Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 6th Floor (2)
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Beth's party was progressing smoothly.
The monsters on the 6th floor were all about hitting their precise weak points.
In a place like this, a thief-class like Beth really shone.
"Here it comes."
Tadadak—
Footsteps echoed from behind, where nothing was visible.
At the same time, Beth moved, piercing something with a short thrust.
Kwaduk—
Along with the sound of flesh being skewered, a transparent something sprayed red blood.
It seemed capable of movement as it quickly retreated backward.
And from behind that something.
Swish—swish—
A massive palm crawling along the floor revealed itself.
The two palms were enormous, big enough to fill the dungeon.
Every time they crawled through the dungeon, a disgusting noise burrowed into my brain.
To keep Beth from getting caught up, I used Splitting Light Ray.
The two hands slammed the floor hard in unison, then leaped up.
I barely dodged the palm flying at me at invisible speeds, only to see the second one lunging my way.
Wooong—
A step faster, I cast Black Hole, sucking one hand inside.
The hand being pulled in grabbed at empty air fiercely, resisting the black hole's pull.
The other hand gripped the floor again to leap at me, trying to grab hold.
Rank: Legendary
Accelerates the caster's subjective flow of thought.
With Thought Acceleration active, my boosted physical abilities let me dodge leisurely. I then fired Splitting Light Ray.
Predicting its landing spot so it couldn't dodge again, I burned all five fingers. It got sucked straight into the black hole.
I burned the spot where the remaining hand gripped the air, and it too was dragged into the black hole's core and vanished.
[Defeated Floor-Crawling Palm.]
[Experience gained.]
Looking over at Beth afterward, her fight wasn't over yet.
Or more precisely...
Tada—tadadak—
"Two of them?"
"Yeah."
The pattering footsteps bouncing across the floor—two sets.
All three were stealthed, making it hard to attack without hitting Beth.
Beth at least had illusions on her, so she was somewhat visible, but the others were completely undetectable.
As I slowly waited for an opening, I seized the moment Beth fell back and unleashed Hellfire.
Hwaaa—
Fierce flames engulfed the front, igniting the two hidden foes.
"...How much mana do you even have?"
Beth let out a hollow laugh, baffled by my spell.
She readjusted her grip on her dagger and slashed along the flames in the air.
Suddenly, a burning transparent form lunged straight at Beth.
Kwaduk—
But it was severed first.
It slumped to the floor, still ablaze.
As it died, the stealth naturally lifted.
A massive toe stretched out long like a tentacle.
[Defeated Invisible Step.]
[Experience gained.]
Catching my breath, I drew out Splitting Light Ray with my recovered mana.
Hellfire doesn't extinguish until life ends, so pinpointing stealth was easy. Ziiing— The Splitting Light Ray pierced the flaming air, stealth melting away to reveal the second foot.
[Defeated Invisible Step.]
[Experience gained.]
[Acquired Strange Body Fragment (Claw).]
A claw fragment that twitches like it's alive, even after the main body dies.
At the same time, an item dropped.
6th-floor monsters each embodied specific body parts.
Elites were no different.
Defeating them had a chance to drop items like this.
Collect them all and perform a certain gimmick, and the boss appears.
Beth approached after finishing her fight.
"...You, mana okay?"
"? Yeah."
Mana? Thanks to the Dragon Heart sucking in mana, I could spam 3rd-circle spells now.
Even 4th-circle ones, up to twice in a row.
"You're better than I thought."
Beth grinned slyly.
My mana was higher than most, after all.
I nodded lightly in response and showed her the body fragment I'd just gotten.
We were partying, so loot distribution had to be fair.
"Got a body fragment."
"Loot goes to the one who got it. Distribution's a hassle."
Beth shook blood off her dagger and continued.
"Little further and we'll hit the safe zone. Rest there. You got whispers yet?"
"Not yet."
"Got it."
From the deep layers, the dungeon's intensified madness brings status effects.
Artifacts like the Bell of Silence could suppress it, but most cost one of your senses.
At Beth's level, she used special artifacts only available in the deeps to prevent status ailments.
But those were mostly consumables, so unless necessary, the goal was to descend further.
We were just syncing up on 6th for now, planning to fight a bit then head down.
We walked quite a ways until faint water sounds began.
Following them, the red fleshy masses on the walls started fading.
At the road's end.
Tok... tok....
In the center of a huge chamber, stalactites stretched from ceiling to floor in a row.
Beside them, a small pond formed by dripping water droplets.
Two parties rested around that pond.
But... both parties looked off.
Even in a safe zone, this was the dungeon depths.
Yet both groups chatted casually, laughing relaxedly.
In the deeps, letting your guard down meant death.
If the whole party fell to mental abnormalities, it was game over.
So.
"You see that?"
"Yeah."
"...Tiring."
Beth whispered lowly.
She drew her dagger with a weary face, cloaking herself in her shadow.
She stared intently at the safe zone ahead.
"About here."
She stabbed her dagger into empty air.
Twisting it sharply, she ripped from air to floor.
—Kgueeeaaah!!
Dozens screamed in unison, a combined wail exploding from ahead.
My vision rippled, revealing the hidden truth.
The chamber entrance had become a massive mouth.
Between the torn edges from Beth's dagger, sharp teeth protruded.
Writhing in pain, it shook its huge maw side to side.
The dungeon shook as it squeezed out of the narrow chamber.
I instantly fired Splitting Light Ray, punching holes in its mouth.
At the same time.
Chwaak—
Beth zipped through the gaping hole in a flash, slashing its tongue.
[Defeated Seductive Mouth.]
[Experience gained.]
Seductive Mouth. A monster that impairs nearby perception, luring prey inside voluntarily. The real safe zone was a bit further ahead.
[Level up!]
[Current Level: 60 → 61]
As it died, my level rose by one.
Beth emerged from its mouth.
"You got a bit stronger than before, didn't you?"
She asked, puzzled.
...She could sense that too?
"Something like that."
"...Feels significant. Whatever, don't wanna say? Fine."
Beth eyed me for a moment, then lost interest and headed off to find the real safe zone.
---
Dawn Guild's vice-master, Lea.
She'd been stuck handling backlog, unable to descend into the dungeon.
New treasure chests found on 1st needed managing.
The planned 4th-floor supply depot had fallen through, cleanup pending.
Above all, guard movements had been suspicious lately, demanding attention—dungeon took a backseat.
Humphrey and the underlings handled the actual work.
But her presence alone deterred threats.
Through such rationalizations, Lea enjoyed a peaceful life where no one bothered her.
Until now.
"...Lady Lea!"
"Yeah. What, Humphrey."
"Lady Sia just arrived!"
"...Huh?"
Lea shot to her feet reflexively.
But before that.
"Lea."
A voice calling her name reached her ears.
The only one in Dawn Guild who called her so casually.
Sia von Lunaria.
Her pure white hair reflected moonlight mystically.
Her cold gaze pierced Lea.
"...Guild Master, you're here."
"......"
Lea bowed, fidgeting uncomfortably.
Before her sister, she always felt infinitesimally small.
Sia, ascended to 5th circle beyond human limits, terrified most regardless.
"4th floor. Empty."
Sia asked in an emotionless voice.
Lea caught on instantly—it was about the supply depot in the 4th boss room.
"Boss appeared on 4th. Dawn prepped ahead, no losses. ...Sister."
Lea added "sister" softly.
A small act of defiance, reminding her she was human.
"......"
Sia stared blankly at Lea's face for a while.
Then.
"I'll trust you."
With that short phrase, she vanished.
"...Lady Lea."
"Yeah."
"Lady Sia's heading to the Empire..."
Humphrey said, glancing slyly.
Papers filled his hands already.
"......Right."
Lea took the papers, face drained.