Skill Scrolls

"What a bountiful harvest."

At the deepest part of the seventh floor, Luo Ao looked at the various magic equipment, potions, magic materials, and small pile of gold and silver coins stacked before him. He picked out all the useful items and placed them in the treasury.

Seeing the additional 13.5 boost on the panel, Luo Ao felt a surge of satisfaction, like a hoarding hamster endlessly stockpiling materials.

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

Luo Ao's gaze turned to the Nature Flower Fairies on the fifth floor, who were nibbling on emerald-green crystals in their hands like lollipops. Those were crystals condensed by Luo Ao using Primordial Power and life force. Consuming them could increase the Nature Flower Fairies' potential and strength.

This counted as a reward from Luo Ao, the ruler of the dungeon, to them.

"Still, the Advanced Professional squad's strength exceeded my expectations somewhat. The fifth floor probably won't be able to hold them off for long."

As he spoke, Luo Ao looked at the panel. After two days, he had accumulated nearly four hundred points of Primordial Power. He was still more than halfway away from the next upgrade, not to mention that he needed to reserve some for creating new monsters.

If the Ironblood Thorns Squad broke into the seventh floor during this time and found the location of his true body, then he, the dungeon ruler himself, would have no choice but to act. That would be far too dangerous.

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

With that thought, Luo Ao looked toward his treasury. The best way to attract adventurers was with treasure and power. Just like setting a fishing ground, if you wanted to catch a big fish, you had to use plenty of bait.

Memories of the Professional skills extracted from dead adventurers' souls, as well as information related to the abilities of the dungeon's various monsters, all surfaced in his mind.

"Skill Creation!"

Primordial Power on the panel began to decrease. Silver-white scrolls condensed out of the Void one after another: Undead Summoning, Necromantic Modification, Fireball, Earth Spike Spell, Power Strike, Shadow Stealth, Precision Shot. One Professional skill scroll after another took shape.

This was a power unique to dungeons, one that could condense all kinds of class skill scrolls.

Under normal circumstances, ordinary Professionals who wanted to learn a new skill could only seek guidance from a class instructor or purchase class skill scrolls themselves, then train and study continuously until they fully mastered it.

This was especially true for magic-based classes. To learn an entirely new class skill, they had to study elemental theory and magical structures, while also meditating to strengthen their mental power and magic power.

Even warriors, swordsmen, and similar classes could not meet the requirements for learning class skills if their physical abilities were insufficient.

Yet within dungeons, there was a supreme treasure: class skill scrolls. One only needed to use a scroll to instantly learn its skill.

In large dungeons, one could even obtain class inheritances. After accepting an inheritance, one could instantly take up a class, master all of its skills, and transform from an ordinary adventurer into a Professional with extraordinary power.

These were among the supreme treasures that truly drew countless adventurers into dungeons.

"Primordial Power really is an all-purpose power."

Luo Ao looked at the ten skill scrolls before him. Each one had cost him five points of Primordial Power. Only skill scrolls condensed from such an all-purpose power possessed the ability to let adventurers instantly learn class skills.

"These alone aren't enough."

Luo Ao turned his gaze toward 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 Luo Ao from within the dungeon.

He had originally planned 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 wolves without sacrificing the bait. I'm going all in!"

Though he said that, most of what Luo Ao took out were rare materials that could not boost the growth of his Primordial Power. In any case, they were all things the dungeon could regenerate and produce on its own. Even if the adventurers took them away, Luo Ao would not feel too heartbroken.

Besides, once the adventurers took these materials out, they would bring magic equipment back in next time. By that logic, Luo Ao was still making a profit.

With a thought, all ten skill scrolls, eight or nine pieces of low-grade magic equipment, and numerous precious materials were transferred into treasure chests on the upper floors. Most of them were placed on the first four floors, and Luo Ao even created quite a few new treasure chests for this purpose.

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

Inside the stone cavern maze on the third floor, William's team had just cleared out a group of Wolf Beasts and Gnomes and was about to clean up the battlefield. At that moment, Kuri, the young swordsman who had been looking down, spotted a black treasure chest beneath a rock ahead.

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

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

"C-C-Captain, they're skill scrolls! And there are two of them!"

Kuri turned around tremblingly and stammered. His eyes were filled with disbelief, and he even felt as though he were dreaming. These were skill scrolls, one of the most precious treasures in a dungeon.

Whenever they appeared, countless adventurers would scramble for them.

"What?!"

In an instant, William's originally composed expression turned tense. His voice rose unconsciously as he strode over to Kuri and stared at the two silver-white scrolls inside the chest.

"Quick, see what skill scrolls they are." Luna, the halfling, hurried over as well.

"They're Water Healing and Power Strike!"

William reached out and picked up the two skill scrolls. Their names and effects automatically surfaced in his mind. As long as he was willing to tear open the two scrolls now, he could immediately learn both class skills.

"Luna, Kuri, Lia, clean up the battlefield right now. Abandon all monster materials that aren't valuable. We need to leave the dungeon immediately."

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 teams learned that they carried two skill scrolls, William's team would become the biggest piece of meat in the entire dungeon.

Every adventurer would pounce on them and try to take a bite. Every single one.

Only after leaving the dungeon and returning to Adventurer Town would they be truly safe, protected by the magic barrier, the kingdom's laws, and the Adventurers' Guild.

"Yes, Captain!"

Seeing William's expression, Kuri and the other two understood the seriousness of the matter. They hurriedly collected all the most valuable materials from the monsters they had killed, abandoning anything difficult to carry, low in value, or beast meat.

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

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

This was a dungeon. Danger and opportunity existed everywhere within it. The gamble-like experience, the possibility of dying at any moment, and the temptation of becoming rich overnight continuously drew adventurers in.