A Place Beyond the Gods' Gaze

"Captain, let me get that treasure chest 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 between his teeth. Like an agile monkey, he quickly climbed above the group and reached the treasure chest without much effort.

Click.

As the chest opened, four or five pieces of equipment appeared before Kuri. The ring sitting on top instantly caught the young man's attention. Blue patterns were engraved into the silvery-white ring, 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 even Formal Professionals might not possess. Yet it had appeared in a treasure chest on the First Layer.

"Kuri, what's wrong with you?"

Below, William, who had been watching Kuri's movements, hurriedly called out when he saw him standing there in a daze, while preparing to provide support.

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

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

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

"You really are lucky, kid." William could not help smiling as he looked at the magic ring. He praised, "But Lia deserves the most credit this time. If not for her, we wouldn't have found this treasure 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 the Dungeon to obtain wealth and treasures. Now that they had found a piece of magic equipment, their gains had already far surpassed those of their previous expeditions. Rather than pressing onward while the momentum was good, William preferred to return to town early.

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

"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 says so, I'll listen to the captain." Kuri looked at the hand holding his, lowered his head, and replied softly. Both his ears had already turned bright red.

The other adventurers in the party watched the bashful Kuri and gentle Lia, all wearing knowing smiles.

Before long, after putting away all the equipment, the group began heading back toward the Dungeon entrance. Along the way, William and the others picked a large pile of Delicious Mushrooms, planning to have a good feast that evening to celebrate.

The next day, all of Adventurer Town learned of one thing.

Yesterday, an adventurer party had opened a piece of magic equipment from a treasure chest on the First Layer. It was worth dozens of gold coins. Not only had every member received several gold coins and made a fortune, but they had also replaced their equipment with brand-new gear.

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

Early that morning, large numbers of adventurers entered the Dungeon. Many parties that had arrived from nearby towns set the Dungeon's Fourth Layer as their goal, dreaming that they too could open magic equipment from a treasure chest and make a fortune.

"That's right. Come on, more adventurers. Endless treasures await you in the Dungeon."

In the deepest part of the Dungeon's Fifth Layer, Lucifer used his spiritual power to observe the many adventurers who had entered the Dungeon. Since early that morning, the growth rate of Primordial Power had increased by at least one-third compared to the previous days.

Many adventurers had been stirred up by William's party's story. Some rookie adventurers had even begun venturing deep into the Dungeon despite the danger, believing they could slaughter their way through it like the protagonists of storybooks and eventually become Legendary Tier adventurers.

Thanks to the contributions of those rookie adventurers, Lucifer had reaped substantial gains. In just one morning, his Primordial Power had increased by nearly a hundred points, and he had also obtained a large amount of ordinary equipment.

"Sure enough, only hard work brings wealth. Yesterday, I planted a seed, and today I've harvested so much."

Compared to the loss of a lowest-grade piece of magic equipment, Lucifer had already gained much more. And this was only the beginning; there would be even greater returns to come.

Under the influence of survivor bias, adventurers blinded by wealth and desire would not care how many people had died in the Dungeon. They would only see themselves as the next lucky one. Like gamblers, they never considered that they might lose everything.

"Huh, an old friend has returned?"

Just then, Lucifer noticed new intruders in the Fourth Layer. Looking over, he found that it was his old friend Mark. This time, Mark had returned to the Fourth Layer with an elite party.

Moreover, Lucifer 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 should be the strongest party to enter the Dungeon so far."

Feeling the strength of Mark's Squad, Lucifer could not help becoming serious. After two days, the Primordial Power on the panel had accumulated to over five hundred points, leaving only a few dozen points until the next upgrade.

However, the monster ecosystem of the Fifth Layer had yet to be perfected, and after upgrading, constructing the monsters for the Sixth Layer would require a large amount of Primordial Power.

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

From the adventurers' conversations, Lucifer 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.

Entrance to the Fourth Layer.

Mark looked at the surging dark-purple fog before him, his expression complicated. After several days, he had returned here once more. When they had first entered the Fourth Layer, they had suffered devastating losses due to inadequate preparation.

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

"So this is the Fourth Layer. What a truly awful environment."

Ireland, a priest of the Church of Light, frowned as he looked ahead. Dressed in a pure white priest's robe, he seemed utterly out of place amid the surrounding environment.

If Lord Korien Os had not spent a great deal to hire him, he, as a clergyman, would normally never enter this place beyond the gods' gaze.

Because if he died in the Dungeon, even his soul would be unable to return to the gods' kingdom.