Chapter 38: The bad reputation of the Soma clan! Are there other supporters with hidden secrets?
Dungeon, first floor.
Inside the quiet tunnel, footsteps of varying weight echoed softly.
Arthur and Lili walked on, the surroundings eerily silent, with no trace of monsters encountered.
Evidently, because they entered the Dungeon later than other adventurers, the surrounding Kobolds had already been dealt with.
Arthur's expression was calm; he shook his head indifferently, quickly discerned the direction, and turned to suggest to Lili, who was behind him.
"The monsters on the first floor haven't respawned yet; let's head deeper."
"No problem, Lili will follow Lord Kaxiu's arrangements completely."
Lili responded softly while nimbly leaping over shallow pits on the ground, guided by the dim phosphorescence.
She looked up, discreetly observing Arthur, who was walking ahead, silently calculating in her mind.
As a seasoned veteran in the art of deception, Lili never chose her targets blindly.
Among the many adventurers in the square, she had only noticed Arthur; this person hadn't even brought the necessary weapons and armor for combat.
In her judgment, he was either a rookie just starting out or a Mage-type adventurer skilled in long-range combat.
Moreover, he was most likely a poor Mage saving up to buy a magic staff!
"Hmph, I hope this guy's magic is powerful enough, otherwise, I'll have to find another way to increase my income!"
Splish! Splish!
Just as the two continued to walk, each lost in their own thoughts, a strange sound of breaking walls suddenly echoed through the tunnel.
Immediately after, goblins, hunched and green-skinned, successively leaped out of the walls.
Arthur paused, calmly observing these monsters, quite famous in many fantasy works.
Lili, meanwhile, subtly moved to an inconspicuous corner, her left hand seemingly casually resting on her right arm, from which a slight, intricate mechanical whirring sound emanated.
"Gak!"
The goblins growled at each other, seemingly confirming the situation with their companions, not rushing to attack.
Compared to the squealing Kobolds, their intelligence was clearly superior.
Bang!
A crimson Magic Conduction bullet, like thunder, tore through the air, accurately piercing the loudest goblin.
In an instant, green blood splattered, and pale bone fragments scattered.
This sudden, bloody scene instantly sent the goblins into a frenzy.
They furiously beat their scrawny chests, crouched on all fours, and then suddenly pushed off the ground, charging towards Arthur like arrows released from a bowstring.
"Although you have some notoriety, you are not the protagonists of today's show; please kindly exit the stage."
Arthur's expression was indifferent, his finger gently raised, and the revolver-cylinder-like magical formation glowed with dazzling crimson, as a full chamber of Magic Conduction bullets rained out continuously.
He stood steadily in place the entire time, yet the Magic Conduction bullets, tearing through the air, seemed to have eyes, each strike accurately hitting a goblin's head, giving them no chance to get close.
Lili, silently watching from behind, her pupils contracted sharply, her ominous premonition growing stronger, and she couldn't help but inwardly curse herself for being too careless.
What she was witnessing was a rapid-fire spell that required no incantation!
Not only was the opponent's magic powerful enough to easily defeat the goblins on the third floor, but judging by the way he was wantonly firing, the consumption of magic power also seemed low.
"Miscalculation!"
Lili was inwardly distraught; she had thought the opponent was an easy target, only to find out he was a high-level adventurer 'smurfing' in the lower ranks.
Fortunately, she had not yet implemented her previous plan, so she immediately changed her attitude, intending to follow behind Arthur for now and reap some benefits.
After Arthur released several rounds of Magic Conduction bullets, the area was cleared.
At this point, the ground and walls ahead were riddled with holes and craters.
The claw materials and magic stones left by the dead goblins were mixed in with the ashes, requiring careful searching to retrieve them.
Normally, Arthur would have to do this himself, but this time—
Lili scurried forward, carefully cleaning the dropped materials and magic stones, then placing them one by one into her backpack.
Lili gently shook off the ashes from a goblin's claw, turned to Arthur, and offered a bright smile full of admiration, her tone flattering.
"Lord Kaxiu is truly amazing; this is the first time Lili has seen an adventurer who can cast rapid-fire magic. It's truly eye-opening!"
Arthur keenly noticed the subtle change in Lili's attitude, but he showed no reaction, merely changing the subject indifferently.
"It's just good luck; I awakened a more practical magic, that's all. Nothing to boast about."
"Let's go, let's continue. I plan to explore down to the seventeenth floor today before turning back. Do you have any objections?"
Lili quickly lowered her head, her hood concealing the shrewd glint in her eyes, and respectfully replied.
"How could I? Lili has no objections to Lord Kaxiu's decision. On the contrary, this way Lili earns even more."
After another round of verbal probing, Arthur's guesses became clearer.
He stepped past Lili, who had just finished collecting the spoils, and walked towards the entrance to the lower levels, pondering to himself.
"It seems this little girl isn't completely devoid of conscience; she's just stuck in a quagmire and can't escape?"
Earlier, Arthur had caught up on his knowledge in the Familia library and was no longer a newcomer; he had some understanding of the various Familias in Orario.
Lili's Soma Familia had an utterly terrible reputation.
It belonged to a rather unconventional type of Familia; its members were not only long-active in the Dungeon but also involved in some commercial activities.
Why was Soma Familia's reputation so bad?
Because the impression its adventurers gave was that they would stop at nothing for money.
Embezzling shares from teammates, withholding commissions from business partners, and even deliberately staging accidents on the street to extort money…
As long as they could make money, they would try any means.
Even though the Guild had issued multiple warnings, they continued to act as they pleased not long after.
Thinking of this, a hint of suspicion and inquiry flashed in Arthur's eyes.
He remembered that Soma was originally the god of wine in ancient Indian mythology, later evolving into the title of the moon god.
He was in charge of four protective functions: sacrifice, asceticism, constellations, and medicinal herbs, so he should have been part of the righteous and benevolent gods.
What could have been the reason that created such a group of mercenary adventurers?
…
Unbeknownst to them, carrying many curiosities about Soma Familia, Arthur and Lili, who had been cautious all the way, completed a full day of Dungeon exploration.
When the two walked out of Tower of Babel again, night had already fully fallen.
Arthur looked up, estimated the time, and felt that he should still make it for dinner.
He looked down at Lili, who was following closely, and chuckled softly.
"Thanks to Lili today, a professional supporter's speed in collecting spoils is indeed much faster than mine."
"Oh no, Lili should be thanking Lord Kaxiu for being willing to team up with me. So, regarding the distribution of the spoils…"
As she spoke, Lili lowered her head, her hood covering the look of disgust on her face, quietly awaiting the final 'breakup'.
'I know, all adventurers are the same! They will definitely…'
Thump!
Arthur picked up a heavy bag of Valis and directly tossed it into Lili's arms, saying casually.
"It exchanged for about six hundred thousand Valis in total; this is your half. Hold it tight, don't lose it."
Lili instinctively clutched the heavy money bag, involuntarily looking up, staring blankly at Arthur, murmuring as if in a dream.
"Why… why? Aren't all adventurers…"
Arthur looked down at Lili, who finally showed a hint of real emotion, with a half-smile, teasing lightly.
"What about adventurers? You, you're really short on money, aren't you?"
Lili awoke as if from a dream, a lingering shadow flashing in her eyes, then she bolted, running frantically out of the square.
Arthur first weighed the equally substantial money bag in his left hand, then glanced at Lili's stumbling, fleeing back, and couldn't help but shake his head.
"Indeed, the problem is not as simple as just money."