Deadmeat Saga

After carefully backtracking to the exit, Gerhart slowly went up the floors alone until he reached the 1st layer... And then stopped. Instead of continuing up, he found a secluded location where he could absorb most of the magic stones he acquired.

Although loot from the dungeon couldn't be regulated, magic stones were taxed. Independently selling magic stones was illegal... So it was better for him to use half of them and show some so he wouldn't look suspicious.

Opening his bag, he found 17 3rd-floor magic stones, seven 2nd-floor magic stones, and five 1st-floor magic stones.

To descend to a deeper layer, one must traverse through previous layers... Unless they have special permission from the dungeon, which can be acquired by slaying the mid-boss on the 5th floor or the boss on the 10th floor. They inevitably needed to kill a few monsters before reaching the 3rd layer.

He also needed to kill a few monsters on his way back, amounting to ten.

"I will absorb most of the third-floor ones..." Gerhart decided.

With that, he started absorbing the magic stones one at a time with gritted teeth. He felt a bit stronger with each stone, and the accumulative effect of these ten stones wasn't insignificant. However, he also noticed that the pain was going down with each stone, and the time it took to absorb became shorter. By the tenth stone, the pain was already halved.

"They are losing their efficacy..." Gerhart knew.

Magic stones had limits, too. Sure! They can help you grow more powerful, but the more you use them, the less effective they are. Moreover, because of the damage it leaves on the body, there was a limit on how many you could use... And that limit depended on the person in question and the quality of the magic stone.

The more powerful the stone, the more stress and damage it causes. Training the body can alleviate the symptoms, but some people are born with unique physiques that allow them to absorb more with less damage to the body. Not only that... It is said that it also dictates the upper limit of the body. Otherwise, all rich people could fork out a few thousand gold coins, buy the magic stones, and use them on themselves to become powerhouses.

Gerhart, Mylo, and Hazel didn't have a high aptitude. Otherwise, they wouldn't feel stressed from absorbing a few 3rd-quality stones. However, they were not discouraged. They heard from explorers that one can break his limits by constantly experiencing life-and-death battles. It was rare, but some legendary figures were said to have poor talents.

Gerhart didn't know if the natural limit applied to him now, but he did know that absorbing ten stones in a row without side effects was abnormal... And the pain he experienced from absorbing them was also many times more than he expected, along with their benefit.

To note, usually, someone who absorbs the magic stones on the 3rd floor until saturation is about 15% stronger, and someone who absorbs the magic stones on the tenth floor to saturation is usually about 50-60% more powerful. This wasn't only physical strength, but overall all aspects.

Strength, Agility, Dexterity, Endurance, Vitality, Perception, Intelligence, Instincts, Magic... All of it. However, Gerhart was originally what you would call a dim-witted meat tank. He was illiterate, only knew how to count to a hundred, his magical talent was next to none, and his perception was poor. However, he boasted good endurance and vitality, which helped him as a laborer. The rest were average... Which left him wondering...

"For some reason, ever since I absorbed Mylo and Hazel, I feel... cleverer than before... and my perception feels better, and my body feels easier to control... Hah... Now that I think about it, Mylo was always the smartass and good at arm wrestling, and Hazel had superb perception and was more nimble... Were they truly treated like magic stones? Or did I become stronger, smarter, sharper, and nimbler on a fundamental level...? Or both? Am I just imagining things? And when did I become so self-reflective?" Gerhart asked himself.

And then he found another issue...

"Since I absorb the entire magic stone instead of part of it... Does it mean it is treated like breaking several stones of the same quality? That would also explain why the efficiency is dropping so quickly. Normally, you need at least 100 stones for the effects to halve." He muttered.

While he was asking himself these things, a watermelon-sized green slime slowly crept closer, alarming him.

"I should probably stop thinking about these complicated things..." Gerhart muttered, drawing his sword and slashing at the slime.

Slash* Psh*

The sword effortlessly cut the slime into two, and after a few moments, the slime turned into a tiny magic stone and a green crystal the size of a finger.

"A slime essence... Should be worth a silver coin." Gerhart muttered as he picked them up.

Except for magic stones, which had a guaranteed drop rate, monsters had different drop rates for loot, giving items and body parts. Some items are more likely to drop, while others are less likely, like when opening a chest. However, it is also said a hidden talent dictates the drop rate of such loot, and the methods to raise it were few and rare. So rare that there was no market for it. There was even a so-called profession for those with high drop rates, Golden Men.

"Now that I think about it... Isn't this my first time causing an item to drop? Mylo caused three items to drop, and Hazel caused... eight... Hah." When he reached that point, Gerhart couldn't help but blink his eyes. A wild possibility flashed in his mind. "Did I... Absorb that, too?"

However, moments later, he shook his head. "Nononono... That shouldn't be possible... Right?"

After pausing for a minute, Gerhart snapped out of it. "Okay... Forget it. First, get out of the dungeon. Then think about useless shit."

With that, he stored the items in his bag and continued to the entrance, where he saw a group of beginners like him going up the stairs. He knew them... And they recognized him, too.

"Gerhart! How are you doing?!" A young warrior with similar equipment to his waved with a smile.

"Oh, hi, Kieran..." Gerhart replied, not in the mood to talk with others.

"Are you alone? Where are the rest?" Kieran asked, looking around, and then his eyes locked on the bags on Gerhart's back. "Oh... Are they..." Kieran's face turned bitter.

Gerhart silently nodded, confirming Kieran's suspicions.

"I'm sorry to hear that... I know they were close to you..." Kieran expressed, placing a hand on Gerhart's forearm.

"It's fine..." Gerhart shook his head. "I need to report their passing."

"Of course..." Kieran pursed his lips and returned to his waiting group. "Let's go."

Kieran's two party members gave a sympathetic look to Gerhart before going up the stairs.

Technically, Gerhart could have told them... But he chose not to. Although he knew the ones who did it... Without evidence, there could be no trial. His testimony was insufficient. He could only give his account to the guild, which would be added to the record of the other party. There was no direct effect, but it did lower credibility.

However, telling other explorers can put him at risk since he could be targeted by those who previously killed him.

"I need to lay low and get stronger..." Gerhart thought. "Should I avoid the dungeon and become an adventurer for a while?"

Adventurers. They were a varied group that took on requests from various people, but they mostly had expertise in monster subjugation. It was not uncommon for a Dungeon Explorer to double as an Adventurer.

"It might be a good idea... I can also try this power on monsters." Gerhart thought.

With that, Gerhart climbed the stairs, where there was a door. Opening the door, he entered a sealed room with three registries, only one being manned.

This room was called the Checkpoint. One can freely enter the dungeon but is searched for magic stones when leaving. Hiding magic stones is punishable by a steep fine and expulsion from the guild. This room also functioned as a buffer zone in case of a dungeon overflow. 

Kieran and his team finished submitting their stones, received their pay, looked toward Gerhart, nodded, and left.

"Next." A disinterested male clerk with shadows under his tired eyes said.

Gerhart silently walked over and pulled out his guild card and those of his two teammates.

"..." The clerk froze when he saw three cards but only one person. After ten seconds, he looked up and professionally asked, "Where are your teammates?" He asked, knowing the answer, but still asked to confirm.

"Dead," Gerhart answered, his fists clenched. He wanted to spill it all out but knew he shouldn't do so on a guild clerk.

"... I see." The clerk nodded. "Please give your testimony to the guild master later. Please show me your magic stones before leaving and any chartered loot you wish to sell. If you still wish to use some, please do it now." The clerk instructed.

Gerhart didn't say anything more and took out his magic stones and the slime essence. 

"That amounts to 24 SC." The clerk did a quick calculation and gave 24 silver coins. "Please head to the guild master and give your testimony... And sorry for your loss." The clerk said with a slightly sympathetic look.

"Thank you..." Gerhart nodded, pocketed the money, and left the room.

When he exited outside, he was greeted by a rowdy environment of explorers drinking and chattering with each other.

As he exited the Checkpoint alone, some explorers glanced at him and guessed what happened. Some gave sympathetic looks, while others sneered, thinking his party overestimated itself and got done in.

Gerhart didn't care as he reached the guild receptionist, a gaunt middle-aged man with an eyepatch.

"Margo, I need to see the guild master and give my testimony," Gerhart said, cutting to the chase.

Margo scanned Gerhart with his remaining eye, breathed out, and looked to one of his colleagues, a young female receptionist. "Juliana, look over the counter. I will be back soon."

"Yes, Margo." The female receptionist respectfully answered.

He then looked toward Gerhart. "Follow me." He said and left the counter, walking toward the stairs, Gerhart following him.

Gerhart and Margo didn't speak along the way, the air solemn. Soon, they arrived in front of an office, and Margo knocked on the door.

Knock* Knock*

"Come in." The voice of an aged woman sounded.

Margo silently opened the door, and Gerhart followed, revealing a broad office full of books and trophies. Sitting by a desk was an elderly lady wearing a monocle on her left eye, reading through files using a synthetic magical right arm and her remaining left arm.

"What is it, Margo?" The lady asked, her eyes not leaving her documents.

"Master Skyler, Gerhart is here to give his testimony," Margo reported.

Guild master Skyler stopped reading and raised her eyes, looking at Gerhart with eyes that could pierce the soul. It was as if she was reading him like an open book.

"Thank you, Margo. Return to the front desk." Skyler instructed.

"Yes, Ma'am." Margo bowed, closed the door, and left.

Gerhart and Skyler looked at each other before Skyler motioned to a seat facing her, "Come sit, young man."

"Thank you..." Gerhart nodded, put his luggage aside, and sat on the chair.

Meanwhile, Skyler pulled out a parchment and quill.

"Tell me everything," Skyler instructed.

"Yes... " Gerhart nodded and started recounting what happened.

Five minutes later...

"So you found a Beginner Swordsmanship Skill Book on the 3rd floor, got found out by the D-Rank Explorer group, Emerald Flame, and they killed Mylo and Hazel while you miraculously survived by being lucky when they thought you died? And they only took the skill book before leaving? Did I get that correct?" Skyler asked to confirm.

"Yes, Guild Master." Gerhart nodded. "I know it is hard to believe, but that is really what happened.

"... I believe you." Skyler nodded. "However, as much as I would like to help, I cannot convict them of anything without solid proof. There is a reason why the dungeon is called a wild jungle. You knew the risks when you joined."

"Yes..." Gerhart solemnly nodded. "I know."

"And also, there is a chance they would want to erase unwanted risks... I cannot protect you from that." Skyler added, her face grim. "You should suspend your membership and stay out of the dungeon. Consider going to the adventurer's guild. I can issue you a transfer in light of your circumstances."

"That is very kind of you, Guild Master..." Gerhart said, somewhat touched.

He knew the guild master was going out of her way to help him, so he was thankful for it.

"No... I am sorry I can't help you more than this." Skyler softly exhaled and took out another parchment, wrote something on it, put it in an envelope, and put her seal on it before handing it over. "This is my transfer approval. Consider your Dungeon Explorer license frozen."

"Thank you, Guild Master." Gerhart took the envelope and carefully put it in his chest pocket. "I shall take my leave now..." He said and stood up.

"Stay safe." Skyler waved her hand as she saw Gerhart leave the room.

"Ha..." Skyler sighed. "I felt like there was a bit of falsehood in what he said, but almost everything else was accurate... I'll reduce Emerald Flame's credibility." She said, taking out a log book and starting to write.

Lowering credibility didn't directly damage someone, but it made it harder for them to accept jobs, and if they lost too much credibility, they could be legally kicked out of a guild. And one of the worst credibility breakers was murder... This is also why, when explorers murder each other in the dungeon, they do it thoroughly... Which is why Skyler found it strange he survived. There was a bloody tear in his stomach armor, so she guessed he was stabbed through, yet he was alive and kicking.

Skyler had a talent for seeing through people's lies, so except for the part about how he survived, which was in the grey zone, the rest was credible in her eyes. So, he didn't lie when he said he was lucky.

"I hope you don't die, kid..." Skyler muttered, finishing her new addition to her log book, and continued reading through her paperwork.