Live Dungeon!

”God dammit…”

Amira stared at Korinna in stunned disbelief, momentarily at a loss for words. Yet, despite her exasperated glare, she did not seem particularly angry.

”I-I’m sorry!”

”Shut up, you idiot! You made me worry over nothing! Now I look like the idiot”

”Oww, that hurts!”

More than anything, she was simply embarrassed — embarrassed that she had gone out of her way to defend someone who hadn’t actually needed defending. With a flustered expression, she gave Korinna’s shoulder a series of light, half hearted smacks, as if venting her own mortification.

Watching the exchange, Amy and Hannah exchanged amused glances. Only Leleia remained expressionless, her face a blank slate.

After the party successfully defeated the mutated Shell Crab, they disbanded. From there, the five Absolute Helix Explorers moved on to catch up with their peers, challenging the Fallen Lich on the eighty-fifth layer. By then, they were already well-prepared with suitable equipment and had access to the latest strategies gathered by Tsutomu’s team. With that advantage, they cleared the layer without much trouble, breaking through in just a few days.

At the same time, the Dream Team — a party of Explorers with Unique Skills that had formed specifically to tackle the Shell Crab — also disbanded. While the four other members had been eager to continue, Camille alone was opposed. Though their teamwork had been effective against the Shell Crab specifically, Camille knew their lack of a dedicated Tank would be a fatal flaw in future battles. Recognizing the fundamental gap in their formation, she withdrew. With no suitable replacement available, the party dissolved.

As for what they had looted from the Shell Crab — following an appraisal, the never-before-seen Magic Stone was named the Thorn Magic Stone.

”Whoa… so this is the Magic Stone everyone’s been talking about?”

”Yeah… you can actually see the MAGIC inside. It’s amazing!”

”Right? I thought only nobles are able to sense this kinda flow… but now we get to see what it actually looks like.”

Its appearance was reminiscent of a sea urchin — sharp, spiked, and dark — but what truly made it remarkable was the sheer density of magical energy swirling within. So intense was the concentration that it could be discerned with the naked eye, causing quite a stir among craftsmen eager to discover potential applications.

Korinna’s team had entrusted their Thorn Magic Stone to Dorren Workshop, a sponsor of Absolute Helix. Dorren’s granddaughter, the young girl working at the Magic Stone Exchange, had also come to inspect the find. She stared at the stone with wide-eyed fascination, meticulously appraising it with an expression of rapt curiosity.

”Oh…! Hello, Tsutomu! Congratulations on your Clan’s victory!”

”Y-yeah… hi, you guys.”

For some reason, the group of orphaned children Explorers, including Riki, had tagged along with the girl. Apparently, they had run into her by chance in town and decided to follow along. Tsutomu, however, found their presence vaguely irritating.

[What’s with the needless theatrics?] He thought, suppressing a sigh.

Still, with the kids having come all the way to Dorren Workshop, sending them home empty-handed felt wrong. In the end, Garm took the initiative, picking out level-appropriate gear for the children and equipping them before they left.

Following that, whenever Tsutomu had free time, he was at the Monitors, obsessively watching footage of the ninetieth layer. Though he had hired Dungeon Maniacs to gather information while he was actively exploring, he regarded their reports as mere reference material. Nothing could replace witnessing the Dungeon firsthand. His eyes remained glued to the projection, scrutinizing the movements of the Corrupted Shell — the layer’s boss — for any deviations from what he remembered in Live Dungeon.

So far, the early phases showed little difference. The boss’s area-of-effect attacks remained identical in both type and range, and Tsutomu was confident he could dodge them with ease. With enough practice, his party would be able to as well. The Dark Silence status effect, which temporarily clouded vision and disabled speech, was a nuisance, but fortunately, it was weaker here than in Live Dungeon. That was an unexpected blessing. If Stephanie could handle it herself, this should not be an issue for him, either.

The real problem was the boss’s petrifying Mystic Eyes, which were constantly active. Tsutomu had dealt with a similar ability once before when facing the Black Dragon, but having it persist throughout the entire fight placed enormous strain on the Tank. As a Healer, Tsutomu wanted to minimize the frequency with which his Tanks turned to stone. However, the Corrupted Shell was far more aggressive than the Black Dragon, deliberately moving to lock eyes with its targets. Even Bittman was regularly petrified despite his skillful positioning and precise movements.

In terms of raw technique, Bittman was the superior Tank compared to Garm. His battle style was methodical and refined — a true veteran’s touch. Yet even he couldn’t avoid the petrification. It was only logical to assume that Garm, no matter how quick-witted, would be equally vulnerable. Unlike their previous fight with the Black Dragon, this would be a battle of attrition.

[…A two-Healer formation might be the way to go. Stephanie could probably handle it alone, but it wouldn’t hurt to give it a trial run.]

For several days, Ealdred Crow’s teams threw themselves into the challenge of the ninetieth layer, determined to bring down the Corrupted Shell. As expected, the fight pushed the Healers to their limits. On top of managing support recovery and purging Dark Silence and petrification, they had to deal with frequent wide-area attacks. The increasing burden led the party to adopt a two-Healer composition.

Coincidentally, Tsutomu’s recent article had helped calm Stephanie’s recent outburst. With that uproar settled, she calmly decided it was finally time to call Kisaragi back from her vacation — a strategic decision that had been in consideration for some time.

From Tsutomu’s perspective, this judgment was sound. After all, when he had first won against the Corrupted Shell in the game, he had used a two-Healer setup as well. When playing with unfamiliar Tanks and Attackers, there was always a higher risk of falling prey to Dark Silence or petrification. That meant the Healers needed to devote more attention to status recovery, which reduced their overall healing output. Given the increased chance of accidents during wide-area attacks, adding a second Healer was a prudent choice.

In this world, the Dumpling [ skill existed, which prevented fatal accidents from ending a battle outright. However, using it came with a hefty drawback: the aggro generated from activating it was significant. As such, though it was undeniably effective, it still was a tool best used sparingly. While dying and reviving would reduce some of the aggro, it was not nearly enough to offset what was generated by the initial use of both [ and [. On top of that, if the Healer also had to dispel status effects, the aggro piled on them became nearly unmanageable.

[Stephanie’s seemed a little more relaxed lately, so it might not be an issue… but I should probably finalize the party lineup soon. I’d also like to observe the mid-phase if possible.]

Ever since the article came out, Tsutomu had noticed a subtle change in Stephanie. The fire that once drove her — the obsessive, single-minded determination to be the best Healer — had dulled. Not in a way that hampered her performance, but the ruthless edge she once had was clearly blunted. Still, even without that ferocity, Stephanie remained the leading Healer in the scene. Her skill was unmatched, and if he spent too much time holding back, there was a real chance she could reach the hundredth layer before he did.

[Silver Beast cleared the eighty-fifth layer recently, huh? At this rate, Lorena and the others will be catching up soon. If that happens, Stephanie’s hunger for competition will probably reignite… which means I need to hurry.]

Lorena, who was hot on Stephanie’s heels, was not about to slow down. During their temporary alliance with Absolute Helix, Lorena had absorbed everything she could from Tsutomu’s tactics. She had taken it all in, learned from it, and rapidly honed her skills. Tsutomu could already tell — instinctively — that Lorena would soon catch up to Stephanie. And when she did, the two would likely push each other even further, sharpening their abilities through rivalry. As such, Tsutomu hoped Lorena would be the first to catch up to Stephanie at the ninetieth layer.

But Tsutomu did not have the luxury of simply sitting back and watching a competition unfold. As much as he wanted to let nature take its course, he had no intention of being a mere spectator. With a sigh of reluctant resolve, he turned his attention back to the Monitors, mulling over the party selection for their attempt on the ninetieth layer.

▽▽

A few days later, all of Absolute Helix’s members successfully reached the eighty-ninth layer.

Korinna, once a point of concern, could now hold her own even against the Fallen Lich. She demonstrated a remarkable calm in battle, keeping her composure whenever Amy lost her cool in her [ form, covering for the latter with a well-timed [. She also provided flawless support and healing for Hannah, the party’s evasion-based Tank, ensuring her survival. Compared to her performance during most of the Shell Crab attempts, Korinna had become noticeably more competent — a testament to her rapid growth.

The reason for her sudden leap in skill was, most likely, confidence. Racing against the Dream Team, with all their fancy unique skills, and holding her own had given Korinna a massive boost of self-assurance. And the results spoke for themselves. After the Fallen Lich was defeated, even the normally skeptical Dungeon Maniacs revised their assessment of Korinna. Her name began to circulate more frequently in discussions, and soon, she was being approached for interviews by local newspapers. Though flustered by the unexpected attention, she accepted, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

On her day off, Korinna headed to the newspaper office for the interview, accompanied by Amy and Xeno for support.

Meanwhile, Tsutomu, as usual, prepared to leave for the Monitors. He was about to slip on his shoes at the entrance when, just as he reached for the shoehorn, a slender hand snatched it away.

”Heading to the Pedestals again today?”

He turned to see Leleia standing there, peering down at him with a composed, almost imperious expression.

”Yeah. What about it?”

Without replying, Leleia unfolded the newspaper she had been carrying and held it open, pointedly displaying the front page. Her eyes narrowed slightly, though her message was clear enough: You shouldn’t be going out alone.

”Then I’ll accompany you,” she declared flatly. ”It’s been dangerous around here lately. Haven’t you heard? There was an assault near the market just yesterday.”

Tsutomu let out a dismissive huff. ”C’mon, that happens all the time. If I really needed a bodyguard, I’d ask Garm or Diniel.”

”Garm has been busy with training, and Diniel, well… she wouldn’t be particularly enthusiastic, would she? Besides, I happen to have experience guarding… dignitaries. I believe I’m rather suited for the job.”

As she spoke, the door to the living room creaked open, and Diniel poked her head out. Without so much as a glance at Tsutomu, she coolly muttered,

”Yeah, you do it, Leleia.”

Her disinterest was palpable. The door closed before Tsutomu could even respond.

”You heard her. Well?”

”…Fine, fine. Whatever. You win,” Tsutomu relented with a tired sigh.

Smirking ever so slightly, Leleia handed him the shoehorn. Accepting it with a look of utmost reluctance, Tsutomu slipped on his shoes and moved toward the door. But just as he reached for the handle, Leleia smoothly stepped in front of him and opened it for him instead. With an exaggeratedly graceful gesture, she ushered him outside as though she were some gallant gentleman escorting a lady.

Her over-the-top courtesy made Tsutomu’s lips curl in distaste.

”Sooo…” he muttered once they were walking. ”What do you want? Let me guess — you’re here to nag me about the ninetieth-layer party lineup.”

”Quick on the uptake, I see,” Leleia replied with a chuckle. ”That said, I have no intention of demanding to be placed in the main party. Nor do I plan on offering you some underhanded bargain. Even if I were to beg on my hands and knees in the middle of the street, you’d simply brush me aside with a single word, wouldn’t you?”

”Then why are you here?”

Her expression clouded slightly.

”…I’ve done everything I can to prove myself, but it still feels like it’s not enough. I tell myself I shouldn’t be anxious, but it gnaws at me. No matter how unlikely it is, if talking to you here raises my odds of being selected — even by a fraction — I have to do it. Even if it’s pointless, I can’t let it go. If I don’t, I’ll never forgive myself.”

”It doesn’t matter what you say now. The party lineup is set. I’m not changing it. So relax — stop worrying and just focus on what you want to do.”

”…All right,” Leleia murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Her steps faltered, and she fell slightly behind. But a moment later, she hastened her pace and returned to his side.

Without sparing her a glance, Tsutomu deadpanned,

”Uh, this is the part where you go home.”

”But there’s still a possibility,” she replied lightly. ”You could get caught up in an incident. You could be attacked and, by some tragic twist of fate, die. And if that happens, I wouldn’t be able to exact my revenge. So naturally, I’ll be providing you with my full protection.”

”Good God…” Tsutomu let out a long, weary sigh.

”Aww, why are you so reluctant? Surely you’re not losing anything by having me around — if anything, every extra bit of safety helps.”

”You’re such a pain in the ass, that’s why…”

And so, despite his better judgment, Tsutomu found himself once again at the Monitors with Leleia at his side. As they gazed at Monitor #1, they began their usual analysis of the Corrupted Shell, their conversation proceeding as if nothing had happened.