When Alex had left the Town of Thaloria a few days ago, he only had one goal in mind.
Increase his Constitution as fast as possible by fighting Rank 1 Monsters and leveling up. Only when he was satisfied with his stats would he go to the temple to change his Class and become a Shielder.
Unexpectedly, the trip to the Hartwell Residence boosted his stats, swiftly surpassing his initial goal.
And the pleasant surprise didn't end there.
He was given the chance to join the Clawford Tribe Catkins—those who had just completed their coming-of-age ceremony—in challenging the Etherion Domain.
Domains were mysterious pocket dimensions that appeared without rhyme or reason. Some families had discovered these places over the years and kept them secret, passing access to them through generations to maintain their advantage.
The Hartwell Clan had been one of those families.
But unlike others, they hadn't hoarded the Etherion Domain for themselves. Instead, they had chosen to share it with the Clawford Tribe, allowing any youth from the Clawford Tribe to enter as soon as they were of age.
This decision had not only strengthened the tribe's younger generation but also cemented the Clawford Tribe's status as the overlords of Etherion Mountain.
"Master, your grandpa said the Etherion Domain is similar to a dungeon and has several floors. How deep is it exactly?"
"Ten floors," Cairo answered. "The first and second floors only have Rank 1 Monsters, so it's relatively safe for beginners like you. Also, the teenagers who will be challenging it are fifteen to sixteen years old."
Cairo smirked as he stared pointedly at Alex, as if to point out that his disciple, at seventeen, would be the oldest participant.
For the Catkins, the coming-of-age ceremony took place when they turned fifteen. By then, most had already undergone years of rigorous training to become warriors.
In the harsh environment they lived in, survival required knowing how to defend oneself, which was why training at a young age was mandatory.
Among everyone in the Clawford Tribe, members of the Hartwell Clan were the ones who went through the most intense training.
Since they were considered royalty by their people, it was their duty to ensure that they had the means to protect those who were under their wing.
"The lower you go, the stronger the monsters. At the bottom, there are Rank 5 Monsters," Cairo explained.
"So the third and fourth floors have Rank 2 Monsters," Alex inferred. "The fifth and sixth have Rank 3. Floors seven and eight are Rank 4. And finally, the ninth and tenth floors are home to Rank 5 monsters."
The young man pondered for a while and assessed the power levels of the monsters inside the Etherion Domain.
With his current stats, fighting Rank 1 Monsters posed no problem at all.
As for Rank 2 Monsters, he might be able to win against them as long as he stuck to his usual hit-and-run tactics. However, they would only be effective if his opponents were slower than him.
If he were to face a red-eyed zebra jumping spider again, it would become a battle of life and death.
Alex had no plans on risking his life at all, especially since his chances of winning against one were only ten percent—that was already a generous estimate.
As if understanding what he was thinking, Cairo smiled and said something that put his mind at ease.
"There will be Guardians standing over the entrance of the third floor," the Catkin explained. "Every year, there are many fearless and hot-blooded teenagers who feel like they can easily defeat a Rank 2 Monster just because Rank 1 Monsters don't pose a challenge to them.
"After multiple casualties because of that line of thinking, our tribe established a safety measure. Now, there are guards stationed to prevent anyone from sneaking into the third and fourth floors of the domain.
"Unless something out of the norm happens, you and the rest will just be fighting against feral dogs, horned rabbits, and wild boars."
Alex looked at his master with a conflicted expression on his face.
"Master, please don't raise flags," he finally said.
"What flags?" Cairo blinked in confusion. "I don't even have a flag."
Dim Dim giggled as it was the only one who understood what Alex was trying to say. But, since "raising a flag" was a term popular only on Earth, the people of Arcana had no idea what it signified.
"Master, there's a law called Murphy's Law," Alex explained. "This law states that anything that can possibly go wrong will go wrong. So, you shouldn't mention things that can go wrong because it MIGHT happen."
Cairo frowned, but still nodded in understanding.
"I will be more careful in the future," he promised.
There was an age-old saying among the Dragons that words contain power. Once something was said, the laws of the world could sometimes make it manifest.
As she had been standing at the corner of the room awaiting Cairo's order, Roselia also paid close attention to the conversation.
Just like the Young Master, this was the first time she had heard of the so-called Murphy's Law.
But for some reason, she didn't dismiss Alex's words as complete nonsense. She figured it wouldn't hurt to be more careful in saying things in the future.
"Master, are there any rules I need to follow when I'm inside the domain?" Alex inquired.
"Yes, there are a few rules that you need to remember," Cairo replied. "The first rule is that you can compete with everyone inside the dungeon, but you are not allowed to kill anyone."
"Breaking their bones, cutting off their limbs, blinding them, or anything that could cripple them during this expedition which may result in their death is punishable by our laws."
"How about when it's self-defense?" Alex asked. "Sometimes, it will be hard not to injure someone when they attack with the intention to hurt you."
"Self-defense is justified," Cairo answered. "The domain will automatically kick everyone out of the dungeon after ten days. After that, we will investigate whether the challengers are seriously hurt by their peers."
"We are promoting healthy competition. Eliminating rivals inside the domain doesn't count as healthy competition. There have been instances like that in the past. So, Alex, if you see someone is about to be harmed by the other Catkins, I order you as my disciple to help them."
"Yes, Master." Alex nodded. "I'll do my best. You'll help me too, right, Dim Dim?"
"Dim Dim~" The Dim Sum God nodded in affirmation.
Cairo smiled. "Good. Now, rest properly. After two days, you will follow everyone to the hidden passage that will lead you inside the Etherion Mountain. Truth be told, humans aren't supposed to be allowed to take the test, but my grandfather made an exception.
"So, don't take it to heart if some of the Catkins are hostile to you when you enter the dungeon. If they attack you, you have my permission to defend yourself and break their legs."
"Thank you, Master," Alex answered.
Ever since the increase of his stats he had been yearning to fight against a Rank 1 monster in close combat.
Back then, he had been too afraid to engage one in a direct confrontation, relying on throwing stones or using a bow and arrow to damage them.
But Alex understood that he couldn't always do that.
Now that he had become stronger, he wanted to learn how to fight properly and put the lessons that he had learned from his master to the test.