A Veteran's Omniscient Perspective

Fortunately, thanks to our steady pace, we didn't encounter any monster waves on the way to our destination. At most, we ran into a few trivial trash mobs.

"Isn't this it?" Isabella asked, pointing ahead.

"It appears so," Charlotte replied.

The Twin Rocks were a giant monolith that had originally been a single stone, now split perfectly in half. According to the game developers, it was officially inspired by a real-world mystery—the Al Naslaa rock formation in Saudi Arabia, if I recalled correctly. The Twin Rocks shared that same impossibly clean, laser-straight cut.

Seeing it in the game was one thing, but standing right in front of it was another entirely. I couldn't help but marvel. You're telling me this wasn't sliced in half by a lightsaber? This? Even putting the straight cut aside, the size and shape of both halves were identical down to the millimeter. It wasn't small, either; it was a monolith as massive as a house. And they claimed this was a work of nature, created without a speck of magic. I felt a strange, sudden sense of reverence.

"It's amazing how precisely it split," Isabella said, staring in awe. "Did it happen naturally?"

"There is no way," Charlotte replied coldly.

For once, Isabella was right. Not knowing the actual lore, she scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Yeah, I thought so."

Leaving the two behind, I stepped forward and placed my hand on the stone. Just as I remembered, it remained completely clear of snow despite the raging blizzard. It wasn't hot enough to instantly evaporate the flakes, either. It was likely protected by some ancient enchantment, but I decided against asking Charlotte for an explanation. I didn't actually care enough to find out.

"Charlotte. Channel mana into the crevice."

"Yes, my Lord."

She moved the instant the words left my mouth. It was incredibly convenient having a subordinate who executed orders without asking a single question.

Hummm—

As her mana seeped into the gap, the massive stones began to vibrate. As if the tremors were a catalyst, glowing patterns slowly etched themselves onto the surface. Cryptic designs resembling ancient murals and complex geometric shapes materialized. Here and there, I could spot archaic characters representing the Dragon Tongue.

And this must be the ancient dragon.

At the very top of the mural, an ancient dragon with stag-like horns ascended toward the heavens, while smaller dragons prostrated themselves before it. Characters seemed to spill from the ancient dragon's gaping maw. It was a textbook depiction of the Dragon Tongue.

With this, the ancient dungeon buried deep underground was officially activated. If one entered without performing this ritual, the dungeon wouldn't register their presence, meaning they would leave empty-handed.

"What is this?" Isabella asked, blinking. "Do you know what it is, Deputy?"

"I am not entirely sure either..." Charlotte murmured.

Almost simultaneously, both of their gazes locked onto me. I racked my brain for a way to gloss over this before deciding to simply deflect.

"Isabella. Break it."

"Huh? Me? This giant rock? ...Are you sure I can?"

With your level, how could you not? Isabella still had no concept of her own strength. It was understandable, considering she had only recently evolved into a Rank 8 Dungeon Lord.

"If you are worried about getting hurt, just push it aside."

Though pushing it would be a massive pain. Regardless of the method, we just needed to clear the monolith out of the way. Once we dug up the ground beneath it, we would hit a stone barrier. Breaking through that barrier would reveal the stairs leading down into the abyss.

"Uh... do you really think I can do it?"

"You won't know until you try."

After hesitating for a moment, Isabella took a deep breath and extended her hands.

"Hup! ...Huh?"

Rumble—

It didn't even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠slowly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠slide; the massive stone flew backward in an instant. She had moved a house-sized monolith as easily as sliding a dining chair.

She really is a monster.

At Level 88, her base stats were absolutely absurd. Even if her build was centered around blood magic, her physical attributes naturally scaled up to ridiculous heights.

Isabella stared down at her hands in stunned silence.

"...Wow."

It seemed she truly hadn't realized the extent of her own power.

"Now, dig a pit."

With Isabella around, we didn't even need shovels.

*Thud! Thud!*

Every time Isabella stomped her feet, the frozen earth caved in. Within moments, the stone barrier sealing the underground passage was exposed. Even that solid stone wall snapped like a cheap wooden plank under her casual kick. With a light shove, the debris crumbled away, revealing a staircase descending into a seemingly bottomless abyss. Judging by the narrow width of the passage, we would have to enter in single file.

"Is this an ancient ruin?" Isabella asked, peering into the dark. "How did you know about this place, Boss?"

"I just stumbled upon the information."

Having no plausible excuse, I chose to play dumb. Fortunately, Isabella didn't press any further.

"Summon Wilhelm."

I placed Wilhelm—our designated meat shield—who emerged from Charlotte's shadow, at the very front. Behind him, I followed, with Isabella and Charlotte bringing up the rear as we began our descent.

As the light faded, Charlotte lit her lantern with a fire-spirit flame. Isabella and I didn't actually need the light, thanks to our racial night vision, but it was a welcome comfort.

Our footsteps echoed softly in the silence, the darkness growing heavier with every step. The only light in the cavernous gloom came from Charlotte's lantern, but as undead, none of us minded. If anything, the cold, dark atmosphere felt as cozy as home.

The stairs wound down endlessly in a spiral. Unconsciously, it reminded me of the Spiral Cave of Deceit, the domain of the future Insect King, Balutak.

Thinking about it is making me annoyed all over again.

I had suffered an immense amount of stress dealing with Balutak's dungeon. Well, he was my precious golden child now, so I suppose I could let bygones be bygones.

Eventually, the stairs came to an end, opening up into a vast, cavernous chamber.

"Hold on," I commanded.

I picked up a stray pebble from the ground. Like any ancient dungeon, the Grave of the Ancient Dragon was riddled with trap triggers. The key to identifying them lay in spotting anomalies in the wall patterns. Among the fingernail-sized comb patterns etched into the stone, a select few had solid lines running through them—almost like a spot-the-difference puzzle.

In the game, I had memorized all their locations, but now that this world had become reality, the scale and minor details had shifted. Fortunately, my undead physiology came in handy. I didn't have to squint or hold a lantern close to inspect the walls.

Found it.

The moment I spotted the trigger, I flicked the pebble.

SLAM!

In the distance, the massive stone walls on both sides slammed together with terrifying force before snapping back into place. It happened in the blink of an eye. Anyone caught in that gap would have been flattened into a pancake.

"Whoa..." Isabella gasped, her eyes wide.

"..."

Charlotte remained silent, but her gaze was equally intense.

Their silent awe was incredibly burdensome. Feeling a prick of guilt, I cleared my throat and spoke up. "Most ancient ruins are riddled with trap triggers. Keep a close eye on the ground and the walls as we proceed."

After that, we easily bypassed the triggered traps in the same manner. For the traps that required a physical sacrifice, we simply used Wilhelm as a meat shield. Since he was a Level 88 summon specialized in physical defense, he didn't even get a scratch.

"It's a mimic," Charlotte noted.

Among the traps, there was one that practically advertised its identity.

"A mimic?" Isabella tilted her head. "What's that? Isn't it just a normal treasure chest?"

True to her impulsive nature, Isabella marched right up to the mimic. Her face was bright with anticipation as she reached out and popped the chest open.

—*KRAAA-KGH!*

"Hyaaaak!"

Startled out of her wits, Isabella fell flat on her backside. But just before the mimic's long, slimy tongue could lash out and grab her, she clawed at the air with terrifying speed.

*SLASH!*

With a single strike, the mimic was sliced cleanly in half.

Isabella patted her chest, letting out a ragged sigh. "Whew... that scared the life out of me..."

"From now on, do not touch treasure chests just because you see them," Charlotte advised flatly. "It is bad for the heart."

"Wait, both of you knew!" Isabella whined, pouting. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Because I wanted to see you jump.

After that little diversion, we continued our trek through the dungeon without much trouble.

*Click.*

...Or so I thought.

A distinct clicking sound echoed from beneath Isabella's feet as she wandered around.

"Waaaaah!"

The ground beneath her collapsed, and she vanished into the floor like a cheap magic trick.

Maybe bringing her along was a mistake.

—*KYAAAAAAAH!*

A piercing, blood-curdling scream echoed from the darkness below. Even though I didn't have ears in this skeletal form, I instinctively covered the sides of my head.

"I will go rescue her," Charlotte offered.

"Leave her be. She can handle it."

"Understood."

—*Waaah! Monsters! They're so scary! Save meeee!*

I could easily picture exactly what was happening down there. She was undoubtedly slaughtering the spawned monsters left and right while screaming her head off.

Sure enough, Isabella soon floated back up into the air. She was drenched in blood from head to toe, reeking of a sickeningly thick stench of copper.

"Whew..." she gasped, wiping her face. "I almost had a heart attack. That was so terrifying..."

You're the scariest thing down there, you idiot.

Even at Level 88, her core personality remained exactly the same.

Once we bypassed the trap-laden corridors, the next trial awaited us: the Gatekeeper.

Standing before the massive doors of the Gatekeeper's chamber, Isabella rubbed her arms and shuddered. "Is it just me, or is there a really ominous energy coming from inside that room?"

"My senses suggest a Gatekeeper lies ahead," Charlotte replied. "It seems this is indeed an ancient dungeon, not merely a ruin."

Her intuition was sharp. While simple ruins only contained passive traps and mazes, proper dungeons were crawling with active threats like spawned monsters, guardians, and gatekeepers.

I should probably start staying on my toes.

That Gatekeeper was a notoriously troublesome opponent. If I had a choice, I would have bypassed it entirely, but there was no detour. The Gatekeeper's first phase was a notorious newbie-crusher, and its second phase was so brutal that even veteran players struggled.

Of course, I didn't actually have much to worry about. I was only mentally preparing myself out of courtesy.

*Grrrrind—*

The massive stone doors groaned as they scraped open against the floor. Beyond the threshold, a crouching Iron Golem came into view.

I looked at each of my subordinates in turn before speaking. "This is a test. The three of you will defeat that golem."

*THUD!*

The moment the words left my mouth, the Iron Golem rose to its feet. It possessed a colossal, metallic frame that instantly brought the Giant King, Dalon, to mind.

"I will not fail you, my Lord," Charlotte declared, her eyes narrowing.

"Uh... it's really, really big..." Isabella muttered, gulping.

It was a slim margin, but its level was definitely higher than any of theirs. Of course, a gap of this size could easily be overcome with numerical superiority. They might struggle a bit, but I was confident they would win.

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

Detecting the intruders, the Iron Golem advanced, shaking the cavern with every step. Charlotte, who had already finished her incantation, summoned a swarm of glowing magic circles around her. Isabella sliced her arm with her fingernails, sending droplets of blood floating into the air, where they crystallized into razor-sharp crimson blades.

*WHOOSH!*

With a sudden, deafening burst of wind, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Iron Golem leaped. It was quite a spectacle to see such a massive, heavy metal giant launch itself so high into the air.

Using its leap as a signal, a barrage of colorful spells, crimson blood magic, and Wilhelm's dark purple aura surged toward the Iron Golem. Deafening explosions erupted in rapid succession, the ground violently shaking as dust and debris rained down from the ceiling.

It wasn't Level 89 for nothing. The Iron Golem held its ground, blocking and counterattacking with mechanical precision.

Man, this is highly entertaining.

From a safe distance, I watched the chaotic battle unfold like a spectator at a sports match. The Iron Golem's AI prioritized targets based on threat level. It lacked wide-area attacks and rarely threw stray hits, meaning as long as I stood perfectly still, there was zero risk of me dying an accidental death.

Ah, no. You shouldn't dodge like that. What a massive waste of movement.

Knowing every single pattern, I had to fight back the overwhelming urge to backseat game. Look at that, she didn't roll again.

Though we occupied the same space, the disparity in our situations was immense. For them, this was a desperate newbie boss raid. For me, it was a veteran player's omniscient perspective.

*CRASH!*

I thought the golem was holding up well, but it collapsed much faster than expected. The power of a coordinated beatdown was truly formidable.

"Whew..." Isabella gasped, wiping her brow. "That was incredibly tough."

"..."

Charlotte silently glanced in my direction. For some reason, her eyes seemed to crave praise, but letting her guard down like this was the ultimate rookie mistake.

Phase two is literally about to start, guys.

In an instant, the dimming red light in the Iron Golem's eyes flared into a brilliant, golden glow.

As the massive metallic giant slowly rose to its feet once more, the two girls stared up at it, their eyes wide with utter despair.

"Oh, come on! You've got to be kidding me!" Isabella wailed.

"...My word," Charlotte muttered, her composure slipping.

To make matters worse, their compatibility with this boss was abysmal. Starting from phase two, the Iron Golem gained a passive 80% magic resistance. Not only did its overall stats skyrocket, but it also gained near-instantaneous regeneration. It would keep piecing itself back together no matter how many times they broke it down.

If they actually beat this, I'll give them serious props.

Honestly, I was almost certain they would fail. If the three of them somehow pulled off a victory, it would be an achievement far beyond my wildest expectations. It would make training them feel incredibly rewarding. But as I had thought, this was a true test of their limits.

*THUD!*

Just like in the first phase, I stood back and watched, mentally critiquing their every move.

This is already looking bad.

Even after a single clash, it was obvious our side was losing ground. As expected, frustration began to cloud Charlotte's face as the seconds ticked by. Her spells barely left a scratch on the golem's gold-plated armor. With Charlotte effectively reduced to dead weight, Isabella and Wilhelm had to push themselves to the absolute limit just to keep her safe. The only spells Charlotte could cast that had any physical presence were her undead summons, but they were crushed like ants beneath the giant's iron feet.

*WHOOSH—CRASH!*

"Agh...!"

Slammed into the stone wall, Isabella coughed up a mouthful of blood. Her internal injuries looked severe, but she gritted her teeth and lunged back into the fray without a second thought.

"Why does it keep... piecing itself back... together?!" she screamed in frustration.

Whether its arms or legs were severed, the Iron Golem's parts flew back to its body like magnets. A war of attrition was fundamentally impossible. For newbies who didn't know the mechanics, throwing themselves blindly at the boss was the only strategy they had.

Wilhelm was repeatedly battered and thrown against the walls just like Isabella. Whenever one was knocked back, the other immediately rushed in to draw attention, preventing the boss's aggro from shifting to Charlotte.

However, looking at the rhythm of the battle, it was only a matter of time before the golem broke ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠through their line. Once Charlotte drew aggro, it would be over. Her barrier magic would shatter like glass under a single blow from that iron fist.

"Haa... haa..."

Charlotte panted heavily, wiping cold sweat from her brow. She was on the verge of mana exhaustion, and Isabella was covered in deep, bleeding wounds. Wilhelm had been reduced to a glorified punching bag.

Right. I've seen enough.

Unable to watch the beatdown any longer, I stepped forward and gently pulled Charlotte behind me. I raised a hand, gesturing for Isabella, who was slumped against the wall, to stay back.

In truth, they had done more than enough by clearing the first phase. It was only because the Iron Golem shifted to an all-out offensive in phase two that its core was finally exposed. Since my Enhancement notification hadn't appeared during the first phase, there was no denying that their struggle had paved the way for me.

*CRAAAAAASH!*

Losing its core, the Iron Golem's colossal frame instantly lost all structural integrity and collapsed into a heap of scrap metal. The glowing level display above its head flickered and vanished.

It was completely dead.

It was an incredibly anticlimactic end, rendering their desperate struggle entirely meaningless.

I turned my head at the sound of a sharp, collective gasp.

Isabella's jaw had practically unhinged, and even Charlotte's eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

I stared at them for a brief moment before coldly averting my gaze. "It seems I expected too much."

For a flower to bloom, it required the right kind of stimulus. Just like that, people occasionally needed a harsh reality check to spur their growth.

"You must push yourselves harder," I said.

Though, as the absolute weakest person in this room, I really had no right to talk.