The weapons I forge are absolutely flawless.

The strength of the monsters in the first level of the dungeon varies greatly.

From ordinary slimes and skeletons that don't even reach a certain rank, to the fourth-rank elite monster, the Brain Eater.

The former can be defeated even by a strong ordinary person in a one-on-one situation, while the latter, even if both are mid-level emblem wielders of the fourth or fifth rank, would have no choice but to run away as soon as possible if they met alone.

This polarization resulted in numerous casualties during the initial exploration process.

The intention was to use the dungeon to train emblem users, but instead, it resulted in casualties, which was putting the cart before the horse.

To solve this problem, St. Freya Academy joined forces with a hero to carve out an independent plane from the first level of the dungeon and set up a barrier using a magic circle to ensure that only monsters of the second rank or below could enter.

This modified plane became the first level of the new dungeon, providing a relatively safe training environment for novice Emblem users.

“Every year, some newcomers are able to easily reach the Origin Land simply because of good luck.”

For example, you might safely pass through a dangerous area by following behind the main group, or a safe area might randomly appear around a teleportation array.

"They may overestimate their abilities, but the college must consider their safety."

"Personal strength at level three, ranking tournament rank at or above silver. You must meet at least one of these conditions to leave the Origin Land and continue your exploration."

As she spoke, Anna took out something that looked like a single-lens reflex eye and put it on her right eye, then scanned the three of them.

Then, in a slightly teasing tone, he said, "It seems like you're the only one who doesn't meet the criteria, Venus?"

Listy is a third-tier mage, while Felix meets both conditions directly.

Even after this series of battles, Viner only barely reached the second tier level.

The third stage seems a long way off.

"Hard power is the most important thing, Vena. Since you guys broke through to the next level so quickly, taking a little time to consolidate your strength won't be a bad thing."

It's not that I look down on it, but the second level of the dungeon is truly more than ten times more dangerous than the first level.

If a regular second-tier emblem user encounters some extremely dangerous monsters on the second floor, they probably won't even have the chance to use the escape stone.

“I also suggest we stop here,” Lisette said.

She had long wanted to advise Wiener not to rush things.

After the special training, Jessica evaluated Lisette's current strength as follows: First, she is worry-free; second, she can protect herself; and third, she must keep a low profile.

The so-called second layer of self-protection refers to having enough time to grab an escape stone when encountering a monster that is difficult to deal with.

“I understand, so as long as one condition is met, right?” Wiener confirmed again.

“This is the bare minimum, the bare minimum,” Anna emphasized.

With two people persuading him at the same time, Wiener was not so stubborn as to continue on his own.

He also needs some time to properly transform what he has learned this time.

"Then let's go back first, I'll treat everyone to a big meal."

"Okay!"

......

Wiener Dormitory.

"You promised a feast, but we have to do it ourselves. Vena, you lied to me!" Felix, who was helping out, groaned in dissatisfaction.

"Just tell me if you're going to eat or not." Vena wasn't buying Felix's act.

He also considered treating the two of them to a nice meal at the cafeteria.

But the thought that the cafeteria must be occupied right now by freshmen who have come up empty-handed from their first dungeon adventure is too much to bear.

Having already reaped considerable rewards and been accompanied by beautiful women, it's best not to provoke them.

"I don't care, I cooked this myself, you still owe me a meal."

"Okay, okay, remember to chop the onions too."

Felix's movements were even more skillful than Vena had expected, so he gave orders without any hesitation.

He planned to use the remaining snake and chicken meat to make a whole chicken feast.

The conditions in the dungeon were limited, so grilling was the only way to prepare the meat. Now that we had all the necessary tools, we naturally wanted to cook it up properly.

The seasonings are all readily available in the dormitory. They are then combined with fresh lemon juice and sliced ​​ginger, which are rubbed onto the inside and outside of the meat to remove any fishy smell and ensure that the flavor of the seasonings can penetrate, making the chicken tender and juicy.

Take some chicken pieces and bones and put them into a pot to simmer over low heat to make soup.

Cut two chicken breasts, one into strips and the other into cubes.

After dipping the meat strips in the prepared batter for three minutes, coat them with flour and prepare for deep-frying.

The diced chicken is stir-fried with chopped vegetables.

Cooking is a delicate task, and Venere finally took out a proper kitchen knife, sparing the chopping knife a bit.

Shredded chicken, Kung Pao chicken, boneless chicken strips, and snake, chicken, and meat soup.

Make another vegetable salad with the remaining vegetables.

After all the dishes were served, the enticing aroma filled the entire dormitory.

"I never knew you had such skills." After tasting a mouthful of the rich meat soup, Lisette couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

If the barbecue you taste in the dungeon is just generally delicious...

The level of skill displayed in this whole chicken feast can be described as professional.

This makes one wonder whether Wiener's real profession was a blacksmith or a cook.

"A blacksmith who doesn't want to be a chef is not a good herald."

In Lumiel Village, Vina will only maintain the bare minimum of cooking.

We only make such a large feast during the Lunar New Year; it's a kind of commemoration.

But eating alone is never as enjoyable as eating with others.

Felix, who had previously complained about being helped, was more obedient than anyone else when it came to eating, as if afraid of missing a bite.

"You're spouting nonsense you can't understand again." Lisette smiled helplessly. "Vina, what do you plan to do if you join the Silver Wolf Class?"

“Like you said at the opening ceremony, follow in the glorious footsteps of the brave,” Viner replied casually.

“Nonsense.” Lisette bluntly exposed. “It’s one thing if someone else said that, but coming from you, even Felix wouldn’t believe it.”

"Really?" Viner looked at Felix, as if wanting to confirm.

"Vina, that's a very rude look you're giving me!" Felix, feeling the gaze, suddenly looked up and met Vina's eyes.

"Let's put that aside for now and answer the previous question first: what's your take on this?"

“You always think I’m stupid, but I actually know everything. Vena, your reverence for the goddess is only lip service; how could you possibly respect a hero?”

Felix hit the nail on the head.

Chapter 76 Parting on Unhappily

Is this disrespectful to the goddess?

Venus certainly didn't take the goddess seriously.

It is said that humans were created by a goddess, and brave warriors are the insurance that the goddess left for the mainland.

But what does this have to do with Wiener?

He was born to a father and raised by a mother; although his family was not extremely wealthy, they were certainly happy and content.

He is in good health and academically successful. Although he is over 20 and has not found a girlfriend, he is still full of hope for the future.

It's not like you're going to die anyway, like being hit by a car or struck by lightning, so you might as well live one more day.

They inexplicably dragged him into this strange world and imprisoned him for more than ten years. Did they even get his consent?

If it weren't for the fact that the village chief of the previous generation was a kind-hearted person, and that Vina had developed self-reliance from a young age, she probably would have starved to death on the streets back in Lumiel Village.

To put it bluntly, in the early days after she came into this world, Venus had to finish making a little goddess figurine every night before she could fall asleep.

Time can indeed smooth over many things, allowing emotions to fade, reality to be accepted, and people to choose to accept their fate.

Wiener had already accepted his labor reform in the blacksmith shop and was looking forward to his release one day, but then this cruel joke was played on him.

The hero is dead, the demon is about to rise again, and the world is about to be destroyed.

Why should life imprisonment be commuted to a suspended death sentence and executed immediately, and then he has to accept it?

Accept my ass!

What kind of useless thing is this goddess?

A goddess who can't even choose a hero should be caught and spanked.

This time, Vina refused to accept his fate. Even if he was beaten half to death by the demon god and nailed to a coffin, he still had to say a few words to the demon god.

"So you're the one going against the goddess? Well done, that woman really deserves a beating. I've disliked her for a long time too."

"But—I don't care if you cause trouble for the goddess, but what has the world ever done to offend you?"

......

Every few decades, a new generation of heroes emerges, but the demons under the command of the demon god are even more eager to make their presence felt than heroes.

Only the goddess is too far removed from humanity. The last time she displayed a miracle was back in the era of the first hero.

As distance increases, faith naturally diminishes.

Many people talk about goddesses all the time, but they only use them to worship when they need something.

But the brave one is different; this guy really does the work.

Punish evil and promote good, save people from suffering.

Although it was chosen by the goddess, everyone knows who truly saved their entire family.

"The reason I joined the Silver Wolf House... I wanted to do some things that I never dared to do or even think about before," Viner said, rephrasing her statement.

"I can't even imagine how terrible the things that Vena wouldn't even think about could be," Felix retorted mercilessly.

The constant throwing of excrement and bombs has left a significant psychological scar on this child.

“Please give me a straight answer,” Lisette reiterated.

It's true that she had feelings for Vina.

Everything else is negotiable, but if Vena really has ill intentions towards the hero, she can't just turn a blind eye.

Bringing the topic up gives him a chance to prove himself.

This determined whether Lisette should continue to assist Wiener in the assessment.

"Do you think the hero will fail?" Viner deliberately avoided giving a direct answer.

“Even heroes are human, and naturally they will fail…” Lisette answered subconsciously, but she quickly realized that the failure that Vena was talking about was probably not as simple as she understood it.

"...Even if there are setbacks along the way, the brave will eventually succeed," Lisette said confidently.

You ask where this confidence comes from?

It comes from a tradition that has remained unchanged for thousands of years.

Dozens of brave warriors have succeeded, and none have ever failed.

Otherwise, the academy would not have allowed the contemporary hero to act alone, given his temperament.

“I don’t think so.” Vina shook her head in denial. “If the hero is really omnipotent, wouldn’t it have been better to just destroy the demon god in the first place? Why bother with all that trouble and sealing?”

“The First Hero must have had some special considerations,” Risty retorted.

"Special considerations? Perhaps. But the main reason is that it's impossible."

"Sealed off once every few decades, then reopened every few decades. All the financial and material resources, and the casualties incurred during this time—is it all just playing house with the brave?"

"If the hero is not powerful enough to defeat the demon god, then it means that even heroes are not omnipotent, and sooner or later a hero will be defeated by the demon god."

“Conversely, if you have the ability but don’t do it, that’s like raising a bandit to enhance your own power.” Wiener’s words became increasingly sharp.

"That's enough, you've gone too far," Lisette interrupted before Venus could say anything even more outrageous.

“I haven’t finished yet,” Vena retorted, pressing on relentlessly, “Even a goblin would learn its lesson after being defeated dozens of times, let alone a demon god?”