Live Dungeon!

In the end, Weiss’s party met with utter annihilation. The mutated Shell Crab, despite its carapace lying shattered in jagged fragments, had proven to be a nightmarish monstrosity of endurance. Beneath the cracked armor, its exposed muscle fibers swelled grotesquely, bulging like bundles of overinflated balloons. These sinews, enhanced to an unnatural degree following a ferocious super-recovery process, granted the creature overwhelming strength and speed.

Even with Weiss, Camille, and Leon — seasoned veterans renowned for their prowess — working together, they were unable to match the savagery of its renewed attacks.

The collapse of their party, however, could not be solely blamed on the Shell Crab’s monstrous evolution. Eunice, the team’s Healer, bore a heavy share of responsibility. While her support and healing were adequate in most situations, when two party members fell simultaneously, her deficiencies became glaring. The crucial moment demanded precision, speed, and composure, but Eunice faltered. Had she acted swiftly, the fight might still have been winnable. Two casualties, though severe, were not beyond recovery — a well-timed revival could have turned the tide. But Eunice hesitated, and the opportunity slipped away.

Her decline in skill was painfully evident. Once a mid-upper-tier Healer whose name inspired some confidence, much of Eunice’s recent energy had been devoted to perfecting her dumpling [ technique. Her focus on innovation had dulled her edge, and the results were on full display today. A stronger, more conventional Healer, like Scarlet Devil Squad’s Cecilia, might have been able to better stabilize the dream team’s situation.

”Whoa, they actually lost!”

”Man, that Shell Crab is insane!”

”And it didn’t even need to retreat to its nest to recover! Just thinking about it transforming after all THAT gives me chills…”

The crowd around the Monitor buzzed with disbelief and muted disappointment. Dungeon Maniacs and casual spectators alike had gathered in anticipation, drawn by the promise of watching Weiss, Leon, and Camille take on the mutated Shell Crab. They were a team that many considered invincible. To see them fall so decisively was sobering.

Among the adults, the mood was somber. Crestfallen murmurs rippled through the group, their high expectations now dashed. Yet not everyone shared in the gloom. The children, far less invested in the outcome, found the Shell Crab’s victory exhilarating.

”Yayyy!”

”The Shell Crab is so STRONK!”

”It killed everyone!”

Laughing and shouting, the children gleefully mimicked the monster’s celebratory crab pose, their small hands raised like pincers. Soon, their antics escalated as they began to chase after a sluggish, real-life Shell Crab plodding down the road on its way to a construction site.

Watching from the sidelines, Tsutomu analyzed what he had seen with a critical eye.

[Even if Eunice had messed up, that mutated Shell Crab really is something else…] His gaze lingered on the screen, replaying the battle in his mind. [While our Healer is objectively more competent than theirs, the dream team is the perfect counter to this Shell Crab, at least in theory… Even Weiss and Leon are surprisingly suited to fighting it. It’s going to be tough to top them, power-wise.]

He was confident that Absolute Helix’s Healer, Korinna, could have handled the simultaneous deaths better, so to him, the fight did not seem entirely unwinnable. Still, when it came to Weiss and Leon — despite their flaws as pseudo-Tanks, a role neither of them had trained for properly — the two Attackers displayed an unexpected synergy with the Shell Crab’s particular boss fight with how their aggressive, high-impact approach seemed to match the giant enemy crab’s tempo. Moreover, even individually, their raw strength exceeded that of all members of Absolute Helix. While Korinna’s party had superior teamwork, cohesion, and strategic depth, the mutated Shell Crab’s undeniable raw power meant the dream team had the overall upper hand.

[I just hope her team doesn’t lose heart if they don’t hit their goal of winning first…]

Losing to such a formidable opponent was one thing, but if Korinna’s team became discouraged — if the victory of a team of unique skills wielders made them start questioning whether success was purely a matter of talent — it could have long-term consequences. Tsutomu hoped Korinna and the others would have the resilience to recover and try again, rather than succumb to despair. Perhaps they’d need some encouragement from him, Tsutomu thought to himself as he stood apart from the crowd, observing their reactions as the buzz of conversation began to fade. The adults, disheartened, trickled away from the Monitor area, while the children’s excited chatter echoed down the street.

[…Well, with today’s main show over, I’ve got nothing interesting left to see. What do I do with my free time now?]

Most of Tsutomu’s days, even days off, were carefully planned, his schedule packed with tasks and responsibilities. To have unexpected downtime was an oddity, one he was not quite sure how to handle — and it was all thanks to Diniel claiming her reward for outstanding performance. He’d made the most of this unplanned break so far: checking in on Ealdred Crow through another Monitor, skimming articles by Dungeon Maniacs, visiting the Forest Apothecary and Dorren Workshop, and browsing the shops of magic tool artisans. But now, he found himself aimless.

[I guess I could explore the Dungeon a bit… Let’s check if Garm or someone else is free,] Tsutomu mused, finally forming a plan.

Having made up his mind, he returned to the Absolute Helix Clan House, a cozy, bustling hub most days, but unusually quiet now. He entered to find Diniel predictably unavailable — probably napping or reading — and that Xeno was out spending the day with his wife. Garm, meanwhile, had gone to visit the orphanage. That left only Daryl, lounging on the living room sofa, absentmindedly scratching at his droopy dog ears. ŗΆΝΟ𝔟ÊŠ

”Daryl, you got any plans today?” Tsutomu asked, strolling into the room. ”Want to hit the Dungeon with me?”

Daryl’s ears twitched at the suggestion, and he sat up straight.

”Oh, I’d be glad to, but…”

His gaze darted around the room, clearly uneasy about the idea of venturing out with no one else available. Though he didn’t voice it, his expression betrayed his concern about the absence of a full party.

Tsutomu waved off his worry. ”Hey, don’t sweat it. You know the Guild has a party matchmaking system, right?”

”Oh…” Daryl made no effort to hide his hesitation. ”S-so we’re going to form a party there?”

It was obvious the idea didn’t sit well with him. Daryl had a long-standing wariness of the Guild’s matchmaking system, a sentiment rooted in his early training days. Back then, Tanks had not even been recognized as a legitimate role. More often than not, he had been treated as little more than a luggage carrier for Attackers who saw him as a burden rather than an asset. Those experiences had left a bitter impression, one that still lingered despite the system’s improvements.

”If you’re not up for it, that’s fine,” Tsutomu said lightly, shrugging. ”I’m just looking to kill some time. But I wouldn’t go with a party that didn’t have at least one trustworthy Tank, so there’s no need to worry about being stuck with a bad group.”

Daryl’s ears perked up slightly at the remark, though his brow remained furrowed in thought.

”A… trustworthy one…” he muttered under his breath. Then, suddenly, his entire demeanor shifted. Rising to his feet with a determined gleam in his eye, he announced, ”All right, I’ll go!”

”That was… fast.” Tsutomu raised an eyebrow, surprised at the swift turnaround. ”Well, the system’s a lot better now than when you used it. The Guild’s been working hard to iron out the kinks.”

”A-are you sure?” Daryl asked, his tone a mix of hope and lingering skepticism.

”Yep. I haven’t used it much myself, but I’ve kept tabs on the bulletin boards. The matchmaking system’s a lot more organized these days.”

With the influx of new Explorers from the Royal Capital and stricter oversight to weed out exploitative and malicious parties, it was indeed much better than it used to be.

Tsutomu’s mind wandered to the party systems in Live Dungeon. Back in the game, he’d loved the randomness of teaming up with strangers, testing his skills against the unpredictable dynamics of unfamiliar teammates. But of course, this wasn’t a game anymore. The stakes were real, and so were the risks. That meant he needed at least one solid Tank to anchor the group.

”You know, sometimes it’s actually fun to team up with people you’ve never worked with before,” Tsutomu said, flashing a grin. ”It keeps things fresh — but again, I wouldn’t jump in without at least one reliable Tank.”

Moreover, working with new people was a good way to grow. Seeing how others — especially Tanks and Attackers — approached their roles from up-close observation could spark ideas one would never think of just watching the Monitors. Even if they were not as skilled, one could learn something valuable.

Daryl’s ears stood at attention, his initial reluctance replaced with curiosity and a hint of excitement. By the time Tsutomu finished his explanation, Daryl’s tail was wagging like an eager puppy’s, and his eyes shone with determination.

”All right, then,” Tsutomu said, clapping his hands. ”Get your gear ready. I’ll grab mine, and we’ll head out.”

”Yes, sir!”

Tsutomu proceeded to make his way to his room upstairs, with Daryl’s heavy footsteps pounding up right behind him, echoing through the quiet Clan House.