Chapter 42: Dungeon Diving, Gathering As Much Loot As Possible!

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As Riven walked toward his car after leaving the house, a new notification suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.

It was one he had not seen for a long time. It felt as if all the quiet love and care he had been steadily investing had been slowly accumulating deep inside the system until it finally bloomed all at once.

[Love Investment Authority – Asmodeus]

[Target: Elisa Frostbane]

[Affection Level: 25 → 40]

[Investment Progress: 1.5% → 5%]

[Note: Target’s latent recovery rate has increased by 5% due to emotional stability and increased affection over a prolonged period of time.]

[You received the reward: [Frost Knight Crest (C Rank)]: An Ancient Crest containing the divine essence of the Frost Knights, Guardians of the Frostbane Household. By absorbing it, one can advance in the Cultivation of the Frost Knight Scripture.]

[x10,000 Reward Multiplier Activated!]

[The Item [Frost Knight Crest (C Rank)] has been multiplied by x10,000]

[You have received the item: [Divine Frost Emperor’s Crown (SSS Rank)]: The Divine Frost Crown of the Divine Frost Emperor. Merely wearing it grants enhanced power over Ice and the Divine Ki within the Cultivation Method’s teachings. Absorbing the crown grants complete and total mastery over the original scripture and a new Skill.]

"?!"

Riven watched a magnificent crown of pure ice and gold appear out of thin air right in front of him. His eyes widened in genuine surprise as he quickly stored the precious item safely inside his spatial ring before anyone could notice.

"Huh?" Daniela looked over with curiosity, wondering what was happening, but Riven simply pretended that nothing unusual had occurred.

"Anyway, you’re ready? Let’s go," he said in a calm voice.

"Ok!" Daniela raised both hands with clear energy. For the first time since they had met, she looked truly excited about the idea of entering a dungeon.

As they drove toward the Gate Site, Riven opened the item description once more and read every word carefully.

He had not even reached the Second Step of cultivation yet. According to his current calculations, it would still take him at least a couple of weeks of steady daily practice to get there.

But this crown, this incredible item, this single reward, would allow him to master the entire Frost Knight Scripture in an instant?!

"..."

A small, satisfied smirk formed on his lips.

The sincere "investment" he had placed in his wife, never truly expecting anything in return, had still ended up giving him something truly incredible.

"For now I’ll just use it as an equipment item," he decided inwardly.

The Crown possessed two possible uses. He could wear it as powerful equipment, which would greatly enhance his ice magic and the flow of Divine Ki through his body. That alone could potentially help him cultivate much faster. Or he could consume the crown completely to master the scripture instantly and even obtain a brand-new Skill.

"We’re here."

Once he parked the car safely near the entrance, Riven stepped out and walked into the Gate Site. He took a moment to admire the abandoned houses and skyscrapers that had been completely overtaken by thick weeds and growing trees. Together they made their way toward the familiar D-Rank Gate once more.

This time they planned to conquer the entire dungeon completely.

"Ready?" Riven asked Daniela as both of them stood in front of the swirling Gate. They had easily walked past the entrance, and the guards simply lowered their heads in respect the moment they recognized him.

"Yeah!" Daniela nodded firmly, stretching her arms and furrowing her eyebrows with determination. "I’m ready!"

The other hunters nearby immediately felt Riven’s massive presence the moment he stepped into the Gate accompanied only by a fancily dressed Pierrot girl and a small black dog.

Many of them quietly wondered who this mysterious pair could be, but most quickly dismissed the thought. They figured that if these two were entering such a low-ranking dungeon, they probably did not matter that much in the grand scheme of things.

Rapid footsteps soon began echoing through the Dark Caves, mixed with the loud sound of sharp steel slicing and tearing through living flesh.

A glowing light constantly emanated in the darkness, attracting every nearby monster toward their position.

"A-Am I doing a good job?!" Daniela asked while seamlessly avoiding incoming attacks thanks to the enhanced agility and evasion bonuses from her new equipment. At the same time she kept activating Clowny Charm to draw even more monsters into the fight.

"You’re doing an incredible job, Daniela!" Riven took a confident step forward. A crown made of pure ice floated above his head while crystalline scales formed around his arms and legs. His strength multiplied several times over as he swung the giant black sword with one powerful motion. "Now leave these to me!"

SLAAASH!

A single slicing arc of dark, freezing ki and mana was unleashed from the blade. It froze, bisected, and tore through every obstacle in its path. Dozens of monsters rushing from all directions were instantly cut down, their frozen pieces falling and splattering across the cold stone floor.

"That’s Floor 1 done!" he announced while looking toward the staircase that led deeper into the dungeon. "The new boss hasn’t appeared yet, I suppose, and..."

"Woooaahh!" His words were interrupted by Daniela’s shocked and delighted expression as dozens of glowing golden pieces of loot began to materialize all around them. "Such a big haul today as well~! Look at all those items, Riven! We’re rich! We’re even richer now!"

"Heh, and this is just the beginning," Riven said with a confident smile. To him, what they had accumulated was just really cheap change, they needed even more items than this, hundreds,, perhaps thousands of times more. "Come on, let’s pick everything up and keep moving. Floor 2 and Floor 3 are still waiting for us."

"Aye, aye, captain!" Daniela replied happily. She quickly gathered all the glowing loot while little Noir carried a fresh monster corpse in his small jaws, slowly chewing on it as the three of them continued deeper into the Gate.

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