58. Bonus Dungeon?

The Ruins Dungeon was considerably smaller than the one in Cygnil. Even though we had started our exploration early that morning, we had finished scouting nearly the entire First Floor before noon.

All that remained was a single, somewhat imposing door. Since the area was enclosed by a surrounding corridor, if there weren't any stairs behind it, this would turn out to be a small-scale dungeon with only one floor. If so, it would be roughly the same size as the previous Dud Dungeon.

"This dungeon is insane," Zephyr muttered.

"Yeah," Lowell agreed. "I don’t know how the authorities will handle it, but if it's opened to the public without restrictions, adventurers will come flocking here in droves."

Just as Zephyr and Lowell said, the value of this place was immeasurable. Despite its small size, we were finding Treasure Chests at an incredible rate. I suspected the spawn rate was boosted; we had already discovered over ten chests in this single excursion. It made for incredibly efficient farming.

And what’s more, unlike the Dud Dungeon, these chests actually contained useful items! That was the biggest draw. Halfa was beaming, though Shiroru... well, since no food had turned up yet, she looked less than impressed.

Beyond the chest spawn rate, the weakness of the monsters was another major factor. Since entering the Ruins Dungeon, we had encountered nothing but Giant Rats. While they were unsatisfying as combat practice, the safety of the crawl was a massive advantage for any adventurer looking to turn a profit.

If even rookie adventurers could explore safely while enjoying a high acquisition rate for Treasure Chests, this place would be an instant hit. Of course, the chests were still rigged with traps, so it wasn't completely without risk, but it was still incomparably safer than any other dungeon. So far, we hadn't even found any traps set in the floors or corridors.

"Besides," Zephyr added, "the quality of the loot is just too high."

"Ah, well, about that..."

The items we’d pulled from the chests all boasted impressive specs. To name a few: a Magic Bow, an Evil-Dispelling Magic Sword, and Cloth Armor imbued with a Shock Absorption formula. Generally speaking, any one of those would be considered a jackpot. Moreover, since we’d found these on the very first floor, Zephyr was absolutely right. He was right, but...

"That's because of Tort!" Halfa interjected on my behalf.

"Waf!"

Halfa puffed out her chest with pride. Shiroru didn't say anything, but she seemed to radiate the same sentiment.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Ah, well... I don't have definitive proof, but..."

With that caveat, I explained my Luck Value to Zephyr. I told him about how high it was and how it seemed to influence the contents of Treasure Chests, using our experiences in Cygnil as examples.

"Hahaha! I see! So that ridiculous harvest of a hundred Goldidilla stalks was thanks to your luck, too? You're one hell of a guy!"

Zephyr laughed heartily, slapping me on the back repeatedly. I'm sure he was trying to be gentle, but it still stung a bit.

"If it were up to me, I'd ask you guys to join our party... but I guess that’s a tall order? Two people as capable as you must have a reason for traveling alone."

"It's not that deep a reason, really. We're looking for Halfa's hometown, so we can't afford to stay in one place for too long."

I took the opportunity to explain our history and the goal of our journey, including the fact that we were searching for the Wingfolk as a clue.

After listening to the explanation, Zephyr shook his head apologetically. "I see. I'm sorry, but Halfa is actually the first Wingfolk I've ever seen in person."

"I figured as much."

I knew clues wouldn't be that easy to come by, but I still felt a wave of disappointment. Zephyr caught my expression and offered a cheerful word of encouragement.

"Hey now, don't look so down. With your luck, I'm sure you'll find them eventually. Right, Halfa?"

When I looked over, Halfa was wearing a bright, radiant smile. I couldn't quite tell what she was thinking, but she didn't look anxious in the slightest. She used to look worried every now and then, but lately, it felt like I’d seen nothing but smiles from her. She was as clingy as ever, though.

Perhaps I had been a little too impatient. I’d known from the start that this wouldn't be an easy task. It was probably better to take it slow and enjoy the journey for what it was. I wanted our travels to be fun, not a chore.

"Speaking of which, Lowell has always been a solo adventurer," Zephyr said, turning the conversation. "Maybe you should have him join Glory's Steps?"

"Ah, no, I..." Lowell faltered, his voice trailing off.

Lowell, huh? Having him join would be a huge relief, but considering Spira, it would probably be difficult. I expected him to refuse immediately, but for some reason, Lowell remained silent, looking deep in thought. I wondered what was on his mind.

『Hey, Tort. How much longer are you going to keep talking? Let's open the door already!』

We had probably lingered too long. A bored Shiroru sent a Thought Transmission my way. She was right; even if the danger was low, this was still a dungeon. It wasn't the place for a long chat. It was already around noon, so we’d likely finish checking behind this door and then call it a day. We could talk more once we were back outside.

"Alright, ready? I'm opening it."

"Yeah, go for it!"

With Zephyr’s approval and no objections from the others, I slowly pushed the door open.

The room beyond was entirely unremarkable. It wasn't a Boss Room, nor were there any stairs leading down.

"Ehh? Again?" Halfa’s shoulders slumped in disappointment.

It was a familiar sight. Honestly, the dungeon could have at least provided a Treasure Chest, but there was no use complaining to the walls.

I wasn't an expert on the subject, but from what I’d gathered through brief research, single-floor dungeons were rare. Since dungeons were said to grow over time, perhaps this one was just a newborn.

"It really is a Bonus Dungeon," Zephyr remarked. "If the only monsters are Giant Rats, then forget rookies—even a commoner could explore this place without a weapon."

"No, the chests are still trapped," Lowell countered, his face set in a frown. "I doubt they’ll let commoners in here. If anything, they'll need to restrict entry. Even if the chests spawn frequently, the dungeon itself is too small. If adventurers swarm the place, they'll end up fighting over the loot."

Zephyr and Lowell continued their serious debate.

I understood their concerns. Everyone would want to explore a dungeon where you could earn money so easily. If people crowded into such a narrow space, it would be chaos. I could almost imagine people camping out and sprinting toward every chest the moment it popped, with the first person to touch it claiming the right to unlock it. That sounded like its own kind of entertainment, in a way.

As I was lost in thought, Shiroru suddenly gave a sharp flinch.

『Whoa, something’s there! It's a monster!』