Chapter 568

Chapter 575: Side Quest – The Sigh of the Starchild (Please Subscribe!)

“Miss Victorica, the dungeon is a dangerous place. You can’t enter it on a whim. Underestimating the dungeon like that could get you killed…”

When Victorica’s request was made, Ryu was the first to disagree.

The elven girl who had only just met her the previous night clearly mistook her for a traveler newly arrived in Orario, curious about everything, and immediately sternly warned her.

“Eh~? Can’t you make an exception? I’ll definitely take good care of myself!”

Seeing Ryu rejecting her request, Victorica tilted her head and clasped her hands together in front of her, trying to charm her way through.

Attempting to pass by cutely.

However, Ryu remained unmoved.

“Miss Victorica… even if you try to charm me, it won’t work. The dungeon has rules; non-adventurers are not allowed to enter. If we’re caught, the Guild will severely punish us. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Izay…”

The elf seemed to want Izay to join her in persuading Victorica to abandon this dangerous idea, so she passed the ball to Izay.

Izay looked at Ryu, whose expression was serious, then at Victorica, who wore a pleading look, thought for a moment, and nodded, saying, “Hmm… I think maybe we can bring her.”

“—Izay!?”

Ryu was dumbfounded; she felt betrayed by her teammate.

“Don’t worry, Ryu. I know your concerns, but Miss Victorica might be stronger than you think. She’s not someone who would be completely helpless against monsters. And even if we retreat ten thousand steps… it’s just the middle layers. With the two of us high-level adventurers protecting her, wouldn’t it be easy?”

Izay explained calmly.

“Oh~! Saying such cool lines with such calmness, Mr. Izay… thank you for speaking up for me, I’m so moved~!”

Hearing Izay support her, Victorica beamed with joy, her face lighting up with excitement.

“Your verbal gratitude means nothing. If you can restrain your curiosity and follow orders when we act together later, then it would be acceptable.”

“I promise I’ll be good! I’ll definitely listen!”

The witch gave her assurance. This made Izay nod inwardly.

He actually had his own considerations.

This time they were going to investigate the strange white mist, the very thing that brought Victorica to Orario.

One could say that she was already involved in this matter, so there was reason to bring her along.

Moreover, Victorica’s combat power far exceeded Ryu’s, and she wouldn’t be any kind of burden.

Allowing her to join the team meant they could better assess the situation when encountering the white mist.

After all, wasn’t there a witch who had personally experienced it right beside them?

“Sigh…” Seeing the two decide the matter in just a few words, Ryu sighed, having previously opposed the idea, saying, “Since Izay has said so…”

Realizing her opposition was futile, Ryu chose to accept reality.

…

At the center of Orario, in the square before the Babel Tower,

Mixed among the bustling crowd of adventurers, Izay, Ryu, and Victorica slowly approached the towering chalky structure ahead.

During the process, because Izay used magic to interfere with the surrounding people’s sensory perception, their arrival did not cause much of a stir.

Otherwise, getting close alone would have likely caused quite a commotion.

“The dungeon…” Victorica looked up at the towering structure piercing into the clouds, examining it from top to bottom, then lowered her gaze to the ground and asked, “How deep does it go inside?”

“The confirmed depth is around sixty floors. Beyond that, we don’t know. Perhaps someday we’ll uncover the answer.”

“It’s said that starting from the fortieth floor, each subsequent level’s area exceeds Orario itself. Exploring it is incredibly difficult. Even the sixty floors explored so far have been reached only recently by Izay’s faction.”

As Izay answered Victorica, Ryu chimed in as well. Perhaps hearing about the possibility of uncovering answers, her tone carried a faint sense of nostalgia and melancholy.

Who knows how many lives will be lost in pursuit of such opportunities?

But to Victorica, these words carried another meaning entirely.

The witch was more focused on the current exploration progress.

Only Izay’s faction had managed to reach the frontline in recent years. Wasn’t this proof that Izay and his deity’s faction were extremely powerful?

Perhaps even the strongest!?

This made Victorica feel even more confident that she hadn’t chosen the wrong guide.

Her return journey might just be bright!

Standing in the middle of the trio, Izay was unaware of the thoughts of the elf and the witch.

His mindset changed slightly as they stepped into the dungeon entrance.

Because his long-silent system finally spoke up!

It was exactly the same situation as when he decided to hunt down the scorpion monster, Andarius.

An unexpected side quest popped up out of nowhere.

[Side Quest Update: The Sigh of the Starchild]

[The Sigh of the Starchild: The Martian Mist flows within the dungeon, this is the power of the stars! (Note: With the Martian Mist, perhaps some wondrous changes can occur)]

[Miracle/Opportunity: The appearance of the Martian Mist is a miracle, driven by the will of the stars! Also an opportunity, marking the beginning of historical transformation! (Note: The host must explore these changes themselves)]

[Quest Reward: Temporal Loess]

[Temporary Task Blessing Received: Time’s Lament]

[Time’s Lament]

– When facing the Martian Mist, you will receive the blessing of Mars, resisting change.


– When facing the Martian Mist, ability values will be locked.

If Izay could use emojis at this moment, his face would surely be a black-and-white bear with question marks.

“—???”

What was all this cryptic nonsense!?

Honestly, Izay never expected that a spur-of-the-moment decision could trigger a side quest.

But the explanations related to this task… were just too vague.

After reading the whole thing, Izay felt he hadn’t obtained any critical information.

The blessing—’Time’s Lament’—seemed to have been received though.

Izay could feel some invisible, indescribable energy swirling around him.

Not perceived through his own senses, but only seen through the power of ‘Pseudo Astrology’.

And not only himself, but Victorica and Ryu nearby also seemed to be within the range of this force.

As for the specific effects of this power… Izay was completely in the dark.