Bastion and the girls took their time touring the city after finishing their business at the Adventurers Guild. Since they had rented the dungeon room for the next century, there was no real rush. While they'd decided to speed up their leveling progress, their priority wasn't reaching Rank 3 as quickly as possible but obtaining a better class. They only needed to reach the required level, and after that, they'd focus on gaining the experiences necessary to potentially obtain a Rank 4 class, which would greatly improve their strength.
For this reason, their actual focus was on leveling up their arts and skills to level 7, the maximum limit for Rank 2. They also needed to experience certain trials that might grant them unique or high-rank classes. These trials could involve anything from being ripped apart by a monster and surviving, implanting rare materials into their bodies, living a specific way for centuries or even millennia, or simply going about their lives as they pleased. The point was to experience life to its fullest.
"All of these seem pretty low quality," Lilia commented as the group toured the shops meant for visitors. "They're standard for their ranks, and the enchantments are mediocre. They're reliable, nothing more. If there's one advantage, it's that they're incredibly cheap compared to the goods sold in other kingdoms."
"Of course they're cheap, little missy," a vendor replied. "These goods aren't meant to compete with high-end equipment. The materials are harvested continuously from the dungeon, which keeps the supply stable and the quality consistent. Since everything is mass-produced, the craftsmanship and enchantments are standardized rather than exceptional. That keeps the price low and ensures there's enough demand for the products."
He gestured toward the rows of equipment on his stall.
"The purpose of these goods isn't to outfit powerful adventurers like yourselves. They're meant for nobles outfitting hundreds of guards, kingdoms equipping armies, and anyone who needs reliable equipment in bulk. Of course, they also serve the gods' great endeavor for conquest."
Bastion was, of course, aware that the gods weren't spending all their time in their divine kingdoms looking down on the pitiful mortals. They were out there defending Gaia from invaders or launching invasions against other worlds themselves. It was the reason his father had left for the Central Empire's capital in the first place. He was heading there to support the Goddess of Brilliance's personal forces, earning merit and resources through battle.
It was an option Bastion had considered for their group but ultimately rejected due to the extreme danger involved. Here, the kingdoms were ranked, and the strength of their enemies was relatively predictable. Out among the stars, however, a passing god could wave a hand and erase an entire planet. For that reason, it was better for them to grow steadily while learning more about the planet they had found themselves on.
Seraphina, of course, wholeheartedly agreed. They were still noobs, so they should focus on doing noob things before eventually stepping onto some interstellar battlefield as part of the endgame. For now, their priority was to farm exp, do random quests, search for legendary equipment, and obtain unique classes.
"Oh? They have some pretty good alchemical ingredients here," Seraphina exclaimed. "Though the processing is lackluster, they're more than enough for top-tier potions if you add the right enhancers to make up for the gap in quality."
"The magical materials are decent as well," Lilia added. "The concentration is acceptable for most projects. I'll just need to put in some extra work to really draw out their essence."
'Master, they have an excellent variety of ingredients as well,' Elyra said through telepathy.
In the end, they spent a considerable amount of time and money purchasing higher-quality raw materials at a premium. The stalls only sold the best and worst grades, while average-quality materials were reserved for mass production. Even so, the prices were still far lower than in other kingdoms, which had to use those resources to pay their required tribute to the empire. Here, only finished goods were provided as tribute, leaving the raw materials available for local use.
A few days later, the group made their way to the dungeon entrance near the Adventurers Guild. Unlike most dungeons, which had a single entrance and teleportation circles every 10 floors, the Dungeon of the Four Gods had teleportation circles leading directly to each of its 4 floors. This was because each floor was dedicated to monsters of a specific rank, with the 1st floor housing Apprentice-ranked monsters and the 4th floor containing Rank 3 creatures.
"Please present your guild cards and cooperate with the scanning process," the guard at the entrance said.
The kingdoms strictly enforced the 50% loot tax because the Adventurers Guild shared a portion of the collected taxes with them, unlike most dungeons where enforcement was lax. Before entering the dungeon, every adventurer's belongings were scanned and their inventory was securely recorded on their guild card without revealing its contents to the guards. Upon leaving, they were scanned again, and any newly acquired items were automatically identified. Adventurers then had to surrender resources or goods equal to 50% of their market value based on standard kingdom pricing.
Of course, every system had loopholes, and Bastion's group intended to exploit one. Rather than leaving the dungeon with valuable raw materials, they planned to process them into potions, enchanted equipment, and other consumables, then use those products to improve their hunting efficiency. By consuming or using everything they created before leaving, they wouldn't have any taxable loot left to declare.
Once they passed through the checkpoint, they joined the line for the teleportation circle leading to the 4th floor. Compared to the other queues, it was relatively empty. After all, people capable of fighting armies of Rank 3 creatures were rare in a Rank 3 kingdom.
A flash of light enveloped them as they stepped on the magic circle, and Bastion and the girls found themselves inside a large stone hall permeated by a peculiar energy. Simply standing within it accelerated their health, stamina, and mana regeneration.
"This is a safe room," Ariel explained. "Each of the 4 gods contributed something to this dungeon. Discovery created the ever-changing labyrinth with hidden treasure chests so that everyone who entered would always discover something new. Venture added the dungeon rooms so adventurers could challenge themselves with different trials. Companions increased the number of creatures to encourage teamwork and strengthen companionship. Finally, Campfires created these safe rooms so adventurers could rest without worry."
The group looked around and found the room bustling with activity. Guards patrolled every corner while blacksmiths repaired equipment, merchants displayed adventuring supplies, and small eateries served hot meals to weary explorers. An information counter stood near the center of the hall, surrounded by adventurers studying maps, monster reports, and the latest dungeon updates.
Bastion led the group toward it.
"We reserved a room," Bastion said, handing over his guild card.
The clerk glanced at it before nodding. "I see. Please wait on the side. I'll have someone escort you there."
A few minutes later, a lanky Rank 3 man wearing leather armor approached them with vacant eyes. Rather than looking emotionless, he looked resigned, as though life had worn him down to the point where he simply couldn't be bothered anymore.
"Bastion?" he asked in the same listless tone.
"That's us."
"Alright. It'll take about a week of nonstop running to reach your room. You all look like Rank 2 adventurers. Can you keep up?"
"We'll manage."
Bastion summoned Steve, his diamond steed. The girls mounted behind him, sharing the large saddle.
The guide clicked his tongue before turning around. "Follow me."
They sprinted through towering stone corridors, ignoring the scattered monsters wandering the passageways. The route twisted seemingly at random through the ever-changing labyrinth, yet the guide never hesitated when choosing between forks and crossroads. Whenever monsters blocked their path, he simply stepped aside and let Bastion's group deal with them. As a guide, protecting them wasn't part of his job, even if he was stronger than them.
They encountered a variety of creatures along the way, from powerful solitary beasts like towering Minotaurs wielding massive axes to coordinated groups of Hellhounds and swarms of lesser Imps numbering in the hundreds. There were also clockwork-like mechanical constructs that dropped valuable gears, brutish Ogres, warlike Orcs, cunning Goblins, and various demonic creatures lurking throughout the labyrinth. However, none of them posed a serious threat.
Bastion blocked entire passages with his shield and Earth magic, preventing anything from reaching the others. From the back, Ariel fired arrows with precision, striking down anything that attempted to fly over or bypass his defenses. Meanwhile, Seraphina and Lilia worked together to create devastating steam explosions, pressure-cooking anything trapped on the other side of Bastion's barriers. Despite being a full rank below their enemies, their Reinforced and Amplified stats, potions, and gadgets allowed them to bridge the gap in power.
Through their teamwork and coordination, Bastion and the girls easily overcame every encounter while the guide continued leading them deeper into the labyrinth.
After a week of relentless travel, the narrow corridors finally opened into a vast crimson world. Dark clouds churned overhead while scorched earth stretched to the horizon. Volcanoes and smoking vents dotted the landscape, their eruptions painting the sky with ash and fire. Waves of blistering heat rolled across jagged red mountains, making the air itself shimmer. Rivers of molten lava carved through the landscape, while fields of blackened rock and ash covered everything beneath their feet.
It was home to creatures adapted to the extreme environment. Fire elementals drifted through the volcanic plains, magma beasts crawled from the lava flows, and massive salamanders hunted among the rocky terrain. Demonic creatures, ash-covered undead, and monstrous beasts with blazing cores roamed the region, each possessing powerful fire-based abilities. Even the weakest inhabitants of this floor were far more dangerous than the creatures found in the labyrinth due to their elemental advantage, making it a place where only prepared Rank 3 adventurers could survive.
"Welcome to the Burning Wastes."
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