"The Feat"
After bidding farewell to Hephaestus, Drake set off for the Dungeon.
Hestia, being a goddess, valued appearances; Drake found she had already left when he departed.
Seeing the blue ribbon's retreating back, Drake realized the main plot was about to begin.
The rabbit (Bell) would soon arrive in Orario, be rejected by all the Familias, encounter Hestia, and then begin his overpowered journey.
Drake wasn't in a hurry; this world lacked significant immediate threats. As long as the mischievous gods didn't interfere, Drake could develop peacefully for a long time.
However, Drake intended to gain a level-up feat this time, acquiring the 〈Forging〉 ability.
As Drake understood it, adventurers must undertake "adventures" to level up. An adventure involves risking everything—courage, determination, even life itself—in battle.
Victory or defeat is irrelevant; the key is achieving the "impossible."
The simplest method is fighting stronger opponents; overcoming stronger enemies is always a celebrated feat.
Given Drake's strength, achieving such a feat required venturing into the Dungeon's deep levels—a solo expedition.
However, a deep-level expedition was inefficient; it would consume excessive time and energy.
Drake had a strategy. To overcome a stronger opponent, if he couldn't find one strong enough, he would weaken himself.
After buying recovery potions, Drake spent all his remaining Valis commissioning a debilitating potion from the Miach Familia.
Drake even asked Hephaestus to intervene, proving he needed the potion for self-improvement, not to harm others.
Hephaestus then realized Drake's overwhelming strength hindered his ability to gain feats.
She was even more surprised by Drake's method of obtaining a feat.
If Drake succeeded, this method would be a significant discovery for all Familias.
Why hadn't the Loki Familia's Three Great Heroes broken through to Level 7? They'd been at Level 6 for years, their experience maxed out.
It was because they were too strong, lacking a commensurate feat.
The Loki Familia's large-scale expeditions partly aimed to help the three gain feats.
However, even after three expeditions, reaching the 59th floor, the Three Great Heroes hadn't obtained sufficient feats.
Level 6 to Level 7 advancement is extremely difficult; otherwise, Orario wouldn't have only Ottar as a Level 7 adventurer.
If Drake succeeded, it would mean a new path to obtaining feats.
This idea wasn't Drake's; he'd gotten inspiration from a previous traveler.
Given Drake's constitution, even a potion personally brewed by the god Miach would only last about an hour before being metabolized.
This was likely due to Miach's kindness; even when brewing a debilitating potion, the god considered potential harm to the body.
Drake's experiments showed the potion weakened him to the equivalent of a Level 4 adventurer.
Drake's target was a lower-level floor boss, the second Dungeon Lone King, the two-headed dragon Amphisbaena, estimated at Level 5.
The Loki Familia's last expedition hadn't encountered Amphisbaena; they planned to defeat it on their return.
Drake also wanted to test his [Dragon Slayer] skill.
Besides its base speed and strength, and incredible defense, Amphisbaena's two heads could unleash different breath attacks.
One was a pale blue flame capable of destroying high-level equipment; the other was red mist.
This mist weakens magical power, making Amphisbaena, with its tough scales, almost invincible.
Crucially, Amphisbaena spawns in a special area on floors 25-27, the only Lone King that moves between floors.
This is due to the unique terrain of these three floors; a massive waterfall from the 24th floor plunges down to the 27th.
This waterfall, called the 〈Great Fall〉 by adventurers, directly connects the three floors, forming what adventurers call the Water Maze.
Therefore, while three floors, it functions as a single, large area.
The environment countered Drake's fire attribute, and Amphisbaena's breath attack would weaken his magic.
Even with the [Dragon Slayer] skill, this Lone King would provide sufficient pressure for Drake to achieve a feat.
Unlike his first Dungeon descent, Drake had a clear target, proceeding swiftly to the lower levels.
Despite this, Drake's bag still contained numerous magic stones and material drops.
Drake's luck was exceptional; he even obtained a rare Strong Steel ore, enough to forge a longsword.
Without incident, Drake passed through the root-filled 24th floor and entered the 25th floor, the true lower levels.
True to its name, the Water Maze was approximately 70% water, with rushing rivers everywhere.
Drake recalled Orario's term for these floors: the "New World." The watery landscape felt oddly familiar.
While this "New World" differed from his previous understanding, the similarity lay in the exponentially increasing danger level.
Compared to this, the upper and middle levels were almost paradisiacal.
Even Drake needed extreme caution. Because…
Walking along, Drake saw a black shadow emerge from the water, heading straight for his chest.
It was a large fish-like monster with sharp teeth.
This was a Surprise Fish, adept at ambushing adventurers from the water. Their speed far surpasses that of similarly leveled adventurers, often causing significant losses.
The Surprise Fish's jaws snapped shut with a loud "click," but Drake had already leaped, his raised leg descending like an axe.
The Surprise Fish was cleaved to the ground, exploding into black mist.
As Drake bent to collect the magic stone, another monster smashed through the rock.
This was a Great Water Serpent; while serpentine, it had fin-like organs on its head.
The Great Water Serpent was slower than the Surprise Fish but exploited Drake's momentary lapse while collecting the magic stone.
"I've already spotted you!"
Drake simply raised his hand; flames erupted, engulfing the Great Water Serpent's head. The serpent instantly turned to ash, leaving behind a single magic stone.
This was the danger of the lower level's Water Maze; the extensive water provided ample hiding places for the monsters.
Without detection skills, adventurers are easily ambushed by the creatures lurking in the water.
Drake tossed the magic stone into his bag, gazing at the massive waterfall, his fire wings unfolding.
"Then let's go straight to my target!"
He leaped from the side of the waterfall.
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