Killing a few small Goblins yielded less than a single percentage point of Exilia.
It wasn't even one percent.
Yet, Kitahara felt a surge of genuine joy.
That tiny fraction meant his stagnant time was finally ticking again. For too long, he had been stuck.
The stray monsters he encountered on the road to Orario hadn't felt like progress. They were just isolated incidents. They didn't offer the steady growth he craved.
Here, in the depths, the supply was endless. He could feel his strength beginning to stir, waking from its long slumber.
After finishing off the Goblins, Kitahara gathered the Magic Stones. He dropped them into a prepared pouch and set off once more.
The Falna was a tool to help an Adventurer grow. It thrived on life-and-death struggles and battles against superior foes. That was the fastest way to climb.
Of course, an Adventurer could choose the safe path. They could hunt weak monsters forever.
But doing so made real growth almost impossible.
Kitahara had two goals for entering the Dungeon. First, he needed to accumulate Exilia to unlock new Divine Protections. Second, he needed to use his Falna to sharpen his own physical limits.
The monsters on the 1st Floor were useless for training. They were target practice, nothing more. He needed to go deeper.
In truth, the entire Upper Floors were a waste of time for his current needs. To see his status numbers truly jump, he would have to reach the Middle Floors.
Besides, stronger monsters meant more Exilia.
He didn't waste another second. He began searching for the path down.
The Dungeon was shaped like an inverted cone. The further down one went, the larger the floors became. The 1st Floor was relatively cramped.
It took him twenty minutes to find the stairs. Along the way, he slaughtered several groups of monsters. By the time he reached the threshold of the next level, his Exilia had climbed to fifty-five percent.
He didn't hesitate. He stepped into the darkness, descending toward the 2nd Floor.
Then the 3rd, the 4th, the 5th...
He didn't stop until he reached the 10th Floor.
The Upper Floors were small enough that finding the exits wasn't a challenge. Even so, the non-stop descent took three hours of constant movement.
He finally came to a halt on the 10th Floor.
His Exilia was full.
'Panel, draw a new Divine Protection!'
Kitahara sat cross-legged atop a jagged rock in the middle of a misty plain. He closed his eyes, sinking his consciousness into the Divine Protection Panel.
[๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด!! ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐๐ณ๐๐น. ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐, ๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ฏ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐!!!]
[๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐: ๐ ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐น๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐. ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐น๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐. ๐๐น๐น ๐บ๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ!!!]
'The First Generation Elf King? Beloved by spirits?'
'I'm a human. Is this some kind of joke?'
He reached up, fingers brushing against the tips of his ears. They were still rounded.
'Phew. At least I didn't sprout points.'
He stared at the description, his mind racing.
'The panel says I'm the Elf King, but I don't feel any different. Will Elves actually treat me like royalty? I don't look the part.'
'And what exactly is Nature Affinity?'
'At least Elemental Affinity is straightforward. I can learn any magic now.'
In the world of the Dungeon, magic was a rarity.
Without a Falna, it was nearly impossible to grasp. Only the Spirits, the messengers of the gods, and the Elves could wield it naturally. Even then, Elves spent decades in meditation just to master a single spell. Their power often paled in comparison to a high-level Adventurer.
But now?
Kitahara could master any magic with ease.
Only a Spirit could boast such a feat.
'Not a bad ability at all.'
A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Since he had already stopped, he decided not to rush further. He pulled a small ration pack from his bag and began to eat.
The Dungeon was a living predator. It waited for a moment of weakness. If an Adventurer let their stamina drop too low, the walls themselves would seem to close in. It would hunt you until you were dead, just like what happened to Bell's party in the stories.
Kitahara was strong, but he wasn't arrogant. He knew his limits.
While he ate, he pulled up his status.
[๐๐ผ๐๐: ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ]
[๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ต๐ผ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๏ฝ, ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ, ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐]
[๐๐๐ฒ๐บ๐: ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ, ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ฟ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ, ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ]
[๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น: ๐ฎ (๐ฌ%)]
His Experience Level had jumped from one to two.
This meant the next level would require significantly more effort. He didn't mind.
He finished his lunch in five minutes and stood up. It was time to move again.