Live Dungeon!

”…So yes, I thought it looked pretty flashy — but I didn’t realize it was that valuable of a Magic Stone. Now THIS is a loss worth crying about! I mean, isn’t this the biggest single-battle revenue drop we’ve ever had?”

After returning to the Clan House from a trip to the eighty-sixth layer, Tsutomu had bathed, eaten, and was just beginning to unwind when Ollie called him over. Hearing the loss report from the team that had faced the mutated Shell Crab, he laughed softly, though not without some sympathy.

Ollie, bowing her head low, spoke with careful deference.

”I sincerely apologize. This is entirely my fault.”

”There’s no need for that,” Tsutomu replied, waving her off. ”But I heard you and Hannah are planning to take responsibility with a pay cut?”

”Yes. We’ve decided to cover the entire loss ourselves.”

Tsutomu’s expression was thoughtful but calm. ”I don’t mind Hannah learning a lesson from this, but I’ll cover your share, Miss Ollie. I’ve got funds from selling the Light and Dark Magic Stones, plus a bit extra from some leftover gear sales. There’s also money earmarked for Clan operations, so it’s not a problem.”

”No, I must insist,” Ollie said firmly. ”It was my fault for entrusting the Magic Stone to Hannah.”

”Honestly, I’m the one at fault for piling all the housework and accounting on you. Please don’t lose sleep over this. I reviewed everything on my end, and there weren’t any long-term issues. Besides, if you take a pay cut, your apprentice might feel guilty.”

Ollie’s face betrayed her reluctance to relent, but in the end, she nodded. ”…Understood.”

Once she finished her report, Ollie left the office, though her reluctance lingered in her expression.

Now alone in the quiet room where Ollie normally handled the Clan’s paperwork, Tsutomu reclined on the sofa, his eyes drifting to the ceiling.

[So even a Large Inferno Magic Stone couldn’t bring it down, huh…]

The Magic Fist was not an ability that existed in Live Dungeon, so Tsutomu couldn’t calculate its precise damage output. Still, its power rivaled, if not exceeded, the strongest Explorer skills depending on the situation. Amira’s immobility had certainly hindered their efforts, but the mutated Shell Crab had been weakened enough that the explosion should have finished it off. And yet, even after the Magic Stone detonated, the Crab had remained alive and moving before the Monitor’s footage cut out.

[Its endurance alone puts it on par with the Mount Golem. That thing sure is getting ridiculous…]

Tsutomu idly formed floating wisps of light with [, arranging them into constellations on the ceiling — a makeshift planetarium. His musings were interrupted by the sound of the door creaking open. A head of vibrant blue hair peeked cautiously inside.

”Oh, if it isn’t Hannah,” Tsutomu said with a teasing grin. ”The little lady who managed to blow through her funds so spectacularly that she’s now the first Absolute Helix member to take a pay cut. Rough day, huh?”

”……”

Hannah froze, her wide eyes fixed on the glowing wisps above. Then, as if a delayed fuse had gone off, she let out a kettle-like screech and bolted from the room. Moments later, a pair of white cat ears appeared at the doorway, followed by a familiar smirk. ṛ𝘈𝐍ꝊВĘᶊ

”Even I felt secondhand embarrassment for her after that one,” Amy said, stepping inside. ”And I wasn’t even the target.”

Tsutomu shrugged. ”What can I say? People get too worked up about money. I don’t.”

”Yeah, no kidding…”

Amy leaped up, snatching one of the floating [ wisps. The wisp dissolved into her, granting her a minor recovery, and she studied her hand with curiosity.

Tsutomu chuckled at the sight, glancing at the hole Amy had left in his celestial arrangement.

”You’re the type who spends a lot but earns even more, Amy,” Tsutomu said, his tone dry yet amused. ”You’re probably worth more than most nobles.”

”And how incredible must our Clan leader be, treating someone so valuable so harshly, hmm?”

”Hey, if you want me to treat you like some pampered little noble lady, just say the word.”

”That’d be half flattering, half depressing,” Amy replied with a dramatic sigh. Then, her gaze sharpened. ”I used to hate people who clung to me for money, you know… but why is it that you, of all people, couldn’t care less about it?”

”Because Gold is something I can earn as much of as I need.”

Amy shot him a pointed look, her expression loaded with unspoken thoughts. Tsutomu, however, remained unfazed, calmly placing a fresh [ wisp to replace the one she had absorbed moments earlier.

”Oof… don’t let Hannie hear you say that,” Amy muttered. ”She’s already sulking about her pay cut.”

”If it makes her smarter about managing her finances, then it’s for the best. People should at least take responsibility for their own money.”

”She’s basically every merchant’s dream customer — walking around like a duck with green onions tied to her back.”

”And that duck’s protecting the very people scheming to cook her. The merchants must be having a field day.”

”…Wait, that’s what’s been going on?”

Tsutomu shrugged again, his tone unbothered. ”She seems happy enough, so I’ve left her to it. At least she doesn’t get herself into debt.”

”Hmm… maybe I should talk to her about it, too.” Amy glanced away, her tail flicking idly as her thoughts lingered on Hannah. Then her gaze shifted back to the ceiling, curiosity sparking in her eyes. ”Anyway, what’s all this?”

Amy’s change of topic came with eager energy as she gestured toward the glowing [ wisps scattered like stars above them. For the next while, the two talked about Tsutomu’s makeshift planetarium and its resemblance to this world’s night sky. Then the conversation drifted to theories about the mutated Shell Crab.

▽▽

The following day, with unexpected free time on his hands thanks to Diniel’s request for a day off, Tsutomu made his usual trip to the Pedestal Market. As was his habit, he greeted the craftsmen working on magic tools and provided funding for promising projects that could aid Dungeon expeditions. Once his rounds were complete, he headed to Monitor #1 to observe the latest developments.

[Good God, she looks worse every time I see her… Is she holding up?]

Since Tsutomu’s team had cleared the eighty-fifth layer, Ealdred Crow’s progress had surged. Their main party had already advanced to the eighty-ninth layer, but the condition of one member among them — Stephanie — seemed to deteriorate with every passing day.

The change was undeniable. Dark circles hung heavy beneath her eyes, stark enough to be mistaken for deliberate makeup. Her expression, perpetually blank as she nibbled on flavorless rations, evoked the image of a monk enduring a grueling ascetic regimen.

”All right, let’s move out,” Stephanie said, her voice steady but hollow.

Once nearly demoted for her rigid insistence on her own standards, Stephanie now seemed to have tempered her ways. Her demeanor toward her party members was neutral, and the group’s atmosphere had become markedly more harmonious. Despite their grueling pace, she was mindful of her team’s condition, never recklessly pushing them beyond their limits. Even so, their progress was astonishingly fast, leaving other teams far behind.

”The dumpling [ is perfected,” she remarked with a hint of pride. ”If we stay consistent, we’ll clear the ninetieth layer soon enough.”

”…Y-yeah, of course,” Pollux stammered in reply.

It was an open secret that Stephanie and Eunice did not get along. Practicing Eunice’s technique — the dumpling-style [ — must have been a bitter pill for Stephanie to swallow. Still, she had suppressed her pride and pressed forward. Even Pollux, initially startled by her unyielding resolve, had developed a measure of respect for her. Bittman treated her with a stern deference befitting a former superior, while Rook and Haltto had transformed into her staunch supporters.

[They’re moving faster than I expected,] Tsutomu thought, his gaze fixed on the Monitor. [I still think they’ll get stuck at the ninetieth layer, but… just in case, I might need to adjust my timeline.]

The ninetieth layer’s boss monster, the Archangel’s Corrupted Shell — commonly shortened to ‘the Corrupted Shell’ — was infamous as a Healer’s bane. Its arsenal of debilitating status effects included darkness that impaired vision and accuracy, as well as silence that rendered skill use impossible. Its wide-area attacks, which triggered these effects, followed unpredictable patterns. Experienced parties could avoid them without attack indicators, but newcomers found them near-impossible to manage. And in this world, the lack of attacks’ effect area indicators meant it was sure to be even tougher.

The darkness effect was particularly unforgiving, plunging the victims into an almost impenetrable void. While items to dispel it existed, their effective use required practice. Once afflicted, team members relied entirely on their allies for recovery.

Silence, meanwhile, was just as devastating, stripping Healers of their utility and leaving the party vulnerable. Compounding this danger was the Corrupted Shell’s petrifying Mystic Eyes, which gradually turned anyone caught in their gaze to stone. Inexperienced parties would need frequent [ casts to counter this, as full petrification meant certain death.

In Live Dungeon, petrification was easily avoided by turning away from the boss’s Mystic Eyes when prompted. With proper coordination, experienced parties could clear the fight without casting [ at all. Assuming the mechanics remained consistent with the game, Tsutomu’s guidance should suffice.

However, during the Stampede, Tsutomu had seen Black Dragons invoke their Mystic Eyes with far greater frequency than in the game. If the Corrupted Shell displayed similar behavior with its petrification powers, the Healer being silenced could cause the entire party to collapse in moments.

[I struggled with this fight on my first attempt… This is sure to be brutal, even for someone like Stephanie. That said, by the time I’m ready to tackle the hundredth layer, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s already cleared it.]

Recalling his own trials against the Corrupted Shell, Tsutomu knew that even an exceptional Healer would face a steep challenge. He had expected to gain a comfortable lead after surpassing Ealdred Crow at the ninetieth layer. Yet Stephanie’s relentless progress was forcing him to reconsider the pace at which he planned to proceed.

[…Well, I’ll deal with her after I clear the hundredth layer.]

Reaching the hundredth layer and finding a clue to return to Earth was the cornerstone of Tsutomu’s mission. If no such clue emerged, he would need to rethink his approach, granting himself the flexibility to confront Stephanie’s obsession when the time came. For now, complications involving her were best left for later. His priority was clear: focus on his own goals first.

With those thoughts in mind, Tsutomu stepped away from Monitor #1 and wandered to the smaller Monitors numbering in the thirties, scanning their feeds with mild interest. A crowd gathered around one particular screen caught his attention, and he decided to investigate.

[Oh, it’s them… and they’re looking absurd as always.]

The Monitor displayed a team battling a mutated Shell Crab, and their composition was nothing short of extraordinary. The lineup included wielders of unique skills — [, [, and [. Among them were also Alma, the Black Mage armed with the Black Staff — one of the most powerful weapons, even by the standards of the Secret Dungeon — and Eunice, the inventor of the dumpling-style [ technique. It was a party assembled purely for overwhelming strength — a dream team in every sense.

The battle unfolded with precision and ferocity. The team, led by the two allying Clans’ leaders, had come prepared, countering the Crab’s adhesive secretions with efficiency.

”This is so tedious…” Eunice muttered as she sprinkled sand over the sticky liquid oozing from the Crab.

Though the sand didn’t eliminate the adhesive entirely, it drastically reduced its effectiveness. Each time the Crab began to excrete more, Camille or Alma struck its face with pinpoint timing, interrupting the attacks.

”Whoa! Feels like this is really working!”

Leon, wielding a weapon imbued with [, moved with such speed that even the God Eye struggled to track him. Weiss, armed with a crimson hammer, focused on shattering the Crab’s shell with powerful, deliberate blows. Though their respective Clans were struggling, these two stood out as paragons of individual strength.

”Boys, move aside! I’m ready to fire!”

Despite dealing significant damage, Leon and Weiss remained in their roles as Tanks. As Alma’s call rang out, the two immediately disengaged, creating an opening.

”[!”

Alma unleashed her spell, sending a torrent of meteors raining down with devastating force. Empowered by her Black Staff, the spell’s efficiency and raw power were unparalleled. Then she cast it a second time, the meteors hammering the Crab’s crystalline shell.

Seizing the moment, Camille leaped onto the Crab’s enormous claw, driving her greatsword deep into its surface. The blow sent cracks spidering across the crystal. The Crab emitted a high-pitched hiss, expelling frothy bubbles in distress.

[They’re syncing well enough…]

Weiss and Leon had only recently stepped into the Tank role, and while their efforts were passable, their performance remained uninspired. Coordination within the party still suffered, a fact made glaringly apparent during high-pressure encounters.

Both men had long served as Attackers, their Jobs naturally suited to dealing damage rather than absorbing it. Transitioning into Tanks demanded discipline and dedication — qualities they had yet to fully embrace. To the keen observer, their approach seemed conflicted: an awkward blend of their old, aggro-heavy Attacker styles and the more calculated techniques required for proper Tanking. This lack of commitment hindered their development and, by extension, the party’s overall cohesion.

Yet, against the mutated Shell Crab — a foe that demanded unrelenting aggression from the entire team — their latent strengths as Attackers shone through. Freed from the need for intricate Tanking maneuvers, Weiss and Leon moved with renewed vigor, their instincts as damage dealers finding a rare harmony. Tsutomu, observing among the audience, could sense the shift. Alma and Eunice likely noticed it as well.

[Amira and Camille were like that too — they always tried to shoulder everything themselves.]

Both Weiss and Leon had the potential to be effective Tanks, but their lack of genuine aspiration for the role stunted their growth. Their misalignment with the Tank archetype had long been a stumbling block for the Golden Tune–Scarlet Devil Squad alliance.

If more suitable individuals took over the Tank positions, allowing Weiss and Leon to return to their natural roles as Attackers, the alliance’s dynamics could drastically improve. Even with the classic four-Attacker, one-Healer setup, their Unique Skills could offset the lack of traditional role structure. Party compositions, after all, were never set in stone — they evolved with trends and circumstances. There had even been a time in Live Dungeon when running without a Healer was the norm.

[Hopefully, this fight with the mutated Shell Crab teaches them something.]

Tsutomu sighed as he watched the battle unfold, making mental notes of Eunice’s occasional blunders and how Camille’s strategies could be adapted to benefit Amira. Meanwhile, the mutated Shell Crab’s armored exterior began to splinter, revealing an inner layer of glossy black carapace. As cracks spread across its surface, the fight continued to progress with only one casualty — Leon, who had already been revived.

But beneath the fractured shell lay a grotesque sight: a pulsating, blood-red mass, throbbing like a monstrous, beating heart.

”Ooh, that’s what we saw when Hannah blasted it apart, right? We’re killing it this time!” Leon exclaimed, his voice brimming with excitement. ”So, what’s the plan?”

”Simple — we crush it before it can do anything funny,” Camille replied.

”…No complaints here,” Weiss added curtly.

”Hey, don’t forget about me!” Alma called out, her voice rising above the commotion.

Recovering her mental energy nearby, she shot Weiss a pointed glare. He responded with an apologetic shrug, prompting a wry chuckle from Leon and Camille.

”Of course not, Alma. Not with how cute you are!” Leon quipped, flashing a grin. Then, glancing at their Healer, he called, ”All right, Eunice — keep the support coming!”

”Leave it to me!” Eunice puffed out her chest, her confidence swelling as she prepared to reinforce the group.

With her aid, the melee trio launched their assault on the grotesque mass of pulsating red before them.

”…Huh?”

Their attacks landed almost too easily. Swords tore into the quivering muscle fibers, slicing through the vulnerable tissue as if it offered no resistance. The mutated Shell Crab shrieked in agony, and with each strike, viscous fluids sprayed from the wounds, pooling on the ground.

”Don’t let your guard down,” Weiss warned. ”Hannah’s no Melchor, but her Magic Fist was powerful. That thing’s durability is no joke.”

”Right,” Camille agreed. ”If anything, this might be one of those ‘the more you hit it, the stronger it gets’ situations. Look at it — it’s acting like it’s ready to bolt.”

The mutated Shell Crab, once a ferocious aggressor, had shifted into a wary defensive stance, its movements growing calculated. Sensing the shift in momentum, Camille tried attacking, yet each swing of her greatsword was met with the Crab’s massive right claw, now wielded with uncanny precision, turning aside every strike.

”Damn it, this is such a pain…”

What should have been a decisive finish devolved into a grueling stalemate. Leon’s lightning-quick attacks, though relentless, barely left a mark as the creature’s enormous claw deflected his every move with mechanical efficiency. Frustration etched itself into his features as he clicked his tongue in irritation.

”Ugh!”

Camille swung her greatsword again, aiming to shatter the Crab’s defenses, but it was ready. In a flash, the creature’s left claw lashed out, carving a deep gash in her side. Blood sprayed across the battlefield, darkening the sand.

”[!”

Eunice’s spell came immediately, the magic stitching Camille’s wound with glowing energy. But no sooner had the light faded than Leon suffered the same fate, a counterstrike sending crimson arcs into the air.

”Close combat isn’t working,” Weiss growled, his expression dark as he adjusted his grip on the crimson hammer in his hands.

The Crab stood implacable, its enormous right claw raised like an unyielding bulwark. No crack in its defense was visible — there was no obvious weakness to exploit. Weiss’s gaze flicked to Alma, who sighed heavily before chugging a Blue Potion. With a flick of her wrist, she spun her Black Staff and leveled it at the creature.

”Guys, clear out! I’ll turn it to ash!”

With its exposed muscle fibers, Alma reasoned that fire might be their best chance. She aimed her staff and channeled her recovered energy.

”[! [! [!”

Three searing, level-70 fire spells erupted from her staff in rapid succession, slamming into the Crab and engulfing it in a roiling inferno. The flames had barely begun to die down when she unleashed a final, devastating spell.

”[!”

The battlefield shook as a deafening blast tore through the air, flames and shockwaves enveloping the mutated Shell Crab. The creature shrieked in agony, its cries cutting through the chaos. But as the smoke cleared, the sight that met the party froze them in place.

”…Is it eating its own legs?”

The earlier scream hadn’t been from the explosion alone. The Crab had severed two of its eight legs with its left claw and was now devouring them, crunching through shell and flesh alike.

”Stop it! It’s healing itself!” Camille shouted, charging forward to interrupt the grotesque spectacle.

Her greatsword struck true, but the Crab, undeterred, continued its feast. Before their eyes, its tattered red muscle fibers began to regenerate, knitting together with sickening speed.

”Damn it, it’s gotten tougher…”

Camille’s blade, once able to cleave through its defenses, now failed to penetrate the thickened muscle. The creature’s self-cannibalization had grotesquely reinforced its body. Now a grotesque juggernaut, the Shell Crab reared back, its remaining three pairs of legs trembling under the weight of its bloated form. Raising its two massive claws high, it loomed over the party like a nightmarish colossus.

”We’ll just have to corner it again. Stay sharp!” Camille barked, tightening her grip on her sword.

”Got it!”

”What a troublesome foe…” Weiss muttered.

With grim determination, the melee trio regrouped. The mutated Shell Crab, bloated yet terrifyingly powerful, awaited their next all-out assault.