Be Bolder

Time slips away unnoticed.

As the sky begins to turn maroon, and the twilight known as the hour of the demons quietly arrives, a different kind of crowd appears in the Central Plaza where the Babel Tower stands compared to the daytime.

During the day, most adventurers who appear here are heading into the Babel Tower, while at dusk, they emerge from the Babel Tower and head out of the plaza.

Some of them were covered in wounds, some were exhausted, some looked gloomy, and some were excited. It was clear what they had experienced during that day's adventure.

Leo also emerged from the Dungeon and returned to the surface shortly after dusk.

"Finally back----"

Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, Leo felt his previously exhausted spirits lift considerably.

There was no other way; one had to be on edge and vigilant at all times in the Dungeon, never daring to relax. Plus, the underground environment could be very oppressive and stifling after a while. So, once back on the surface, one naturally fell into an indescribable state of relaxation, and the oppression and stifling feeling quietly dissipated.

Reflecting on the day's adventure, Leo gave himself an assessment.

"I guess I've had a fairly fulfilling life."

Despite encountering unexpected dangers and having his original plans disrupted by a trip to the 5th Floor, Leo still felt that the day had been quite meaningful.

At least I finally experienced firsthand what combat and adventure are like, and I even used magic and supernatural power—these are all invaluable experiences.

"I just didn't expect the 5th Floor to be easier than I thought."

Leo muttered to himself.

He did indeed follow his own plan and wandered around the entrance and exit of the 5th Floor, experiencing firsthand the difficulty of conquering the 5th Floor.

Well, the result was pretty good.

On the 5th Floor, Leo encountered monsters that he hadn't seen on the first four floors, and felt the pressure much greater than on the previous four floors. But in the end, he managed to defeat the monsters without any major incidents and successfully adapted to the difficulty of the 5th Floor.

A novice adventurer, entering Dungeon for the first time, actually made it all the way down to the 5th Floor in one go, and even managed to adapt and survive there. If others knew this, they would definitely be a little surprised.

Leo hadn't expected to achieve such results, but upon reflection, it wasn't so hard to understand.

After all, he had managed to break through even the most desperate situation of being besieged by dozens of monsters, ultimately not only surviving but also defeating his enemies. How could the 5th Floor of Dungeon possibly be a challenge for him?

The 5th Floor is indeed much more difficult than the first four floors, but compared to the desperate situation Leo encountered on the fourth floor, it's nothing.

Generally speaking, it's rare to encounter this number of monsters in the upper levels, which include floors 1-12. Leo was particularly unlucky this time, encountering such a large number of monsters in a place like floor 4.

That's just how Dungeon are; they always seem to surprise adventurers.

Of course, this kind of deadly surprise is something that no adventurer, including Leo, wants to encounter.

"My personal strength isn't actually enough to venture to the 5th Floor, but with magic, it's a different story."

Leo understood the reason perfectly well.

The guild's strategy guides generally suggest that level 1 adventurers can only explore between 12th Floor.

Based on the adventurers' ability stats, the guild's strategy recommendations are roughly as follows: Dungeon floors 1-4 are suitable for adventurers with basic abilities between I and H.

Dungeon floors 5-7 are suitable for adventurers with basic abilities between G and F.

Dungeon floors 8-10 are suitable for adventurers with basic abilities between E, D, and C.

Dungeon floors 11-12 are suitable for adventurers with basic abilities between B, A, and S.

This standard is based on the premise of a "safety strategy." In other words, if you meet the standard, you will be able to handle all dangers on the corresponding floor, except for abnormal situations, and minimize the casualty rate.

Therefore, according to this standard, if an adventurer wants to venture into the 5th Floor, it is best if one or more of their basic abilities reach G level to be considered relatively safe.

If even this standard cannot be met, the danger will increase significantly, and the chance of losing one's life will be much higher.

The Loki Familia's archives also mention that novice adventurers should spend at least half a month accumulating experience in floors 1-4 and improving their basic abilities before entering 5th Floor.

In half a month, unless you're a particularly cowardly or incompetent novice adventurer, you should at least be able to reach the H level in one of the four most basic abilities: Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, and Agility. It's even possible to reach the H level in several abilities.

Entering the 5th Floor at this point would be relatively safe, and you would be less likely to encounter danger.

However, setting aside the strategy advice given by the guild, there is another sentence in the records in the Loki Familia's archives regarding this matter.

This means that if one possesses magic, the above suggestions are merely for reference and have no practical effect.

Putting aside those spells unsuitable for combat, the situation changes entirely if an adventurer possesses a spell that can be used in battle.

As long as an adventurer possesses a spell that can be used in combat, even if their "Demonic Power" is at the lowest level (I), it will be enough for them to safely navigate most floors of the Dungeon from level 1 to 12.

Putting everything else aside, at least on floors up to the 8th floor, there are no particularly powerful monsters that can withstand a single magical attack, even if that magic is the weakest of the extremely short spells.

In other words, as long as one possesses magic that can be used in combat, even a novice adventurer can easily conquer not only the 5th Floor but also the 7th floor.

That's the true value of magic.

"It seems I was a bit too cautious before."

Leo summarized his experience from today.

"Anyway, I have quite a few spiritual herbs on hand. As long as I'm careful not to get too carried away and fall into a state of mental exhaustion, I should be able to explore further."

Most novice adventurers don't have Leo's resources. He has weapons and armor, each worth nearly 100,000 Valis, and carries a huge amount of elixirs. This equipment is more than enough; it's already excessive.

Novice adventurers are usually reluctant to buy or use even a single potion to restore their stamina, let alone high-grade potions, magical potions, or even Elixir. Their weapons and armor are also mostly cheap, rarely worth more than 10,000 Valis.

And what about Leo?

His weapon was a small straight sword worth 80,000 Valis, and his small shield was about the same price. He had more than a dozen elixirs that novice adventurers would be reluctant to buy or use, as well as one high-grade elixir and one magic elixir, and even two Elixir. His equipment was ridiculously luxurious.

Especially those two Elixir, which novice adventurer could afford them?

Let alone a novice adventurer at level 1, even many advanced adventurers at levels 2 and 3 can't afford the Elixir. It's simply not something that would appear in the bag of an adventurer of Leo's level.

Having these two Elixir is like having two extra lives.

Given the extravagant weapons, armor, and other elixirs available to novice adventurers, Leo could have explored even more daringly.

"That's enough for today. Let's try the 5th Floor tomorrow and go further. If it goes smoothly, then we can explore more boldly."

With this in mind, Leo did not leave the Babel Tower, but instead went up the stairs to the next floor.

The Babel Tower not only served the purpose of monitoring and managing the Dungeon, but it was also a public facility built for adventurers.

On the lower levels of the Babel Tower, there are not only simple restaurants, medical facilities, and money exchange offices, but also shower rooms and clothing stores, making it convenient for adventurers leaving the Dungeon.

Leo's clothes were tattered and covered in blood and dust, making him look extremely disheveled. If he returned to the clan's headquarters in this state, people would probably think something had happened to him.

Therefore, Leo did not leave the Babel Tower directly, but instead went up there.

He first went to the money exchange, which was where the guild bought Magic Stone.

The guild headquarters in Adventurer's Street also has a money exchange, and there are quite a few appraisers, so there's not much of a queue. However, the money exchange here at Babel Tower has fewer appraisers, so when Leo arrived, there was already quite a long line in front of the window.

Leo wasn't deterred and quietly waited in line, finally reaching the window after about half an hour.

Please help me identify these Magic Stones.

He untied the bag he used to collect Magic Stone from his waist and poured out a large pile of Magic Stone fragments.

Please wait a moment.

The appraisers took the Magic Stone fragments and quickly gave a price.

"This batch of Magic Stone fragments is worth a total of 13,000 Valis. Shall we exchange them?"

Upon hearing this, Leo raised an eyebrow.

"That's quite a lot."

Thirteen thousand Valis may not sound like much, but it depends on who you're comparing it to.

It can't compare to those advanced adventurers who can delve deep into Dungeon, but compared to those new adventurers who are also Lv.1, earning this much money in a day is already quite impressive.

Leo vaguely remembered that his elders in the clan had told him that a level 1 five-person team could earn about 20,000-30,000 Valis by spending a day exploring the upper levels of floors 1-12.

Leo only ventured into the first five levels, all alone, yet he managed to earn over ten thousand Valis in a single day—an achievement that would make many Lv.1 players envious and jealous.

This is still assuming only Magic Stone were sold.

Don't forget, Leo still has some dropped items on him.

"Unfortunately, even if I sell all the dropped items, I might not be able to recoup the cost of the high-grade elixir I used today—"

Leo shook his head, picked up the bag stuffed with gold coins, and turned to leave the money exchange.

Dropped items can actually be sold through the guild, but the price offered by the guild is much lower than outside, so very few people choose to sell dropped items to the guild, as it would be too much of a loss.

Leo went directly to the higher floors of the Babel Tower, where there were many shops rented to merchants. All the shops were specially designed for adventurers, and naturally there were shops that bought and sold dropped items.

So, Leo sold all the dropped items he had at a shop recommended by a senior member of his clan, earning 8,100 Valis.

With the addition of the 8,100 Valis, Leo has earned a total of 21,100 Valis from today's adventure.

This is already comparable to the earning efficiency of a five-person adventurer team at level 1.

"Thanks to that wave of monsters attacking me en masse, and thanks to magic, I was able to earn this money."

Leo sighed.

With money in his pocket, Leo was finally able to spend it.

He first went to a clothing store to buy a new outfit, then took a thorough shower in the shower room provided by the Babel Tower, washing himself clean before changing into his new clothes and restoring his clean appearance.

By the time Leo emerged from the Babel Tower, it was already dark outside.

The Labyrinth City Orario is very lively after dark.

Adventurers who have been on a day of adventure usually go out at this time, find a small shop, have a drink, and relieve the fatigue and mental stress accumulated from a day of fighting.

Along the way, Leo brushed past several groups of adventurers. Some of them were walking around drinking and laughing on the street with barrels of wine in their hands, while others went into taverns arm in arm, shouting loudly to order wine and food.

A bard, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, was playing his violin and singing on the street, attracting a large crowd of onlookers. Magic Stone lamps were also lit along the street, creating a lively, fantastical, and bustling nighttime cityscape that captivated Leo.

As he walked, Leo followed the main street of North Main Street all the way to the familiar Long Mansion.

We've arrived at the Twilight Manor.

"Leo!"

"You're finally back!"

On either side of the main gate, the two members of the group responsible for guarding the gate saw Leo slowly walking back and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"Yes, I'm back." Leo greeted the two men and smiled, "Not too late, right?"

The two goalkeepers looked at each other, then burst into laughter.

"It's no use telling us that."

"Yes, you should go and explain to the person who's been waiting for you."

The two were talking like this, whether out of envy, jealousy, or teasing, leaving Leo feeling completely bewildered.

When Leo walked through the gate and into the courtyard, and saw that familiar figure, Leo realized why they had said those things.