Chương 71: The Eighteenth Floor

"Your name is Cael, right? I met you once at the Hostess of Fertility."

"It is unbelievable. You reached Floor 17 at only Lv. 1 and successfully defeated Goliath. I truly admire you."

"It was only good luck." Cael wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Loki Familia was usually easy to talk to. When it came to making friends, Loki Familia was undoubtedly the easiest to get along with among Orario's top Familias.

"Luck alone does not defeat a Lv. 4 Floor Boss, especially one only a step away from reaching Lv. 5. You must have come prepared to show us a mythical scene like that. Tsk, it really is ridiculous, just Lv. 1," Bete suddenly said sharply.

"Although I am very grateful that you responded to Lili and came to save us, we need to rest and heal now. I am sorry," Cael said. All the members were seriously injured. Although making contact with Loki Familia was worthwhile, they had to go heal now.

"Hehe, little brother, little brother, after you heal your injuries, can you tell me how you burst from Lv. 1 to Lv. 4 strength? That was so powerful." Just as Cael was about to leave, a young Amazon girl ran over and hugged his arm. She looked extremely interested, innocent, and did not mind that he was dirty and covered in blood.

"Talk?" Cael looked in surprise at the girl holding his arm and rubbing her head against his shoulder like a clingy kitten. Tiona Hiryute, Loki Familia's Lv. 5 Amazoness.

"Hehe. I happened to see you fighting those Orcs on the Upper Floors. I was already stunned then. Then I met you again only two days later, and you defeated the Floor Boss. I was so excited."

"Crazy little brother, how did you do it? Defeating a Lv. 4 Floor Boss at Lv. 1 is just like the protagonist of a heroic tale."

"Well..." Cael suddenly felt a little embarrassed. He was not quite comfortable with this sudden closeness. That faint fragrance, was it perfume? Or body scent?

"Ah, ah, ah, what are you doing? Lord Cael is still injured. Do not touch Lord Cael like that. Enough is enough, Amazon!" Lili's eyes widened immediately, and she quickly grabbed the Amazon girl holding Cael's arm. Lord Cael really attracted girls wherever he went. But that was right. Lili herself had been stunned by the battle just now, so other girls must have been similar. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"Tiona, do not mess around. They have just finished a battle and need to heal," Finn shook his head and said.

"Okay, okay. I know. The captain is really old-fashioned." Tiona reluctantly let go of Cael's arm.

"Crazy little brother, I want to be friends with you. After you recover, let's go on a date. My name is Tiona."

"Hey, do not decide that on your own," Lili immediately said through gritted teeth.

"Bleh." Tiona stuck her tongue out at Lili.

"Damn it..." Lili suddenly became flustered.

"Okay, Tiona," Cael answered with a smile. The deeds of a hero were the most attractive to the opposite sex. This was true not only in this world, but in any world.

"Let's go to Floor 18, everyone." Cael looked at everyone who had gathered behind him and spoke, then walked toward the entrance leading to Floor 18. Everyone followed Cael silently, accepting the many stares. The adventurers who had been blocking the entrance to Floor 18 looked at them with awe, respect, jealousy, and other emotions. Slowly, they made way, as if welcoming a triumphant hero. The corner of Cael's mouth rose slightly. Sure enough, strength was the shortcut to earning respect.

Only with strength could one have everything. Without it, everything was only the moon reflected in a mirror. He remembered what he had said to Miss Eina on his first day in Orario: it might not take him even a month to become famous in Orario. The adventurers who had witnessed this moment would definitely brag about it in taverns when they returned to the surface. By then, he would truly become famous, the kind of famous that could not be ignored. It had not been a month.

It had not even been half a month, and he had already fulfilled what he had said to Miss Eina. However, successfully defeating the Floor Boss at Lv. 1 would definitely attract the attention of the gods. At that time, it would not be like last time, when they only watched with a hint of curiosity after he rushed out of the Dungeon riot. This time, someone would come seriously. The War Game would arrive unexpectedly. He just did not know which god would be the first to launch it.

After walking out of the passage under the spotlight, what they saw was green land as bright as the surface during daytime. Flowers and grass swayed gently in the breeze. In the distance were rolling mountains, and clear rivers flowed slowly at their feet. Most eye-catching of all was the giant tree in the middle of the huge wilderness. It looked as though fifty people together could not wrap their arms around its trunk.

At the foot of the great tree was a small wooden town, where adventurers bustled through the streets. Looking up, the entire dome was covered with luminous crystals, as if light had been sealed there, turning the wilderness into a radiant world. With one breath, body and mind relaxed completely. The soul grew quiet. It was so comfortable.

"Wow, this is simply a secret realm that exists only in myths. It is so gorgeous that it takes my breath away."

"That is only natural. The Dungeon is a secret realm in this world. It is not surprising to see a sight like this," Obanai said sharply.

"So beautiful," Shinobu said.

"Unbelievable," Zenitsu said.

"Is this light emitted by the crystals above our heads? Amazing. Is that sunlight?" Tanjiro raised his head in shock. At the same time, he thought of something and looked at Cael in surprise.

"Captain, can my sister come out in a place like this?" If the light here was not sunlight, did that mean Nezuko, who had become a demon, could also survive in the daytime here?

"This is the Dungeon. Of course, the light here is not sunlight. But even without sunlight, the animals and plants here can thrive. That is the charm of the Dungeon." Cael smiled and looked at the wooden box on Tanjiro's back. Speaking of which, he had not seen Nezuko come out of the box even once. Was it because she was still sleeping? Because she did not eat people to replenish energy, she could only rely on sleep to recover her strength slowly. Wait. Eating people was also a way to restore energy.

Cael's eyes lit up. Wasn't a Magic Stone the crystallization of energy?