[Floor Boss Goliath defeated. You have obtained 1,000 attribute points and a Silver Chest.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained the Goliath Scarf!]
After the members of the Apollo Familia departed, Roy—now free—checked the notification panel that had popped up. Just before its death, Goliath had seemed to erupt in a dazzling burst of golden light.
Name: Roy
Level: Lv.2
Strength: 47 → 247 (G)
Endurance: 18 → 218 (G)
Dexterity: 68 → 368 (F)
Agility: 130 → 430 (E)
Magic: 88 → 276 (G)
Development Ability: Adventurer (I)
Skills: My Lord Is Here, Blood for Blood
Magic: Lord of Thunder
…
Roy distributed the attribute points. Including the 188 points he had saved earlier, despite having just leveled up not long ago, his abilities were already approaching those of veteran Lv.2 adventurers who had spent years grinding. If anyone found out, they would be utterly shocked.
Next, Roy selected "Open Chest."
[Silver Chest opened. Congratulations, you have obtained three bottles of Panacea (Advanced), an Equipment Enhancer (Epic), and Celtia's Treasure Map!]
Name: Equipment Enhancer
Rarity: Epic
Description: Select one piece of equipment to enhance, upgrading its rarity to Epic. Success rate: 99%.
…
Name: Celtia's Treasure Map
Rarity: Unknown
Description: A map leading to the burial site of the "Elf Saint Princess Celtia." Proceed with caution.
…
Name: Goliath Scarf
Rarity: Epic
Description: A material dropped by the Floor Boss Goliath. Three meters long and two meters wide, it possesses defensive capabilities equal to Goliath itself and provides remarkable resistance against physical attacks.
…
Looking at the notifications, Roy couldn't help but admire the Silver Chest—plenty of good loot. Potions were always useful, and the Equipment Enhancer was exceptional…
But compared to all of that, Roy's gaze settled on the plain-looking parchment scroll—
Celtia's Treasure Map.
Celtia!
To ordinary people of this world, the name might sound unfamiliar. But to anyone with even a slight understanding of ancient heroes, it would resound like thunder.
Orario is home to the Heroes' Bridge, where over thirty statues stand—depicting the legendary figures of ancient times who fought endlessly to seal the Great Hole, the Dungeon, and achieved monumental deeds upon this land.
Shalion the Wolf Emperor's Descendant, Ivilta the Amazon Empress, Jazneff the Undying Lord, Xitu the Tyrant Spear, Sophia of the Fairy Dynasty, the Great Hero Albert…
And Celtia was among them.
The first elf of royal blood to walk beyond the forest, she traveled the world, slaying countless monsters that escaped the Dungeon, and was revered as the Saint Princess of the Elves.
A treasure map!
A spark of excitement flashed in Roy's eyes. That grave was bound to contain priceless treasures—wasn't this practically tempting someone who lived for adventure?
However, this matter had to remain strictly confidential.
The Elf Royal Lineage was an exceptionally special existence among elves. Across the world, elves revered them to a degree that even surpassed their reverence for gods.
To put it simply—within the Freya Familia, the two elven knights known as the White and Black Knights were both Lv.6, the same as Riveria. Yet in front of her, they behaved with utmost respect, daring not show the slightest disrespect.
If the elves learned that he intended to loot the grave of an Elf Royal, they would likely band together and scatter his ashes across the world.
And right now, there was an elf standing right in front of him.
"What's wrong?"
Ryuu noticed Roy's strange look and frowned slightly, her beautiful brows knitting together.
Roy shook his head repeatedly. Forget the elves of the Freya Familia—Ryuu alone could crush him effortlessly.
With the Floor Boss Goliath defeated, the entire 17th Floor seemed to grow quiet. Monster spawn rates dropped noticeably. Roy picked up the magic stones dropped by Goliath—heavy in his hands, and worth a considerable amount of valis by themselves.
Roy asked, "My bag's almost full. Should we return to the surface? Or head to the 18th Floor…?"
Normally, the decisive elf girl wouldn't hesitate for even a moment. Seeing Ryuu remain silent, Roy immediately understood.
"…Let's go to the 18th Floor."
Ryuu sighed. Having come this far, not seeing it would feel wrong. It was something she had to face eventually.
Roy wasn't surprised. He dispelled his thunder incarnation—it wasn't something others could be allowed to see—and hoisted the massive backpack stuffed with magic stones and monster materials onto his back.
Together, they headed toward the passage leading to the 18th Floor.
After passing through the long tunnel, a brilliant light flooded their vision. Roy instinctively narrowed his eyes. When he opened them again, a breathtaking scene was reflected before him.
The 18th Floor was a safe zone—no labyrinth, no dividing walls, just a vast circular space where monsters typically did not spawn.
Steep rock walls surrounded the entire floor, stretching all the way to the ceiling, embedded with countless radiant crystals. Their light formed a sky of shimmering blue.
The scenery was so beautiful it could only be described as nature's masterpiece—something no human hand could ever create.
It was said that some wealthy patrons, simply to witness this sight, paid enormous sums to hire adventurers to escort them all the way down to the 18th Floor.
Upon seeing the scenery, some even decided that this was where they wished to be buried after death.
Roy and Ryuu stood at the southern end of the 18th Floor, the cave leading back to the 17th Floor behind them.
Before them stretched a vast green forest, extending from the south toward the east, complete with clear streams and springs. To the north lay a marshland with sparse trees.
Following behind Ryuu, they walked along a narrow path through the forest, until a peculiar graveyard came into view—filled with swords, spears, and staves stuck into the ground.
The graves of former members of the Astraea Familia.
Their bodies had been devoured by Dungeon monsters on the 30th Floor. Ryuu had only managed to recover some of their weapons.
The surroundings were serene and remote, far from any settlement. Few adventurers ever came here, and the weapons planted in the ground were already badly damaged—nothing anyone would bother stealing.
As a result, the graveyard was able to retain its long-lasting peace.
Ryuu placed the flowers she had picked along the way before the graves. The frost-like coldness on her face melted, revealing a complex mix of longing, pain, and bitterness. Large tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Alise… Kaguya… Lyra…"
She spoke the names of her former comrades, her voice trembling.
"The Rudra Familia has already been destroyed. I've avenged you. Rest in peace. Anyone connected to the Dark Faction—I will kill them all!"
A look of reverence appeared on Roy's face as he silently offered a bouquet of flowers.
"Let's go back."
"So soon? We could stay a little longer."
"There's no time to waste. I need to repay the debt as soon as possible. If Lady Astraea continues to bear such a heavy burden, Alise and the others would never forgive me."
Listening to the elf girl's stubborn words, Roy muttered inwardly—she really was single-minded. Being schemed against by an ancient monster who'd lived for hundreds of millions of years, and she still hadn't realized it.
Still, that worked perfectly for him.
It was time to play his next card.
A cruel smile slowly spread across Roy's lips.