An expandable backpack worth 2 million gems, an iron dagger and other equipment, a pack of consumables more effective against humans than monsters, and a spoonful of discomfort that landed like a stone.

"I wonder what kind of person he was?"

These were things left to us by a stranger in a mask.

"No matter how you look at it, it doesn't look like he's an ordinary marauder. He was all alone, and the way he died, too...

When the situation became unfavorable, the masked man committed suicide. This was far from the norm. However...

"Don't worry about it anymore. Now we won't know anything.

The truth is already buried in darkness.

So all we can do is take what we need and move on. This is how researchers are arranged.

"Bjorn." How much cotton candy is there? Ainar asked, her eyes full of appetite.

Before I could answer, Raven spoke.

"In total, it will be about 3.5 million stones.

— ... Do you have experience in this field as well?

— Of course, to know for sure, you need to sell, but there should not be a large error. In the past, I received a certificate of a regular appraiser.

Hmm, is there such a thing?

When asked to elaborate, Raven explained that a regular appraiser is different from a special appraiser. Obviously, you can get such a certificate only on the basis of knowledge, not skills.

"Mr. Yandel, you should also study this when you have time. If you just show it to them, you won't have to bargain and intimidate them unnecessarily. There may be difficulties with trading broker licenses, but-...

"It's all right. I'm good at intimidating people.

I cut her words off before she could continue her self-praise and continued the expedition.

Promotion was not much different from a team of losers. Choosing the Ladder of Wisdom as the first priority and the Ladder of Courage as the second, we focused only on climbing the Tower.

— ... Phew, are we going to wander through the maze all day again?

"We don't have a professional intelligence officer, so there's nothing we can do.

Every time we climbed the Ladder of Wisdom, it was very difficult to find our way, but we had to give our best. There was a controller next to me.

— 4 hours and 34 minutes...

"4 hours and 11 minutes...

— 3 hours and 59 minutes.

Each time the trial ended, Raven counted down the time.

Fortunately, the higher we climbed, the more the duration decreased. This was due to the developments obtained as a result of playing the role of a conductor. However, I still had a long way to go to catch up with Rothmiller.

— 4 hours and 35 minutes. This time it has increased a lot.

"There's nothing to be done," Ainar stepped on the trap.

"All right, a mitigating circumstance.

Day 9, Day 10, Day 11...

Time passed quickly. From the 12th day we slept without night duty.

"Are we going to set up a night watch today, too?"

— ... It seems like a waste of time.

"Phew, it's all because of that bastard. Doesn't that cross the line? To set up an ambush here...

Mike was outraged, as if her hideout had been invaded.

In fact, I had similar feelings. It was the only place where I could rest in peace.

Bloody hell.

Despite the incident, the expedition went smoothly, and by the 16th day we had reached the 100th stage. From that moment on, it was possible to look for a portal to the 5th floor.

— 2 hours and 41 minutes... It was much faster.

Even Raven, who had been acting like a controller every day, was now smiling with satisfaction. For reference, so do I.

Maybe I am really a brilliant guide?

The three-hour wall was incredibly difficult to break. However, I had an epiphany that helped me shorten the time it took me to overcome the challenge:

Destroying traps was easier and faster than solving them.

"Ah, Mr. Yandel. How long, do you say, did it take to get here when you had a professional intelligence officer on your team?

"It took about 12 days.

"4 days difference is not bad, considering that it will be much easier for the team on the 5th floor without a scout.

I agreed. Although we lost 4 days due to the lack of a scout, our team consisted of only combat classes.

All that remained was to make up for lost time in battle.

But...

Couldn't you just praise?

Dissatisfaction lurked in me.

Misha came up and patted me on the shoulder.

"Good job, Bjorn. Who would have thought that everything would turn out this way. We're probably the only team with a barbarian guide.

Well, at least you...

Mr. Bear cleared his throat when he heard Mike's words and stepped forward. Apparently, he was ashamed to entrust the role of guide to a barbarian, when he himself was one. "Looks like it's time for me to come forward.

I obediently handed over the rudder.

After all, to get to the 5th floor, the doors must be opened in the correct order.

"Which door shall I open?"

"This one."

That's why Conduits were such cheaters. Even if their sensory stats did not exceed a certain level, they could only recognize the mana of the portal with the help of innate talent.

[You have chosen the Ladder of Courage].

[You have chosen the Ladder of Wisdom].

[You have chosen the Ladder of Courage].

And so, using Mr. Bear as a compass, we made our way to a portal that was hidden somewhere in the Tower.

Open the door, pass the test, repeat.

After spending another night like this, we continued the expedition and opened 10 more doors.

"Finally, the last door.

We reached the cell with the portal. The 17th day was already coming to an end. Soon it would be necessary to set up camp, so, on the one hand, I wanted to take a break and open the door tomorrow.

But...

"I think I'll be able to concentrate better now."

Given Raven's trait of weakness in the morning, we decided to continue today. The portal chamber was also the boss room. The better the state of the magician, the better.

"As I said, there's definitely a rank 5 monster here.

"I mean, like that vampire. Ainhar grabbed her sword with eyes full of excitement and anticipation.

She seemed to want to test how much she had changed from her helpless past.

I couldn't help but smile.

Initially, I was going to tell her, "Don't lose your focus. The survival rate of those who have reached this point is less than 50%," but this was not barbaric.

"Um, why did you fall silent?" Raven asked.

"I forgot.

"What?"

"Come on, let's finish him off."

I opened the door, climbed the stairs, and headed for the next stage, a stone cell with a familiar headstone built into the center.

As soon as we all entered, the door closed and the monster was summoned.

"Gaaaa!"

I couldn't help laughing. I was wondering what kind of bastard would come out.

"It's a troll!"

Yes, nothing beats Troll to feel the achievement of a new stage in the present.

***

The troll was the bastard that caused me to smash my keyboard in the 1st year of playing Dungeon & Stone, and the one who brought the team of losers to the brink of destruction.

"Should I start with [Distortion] magic?" I've heard that the Trolls' by-products are very expensive.

Wow, she's brave despite being terrified by a rank 5 monster.

"It's okay. The essence is just as expensive.

"As you say."

As I was exchanging a few words with Raven, the Troll let out a scream and lunged at us.

*Boom!*

I also took off to play the role of a tank.

[You have applied [Gigantization]].

The difference in weight category instantly decreased.

When the distance also shrank, the Troll waved his huge fist.

*Bach!*

A strong blow fell on my giant shield, but after absorbing the Ogre essence, it was not as strong.

The shield remained intact.

The litinum shield that used to bend with every blow didn't flinch this time thanks to the effect of the 6th stage Spiritual Imprint, [Unity]. Now the stats of the equipment I wore increased in proportion to the sum of my stats.

Yes, this was the very effect for which I poured so much money!

'Behella

After boosting my stats with the [Wild Splash], I swung my mace with all my might.

[You used [Swing]. The destructive power of blunt weapons increased significantly in proportion to the Force].

The target was the head. However, the bastard dodged and my huge mace slammed into my shoulder.

*Crunch!*

With the sound of the blow, the shoulder was deformed. It was dislocated with just one blow. Previously, it took at least six blows to pierce the flesh and reach the joint.

"Gaaaa!"

Of course, as befits a Troll, the bones healed in a matter of seconds. However, it was enough to gauge my combat strength.

And now let's see.

I focused on defense and watched my teammates. The first was Misha. She hasn't absorbed the new essence since, but...

*Colic!*

Her sweeping sword easily sliced through the Troll's hide.

This is the power of money. It was a long sword made of iril, which cost as much as 12 million stones. If he could not do at least that much, then I would demand a refund.

'Behellaaa

It was Ainar's scream. She immediately stood in line and swung her sword, apparently envious of Mike, who was the first to take an active part in the battle.

*Ears!*

A strong wind rose along the trajectory of the sword's movement, leaving behind a residual image. Or maybe "afterimage" is not quite the right word.

[Ainar Feneline used [Second Strike]].

This was a rank 4 active essence skill inherited from the elder. The effect was simple: one hit caused the effect of two.

*Colic! Colic!*

Of course, it was ineffective against the Troll. Even though the weight of the huge sword was added to the superior strength, the sword only managed to break through 3 cm.

"This guy has strong skin... Oh!

After receiving a blow from the Troll's fist, Einar flew back. She quickly stood up, but blood was dripping from her mouth. It seems that her organs were damaged.

'Behellaaa

Instead of drinking the potion and resting, Einar rushed back to the Troll and swung her sword. It was more of a rational decision than stubbornness. This time, the sword glowed with a red glow, the Bone Knight's active skill she had learned in the Blood Citadel.

[Ainar Feneline used [Absorption Lifeforce].

When Ainar hit the enemy, her HP was replenished, which is an excellent quality for a secondary tank. Using the [Repeated Strike] along with the [Absorption Vitality], Einar restored her previous state in just a few hits.

She does less damage than Misha, but she is much better at tanking.

After watching their battles for a while, I appreciated their strengths and weaknesses, as well as what needed to be worked on.

Ainar needs to acquire a good attack skill. Mike has to consume more Beast Blood to raise the level of his Spirit Beast.

With these thoughts in mind, I half-heartedly dealt with the Troll. Mr. Bear asked from behind:

"Can we join now?"

"Oh, you were waiting for them?"

"I was curious to see how well these two ladies would fight.

"I'm not a lady!!

Ignoring Einar's scream, and with my permission, Mr. Bear joined the battle.

[Abman Urikfrid summoned the Iron Bear, Iradun.]

However, did he think that the front line was already overcrowded? Mr. Bear summoned a Spirit Creature as a bodyguard and began to shoot a crossbow.

*Шуп! Шуп! Шуп!*

With each shot, the arrow made a strong cracking sound and pierced deep into the Troll's body. Looking at the points of direct hits, I felt his skill.

This method of attack restricted the opponent's movements by driving arrows into joints such as elbows and knees.

*Colic!*

Misha and Einar worked together to cut off the Troll's hand. The [Super Regeneration] scheme has begun. Raven had already cast the [Wound Sharpening] spell, so the regeneration rate was slow.

There is nothing else to see here.

Just as I was about to crush the Troll's head with my mace, Mr. Bear stopped me.

"Stop!" The third lady should also play an active role.

— ... Could you please not call me a lady?

Soon, Raven chuckled and waved her wand. Unlike Dvalka, she didn't even warn us to move away. It wasn't that she was inattentive, rather, she didn't feel it was necessary.

[Arua Raven cast a rank 5 spell [Thunder Spear]].

Zigzag around our positions, white lightning rushed forward.

Everything turned white in his eyes. After that, a sound was heard.

*Bang, bang, bang!*

By the time I could see again, the Troll's head had already been blown off.

*Blow*

The troll collapsed to the floor and disappeared in a flash of light. Of course, there was no essence.

***

We killed the Troll, and it was so easy, as if we were playing with him. Of course, this didn't mean that there wouldn't be any dangers on the 5th floor, as several rank 5 monsters could appear there at once.

*Woooooo!*

After the Troll's death, a portal opened. However, we did not immediately go up to the 5th floor, but set up camp.

Even if we were up now, it would be time to go to bed, so it's better to have at least one more comfortable night.

Now the real fun begins.

After tossing and turning for a while with excitement and anticipation, I fell asleep.

The next morning, around 7 a.m. on the 18th day, we finished packing and entered the portal.

"Wow, I'm really going up to the 5th floor..."

[You entered the Great Demon Realm on the 5th floor].

Thus, I ended the first half. It's time for a real expedition.