Chapter 191
The original floor boss finally manifested.
But its form looked as if the being that had been here moments ago had simply been drenched head-to-toe in black ink.
A dungeon master dyed in pure darkness — that was the only way to describe it.
Demi-Shadow
A shadow mimicking the Dungeon Master, Felshüler.
Although greatly weakened compared to the original, it can still wield a portion of the same powers.
With no clear weaknesses, the only option is to overpower it through sheer force.
“It seems this one has no weak points. Let’s take it down with everything we’ve got.”
“Understood. Stick to the plan—let’s go!”
The moment Araza gave the signal, the Demi-Shadow darted forward at incredible speed, its arm morphing into a blade-like shape aimed straight at him — the leader.
Gark’s massive shield intercepted it, but even that defense was partially pierced by the shadow’s arm.
“Tch! This thing’s strong!”
“Hold it there! I’ll pin it down!”
Araza seized the part of the arm that had pierced through and locked its movement.
At that opening, Rivana — who had already slipped behind the enemy — closed in, and frost began to spread rapidly across the ground.
“I’m freezing its legs, Master!”
Acknowledging the call from the spellcasters, Araza nodded, and the Demi-Shadow’s movements stopped completely.
That should settle it, but I still raised my sword overhead — no point in letting my guard down.
You’re strong, aren’t you? You can imitate some of that terrifying Dungeon Master’s power, can’t you?
“…Fuu… haa…”
I focused my breathing. I didn’t draw my greatsword — it was too slow to activate. Instead, I layered self-buffs to ensure I could strike from range if needed.
“Got you.”
Rivana’s blow descended on the immobilized Demi-Shadow.
Frost crawled up from the ground, freezing its lower body solid.
Its arm, still stuck in the shield, held it in place.
But the next instant, the Demi-Shadow vanished — teleporting above Rivana, Araza, and Gark, who were all clustered together to deliver the finishing blow.
However—
“Gale Break!”
I knew it.
If that thing could disappear and leave the floor before, then short-range teleportation was probably within its power too.
Just as predicted, when it appeared above to strike back, the pressure from my released sword-slash hit it squarely, tearing into it and sending its body crashing into the far wall.
I immediately closed the distance and followed up before it could fall.
Time to finish this — I sheathed my sword and pummeled it with both fists.
One-Hundred Rush
A fundamental technique of the Brawler class.
Delivers a hundred consecutive strikes in an instant, inflicting massive cumulative damage.
Each blow is weak on its own, so total output heavily depends on the user’s stats.
The technique has minimal recovery lag, allowing for rapid reuse.
Even weak hits add up — especially when stacked with my high stats and weapon bonuses.
Despite its shadowy form, each blow landed with a solid, visceral impact as I unleashed all hundred strikes.
Go down. Just go down already.
“UOOOOOOOOH!!”
Pushing beyond my limits, I completed the flurry — and the spot I had been striking burst into countless motes of light.
…Yeah, just like in the old MMO days — when an enemy had a brief opening, relentless DPS spam was the most efficient tactic.
I exhaled deeply, ending the assault.
Good thing the target couldn’t move — this skill locks me in place, after all.
No openings afterward, but mid-combo? Completely vulnerable. Can’t even cancel out of it.
“…Phew. Target eliminated.”
“A-ah…! Magnificent work! You anticipated that teleport, didn’t you?”
“Yes. Since it copied the Dungeon Master’s form, I assumed it might have similar abilities — including vanishing suddenly — so I prepared accordingly.”
“You saved us, Shizuma. By the time I looked up, it was already taking the hit and flying away. If not for you, the three of us might’ve been wiped out together.”
“Thanks.”
Honestly, I’m the one surprised — even though it teleported into their blind spot, all three had already shifted their gaze upward.
They instantly deduced that “disappeared” meant “moved into a blind spot.”
I happened to react faster this time, but they probably could’ve handled it anyway.
“Well then, let’s check the drops.”
“Right. Once that’s done, we’ll prepare camp.”
And so, our first day of dungeon exploration ended after conquering the 30th floor.
That night, we gathered to review the day’s events and discuss the pace of future progress.
After setting up camp, everyone sat around the feast of tuna dishes I’d prepared.
…It’s delicious, but eating tuna sashimi without wasabi or soy sauce — I never knew something so small could be so agonizingly tragic!
“This is amazing! The white part — with lemon and salt. Tt’s so good!”
“That’s the fatty belly cut, the ōtoro. Probably dropped by that yellow monster earlier.”
Melt wiggled happily as she enjoyed the lemon-salt ōtoro. Honestly, it was so cute it wiped away my fatigue.
“Raw is good… but grilled is better. Shizuma’s sauce is delicious.”
“Thank you. I’m glad you like it.”
“Yeah… honestly, a good meal might be the best way to restore our strength.”
“Agreed. Today was full of chaos — twice, in fact…”
As we ate, we reviewed the day’s events.
It really had been irregular — especially the Dungeon Master’s sudden appearance at the end.
I mulled over its words, wondering if there was anything to glean from them.
“At the very least, that thing was clearly aware of everything happening in the dungeon. It was watching us closely — especially since we were progressing so fast.
So maybe… it’s deciding the next floor’s layout in real time.
I used to think the dungeon’s structure was mostly fixed upon entry, but after today, I’m not so sure.
It’s probably monitoring us and changing the layout ahead as we go.”
No doubt about it.
And the impression I got… unlike the other Dungeon Masters I’d encountered — Grimgram and Diedrich — whose malice was evident in every word, Felshüler didn’t feel evil.
What I sensed instead was a kind of pure intent:
—The operation of a truly high-difficulty dungeon.
—And genuine respect for skilled explorers.
That’s what I felt from him.
And one more thing — something only I know.
She seems to possess power beyond even Grimgram’s.
However, when I looked at the information through [Divine Eye], it said: “She originally possessed power surpassing that of Grimgram, but she lacks cruelty.”
What does that mean… “originally”? Does it imply she simply has no intention of wielding that power?
Or does it mean she just didn’t plan to use it in that situation…?
“…I’d really like to ask her why she’s letting the dungeon erode the land and cause damage beyond its borders. Once we reach the lowest level, I definitely will.”
“Right… it seemed like she was capable of conversation, at least.”
“But she was too strong. I can’t even imagine what it would take to beat her.”
“She really was powerful, that Dungeon Master. I wonder if she’s waiting at the very bottom…”
Honestly, I don’t know.
Whether she’ll appear in person, or send some kind of minion as the dungeon’s final boss, I can’t tell yet.
In Scorched Earth Valley and The Mansion of Greed, I defeated the Dungeon Masters directly.
But in Scorched Earth Valley, even if it was a fake, the dungeon core had been physically installed there.
That means it is possible to do something like that in reality.
Still, somehow… I can’t see that Dungeon Master personally striking us down.
That’s just a hunch, based on how methodically she manages her dungeon.
“If her words are to be believed, there won’t be any floors that kill us the moment we step into them. Still, let’s stay cautious — everyone should keep taking anti-toxin potions, and have one person go first each time.”
“Then let me take that role. Fortunately, I still have potions and accessories that boost resistance to environmental changes. I’ll scout ahead and report back.”
“…You’re technically a guest officer, so I shouldn’t be asking you to take on such danger.
But… I’m sorry, I have to. It’s the safest strategy we have.”
“Of course. Then… let’s resume the assault tomorrow.”
Today we also learned that status ailments caused by temperature and environment are included among the dungeon’s hazards.
If I can halve the effects now, then taking a weaker supplementary potion should do the trick.
If we nullify everything completely, we won’t even notice anomalies — better to cut about 80% in total.
Thus, rather than slowing down, we decided to move even faster tomorrow, to make up for today’s delay.
Melt and I would clear the path, and everyone else would flexibly support us during boss fights.
That concluded the first day of our expedition.
“Everyone, stay alert — it’s another Extreme Cold Area. Put on your coats, and keep fire spells floating around us as we move. Melt, if it’s too much, you can move together with the others.”
“I-I’m fine! I’ll keep a warm air barrier around me! Let’s go!”
From that point on, our progress speed never fell below what it had been on the first day.
On the second day, we reached the 80th floor, and today… we had already made it to the 112th.
Knowing exactly where the goal — the bottom layer — lay ahead made all the difference.
Our motivation had completely changed.
Now, we were absolutely determined to reach the end.
That encounter with the Dungeon Master had truly ignited us.
“Melt, two in the air ahead. Ice spikes at ground level.”
“Got it!”
The terrain was becoming more and more dangerous — extreme cold, scorching heat, sandstorms, and toxic fog.
After floor 100, there were almost no “normal” layers left.
They weren’t instant-death zones, but places where you would die if you stayed too long.
“I’ll go ahead. Melt, melt the surrounding ice and raise the temperature as you move.”
“Okay! I’ll catch up soon!”
And so, melting the ice wherever we could to raise the temperature of the 112th floor,
we finally reached the entrance to the 113th.
“Good work, Shizuma, Melt… We’re down to the final ten floors. Most likely, the last floor boss will appear on the 120th. We’ll spend a night there, then head to the deepest level in perfect condition.”
“You’re right… Araza, thank you for leading us this far.”
“No — the thanks belong to you. You volunteered for the most dangerous roles, kept our spirits up during camp, carried supplies, lent us your accessories… everything. When we conquer this dungeon, I intend to officially report to the kingdom that most of our success was thanks to you.”
“But I told you not to do that.”
“I know. That’s why I’ll simply say this — I’ll never forget what you’ve done. So let’s finish this tomorrow.”
“Understood. I’ll go scout out the 113th floor.”
I advanced to check the next floor.
…My lungs sting a little. Poison mist, huh.
I returned to report to the others, and we continued our merciless assault on the dungeon — “The Death Sea that Devours the Earth.”
“All set! Begin suppression and fallback maneuvers!”
The floor boss of the 120th layer no longer even felt like something from a “subterranean sea cavern.”
It wasn’t a cave at all — no ceiling, no walls — just a vast, warped space, like a canyon surrounded by cliffs.
A false sky stretched overhead.
Descending from above, I swung my greatsword down toward the “vile dragon” pinned to the ground.
“Grand Slam!”
A direct, close-range strike — not a ranged shockwave — my blade cleaving down with full power.
[Ground Zero]
One of the Warrior’s Greatsword Secret Arts
- A strike that shakes the very earth when brought down with full strength.
- Can deal wide-area damage even without direct contact, but its true power lies at zero distance.
- Fixed damage = Weapon ATK × 100 + bonus from user’s stats and level.
- Ignores damage limits, but has a long cooldown (5 minutes).
Balancing raw power and post-attack vulnerability, I chose the most fitting move.
By now, our tactics were fully established:
“When a large foe appears, everyone creates an opening, and Shizuma delivers a decisive greatsword strike to finish it.”
At first, we relied on Killcrawler’s mass fire spells as a setup, but the floor bosses began to develop “magic nullification” abilities — a clear counter to us. So we changed strategy.
The new method worked: my greatsword became the key to breaking through.
And thus, we brought down the final floor guardian — an unnaturally warped, grotesque dragon.
That meant tomorrow… was the final descent.
What kind of being would await us at the very bottom of this dungeon?
Would it be another monster— or would the Dungeon Master herself stand before us…?