"The Beast Tamer"
Drake gathered his spoils. Although Amphisbaena's magic stone had shattered, numerous material drops remained.
He retrieved them from the lake, moving to a nearby passage to count them.
Twelve intact dragon scales, six or seven broken scales, three dragon fangs, a section of dragon bone, and, most importantly, one dragon lung.
Knowing that a dragon's breath relies on its lungs, the color indicated this was the lung used for the pale blue flames. Drake would have preferred the lung used for the red mist, but one was still a good find.
Storing the loot in his bag, Drake tended to his wounds.
Most of his injuries were from the underwater struggle with Amphisbaena; the worst was two broken ribs on his right side.
The rest were minor cuts and bruises, requiring only simple treatment, not recovery potions.
Drake's stamina was the only stat not significantly weakened by the potion, allowing him to withstand so many attacks.
Considering this, Drake had intentionally forgone armor. He'd gone to great lengths to achieve his feat.
After tending to his wounds, Drake didn't leave immediately; he remained, saying, "I don't know who you are, but I've sensed your malice.
If you don't intend to attack, I'm leaving."
Crack!
A cracking sound came from beneath his feet; the ground split open, revealing a large maw filled with sharp teeth.
Drake had already leaped; he'd sensed subtle vibrations from the ground, indicating either a Dungeon anomaly or an attack from below.
In mid-air, he saw his attacker: a massive serpentine monster far exceeding the Great Water Serpents he'd encountered before.
Most terrifying were the numerous eyes—at least a dozen—on its head.
Drake frowned; adventurers called this monster "Serpent's Nest," meaning ill omen. Its official name is "Great Serpent Well," the only known monster capable of moving between floors.
Unlike the monsters on floors 25-27, its ability wasn't due to the terrain; it possessed a unique skill, Burrowing, allowing it to pierce the Dungeon's rock layers.
Crucially, Great Serpent Wells originate from the 37th floor; while capable of moving, they rarely stray far.
Moving from the deep levels to the upper levels was unheard of.
Drake noticed something unusual: a glowing ring around its head, with gems emitting an ominous light.
It was a man-made magical device; Drake understood why this deep-level monster was in the upper levels.
His thoughts didn't slow his actions; as he leaped, the [Martial Saint] appeared.
Drake's muscles bulged; he swung his blade, cleaving the Great Serpent Well attempting to swallow him. The flaming blade sliced through its body like butter.
Drake landed beside the hole, catching the falling magic stone.
A raspy voice echoed; a tall, thin figure emerged from the shadows.
"Impressive performance. Despite being at a Level 4 level, you cleanly defeated a Level 4 Serpent. But your style is irritating!"
The figure stepped into the light; Drake saw his face.
A male cat person, one ear missing, the other adorned with a bone earring; his right arm was also missing beneath his cloak.
Drake looked at the cat person. "So the Serpent was brought here by you."
Seeing the collar around the Great Serpent Well's neck, Drake suspected who was responsible for the malice.
Monster taming is a well-established technique in Orario; the Ganesha Familia holds an annual "Monster Festival," showcasing Familia members taming monsters in an arena.
The principle is to overwhelm the monster, making it believe the adventurer is stronger, thus achieving obedience.
However, beast tamers are rare in Dungeon exploration; defeating monsters is simpler.
Even tamed monsters aren't guaranteed stability; adventurers avoid such risks.
To address this, the Dark Faction invented magical devices to enslave monsters—the collar around the Great Serpent Well's neck.
Seeing that collar, Drake understood the Dark Faction was behind this.
The Dark Faction is unique among Familias; they disregard Orario's laws, trampling morality and conscience. Murder and destruction are their work.
They are the enemies of all Familias, dangerous individuals whose defeat only earns Guild rewards.
It's worth noting that the Dark Faction's main gods aren't all "evil gods." Gods and humans think differently.
While Drake knew several benevolent gods, acting as parents and family to their Familia members,
gods came to the lower world, tired of the heavens' monotony. Kindness is their benevolence towards mortals, but destruction and death are also considered blessings.
Some gods are indifferent to good and evil; their only concern is "entertainment." They are the most dangerous troublemakers.
Ares, for example, led the Rakia Kingdom in endless wars, even abusing the Crozzo magic swords, causing immense destruction and tragedy.
After the Zeus and Hera Familias' defeat against the One-Eyed Black Dragon, and the remnants were driven from Orario by the Loki and Freya Familias, the Dark Faction rapidly expanded.
Led by the evil god Erebus, the Dark Faction planned to destroy Orario.
This began the "Great Struggle" seven years ago, a period of immense casualties, including numerous "God Returns."
The war ended with the justice goddess Astrea personally "returning" Erebus; the order-aligned Familias won.
But the Dark Faction didn't disappear; a year after the Great Struggle, they acted again.
They orchestrated a large-scale monster attack; although foiled by Finn, the Loki Familia's Hero, it still resulted in numerous deaths on the 27th floor.
This event is known as the "[Nightmare of the 27th Floor]".
Finn then united the Loki, Freya, and Ganesha Familias—Orario's strongest—to strike a heavy blow against the Dark Faction, "returning" many evil gods.
A year later, the Dark Faction acted again; the Alecto Familia set a trap for the Astrea Familia, leaving only one survivor.
The one-armed, one-eared cat person before Drake was the mastermind behind that conspiracy.
"Revis, beast tamer of the Alecto Familia, a Dark Faction Familia! You weren't hiding in the sewers; you dared to show yourself!"
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