In this chaotic world, it all started when they found an elf girl

　The girls in the group responded in unison.

　Tione and Tiona, acting as the vanguard, cleared away the monsters ahead, obtaining energy from the Shikon Jewel shards, which increased their combat power. The resurrection of Tione and the others was also for this purpose.

　Severely injured, he and Ryuka were stuck at the first circular wall, unable to move forward or backward, and needed the help of others.

　Seemingly sensing Roy and his companions' dire condition, the dungeon teemed with monsters, far more so than when they first entered the thirty-seventh floor. In the blink of an eye, hundreds of monsters would leap out, completely surrounding Roy and his group.

　The "monster feast," which is rare in the lower and middle levels, appears as if it's free in the deeper realms.

　However, they've already dealt with Zagnat and the floor master Udeos, so as long as they don't encounter a large number of rare species, they're basically safe. When a large number of monsters appear, Roy and Ryu will use the special effects of the Elven Holy Sword and the Elven Radiant Dragon Staff to unleash blazing flames and dragon breath, wiping them out in one go. The remaining monsters will be left to the girls to handle.

　The procession continued forward.

　Following the correct route, the group passed through several large circular walls of the white palace and returned to the southernmost point, which was the passage back to the thirty-sixth floor. Looking at the passage leading to the upper levels, finally back here, their expressions turned solemn.

　With the commotion caused by Zagnat, they couldn't guarantee that the Ishtar Familia and the Dark Faction would leave obediently; they needed to send someone up to scout ahead. Roy said, "Lily, can I ask you for a favor?"

　"Yes, Lord Roy!"

　Lily nodded emphatically, placed her small hands on her chest, and softly chanted, a faint light emanating from her body, "Your scars belong to me. My scars still belong to me, the voice of revelation at midnight!"

　As the chant ended, clear, melodious bells rang in everyone's ears. The light covering Lily dissipated, and the little girl transformed into a cunning wolf. The Ashes of the Hearth, Lily's transformation magic, allowed her to transform into any form similar to herself, altering her voice, gender, and even race. The cunning wolf was about the same size as her.

　Lily, transformed into a "cunning wolf," exuded a monstrous aura, her eyes gleaming with ferocity, ruthless and utterly irrational; Ryu and the others couldn't recognize her. Even though they already knew about Lily's magic, Tione and the others were still amazed, and Ryu was no exception.

　This magic, used for concealing identity and scheming, is practically a divine skill. If Lily wanted to do something bad, it would be incredibly easy in Orario. "Lord Roy, Lord Ryu, Lord Tione… I'll be right back!" Lily said, disappearing into the passage on the thirty-sixth floor. With the magic sword Roy had forged for her, coupled with her LV.2 strength, Lily could remain undefeated for a short time, even if surrounded or surrounded by a large number of monsters.

　If she launches fireworks with the magic sword, Roy and the others will immediately come to her aid, which is why they dared to let her go in alone.

　The situation went even more smoothly than they had imagined. The cunning wolf, as a monster from the deep level, entered the lower level, and its powerful aura frightened the monsters there so much that they dared not show themselves.

　Lily, relying on the power of the tiger, acts arrogantly and domineeringly.

　The magic "Cinderella" cannot be activated without a specific target for transformation. Lily can only transform into a cunning wolf by following Roy and the others into the deeper levels.

　Using the wolf's cunning nature, Lily hid in the shadows and quickly searched all thirty-six floors. Having found her answer, she returned to the group and exclaimed happily, "Lord Roy, there's no one left!"

　"call!"

　The girls breathed a sigh of relief; if another major battle had broken them, they would have been mentally devastated.

　Roy nodded. Zagnat's howl, a symbol of the dungeon, echoed across several floors, and even Uranus on the surface could feel its terrifying power, inspiring fear in all who heard of it. Roy didn't quite believe that those cowardly members of the Dark Clan would dare to remain. When the team entered the thirty-sixth floor, the difficulty suddenly dropped tenfold. The frequency of monster appearances was far less than in the deeper realms. Suddenly returning from a high-difficulty dungeon to an easy one, everyone felt like fish in water.

　Each level of the dungeon will temper a person to the extreme. Once you get used to the pressure of this level, dealing with the next level can only be described as: bamboo dragonfly, rocking horse, even one hand is not enough to fight it!

　Once you adapt to the deeper layers, you'll have no problem with the upper, middle, and lower layers!

　Roy even had time to check the rewards.

　[Successfully hunted down the 37th floor boss "Udeos"! Congratulations on obtaining 2800 attribute points, Udeos' Black Sword, and Dungeon Heart (fragment)!]

　Name: Udayus' Black Sword

　Tier: Epic (Gold)

　Description: The Black Sword of Udeus, the Lord of the Thirty-Seventh Floor, can be obtained through a solo challenge and has a certain probability of dropping!

　Special effect (tempered): Possesses hardness comparable to orogenic bronze, and has top-tier indestructibility!

　Name: Heart of the Dungeon (Fragment)

　Level: Undetermined

　Description: After use, you will gain control over the first 24 floors of the dungeon, including but not limited to manipulating the terrain and controlling the spawning of monsters... Note: You must be inside the dungeon to activate this power.

　Upon seeing the panel that popped up, Roy's pupils shrank. Needless to say, Udeus's Black Sword was worth 4.1 million Fali after the raw materials of Ota's Black Sword were forged by the Gubney Familia!

　The raw materials alone reach the epic gold standard, on par with the Great Twin Blades of Urga, and even surpass the Black Sword, making it a legendary equipment. What truly shocked Roy was the second reward—the Dungeon Heart (fragment)!

　It allows him to control the upper (levels 1-12) and middle (levels 13-24) of the dungeon!

　"Gulu!"

　Roy's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He had never forgotten his idea of ​​breaking through the dungeon. He had always been curious about the truth of the dungeon, the truth that could keep the gods silent.

　Now, this reward—the Dungeon Heart (Fragment)—might give him a glimpse into its potential.

　Dungeon powers can only be activated within dungeons, and Roy clicked to use them almost without hesitation.

　Click!

　In that instant, Roy heard the faint sound of the mirror shattering, and the hazy gray halo gradually expanded, turning everything in its path, from monsters to stones, into gray, as if time itself had stopped.

　A desolate atmosphere permeated every corner.

　Can't move!

　Roy felt that his hands, feet, head, and even his entire body, including his eyes, were paralyzed, yet he could still perceive the outside world—a truly strange phenomenon. In a daze, Roy's vision went completely dark, a chaotic, profound darkness enveloping him, like the deepest layer of the earth—its core! An omnipresent chill filled his mind.

　A pair of cold eyes appeared in the darkness, silently watching him, filled with sorrow, yet also seeming to question him, "Why did you do this?"

　Roy tried to open his mouth, but in this frozen space-time, no sound came out.

　Facing those eyes was like seeing a true god unleashing divine power; Roy felt a chill run down his spine, every cell in his body trembling with fear. The figure was incredibly imposing, occupying the vast and boundless earth, its power limitless. With every gesture, it could destroy the heavens and the earth; a single finger could crush him. A top-tier LV.4 ability value meant nothing.

　"Commander, Commander One!"

　It wasn't until Tiona called him several times in a row that Roy snapped out of his daze, his whole body trembling with excitement.

　Whether it was the true god or the chaotic darkness, everything vanished, as if it were all just an illusion, leaving only the gloom and excruciating pain that shrouded Roy's heart.

　Before he knew it, Roy was drenched in sweat.

　"Captain, what's wrong?"

　The girls looked at Roy with confusion, stunned in the perilous dungeon. Such a basic mistake didn't seem like something he would make. Roy's eyes regained some focus, and he smiled, "I was just thinking about how to treat the Dark Faction and the Ishtar Familia when we get back to the surface." "Captain, we must teach them a lesson!"

　"Those guys have to be beaten to death!"

　The girls were indignant at the mention of this; how dare they ambush them in the dungeon! They all volunteered, their faces contorted with anger. Having successfully diverted the girls' attention, Roy returned his focus to the rewards panel.

　[Dungeon Heart used! Congratulations on obtaining Skill 1: Earth Power (Incomplete)!]

　A special skill appeared in his skill bar. Roy's heart sank, and he secretly made a mental note of it. The feeling of being as weak as an ant in front of that true god was deeply etched into his mind.

　There's nothing he can do now.

　He needs more strength!

　The power of the earth!

　Roy closed his eyes, and all the situations of the first twenty-four floors of the dungeon appeared in his mind. This state was not unfamiliar to him. It was similar to the God's perspective of "divine descent." The difference was that he had the ability to truly control everything. In the blink of an eye, he could make the entire floor collapse or make thousands of monsters jump out.

　It's as if he has transformed into a god who unleashes divine power, omnipotent, with creation and destruction at his fingertips.

　A hint of surprise flashed in Roy's eyes.

　The maze walls seemed to have grown countless eyes, observing even the adventurers on the first twenty-four floors. The novice adventurers fearfully killed monsters, while the seasoned veterans navigated the maze with ease.

　The value of this power is immense!

　Even if given three or five legendary pieces of equipment, Roy wouldn't trade them. From now on, the upper and middle levels of the dungeon will be his backyard. Whether it's training new recruits or gathering intelligence, it's extremely important. No wonder it's something dropped by the floor master, Udeos.

　Roy then turned his attention back to the ability stats.

　Name: Roy

　Rating: 4

　Strength: 1198 → 1328 (SSS)

　Endurance: 1288→1566 (SSS)

　Dexterity: 1199 → 1285 (SSS)

　Agility: 1190 → 1319 (SSS)

　Magic Power: 1390 → 1600 (SSS)

　The continuous battles significantly improved his abilities, allowing him to reach his full potential at LV.4 with only 833 attribute points. [Ability value has reached its potential limit. Great achievement accomplished. Upgrade?]

　After battling three monsters with stats exceeding his own, achieving this feat was only natural. Roy clicked "Upgrade" without hesitation. The old stat panel at LV.4 disappeared, replaced by a new panel, all stats at 1, level LV.5!

　As always, there weren't any major changes within the body. The evolution brought about by the upgrade was gradual, fundamentally changing a person's physical body. It comprehensively improved physical condition and lifespan!

　Level 1 Adventurer!

　A flicker of excitement flashed deep in Roy's eyes. Reaching LV.5 meant that he had officially entered the first tier of adventurers. On the surface, there were no more than fifty adventurers of that level in Orario, which was ridiculously few.

　Some of them are retired adventurers.

　There are probably only about thirty active LV.5 adventurers, concentrated in the large clans.

　Because he maxed out his stats at every level, his starting point was far ahead of others. Once he became familiar with the power of LV.5, it would be hard to say that anyone could defeat him at that level. If he used the Synchronization Contract to stack Ryu's stats, he would be invincible.

　[Congratulations on reaching LV.5! You can now choose to develop one of the following abilities: Hunter, Warrior, or Swordsman!]

　As expected, with the upgrade, the interface for selecting development capabilities pops up again.

　"Hunter" is a regular, and Ryu also has one. They can share it using a Synchro Contract, so there's no need to choose one.

　"Steel Body" enhances defense and durability attributes.

　"Swordsman" refers to the speed at which one learns swordsmanship skills. When using a longsword as a weapon, some of his abilities are enhanced. It is likely that his learning swordsmanship from the goddess Astrea triggered this development ability.

　Roy didn't hesitate much and chose to fight.

　With the "blood for blood" skill, Roy will inevitably get injured in the future. He needs to increase his tankiness, which will also greatly increase the damage output of the enemy. [Development ability selected: Steel Body!]

　[The gap between LV.4 and LV.5 is too large; the attribute points gained are incompatible. The remaining 1967 attribute points will be automatically converted into experience points for development!] [Adventure (F→E), Abnormal Resistance (G→F), Invulnerability (I→G)!]

　Name: Roy

　Rating: 5

　Strength: 0 (l)

　Endurance: 0 (l)

　Dexterity: О (|)

　Agility: О(l)

　Magic: О(l)

　Development Abilities: Adventure (E), Abnormal Resistance (F), Forging (E), Invincibility (G)

　Skills: My Lord is Here, Divine Descent, Earth Power (Incomplete), Blood for Blood, Elven Kingship, Intuition.

　Magic: Lord of Thunder, Enchanted Dream, Dimensional Obstruction, Wind of Light, Noah's Healing.

　Roy looked at his ability panel and a slight smile appeared on his lips. The words LV.5 were so dazzling. Overwhelmed with joy, he felt that the heavy pain in his chest had lessened considerably, and it was not an illusion.

　His body is evolving towards LV.5!

　Its durability and resilience are different from before, at least ten times that of LV.4, a qualitative change!

　After passing through several floors, the group returned to the "maze garden" on the 28th floor, where flowers were flying everywhere.

　"Lord Roy, why don't you stay and rest for half a day?" Lily couldn't help but suggest. As the vice commander, she was also keeping a close eye on the team's situation. While the Shikon Jewel shards boosted their spirits, Roy and Ryu were starting to feel the strain.

　Normally, there can only be one commander's voice in the team, otherwise it will cause confusion. However, Lily was afraid that Roy's injury would affect his judgment, so she had to ask.

　Although the upper, middle, and lower levels pose little threat to them, anything can happen in the underground city.

　Therefore, the first thing to do in the dungeon is to maintain your status!

　This was also the first lesson they learned.

　Roy was pleased that Lily had this awareness, as it showed she had grown into an independent and opinionated commander, even when he wasn't around. Lily's judgment was reasonable.

　But he himself represents the irrationality and the miracle!

　"Don't worry, it'll be over once we get to the 24th floor!" Roy patted Lily's head.

　Lily tilted her head, looking puzzled.

　Just as Roy said, after a fierce battle, when they left the three interconnected Water City and entered the twenty-fourth floor, strange things happened. The group returned to the safe floor of the eighteenth floor from the twenty-fourth floor and never encountered a monster again.

　Unimpeded traffic!

　Even the traps in some locations have disappeared.

　This was certainly not because the dungeon took pity on them out of kindness; it was because Roy activated "Earth Power," trapping the monsters inside the walls and preventing them from jumping out.

　"Not a single monster? How amazing!" Tiona, carrying her large twin blades, smiled brightly and carefree. The girls exchanged glances. It was indeed amazing, but it wasn't a dungeon; it was their own guild leader.

　The group tacitly refrained from asking why.