The group made its way down the large staircase leading to the 52nd Floor before Finn brought everyone to a stop and explained, "As you all know, from here until the 58th Floor we'll be passing through the Dragon's Vase. From now on, we can only stop moving when we're on the staircases and when we read the 'black' zones...though you'll have Riveria's protection, everyone needs to take care of themselves and stay on their toes. If you're in one spot for more than twenty seconds, it could become a disaster..." Hearing Finn's words, Vahn felt a little conflicted because it was hard to imagine a flame that could burn through several floors of the Dungeon at once...
Though it was documented in the compendium, Vahn couldn't understand how the 52nd-57th Floors had any monsters at all if the Valgang Dragon's spewed their fiery breath all the way to the 52nd Floor. From Vahn's perspective, that should kill the monsters as well and, if Riveria's [Veil Breath] offered enough protection against such flames, it should have been an easy matter to clear down to the 58th Floor as soon as they entered. Vahn decided to keep quiet on this for the time being, but he couldn't help feeling bothered by the incredulity of the Dungeon allowing itself to be freely damaged by the Valgang Dragons while also killing its own monsters.
Riveria started casting [Veil Breath] on everyone but, when it came time for her to use it on Vahn, he waved his hand and said, "I have complete fire immunity, so I should be perfectly fine." As she was privy to some of Vahn's capabilities, Riveria nodded her head and chanted her spell on Fenrir instead. However, Vahn's words were a bit of a surprise for Finn, Gareth, and Bete, at least until they remembered the scene where Vahn had essentially turned into fire to kill the Goliath. Though he burned away all his equipment in the process, Vahn had emerged from the flames without any injuries at all.
After preparations were made, Finn looked to Vahn and Lefiya before saying, "I don't think you'll be able to stay so close together on the 52nd Floor. However, I'll trust you to protect our Lefiya if things get dangerous, Vahn. Though you may just be Level 3, I hear your speed even exceeds that of Level 5 when you're serious. Please watch over her closely..." Though he wasn't too fond of Finn, Vahn knew he wasn't really a 'bad' guy at heart. Hearing him express concern for Lefiya improved Vahn's impression of the Pallum slightly so he nodded his head and said, "I'll make sure nothing happens to either Lefiya or Fenrir." Hearing Vahn's words, Finn smiled before gesturing to the group to form up and prepare to invade the 52nd Floor.
Unlike the 'leisurely' pace they had on the 51st Floor, the group was moving forward rather quickly from the very moment they crossed the threshold into the 52nd Floor. Vahn's senses were being pushed to the extreme as he looked around for enemies. However, though they were moving as a large group, Vahn didn't see the normal signs that monsters were going to be spewed out by the Dungeon. This meant it was likely to be the type of floor where the monsters pre-spawned and roamed around the area. As he was thinking this, Vahn felt a powerful wave of energy enter his domain slightly ahead of their current position. If they kept running forward at their current pace, Vahn knew it would intercept their trajectory and he immediately realized Finn's warnings about the Valagang Dragon's were to be taken seriously.
Bete, Tiona, and Ais were at the head of the group as the floor began to vibrate but they were all agile enough to immediately evade the coming attack without having to be told. The seemingly hard bedrock of the Dungeon turned a red-orange for a brief moment before the floor erupted into a geyser of flame nearly 5m in diameter before smashing into the roof. Finn called out, "We'll go around to the East, let's move!" before they all moved into the adjacent corridor and continued running through the Dungeon. Vahn could sense the pillars of flame long before they actually reached the 58th Floor, but it still surprised him that the Dungeon itself allowed this type of behavior.
Though it wasn't the best time to be talking, Vahn asked Riveria, "Will this type of attack not cause a Juggernaut to spawn? I've seen far less damage dealt to the Dungeon in the past that triggered their ire. It doesn't make much sense that the Dungeon is damaging itself to such an extreme, after all, aren't the dragons all the way on the 58th Floor? That's more than 2km down, at the very least..." Riveria didn't seem to mind Vahn's question as she gave a curt nod and said, "Nobody really knows why the Dungeon makes an exception in the Dragon's Vase, but there has yet to be any reported sightings of a Juggernaut at these Levels. Also, once the flames fade away and the holes cool down, the Dungeon will rapidly regenerate at these Floors..."
As Riveria's words came to a close, a pillar of flame erupted near them as Vahn grabbed Lefiya quickly and used [Shundo] to evade before letting her go again. She blushed slightly and said, "Thank you..." before running along once again. Vahn, however, looked down the hole for a brief moment and inspected it. It was a super-heated red, as the stone had been melted completely through, and at the very bottom, Vahn could see a pin-hole sized light that was likely the 58th Floor. If they wanted to, the entire group should be able to easily jump down to reach that Floor and Vahn wasn't sure why it wasn't 'obvious'. The Loki Familia was intent on setting a new clear record, which meant they wanted to go beyond the 59th Floor, so Vahn couldn't understand why they're current record was only the 53rd...
Before anyone complained about him falling behind, Vahn stepped forward with [Shundo] before falling into place between Lefiya and Riveria once again. As for Fenrir, she had been clinging to his back for a while now and was using Vahn as transport since it was 'dangerous' for her to be on the Floor. Vahn was certain her instincts gave her awareness of the pillars of flame, but he decided to let her have her fun for a while. Besides, she was the type of girl that pressed 'flush' against his back, so it wasn't that distracting with her diminutive body weight.
Though it was in the shadows, Vahn detected several presences in the space above their heads. Unlike the 51st Floor, the 52nd had high ceilings that could even reach several hundred meters which meant there could be monsters easily lurking above them. Vahn pulled out his bow and loosed several arrows into the darkness without stopping his feet. Several Deformis Spider corpses rained down from above before turning into clouds of purple dust long before they hit the ground. Though they would typically leave them behind, Vahn collected the drop items into his inventory shortly after they touched the floor without showing any signs of having done so.
Finn had seen Vahn's archery and said, "Very well done, Vahn." before leaping forward and stabbing his spear into a large scorpion that had emerged from a crevasse in the wall. It was a monster known as a Venom Scorpion and, like almost every other monster on the 52nd Floor, was an ambush predator that tried to sneak attack parties trying to evade the flame pillars from below. Vahn quickly realized the 'theme' of these floors and his curiosity about why they didn't simply leap down increased further. Though he struggled to believe this could be the reason, Vahn suspected it was because of the 'misunderstanding' about falling that seemed to be common in this world.
As they were moving at a much faster pace than normal, the group managed to reach the stairs leading to the 53rd Floor after just three hours of running. There were far fewer enemies compared to previous floors, as large groups would simply fall prey to the Valgang Dragons, so there wasn't much to slow them down. With Vahn's detection ability and the general prowess of the present members, there were few things that could bar their passage. When they finally reached the stairs, Finn called the group to a temporary halt so they could recover their stamina before proceeding into the 53rd Floor.
Vahn was standing at the side with a serious expression on his face as he scanned around the area and observed for any signs of their enemies. He somewhat expected that they wouldn't take action on these Floors, as it would be difficult to work around the Valgang Dragons, but there was no way of knowing for sure. One thing he was certain of was that these floors, even the stairs, were very different than those above and it was somewhat perplexing. Though it was popular belief that the Dungeon was a living entity, as it was able to proactively 'resist' against Adventurers, Vahn couldn't understand why 'it' would make itself accessible in the first place. Floors like these were a massive hurdle for the majority of Adventurers, but they were also easily exploitable by the bold. It was almost like the Dungeon was 'luring' people deeper inside of it instead of trying to keep them out...
A presence entered Vahn's domain and he was immediately drawn to it with his [Eyes of Truth] active. Unfortunately, the only thing he saw was a rather large snake trying to creep up on the group through the shadows. Though no staircase was truly safe, the ones between the 52nd and 28th Floors were especially dangerous. Since it was recorded in the compendium that the floors were home to a variety of ambush predators, Vahn wasn't surprised to see one trying to sneak up on them when they were resting. Fortunately, Vahn was easily able to detect its presence and this one even happened to be a relatively rare Thunder Snake. He wanted to harvest all of its materials so Vahn captured it with his [Enkidu] as it tried to resist by sending out vibrant waves of electricity.
The brilliant flashes of light had alerted the group but Vahn gestured to them as he said, "It's fine, I just captured a Thunder Snake using my chains. I want to harvest a few of its materials before it dissipates, so don't kill it outright." Following Vahn out of curiosity, the group saw a four-meter-long snake that was covered in thick green scales with a few golden ones intermixed in a jagged pattern. It was currently pinned down to the Dungeon floor by several resplendent golden chains and was entirely unable to resist. Seeing this, Finn held his right hand to his chin and commented, "So these are the chains you used to temporarily bind the Balor...they are quite interesting."
Vahn walked over and placed his palm atop the aggrieved snake's head and lulled it into a deep slumber. He wasn't sure how much pain it would feel having some of its scales removes, but Vahn imagined it wouldn't be pleasant at all. In order to ensure it didn't feel any pain, Vahn put it into a coma and severed the nerves in its neck so it wouldn't be able to feel anything. Though he wasn't sure if the structure was the same, Vahn fed threads of energy into the area of the Thunder Snakes brain to make it feel 'happy' and 'full' before he began pulling away each of the golden scales on its body.
As it wouldn't even be able to move if it were awake, Vahn dismissed [Enkidu] and skillfully handled the body of the unconscious snake for a few minutes until it finally succumbed and dispersed into smoke. Though it was a little awkward to see, the Thunder Snake had left behind a relatively rare drop after it died. Vahn picked up the vibrant green crystal that crackled with electricity on the inside before storing it away in his inventory. Though the Thunder Snake itself was rare, the coveted 'Thunder Ore' it sometimes dropped was even more so. The small crystal Vahn had obtained could easily fetch upwards of twenty-million Valis on the market simply because it could be used to make equipment that resisted 'thunder' magic and paralysis.
After taking a half-hour break, which was made moderately more pleasant by Vahn providing ready-made tea and snacks, the group entered the 53rd Floor proper and began their journey towards the 54th. Vahn was beginning to feel like the 'several day' trip was going to take less than a day at this rate, but knew this wasn't accurate as they would be exploring and cataloging things on the 54th Floor before their return. Though it wouldn't be accurate, temporary maps of the Deeper Floors were still purchased by the Guild research teams who attempted to understand the nature of the Dungeon through its structure and composition.
There were also several unexplored regions of many Floors, some of which contained incredibly rare materials and never-before-seen monsters. An example was the Cadmus Spring Water, which was guarded by the white dragon Cadmus, on the 51st Floor. Though several expeditions had been made down to that Level before, it went undiscovered for many years and was now a highly coveted monster and item. The spring water could be diluted several hundred times to make numerous High-Quality Elixers, while the Cadmus itself was a treasure-trove of rare materials with its body being worth several hundred million Valis if harvested efficiently. As a result, however, the Cadmus was incredibly strong while the spring water typically only produced a few ounces after several months of accumulation.
One of the reasons people seek to discover new things in the Dungeon was because it would bolster their fame a great deal while also providing them with the opportunity to name and classify their discovery. Though it would have to be approved by the Guild, as some people weren't very capable of naming, it would still be known by the entire City that you were the one to make the discovery. Within the compendium Vahn had memorized, each monster had the name of the original Adventurers to encounter the creatures and the Familia they belonged to.
The majority of the ones in the Deeper Floors had been discovered by members of the Zeus and Hera Familias, but there were a few that were documented discoveries by the Loki and Freya Familias. The Cadmus itself had been a discovery of Finn's in the past and was the primary reason why the Loki Familia had a bit of a monopoly on the coveted liquid. Though the Dungeon structure changed, the general location of important structures typically remained in the same relative area. Finn had a 'map' that documented the approximate location of the Cadmus' Spring, and they often undertook missions from the Dianchect Familia to obtain some.
---
After another four hours of travel, made easier by Vahn's 'mapping' capabilities, the group arrived at the entrance to the 54th Floor and decided to take a long break to enjoy lunch. Vahn gave Finn the materials that he had stowed away for their rations before pulling out a few fresh ingredients of his own and setting up a make-shift kitchen. It was a little bit 'rude' of him to do, but Vahn didn't care about being 'normal' as he began preparing the ingredients to serve the girls. Lefiya had gotten somewhat skilled when it came to cooking, so she helped Vahn after wearing a cute frilly apron that he had given her. As for Tiona, Tione, Ais, Riveria, and Fenrir, they were seated at a low table with cushions as they sipped away at tea...
Bete, holding the dried meat in his hands and the hard black bread looked like he was about to have an aneurysm as Finn watched the event with a wry smile on his face. Gareth, however, simply walked over to the table and shouted, "Oi, Vahn, mind if I take a seat? I'll pay you for-" Before Gareth could finish, Vahn looked over and set out a new cushion and said, "Don't worry about it, Gareth, we're friends after all." To emphasize the fact, Vahn set out a small flagon of [Dwarven Drought] for Gareth and he happily plopped down on the cushion after setting his massive axe to the side. Without any hesitation, Gareth picked up the flagon and began inhaling the rich aroma before remarking, "I can never get enough of this alcohol...it makes everything else taste bland by comparison!" As he spoke, Gareth saw a small cask appear at his side and he began to laugh heartily, adding to the relatively lively atmosphere of the girls.
As he didn't want to spend too much time making the food, Vahn made simple braised sashimi and added rice, salmon roe, and a variety of fruits and vegetables as an accompaniment for the Elven women. Though they sometimes ate meat, the majority of their diet consisted of nuts, fruits, and vegetables, so Vahn was showing his consideration. To make things more interesting, Vahn baked some of the cut fruits and seasoned them with a honey drizzle and cinnamon before setting them out on the table as an appetizer.
Unable to tolerate the lively atmosphere at the side, Bete threw his black bread to the ground and said, "This is some bullshit! We're not down here to have a fucking picnic!" Though Finn agreed with Bete, Vahn's perception was the highest in the group and he wouldn't act like this if it wasn't 'relatively' safe to do so. Since Gareth and Riveria had already sat down, there wasn't much he could say about the situation without sounding rude and abrasive, much like Bete. To ease the tensions a bit, Finn gestured to Bete to calm down as he asked, "Vahn, may we partake of the...festivities as well? I know it may not be appropriate to ask, but I believe it's better for the group's unity if we all eat together."
Without considering the matter to any great extent, Vahn waved his hand dismissively and two more cushions appeared next to the table. Looking over, Vahn matched gazes with Finn and Bete as he said, "The red cushion is for Bete..." before turning his attention back to the food preparation. Vahn had set out a blue and a red cushion for their use, with the red being next to Gareth and the blue situated next to it. Since Fenrir was nearby, Vahn didn't really want Bete sitting next to her because he wasn't too fond of the abrasive Werewolf. However, just as they were about to sit down, Vahn looked over once again and said, "If you intend to make trouble at the table, don't sit at it..." as he matched gazes with Bete again.
Bete furrowed his brows deeply and looked like he was about to shout out once again before he noticed the red cushion vanish from sight. His words got stuck in his throat because Vahn didn't even spare him a glance. Though he looked like he had swallowed a bug, Bete kept his words to himself and noticed the red cushion appear once again. He promised that, when they returned to the surface, he would settle things with Vahn directly. For now, he would tolerate Vahn's behavior because he simply didn't want to be left out. It pissed him off that so many of the people he had associated with over the last few years had 'jumped ship' to Vahn's side in the past few months and he didn't have any other way to express his discontent.
As he sat down in a huff, Bete visualized an image of a petite Amazon girl in his head before picking at the appetizers Vahn had set out. It was both tart and sweet at the same time and Bete thought it tasted pretty good...realizing this, however, Bete couldn't help but feel a sour aftertaste rise up in the back of his throat...
---
(A/N: It's never mentioned who actually discovered the spring, but Finn makes a comment about knowing to location so I went with it. There are A LOT of inconsistencies in the source material xD. Like the fact that the Loki Familia had never made it down to the 59th Floor in the past but was somehow able to reach it in a few minutes after some of their members fell down a hole? That is very strange...Since when can you pass through 6-7 Floors of a Dungeon, which can be several hundred kilometers of a Labyrinth in just a few minutes?)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'That fire though...','Vahn is confused by the illogical','Tastes like Defeat')
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After enjoying a long lunch break, it was time for the group to breach into the 54th Floor and start their exploration. Though they would document the approximate location of the stairs leading down, it was decided that they would stay on the 54th Floor unless it was the closest point to retreat to during the evening. Their goal became to explore as much of the 54th Floor as possible before their supplies started to run low and they were forced to turn back to the 50th Floor. Based on how the size of the Dungeon increased the further down you went, it was approximated that the 54th Floor was more than 300km in diameter and had unknown dimensions, as there were variations in elevation for some areas while others became complex labyrinthian structures.
Finn gave the order to proceed forward and everyone began running through the Dungeon once again as, a few seconds after they started their journey, pillars of fire once again shot up from the floors below. It was amazing how the Valgang Dragons were able to calculate the trajectory of fast-moving objects and target them from several kilometers away. Vahn wasn't sure how they were able to accomplish such a feat, but it reminded him of how the red-haired woman was able to sense his presence when he had looked at her in the past. Since there shouldn't be any easy way for them to detect his presence, especially if he used [Stealth] on his domain, Vahn likened it to some kind of sixth sense. It was either that or the Dungeon itself that was helping them make the complex calculations that would be necessary. After all, the pillar of fire didn't really travel that fast, as it had to melt through several hundred meters of bedrock, which meant the Valgang Dragons would have to account for nearly thirty seconds of high-speed movements when they released their fiery breath.
The progress through the 54th Floor, while relatively fast as a result of their speed, was a slow and arduous process. Vahn actually found himself growing slightly bored because there were so few monsters and the flame breath would have entirely no effect on him even if it did hit. Since he could detect it long before it reached them, Vahn was in no danger at all and kind of wanted to start walking through the Dungeon and cataloging everything at a casual pace. He could understand why these Floors were very dangerous for the majority of Adventurers, but that didn't apply to him at all and it made him a little on-edge continuing this 'farce'.
Another group of Venom Scorpians intercepted the party and, as they only numbered eight in total, were quickly taken care of by Bete, Ais, and Tiona. When they went to loot the drop items, the floor heated up and they all jumped to the side, once again evading the flame breath without any major difficulty. To prevent any waste, Vahn had looted the 'lost' items before the floor completely broke down and separated them from the other items in his inventory, as per usual. This was another one of the reasons Vahn was growing bored, because Ais, Tiona, and even Bete, tore through the monsters with unstoppable momentum as if they were illusions instead of actual Level 4 enemies. Though Tiona wasn't really an agility-based fighter, she still had more than 3400 total agility and could easily kick off from the ground with enough force to cover a 50m distance in less than a quarter of a second. As for Ais and Bete, they easily fit the description of agility-fighters as Ais tore through enemies with her [Ariel] while Bete kicked his enemies hard enough to make air pockets in their bodies as a result of the shockwave.
Since Lefiya and Riveria weren't really using their magic, Vahn wasn't even helping to recover their mana so he found himself just looting items and scanning around the Dungeon for signs of danger. He had expected the Deeper Floors to be somewhat more exhilarating than this and was somewhat disappointed by the reality. To pass the time, he started trying to 'catch' the Valgang Dragon's flame breath with his domain since he had a perfect fire affinity. The breath was made up of pure fire elemental energies, though it was incredibly powerful and chaotic, so Vahn figured he would be able to divert them with enough practice.
Unfortunately, it was already somewhat difficult to control 'stagnant' fire elemental energy, much less the super-volatile flame breath that was emitted by the Valgang Dragon. Though it was surprisingly not that hot, the flames had a corrosive element to them that allowed them to eat through the bedrock of the Dungeon without any major difficulty. Vahn couldn't isolate what this element was, but it was very similar to his [Lævateinn]'s flames. If he could figure it out, and truly exercise control over their breath, Vahn theorized he could add such an effect to his own flames to make them 'perpetual' in the future. Unless he extinguished them himself, the flames would continue burning without ceasing and, since Vahn's flames could reach up to Tier 4 in strength, he knew they would be a devastating weapon against most enemies.
After nearly six hours of running, the group arrived at a stairwell that led down to the 55th Floor and proceeded inside of it to take a break and set up camp for the evening. Though Finn was very tempted to breach into the 55th Floor, he had already given his word and wasn't going to break it since it would cause his own credibility to take a hit. Unless others wanted to venture further in, specifically Vahn, Finn would let the matter lay for the time being and be content that they already reached a deeper floor. Bete, however, explored ahead a bit and even entered the 55th Floor for a short while before returning. Since simply reaching the floor wasn't enough, as it was called a 'clear' record for a reason, it wouldn't count as an achievement and was simply him obtained a new 'personal best' for himself.
When it came time to set up camp, everyone had their own personal tents to use but Vahn still set up a larger tent for the residents of the Hearth Manor. It wasn't as big as the one that was used on the 50th Floor, which had been left behind, but it had enough sleeping room for ten people. As there would only be six using it, it wasn't that cramped at all. As for Riveria, she used her own tent, which had also been provided by Vahn, while Gareth, Finn, and Bete all set up individual tents for themselves. Bete seemed to be annoyed by the fact Vahn was still sharing a tent with the girls, but he had momentarily given up on trying to 'address' the matter. There wasn't anything he could do to change the situation, so he kept to himself and just retreated into his own tent after dinner.
For the evening watch, it was decided that people would have two-hour shifts to keep guard with Vahn, Fenrir, and Lefiya being made exceptions. Since Vahn slept with his domain active, while also using his own energy to 'conceal' them somewhat, it wouldn't be 'fair' to make him stand guard as well. As for why Fenrir and Lefiya were removed, it was because Fenrir needed to be watched over by Vahn while Lefiya's senses, except when it came to magic, were somewhat weak. The rest period had been designated as a ten hour period, so that everyone could get proper rest, with the first watch belonging to Finn...
---
Though he was relaxing his body and mind in a peaceful slumber, accompanied by the warmth of Fenrir, Tiona, and Tione, Vahn was still aware of his surroundings somewhat. Whenever people moved around within his domain, a part of his mind constantly tracked them and it was things like this that made Vahn feel like his brain had 'split' at some point. Even when his mind itself had slipped away into unconsciousness, he would still probe around with his intent and sense his surroundings. Though he couldn't 'see' what was happening, Vahn could envision it somewhat based on his imagination and perception of things so it was almost like he had the ability to 'wander' around even when he was asleep.
Things were relatively peaceful for the first half of the night and Vahn only stirred slightly whenever an enemy would appear within his domain. His 'second' self would alert the person on watch by infusing [Enkidu] into his domain to light up the surrounding area. As all those on the watch were Level 5-6, they would make short work of the enemies without having to stir the others awake. Everyone was surprised the first time Vahn's domain 'alerted' them, but then they appreciated it a bit after a while. Even Bete, who didn't think it was fair that Vahn got to stay sleeping in the comfort of women couldn't complain too much after Vahn 'alerted' him for the fifth time. This showed that, even though he was asleep, Vahn was 'always' on watch while he only had to stay up for two hours. Vahn even picked up on the enemy's presence before his enhanced senses could so Bete just sat quietly atop a rock with a solemn expression on his face...
The third shift was taken by Gareth and had been relatively uneventful as he sat with his axe in his lap and sipped away at the small flask Vahn had given him. He usually diluted the [Dwarven Drought] by a fair amount, but he had entrusted Gareth with a bit of the 'real' thing and the veteran Dwarf was very grateful. After the first 'surprise' of Vahn's domain alerting him to the enemy, Gareth had eased up a lot and simply overlooked the tents from a higher vantage point. Whenever an enemy would show up after that, Gareth would toss over a small rock in an attempt to smash them without leaving his perch. Though it made a loud sound, that would have awoken most people, the Loki Familia members were able to ignore it since they weren't being alerted to any danger.
Once Gareth's watch came to an end, the next person to take up the post was the somewhat sleepy Ais. She escaped from Lefiya's grasp before climbing atop the large rock nearby with nothing but her sword. She hadn't bothered wearing all of her armor and was just dressed in the 'basic' equipment that she went to sleep in. When she sat down atop the rock, Ais found a small tray with snacks and steamy tea on it before she sat down and enjoyed the calm and quiet atmosphere. She noticed that there would be a brief golden flash every now and then and quickly dealt with the monsters nearby. After returning to her perch, Ais patted herself down before sitting atop the small blanket Vahn had set out and began to relax a bit when she felt the cold air of the Dungeon fade away as a warmth surrounded her...
The final shift was taken up by Riveria and, shortly after she finished preparing for her post, she found a wooden table had been sat out for her with a comfortable chair to accompany it. On the table, there were various journals and books present with a freshly brewed pot of tea and bite-sized snickerdoodle cookies at the side. Riveria released a sigh before looking over at the tent where Vahn was sleeping with the other girls. After shaking her head slightly, she sat down at the table and partook of one of the cookies before opening up one of the journals present. It was all of Vahn's notes that he had been taking throughout the day and there was even a few excerpts about things they had discussed in the past. Riveria realized that Vahn must have been somewhat bored during their expedition and it brought a small smile to her face as she picked up the quill and began writing notes of her own.
Though there were no visible changes in the layout of the Dungeon, it was time for everyone to wake up and Vahn had been one of the firsts to stir since he wanted to prepare breakfast. When he came out of the tent with Fenrir and the somewhat drowsy Tiona, Vahn saw Riveria writing in the journals while periodically looking around at the surroundings. She noticed their presence and gave Vahn a curt nod before returning to the journal in hand. Tiona stretched her body before clinging to Vahn and asking in a sleepy voice, "Vahn, make something sweet for breakfast, okay~?" As a result, Vahn decided to make the main dish as pancakes and then accompanied it with bacon, eggs, and some rice porridge for those that weren't too fond of sweets.
With the smell of food on the air, everyone in the camp started to wake up soon after and came out of their tents seeking the source. Finn looked over at Riveria and was slightly stunned to see her sitting at a desk before promptly ignoring the matter and walking over to Vahn. Seeing what he was making, Finn asked, "Would you like my assistance, Vahn? I'm not the greatest chef in the world, but I should be able to assist you easily enough." Though Vahn was tempted to decline, it felt like it would have been unnecessarily rude of him to do so. After nodding his head, Vahn turned over the skillet to Finn before he moved on to the next set of items and they started cooking together. As for Tiona and Fenrir, they were already sitting down at the table as Tiona helped Fenrir eat some of the snacks Vahn had set out.
Unlike the previous lunch incident, Vahn had set out a low table with a total of ten cushions present with the same red one designating Bete's spot. Without offering any complaints, Bete just walked over and sat down next to the slightly groggy Gareth who had inadvertently emptied the flask Vahn had given him after returning to his own tent. He wouldn't be affected for long, but he was slightly hungover for the time-being and was nursing a cup of dark-black coffee that Vahn had set out. As Bete had been one of the last people to sit at the table, the atmosphere was already somewhat lively after the girls had all washed up a bit and sat down. They hadn't taken a bath, but Vahn set out a small basin so they could rinse off their faces and brush their teeth before breakfast.
Finn saw the lively atmosphere as he dexterously flipped over an omelet and remarked, "This is rather different from any other expedition I've ever been on, not that I'm complaining. It's good to see everyone's morale is so high even though we're so deep in the Dungeon..." Vahn nodded his head lazily and cast a glance over at Finn before saying, "I used to think you had to treat the Dungeon very seriously because I had been made aware of the dangers by Tsubaki when she trained me in the past. Now...I don't think that is entirely the case...after all, we're supposed to be on an 'adventure' right now, and all the stories make them out to be fun and exciting affairs. Though I'm not going to promote complacency, I think exploring the Dungeon should be something that is enjoyable when we have the capabilities to make it so..."
Hearing Vahn's words, Finn was slightly surprised and had even paused his hands for a brief moment until the small of slightly burnt eggs reached his nose and he slid it off onto a plate. Vahn's words, though somewhat 'romantic' in nature, really were what Adventurers were supposed to aspire towards. Other than those that entered the Dungeon simply to 'get by', many people pursued its depths in the pursuit of fame, glory, wealth, and power. Most of those that actually achieved them were typically very free-spirited people that eagerly sought new stimulus and wanted to experience new things, even though it wasn't always pleasant.
It was this desire for adventure that had caused the Guild to begin labeling explorers and dungeoneers as Adventurers in the first place. However, this was something that was often overlooked on missions and expeditions, and Finn hadn't really thought about it too much until he heard the words from Vahn's mouth. It suddenly seemed like him harping over the small details was 'incorrect' as there was no need to follow established conventions when people could be 'happy' and productive at the same time.
Typically, as an expedition reached the end, it had become something of a slog and people just wanted it to be over. This was why the majority of losses happened on the return trip, because people were simply 'too eager' and were prone to making mistakes. However, Finn could actually imagine people wanting to stay longer with people like Vahn making things more 'fun' for everyone. Though he couldn't imagine it happening any time soon, Finn was starting to see Vahn's image of creating a permanant settlement in the Dungeon as a reality. Even if it was only a 'possibility', Finn knew it would be better to jump on the bandwagon early so a smile appeared on his face as he gave the young human boy a thoughtful look...
(A/N:Alternate Titles: 'These flames are 'boring'...','The Night's Watch','Happy Fun Times')
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