At the exact moment Lowell suddenly resolved to dive into this dungeon with utmost seriousness.
Since no customers had shown up at the rest area yet,
Ferguson, who had nothing particular to do, ended up heading to the shop with Lowell.
"Your name… was it Lowell?"
"Yes, that's right. But is it okay to leave your store unattended?"
"It's not peak season yet, so it's fine to step away. As for the low-grade elixirs in the shop, the ones I recommend are this and this."
"Huh? Is there a reason you're recommending these?"
"I've tried everything here. So, I know which elixirs have good synergy."
"Y-You've tried everything here?!"
Upon hearing the absurd claim that he'd consumed every elixir on display,
Lowell got a rough idea of just how strong the wolfman standing before him was.
Soon after, Ferguson found the product catalog in the shop and handed it to Lowell.
"Th-This is…"
"The items are pretty luxurious, right? I was shocked when I first saw them too."
"No, even if that merchant comes here, is it possible to bring all this stuff?"
"I can't really explain that. Just know it came from 'up above.'"
"Up above?"
Though the words were hard for him to comprehend with his own mind,
Lowell figured there was now plenty to talk about once they got outside.
So he followed Ferguson to the bank.
"Hmm… Lowell. Looking at the coins deposited in your account, it seems you've only been here a short while."
"Hahaha… Y-Yeah, that's right. But how did my account get set up?"
"Everyone who challenges this place gets an account automatically. Even Brother Balak was surprised that those from above would do this much."
What on earth was this entity that had placed such an unbelievable shop and bank inside the dungeon?
Lowell racked his brains trying to figure it out,
But as a young hero with little experience, he couldn't find the answer.
"Oh, and Lowell."
"Yes?"
"Were you planning to take this product catalog with you?"
"I could take this?!"
"It was made for promotional purposes, so it's no big deal if you do. So please spread the word outside about this place. I'm renting here too, so I want to do good business."
Lowell listened to Ferguson's nonsense about helping sell items that strengthened his enemies.
Then he looked down at the product catalog in his hand and fell deep into thought.
What on earth would happen if he took this outside?
But regardless of whether Lowell was pondering or not, Ferguson used a magic tool he had to cast a spell on the product catalog.
"I'll package the product catalog for you first. Take good care of it."
"It's turned into a small orb?"
"This way it's more convenient, right? And even if you die here, you can take it outside. To open the packaging, think 'take out the item,' then infuse it with mana. Oh, and I'll package the explanation about the bank here too while I'm at it."
"Th-Thank you!"
"And I'll tell you the most important precaution here. Absolutely do not 'intentionally' kill someone or commit suicide in this dungeon."
"Pardon?"
"If anyone entering here is judged to have 'intentionally' done those things, no matter the method, they're deemed unqualified. So instead of earning coins in their account, coins will be deducted. In other words, they'll go into the negatives."
"…So only those who sincerely challenge it get rewards."
"That's the summary. Brother Balak called it a device to block clever cheats. Also, another precaution is consecutively clearing rooms—"
This is seriously legit!
And systematic!
—Lowell thought, feeling like a one-eyed man in the land of the blind had become king in a three-eyed world.
Afterward, though Lowell couldn't originally afford anything in the shop,
To commemorate him as the first customer, Ferguson gave massive discounts on various items.
As a result, he spent every coin he had to buy the cheapest low-grade elixir.
*******************
At the same time as the first business in the dungeon was going smoothly.
There was an entity checking its own account!
"Hahahaha!!! The commissions are so sweet!!"
This is why banks skim commissions!!
Money keeps piling up without doing anything!
This is magic!
This must be what playing the money game is!
Capitalism truly means the more money you have, the more you make.
This is polarization!
A dystopia through and through.
Man, dungeon merchants really are smart.
The way I originally planned to run the rest area.
If I got 10 coins, I'd give 1 to entrants and resell shop items at 10 times the price.
But isn't that just what those loser resellers do?
Tsk tsk tsk… This is different.
If you buy stuff expensively midway up the Himalayan mountains, no one complains, right?
And think of it as selling items harder to get than in the city below from that Himalayan midpoint.
Exactly! This is the natural reward of effort!
Pure business skill!
Absolutely not like those loser resellers!
But on the outside world's DD wiki, this could spark controversy about being registered as a merchant boss!
So while I was racking my brains for another way, the dungeon merchants made me an offer!
Namely!
They'd pay me rent and do business themselves!
And sell at 10 to 100 times higher than my product catalog prices!!
Greedy merchants with spinning eyes are scary indeed.
Plus, whenever entrants buy items or use the bank,
They give me huge commissions.
Thanks to that, I don't lose money,
Don't have to worry about running the shop and rest area,
Keep getting additional income!
And I can keep handing out rewards that spark challengers' competitive spirit, my goal!
Genius!!! Dungeon merchants!!
What do you even get out of giving me this much!!!
But I get the dungeon merchants' side too.
My dungeon is a total hot spot with massive foot traffic!
Even if they take a slight loss from their perspective,
When considering future value, it's worth paying commissions to do business here!
Anyway! Among quotes from some famous rapper.
You can't buy happiness with money.
But you can buy badass happiness—that's the truth!
"No more worrying about lacking funds when making training equipment later!"
Lately, sticking to one training method got a bit boring.
Of course, the method I made is the ultimate training!
I feel myself getting stronger day by day!
And thanks to various elixirs, no muscle hypertrophy either.
A perfect situation.
But! Doing only one exercise makes you good only at that!
Time to increase the types of training I do.
Should I make a Spirit and Time Room like in some anime?
Or a device that disrupts my senses like in some novel?
Or if not that… Huh?
*****************
Why did Balak feel something off about the rest area?
The reason was!
"I-Is that true?! Brother Ferguson, you mean right—!"
"Uh… Lowell, don't get too excited."
It was because Lowell had heard about the shortcut from Ferguson and was trying to use it!
As a latecomer to this dungeon, he'd never seen Balak!
And from what he'd heard from his seniors, Balak in this dungeon was the world's strongest being.
As a warrior and hero, Lowell wanted to meet that Balak once.
His young hot blood boiled; he wanted to fight him!
"First off, Lowell, since you've skipped the rooms ahead, you'd be unqualified to meet Brother Balak."
"Unqualified…?"
"Haven't you heard the stories from the heroes who came before?"
"You mean that final trial?"
"Yes. Skipping rooms means you're not eligible for the trial. Even if you met Brother, you'd probably hear something unpleasant."
"Th-That can't be…"
If he used the shortcut, he'd be ineligible for the final trial,
And hear harsh words from the one he wanted to meet, leaving Lowell deeply disappointed.
But he really wanted to see him.
What the world's strongest was like!
Not just from seniors, but what his own destination was!
"Pfft, your face changed. Looks like you've decided to meet Brother after all."
"Please!"
"Then before you go there… Have some of these."
"This is…"
"Top-tier buff potions. Providing these might get me scolded by Brother Balak. But since you're the first customer here, he probably won't mind, and you're my first customer too, so on the house."
"Th-Thank you!"
"No need to thank me so much. You're going to die. Very pathetically too."
"…I still have to see. What my goalpost is."
"A true hero indeed. Let me know when you're ready."
After downing the free buff potions from Ferguson,
Lowell calmed his stomach and steeled his resolve.
He nodded to Ferguson soon after.
And with a sudden floating sensation, he was teleported somewhere.
****************
Lowell squinted at the blinding light from the teleport,
But soon confirmed he'd arrived successfully in the space his seniors described.
"P-Purple sky and dreamlike forest!"
This must be the place Senior Herim mentioned!
So beauti—
Slash!!
Whew… Get a grip.
That means the boss is somewhere in the white flower field around here.
From what Ferguson said, buffs activate from the rest area onward, which seems right.
Duration is one hour, he said.
First, adapt to this buff.
But this buff… the effect is too strong.
Top-tier quality, was it?
Feels leagues above the potions seniors gave me before.
My abilities exploded so much it's disorienting.
But humans are animals of adaptation, they say.
After moving around for about 10 minutes, I finally adjusted.
Alright! Now to meet that boss!
As he explored and advanced through the dreamlike forest,
He arrived at the rumored white flower field.
And in the center…
"...?!?!"
Just seeing the being quietly watching me told me everything.
Ah, overwhelming.
Is this what a wall feels like…?
And at that moment, Ferguson's words came back to me.
'No need to thank me so much. You're going to die. Very pathetically too.'
So that's what he meant….
Seniors always warned against arrogance, but I failed.
Is this what a frog in a well is?
A chuckle escapes despite my situation.
But I can't keep that being waiting, so I advance.
He approached the wall beyond the white flower field.
And…
"Go back, kid. You're not ready yet."
"...…."
As expected, being ineligible for the trial means hearing this?
Shame makes my body shrink involuntarily.
The mountain ahead extended a hand sideways, creating a portal.
"Enter here, and you'll go to the first room's entrance. This is my last courtesy—go back."
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that."
It's too embarrassing.
But I want to see.
The power of the being before me.
A glimpse of the absolute one.
So slowly drawing my sword and taking stance—
"Then die!!! Serial Serious Punch!!!"
"Huh…?"
KABOOOOOM!!!
After Balak unleashed serious punches in rapid succession.
Lowell returned to the city swiftly without even trying anything.
As a result, Lowell safely fulfilled his wish to glimpse the absolute one.
Balak realized, 'As expected, this beats long speeches!'
Isn't this a happy moment for all?
All good, all good.