Live Dungeon!

“Oh my God, how unsightly the scene has become,” Xeno muttered bitterly under his breath, his expression grave as he watched many Explorers clad in identical garb.

As the use of Ealdred Crow’s specialized Engraving techniques spread, more and more Explorers could be seen donning flaxen garments exhibiting extraordinary performance on the Pedestals.

Once a symbol of defeat in Dungeon City, the flaxen garb had gained new value not because of its original merit, but because its material made it unusually easy to engrave magical effects onto compared to other equipment. For craftsmen and producers, it had become the ideal practice canvas. Even a poor engraving on one of these losers’ garbs produced results that, to mid-tier Explorers, were nothing short of exceptional.

Naturally, the garments flowed out from Ealdred Crow’s workshop like a tide, and mid-tier Explorers eagerly snapped them up, venturing into God’s Dungeon proudly clad in them.

The Pedestals showed little else now, just those flaxen uniforms, over and over again. The spectators, too, had begun to grumble.

“Losers, the lot of them…”

“Bet most of ’em are only moving down the layers because of that gear.”

“Well, isn’t it hilarious that Ealdred Crow’s Team 2 aren’t wearing this stuff?”

“Total scrub move. Even Alma’s wearing it now.”

“Yeah, and she was supposedly throwing a fit about it the whole time!”

Xeno shook his head.

[If I were in their shoes, I probably would’ve been forced to wear it too…]

Xeno did not condemn the Explorers for choosing performance over pride. In fact, he respected their pragmatism; better to wear the loser’s garb and thrive than cling to a foolish pride and stagnate. Had he been in their position, he imagined his wife would have talked him into it eventually… though with no small amount of resistance on his part, of course.

[Still… there’s room for ingenuity. And if no one else will change this situation, then I must!]

He would not simply wear the loser’s garb as-is. If he had to wear it, he would reshape it, inject it with style, and usher in a revolution of fashion. That was how Xeno initially approached the problem: by modifying the clothes to look sharp… well, presentable, at least.

And as luck would have it, he no longer needed to settle for mere alterations.

He now possessed considerable resources: the power to secure rare Engraving Oils on his own, connections with a workshop that matched his sense of aesthetics, and the vast fortune Tsutomu had left behind. With all that at his disposal, there was a real possibility he could shift the current fashion crisis in equipment design.

And no one was better positioned to do it than he was now. That left him with only one option: take the risk and move forward. No second-guessing.

[If only Amy were still around…]

Her absence stung, but he could not afford to pine for her now. Besides, women tended to have more fashion sense. Sooner or later, someone would break the trend. He just had to start with those around him. Especially Garm; that man paid absolutely zero attention to appearances.

Resolving to act, Xeno set out to do what he could. First, he needed Engraving Oil. For that, he recruited Hannah fresh from her training and caught Lorena while she happened to be free. Together, the trio entered layer 101.

“Hannah! One more to go!” Xeno shouted.

“Hi-yaaahhh! Wait, no fire–!”

As a massive Oil Slime lunged toward Xeno, intent on flattening him, Hannah came charging in from behind. She rammed her fist, clutching Fire and Wind Magic Stones, straight into the Slime’s dark, viscous body. In the same instant that flames ignited inside the creature, it exploded with a thunderous blast… and Hannah vanished in the fireball she herself had triggered.

“Wha–!?”

Lorena, standing too close, was obliterated by the blast as well. Only Xeno remained unscathed, saved by his high VIT. Practically shell-shocked, he collected all the Engraving Oil and whatever gear he could, and returned to the Guild.

“Th-that was insane! Are you stupid!? It’s an OIL Slime! Why would you use fire!? That’s arson!! Literal arson!!”

“Y-yeah, sorry about that,” Hannah said, wincing.

“I used to feel bad for you when Diniel laid into you all the time, but I take it all back! She was right! I get it now! How do you cause this many disasters!? Remember that Volcano layer incident!? The whole party got blasted, and those poor kids still refuse to go mining again!”

“Oh yeah, that was probably a rare monster. Hahaha… come to think of it, didn’t Amira also–”

“IT’S NOT FUNNY!!”

“S-sorry, really.”

Lorena’s long rabbit ears stood straight up in sheer outrage as she screamed at Hannah. Having seen her share of mishaps since joining forces with Absolute Helix, she was at her wits’ end. Xeno did his best to calm her down, and once she was at least quiet, they went right back to layer 101 to resume their Oil Slime hunt.

Once there, Xeno turned to the God Eye, addressing the Explorers who might be watching on the other side of the Monitors.

“Now then, all you fledgling Explorers out there! My commission has already been placed with the Guild. I challenge you to take it on!”

“Yeah! Go for it!” Hannah chimed in with a goofy salute.

“I think we might still have some in our storage… I should check later,” murmured Lorena.

While collecting Engraving Oil, Xeno was also promoting his commission. His request was mainly for deliveries of equipment found in treasure chests from the Dungeon’s early layers. Thanks to Tsutomu’s immense wealth, the offered rewards were unusually generous.

Thanks in part to the frequent mentions on Monitor #1, Xeno’s commission quickly gained traction. In just a few short days, hundreds of pieces of low-tier gear were delivered to him. All of them were promptly sent to a certain workshop he had patronized long before joining Absolute Helix.

That workshop had once prided itself on being a brand that catered mainly to nobility, outputting a small number of exquisite, one-of-a-kind ornaments. But with the general financial decline of its clientele and increasing competition from rival producers, it had fallen on hard times. That was when Xeno approached them with an offer, one they eventually accepted. Ever since, they had slowly begun transitioning to adventurer gear, and now, they were poised to rise again.

After that, the workshop took a bold step: modifying the standardized equipment from the Dungeon, despite the risks, in pursuit of Xeno’s distinctively eccentric vision of style. What had once seemed like a fool’s errand gradually took shape. By embracing commissions from wealthy Explorers with money to burn and those in their surrounding circles, the workshop managed to pull itself out of financial ruin.

The head of the workshop, a craftsman distinguished by his dull golden hair, greeted Xeno with a deepening smile as he arrived.

“Thanks to you, my bed’s buried in gear. Looks like it’s going to be a long night.”

“Oh, I’m sure every craftsman dreams of such a fate,” Xeno replied with a chuckle. “Enjoy it to your heart’s content.”

“Delivery’s going to your house again?”

“Actually, I’ve arranged warehouse storage this time. Send it there, if you would.”

“No need to be so reserved. I’ll have the goods sent right over and fill it to the brim. Pico would be thrilled, too, wouldn’t she?”

“Of course. Make sure to create something worthy of my wife, you hear?”

They had known each other for a long time. After a light clink of their bottles, each filled with Engraving Oil, the craftsman turned to oversee his apprentices already deep into their work. Xeno, meanwhile, offered them a crate of Blue Potions for mental fatigue, then stepped out of the workshop, which was now overflowing with low-tier gear from the Dungeon’s early layers.

“You’ve really gathered an impressive collection of Dungeon equipment,” said Leleia, eyes sweeping over the stock.

“Feel free to pick whatever you like from it, Leleia. As for Garm’s gear, I coordinated with Sir Dorren to select something appropriate.”

“I must remind you, I’m fine with it AS LONG AS its performance is not inferior.” Garm grumbled.

“Oh, it performs betterl! Some of the Engraving was even done personally by Sir Dorren. Of course, I’ve brought gear for Korinna and Hannah, too. Once you’ve chosen what you like, we’ll take your measurements and have it all tailored to fit!”

“Got it!” Hannah cheered.

The women, all of whom paid at least some attention to fashion, seemed genuinely pleased by the array of equipment Xeno had brought. The only one who looked even remotely unenthusiastic was Garm, but thanks to Xeno’s earlier persuasion efforts, he did not outright refuse the change.

“…Is this really necessary?” Garm asked again.

“I assure you, it is a good piece of gear. What you have there is a modified version of the loot from the twentieth layer’s boss monster. It’s been refined to keep the original specifications while making it easier to wear. It boosts STR and even has an extra effect that could not be appraised. That’s why I need you to wear it, Garm… Ah!! No, not like that! That’s not how you wear it!”

“Why not? The gear is on; that should be good enough.”

“You’re supposed to wrap it around your neck like this and tie it! Equipment only works if it’s worn correctly!”

“That’s… I’m pretty sure that’s not a real thing.”

“It IS a real thing!”

“…Tch. Fine. Like this?”

Garm, grumbling, let Xeno instruct him on the proper way to wear a necktie. Though clearly annoyed, he went along with it; perhaps he was too tired to argue. Then Xeno, with his usual excessive flair, fussed with the knot until it looked perfectly neat, leaving Garm visibly drained.

“Well then, shall we be on our way, Garm?”

“Where to?”

“The Dungeon, of course! The others are still deliberating over their outfits, so we’ll go ahead and give a little preview showcase!”

“…”

Garm looked helplessly to the women for support, but they were clearly enjoying themselves. Especially Leleia, who stood with gear in both hands, weighing her options in a rare display of enthusiasm. Interrupting that would’ve felt wrong.

“All right, fine, I’ll go to the Dungeon. But I’m not putting on a fashion show!”

“Heh. You need not worry, my man.”

“Just to be sure, I will operate the God Eye myself.”

“…Fine. Let’s convene at the Guild first.”

Though Garm ultimately played along, he clearly didn’t want to be steamrolled by Xeno’s momentum. And so, the two men, dressed in similarly styled armor, headed for the Guild, all the while debating the finer points of what exactly they would be doing.