Chapter 23: A Day of Rich Harvest, and a New Side Quest!

Looking at Lain and his teammates, Ryota smiled slightly, nodding gently at the red-haired youth as a greeting.

Lain scratched the back of his head, appearing a bit embarrassed. After hesitating briefly, he finally spoke up:

"Um… actually, we've been looking for you this whole time, Senior."

"Aside from wanting to thank you personally…"

He paused, his eyes growing increasingly serious.

"We also have… a favor we'd like to ask of you."

At the very moment Lain finished speaking, the familiar mechanical voice echoed clearly in Ryota's ear:

[Ding! Side Quest triggered!]

[Objective: Complete your first Adventurer's Commission.]

[Reward: Large Chakra Boost, New Jutsu—'Teleportation Jutsu'!]

Ryota's eyes flashed with interest.

Teleportation Jutsu was an extremely high-end basic mobility technique from the Naruto world, achieved by manipulating chakra to instantly move or evade attacks.

Whether in battle, pursuit, or escape, it held immense practical value.

Though it might sound like a simple movement skill, when mastered proficiently, Teleportation Jutsu could deliver explosive combat power far surpassing conventional taijutsu!

Though he already had a vague answer in his heart, Ryota didn't rush to immediately accept.

Glancing around at the bustling crowd, he quietly said to Lain:

"There are too many ears around here. Wait until after I've exchanged my magic stones."

Lain was momentarily stunned, then quickly realized his mistake, an embarrassed expression appearing on his face.

Indeed, no matter the situation, it shouldn't be discussed openly in front of so many people.

He scratched his head sheepishly, smiling awkwardly like a child caught misbehaving:

"Ah, r-right… sorry, I got too eager."

"We'll wait for you over there, Senior."

He quickly led Lota and Lia away, retreating to a quiet corner outside the exchange area, where they patiently waited for Ryota.

Ryota walked briskly to the exchange window. Glancing up, he was surprised to find the staff member behind the counter was the same stern-faced middle-aged man he'd seen at the Adventurer's Guild during the day.

Their eyes met briefly,

and both froze simultaneously.

Ryota couldn't help but wonder inwardly: Are all the exchange clerks copied from the same mold or something? Why do they all look identical?

The middle-aged man, apparently sensing Ryota's confusion, forced out a stiff explanation, his voice carrying a hint of embarrassment:

"I was temporarily transferred here to cover today's shift…"

Ryota didn't inquire further. It didn't matter to him who handled the exchange.

He swung the large bag off his back and pushed it through the window.

The exchange process remained unchanged.

After the familiar sound of magic stones clattering onto the counter, the jingle of coins soon followed.

A moment later, the middle-aged man returned the neatly tied bag, reciting mechanically:

"Exchange completed. Your total comes to seventy thousand Valis. Please confirm."

About as expected.

Ryota still had some additional materials he hadn't yet sold; altogether, today's haul would easily surpass eighty thousand Valis.

Truly, a day of abundant harvest!

Ryota gave a brief thanks and swung the coin-filled bag onto his back again.

Around him, quite a few adventurers were eyeing him greedily, some openly, some covertly.

But Ryota paid these people no mind, confidently walking toward Lain's party who had been waiting patiently in the distance.

From afar, seeing Ryota approaching, Lain's team instinctively straightened their backs.

This unconscious action was the most natural show of respect toward someone stronger.

Even if Ryota's name had yet to spread throughout Orario,

anyone who could secure such rich spoils in the Dungeon within such a short time was clearly no ordinary adventurer.

Furthermore, on the fifth floor, it had been this black-haired senior who had effortlessly saved their lives.

Thus, the eyes of Lain, Lota, and Lia were filled with genuine respect and admiration.

Stopping before them, Ryota calmly asked:

"So, what's this favor?"

"We… were hoping you could help us with something, Senior."

"On floors ten to twelve, there's a type of monster known as 'Orcs.'"

"They're huge, immensely strong, and far more dangerous than the Kobolds or Killer Ants on the upper floors."

Lain paused for a moment, glancing at Lia beside him, a faint, helpless smile appearing on his lips.

"The 'Orc Hide' dropped by those Orcs is a crucial material Lia needs for new armor."

Only now did Ryota notice that Lia's equipment had drastically changed since he'd first met them.

Her leather armor had a large hole torn through it, leaving her midriff entirely exposed.

In the Dungeon, having proper gear versus fighting bare-handed were two completely different survival experiences.

Not every adventurer could be like Ryota, relying solely on personal strength to sweep away all threats.

Most adventurers needed weapons, armor, and resources slowly accumulated over time to build even the most basic safety net for themselves and their companions.

Clearly, Lain's party had suffered severely—probably ambushed again by War Shadows during their return escort mission.

Combined with Lota's injured arm, the team's overall strength had plummeted sharply, leaving them unable to continue Dungeon exploration for the moment.

Noticing Ryota deep in thought, Lain grew anxious and hastily added:

"Don't worry, Senior! We wouldn't ask you to go down there for nothing!"

"I'll officially submit the commission request at the Guild first thing tomorrow morning."

"The reward will be—twenty thousand Valis!"

He clenched his teeth and continued earnestly:

"And any materials or magic stones dropped during the exploration—we won't take a single one!"

"As long as you can help Lia obtain the 'Orc Hide,' that's enough!"

In truth, for a small party of four or five adventurers, exploring the upper floors of the Dungeon normally yielded around twenty to twenty-five thousand Valis in a single day.

So twenty thousand Valis wasn't exactly a generous sum.

But for Lain's party, it was everything they had.

They were essentially placing all their remaining funds—every last coin they possessed—into Ryota's hands, betting it all on this single request.

It was precisely because of this that they appeared especially solemn and nervous.

If they'd randomly asked any other unfamiliar adventurer, who would willingly venture alone into the tenth floor or deeper?

That kind of place was no joke—it wasn't something casual adventurers could handle.

After much deliberation, they'd finally remembered the black-haired youth who had effortlessly slaughtered a War Shadow on the fifth floor.

The powerful adventurer who had crushed despair the moment he appeared—

To the three of them, he was their last ray of hope.