"That boy... he must be a novice adventurer."
This judgment wasn't based solely on his blood-covered, terrible state. There were many other telling signs.
His poor-quality equipment, his running posture that showed no defensive awareness, and the commotion he was making in the dangerous Dungeon — all these reckless, amateur behaviors indicated his lack of adventuring experience.
However... Adam waited, yet saw no one pursuing him.
Typically, novice adventurers would have a guide or at least teammates accompanying them. This boy was completely alone.
Could his teammates all be dead?
It seemed likely. Party wipeouts in the Dungeon were commonplace, after all.
Pushing the thought aside, he pressed onward.
The 2nd Floor mirrored the 1st, spawning only Goblins and Kobolds — pathetically weak monsters that offered no experience points.
He theorized that the Dungeon's difficulty didn't increase gradually, but rather jumped dramatically at certain floors, much like how adventurers advanced in rank.
"Easy, easy, let's keep going deeper." Gathering the scattered magic stone fragments, he ventured further into the Dungeon.
As Adam had predicted, this floor's monsters matched those of the previous two. The only difference was their increased spawn rate — they now emerged from the walls in groups rather than individually.
Still not a challenge. With such weak monsters, he could confidently declare, "I'll take on a hundred of them!"
Tap tap, tap tap tap, tap tap tap tap—
Just as he reached down to collect another magic stone, his keen ears detected the sound of multiple footsteps.
A group of adventurers... It was an Expedition Party!
A large group of adventurers moving together could only mean one thing — a dungeon exploration expedition. Adam just wasn't sure which Familia they belonged to.
Curious, he paused after collecting the magic stone. The chaotic footsteps grew louder as they approached.
After five minutes, the expedition party came into view.
The spiral staircase hugging the wall first revealed a linen banner bearing a large emblem.
The jester's expression was peculiar, simultaneously comical and unsettling.
"Oh." Adam couldn't suppress his small gasp of surprise.
Only one Familia used a jester as their emblem — the Loki Familia.
Who would have thought their first meeting would be in the Dungeon...
Wait! Could that blood-covered boy from earlier have been the "Rabbit"? Had he just missed Bell?
The black blood had obscured the boy's features, so Adam hadn't looked closely. If he'd known it was Bell Cranel, he would have called out to him.
As he pondered this, the group emerged before him.
At the front walked a young boy with brownish-yellow hair, wielding a golden spear nearly twice his height. Flanking him were a green-haired elf girl holding an ornate staff and a thick-bearded dwarf carrying a battle axe.
Finn, Riveria, and Gareth — all Level 6 First Class Adventurers and renowned figures in the Labyrinth City Orario. Their presence alone confirmed this as the Loki Familia expedition.
Behind them came more distinctive members: a white-furred werewolf, the Amazon sisters, a blonde girl in revealing backless attire, and a elf girl staying close to her.
These adventurers moved with proud bearing, eyes fixed ahead. Even alone in the dungeon, they carried themselves with the dignity and overwhelming presence befitting one of Orario's strongest Familias.
Yet their aura had no effect on Adam.
"So this is Level 6... huh." Feeling their pressure, he could only feel disappointment.
He had anticipated more from First Class Adventurers, but they fell short of his expectations.
After all, he had faced far mightier opponents — Reinhard, Witch of Vainglory, White Whale, Roswaal, and others. These powerhouses dwarf them in strength.
"Sigh." He let out a light sigh.
Perhaps his enthusiasm for exploring the Dungeon had been misplaced.
The Loki Familia's expedition party passed by Adam without stopping or speaking, as if he were invisible.
How strange. He was the only person on the entire 3rd Floor, and his white cloak made him impossible to miss.
They likely dismissed him as some novice adventurer from another Familia, not worth their attention.
This wasn't unusual. In the Dungeon, even members of the renowned Loki Familia avoided casual conversation with strangers — it could raise suspicions.
Yet to Adam's surprise, one person did address him: Tiona Hiryute, the younger of the Amazon sisters.
"Hey, you shouldn't go any deeper, okay?" she called out in a lively voice to the lone 'novice adventurer', "The Dungeon isn't safe right now, you should leave quickly."
"...Is that so. Thank you for the advice, I understand." Adam replied quietly after a pause.
Common courtesy demanded gratitude for such well-meant warnings.
Tione, the elder Hiryute sister, immediately bristled at her sibling's interaction with an outsider.
She yanked Tiona back by the ear, "Hey, what are you doing talking to strangers? What if people get the wrong idea!"
"But we can't just watch him go deeper, after what we encountered earlier that thing..."
"That's still no reason to talk to outsiders!" Tione snapped, glancing at their captain, "When we're outside, everything must go through the captain first. Have you forgotten that again?!"
"...Yes, I'm sorry, I was wrong."
With that apology, the Loki Familia expedition party pressed onward without further pause, gradually vanishing toward the second floor.
Finn, leading the group, stopped and glanced back, though his target remained unclear.
"Finn." Riveria called softly.
"Ah, I know — that remarkable magical power... When did such a person arrive in Orario?"
Finn resumed walking, his intuition prompting these unbidden words.
"I sense major changes coming to Orario."
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