Chapter 28: Envy to the Point of Cell Wall Separation

The battle ended quickly.

In the midst of the intense storm of slashes, not a single monster survived, all turning into scattered limbs and fragments, allowing Rigel to return victorious.

"What's wrong?"

Rigel returned with his rapier in hand, only to see Raphia standing there with a dazed expression, which made him puzzled.

"Nothing, nothing!"

Raphia snapped out of it, shaking her head while hesitantly looking at Rigel.

"Say what you want to say."

Rigel noticed Raphia's hesitation and said this.

Raphia stammered for a moment before finally asking, "Mr. Rigel, do you know Miss Aiz?"

Clearly, seeing Rigel's fighting style, which was almost identical to Aiz's, Raphia began to suspect their relationship.

She even recalled that not long ago, when they returned from their expedition, Aiz seemed to have noticed the newly joined Rigel and showed considerable interest in him.

This made the elf girl inevitably overthink, and her gaze toward Rigel changed.

Rigel merely raised an eyebrow and said with a half-smile, "You're very concerned about the relationship between Miss Aiz and me, aren't you?"

This question made Raphia nod without hesitation, then quickly shake her head.

"I, I'm just a bit curious!"

Raphia blushed inexplicably, looking somewhat guilty.

Seeing this, Rigel smiled and answered Raphia's question.

"I once sought magical guidance from Miss Aiz and, by chance, learned some of her sword techniques. Apart from that, there's no other relationship."

Rigel's explanation did not reassure Raphia; instead, it left her stunned.

"Seeking magical guidance?"

Raphia looked confused.

"Exactly," Rigel nodded. "I have a magic spell with properties similar to your [Elf Ring]."

"Oh." Raphia instantly understood.

But because she understood, Raphia was even more surprised.

"Mr. Rigel, you have the same magic as me?"

Raphia was extremely surprised and taken aback.

"Pretty much."

Rigel didn't elaborate, just agreeing with Raphia.

"So, Mr. Rigel learned Miss Aiz's magic?"

Raphia murmured, but her first thought wasn't about feeling closer to Rigel because of the similar magic; instead, it was an instinctive cry.

How envious!

Raphia suddenly looked at Rigel with an envious gaze that seemed to separate the cell walls.

"Why isn't Miss Aiz an elf?"

Raphia, who could only learn magic limited to her own race, pouted.

"Alright, let's continue moving forward."

Rigel chuckled and quickly changed the subject, turning to leave.

"Wait!" Raphia hurriedly called out, "We haven't collected the magic stones yet!"

With that, Raphia ran to the group of defeated shadows, took out a small knife, and extracted a small crystal from the chest area of the shadows.

These were magic stones, magical crystals that could be obtained from the monsters in the dungeon.

They could be used to create many magical items, such as the magic stone lamps in the courtyard fountain and the magic stone pillars in the Twilight Manor, which were made from these magic stones.

Because the city of Orario monopolized the dungeon, the guilds in the city were responsible for purchasing these resources, processing them into magical items, and exporting them to other countries, thus generating huge profits. This is why adventurers actively explored the dungeon, taking the magic stones from the monsters to exchange for money with the guilds.

It is said that the more powerful the monster, the larger and more valuable the magic stone. For example, the loot from the previous expedition of the Loki Family included magic stones several times larger than the one Raphia was now extracting, each worth tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of fallys.

In comparison, the magic stone Raphia obtained from the 6th floor might barely fetch a thousand fallys.

However, even a small amount is money, so Raphia diligently collected the magic stones, causing the monster corpses to rapidly lose their color and disintegrate into dust.

This is the ultimate fate of monsters that lose their magic stones (cores), leaving no trace behind, as if they never existed, occasionally leaving behind some particularly developed parts.

These parts, known as drop items, can be used as materials for weapons, armor, and potions, and can also be sold to the guild or merchants.

In addition to magic stones and drop items, the dungeon also contains special minerals, plants, and natural resources with unique properties. These are the treasures and wealth that adventurers seek, especially the rare and valuable ones that can fetch a sky-high price on the surface, making someone instantly rich.

Most adventurers delve into the dungeon for this very reason, hoping to become rich overnight. Exploration groups like the Loki Family also view these resources as a crucial source of funding for their operations.

The dungeon is such a mysterious place, both a den of monsters and a treasure trove.

As long as one can make a name and obtain some treasure here, the news will spread throughout the world, bringing both fame and fortune.

Watching Raphia collect the magic stones and throw them into her large backpack, Rigel rubbed his nose.

He didn't dare tell Raphia that he had never collected any magic stones or drop items in the dungeon before.

"Can I say I completely forgot about this?"

A young master who eagerly rushed into the dungeon, slaughtering everything in sight, and only focused on advancing, had never developed the habit of being "frugal."

Now, seeing Raphia so diligently collecting the magic stones, with her large backpack swinging back and forth, Rigel couldn't help but say,

"Let me carry the backpack."

However, Raphia immediately shook her head in refusal.

"Mr. Rigel is the vanguard and even took on the role of the middle guard. Your duty is to charge forward and quickly defeat enemies. How can you fight while carrying such a large backpack?" Raphia said seriously. "In the dungeon, if there's no dedicated supporter, it's common for the rear guard, who doesn't need to move much, to also act as a supporter. Mr. Rigel, you can just be responsible for vigilance."

The supporter Raphia mentioned is someone who specializes in collecting and preserving magic stones and drop items.

These people are usually non-combatants with weak strength, whose purpose is to free the adventurers' hands and bodies from carrying heavy backpacks or items.

In Orario, some people with weak strength specialize in being supporters, accepting employment from adventurers. In powerful large families, it's usually the lower-level juniors or rear guards who temporarily act as supporters.

Raphia, being a rear guard, had no intention of letting Rigel take on the supporter's role.

"But your level is higher than mine."

Rigel emphasized this point.

"But I don't need to charge forward, so carrying the backpack is fine for me." Raphia was unwavering. "On the contrary, a vanguard like Mr. Rigel absolutely cannot carry excessive weight. Please don't argue with me."

Raphia didn't even mention whether it was appropriate for a young girl to carry such a large backpack.

Even as a pure rear guard with little melee ability and low physical strength, Raphia, a second-level adventurer, could easily carry a backpack.

"Alright."

Seeing Raphia's firm stance, Rigel gave in.

If it weren't for the issue of explaining, Rigel would have suggested storing the backpack in the dimensional cube's storage space.

With the storage space, Rigel didn't need to worry about the weight.

Unfortunately, he couldn't say that, so he could only watch Raphia collect the magic stones and continue carrying the large backpack.

"Alright."

After a while, Raphia ran back.

"Let's go."

Rigel turned and walked away.

"Wait, wait for me!"

Raphia hurriedly followed, temporarily putting aside another question in her mind.

But this question lingered in Raphia's mind all day.

"Why is Mr. Rigel, who recently received a blessing, so powerful?"

Watching Rigel speed up and charge into the monster group ahead, this question persisted, lingering in Raphia's mind.

As Rigel and Raphia continued their expedition and fought their way deeper, they were unaware that an anomaly occurred in the area they had just left, where they had slaughtered the shadows.

"Crack"

It started with a slight cracking sound.

A crack appeared on the dungeon wall without warning, with a faint glow seeping through.

"Thump, thump"

A heartbeat-like sound emerged and grew louder.

This scene was not uncommon in the dungeon.

Any adventurer would have seen this phenomenon at some point.

It was the sign of a monster about to be born.

Yes, the monsters in the dungeon are born this way.

They are not life forms that have always existed in the dungeon but are instead spawned by the dungeon itself, hatching from within its walls.

Like a bird breaking out of its shell, monsters periodically emerge from the dungeon walls, ensuring that the number of monsters in the dungeon never decreases.

This is also why the types of monsters on each floor are usually fixed.

They are born from specific floors and, barring any unexpected circumstances, only appear in their birthplace, not on other floors.

Of course, exceptions always exist.

Now, an exception was being born on the 6th floor.

This was the anomaly.

"Crack, crack, crack"

With a grating sound, the dungeon wall shattered, and a massive figure emerged.

Soon, a deafening roar echoed through the floor, causing the dungeon to tremble slightly, as if offering a blessing for its birth.

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(End of Chapter)