Chapter 507: Encounter with the Elite Adventurers

Among the groups attempting to conquer Babylon, the kingdom-funded adventurer expedition was regarded as one of the strongest.

Its members were drawn mainly from A-rank adventurers and other elite veterans, making the expedition famous and highly respected among people involved with dungeon exploration.

For many adventurers, being selected for the team was considered one of the greatest honors available in their profession.

“At last, we’ve reached the deepest floor humanity has explored in Babylon – the one-hundredth floor. It took an enormous amount of time and many sacrifices to get this far. But from here, the real adventure begins.”

The expedition leader had just discovered the staircase descending beyond the hundredth floor, and his eyes shone as he addressed his companions.

“All right. As usual, we’ll rest in the empty Rest Room on this floor before going any farther.”

He led the way toward the room.

As they approached, however, he noticed a figure inside.

A child.

No – there were many figures.

For an instant he wondered whether they were humanoid monsters, but that was impossible. Hostile monsters couldn’t enter a Rest Room.

Then were they adventurers?

That seemed equally impossible. Every other known expedition had already turned back, and his group should have been the only one to reach this depth.

While the leader stood there trying to understand what he was seeing, his companions noticed the strangers as well and immediately became cautious.

“Hello! Are you by any chance the kingdom-funded expedition led by the Five Dragon Virtues?”

The expedition leader, a man named Kars, was startled by the cheerful voice echoing through the tense depths of the hundredth floor and reflexively answered.

“Y-Yes…”

“Perfect. Babylon’s administrator told me about you. Is everyone all right? We’re Black-Gold Wings. I’m the leader, Tauro. Aeris, Zion – please help the injured.”

At Tauro’s call, the two young women immediately moved to assist Kars’s exhausted companions.

“Who exactly are you people…?”

Kars could only stare.

Several dragonfolk also moved quickly to help carry the wounded.

The strength Kars sensed from them was so overwhelming that it snapped him out of his confusion.

“When did you clear the hundredth floor? We were supposed to be the only expedition this deep. Black-Gold Wings, you said? I’ve never even heard of that party…”

Kars watched the powerful-looking dragonfolk carry an injured adventurer into the Rest Room and wondered whether some incredible new team had appeared on the surface while his own expedition had been underground.

“Allow me to introduce myself properly. I’m Tauro Giro Sugar, leader of Black-Gold Wings and an Honorary Viscount.”

“An Honorary Viscount at your age?! Well… if you reached this floor before us, perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Kars hesitated, then addressed him more formally.

“I’ve never heard of your party before. May I ask your rank? Our expedition is a coalition, so individual ranks vary, but most of us are A-rank. My own party, the Five Dragon Virtues, is A+. I’m Kars, an Honorary Baron. The expedition also includes the A+ parties Light Tiger and Blue Tortoise, along with the B+ party Heavenly Flying Horse. We originally had more people, but I judged that some of them weren’t strong enough to continue and sent them back with other groups.”

“That was a wise decision. As for Black-Gold Wings, we’re officially B-. The people accompanying us today are… a rather exceptional case. They’ll be handling the deeper floors from here.”

Kars’s eyes widened.

B-?

The boy himself was clearly unusual, but beside the dragonfolk he looked almost fragile. More importantly, he was extremely young.

No matter how talented someone was, lack of experience could easily become fatal in a dungeon.

Tauro also lacked the exhaustion and battered appearance Kars associated with anyone who had fought their way through one hundred floors of Babylon.

Kars couldn’t judge what kind of adventurer he was at all.

“Lord Tauro. As usual, we’ll split into three teams and continue toward the lower floors. May I leave matters here to you? I’ll keep a support group behind.”

Roy, the Great Hero leading the dragonfolk, addressed Tauro.

“Understood. Please do. Once we’ve finished treating these people, we’ll return to the surface. Be careful, everyone.”

Tauro waved as the dragonfolk prepared to depart.

Then he turned back toward Kars.

“Lord Kars, what do you intend to do?”

“What do you mean?”

Kars didn’t understand the question.

“You all look badly worn down. Would you like to return to the surface, replace damaged equipment, rest properly, and then continue again from this floor? Naturally, I’d charge a small fee for the round trip.”

“Return to the surface? No. We’ve finally reached the point where we can go deeper than anyone before us. We can’t turn back now. Yes, we’re exhausted, and we’ve lost some people, but that also means our remaining provisions will last longer. Some of our equipment is damaged, but we can manage. We intend to go farther and set a new record for humanity.”

Kars remained polite because of Tauro’s noble status, but his determination was obvious.

“Sorry, I explained that badly. I don’t mean that you should return to the surface and start the expedition over from the beginning. I’m suggesting that you go back temporarily, rest and resupply, then resume from this exact point.”

Kars blinked.

“What…?”

“That probably sounds impossible. Seeing is believing, so let me demonstrate.”

Tauro smiled and led Kars farther into the Rest Room.

“All right. Let’s go to the first floor.”

Tauro took Kars by the hand and activated [Spatial Transfer].

The two instantly appeared in the first-floor Rest Room.

“Wh-What?! Everyone’s gone?!”

From Kars’s perspective, his companions had vanished in an instant.

In their place stood a group of ten kingdom knights waiting in the room.

“Lord Tauro! Where are the others? Hm? That man… Wait, aren’t you Lord Kars of the Five Dragon Virtues?!”

One of the knights recognized Tauro first, then stared in surprise at the man beside him.

“You’re one of the kingdom knights I spoke with before entering Babylon! Then… this really is the first floor?!”

“Yes. This is Babylon’s first floor. So, what do you think? Would you like me to bring the rest of your expedition up as well so everyone can rest? The decision is yours. Of course, there will be a small special fee for the round trip.”

Tauro smiled easily.

Kars could only stand there speechless, finally realizing that the young noble in front of him possessed an ability far beyond anything he had imagined.