Chapter 19: Returning to the Dungeon—An Irregular Occurrence!

Ryota had to admit, this little Adventurer's Handbook was far more comprehensive than he'd expected.

Its contents revolved mainly around the basic knowledge and safety precautions regarding the Dungeon. Terms such as "Irregular Occurrences" and "Enhanced Species" were fully explained in detail.

However, as he flipped through the handbook, Ryota quickly noticed one small detail.

The information provided in this handbook was limited exclusively to the Dungeon's "Upper Floors."

From the first to the twelfth floor, it contained complete descriptions of various monsters, environmental conditions, and recommended equipment loadouts. But the moment it came to the Middle Floors and beyond, the text was abruptly replaced by a long, solid line.

Ryota narrowed his eyes slightly, though he wasn't particularly surprised.

After all, his dear goddess had once told him, half-jokingly and half-seriously:

"Most adventurers remain stuck at Level 1 for their entire lives."

For them, the upper floors of the Dungeon were expansive enough, and dangerous enough. 

Knowing too much about what lay deeper would only stir unnecessary fantasies and greed.

"Sometimes, knowing too much isn't a good thing," Ryota muttered softly, closing the handbook.

Following the familiar main road, he quickly reached the entrance to Babel Tower's topmost level.

At this hour, groups of adventurers were already coming and going. When Ryota stepped onto the spiral staircase descending toward the Dungeon, his appearance immediately drew curious gazes from many passersby.

He wore no heavy armor, had no Supporter carrying supplies or spare weapons, and didn't even possess a decent weapon himself. All he had was a somewhat empty-looking backpack.

In fact, he was completely bare-handed.

To adventurers accustomed to standard gear, Ryota's current appearance was nothing short of madness:

"What's going on? Is he entering the Dungeon empty-handed? Does he have a death wish?"

"Whose Familia does this rookie belong to? He doesn't even have a sword?"

"He didn't get drunk, did he?"

"..."

Various whispers spread through the crowd.

Some voices were curious, others disdainful, and many wore pitying expressions clearly suggesting, "This poor guy is definitely going to get torn apart by monsters."

However, facing the gazes filled with curiosity, pity, or mockery, Ryota acted as if he heard none of them. Calmly and steadily, he descended circle after circle down the ancient stone steps.

Soon, he reached the entrance to the First Floor of the Upper Floors. Before him, the same pitch-black cavern stretched into darkness.

He paused here momentarily.

Beyond this point was the real Dungeon.

Standing in the shadowed entrance, he gazed at the dim, tunnel-like passage extending infinitely forward, his eyes flickering slightly.

For a moment, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

Just a few days ago, when he'd awakened in this world after escaping from the Trial Space, Ryota had believed he'd landed somewhere within Konoha Village of the Naruto world—perhaps even encountering that devoted brother, Uchiha Itachi.

Yet, who could have guessed—

What awaited him instead was this familiar yet foreign world of DanMachi.

"Who knows? Maybe one day I'll stumble across another strange portal and return to the Naruto world, fighting Itachi again with our Susanoo clashing head-on..."

Ryota shook his head, throwing away these absurd thoughts, and stepped decisively into the dark entrance leading toward the Dungeon's First Floor.

...

It quickly became apparent that certain battles didn't require any flashy techniques at all.

The monsters he encountered along the way—whether Goblins or Kobolds—proved incredibly frail.

Ryota didn't even get a chance to use his newly learned Three Basic Jutsu.

Armed with nothing but his three-tomoe Sharingan and solid taijutsu, he effortlessly smashed each monster into pieces.

Clink—clink—clink—

The sound of Magic Stones falling to the ground became the most frequent background noise during his descent.

He casually collected the Magic Stones into a simple cloth bag. Carrying this increasingly heavy burden, he swept through the first to fifth floors with near-total ease.

No hesitation.

No pressure whatsoever.

Soon enough, Ryota arrived at the entrance to the Sixth Floor.

His backpack had become visibly swollen, the heavy weight pressing down onto his shoulders. Aside from a variety of Magic Stones, it was now filled with basic materials like "Goblin Fang" and "Kobold Nails."

This wasn't his first time reaching this location.

When he'd first arrived in this world, it was precisely on the Fifth Floor that he'd encountered the Loki Familia members returning from their failed expedition.

It was also here that he'd personally defeated the monster adventurers called the "Rookie Killer"—the War Shadow.

According to the Adventurer's Handbook, exploration between Floors Five to Seven officially required at least one basic ability ranked G or higher, proper weapons and armor, and at least one Supporter to be considered a "qualified" party.

This was a rule repeatedly emphasized by the Guild and various Familias.

But... who were these rules made for?

They were made for the weak.

Ryota knew clearly that he wasn't someone who needed to rely on such rules.

He could crush a Goblin with one punch and send a Kobold flying with a simple strike.

Even a War Shadow had become just another trivial addition to his combat record.

"Weaklings follow rules; the strong break them."

Without hesitation, Ryota stepped confidently into the Sixth Floor's dim passageway.

But as soon as he entered, he immediately sensed something was off.

The air on the Sixth Floor was noticeably more humid and stifling. The monsters here seemed agitated, respawning far more rapidly than usual.

Almost every few dozen meters, Ryota encountered fresh monsters appearing from the walls and floors.

Small reptilian creatures resembling geckos crawled swiftly along the dungeon walls, their movements surprisingly agile.

Even so, Ryota continued dispatching them effortlessly—one swift kick for each monster.

Bang!

After kicking away a charging Dungeon Lizard and splattering it into bloody pieces, he lowered his leg, prepared to move forward again.

Suddenly!

A heavy, thunderous set of footsteps echoed from deeper within the corridor:

"Boom—boom—boom—!"

Ryota raised an eyebrow, instantly turning toward the source of the sound.

From the distant darkness, a hulking, ape-like monster more than two and a half meters tall, its body covered entirely in white fur, lumbered toward him.

Its thick, powerful arms, razor-sharp claws, and bloodshot, frenzied crimson eyes clearly indicated how dangerous this creature was.

"A Silverback?"

"Aren't these things supposed to appear only on Floors Eleven and Twelve?"

"Wait a second!"

A flash of realization crossed Ryota's mind—

"This is an 'Irregular Occurrence'!"