The Familia was in a huge crisis!
Lorie stood there in a daze for a moment. Once she snapped out of it, the word "DANGER" filled her mind.
As someone who had lived in an elven village since childhood, her sense of money was probably about the same as Jeanne's. Aura was the same. Among the three, only Rose, who came from a more ordinary world, truly understood the importance of money.
"Ah, the Familia has no money? Isn't that really bad? What should we do, Ronan? I don't want to become a beggar!"
Seeing Lorie wailing and looking so anxious that she was about to cry, Ronan found it a bit funny.
"What are you worrying about? Even if we went bankrupt, I wouldn't let you go to the streets to beg. Besides, I didn't say we were bankrupt yet. The Familia is just running low on funds."
"Eh?" Lorie blinked. Realizing she had overreacted, her face turned bright red. Next to her, Aura rolled her eyes. She was already used to her fellow Elf acting this way.
At that moment, Jeanne spoke up and made a suggestion to Ronan. "Since money is a problem, let's resume our daily Dungeon exploration tomorrow. We have been resting for a long time since the last battle. It is time to start moving again."
"Also, unlike before, we now have five members in the Familia, including Lorie and Aura, who have passed their basic training. With enough fighting strength and more room to handle mistakes, maybe we can go a bit deeper. What do you think, Ronan?"
"Go a bit deeper?" Ronan looked around and saw everyone watching him. He thought about their options and the team's lineup. After a moment, he made a decision.
"Since no one objects, everyone should get ready tonight. We will head to the Dungeon tomorrow." He paused for a moment and added, "Prepare camping gear and supplies as if we were going on a short expedition. This time, we will stay overnight down there."
"Ronan?" Jeanne frowned and looked confused. She didn't understand why he was making such a risky arrangement.
With their Familia's strength, having Jeanne and Rose as the vanguard, exploring the Middle Floors for a short time wasn't a big problem. However, staying overnight in the Dungeon would make the risk rise greatly.
"The Floor Boss, the giant Goliath, has been defeated. It won't reappear for a while." He didn't say much else, but that one sentence was enough for Jeanne and the others.
Sure enough, Jeanne's expression relaxed and she smiled.
"The Floor Boss has been defeated? In that case, the Middle Floors will be much safer. Then it's fine."
Rose looked down at her palm and tried clenching her fist. She recalled what she had learned about the Dungeon during this time.
"Floor Boss. In Dungeon Environments and Monsters, the formal name is Monster Rex. They are giant monsters that only appear on specific floors in the Dungeon. The giant Goliath is one of them. Each Monster Rex is unique to its floor, and the time it takes to reappear ranges from a few weeks to several months. Usually, they are much stronger than the normal monsters on that floor. They may have Magic, weapons, or special attacks. Their danger is far above ordinary monsters of the same level."
"Goliath, the Floor Boss of the 17th Floor. A giant-type monster. Its cycle is about two weeks. Its strength is around Level 4?"
Jeanne added from the side:
"It would be fine if it only had the strength of a basic Level 4. But unfortunately, as a Monster Rex, Goliath is enormous, even bigger than most large monsters. Its huge body alone gives it incredible vitality and makes it very difficult to deal with. On top of that, it specializes in defense and has special abilities that are hard to handle. However, the details of those abilities are classified. With our current clearance, we can't access that information yet."
Aura had a serious expression as she analyzed. "Since the Floor Boss has Level 4 strength, then according to the basic rules of the Dungeon, the monsters on nearby floors should be around Level 2."
Ronan shook his head and patiently explained to everyone:
"Aura, you can't just memorize what books say without understanding it. If you only memorize things, you will get into trouble. Especially when facing monsters, you must combine what you know with real combat experience and make your own judgment. You can never judge a monster only by what the book says."
He held up his index finger and spoke with a serious expression.
"Take the Hellhound, which is common in the Middle Floors, as an example. Don't look down on it just because it starts appearing on the 13th Floor. It has a dangerous nickname: the Arsonist. This monster can use Magic. Once you encounter it, adventurers often don't have time to get close before it launches a Magic attack from a safe distance."
"And this is the main reason why many teams stepping into the Middle Floors for the first time are wiped out."
After saying that, he changed his tone and looked at everyone earnestly.
"The Dungeon is full of unknowns. No one knows what will happen in the next second. That's why I always emphasize our Familia's main rule: no matter what, always keep something in reserve. If you can win with seventy percent of your strength, don't use everything at once. Save the rest for yourself and the team. That way, if you run into a crisis or a dead end, you will still have a chance to move, fight back, or retreat."
He paused, his voice becoming even more serious. "Remember, only by staying alive is there a future. As long as you have a choice, never bet everything on one move. Always prepare a way out for yourself. Do you understand?"
Ronan's words made the room quiet.
Although his way of thinking was very different from most adventurers in Orario, everyone agreed with one point: only by staying alive was there a future.
After all, if you died, everything else was meaningless.
"Alright, while it's still early, everyone should check your weapons, items, and supplies properly," Ronan emphasized. "Especially the small things people usually ignore, like ropes and magic stone lamps. Don't think they are useless just because you don't use them often. They might save your life at a critical moment."
"After you finish packing, go to rest early. Get enough sleep for tomorrow's Dungeon exploration. Lorie, Aura, you two especially need to pay attention, understood?"
"Mm, mm." Lorie stuck out her tongue and quickly said, "We know!" Then she dragged Aura toward their room, excited to pack her things.
It seemed they were both looking forward to their first adventure. Even though Aura's emotions were more restrained, her eyes gave away her mood.
As for Rose, Ronan's gaze then fell on her.
"Don't worry." Rose smiled softly and drew out the end of her sentence. "Even though it's my first time exploring the Dungeon too, Ronan, don't look at me like I'm a child."
Her teasing tone and calm smile always made Ronan pause slightly.
To the side, Jeanne, who had been watching the two of them, immediately caught Ronan's reaction toward Rose.
Jerk! she thought to herself. Her eyes turned cold. She stood up calmly and moved between the two, pulling the slightly surprised Rose behind her to protect her. A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Ronan, your thoughts about Rose are written all over your face. Isn't that a bit too obvious? We are going to the Dungeon tomorrow. Now is not the time for you to mess around, is it?"
Ronan rubbed his nose guiltily and let out an awkward laugh.
"Cough, what are you thinking? I'm just worried about Rose's first Dungeon trip and afraid something might happen."
"Heh, you better be." Jeanne gave him a dangerous look and took Rose's hand. The two of them walked back to their room like close sisters.
Before closing the door, Rose even smiled and winked at him.
Bang.
Ronan: "..."