A Place Beyond the Gods' Gaze

"Captain, let me get that chest down from up there."

At that moment, Kuri, an energetic brown-haired young swordsman in the party, made the suggestion.

"Be careful."

After receiving Captain William's permission, Kuri drew a dagger and held it in his mouth. Like an agile monkey, he swiftly climbed above everyone's heads and reached the chest without much effort.

Click.

As the chest opened, four or five pieces of equipment appeared before Kuri. The ring placed on top instantly caught the young man's attention. Blue patterns were etched into its silver-white surface, and magical elements continuously gathered around it on their own.

"Magic equipment!"

Kuri stared fixedly at the ring. He was absolutely certain that it was an incredibly precious piece of magic equipment, a treasure that not even Formal Professionals were guaranteed to possess. Yet it had appeared in a chest on the First Layer.

"Kuri, what's wrong with you?"

Below, William had been watching Kuri closely. When he saw him freeze in place, he quickly called out and prepared to provide support.

"Captain, I found a piece of magic equipment!"

Coming back to his senses, Kuri hurriedly waved to his companions below. His tone was full of irrepressible surprise and excitement. He then took all the equipment from the chest and returned to the group.

Only then did everyone clearly see the ring in Kuri's hand. Lia, especially, could distinctly sense the magical fluctuations coming from it as a mage apprentice.

"You really are lucky, kid." William could not help smiling as he looked at the magic ring. He praised him, "But Lia deserves the most credit this time. Without her, we never would have found this chest."

"So I've decided that today's dungeon expedition ends here. We'll return to town and get some proper rest first."

Adventurers entered dungeons to gain wealth and treasure. Now that they had found a piece of magic equipment, their earnings far exceeded those of their previous expeditions. Rather than pressing onward into the dungeon while their luck was hot, William preferred to return to town early.

"Aw, why? If we keep going, maybe we'll find something even more valuable."

"Kuri, you should listen to the captain."

Lia walked over and took the young man's hand. They had grown up together and become adventurers together, so Lia knew Kuri's personality well. He was upright, kind, and full of energy, but he also wanted to show off in front of the girl he liked.

"Since Lia said so, I'll listen to the captain." Kuri looked at the hand holding his, lowered his head, and answered quietly. Both his ears had already turned bright red.

The rest of the adventuring party watched the shy Kuri and gentle Lia, all wearing knowing, amused smiles.

Before long, after putting away all the equipment, the group began making their way back to the dungeon entrance. Along the way, William and the others picked a pile of delicious mushrooms, planning to feast that evening in celebration.

The next day, the entire adventurer town learned of something.

Yesterday, an adventuring party had opened a chest on the First Layer and found a piece of magic equipment worth dozens of gold coins. Not only had every member earned several gold coins, but they had also replaced their equipment with brand-new gear.

For a time, countless adventurers became even more enthusiastic about exploring the dungeon. The Adventurers' Guild had also released a map leading into the dungeon's Fourth Layer. Though it cost a considerable sum to purchase, it could not dampen the adventurers' fervor in the slightest.

Early that morning, large numbers of adventurers entered the dungeon. Many parties that had come from nearby towns set their sights directly on the dungeon's Fourth Layer, dreaming of opening a chest themselves, finding magic equipment, and making a fortune.

"That's it. Send in more adventurers. Endless treasures are waiting for you in the dungeon."

Deep within the dungeon's Fifth Layer, Luo Ao used his spiritual power to observe the many adventurers invading the dungeon. Since that morning, the growth rate of Primordial Power had increased by at least a third compared to the previous days.

Many adventurers had been stirred up by William's party. Some rookie adventurers even began recklessly delving deeper into the dungeon despite the danger, believing they could slaughter their way through it like the protagonists in storybooks and eventually become legendary adventurers.

Thanks to the contributions of so many rookie adventurers, Luo Ao had reaped considerable rewards. In just one morning, his Primordial Power had increased by nearly a hundred points, and he had also acquired a large amount of ordinary equipment.

"As expected, only hard work makes you rich. Yesterday, I planted a seed. Today, I harvested so much."

Compared to the lowest-grade magic equipment he had lost, Luo Ao had already gained far more. And this was only the beginning; there would be even greater gains to come.

Under the influence of survivorship bias, adventurers blinded by wealth and desire would not care how many people died in the dungeon. They would only see themselves as the next lucky ones, just like gamblers who never considered that they might lose everything.

"Huh? An old friend is back?"

At that moment, Luo Ao sensed new intruders entering the Fourth Layer. Looking over, he discovered that it was his old friend Mark. This time, Mark had brought an elite party back to the Fourth Layer.

Moreover, Luo Ao noticed that every one of Mark's teammates was no weaker than Mark himself. Each of them was only one step away from becoming an intermediate professional.

"This is probably the strongest party to enter the dungeon so far."

Feeling the strength of Mark's party, Luo Ao could not help becoming more serious. Two days had passed, and the Primordial Power on his panel had accumulated to over five hundred points. He only needed a few dozen more points for the next upgrade.

However, the monster ecosystem on the Fifth Layer was not yet complete, and after upgrading, constructing the monsters for the Sixth Layer would require a large amount of Primordial Power.

"Still, I have all these good adventurer brothers supporting me. Maybe I'll save up enough Primordial Power today."

From the adventurers' chatter, Luo Ao learned that the Adventurers' Guild had released detailed maps of the dungeon's first three layers that morning. They even included the route to the Fourth Layer's entrance. Great numbers of adventurers seeking treasure, magic equipment, and power were heading toward the Fourth Layer.

Fourth Layer entrance.

Mark looked at the dark-purple mist roiling before him, his expression complicated. After several days, he had returned here once more. The first time they entered the Fourth Layer, their lack of preparation had led to devastating losses.

More than twenty knights had been left forever beneath the Venomous Swamp.

"So this is the Fourth Layer. What an utterly horrible environment."

Within the party, Ireland, a priest of the Church of Light, frowned as he looked ahead. Dressed in pure white priestly robes, he stood completely at odds with the surrounding environment.

If Lord Korien Os had not spent a large sum to invite him, he, as a clergyman, would normally never enter a dungeon, a place beyond the gods' gaze.

Because once someone died inside a dungeon, their soul could not return to the gods' realm.