"Looking at the shimmering crystals overhead, one can't help but marvel at the Dungeon's mysterious structure." Adam quietly remarked.
He had returned after just half a day. No floor bosses had appeared during this time — they likely hadn't respawned since their defeat.
He wished they had respawned so he could have completed his "Great Deeds" along the way. But since his parameters hadn't reached the threshold yet, he pushed the thought aside.
Besides, the lower floors held plenty of strong enemies. Why fixate on just one type? Putting all his eggs in one basket wasn't his style.
"Better head to Rivira."
Originally, he'd planned to push through and handle logistics later. But he needed to be well-prepared — supplies, lodging, maps, and other necessities.
Walking through the noisy marketplace, he listened to Adventurers hawking their wares and haggling. It seemed surreal to find such a lively scene in a Dungeon known for danger.
The town had an unspoken rule that no shop ran scams. Still, whether you got a fair deal depended on if you looked like a rookie.
With Adam's experience, though, there was no chance of being ripped off.
He entered a random shop and, after some negotiation, rented a place for 15 days at V$10,000 per day.
Fifteen days felt excessive. With his abilities, he could raise his parameters to SSS threshold in three days if he went all out — though that would mean forgoing sleep and delving to the 30th floor.
That seemed too risky, so he abandoned the idea. Besides, he had specific plans for improving his basic abilities.
To summon Beatrice, he needed SSS-rank Magic and frequent spell usage to develop his Magic abilities.
Then there was Endurance. Among his recently updated parameters, it had shown the least improvement. Endurance wasn't just about stamina — it also reflected physical defense capabilities.
In other words, to increase Endurance, he needed to take some hits!
...Blocking would work too.
The rest required little effort — Strength, Dexterity, and Agility were his strong points and would improve steadily without focused training.
"Map OK, potions OK, holy water OK, mental state good, stamina decent." After checking his equipment and confirming his condition, Adam decided to push through the middle-lower floors.
Time is life!
This applied especially to him.
"Ais took a year, Bell took about a month, so for someone with cheat abilities like me, one week isn't unreasonable, right?" Muttering these words, he secretly set this goal for himself.
Alright! Time to show what a "Legend of the Fastest Dungeon Clear" looks like!
Let's go!
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19th Floor.
The monsters in the middle floors were craftier and stronger than those above. Beyond just power and speed, their behavior had evolved to incorporate combat techniques.
They no longer charged recklessly, trading blow for blow. Instead, they fought with tactical insight, seeking openings or creating false ones to lure Adventurers in.
Take the Lizardman Adam was currently fighting. After failing to connect with its lunges and claw attacks, it cleverly attempted a sneak attack with its thick tail while closing in for combat.
Whoosh!
The powerful tail, carrying a fierce wind, shot straight for its target's eyes.
But Adam, being faster, caught it with one hand and delivered a kick to its chest, easily shattering its magic stone.
Bang!
With a sharp crack, the Lizardman crumbled to dust and dispersed into the Dungeon.
Shattering the magic stone with a kick wasn't ideal, but without a supporter companion to help carry them, wasting some stones was inevitable.
Better that than leaving them on the ground for random passing adventurers.
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25th Floor.
New flying monsters emerged — Sirens, Harpies, giant Deadly Hornets, and Devil Mosquitoes.
Yet against Adam's domain skill, they stood no chance. As soon as they entered his Transformation of Time Rain domain, they froze mid-air, falling to a single slash.
The frustrating part was their magic stones — only tiny fragments of little value. Even combined, a whole swarm yielded less than one Lizardman's stone from the upper floors.
These aerial swarms weren't worth the trouble. They drained more stamina and barely improved his parameters, so he quickly pressed on.
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29th Floor.
The monsters here took more humanoid forms. Stronger too, lasting several exchanges in combat — perfect for training.
Though crossing ten floors to reach this spot took time, a few potions made the journey manageable enough to make it worthwhile.
"Hmm, I'm getting tired, let's call it a day." Adam rolled his neck, noting his depleted mental energy.
This was the challenge of solo dungeon diving. Without companions to keep watch, he had to maintain his 〔Perception〕 skill constantly.
Even with reduced range and longer intervals, the skill drained considerable mental energy. He never risked complete exhaustion — too dangerous in the dungeon.
This justified his investment in Rivira lodging. Having a safe haven to rest and recover was worth every coin.
After a careful journey, he made it back to the inn.
While eating an overpriced meal that couldn't match the quality outside, Adam found himself missing the hearty fare at the Hostess of Fertility.
Except for Syr's homemade lunches!
Speaking of Syr, he remembered how disappointed she'd looked that morning when he'd mentioned his dungeon expedition.
Hurt? He wasn't quite sure that was the right word. Maybe she thought he was avoiding her lethal cooking by escaping to the Dungeon?
Surely that Goddess wouldn't send someone to follow him...
No, impossible. Her target was Bell, not him.
Let that kid with his nonexistent sense of taste deal with her terrifying toxic cooking.
"Sorry, Bell-kun." Offering a silent prayer for Bell, Adam drifted off to sleep.
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The next few days passed in a monotonous cycle of training.
Then, five days later, a major incident shook the town.
A murder in the Safe Zone.
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