Recommencing The Research

As soon as Ais, Isaac and Tiona had sufficiently distanced themselves from the other adventurers roaming the first floor, they teleported to a staircase leading down to the 27th. This was exactly the same point where weeks prior, Isaac's rapid descent had come to a halt.

'It has been so, so long!'

Anticipation bubbled within his heart. As a result, he didn't even waste a single second thinking about the huge scene that he had just caused. Usually, he wouldn't hesitate to kill, so in his eyes, the punishment that he had doled out felt quite merciful. Admittedly, it was extraordinarily painful, but that was the point. Most others that had offended him had already died, so getting away with a generous dose of suffering instead wasn't a bad deal.

The two girls also didn't bother bringing up what he had done, as they honestly didn't care that much about it. While Isaac had indeed been a little bit ruthless, they wouldn't have been the gentlest of maidens either should they have gotten a chance to further bash that arrogant god. In any case, they were now in the dungeon, so they should at least behave sufficiently cautiously. Being too relaxed when down here could spell one's doom, no matter how strong one was - well, if one was unlucky.

There was one major difference between the 26th and the 27th floor, and that was that in the latter, it was possible to venture far outside of the cave systems, all across the seemingly endless stretch of land at the foot of the Great Fall, which housed a lake of unimaginable size.

This was the home of Amphisbaena, which would still take about ten days to respawn. In other words, because the owner wasn't here, it was time to completely ransack the place.

Although Isaac's Level hadn't increased, his stats had. And even before, when he had first made his way to the path leading to this floor three weeks ago, he hadn't felt the monsters he had been fighting to be too much of a challenge. Needless to say, absolutely nothing on this floor could pose a danger to him, but he didn't foolishly relax his guard because of that. In any case, he hadn't come here to challenge himself today, but to continue his research. He was well aware that ever since he had acquired the Divine Being Skill, only enemies that were more than a whole Level stronger than him could truly put some pressure on him. But even that would only be temporary.

All of that was why he chose to restrict himself during his research. Whenever he faced a new monster, he would use his impeccable control over his own strength and body to match its stats as best as he could. This didn't inconvenience his research and had the added bonus that it made every encounter a bit exciting, as he had to figure out the most optimal way to tortu--- ahem, safely dispatch the creatures.

The amount of different monster species on the 27th floor was far higher than on any previous floor. Aside from the twelve species that could already be found on the 25th and 26th floor, five new ones joined the fray.

By far the weakest and also the most numerous of the additions were the Afancs, a species of blue-furred foxes with incredible swimming skills. Although they looked very beautiful and cute, they were extremely dangerous. They could shoot 'bullets' of water out of their mouths so staggeringly quickly that they could easily penetrate through the human body, including the bones. Of course, when an adventurer's Endurance started to rival the foxes' Strength, they would only have to endure minor wounds… but as the Afancs were slippery and acted in packs of up to 20, a constant barrage of water bullets and the occasional claw swipes intermixed with bites would rapidly wear down almost any and all Level 2 adventurers should they be travelling alone. Obviously, faced with someone who could near-perfectly observe and predict their movements - Isaac - they could only wait for their deaths. The Afancs' stats could reach up to A-825 / 3000.

Lamias, the next weakest new monster species, were slightly stronger, at A-850 / 3050. Their upper bodies looked mostly like those of human women, aside from the vicious claws and slightly sharper teeth. A few of the more horny adventurers truly enjoyed the sight of their bare melons… The Lamias' lower bodies, however, were simply long snake tails. This enabled them to showcase far more agile movements than regular humanoids were usually capable of, which could often take people by surprise. The snake women were frequently sighted alone, but they could also appear in huge groups of ten plus individuals - the specific number was all up to luck. This curious combination of a snake's and a human's maneuvers was quite fascinating, so Isaac spent slightly more time on researching this species than on most of the others, out of sheer curiosity.

Slightly less common, but also far stronger, were the Dodoras, nearly twenty meter tall behemoths that looked surprisingly similar to… elephants. Their skin was even thicker and a dark green colour, while they had six tusks instead of two, but that was pretty much the extent of the two species' obvious differences. Just like the animals that they were reminiscent of, the Dodoras' weakness was their Agility. While, yes, it was still high, it just couldn't catch up to the rest of their stats, which could reach up to S-900 / 3150. But even without a speed advantage, once one got used to their incredibly obvious attack patterns, most adventurers wouldn't find it difficult to stay alive when facing them. Needless to say, as Isaac's weapon was of superb quality - far better than these low Level monsters necessitated - it could cut the Dodoras' skin like paper. Dealing damage to or killing them was anything but difficult.

One of the two strongest monster species on the 27th floor were the Voltimeria. They were fish with purplish black bodies which seemed to be made of or covered in stone. Although they could only grow to up to two meters in size, they had eight fins on their backs, at various locations that made it a lot easier for them to abruptly change directions while underwater. There was a huge, singular eye in the middle of their foreheads. Needless to say, their Endurance was extraordinary, it could reach up to S-950 / 3250.

None of these features seemed particularly challenging, until Isaac was almost taken aback by their weird special ability. They would float out of the water and into the air for up to three meters, then they would charge at their opponents as fast as they could. If the opposing adventurer didn't have enough Strength and Endurance, then they would simply shatter their futile resistance with their tough bodies. This kind of flight was enabled by a peculiar inborn Magic. As soon as they had started to affect the mana in their surroundings, Isaac had noticed it. Although it wasn't really necessary to mention this, as it would be obvious to anyone paying attention to them once they started to levitate, their eyes turned slightly bloodshot when they did this. With that knowledge in mind, one could more accurately predict their actions, especially because the redness appeared shortly before they actually left the water.

If it hadn't been for Ais and Tiona, Isaac probably wouldn't have stumbled across the Voltimeria anytime soon. They could only be found in regions of the lake where currents intersected in the depths. Thankfully, he hadn't needed to dive down there, as these fish seemed to be quite territorial. As soon as he had approached one of their habitats while walking slightly above the water's surface using his Anemoi Steps, they had begun to attack him.

Speaking of walking on water, that ability was also a trademark of the Kelpies, the last new species on this floor. In terms of beauty and aesthetics, they could rival the Afancs and therefore stood out from the rest of these monstrosities. Well, there were also the various female humanoid monster species, but only the most desperate of men would seriously get entrapped by their looks. After all, those monsters were solely consumed by bloodlust and seemingly unable to think - even the most avid of self-proclaimed monster girl fanatics from Isaac's old world wouldn't necessarily want to be ripped to shreds by them.

Kelpies were dark blue skinned horse monsters with blue manes. While they did have hooves, they also had curiously shaped fins right above them, which enabled them to run on water as if it were land. Well, that was actually slightly exaggerated, as their speed did indeed drop slightly when they galloped over the lake. Their highest stat was their Agility, which could reach up to S-950 / 3250.

Sadly, aside from their ability to emulate a certain religion's influential figure, the rest of their skillset didn't differ at all from a regular horse's, so they didn't pose much of a challenge. If they hadn't been mindless slaughter machines, Isaac would have loved to tame a few. After all, if he ever needed to cross an ocean without exhausting his own mana, then it would be very handy to have them around. Or, well, he could just ride a ship, that was always an alternative. But it was also a more boring option…

Some time after Isaac had finished researching all of his poor test subjects, he left behind a path of destruction on his search for a staircase leading to the 28th floor. It was then that he suddenly heard a strange, beautiful voice. A song entered his ears, and almost instinctively, he felt drowsy. The desire to search out the source of this voice sprouted in his heart, whose beat sped up ever so slightly.

It had only taken him an instant to notice these changes. Immediately, he focused on keeping calm. He manually slowed down his heartbeat and fought against the drowsiness, then moments later, although he could still hear the incredibly alluring, wordless song, his condition had returned to normal.

A scientist's curious smile played across his lips as he hurried off in the direction that the voice came from. There was only one explanation for what had just happened - he had finally encountered a Mermaid. Amongst the twelve species that could spawn starting from the 25th floor, this was the only one that he had never crossed paths with, at least during his own exploration. Throughout the expedition, quite a few of them had assaulted the expedition party, but seeing how just many other monsters there had been in total, their incredible rarity just became even more apparent. Isaac had originally planned to regularly return to the floors where these kinds of rare monster species could spawn, as the Mermaid wasn't the only one that he hadn't fully researched yet. Thankfully, even before he had to go out of his way, he had found one! It was an exceptionally good start.

Mermaids had bluish white upper bodies that looked just like a charming human female's. Contrary to the various other monster species of such a kind, they actually didn't have any dangerous claws or teeth, so they looked even more lovable to the naive observer's eye. They had green, long hair and entirely white eyes, which did look a bit unsettling. But paired with their enchanting smiles, this slight spice of mystery was even more enticing. Instead of legs, they had a huge fish's fin for their lower body.

Even though they looked relatively harmless, they were definitely amongst the most insidious monsters there were. Their voices, should they wish it, could have a charming effect on those that heard them. They were one of the main causes for people to go missing on these floors. With their heads filled with longing, weak-willed adventurers were pulled into a gentle embrace and lulled to sleep while being blessed by a quite tantalizing sight… only to never awaken again. The reason for this was that the Mermaids would simply kill the poor victims in their sleep.

For the most lonely of souls out there, a Mermaid was the most dangerous monster to encounter… mostly because they moved their upper bodies extremely sensually and seemed to have a clear understanding of how to seduce their helpless prey. Due to this, in the past, some adventurers had argued that they had to be a sentient race, but it was soon determined that they relied on an instinct to perform these movements. Just like how animals were born with inherent knowledge that would enable them to live their respective lives a bit easier, Mermaids were born with the innate ability to seduce.

But as for how a certain - arguably mad - scientist treated the lovely Mermaid that he came across… well, her fate was ultimately a very gruesome one, which would have left most observers utterly terrified.

It had been almost ten minutes of… research, and the beautiful Mermaid lay shivering on the cold, rocky ground next to the lake. She couldn't even move a single one of her torn muscles and was bleeding from hundreds of spots all over her body. Even one of her arms had been cut off and had ended up a few meters away, while her fin was split down the middle. Her blood formed a huge puddle underneath her, and more was unceasingly pouring out of her wounds. Nonetheless, she was still alive, and staring at Isaac with seductive eyes… full of mindless bloodlust.

"Huh, that's a surprise. I thought she would be dead by now."

With an inquisitive, happy expression on his face, he observed the monster in front of him, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. Of course, he long since had a few guesses, but he hadn't confirmed anything yet. He had already noticed both Ais and Tiona growing a bit restless at the side - they both obviously knew the specifics. At the same time, they were aware that he would prefer to find out via his own effort. That was why they kept quiet.

It didn't take long for Isaac to notice that the Mermaid's wounds... were slowly healing. Although she grew weaker due to the blood loss, that same blood also helped seal up her wounds, slowly making her recover to a state that was as good as new. Oh, wait, she was still missing an arm.

'So that's how it is… Good, I've decided.'

With a bright smile, Isaac appeared next to the mostly-healed Mermaid before she could even react, then he knocked her unconscious. He didn't bother restraining his strength right now, as he had already finished his research on this particular specimen.

Using his sword, he cut away the skin and flesh that had formed over the stump that the Mermaid's arm had previously been attached to, then he did the same to the dismembered arm. Although she was unconscious, the poor creature's body still shivered in pain.

Not bothered by this, Isaac placed the arm perfectly against the stump and patiently waited. In just a matter of minutes, he could see the blood do its work and start to connect the bones, to actually reattach the arm. Her recovery was almost over. Once he was sure that the arm was already sufficiently healed, he let it go. Then, he placed the Mermaid into his inventory.

With such a precious healing resource right in front of him, how could he bear to let it die before he had acquired a sufficient reserve of it? Leaving the monster alive and fed would let him harvest its blood time and time again, it was simply fantastic! He had thought about doing the same with Blue Papilios before, but they were relatively common on their respective floor, so he could simply go there to slay a few whenever he was in need. The potency of their healing also wasn't anywhere close to what he had just witnessed. Yes, he himself had been able to use the powder secreted from their wings to even heal bones, but it had taken a lot of focus and manual work. Anybody else would only be able to heal some flesh wounds. This Mermaid Blood, however, was clearly far more exceptional.

Isaac wasn't the first who tried to raise Mermaids as livestock. In the past, quite a few adventurers and familias had tried to smuggle them out of the dungeon for profit, to drain their blood repeatedly. Sadly, the Guild had forbidden such acts a long time ago, so there were now no known Mermaids kept in Orario, even though their blood had such miraculous properties.

There were multiple reasons for this. Mainly, they were still Level 2 monsters and could pose a danger to the public. Additionally, almost no non-adventurers could withstand their charm, so should they ever have a chance to sing, it would endanger far, far too many people. Originally, when they had exclusively been held in secure, remote locations, perfectly gagged so they wouldn't make a sound, the Guild hadn't prohibited such arrangements. But after numerous accidents, which harmed a lot of innocents in the process… and after quite a few indecent, perverse acts that these monsters had had to suffer through came to light, it became prohibited to bring them out of the dungeon. There were still a few kept in Rivira and in some other, secret locations under the control of the Guild, but almost nobody knew about those.

The legality of what Isaac was planning to do was explained to him by Ais, which was how he got to know about all of this. But honestly, he couldn't care less about the Guild's regulations. He wouldn't really be bringing Mermaids into Orario, neither would he be harming any innocents - well, unless those bloodthirsty monstrosities were considered innocent. As for those lecherous deeds… yeah, not a chance.

Ultimately, he decided that he was above the law. After all, a rule that he hadn't personally and directly agreed to uphold would never be something that he would fully respect or care about. Even back in his own world, he had quickly learned that while laws were necessary to keep the rabble in check, they would never affect the truly powerful and influential.

'I can combine the Mermaid Blood Farm Proje--- wait, that sounds a bit dreadful, let's call it the Mermaid Raising Project. I can combine it with that other plan that I've been working on…'

Slightly lost in thought, Isaac whistled happily as he slaughtered his way towards a staircase leading to the 28th floor. With his increased speed in between battles, where he didn't restrict himself, it had only taken him one and a half hours to complete his research of all of the new monster species appearing on the 27th floor.

-----

At around 7:30 a.m., Asfi was rapidly working through the mountains of documents on her desk, not even paying attention to her surroundings. Every now and then, one of her assistants would carry a new stack of papers to her side and pick up the ones that she had already finished. As a Level 4, she could indeed go for a few days without sleep, and she had been living such a lifestyle for the past couple of years, only rarely ever getting a single break.

While most others would complain about this unceasingly, she didn't. At least not when she was alone. Occasionally, she would grumble to Hermes about it - whenever that whimsical man decided to show up - but that was the extent of it.

Suddenly she heard a knock on the door, which was unusual. Normally, her assistants and most of the members of her familia would simply enter her office without a care in the world. This wasn't her private quarter, but a working environment. Efficiency was key. Now that someone had actually been so formal, it felt weird.

With a cautious glint in her eyes, she looked up from her documents and towards the door.

"Enter."

What greeted her when it opened was first the sight of... nobody. Then, moments later and out of nowhere, a figure in a black cloak with a heavy backpack strapped over their shoulders appeared in her view. A few strands of grey hair could be made out, and this visitor's overall body shape...she seemed to be a female.

Because she herself had created an item which enabled the wearer to become more-or-less invisible, Asfi quickly recognized just how advanced this person's invisibility was. For a bit longer, she continued to be on edge… until she remembered a certain someone. A sigh of relief escaped her lips.

"Welcome, Lady Hel. What do you need?"

Somewhat clumsily, the hooded goddess came closer, then she rummaged around in her backpack, pulled out a huge, heavy pouch full of money and placed it on the desk. She had carefully searched for an empty spot, as she didn't want for any of the documents to get damaged.

"I have a message from Isaac Blackshaw. Ahem, here I go! 'Here is the money that I owe your familia for the third week of protection. Additionally, I would like to hire your services for another four weeks. There you go, ten and a half million valis, not a single one less.' I've already counted them, and everything seems in order."

The more that the normally reclusive Hel spoke, the more flabbergasted that Asfi became. Did Isaac really just employ a deity to deliver his money? What kind of extravagance was this!? How did he even get her to agree? Also, how could he simply trust a goddess with his money? Wasn't he afraid that she might run away with it? And lastly… how did he get so much money!?

For a while, Hel stared back and forth between the dazed Asfi and the pouch of valis on the table. Finally, she broke the silence.

"If that's all, I'll take it as a yes and leave."

These words finally helped Asfi to awaken from her stupor, and she hurriedly shook her head.

"Wait a minute. The manpower needed has already been reserved for other missions. We would need to pay the penalty fees for abandoning or postponing those. Additionally, as this is such a last minute request, it will be very hard to arrange, therefore I'm afraid I have to ask for a more expensive rate. Instead of 300.000 valis per day, the requested four weeks will cost 350.000 valis per day."

It wasn't like Asfi wanted to extort exorbitant amounts of money out of Isaac, but in the end, they were in a business relationship. Although the Hermes Familia had agreed to guarantee that they wouldn't abandon his mission - Hermes had agreed to this term before Asfi could reject it - they still had to treat the rest of their contracts and missions fairly. Such a sudden change to the familia's plans was a really huge deal, and would be very costly.

With a small nod, Hel smiled to herself and placed another bag of valis on the desk.

"He already expected something like this, which is why he entrusted me with another five millions valis, just in case."

Yet again, Asfi became speechless.