Chapter 18 Heading To Surface

~{GM_Babel}~

Looks like my help was unnecessary.

Lefiya and Riveria were the ones mostly tending to the wounds. There were other adventurers, but it was mostly the two elves who healed them, especially Lefiya since she could practically copy another elf mage's abilities with just a single glance

Thought it was an emergency treatment, none of the adventures were in serious danger so I think we are fine for now.

That's why after a few hours of tending the aftermath of the battle, we decided to head back to the surface.

By mean we, I mean the rest of the Loki members.

It was pure coincidence that I met up with the Loki Familia when I was at the entrance of the 18th floor that led up. The girl called Tiona called me out.

Since the Loki Familia was on its way toward the surface, we decided to team up. Honestly, it felt unnecessary since the monsters in this area were so weak that they weren't even a challenge. It was even more so when it included six first-tier adventurers.

None of the monsters stood a chance; even a single flick of their fingers was enough to kill one."

While all of this happening I stayed in the rear guard, quietly eliminating any threats with my silenced M16. Since it was proven to be too loud.

As I killed the monster from the distance, out of nowhere Tiona popped up beside me, her proximity well within what I'd consider my personal space. "Say... this has been on my mind since yesterday, but how did you do it?"

"Do what?" I asked, barely sparing her a glance as I fired a few rounds at some monsters lurking in the shadows.

"The thing where projectiles came raining out of the sky!" she exclaimed, her tone equal parts curious and excited. "There was a loud noise before some kind of fast object suddenly slammed on the monster yesterday!"

I was confused about what she meant by a fast object from the skies until I remembered how I killed the monster yesterday.

"Oh, that," I said, pausing for a moment to think about how to phrase it. "That's called a cruise missile. What about it?"

Tiona tilted her head in confusion, and before she could ask further, Riveria, walking just ahead, glanced over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow. "Cruise missile?" she repeated, her tone carrying that academic curiosity that only a high elf could exude. "Is it some kind of homing magic?"

"Not really," I replied, lowering my weapon after clearing the immediate area. "It's similar to a magic item, but it's purely mechanical. It has a range of around 1,000 kilometers."

Riveria's eyebrows furrowed, her expression shifting to one of disbelief. "A thousand kilometers? That's absurd. Not even the most advanced magical spells can reach such a range."

"It's not magic," I clarified, keeping my tone calm and measured. "It's technology. Think of it as a guided weapon—like a weaponized item that can navigate itself to a target, even if that target is far beyond the visible horizon."

Her skeptical gaze lingered. "Then how are you able to guide such a weapon—what did you call it? A cruise missile—if you're 1,000 kilometers away?"

"With this." I pulled out my tablet and held it up for them to see. Its screen displayed a detailed map with various markers. "It shows me the map of the zone I wish to target. If I wanted, I could even hit a neighboring country while sitting here drinking tea."

The group fell silent, processing my words. Then Tiona broke the tension.

"...Man, that's some scary stuff you have there."

"Tell me about it," I muttered, shaking my head. "There are thousands of ways technology could've been used to improve lives, but humans? We always ask one question when something new is invented: 'How can we use this in war?'"

Tiona tilted her head, her brow furrowing. "Huh? So you weren't the one who made it?"

"No," I said with a faint chuckle. "This technology dates back to World War II. The version you saw me use is the product of decades of development—refined during the Cold War."

Her expression twisted with confusion. "...War what?"

"Never mind," I said, waving it off. "Ignore what I just said."

But Tiona wasn't about to let it go. She leaned closer, her curiosity piqued. "Don't you dare skip that part! You said something about a Cold War. What's that? Some kind of battle where it's freezing cold?"

I sighed and chose to ignore her persistent questioning, brushing it off entirely.

Then Riveria spoke up, drawing my attention. "Say, Mister Daniel—"

"Just call me Daniel," I interrupted with a small smile, glancing her way.

"Very well, Daniel," she corrected herself with a faint nod. "Forgive me if this is... to personal but I noticed something peculiar about your body. It glows blue whenever you're struck or take a fall. Is that another one of your magic items?"

From the corner of my eye, I caught Lefiya glaring daggers at me. Clearly, the brown-haired elf wasn't pleased with me skipping formalities with Riveria.

Note to self, don't provoke her. She looks like she'd stab me in my sleep.

I gave her the question some thought before answering. "You're talking about my shield, right?"

"Shield?" Riveria echoed, her tone curious. "Is it another type of magical ability you possess?"

"Sort of," I replied, hesitating briefly. "Actually, no, it's not magic. It's pure technology. The shield protects me from poisons, reduces damage, and keeps me from getting hurt."

To demonstrate, I stepped back, raised my M16 rifle, and aimed it at my own chin.

"Wait, what are you—!" Riveria's voice rose in alarm, but before anyone could stop me, I pulled the trigger.

The gunshot rang out, and a faint blue shimmer surrounded me as the bullet ricocheted harmlessly off my shield. The impact sent faint ripples of light across my body, the energy dissipating into the air.

The group froze, staring at me in stunned silence. Their expressions ranged from disbelief to outright shock as if I'd just casually jumped off a cliff to prove gravity worked.

"See?" I said, lowering the rifle with a casual shrug. "Completely safe."

Unexpectedly, Lefiya was the first to recover, though her face was pale with a mix of horror and indignation. "You're insane!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling slightly. "Do you have any idea how reckless that was? What if—what if your... your shield thing had failed?"

I glanced at her, amused by her reaction. "It didn't fail, though, did it? And besides it also protects you as well Miss Lefiya."

"That's not the point!" she snapped, her cheeks puffing up in frustration.

"Fascinating," Riveria murmured, stepping closer. Her gaze was sharp,and analytical, as if she were dissecting every detail of what had just happened.

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm not selling it to you," I said flatly, cutting off whatever thought she was entertaining.

Riveria's lips curled ever so slightly into the faintest of smirks. "Did my face give it away?"

"Nope," I replied with a slight chuckle. "Just a gut feeling."

Riveria crossed her arms, her expression returning to her usual composed demeanor. "I see... but I strongly suggest you refrain from using yourself as a demonstration dummy in the future. That kind of recklessness could get you killed—or worse, draw unnecessary attention."

"Noted," I replied

It was already night by the time we were at the surface, after parting ways with the Loki Familia members, I made my way toward the last spot where Fels and I had arranged to meet.

As I walked through the dimly lit streets, a nagging thought crept into my mind.

"Still... how do I find Fels?"

I stood there, momentarily confused, glancing around the mostly deserted area. Just as I began to contemplate shouting his name—though realizing how suspicious that might look—a small gray dot appeared on the top-right corner of my HUD's mini-map.

I instinctively glanced in its direction, and there, materializing from thin air, was Fels. The familiar black robes cloaked his entire body, his skeletal fingers briefly visible as he adjusted the hood.

"The item?"

"Here's your stuff," I said, holding up the bag. "The quest turned out to be more troublesome than I thought. I wasn't expecting tentacles to be involved."

Fels tilted his head slightly, his eerie, echoing voice cutting through the quiet. "…Tentacles?"

"Hm." I nodded, about to hand over the bag when I paused, pulling it back toward me. My eyes narrowed slightly as I asked, "Did you know the danger would involve a Level 5 adventurer?"

"...no, but the quest-"

"The quest only involved transporting an item from the 18th floor to the surface safely. It does not account for an attack by a Level 5 adventurer," I interrupted, my tone flat.

Fels seemed to consider this for a moment, his expression unreadable. "…What do you wish, then?"

I leaned in slightly, my voice lowering as I made my request. "Nothing, just pay me extra on the reward, and I'll consider this whole mess even."

There was a long pause as Fels seemed to weigh my words. Finally, he nodded once, almost imperceptibly. "…Understood."

I mentally celebrate inside my head

That's the beauty of negotiation.

He reached inside his robes and pulled out a small key, tossing it toward me. The key floated in mid-air for a brief moment before I caught it.

"There will be a reward waiting for you in Guild Locker Number 18. Wait until morning before collecting it—your reward will include the agreed-upon bonus."

"Alright." I finally handed over the bag as promised, watching as he slung it effortlessly over his shoulder. His hands disappeared back into his robes, making him appear like an ominous shadow in the moonlight.

As Fels turned to leave, I hesitated before speaking up. "Do I need to fill out any necessary paperwork for you to make me an adventurer card?"

"There is no need. Your friend who sold you the adventurer card has already provided all the necessary information," Fels replied.

So, the guy who sold me the card had been caught.

Well, sucks to be him. He should've known the risks involved in selling adventurer cards.

"Alright, if you have any more quests, call me, alright? I don't mind getting my hands dirty, just make sure the reward's worth it." I added with a wry grin.

"...Understood." Fels' voice was as impassive as ever.

And with that, he dematerialized from thin air, disappearing into the shadows like he'd never been there at all. But not before the dot representing him on my minimap shifted from gray to green, a clear indication that he considered me a friend—at least, for now.

That's so sweet.

As Fels slowly walked away, a familiar presence materialized beside me with a soft flicker. Paddy's voice broke the silence.

"Is Daniel sure wanting to accept another quest from him?"

I glanced at Paddy, a thoughtful expression crossing my face. "He looks like the type who has some interesting, hidden quests up his sleeve. And besides, the quest was intriguing enough, even if it left me questioning the whole genre of this server."

"What's the user plan next?"

"What else if not the red light district? It's time to save our little fox."