After enjoying the rare peace of the safe floor, Roland began his ascent. Passing through the 17th Floor, he couldn't resist kicking the regrowing Wall of Lamentation a few times and cursing the Dungeon before running upward.
On the 12th Floor, he encountered a figure in the fog. The man wore a deep hood, but long, dark purple hair spilled out like a woman's. He was slender and handsome, yet exuded a decadent, rotting aura. He looked at Roland with pure delight.
"Incredible. I haven't sensed such a thick aura of death since that 'Sword Princess' girl. Yours is several times more potent," the man mused. This was Thanatos, the God of Death. "It was you in the Daedalus Street that day, wasn't it? If it's you, you could kill so many more."
Thanatos began to weave a web of honeyed words. "Child, you're lonely, aren't you? No one understands you. You hide your craving for death. I can give you a place without limits. Join my Familia, and I will take the burden of your sins."
Roland squinted at the suspicious deity. He didn't know how a god got into the Dungeon, but he knew a "Evil God" when he saw one. He slowly drew his sword, eyeing the shadows behind the deity.
"Ah, failed again? Why?" Thanatos sighed. "Even if you're under that Goddess of Justice, I thought I'd try to poach a warrior of death."
"Are you an Evilus god?" Roland asked coldly.
Thanatos's guards moved instantly—two Level 2 adventurers blocked Roland's path. "Sorry, I'd love to introduce myself, but the Evilus are so fussy about protocol," Thanatos joked.
Confirming he was the enemy, Roland decided to capture the god to weaken the Evilus. But as he lunged, one guard vanished into the fog while the other threw incendiary bombs. Smoke mixed with fog, blinding him.
Suddenly, a blade hissed toward his throat. Roland parried, twisted, and kicked the attacker back with a sickening crack. He swung a flaming arc to finish him, but Thanatos released his Arcanum (Divine Will). The purple-black aura snuffed out Roland's flames instantly.
Releasing Arcanum in the Dungeon was a taboo. The 12th Floor began to scream. Earthquakes shook the walls, and the exits were sealed by falling debris. Above, a hole opened in the ceiling, and something was born—not through the normal process, but as a direct response to the god's presence.
"Oh? It's coming so fast this time," Thanatos remarked, looking up at the Black Wyvern descending from the ceiling. "It seems the Dungeon wants to solve the 'me' problem quickly."
Gods across Orario felt the pulse of Divine Will. In the Stardust Garden, Astraea opened her eyes. "Alise, a god has released their Arcanum on the 12th Floor. Roland might be trapped. The four of you, go now!"
Roland decided to finish this quickly. Thanatos smirked. "Are you sure you want to waste time with me? Other adventurers might die while you're busy." Thanatos used a silver orb magic item and slipped away into the shadows with his followers.
"Tch." Roland switched to Swift Master, sent a parting wind blade at the god, and then flew toward the Black Wyvern.
The Wyvern was nearly six meters long, covered in pitch-black scales—an Enhanced Species. It gathered fire in its throat, preparing to incinerate everything, but Roland was faster. He descended from the ceiling like a meteor, his spinning tornado slamming the beast into a massive crater.
The Wyvern fought back with a torrent of flame. Roland crossed his arms, channeling his infinite mana into a gale. The two forces clashed, but the wind eventually pushed the fire back, shredding the Wyvern's scales and wings.
With a final punch, Roland funneled the wind into a single point, piercing the beast's chest and shattering its magic stone. He quickly harvested the blood and stone, then ran for the exit. He didn't want anyone to see him like this.
He broke through the rubble and blended into the crowd of escaping adventurers. He saw Alise and the Loki Familia members—Finn, Riveria, and Gareth—calming the survivors.
Finn was questioning witnesses. "So, you saw an adventurer surrounded by wind defeat the monster alone?"
"Yes, but the fog was too thick. We couldn't see his face," the adventurer replied.
Finn sighed and turned to his team. "It seems our 'problem' was solved before we even arrived... and with zero casualties."
Riveria held her staff firmly, scanning the surroundings with a stern gaze. "The fact that there are no casualties is a blessing. Did you gather any other intelligence?"
"No. We only heard that an adventurer surrounded by a gale settled the matter."
The three veterans looked over at Aiz, who had dazed off and wandered over to Roland's side.
Riveria rubbed her forehead, sighing in exasperation. "It wasn't Aiz. She's been with me all day. It must be someone with a similar magic."
Alise and her group walked over to Finn. "Captain Finn, is everything settled?"
Finn nodded, then turned his attention to the half-elf youth standing next to Ryuu. "Is this the new member of the Astraea Familia? Already exploring the 12th Floor? Your talent is truly remarkable."
Finn had noticed Roland among the survivors. Combined with Raul's earlier report, it wasn't hard to guess that this was the "Newbie" who had been boxing with Silverbacks.
"Hello, Captain Finn. I'm Roland. It's an honor to meet you," Roland said, stepping forward to offer a handshake.
Finn shook his hand. "Finn Deimne. The honor is mine. The Astraea Familia hasn't recruited in a long time; to earn Lady Astraea's recognition, you must be a man of great justice."
Roland smiled warmly. "I am simply grateful that the Goddess took me in."
"Alright, if you want to chat, do it on the surface. I have no idea what you're thinking, trying to hold a conversation inside the Dungeon," Riveria interrupted impatiently.
Kaguya, Lyra, and Gareth all nodded in agreement. Alise, however, raised her hand with high-octane energy. "It's fine! With a maiden of justice like me here, I'll stand guard no matter how long you talk!"
"And what exactly is going on in that head of yours, Alise?!" Riveria glared at the airheaded captain.
"Ahahaha, sorry, Riveria!" Despite Riveria's stern face, Alise remained unfazed. Kaguya delivered a swift chop to Alise's head while Lyra gave her a playful smack on the rear.
"Sorry. Our captain is a bit noisy. We'll keep her quiet," they apologized.