Chapter 84: Information About The Dungeon 1

Selene moved closer.

Then, without warning, she naturally slipped both hands around Adam’s left arm and pulled him close as she continued walking.

Adam immediately looked down.

Then he looked at Selene.

She continued walking as if absolutely nothing unusual had happened.

"Selene?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?"

She turned her head toward him.

"I’m walking."

Adam remained silent.

Then he looked down at her arm, still held between his.

"I can see that."

A smile appeared on Selene’s face.

"Then why are you asking?"

Adam opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

He understood perfectly what had just changed.

Just the day before, the women had voluntarily imposed certain limits on their displays of affection.

But now Vespera had joined the others.

The agreement no longer existed.

And clearly...

Selene had no intention of wasting any time enjoying this newfound freedom.

Adam sighed softly.

"Nothing."

Selene smiled even wider.

Then she gently tightened her embrace around his arm.

They left the estate like that.

Very quickly, Adam noticed a second problem.

The stares.

Valoria was already used to seeing Selene.

The head of the Adventurers’ Guild was one of the most well-known figures in the city.

And Adam himself was starting to be recognized as well.

He had accompanied Elena.

He lived at the ducal manor.

He had been seen with Isadora, Elaria, Shiora, and several other important leaders of Valoria.

But seeing them walking like this...

It was different.

Two merchants chatting in front of their shop paused for a moment.

A group of adventurers turned their heads.

Two young female knights exchanged glances.

An old woman sitting in front of a bakery smiled slightly.

Adam noticed everything.

"They’re watching us."

Selene continued walking.

"I know."

"Doesn’t it bother you?"

"No."

"Of course not."

Selene glanced up at him slightly.

"Does it bother you?"

Adam thought honestly.

A little.

Not because he wanted her to move away.

But he simply wasn’t used to becoming the center of attention for an entire street just because a woman was holding his arm.

"I’m mostly uncomfortable with stares."

Selene shrugged.

"They’ll get used to it eventually."

Adam looked at her.

"And if they don’t?"

"They’ll keep staring."

The answer was disarmingly simple.

Adam chuckled.

"You really do have a solution for everything."

"Of course."

He didn’t try to free his arm.

Selene could do whatever she wanted.

And even though he was slightly embarrassed, he had to admit he had no real reason to stop her.

So they continued walking through the streets of Valoria like that.

Little by little, Adam stopped paying attention to the stares.

He preferred to use the journey to ask a question that had been nagging at him for several days.

"Selene."

"Hmm?"

"Which dungeon did you finally choose for the descent?"

The tigress glanced up at him slightly.

"The Black Abyss."

Adam slowed down slightly.

"The Black Abyss?"

"Yes."

The name wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to him.

He remembered encountering it in several books about the continent’s dungeons.

But the information was usually superficial.

He simply knew that it was extremely old and renowned for its depth.

"Why this one?"

Selene thought for a few seconds.

"Because it perfectly matches what we need."

"What do you mean?"

"A dungeon dangerous enough to make you progress quickly, but with difficulty levels consistent enough that we can control your advancement."

Adam frowned slightly.

"The other dungeons don’t have consistent progression?"

"Not always."

Selene shifted her weight slightly to accompany her explanation with a few gestures, without actually letting go.

"Some dungeons have abrupt variations. You can traverse ten floors with monsters around level thirty, then suddenly find yourself on a floor filled with level eighty creatures." "

Adam grimaced.

"Practical."

"For us, it’s not really a problem."

"For me, it is."

"Exactly."

She continued:

"The Black Abyss is much more balanced. The creatures gradually become stronger as you descend. There are obviously a few exceptions, but the overall curve is very stable."

Adam nodded slowly.

"So you can determine how far Elena, Lyriana, and I can go without taking unnecessary risks."

"Yes."

This time, Selene smiled.

"Well... unnecessary risks by our standards."

Adam slowly turned his head toward her.

"That clarification doesn’t reassure me at all."

"That was the point."

"I’m really starting to think you enjoy scaring me before training."

"Only a little."

They continued walking.

Adam pondered what he had just learned.

"You said this dungeon was special. Why?"

Selene’s expression became slightly more serious.

"Because of its regeneration."

"Regeneration of what?"

"Monsters."

Adam almost stopped walking.

Selene had to gently tug on his arm to keep him going.

"Explain."

"All dungeons regenerate their populations in one way or another."

"I know. Monsters eventually reappear after being defeated."

"Yes. But it usually takes time."

Selene held up a finger.

"Several days for some."

A second.

"Several weeks for others."

Then a third.

"And sometimes several months for the most powerful creatures."

Adam nodded.

"And the Black Abyss?"

"A few hours for the upper levels."

Adam turned his head sharply.

"A few hours?"

"Yes."

"To rebuild the entire population?"

"Not exactly everyone at once. But the respawn rate is by far the highest known on the continent."

Adam thought for a moment.

"So adventurers can explore it much more regularly."

"Exactly."

"Which must make it extremely popular."

Selene smiled.

"You learn quickly."

"And extremely profitable for the Guild."

Her smile widened slightly.

"You’ve been spending too much time with Shiora."

"I’ll take that as a compliment."

"It wasn’t necessarily one."

Adam chuckled.

But something about her explanation still intrigued him.

"If the monsters respawn this quickly, shouldn’t the dungeon eventually become completely overcrowded?"

This time, Selene looked at him approvingly.

"That’s the problem."

"There’s a limit."

"Yes."

Adam understood immediately.

"The regeneration rate increases, but not the maximum population."

"Exactly."

Selene finally released one of her arms and raised a hand.

"Imagine a floor capable of holding about five hundred monsters."

Adam nodded.

"Even if we eliminate all five hundred..."

"They might start returning a few hours later."

"But they’ll never exceed five hundred."

"Never."

Adam thought for a moment.

"As if something knew the exact maximum capacity of each floor."

Selene remained silent.

Adam immediately noticed her expression.

"That’s what you think too."

"Yes."

"So perhaps it’s not just a natural reaction of the dungeon."

"Perhaps."

Selene stared straight ahead.

"The Black Abyss sometimes feels...managed."

Adam narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Managed?"

"That’s the best word we could come up with."

She continued:

"The populations remain balanced. Monsters rarely spawn in areas where they would completely block progress. Destroyed areas eventually rebuild. Resources reappear in relatively regular cycles." "

Adam remained silent.

Selene continued:

"And most importantly, the population always seems to return to exactly the expected level for each floor."

"As if someone were maintaining the place."

"Yes."

Adam immediately felt his interest increase.

"An intelligence?"

"Perhaps."

"A core?"

"Perhaps."

"A creature?"

"Perhaps."

He looked at her.

"You really know nothing."

"Almost nothing."

"How long has the dungeon been explored?"

"Several centuries."

Adam almost stopped again.

"And no one has found the answer?"

« No. »

"No one has reached the bottom?"

This time, Selene smiled slightly.

"Many have tried."

Adam waited.

"And?"

"No confirmed explorer has reached the end."

He frowned.

"Not even you?"

Selene remained silent for a few seconds.

Then she replied:

"We descended very deep."

Adam turned his head.

"How deep?"

"Deep enough for the levels to start getting really interesting."

Adam narrowed his eyes.

"That doesn’t answer my question."

Selene smiled.

"I know."

"So you didn’t reach the bottom."

"No."

This answer immediately captured Adam’s full attention.

Selene.

Isadora.

Elaria.

Shiora.

Vespera.

Astraea.

Women close to or above level seven hundred.

Female warriors who had survived wars, waves of monsters, labyrinths, and battlefields capable of destroying cities.

And even they weren’t sure they could complete this dungeon.