Clang—Clang—
The sound of mining echoed through the Water Capital Labyrinth.
Large quantities of Water Capital Crystals were being excavated.
This entire exposed crystal vein was rapidly mined by Cao Ye.
Anywhere there was ore, he dug it out without hesitation.
Before long, more than half of the deposit had been harvested.
All the crystals now rested quietly inside his Imaginary Space.
Normally, even if adventurers discovered such a place, they could only mine selectively.
After all, their carrying capacity was limited.
Taking too much would only make the journey back dangerous.
But for Cao Ye—
That was the least of his worries.
"Wow! We're rich, Traveler!"
Paimon happily floated behind him, thrilled by the harvest.
After all, when Cao Ye made money, Paimon made money too.
If the Traveler had money—
Then she would also have money.
Ais, on the other hand, watched quietly like an outsider.
She was far more curious about where Cao Ye had stored all those crystals.
This expedition had revealed far too many strange abilities he possessed.
Things she had never seen in anyone else.
"Alright."
"Work finished!"
After checking the area one final time to ensure no crystals were left behind, Cao Ye finally stopped.
Just this batch of Water Capital Crystals alone made the entire trip worthwhile.
Once sold back in Orario, it would bring in a huge amount of valis.
After that, Cao Ye and Ais continued exploring deeper.
Along the way they encountered many water-type monsters:
Metal Blue CrabsWater Horse BeastsCrystal TurtlesFloating FishGreat Water Serpents
All of them were defeated by Cao Ye and Ais.
Eventually they reached the bottom of the Great Azure Waterfall, marking the end of today's exploration.
The enormous waterfall connected three entire floors.
Not long ago, Cao Ye had stood above it in awe.
Now he was already standing below it.
It felt strangely surreal.
But that was enough for today.
Cao Ye decided it was time to head back.
This wasn't a long expedition.
If they went too deep, the return trip would take too long.
In fact—
Judging by the time now, they were already late.
"Too bad we didn't encounter the Two-Headed Dragon."
Cao Ye sighed.
If they had found it, he might have completed the great feat needed to reach Level 3.
But Dungeon floor bosses didn't respawn at fixed intervals.
The stronger the boss, the longer the respawn time.
The Two-Headed Dragon had been defeated less than a month ago.
It would probably take a while before it returned.
And so, Cao Ye and Ais hurried back through the Dungeon.
By the time they returned to Orario, night had already fallen.
Judging from the quiet streets, it was already very late.
They had clearly stayed out longer than planned.
"Ais, looks like we'll have to exchange the magic stones tomorrow."
"The Guild is closed."
"Yeah."
Ais nodded.
She wasn't particularly interested in money.
Their last expedition had been a month ago, and she had no debts.
So she didn't really care about valis.
Since it was late, they parted ways and returned home.
Cao Ye went straight into Babel Tower, heading directly to the top floor.
"Lord Cao Ye… you're finally back…"
Inside the room, Chun Ji had been waiting.
She had been waiting and waiting, but Cao Ye hadn't returned.
The longer it went on, the more anxious she became.
Girls often worried easily—
Especially since Cao Ye had never stayed out this late before.
She couldn't help imagining the worst.
Only when he finally returned late at night did she feel relieved.
"Alright, alright."
"I'm back now."
Cao Ye smiled.
Coming home to someone waiting for you felt wonderful.
It was like returning home from overtime and seeing the living room lights still on because someone was waiting.
"Traveler!"
"I'm hungry~~~"
The warm atmosphere was instantly shattered.
Turning around, Cao Ye saw Paimon rubbing her stomach with dissatisfaction.
It was already very late.
Which meant—
She had missed dinner.
And that was unacceptable.
"Hmm?"
Chun Ji finally noticed Paimon floating behind Cao Ye.
Looking at the adorable little flying creature, she looked puzzled.
Was there really a race like this in Orario?
So small.
Able to fly.
And clearly still young.
"Fine! Here!"
"Eat all you want!"
Cao Ye dumped a pile of stored food in front of Paimon.
What a glutton.
He already regretted giving her the foodie personality setting.
But it was too late now.
The system had already locked it in.
Paimon had only one response:
Food.
Her tiny body buried itself in the pile of snacks.
She ate happily.
Chun Ji stared at the scene in shock.
What exactly was going on?
Cao Ye didn't even know how to explain it.
So instead—
He simply picked Chun Ji up in a princess carry and walked straight into the bedroom.
Then he locked the door from the inside.
The house wasn't just him and Chun Ji anymore.
There was now a Paimon too.
Even though Paimon was a cursed corpse with self-awareness, Cao Ye had no interest in giving anyone a live broadcast.
So she stayed outside.
Fortunately, with food available, Paimon wouldn't wander off anyway.
"Lord Cao Ye…?"
Being carried like a princess made Chun Ji slightly confused.
But also flustered.
After all, this fox girl was deeply in love.
"I missed you."
"Everything Chun Ji has belongs to Lord Cao Ye."
Now that they had confirmed their relationship, they were in the sweet honeymoon phase.
They wished they could stay together all the time.
And right now—
Their emotions had already ignited.
That night, the lights remained on for a long time.
Only deep into the night did everything finally settle down.
Meanwhile—
The Paimon Cao Ye had worried about finished eating and immediately fell asleep.
Since their contract remained intact and she was at home, she felt completely safe.
Eat.
Sleep.
Life was good.
On the other side of the city—
When Ais returned late at night, she was greeted by Loki's intense interrogation.
The next day, after hearing the full story, everyone in Loki Familia became even more curious about Cao Ye.
Especially Loki.
She already knew he wasn't ordinary if Freya valued him so highly.
But she hadn't expected him to be this mysterious.
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