'Wait, I'm Supposed to Become a Goddess?! But I'm a Guy!'

"Ah, could they be strange eyeballs? Or maybe some bizarre body parts, or organs from the thing you killed?"

Loyd froze for a beat, his arm resting lazily over the counter.

He blinked, then slowly pulled it back before leaning in again with an awkward chuckle.

"Yeah, right... That," he muttered, trying to play it off. "That’s exactly what it is."

Behind the counter, the boy turned away, rustling around for something out of sight.

His voice came through softly, almost absentmindedly, "By the way, Zed."

"Zed?" Loyd echoed, brows drawn together.

"Yes, Zed," the boy repeated, emerging with a laminated sheet pinched between his fingers.

The surface gleamed under the soft lighting, with a neat array of strange item names and matching illustrations.

"My name. Zed," he said with a small smile, sliding the sheet across the counter. "My master gave it to me."

Joyce and Loyd shared a brief glance, momentarily caught off guard by the turn of the conversation.

But they snapped out of it quickly.

"I see," Joyce replied, offering a polite nod. "Thank you, Zed."

"I’m guessing this is a catalog of the loot we’re supposed to match with?" she asked, eyes narrowing slightly as she scanned the list.

"Exactly," Zed nodded. His hand made a soft gesture across the sheet. "My master already went into the dungeon and recorded every possible loot from each monster. You're free to check and match anything you've found."

"We’ve even marked the prices," he added, his tone casual.

"And the uses?" Loyd asked, still slightly skeptical.

"My master’s working on that. There should be results soon."

"Ah."

They leaned in together, scanning the paper with growing curiosity.

At first, it all sounded too good to be true. Their expressions made it obvious, they didn’t believe a word of it.

What kind of nonsense was that? "Recorded every possible loot"? Did the kid think they were fools?

Then came the silence. Followed by the sound of shuffling paper.

And then.

"Ohhh… It’s true."

"What the hell?"

They both stared at the sheet, slack-jawed.

Their loot was right there, listed, categorized, priced.

No tricks. No gimmicks.

The boy wasn't lying?

Maybe it's a rare identification skill that his master used?

They exchanged a side glance, subtle but sharp. Without another word, Joyce slid the paper back across the counter.

"We found it. We’ve got several dark oil glands and a pair of slithering eyes to sell."

"Ah, you met those snakes?" Zed’s expression didn’t change, but there was a flicker of recognition in his eyes.

He nodded, taking the sheet and setting it aside.

A moment later, he brought out a peculiar weighing scale, uts frame carved from a deep red wood, with strange grain patterns curling across its surface.

It smelled faintly of dust and something oddly metallic.

"Start with the dark oil glands. Price is ten silver coins per kilogram."

That lit a spark in both of them.

Joyce didn’t hesitate, she reached into her bag and carefully laid out the glands, eyes locked on the scale’s pointer as it ticked forward.

"Five point two kilos," she murmured.

Zed nodded and lifted the organs with practiced ease.

With a swift, silent gesture, they vanished into the glinting ring on his finger.

"Fifty-two silver coins," he confirmed.

"Next, the slithering eyes," he gestured again, voice steady.

Joyce moved to place the pair of eyes on the scale, but before she could finish, Zed added, "One Tier 1 golden coin per kilogram."

"What?!"

The word shot from both their mouths at the same time.

Their shout was loud enough to draw the rest of their group over. Bart, Ilya, and Kalen all leaned in behind them.

"What’s going on?"

"Those drops worth anything?"

"O-of course they are!" Loyd stammered, his eyes glued to the scale as Joyce gently laid the eyes down.

"We’re about to make way more than all the copper coins we’ve ever earned combined!"

"Huh? How much, exactly?"

"Ten silver coins for a kilo of dark oil glands, and a full Tier 1 golden coin per kilo of the eyes," Zed said calmly as the needle swung to a clean two kilograms.

"What?!" The group shouted again in unison.

Their jaws dropped.

Literal disbelief hung in the air as their gazes followed Zed’s movements like hypnotized cats.

The boy didn’t flinch.

Calmly, he counted out their earnings, placing a small, tidy pouch of coins on the counter.

Their breaths hitched.

"This is insane."

"Those monster parts are worth real coin?"

"This dungeon’s not just a goldmine, it’s a divine blessing for low-tier Awakeners like us!"

"Boss!" Loyd blurted out suddenly, his tone shifting, no longer casual or indifferent, but something closer to admiration.

The others turned, blinking.

Even Zed looked up at him.

"Do you have any Tier 2 breakthrough potions or pills for sale?" Loyd asked, his voice filled with a quiet urgency.

The rest of the team quickly backed him up, nodding in agreement.

They knew he was close, just a thread away from pushing into the next tier.

They needed him stronger.

Fast.

"We have both," Zed replied. "The price follows the standard set by the Alchemist Association, fifty silver coins each"

"Then I’ll take five," Loyd said without hesitation.

"Good."

Moments later, half a Tier 1 golden coin lighter, the group stepped back out onto the bustling street.

The night air was cool, but their faces were flushed with exhilaration.

Their steps were lighter. Their eyes a little brighter. The taste of having and spending money gave them a boost of confidence.

Afterward, the group found themselves inside a tavern.

They weren’t particularly surprised by how much had already sprung up in the area, despite how little time the territory had been around.

If anything, the speed of development was mildly unsettling.

Everything felt... complete.

Too complete.

There was even a pharmacist shop nestled along the main street, and deeper in, several other stores had opened their doors, specialized ones.

Blacksmiths hammering behind thick wooden walls, weapon refinement stalls glinting with half-etched blades, enchantment booths glowing faintly with runes, and even scroll and talisman vendors.

Roughly half the stores were manned by the native people who had migrated here over the past week, the rest clearly staffed by professionals under the direct employ of the territory.

There was even a formation shop, selling formations as high as tier five.

Formations that most people could only dream of seeing, let alone purchasing, were sitting behind glass displays like common trinkets in this place.

“Bah!”

Clak!

A heavy thud rang out as Bart slammed his mug down onto the table.

Foam spilled over the rim, dribbling along the wooden surface.

He wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, his cheeks slightly red, the warmth of the drink starting to creep into his skin.

Not that alcohol could do much against an Awakener. They drank mostly for the taste, or the illusion of normalcy.

“I knew coming here was the right call! Just look at how much profit we raked in from one damn day!”

He let out a loud laugh, his grin wide and toothy.

The others chuckled along, nodding in agreement.

Their table sat tucked into the corner, slightly away from the heart of the tavern.

Around them, other groups of Awakeners were doing the exact same thing, celebrating.

Glasses clinked, voices rose and fell in waves, and the scent of spiced meat and warm bread filled the air.

Loyd leaned back in his seat, swirling the cocktail in his glass as his eyes wandered around.

From the snippets of conversation drifting over from nearby tables, he could tell most people were celebrating for the exact same reason.

“It looks like everyone here’s toasting the same thing,” he said with a small smirk.

"Wouldn’t be surprised if this place gets swarmed by tier 3s and 4s before long.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Kalen chimed in, an unexpected comment from someone usually so quiet.

The others looked toward him, mildly surprised that he’d spoken up.

Kalen cleared his throat, setting down his half-finished glass of milk with both hands.

“I overheard something... from a few tier 3s Awakeners"

He lowered his voice a little, pulling the group in with the weight behind his tone.

“They found something deeper in the dungeon.”

“Oh?” Joyce leaned forward instantly, her expression sharp. “What did they find? Come on, don’t leave us hanging.”

Kalen looked around the table once, reading the faces before him. Then he leaned in and spoke low.

“There’s an entrance. A second layer. A deeper dungeon beneath the surface one.”

“What?”

The table erupted with shocked voices.

“Another dungeon?” Loyd blinked, his brow furrowed. “So it’s multi-layered... That means the upper dungeon is just the begining? The tip of a much bigger place?"

The others nodded quickly, the idea locking into place in their minds.

Multi-layered dungeons were rare. Extremely rare.

Dungeons like that were a godsend, capable of supporting growth from the early stages all the way into the mid-realms.

They weren’t just lucrative. They were invaluable.

Everyone knew: if humanity relied solely on natural resources, the continent would’ve descended into war long ago.

The balance was barely maintained as it was, too many Awakeners, not enough resources to go around.

But dungeons, secret realms, and dangerous zones like these, those were the true lifelines.

The native-born couldn’t access those strange spots, but they could step into the dungeons and some of these risky places.

They could fight, scavenge, and risk their lives.

And when something was taken, the dungeon simply regenerated it over time.

Like an endless well.

Still, not everything about them was a blessing.

“There’s also a serious risk,” Loyd muttered, his tone darkening slightly. “Dungeons like these can erupt. If that happens... we’re talking about a full-scale dungeon outbreak.”

But before anyone could respond, Ilya chimed in, waving a hand casually. “Relax. I doubt the lord here’s losing sleep over something like that.”

Loyd raised an eyebrow. “You sound confident. What makes you so sure?”

She turned her head slightly and smiled faintly. “Because this dungeon... was created by the Angel.”

“What?!”

That word alone flipped the mood. Nearby tables went still. People subtly leaned in, ears angled their way.

A few mugs froze midway to lips.

“The Angel created this dungeon?” someone repeated under their breath.

“Yeah,” Ilya nodded, her voice calm now. “It’s not a rumor either. The guards confirmed it, and even the clerks at the management office didn’t bother denying it.”

Bart scratched the back of his head, his brows drawing together. “Wait, then... how powerful does someone have to be to create a dungeon?”

A strange hush swept the area.

It wasn’t just their group anymore.

Conversations around them died down, as if the entire tavern had suddenly remembered how to hold its breath.

“That kind of thing... I’ve only ever heard of True Lords doing it,” someone whispered.

“Someone with power at the law and rules level,” Kalen added quietly.

A long hiss slipped through clenched teeth.

If that was true, if this place had really been crafted by someone capable of wielding that kind of authority, then this territory wasn’t just strong.

It was already a top force worthy enough to stand toe to toe with those giants in the inner region.

Kalen took a slow sip from his drink, and then dropped another stone of news into the silence.

“And just so you all know... tier 3 monsters aren’t the limit.”

Loyd turned, his voice sharp. “What do you mean? Isn’t tier 3 the cap for the surface dungeon?”

“Nope.” Kalen shook his head slowly. “Another discovery today. One of the tier 5 experts came back, almost dead, said there’s a tier 5 monster deeper in the center.”

“What?!”

“T-tier 5?!”

“No way! There’s a monster that strong here already?”

Shock passed from one person to the next like wildfire.

Kalen nodded grimly. “He nearly lost his life getting out. Said if he wasn’t lucky, no one would’ve even heard about it.”

And the table fell silent again, their expressions growing serious.

"Wanna try killing it?"

"Shut up!"