Arthas slowly opened his eyes and shifted his body.
Being in an underground building, he couldn't hear the birds chirping or see the sunlight, so he could only rely on his senses to tell the time.
"Only five o'clock?"
Looking up at the clock hanging on the door, he hadn't slept very long.
He wasn't tired, so going to the Dungeon wouldn't be a problem.
Unknown devices on the ceiling glowed faintly like phosphorescence, seemingly magical creations that prevented the room from being completely dark, even underground, allowing him to see his surroundings.
Trying to get up, he noticed something was amiss. Underneath the sheet, there was a round object on his body.
It was so light he hadn't noticed it immediately.
This was the second time they'd slept together, but last time, the girl's sleeping position hadn't been this bad. Arthas chuckled, lifting the covers to see the girl sleeping soundly with her head buried in his chest.
Her posture was typical of someone lacking security, a sight that made Arthas feel a pang of sympathy. Getting up without waking her would be easy, but for some reason, he didn't want to let go of this warm and comfortable pillow—a truly divine pillow.
Enjoying the warmth for a moment, Arthas slowly moved, intending to get up.
As their bodies separated, Hestia murmured in her sleep and, like a spoiled baby, rubbed her face against Arthas's chest.
"She really does like to act spoiled…"
Gently pressing his forehead against her cheek, Arthas got up and quietly left the room.
"What… I told you not to treat me like a child… you idiot, Arthas."
Her sigh mingled with the slightly cold morning air as Hestia curled up and burrowed back into the warm blankets.
She seemed to still smell Arthas's scent, and she closed her eyes peacefully.
"Please… come back safely…"
Arthas walked alone down the main street, different from usual. The usually bustling street felt strangely empty, the stone shops lining both sides still closed.
The eastern sky was already bright. Even in the morning, he could feel the presence of people—Hobbits preparing to open their shops, and dwarves, like him, adventurers discussing something in a group. They were probably heading to the Dungeon.
However, unlike other adventurers, Arthas's appearance was unremarkable. He wore no protective gear, and carried something like a vegetable basket.
The basket belonged to Syr from yesterday; Arthas planned to return it on his way.
Passing the tavern from last night, he saw Syr moving tables and chairs, preparing to open. Seeing Arthas, she paused in surprise.
"Adventurer-san, are you heading to the Dungeon so early?"
Taking the empty basket, Syr asked in surprise.
"Yes, to earn enough money to repay you."
Facing someone other than Hestia for the first time, Arthas spoke playfully.
"Um… Adventurer-san, you're much nicer than last night. But it would be better if you smiled a little when joking; it's not a stand-up routine."
Though she said this, Syr couldn't help but laugh at Arthas's expression.
"Um… I wasn't smiling?"
Arthas touched his face, his serious expression amusing Syr again.
"Okay, wait a moment."
Entering the shop with the empty basket, Syr returned shortly after, the basket once again filled with delicate pastries.
"You got up so early, you must not have had breakfast."
"Eh…?"
"Please, don't be polite. We're friends, aren't we?"
"Friends?"
Arthas murmured, his lips unconsciously curving upward, causing Syr to become excited, as if discovering a new world.
"Oh, so Adventurer-san, you can smile! You look good when you smile. You should smile more often."
"Just call me Arthas."
"Oh, my apologies! Good luck today, Arthas-kun."
Laughing softly and encouraging him, Syr returned to her work.
It was so early that few people were around the Dungeon entrance. Even the first floor was empty.
In that case… he should encounter monsters, right?
But Arthas was destined to be disappointed. Even without other adventurers on the first floor, after wandering for a long time, he still hadn't encountered a single monster.
As more adventurers began to appear, Arthas grew slightly impatient.
What… was going on? Why wasn't he encountering any monsters?
The Dungeon, like a giant labyrinth, was full of mystery.
The only remaining Dungeon in the world, according to the knowledge Eina had given Arthas, existed in the lower world even before the Gods' arrival.
One theory claimed that the Dungeon's lowest level led to Hell, the Demon World, etc. The Gods seemed to know something but didn't want to reveal it.
"A Dungeon is a Dungeon. Why seek anything else within it?"
This was a common phrase among the Gods, filled with ambiguous meaning.
During his conversation with Eina, Arthas also learned something incredible: the Dungeon was alive.
However, the walls wouldn't come alive and attack adventurers, and the layout of each floor wouldn't change. As proof, maps of floors cleared by adventurers could be sold to the Guild. But the lower the floor, the unbelievably vast the area became. There were many floors whose maps hadn't been fully completed.
This implied that the Dungeon's structure, if damaged, would automatically repair itself.
It was said that the Dungeon was composed of lower or higher-order substances of magic stones. The Dungeon's composition remains a mystery to scholars, only observable phenomena being documented.
Also, due to the near-magic stone material, the Dungeon was bright even without sunlight. Especially on the first floor, the ceiling emitted a phosphorescence like illumination, making it absurdly bright at all times.
The monsters were like life born from this living Dungeon.
Although it sounds like a joke, they do crawl out of the Dungeon walls like chicks hatching from eggs. Many people have witnessed this scene. This is why, no matter how many monsters adventurers hunt, more will always appear.
But why hadn't he seen a single monster spawn in such a long time?
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