The Tutorial Boss Enters the Dungeon's Upper Floor
"What a mess."
The forest clawed by the Monster Wave was a wreckage of snapped trees, their sides and bark stripped away even if unbroken, and grass uprooted wholesale. Beast carcasses littered the woods, the stench of rot catching in my throat.
As the dungeon survey team, we'd rushed ahead of everyone else toward the dungeon. I led with Elena at the front, Pila covering the rear. Three top-tier A-rankers together. Objectively, it was a shaky lineup—not something you'd trust at first glance. Normally, folks would raise an eyebrow at three people heading into a dungeon, but...
"If Uncle says it's enough, then it is, right?"
"I figure you've got something in mind."
Those two were understanding to a fault. Pila aside, Elena—you shouldn't just take my word for it. Shouldn't you question me and speak your mind? Looking back now, it hit me how cocky she'd been back when she thought she could negotiate with me.
Rustle.
The bushes shook violently then. An orc lurking behind a tree trunk flashed its eyes, drool spilling from its jaws.
"Stay alert from here on. There'll be stragglers everywhere from the Monster Wave."
I drew my magic sword.
"I'll handle it."
Elena stepped in front of me and unsheathed her blade. A blue arc sliced clean through the orc's neck in one stroke. The orc froze in shock, unaware its head was gone, then turned toward her as its neck tilted and the head tumbled to the ground.
"...."
Still just the tutorial stage, and Elena was way too strong already.
This post-awakening power is getting scary.
We still had a long way to go before the ending, but I wondered if she'd even be controllable later.
By this point in the original story, the city walls would've been breached, with fighting still raging inside. The official plot glossed over it, but on a first playthrough, this was when the invading monsters gang-raped and ravaged you. A helpless virgin who couldn't fight back. Naively following the tutorial guide to visit the restaurant would've gotten you raped by Eck—or detour onto the wrong hunting path and you'd end up impregnated with frog eggs by a toad, turning into a pregnant woman... only to get gang-raped by monsters again.
Beatrice appeared in my vision. In the realm of my consciousness, she floated between Elena and Pila like she was really there.
- Getting raped or turned into a cumdump toilet gets me hot and bothered, but it also kinda kills the mood on the other hand.
Beatrice swam alongside Elena.
- Don't wanna see a guy's dick, but I do wanna watch a pure girl get utterly wrecked? Something like that.
What the hell are you talking about?
- It's true. If you're a guy, you should know better than me.
Beatrice muttered something I'd never comprehend.
- But hmm. According to the original history you know, Elena was just a non-virgin cum bucket getting pounded by monsters every time, huh.
She poked Elena's cheek with her index finger.
- Cute little thing. So pitiful, turned into a monster breeding sow and even giving birth.
If it'd been me, I'd have given her a contraceptive shot. Poor Elena. If you got caught by mistake now, your first kid would be some filthy beast's spawn.
Hey.
Enough was enough. Not sealing her into a doll sooner because of time constraints was a mistake I'd regret forever. Her soul was on a high enough level that no ordinary vessel would hold her.
Pila sidled up cautiously.
"Ah, you can see the evil spirit, right? S-sorry. I should've prepared the materials in advance."
"We can do it after the clear."
Beatrice latched onto Pila. Her hands cupped Pila's breasts, white outlines blatantly emphasizing those massive tits.
- Was this one a virgin? Nah... no way. With a body like that, sucking men dry to the bone? She's the type who'd masturbate herself insane at home without a guy around—a perverted milk-cow bitch. Ahh, should've been conscious when I sealed her.
You'd better watch it. Pila's got a dick despite that body.
- What?!?! No way, liar!
Check for yourself.
- Ugh... c-can't. I can't do iiiit!!! That's not real life!!!!
Beatrice hugged herself, her form scattering and vanishing.
"Heh. Nothing to it."
"...?"
Stragglers ambushed us three or four times as we pushed through the forest path. Wolves, goblins, orcs, boars, deer, snakes. Elena and Pila took turns handling the assorted monsters.
"...No room for me to step in."
I watched them fight, comparing game to reality.
Elena swung her improved sword aura, honed from wall defense experience. Multi-hit slashes tore monsters apart—even trolls couldn't regenerate fast enough, bleeding out to death. By original story standards, she was mid-Chapter 2 level. Early game? Late early-game. It showed her talent's absurdity without even awakening. A newbie adventurer of less than two months matching top A-rank? B-ranks were strong; on Earth terms, superhumans. Superman-level, maybe. Even C-ranks were guaranteed world champs. Skipping two ranks in two months to hit A-rank was mind-blowing, whether by normal Earthling senses or mine as Eck.
With talent like that, she'll save the world, huh.
Elena stepped back; Pila took over. Every time she raised her staff, explosions rocked the forest. Close monsters got vertical blasts from the ground; distant ones direct hits, leaving no trace. Explosion magic was fringe, shunned—ruining a promising career and exiling her to this backwater. Powerful but leaving nothing behind, unwanted by all. Yet Pila had diligently raised her explosion magic circles. Higher circles just amped raw power without fancy applications.
"Explode."
The spell hit a monster cluster, white light erupting at the center. Even 100 meters away, the hot blast winds grazed my cheeks. A perfect fit for a mid-game joiner—no weak links.
"Kraaaah!!"
A monster hidden underground by the shockwave surfaced. A brown-furred lump loomed before me, opening jaws as big as my head.
"Not on my watch."
I drew the sheathless magic sword from my belt; blue mane flared. A lion's fang blue afterimage burst as the blade slashed left to right, splitting the monster's maw sideways and killing its momentum.
"Uncle! You okay?! Hurt anywhere?!"
"Who's worrying who?"
Elena groped my body. Checking my chest for wounds, her hands slid to my back and thighs. I clapped my palm over her head.
"Eek...!"
"Stop groping."
"I was just worried."
Anyway, we cleared the stragglers and trekked half a day. We reached the Northern Mountains' plateau.
"There."
Elena pointed. Atop a hill in the plateau's center, a rift tore space, exhaling blue breath.
The Dungeon Gate. A passage ripping space to the dungeon interior. Source of the Monster Wave, spewing every monster inside—the disaster's root.
Wind blew from the triangular gate on the ground. Blue afterglow clung to grass touched by it. The same halo-like blue light enveloped me, Elena, and Pila.
"Anti-magic manifesting visibly. It's so weird seeing it for real after only reading about it!"
Pila's eyes sparkled.
"But going in like this, the chaotic passage would scatter us. That's why we need a barrier stone."
"The one Uncle brought?"
"Yeah."
I pulled the barrier stone from my pocket.
"Heard it takes days to make even rushed. Like with the old temple, Eck—you're always so prepared."
The rectangular gem pushed back the gate's blue breath, forming a barrier. Elena and Pila stepped inside.
"Let's go."
I shoved into the rift.
The barrier stone ignored the rift. We entered a normal dungeon entrance. Grayish manmade structure swelled like a hill, opening the entry. Pila lit her staff as we descended dark stairs. Soon the upper floor expanded wide.
The dungeon's upper layer. We set foot on floor 1.
But no presence anywhere in the dungeon.
"Too quiet."
Elena gripped her sword tight, eyes scanning sharply. Two months ago a normal citizen, she'd heard dungeon rumors and overcompensated caution relative to her skill. But not a breath, not a footstep.
"The whole upper floor's empty. Everything that poured out came from here."
Flip it around: free pass on the upper floor now.
"Still, don't drop your guard."
"Got it!"
"Pila, signal before casting from here on."
"Y-yeah."
Pila nodded vigorously. Tension filled her eyes behind the glasses; her staff tip trembled. I took point, striding boldly down the passage. No trash mobs blocking. No traps on upper floors; simple layout meant no getting lost to the boss room. Magic density thickened nearing it, heavy like submerged in water right before us.
Soon, a massive iron door loomed.
"...."
"...."
"...Whew."
Upper floor boss room. Kill the owner here to close the Dungeon Gate. But considering it's just the upper boss room, no real tension.
Still, no slacking.
Game turned real, details sharpened. I might not be pathologically cautious like Eck, but prepare for what I think of—and never twice for oversights. Once was enough for basilisk surprises.
"No getting cocky."
I placed a hand on the heavy iron door.
"Whatever's inside might be a monster you've seen before, but it'll have totally different power. No knowing its strength or patterns—stay sharp."
"Got it."
I shoved the door with force.
Creeeak.
Metal groaned as it opened. The boss room was a circular arena. Complex geometric runes etched a massive red magic circle on the floor; a huge shadow crouched center rose.
Magic lanterns around the arena rim lit one by one, stripping away its veil.