[26] Mysterious

The remaining adventurers were either in shock or full of disdain.

"What the hell is this embarrassing play?" Aiden couldn't help but start running. His quick steps turned into a full-on sprint. He felt as if his face was on fire; if it weren't for the dried blood covering it, it would probably be redder than a Fuji apple.

"I finally understand how Bell feels!" Aiden screamed internally, his speed increasing as he dashed towards Babel Tower.

On the second floor of the dungeon, a group of adventurers led by a short-haired young man had just defeated a few scattered monsters. After slaying the creatures, they continued their journey.

They were heading towards the first floor, apparently on their way back. There were six of them, and all of them gave the impression of Japanese. The leader, a tall and muscular young man, wielded a long spear. Beside him was a spirited girl with a katana at her waist and a side ponytail, and on his other side was a petite girl with long bangs covering her eyes. Following closely behind were two men with various weapons and another girl with a headscarf.

At this moment, the young man with the spear had a slightly serious expression: "Mikoto, Chigusa, do you feel it? Something seems different about the dungeon today."

"Ouka, what's different about it?" The girl with the katana, whom he called Mikoto, looked puzzled. 

"Different?" The petite girl's expression was hidden behind her bangs. 

The rest of the team echoed the question.

"Yes." The tall young man called Ouka, also the captain of the Takemikazuchi Familia, Kashima Ouka, continued with a serious expression. "Even though we're on the relatively safe second floor, you should not let your guard down."

"Yes, Ouka!"

The team responded in unison. 

The girl with the katana noticed the issue. "Ouka, is it that there are too few monsters?"

Kashima Ouka nodded. 

"Exactly. There are too few monsters. We've already reached the middle of the second floor and only encountered three goblins. While the first four floors typically have fewer monsters and are safer for novice adventurers, today the numbers are especially low. Notably, we didn't encounter a single monster on the third floor, which is highly unusual." 

Hearing their captain's words, the team finally understood. They exchanged glances and looked back.

It was indeed strange. Normally, they would have slain dozens of monsters by the time they reached the middle of the second floor from the third, but today they had only encountered three.

The only time a floor is devoid of monsters is shortly after it has been cleared. However, for two consecutive floors to be almost empty suggests only one possibility: both floors had been cleared in quick succession by someone.

The man with a bun behind Kashima Ouka spoke up, "Ouka, could it be that someone cleared both the second and third floors consecutively?"

Kashima Ouka shook his head. "If it were a team of novice adventurers, they wouldn't have the strength or stamina to accomplish this."

The girl known as Mikoto, whose full name was Yamato Mikoto, spoke with a tone of speculation, "Ouka, could it have been done by upper-level adventurers?"

Kashima Ouka shook his head and countered, "For whatever reason, would you do such a thing, Mikoto?"

Yamato Mikoto responded seriously, "I wouldn't do it, and I don't have the stamina for it either."

Kashima Ouka's expression grew even more serious. "Likewise, I couldn't manage it either. To achieve this, you'd need at least two to three Lv.2 adventurers working together. Given the drop rate of monsters on the first to fourth floors, no Lv.2 adventurer would bother with something that yields so little profit and consumes so much energy. If word got out, they might even be accused of stealing monsters from novice adventurers, tarnishing their reputation. So it's very likely that something beyond our understanding is happening, and we don't know what dangers might be involved. Stay alert and pick up the pace."

Hearing their captain's logical and convincing analysis, the team felt enlightened. They responded in unison, "Yes, Ouka!" and quickened their pace, transitioning from a brisk walk to a slow jog.

Although Kashima Ouka's analysis was sound and persuasive, no one could have anticipated the presence of someone like Aiden in this world. Despite having gained tremendous power, Aiden remained cautious and acted according to his own principles, never overstepping boundaries.

This time, the unusual cessation of monster spawns persisted for quite a while.

By the time the clock struck five in the afternoon, birds were returning to their nests, and the sky was gradually darkening. Adventurers who had been exploring and making a living in the first ten floors of the dungeon also began to return in dribs and drabs.

These seasoned adventurers quickly noticed the anomalies on the second and third floors and joined the ranks of those jogging back.

Thus, a grand and bustling running event unfolded. This unusual occurrence was later dubbed by the adventurers as the Mysterious Third Floor Clearance Incident.

However, Aiden, the instigator of all this, was oblivious to it. At that moment, he was enjoying a bath on the third floor of the Babel Tower.

In his embarrassing predicament, Aiden had mustered the fastest speed of his two lifetimes, sprinting all the way to Babel Tower. Since his hunger had subsided, he decided not to head home and worry Hestia, nor did he want to dirty their home. Plus, bathing at Babel Tower meant he could immediately exchange magic stones for valis without having to make an extra trip. Therefore, Aiden chose to bathe at Babel Tower. Moreover, the facilities in Babel Tower were top-notch; while he bathed, his clothes, armor, and weapons were cleaned and dried.

"Hello, I'd like to exchange for valis."

After bathing and feeling refreshed, Aiden carried his bag of magic stones to the guild's exchange counter. Under the astonished gazes of the staff and the adventurers behind him, he poured the deep blue, fragmented magic stones and fang-like materials into the drawer at the window.

"Kid, did you collect all these by yourself?" Finally, an outgoing older adventurer couldn't contain his curiosity and asked.

It was then that Aiden noticed that the guild staff behind the counter and the adventurers around him were all looking at him with strange expressions.

"What's going on?" Aiden wondered, feeling perplexed.

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