Chapter 89
After entering the hidden passage and walking for quite some time, Haruto arrived in an enormous stone chamber.
Several stone shelves stood in orderly rows throughout the room, with numerous chests stacked on top of them.
The sight immediately caught his interest.
Haruto knew perfectly well that countless adventurers had probably searched these chests before him, so anything genuinely valuable was unlikely to remain.
However, he was not looking for ordinary treasure.
There might still be an unexpected surprise hidden inside.
Haruto swept the chests with En and soon discovered that only three contained anything at all.
The rest were completely empty.
Two of the three chests held traps, though each used a different mechanism.
The first had a complicated internal structure containing something shaped like an arrow. It would most likely fire the projectile the moment the lid was opened.
Behind the second chest was a hidden container filled with liquid.
Haruto suspected it contained oil.
That possibility intrigued him.
He carefully released the latch and opened the lid just enough to disable the mechanism before lifting it fully.
Inside, he found a nozzle and immediately caught the clean fragrance of oil.
Once he confirmed his guess, Haruto simply broke apart the chest, smashed through the section of wall behind it, and removed the hidden container.
The liquid inside was golden and thick—high-quality olive oil.
Haruto stored his unexpected harvest and turned his attention to the final chest.
According to En, there were no traps inside.
He lifted the lid without hesitation.
The chest was filled with glittering gold coins, strands of perfectly round pearls, jeweled rings, ornate crowns, and all manner of dazzling riches.
They looked incredibly tempting, but Haruto knew none of them were real treasure.
Each object gave off a faint trace of life.
More importantly, he already recognized what they were.
"So many Treasure Insects. Now this is a proper haul!"
A smile spread across Haruto’s face.
To him, these creatures were no less valuable than genuine treasure.
Treasure Insects were an unusual type of monster found within the dungeon. They could resemble gold coins, gemstones, pearl necklaces, crowns, and countless other valuables.
Despite their varied appearances, they all belonged to the same species. Their different forms merely developed as they matured.
Haruto studied the insects, which were still perfectly disguised inside the chest.
He wanted to capture them alive.
After considering his options, an idea came to him.
"Intimidation."
With a low shout, Haruto released his presence.
The invisible pressure of an apex predator descended upon the Treasure Insects.
What Haruto failed to notice was the faint, indistinct silhouette that appeared behind him for an instant.
The creatures inside the chest immediately began to stir beneath the force of his Intimidation.
Their movements quickly ceased.
One after another, they went limp among the treasure pile, appearing as though every trace of life had left them.
In reality, they had merely fainted from fear.
Satisfied, Haruto withdrew his presence and stored every Treasure Insect inside Gourmet Restaurant.
He looked around the chamber once more and found nothing else worthy of attention.
With that, he left and continued deeper into the dungeon.
Unfortunately, he found nothing useful for quite some time afterward.
Haruto eventually lost patience and quickened his pace.
After traveling some distance, he heard a burst of noisy conversation and shouting.
Following the sound through several winding corridors, he discovered a crude inn built within the dungeon.
Merchants also operated on the third floor, and most of their customers were adventurers or criminals who had fled underground.
It was the sort of place where every kind of questionable character gathered.
Haruto knew that perfectly well, but it did not concern him.
He walked up and knocked on the door.
Someone peered through the viewing slit.
Once they confirmed he was not a monster, the door swung open with a creak, allowing an even louder wave of noise to spill out.
Haruto stepped inside.
A shifty-looking half-foot proprietor immediately hurried over.
His small eyes rapidly examined Haruto, and surprise flashed across his face when he noticed how clean and orderly his clothes remained.
Anyone who could reach the third floor alone without so much as dirtying his outfit was clearly no ordinary adventurer.
The owner quickly plastered on an ingratiating smile and bowed.
"Welcome, honored guest! Would you like a meal, or perhaps a room to rest in?"
"A meal. And if you have anything worthwhile, I may be interested in buying."
As Haruto spoke, he casually opened his hand.
Several gleaming "gold coins" caught the inn’s dim yellow light and flashed brilliantly.
Of course, they were not actually coins.
They were Treasure Insects Haruto had obtained earlier.
He had no money left, so he could only use them to bluff his way through the transaction.
The moment the half-foot saw the glittering coins, his smile became even brighter and more flattering.
Greed practically radiated from every feature.
"You needn’t worry, sir! We have an excellent selection. All manner of rare dungeon goods pass through this humble establishment!"
Inside, the proprietor was already calculating which so-called premium goods he could use to squeeze every last coin from Haruto’s pockets.
Haruto chose an empty table in the corner and ordered the man to bring him some food as quickly as possible.
He leaned back in his chair and quietly surveyed the inn.
Drunken shouts and drinking games competed with arguments around gambling tables. Smoke, alcohol, and sweat hung thickly in the air, giving the entire place a filthy, lawless atmosphere.
The dungeon lay beyond the reach of ordinary authority.
Whether criminals or adventurers, most of the people here possessed a vicious streak and behaved without the slightest restraint.
Several unfriendly gazes had already settled on Haruto, likely because he was alone and had openly displayed his wealth.
However, since they were still inside the inn, they merely watched from a distance rather than making a move.
Haruto noticed their hostility but paid it no attention.
When his food arrived, he took one bite and immediately frowned in disappointment.
The ingredients had been brought down from the surface.
The seasoning was bland, the heat had been poorly controlled, and the entire dish was painfully ordinary.
He finished it in a few quick bites.
Haruto called the half-foot proprietor over and asked what valuable goods he had for sale.
Unfortunately, the man offered only monster hides, claws, fangs, weapons, and equipment.
There were none of the monster ingredients Haruto wanted.
Thankfully, the proprietor did possess a map showing a route to the fifth floor, so the visit was not entirely wasted.
Haruto accepted the map, tossed a single "gold coin" onto the table, and immediately stood to leave.
After all, what he had given the owner was not real currency.
It was a Treasure Insect.
Naturally, Haruto needed to disappear before the half-foot discovered the truth.