Skill Scrolls

"What a bumper harvest, what a bumper harvest."

At the deepest part of the Seventh Layer, Lucifer looked at the various magic equipment, potions, magical materials, and small pile of gold and silver coins before him.

He picked out all the useful items and placed them in the treasury.

Seeing the additional 13.5 amplification on the panel, Lucifer felt a surge of satisfaction, like a hoarding hamster endlessly stockpiling all kinds of materials.

"Nature Flower Fairies really are useful. You'll have to keep working hard in the future."

Lucifer looked toward the Fifth Layer, where the Nature Flower Fairies were gnawing on emerald-green crystals in their hands like lollipops. Those crystals had been condensed by Lucifer using Primordial Power and life force, and consuming them could increase the Nature Flower Fairies' potential and strength.

This counted as a reward from Lucifer, the ruler of the Dungeon, to them.

"Still, the Advanced Professional squad's strength has exceeded my expectations somewhat. The Fifth Layer probably won't be able to stop them for long."

As he spoke, Lucifer looked at the panel. Two days had passed, and his Primordial Power had accumulated to nearly four hundred points. He was still more than halfway short of his next upgrade, not to mention that he needed to reserve some for creating new monsters.

If the Ironblood Thorns Squad broke into the Seventh Layer during that time and found the location of his true body, he would have no choice but to act personally as the ruler of the entire Dungeon. That would be far too dangerous.

"Looks like I need to give the adventurers some motivation."

With that thought, Lucifer turned his gaze toward his treasury. The best way to attract adventurers was with treasure and power. Just like baiting a fishing spot, if you wanted to catch a big fish, you had to use plenty of bait.

Memories surfaced of the Professional skills extracted from the souls of dead adventurers, along with information related to the various monster skills within the Dungeon.

"Skill Creation!"

Primordial Power began to decrease on the panel. One silver-white scroll after another condensed from the Void: Undead Summoning, Necromantic Modification, Fireball, Earth Spike Spell, Power Strike, Shadow Stealth, and Precision Shot. Professional Skill Scrolls formed one after another.

This was a power unique to Dungeons, one that could condense scrolls for all kinds of professional skills.

Under normal circumstances, ordinary Professionals who wanted to learn new skills could only seek instruction from professional mentors, or buy Professional Skill Scrolls and train and study repeatedly until they fully mastered them.

This was especially true for magic-based professions. To learn an entirely new professional skill, they not only had to study elemental theories and magical structures, but also meditate to strengthen their mental power and mana.

Even warriors, swordsmen, and similar professions could not meet the requirements for learning professional skills if their physical condition was inadequate.

But within a Dungeon, there was a supreme treasure: the Professional Skill Scroll. Simply using a scroll allowed one to instantly learn a skill.

Large Dungeons could even yield professional inheritances. After accepting one, a person could instantly take up the profession, master all its professional skills, and transform from an ordinary adventurer into a Professional possessing extraordinary power.

These were among the true supreme treasures that drew countless adventurers into Dungeons.

"Primordial Power truly is an all-purpose force."

Lucifer looked at the ten Skill Scrolls before him. Each had cost him five points of Primordial Power. Only Skill Scrolls condensed from such an all-purpose force possessed the power to let adventurers instantly learn professional skills.

"These alone aren't enough."

Lucifer turned his attention to his treasury and transferred out some low-grade magic equipment, Elemental Gems, Mithril, Fire Dragon Scales, and other rare materials. All of these rare materials had been obtained by Lucifer from within the Dungeon.

He had originally intended to save them as materials for creating new monsters later, or wait until the Undead Pharaoh had time to forge them into magic equipment.

"You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing the bait. I'm going all in!"

Though he said that, most of what Lucifer took out were rare materials that could not increase his Primordial Power amplification. In any case, they were things the Dungeon could regenerate and produce by itself, so Lucifer would not feel too heartbroken even if adventurers took them away.

Besides, if adventurers carried these materials out, they would bring magic equipment back in next time. By that logic, Lucifer was still making a profit.

With a thought, the ten Skill Scrolls, eight or nine pieces of low-grade magic equipment, and numerous rare materials were transferred into treasure chests on the earlier floors. Most of them were placed within the first four floors, and Lucifer even specially created quite a few new treasure chests for the purpose.

"Captain, look! There's a treasure chest over there!"

Inside the stone cavern maze on the Third Layer, William's squad had just finished clearing out a group of Wolf Beasts and Gnomes and was preparing to clean up the battlefield. At that moment, Kuri, the young swordsman who had been looking down, spotted a black treasure chest beneath a stone ahead.

Without the slightest hesitation, Kuri walked over and opened the chest. When he saw the two silver-white scrolls inside, the young man froze on the spot.

"Kuri, what is it?" William, who had just cut off a Gnome's tusk, looked up.

"C-C-Captain, they're Skill Scrolls! There are two of them!"

Kuri turned around tremblingly and stammered, his eyes filled with disbelief. He even felt as if he were dreaming. These were Skill Scrolls, among the most precious treasures in a Dungeon.

Whenever they appeared, countless adventurers fought over them.

"What?!"

In an instant, William's previously steady expression turned tense. His voice unconsciously rose several notches as he strode over to Kuri and stared at the two silver-white scrolls in the chest.

"Hurry up and see what Skill Scrolls they are." Luna, the halfling, quickly leaned over as well.

"They're Water Healing and Power Strike!"

William picked up the two Skill Scrolls, and their names and effects automatically surfaced in his mind. If he tore open the two scrolls now, he could immediately learn both professional skills.

"Luna, Kuri, Lia, clean up the battlefield immediately. Abandon all monster materials that aren't valuable. We have to leave the Dungeon at once."

William swallowed and carefully put away the two Skill Scrolls. His expression was incomparably grave as he looked at the other three. If other adventurer squads learned that they carried two Skill Scrolls, William's squad would become the biggest prize in the entire Dungeon.

Any adventurer would pounce on them for a bite. Remember, any adventurer.

Only after leaving the Dungeon and returning to Adventurer Town, where they had the protection of magical barriers, the kingdom's laws, and the Adventurers' Guild, would they be truly safe.

"Yes, Captain!"

Seeing William's expression, Kuri and the other two understood the seriousness of the situation. They hurriedly gathered all the most valuable materials from the monsters they had killed, abandoning inconvenient-to-carry materials, low-value materials, and monster meat.

Three minutes later, after cleaning up the battlefield, William's squad headed toward the upper levels of the Dungeon at top speed. Whenever they encountered even the slightest sign that something was wrong along the way, William would rather take a detour than come into contact with any adventurers.

Two hours later, William's squad appeared at the Dungeon entrance. Only then did William finally let out a breath of relief. He turned back to look at the Dungeon behind him, his gaze filled with complicated emotions.

This was a Dungeon. Danger and opportunity lurked everywhere inside. The gamble-like experience, with death possible at any moment and the temptation of sudden wealth just as possible, endlessly drew adventurers in.