Chapter 136

Chapter 137: Surveillance? No, it’s Peeping! (Second update, please subscribe!)

At the cavern entrance.

The gathered adventurers saw Riviria and Ais returning with Ize, and immediately swarmed around them.

In no time, they surrounded Ize who was supported by Ais.

“Hey hey, Ize, can you tell me how to become as strong as you!?”

“Ow!! Tiona, don’t jump on me… my bones are about to break…”

“That… Ize is still injured…”

“Oh, sorry sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

The lively Tiona hadn’t realized she touched Ize’s wound and quickly apologized multiple times.

“So, what exactly do I need to do to become as strong as you, Ize?”

“…”

How should one answer that?

“Uh… learn more magic?” Ize thought for a moment and tentatively gave an answer.

Then, Tiona’s face instantly turned sour, as if she had heard something unbearable.

“Don’t say that, Ize. It’s not practical for Tiona to study magic.”

Tione waved her hand upon hearing this.

Not to mention Tiona’s lack of magical aptitude.

Just her restless nature alone meant she couldn’t possibly sit quietly to read books and gain knowledge.

Fairy tales, however, were fine.

Surprisingly, Tiona liked fairy tale books and hero epics.

“That kid has some skills, I have to admit I’m impressed.”

Old man Gress stroked his beard and sincerely praised, albeit somewhat indirectly, but still expressing his thoughts.

And Finn nodded in agreement.

“Indeed, he achieved an incredible miracle, winning an epic battle.”

Looking at Ize surrounded by the group members, the captain suddenly smiled. Clapping his hands to get everyone’s attention, he said:

“Well everyone, let’s save the celebration for later. We can celebrate both the success of the expedition and Ize’s victory together. Let’s leave the dungeon now.”

“OOOOOOH!!!”

The faction captain’s words were met with enthusiastic responses from everyone.

Indeed, their expedition team was still waiting on the eighteenth floor; they had all “skipped work” to come here.

Better to return first!

“By the way… should we collect the treasures here? There are so many white leaves and white tree fruits…”

Suddenly, someone in the group timidly mentioned this.

The lively atmosphere paused for a moment, then Finn, who was walking out, turned back with an apologetic smile.

“Hmm, sorry for the trouble, but let’s all collect them quickly!”

Although affected by Ize’s battle with the Tree Dragon, the White Tree was now somewhat tattered.

However, precious white leaves and fruits remained at least sixty percent intact. They were all excellent materials for weapons and spiritual medicine.

As well as bark and branches, used for forging armor and crafting staves.

The White Tree truly lived up to its nickname as the Gem Tree! Every part was valuable!

This kind of free money, don’t refuse it when it’s offered!

And there were also the drops from the Tree Dragon.

Most of the magic stones were destroyed by Ize during the fight, so they could be ignored.

However, the dragon teeth and scales that dropped were quite valuable.

Drops from “Enhanced” monsters generally had high value.

After collecting these, it would be at least several small goals worth!

Of course, since the credit goes to Ize, most of these small goals would go to him.

The remaining smaller portion would serve as faction funds~

On the way back, everyone wore smiles filled with satisfaction, discussing the battle with each other.

They soon met up with the expedition team temporarily stationed on the eighteenth floor.

Raul, who had been left behind to watch the team, looked puzzled at everyone’s cheerful expressions, eventually learning about the battle process from his companions.

Then, listening to comments like “It’s too bad Raul didn’t see how it went,” his expression gradually twisted…

With a noisy and lively atmosphere, Loki Familia’s expedition team returned to the surface effortlessly.

……

Inside the Guild Headquarters, the stone hall located underground.

Above the altar-like structure, at the center of four torches, stood a massive stone throne, where the great old god Uranus sat majestically.

Below the altar, the sage Fels, completely wrapped in a black robe, stared blankly at a crystal ball in his hand, lost in silence or deep thought.

“…He succeeded, Uranus… defeating a Level 5 ‘Enhanced’ Tree Dragon at Level 2.”

“Rather than ‘adventure,’ this is more like a ‘miracle.'”

“Potential ability values comparable to Level 3 under normal conditions, reaching Level 4 when Additional Magic is activated, possessing over three instant-cast spells that rival the power of long incantations—what a terrifying talent, Ize Alward…”

Perhaps spending some time organizing the information gathered during the surveillance (peeping) of the battle, after a while, Fels burst out with a torrent of words.

Though it was unclear whether the voice belonged to a male or female, one could sense his astonishment.

“A ‘miracle,’ huh…”

But after hearing this information, the expression of the old god Uranus remained unchanged.

Muttering this word in a calm tone, it was impossible to discern the old god’s thoughts.

“What should we do? Uranus.”

Fels spoke again.

He referred to how to handle the matter concerning Ize.

“Ize Alward possesses perception-type magic. At this rate, he will reach Level 3 soon, and entering the lower levels is just a matter of time. Discovering them is only a question of when.”

Based on Fels’ judgment, if left unchecked, contact between Ize and the “heretics” was inevitable.

There’s a good chance it might drag the [Loki Familia] into it.

That would complicate matters.

But trying to restrict Ize’s actions was unrealistic.

What could they use to limit Ize’s exploration of the dungeon?

That would go against the original purpose of establishing the guild, lacking proper justification.

Even the wise Fels, known as the “sage,” couldn’t think of any good solutions.

Uranus understood Fels’ meaning. The old god silently closed his eyes, maintaining his statue-like expression.

“Prepare to issue a mandatory quest, and have a reasonable excuse ready. For now, let’s wait and see.”

“Mandatory quest? What kind of mandatory quest!?”

“A temporary mandatory quest to send Ize away from Orario, with as reasonable a reason as possible.”

Upon hearing this plan, Fels was somewhat bewildered. He spread his arms covered in black armor, his tone full of doubt.

“But registered adventurers cannot leave Orario for more than three months, that’s the city’s rule. This can only delay things a bit.”

“I know, but delaying a bit will be enough. During this time, try to understand his stance, and prepare accordingly afterward.”

“Understand his stance? His stance toward the heretics? Should I go?”

In response to this question, Uranus silently directed his gaze.

How… Fels shrugged as if accepting his fate.

“Alright, looks like I have to go.”

Regarding this matter, as those informed, Uranus couldn’t act, leaving only him to run errands.

Speaking of which, there seems to be some unusual activity recently within the Great Tree Sea, one of the world’s three great secret realms…

Feels like a pretty good candidate for a quest content.