Chapter 377: The Hundredth Layer: Pedestal Market Spectators
“What a crowd…”
“Only for today, as an early celebration of the hundredth layer’s conquest! Bear Burgers, just 200 Gold!”
“Think they’ll win it on their first try again?”
“Can’t wait!”
“Please don’t run! The seating has been arranged by Master Smith, so there’s more than enough for everyone!”
The streets around the Monitor were packed to the brim as people poured in from all directions. The name of Tsutomu, the man who had conquered every layer of the Dungeon without a single known death, and the milestone of the hundredth layer had drawn an overwhelming number of spectators. The Security Team struggled to maintain order among the surging masses.
Even Explorers who usually wouldn’t bat an eye at a major Clan’s Dungeon exploration had set aside their own runs to watch the battle. For once, they weren’t thinking of loot or levels, but of fate. Of whether today marked the end of the Dungeon itself. With the Guild venue already overflowing, the spillover had reached the Pedestal Market, which buzzed like a festival.
The God’s Dungeon had become the economic heart of the city. Whether it ended today or continued would affect not just Explorers but also everyone else. And so, those who rarely paid attention to the Monitors’ broadcasts now found themselves jostling for a view, swelling the crowd to many times its usual size.
Fortunately, House Babenberg had anticipated the chaos. The day before, they had prepared a network of magic Shields suspended in the air, forming rows of floating bleachers. This stopped the crowd from devolving into outright panic, though public trust in those seats was still shaky. Memories of when such magic had failed during the Devourer Dragon’s Stampede had not faded.