"There is, however, one thing I'd like," I persisted, my tone turning a shade more serious.
I gestured towards the now-empty space where the basilisk's massive tail had once lain. "I don't need the loot-sellables. But I need... materials. For my crafts.
A section of the creature's body, maybe the head or tail part, if possible, in a completely intact state.
The Association's harvesters will hack it apart for maximum coin value, but I need a pristine sample."
As long as I had at least one section of the creature's intact body, I could perform material collection to collect EP from the hunted being.
I had already tested this at Rose's suggestion, but I didn't explain it to the party.
I didn't really need to.
After the display of the last half-hour, my requests were now operating on a different level of credibility.
Captain Borin didn't even blink at the request. "Done. Mark the section you want before we hand it over to the association. Finn, note it down."
Finn, now looking at me with the fervor of a disciple, eagerly pulled out a notepad. "Pristine sample, is it? You got it, boss!"
He was also a support unit, but we were completely different when it came to our classes.
These people were considerate enough not to pry into my personal details, so I couldn't just leech off of them now, can I?
"Alright then," The captain announced, looking back after the discussion. "Shall we move up now?"
The blue light of the second-floor staircase present right beyond the altar was a cool, calming balm after the hellish glow of the boss chamber.
The transition as we all walked up to what seemed to be only a floor's worth of stairs was the same nauseating lurch, but when the world snapped back into focus sooner, the change was immediate and total.
The oppressive heat was gone, replaced by a damp, earthy chill. We stood in another cavern, but this one was different.
It was a junction, with three rough-hewn tunnels leading away into darkness.
The walls weren't the chaotic, volcanic rock of the first floor; they were a more uniform, grey stone, etched with the slow, patient passage of stalactite water and time.
The air also smelled of wet rock, loam, and something faintly metallic. Newest update provided by N0veI.Fiɾe.net
"Welcome to the second floor," The captain announced, his voice echoing slightly in the larger space. "The Labyrinthine Caves. It's a maze, unlike the straight pathway on the lower floor. A big one at that.
But the start is always safe."
He pointed to a recess in the cavern wall where a soft, light-green dome of energy hummed gently— a dungeon-safe zone.
It was a permanent fixture, a rest stop built into the very fabric of the level.
"We'll rest here for an hour. Bind your wounds, check your gear, get your mana back, and eat some light snacks before we move," Borin ordered as the captain, striding towards the dome and passing through its shimmering surface without hesitation.
Though I was fascinated by the structure, we followed behind.
The moment I stepped inside the dome, I felt the familiar sensation of passive restoration— a gentle easing of muscle fatigue, a slow trickle of stamina returning.
But unlike what I was used to, this one was... sluggish. Like a weak Wi-Fi signal compared to a fiber-optic cable that I made.
I placed a hand against the energy field. Then, my architect senses reached out, analyzing its structure.
[ "Do you want assistance with analysis?" ]
The fundamental principle was the same here as my Safe Zone blueprint— this was an energy transmutation construct designed to repel hostility and encourage recovery. But the execution was crude in this one.
[ "The detailed report will now be compiled." ]
The mana weave was loose, inefficient, I'd say; it was bleeding energy into the surrounding environment instead of being a closed space. It seemed like a cheap, mass-produced version of a bespoke design.
[" Comparative Efficiency is 34% lower for the present structure. Stability of the safe zone is High comparatively. Mana Consumption, however. It is also High for the produced low output." ]
[ "It is a rudimentary but stable implementation of a larger-scale blueprint. Your [Safe Zone (Novice)] blueprint is 280% more efficient individually." ]
I smirked to myself at the words of my little skill.
My green dome didn't just block threats; it actively, aggressively healed as well.
This one was just a slightly comfy waiting room.
"Oh, right." Coming back to reality at the captain's call, I got back on my feet and helped the others with the supplies that I carried in my storage space as we settled in.
Finn started meticulously cleaning his gadgets. Kaela checked every inch of her bowstring. Cass meditated, his staff across his knees.
Cap Borin sat with his back to the wall, his eyes closed, but I knew he was listening to every drip of water, every distant scuttle in the tunnels.
'Deligent as ever...'
I leaned back, Qwy curling up in my lap, and closed my eyes as well.
The image of the labyrinth map Borin had sketched in the dirt floated behind my eyelids.
Sadly... we're just at the beginning.
But as good as this rest felt... I did not know at this moment that the things I had forgotten to look after would cause an irreversible trouble for many innocent individuals...
(Sometime in the near future: )
Far below, on the first floor, in the secluded sector where a certain anomalous green dome still pulsed with vibrant energy, Guard Captain Reddy stood with her hand clenching her wand.
Her unit of guards flanked her, their faces grim.
The scene before them... was a slaughterhouse.
A party of adventurers— now unidentifiable— lay in a bloody pile, their bodies torn apart by something possessing immense strength and razor-sharp claws.
But that wasn't what held Reddy's attention.
In the center of the carnage, coiled protectively around a clutch of three, pulsating, opalescent eggs, was a serpent.
It was enormous, easily twenty feet long, with scales of pristine, brilliant white that gleamed like polished ivory in the gloom.
Its head was raised, a regal crest flared around its neck, and its slitted, intelligent eyes watched Reddy with a calm, unnerving focus.
This was no mere dungeon mob; this was a [White-Scale Naga], evolved from an [Argent-Scale], a creature of legend, a 'dungeon' boss in its own right.
And between the Naga and the dead adventurers, humming with serene, potent power, was... a dark green Safe Zone.
The dome of green light was pristine, untouched by the violence that had occurred just outside its perimeter. It was a sanctuary in a field of death, an impossible paradox that no one present really understood.
The Naga hadn't attacked them. It simply watched, its presence a clear, unyielding warning: Come no closer.
Perhaps the ones who do not live anymore had ignored that warning, resulting in this... mess.
"A safe zone is a privilege of the challengers."
"Or so it should have been..."
Reddy's mind raced, piecing together the scene.
The adventurers had stumbled upon the Naga's nest.
They had attacked. And they had been annihilated.
But the Safe Zone... it had appeared after the fight? No.
Few, including her, had known about this unique safe zone... it had appeared right after Aria left this place.
And why was a boss-level creature from a deeper floor nesting on the first floor, of all places? She could fairly guess the reason.
Her eyes, sharp and worried, stared at the vibrant green dome. It was a question mark written in pure, potent magic.
And she had a terrible, sinking feeling that the answer was tied directly to the most unpredictable, fascinating, and troublesome woman she had ever met.
"Aria," she whispered to herself, the name a sigh laden with dread and a flicker of awe. "What have you done now?"