The War Game would take place in two days.
Roy and Ryuu did not continue dungeon runs.
First, Roy's status was already approaching the upper limit of Level 1. The rewards from ordinary dungeon floors were steadily diminishing and could no longer provide him with meaningful stat gains.
As for challenging high-difficulty floors, the risks were uncontrollable. If something went wrong right before the War Game—falling before even setting foot on the battlefield—it would be a complete joke.
So after recovering from his injuries, Roy chose another path.
Training for combat against people.
The instructor was, without question, the elf girl herself.
After Roy officially joined the Astraea Familia, Miss Ryuu's attitude toward him had clearly softened. She no longer jumped straight to violence at every turn.
Inside the courtyard of the Stardust Garden, two figures flashed past one another at high speed, repeatedly crossing paths. The crisp clang of weapons colliding echoed through the air.
It was Roy and Ryuu.
Both wielded training weapons—real blades with edges. Adventurers weren't that delicate.
Fighting monsters and fighting people were fundamentally different things. Monsters lacked intelligence; they acted purely on instinct, driven only to kill their enemy. Intelligent beings, on the other hand, were cunning.
To give a simple example: if Roy swung a sword at a monster, it might charge straight in like a bull. An adventurer, however, would dodge, block, counterattack—or even deliberately expose an opening to lure the enemy in.
In short, when fighting people, unless you had overwhelming strength, you needed to be extremely cautious. Your opponent might pull out a powerful magic sword in the next second, or activate some bizarre skill without warning.
"Too naive!"
Once Miss Ryuu entered instructor mode, she became utterly ruthless. Though she wouldn't slash him with her blade, her punches and kicks showed no mercy as they landed squarely on Roy.
A Level 4 across-the-board advantage crushed Roy completely.
That slender, delicate hand unleashed force like a mountain, sending Roy flying.
Before long, Roy was beaten black and blue. Of course, this had been his own request—if you don't sweat during training, are you planning to bleed during real combat?
"So brutal!"
Hearing the sounds from the courtyard, members of the Ganesha Familia stationed at the gate smacked their lips. A Level 4 beating a Level 1—there was no suspense at all. It was pure suffering.
Roy often brought them snacks, so their relationship was decent, but even they could do nothing in this situation.
For Roy, it was pain and joy intertwined.
With limit-breaking stats, awakened skills, and feats that bordered on the absurd, it was impossible for him not to feel at least a bit proud and complacent. And yet, Miss Ryuu slammed him straight down from the clouds, making him realize just how much of a rookie Level 1 he still was.
As long as you hadn't reached Level 2, your treatment in Orario was worlds apart.
Although Orario seemed to have countless adventurers, more than half of them were actually stuck struggling at Level 1.
Only adventurers at Level 2 and above were considered true upper-class adventurers—capable of acquiring Development Abilities, receiving titles bestowed by the gods, and becoming honored guests in any familia, welcomed wherever they went.
At the same time, under Miss Ryuu's relentless fists, Roy's experience in fighting people skyrocketed.
After about five hours, Roy's stamina was completely drained. He couldn't even remain standing.
"Take a break," Miss Ryuu said.
Roy collapsed onto the ground like a corpse, his body covered in bruises, deep exhaustion written all over his face.
Miss Ryuu frowned.
Sensing her displeasure, Roy immediately straightened his posture. She often warned him that an adventurer must remain vigilant at all times—especially when mentally exhausted. That was precisely when enemies would seize the opportunity to strike.
Only then did Miss Ryuu nod in satisfaction and walk away.
Rubbing his aching lower back, Roy chuckled wryly. Under Miss Ryuu's Spartan-style training, combat instincts were practically being carved into his bones.
By evening, the Guild's unfortunate representative, Raymond, came over to verify eligibility for the War Game.
When he saw the Sword of Justice and wings engraved on Roy's back, a flicker of surprise passed through Raymond's eyes. To still stand with the Astraea Familia at a time like this—he had to admit, that took courage.
"All right," Raymond said. "Confirmed participants in the War Game: Ryuu Lion and Roy."
Grinning, Roy asked, "How many people from the Rudra Familia are participating?"
Raymond's mouth twitched. Asking for insider information so openly—this guy really had a thick skin.
By principle, he wasn't supposed to say anything. But since the embodiment of those principles—Ouranos himself—had given the word, and considering the Astraea Familia's past merits, some leniency was allowed as long as it didn't affect the overall situation.
Roy knew this too.
Raymond lowered his voice. "The Rudra Familia has one hundred and fifty-two participants."
"So few?"
Both Roy and Miss Ryuu looked surprised. They had assumed the enemy would have at least three hundred people.
In Orario, where vice was legal, corruption spread easily. The number of people with dark hearts far exceeded imagination—many of them fresh blood for the Dark Faction.
And the evil gods' attitudes didn't help either: the more vile someone was, the more they liked them. Scum were everywhere, and none were turned away.
Naturally, Dark Familias tended to be huge.
Raymond gave a bitter smile. "Because you raised the bounty, quite a few members of the Rudra Familia have been killed these past few days—including several Level 2 adventurers."
That explained everything.
"Pay out the bounties by headcount," Roy said with a grin. "That cuts our pressure in half. Those adventurers deserve it. Not paying them would be inhumane—give and take, that's how business lasts."
Artificial Labyrinth — Daedalus.
The final work of Daedalus, the craftsman who built Babel Tower a thousand years ago. A maze similar to the Dungeon, left unfinished until his death.
Now, it had become one of the Dark Faction's most important strongholds.
In the deepest central hall, stones emitted a faint glow, illuminating the surroundings.
The walls were decorated with the insignia of a divine faction: a heart of iron and bronze, and a black single wing shaped like a reaper's scythe.
The Thanatos Familia.
A man sitting on the steps radiated faint divine authority. Upon hearing the report, he laughed.
"A War Game inside the Dungeon? Hahaha—how interesting. Those surface dwellers always come up with such entertaining ideas."
A follower below said, "The Rudra Familia wants our help transporting supplies."
The Dungeon entrance beneath Babel Tower had been sealed by the Guild, preventing either familia from entering in advance—but the artificial labyrinth was another route into the Dungeon.
"Tell them to get lost," said Thanatos, the God of Death, with disdain.
"Over a hundred people against a single girl, and they still want to play dirty tricks. Disgusting."
Their strength and foundation were on a completely different level from the Rudra Familia's.
Having absorbed the remnants of the Dark Faction defeated during the Great Feud, the Thanatos Familia boasted large numbers of Level 3 and Level 4 adventurers—and even possessed Level 5 and Level 6 powerhouses.