash Fruit, all for this moment.

Under his intense gaze, Torger avoided eye contact and said hesitantly, "Actually, I roughly know what that astrolabe is used for."

After saying that, he quickly looked up and added, "Of course, it's not that I know, but that my brother Yogurt guessed it. That little brat is much smarter than me!"

"It's okay, just tell me."

Roland smiled, but inadvertently glanced at the astrolabe still lying in the soil, its symbols radiating immense attraction.

"That's how it is," Torg seemed to have made up his mind, looking directly into Roland's eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Do you remember how we found you?"

"Isn't it through exchanging the scales?" Roland raised an eyebrow.

"That's only part of the reason; it's mostly because of the treasure chest."

Treasure chest?

Roland focused his mind; he did indeed feel that the treasure chest that appeared before Daphne's arrival was a bit strange, and upon reflection, it was quite puzzling.

But if it wasn't just good luck, how do you explain that...?

Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind like lightning, making him blurt out, "Daphne, she has mastered some kind of control method for the dungeons!?"

"I……"

Before Torg could finish speaking, Roland interrupted him, leaving Torg staring at him in disbelief. Finally, he muttered under his breath, scratching his head and cursing, "Damn it, by the God of Beasts, why don't I have a brain as sharp as yours!"

That reaction was correct.

Roland narrowed his eyes slightly, exhaled a breath of stale air, and connected all the things together.

First and foremost, it's clear that Daphne likely has partial control over the dungeon. She can not only actively summon treasure chests but also has a general understanding of its layout and structure, and her target is the star chart.

The first encounter at the association was indeed a coincidence. She originally intended to personally take on the surveying mission to find the star chart, but after discovering her identity, she changed her mind.

By cleverly arranging that "chance encounter" on the second floor, she got Torg to follow her to complete the commission. This way, she could obtain the astrolabe, avoid arousing suspicion from the association, and eliminate herself. It was a win-win situation.

Unfortunately, Daphne seems to have seriously misjudged Roland. Not only was her "chance encounter" immediately exposed, but her trap was also noticeably weaker.

As for what the astrological chart is actually used for...

Under Torg's watchful eye, Roland picked up the astrolabe from the ground and used the information that appeared on the panel to confirm his guess.

【Crow's Dominion Chart】

Type: Curiosity/Key

Grade: Excellent (Purple)

Effect: 1. Continuously injecting energy into the natal chart will increase resistance to charm and mind control abilities by 50%.

2. If you are in the Black Ash Dungeon, you can control the core magic circle of the dungeon by injecting energy.

Note: 1. "If you can decipher the star trails in the sky, you will never get lost."

2. The dungeon key is divided into three parts, each controlling the terrain, magic circle, and guards. This item is one of them. If you collect all the keys, you can become the new dungeon master.

"...Just as I thought. I didn't expect the 'key' to have three parts. It seems the last part of the key must be inside the kobold tribe."

Roland stuffed the astrolabe into his bag, thought for a moment, then stood up and said to Torger, "I have another question that I need your help to answer."

Torg nodded and patted his chest. "You saved my life, so feel free to ask me anything!"

However, to his surprise, Roland only raised a very small question.

"I'd like to ask, when you went to accept the kobold tribe's quest... what did the association say?"