After bidding farewell to Eina, who had repeated her warnings countless times—Faen and Robin finally arrived at the very heart of Orario: the towering white colossus known as Babel Tower.
This was the gateway to the Dungeon.
The vast plaza at the base of the tower was crowded with adventurers. Some were assembling their parties, others were checking equipment one last time. The atmosphere was tense, yet orderly.
At the entrance, several Guild officials conducted inspections. The procedure was simple—just present one's Adventurer ID card.
Carried along by the steady stream of people, the two stepped inside Babel Tower.
A massive spiral staircase, wide enough to accommodate thousands, descended into the depths below.
This was the "Road of Beginnings"—Floor 0 of the Dungeon, an absolute safe zone where monsters never spawned.
The air grew cooler and damp, and the light gradually dimmed.
When they finally reached the bottom of the staircase and set foot on the first floor, an entirely new world unfolded before them.
This was Dungeon Floor 1, a shallow cavern.
The rocky ground was uneven. Luminescent moss clung to the walls—the only source of light—casting a dim, eerie glow across the space.
At that exact moment, Faen felt a sudden heat flare across his back.
He knew immediately—
[The Abyss That Gazes Back] had activated.
"Robin. Stay alert."
Faen's voice was low. His right hand closed around the hilt of his sword as he slowly drew it.
Robin understood instantly. She raised her staff, the magic stone at its tip glowing faintly, ready to cast at any moment.
They advanced cautiously. The surrounding adventurer parties gradually dispersed, and before long, no one else remained within sight.
Suddenly—
With a crack, the stone wall to their side shattered.
A small, dark-green Goblin burst out, screeching as it swung its rusted dagger.
Faced with such a low-level enemy, Faen didn't even blink.
He stepped forward. His blade traced a clean silver arc through the air, slicing precisely through the Goblin's neck.
Black blood sprayed.
The Goblin let out a short scream before collapsing, and with a dull thud it dissolved into black ash, leaving behind a fingernail-sized magic stone.
Robin stepped forward, picked up the stone, examined it briefly, and placed it into the pack on her back.
Since they hadn't hired a supporter, she was temporarily handling item collection.
They continued, cutting down several more Goblins in succession.
Everything seemed routine.
Then—
The expected change finally arrived.
The ground ahead trembled and cracked.
From beneath it emerged something that absolutely should not have appeared here.
It was a spherical gelatinous creature the size of a human head, its entire body glowing red.
"…A Fire Slime."
Faen's pupils contracted slightly as he recognized the monster from distant memories.
His body moved like lightning. His sword left a crimson-streaked afterimage as it sliced cleanly through the creature.
Scarlet gel splattered.
But in the next instant—
Both Faen and Robin's expressions sharpened.
The strike that could bisect a Goblin in a single blow had merely left a deep gash in the Fire Slime's body.
And that wound—
Was writhing.
Regenerating.
Within two seconds, it was completely restored.
Then the Fire Slime compressed itself and launched forward like a cannonball, trailing a wave of scorching heat.
Faen pivoted sharply, barely evading the impact. He countered with a reverse slash, sending the Slime flying.
"Faen—your sword!"
Robin's voice rang out.
Faen glanced down.
The section of his steel blade that had struck the Slime glowed red, as though it had been thrust into a forge.
He looked back at the fully regenerated Fire Slime, frowning.
Physical attacks were inefficient.
Its body emitted extreme heat, damaging weapons.
Its attack patterns were simple—but against poorly equipped rookie adventurers, it was more than enough to be lethal.
Before he could reassess—
The Fire Slime halted, its body writhing. It opened a nonexistent "mouth" and spat out a fist-sized fireball.
"Resound!"
Robin reacted instantly.
Her staff pointed forward as she uttered the short chant.
An invisible, piercing sonic wave tore through the air, striking the fireball mid-flight.
Boom.
The fireball detonated prematurely, bursting into sparks.
Faen couldn't help but twitch slightly.
Magic attacks too?
This wasn't just "unfriendly to beginners."
This was a genuine rookie killer.
What first-time adventurer was supposed to handle a monster capable of ranged magic on Floor 1?
But monsters born of the Dungeon obeyed the Dungeon's laws—
The weak point was always the magic stone.
No matter how powerful its regeneration, if the magic stone shattered, it would die.
Understanding that, Faen stopped hesitating.
He kicked off the ground and shot forward like an arrow.
This time, he didn't aim for a single decisive strike.
His blade became a storm of slashes, cutting repeatedly into the Slime's body in rapid succession.
Several flashes of steel later—
The Fire Slime's gelatinous mass finally gave way, split into multiple pieces.
A glowing red magic stone was exposed.
This time, the fragments did not regenerate.
"So if the burst damage is high enough, it can't recover in time…"
Faen made a mental note, abandoning the idea of directly destroying the magic stone.
After all, shattering it meant forfeiting profit. That was a last resort.
He retrieved the larger magic stone—noticeably bigger than a Goblin's—and a lump of still-warm red slime residue.
Robin approached, her expression serious.
"This is one of the 'special monsters' caused by your skill, isn't it?"
"It's much more troublesome than a Goblin."
She had studied Eina's materials.
There were no Fire Slimes on Floor 1.
Monsters capable of magic typically appeared in the Middle Floors—like Hellhounds.
Though this Fire Slime's firepower was weaker than a Hellhound's, its regenerative durability made it equally dangerous to rookies.
At that moment—
Distant shouts and screams echoed through adjacent corridors.
Explosions of fireballs reverberated faintly.
Faen and Robin exchanged a look.
Both saw the same realization—and a trace of wry resignation.
Clearly—
The "surprise" brought by [The Abyss That Gazes Back] wasn't limited to them alone.
The entirety of Dungeon Floor 1 had just been forced into an unexpected initiation trial.
=================
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