Live Dungeon!

The Corrupted Shell’s close-range attacks revolved mainly around its long claws. At first glance, they might not have seemed all that dangerous — after all, the creature was humanoid in shape. But its claws were tougher than even the heavy armor Daryl had looted from a treasure chest. And despite that hardness, they didn’t snap or splinter when striking a tower shield — instead, they flexed and slid around defenses.

”Ngh…!”

Even a glancing blow along Daryl’s armored forearm was enough to send him flying backward. The sheer force behind the attacks made them hard to block, let alone deflect — even Bittman, with all his experience, struggled to deal with them. That was precisely why, this time, Tsutomu had chosen to bring along Daryl, who had the highest VIT among all Absolute Helix members.

That was all well and good, but then — the moment his tower shield was pushed out of alignment, Daryl’s eyes met those of the Corrupted Shell. In that instant, a strange sensation bloomed deep in his gut.

He’d looked directly into the creature’s petrifying Mystic Eyes. It wasn’t an instant death sentence, fortunately — as soon as Daryl turned his gaze away, the petrification stopped.

Still, it was dangerous. According to tests run by Ealdred Crow, petrification always began from the center of the body. If one maintained eye contact for three full minutes, the effect would fully take hold, resulting in death. But even after just one minute, movement would become sluggish. Two minutes in, and the body would be paralyzed. In practical terms, that made two minutes the limit.

”Daryl, are you petrified?” Tsutomu’s voice came through the megaphone.

”Yes!” Daryl shouted back.

”If your movements start to feel slow, speak up. I’ll fix it right away.”

Tsutomu cast additional [ around himself as he gave the instructions, repeating the same precautionary tactic he’d used during the Mount Golem fight. Stacking barriers early — when things were still manageable — could pay off in the long run.

That was also why he hadn’t cast any skill buffs on Diniel yet; she didn’t seem to need them. Likewise, he didn’t immediately cure Daryl’s petrification. Supporting every party member flawlessly was important — but against tough enemies, a Healer also needed to consider aggro distribution. Overhealing or over-buffing could pull unwanted attention away from the Tank, making things harder for everyone — especially when dealing with something as volatile as the Corrupted Shell.

Hovering above the battlefield with [, Tsutomu kept a close eye on the fight. After another sweeping claw attack, the Corrupted Shell let out a bone-chilling shriek and raised both arms skyward, as though praying to the heavens.

”Area Attack, Pattern Three!” Tsutomu called out. ”Leleia, move right! Daryl, defensive stance! Hannah — over here!”

Despite its skyward pose, the attack did not descend from above. Instead, black points resembling strands of hair erupted from the ground beneath them. They had practiced this scenario — Leleia, stationed near the creature, as well as Diniel, sniping from a distance, reacted instantly. Daryl, however, had just been knocked back by the last blow. He was not in a position to dodge.

”D-Daryl! You okay!?” Hannah’s voice cracked with concern.

”He’s fine,” Tsutomu answered instead without turning to her. He glanced down, quickly gauging the spacing between the black growths and Daryl’s position. He pointed his staff in that general direction.

A second later, Daryl kicked off the ground and launched into the air with [, flipping to face downward midair, shield braced in front of him.

”[!”

The command left Tsutomu’s lips just as a volley of jet-black spikes shot up from the black points below. They hammered into Daryl’s tower shield with a chorus of sharp, metallic clangs, catching his legs and shoulders where they protruded. The continued barrage launched him higher into the air like a ragdoll.

But the heavy armor held. The spikes didn’t pierce — only battered. His VIT was high, and his helmet protected his head. He was shaken but intact. And thanks to the [ Tsutomu had preemptively placed at his rearward trajectory, even the bruises were already fading.

”[!”

A sharpened red aura, like a spear formed of raw aggression, shot toward the Corrupted Shell. It struck true, and the creature unfurled its skeletal wings, launching itself skyward in pursuit of Daryl.

Not adept at aerial combat, Daryl made a split-second decision to dip his head and dive. The creature’s claws scraped across his armor as he plummeted, but he landed safely — hit with a [ shot mid-fall, he then rolled to disperse the force of impact, and immediately looked skyward. Once again, his eyes met the creature’s. A chill passed through him. He felt the petrification begin again — and immediately averted his gaze. ṘＡＮộ฿ÊṨ

”[!”

Diniel, eyes sharp and fingers steady, released a single arrow from the ground below. It soared into the sky, reaching just above the descending Corrupted Shell — then burst apart in a shower of spectral rain. Each arrow in the downpour struck with deadly accuracy. If timed right, the base of the [ could deliver a high burst of damage, and Diniel had landed it flawlessly.

”Sylph, lend me your strength,” Leleia murmured.

”♪”

As the Corrupted Shell dropped to the ground under the relentless rain of arrows, Leleia rode a gust of wind, courtesy of the wind spirit Sylph. She slid across the battlefield with elegant force, her rapier glowing with wind power as she struck, slashing upward from ankle to shoulder in a blur of motion.

”Well, then… Still not hard enough, is it?” she muttered wryly.

Her attack had landed cleanly. But as she met the Corrupted Shell’s eyes — only briefly, she thought — it looked up at her from where it crouched, both hands touching the ground. Leleia turned away instinctively. And yet she realized too late — they’d been locked in eye contact for nearly ten seconds.

She jerked her head to the side in alarm. The Corrupted Shell, too, promptly broke its gaze and turned away — moving toward Daryl once again.

Leleia felt a strange sensation in her abdomen. She hooked a finger under the neckline of her undershirt and peeked inside. Sure enough, the signs of petrification were beginning to show. The stony surface spread outward in a sphere from her navel. When she brushed her fingers over it, the texture was rough — almost like it wasn’t even her own body.

”Leleia, can you still move?” Tsutomu asked, glancing her way.

”No issues. I’ll say something if it starts getting bad.”

”All right,” he replied lightly, before turning his attention back to the Corrupted Shell and Daryl.

The Corrupted Shell’s eyes glinted faintly whenever it made eye contact — an odd quirk, but one that helped him track its behavior more easily while he was busy timing his teammates’ buff durations.

[This mechanic sucks. What a pain…]

Neither the constantly active Mystic Eyes nor the subtle glow around them had existed in Live Dungeon, which made things more frustrating. Even so, Tsutomu didn’t let that affect his timing precision. Keeping track of support and healing durations had become second nature to him — like breathing. From above, he kept a close watch on the fight. The moment he spotted the preliminary movement of a wide-range attack, he called out to the others, identifying the pattern and directing them to the safe zones.

Three of the five area attacks came from above, meaning the higher one flew using [, the less time there was to dodge. But Tsutomu recognized the scream that preceded the attacks by sound alone. He could identify the pattern faster than anyone, and he used that to his advantage, hovering in the air while coordinating movements and dodging attacks with ease.

That made him a useful reference. Anyone who mimicked Tsutomu’s movements would be able to avoid the incoming strikes. He turned to confirm with Hannah, floating behind him.

”Think you’re ready?”

”I’ve been dying to jump in!” Hannah grinned. ”Just say the word!”

”All right, then — go switch with Daryl. But don’t use Magic Fist unless I tell you to. If it really comes down to it, use it — but if you mess up the call…”

”I know, I know. If I get docked again, I won’t be able to afford my lifestyle!”

”…Right. Get to it.”

”Aye, aye, sir!”

To draw aggro, Hannah cloaked herself in [ and dove toward the Corrupted Shell. She opened with [, which gained power with each consecutive hit, steadily ramping up her threat level. Within minutes, she had taken over Daryl’s position.

”Daryl, turn around,” Tsutomu called out.

Daryl, slightly out of breath, floated up toward him. After casting a round of support and healing skills on the whole party, Tsutomu helped him remove his heavy armor. He lifted the undershirt to check the extent of the petrification.

The sight made him frown. Daryl had spent a total of forty seconds under the monster’s gaze, and his well-defined abdominal muscles were now mostly encased in a pale, stony surface.

”Whoa… does it hurt?”

”No, not really,” Daryl said, examining it himself.

”Any stiffness?”

”A little bit, yes. When I twist, it feels like the surface muscles are locking up. But it’s not a big issue yet.”

”All right. Sounds like fifty seconds is the safe limit, then. There — you’re good.”

Tsutomu cast [ and the grayish stone gradually receded, restoring Daryl’s skin to a healthy tone. He gave Daryl’s back a firm pat, then helped him back into his armor, checking over the rest of the party as he worked.

”Looks like even the Corrupted Shell can’t keep up with Hannah,” Tsutomu noted, watching the battlefield.

”She’s incredible,” Daryl murmured in awe.

The monster continued to try and lock its gaze on Hannah, but its lumbering motions couldn’t match her darting flight. Her mastery of her blue-feathered wings, combined with [, allowed for a rhythmically unpredictable aerial movement. For anyone unused to it, just following her with the eyes was a challenge. Even Tsutomu found it difficult to track her when she got serious.

She weaved past claw strikes, then delivered a solid kick to its face. Before the creature could even react, she was already behind it. When it tried to turn, she dove beneath it, then launched another strike with her gauntlets as she veered toward one of Tsutomu’s [ pick-ups.

”Too much too fast, as usual,” Tsutomu muttered, half a complaint.

Still, he placed a [ pick-up along her projected path and sent another [ Leleia’s way. Daryl, catching his breath, watched it all in appreciation.

Their opening formation had been drilled to perfection using live combat footage from Ealdred Crow and Tsutomu’s extensive knowledge from Live Dungeon. So far, everything was going according to plan. Tsutomu had even predicted that Hannah would burn herself out early, which was why Daryl would be swapping in again soon. It kept her from digging herself into a hole.

”Next time, pace yourself. The real fight’s still ahead,” Tsutomu warned.

”Y-yeah… Got it…” Hannah gasped, her chest heaving. Her blue-feathered wings fluttered weakly as she gave him a weary nod.

▽▽

The group had already encountered five patterns of area attacks from the Corrupted Shell in the early phases of the battle. By now, they had grown accustomed to averting their gaze just enough to avoid the worst of the petrification — enough to keep moving without their bodies locking up. So when Tsutomu saw a haze of purple energy rising behind the Corrupted Shell, he shouted in warning,

”Everyone, face this way and match Daryl’s movements! You can make eye contact with the Corrupted Shell if you have to — but don’t turn around! Even catching it when you’re looking sideways could kill you!”

In Live Dungeon, this particular move was, in fact, its actual Mystic Eyes of Petrification. The Corrupted Shell would manifest a massive, glowing purple eye, and simply meeting its gaze was enough to trigger instant, irreversible petrification — a terrifyingly lethal technique.

But here in this world, things were even worse. Just looking at the Corrupted Shell in the eye — even without this move active — advanced the petrification process. And after summoning the eye, it didn’t freeze in place like it had in the game. No, it kept moving, circling around the party to get in front of them and make eye contact, all while stalking toward Daryl with disturbing intent.

Fighting under these conditions — back turned to the monster, blind to the looming eye, and forced to engage anyway — was an enormous disadvantage. The eye would disappear in ten seconds, but ten seconds of knowing that a single glance meant death left everyone holding their breath.

”Area Attack, Pattern Four!”

To make things worse, the Corrupted Shell sometimes used a wide-area attack while the Mystic Eye was active. Anyone who hadn’t memorized the range would struggle to dodge it. Looking toward the eye was off-limits, and staring at the Corrupted Shell for too long risked further petrification. Anyone caught in the blast radius — especially Attackers — could be seriously injured, and for Healers, it might mean instant death.

Surviving meant avoiding all three threats: the Mystic Eye, the gaze-induced petrification, and the area attacks.

That was why Tsutomu had spent the past two weeks drilling the party in dodging — and it was paying off. By now, they’d encountered the Corrupted Shell’s full repertoire of attacks dozens of times, and the party members had learned to move instinctively, navigating out of range without needing to see the monster or the eye.

”I-I’m feeling a bit terrified, Teach!” Hannah squeaked, eyes squeezed shut as she let Tsutomu guide her.

”What, and you think I’m not?” he muttered.

Despite her inability to see, Hannah managed to make it through, clinging to Tsutomu’s hand. In this particular aspect, they even outperformed the Ealdred Crow party, who had struggled during this phase of the fight. The unfortunate overlap of an area attack with the Mystic Eye had nearly spelled disaster, but thanks to everyone’s training, they made it through with only minor petrification.

[This is where the unknown begins. Please, don’t pull out something I don’t know about…]

This was the point where what Tsutomu could observe from Ealdred Crow ended — all he had to work with now was what he remembered from Live Dungeon. He’d studied the Corrupted Shell’s behavior extensively, but monsters in this world often deviated from game mechanics with entirely new abilities or effects. That meant he had to plan for every possible outcome — and couldn’t afford a single mistake.

”[.”

Glancing at the monster’s eye just long enough to gauge the party’s petrification levels, Tsutomu cast effect-dispelling skills on Daryl and Hannah — as well as Leleia, who sometimes found herself fighting dangerously close to the Corrupted Shell. He didn’t fully cure them — just enough to keep their movements unhindered. Complete healing was an option, but Tsutomu was prioritizing using [ instead, thinking it better to keep something in reserve.

”–!”

On the other hand, those who were afflicted with Dark Silence — which robbed them of both sight and voice — needed immediate attention. So, whenever someone looked likely to be hit by a black-smoke attack, Tsutomu preemptively shot a [ at them, curing the condition within seconds of impact.

Tsutomu himself hadn’t been caught once. He’d intended to use the same countermeasures Stephanie had relied on during the runs he had observed, but he had not needed them yet. The black-smoke attacks struck randomly, but Tsutomu’s instincts — honed by defeating hundreds of Corrupted Shells in the game — had kept him safe so far.

But the rest of the party was starting to fray under the strain. The combination of Mystic Eyes and area attacks was relentless, and Daryl, unlucky enough to be caught in a series of attacks, was faltering.

”Haah!”

Just as he staggered, Leleia, who had been nearby, used the Sylph’s magic, summoning a gust of wind that pushed the Corrupted Shell back, creating a brief but precious opening. A moment later, the sharp twang of a bowstring rang out.

Diniel’s arrow struck true, piercing one of the Corrupted Shell’s eyes.

”YAAAAAAGHHHHH?!”

The Mystic Eyes could be destroyed, though it would regenerate eventually — but still, even the Corrupted Shell itself seemed highly protective of it. The moment its eye was wounded, it reacted with an almost unthinking panic. Diniel had struck its most guarded point, and that was enough to shift the momentum.

Hannah followed up immediately, chaining attacks to draw its attention away from Daryl.

”Th-thank you!”

”No need for thanks,” Leleia said, passing him a vial. ”Here, drink this Potion.”

She proceeded to sprint off with the Sylph at her side to support Hannah. Meanwhile, Tsutomu, carrying the Undine in his right pocket, floated down from above, casting multiple [ spells on Daryl as he descended.

”Man, you were unlucky with where you ended up,” Tsutomu said, placing a reassuring hand on Daryl’s shoulder. ”Good thing Leleia was there to rescue you. C’mon, switch out and take a little break.”

The fight was chaotic, with attacks stacking unpredictably. Sometimes, no matter how skilled or prepared they were, they would get hit. Tsutomu made sure to acknowledge that aloud, creating a sense that what had happened wasn’t Daryl’s fault — it was only inevitable.

So far, Hannah had barely been grazed by the Corrupted Shell’s mystic eyes — and had only taken a single, glancing hit throughout the entire fight. If her performance were being scored, she’d be well past perfect — one hundred and twenty points, easily. That was the nature of evasion-based Tanks: high-risk, but when things went right, they went very right.

Daryl, on the other hand, was struggling. He couldn’t keep up with the Corrupted Shell’s whip-like claws, their movements both fluid and deceptively strong. He wasn’t even managing to dodge the wide-range attacks. But to be fair, even Bittman hadn’t been doing much better in this regard. So if Daryl had to be graded, he’d still earn around sixty points.

Even so, the gap between them was obvious — and Daryl was well aware of it. To Tsutomu’s eyes, that awareness was starting to chip away at the boy’s confidence.

A classic Tank could shoulder monster attacks better than most, thanks to their towering VIT stats. But it didn’t matter how sturdy the body was — if the heart gave out, the rest would follow. Tsutomu remembered how Daryl had broken once before against the Mount Golem. Ever since, he’d been careful to keep an eye on the boy.

Then, just as he was wondering whether to step in, Daryl turned to him with a crooked smile tugging at his lips.

”I’m all right!” he called. ”Sure, Miss Hannah and Miss Leleia are amazing — but I’ll keep doing what I can do!”

Tsutomu gave a soft chuckle. ”Well, looks like you didn’t need the pep talk after all.”

”…Well, actually, I was starting to feel crushed by how useless I seemed,” Daryl admitted, scratching his cheek with a sheepish look.

”…Right. I can see Leleia and Diniel being harsh on you for this — but Hannah definitely doesn’t think any less of you. And I’m here to heal and support you no matter how many hits you take. Don’t let it get to you. We’re winning this layer together, all of us. So for now, rest up until Hannah tires out.”

”Yes, sir!”

Tsutomu watched him with a small smile, then rose once more into the air. He resumed issuing commands to the group, maintaining the flow of healing and support skills. The Corrupted Shell continued its barrage, combining wide-area attacks with the threat of its petrifying Mystic Eyes. Dodging everything was nearly impossible. No matter what, the petrification status would begin to accumulate.

”Tsutomu, fix me. It’s throwing off my aim.”

”Coming right up!”

He had originally planned to delay curing petrification until it reached the fifty-second mark — but Diniel, it seemed, could not stand even the slightest deviation in her body’s response time. Tsutomu understood the feeling. With his low AGI, even a split-second lag during a crucial moment could be fatal. He cast [ to cleanse the effect on her, all the while thinking ahead to the final phase of the fight.

[The last stretch has new area attacks… not to mention the additions to its arsenal, and that restraint gimmick. I’ll have to pretend to be surprised while dodging them all…]

He was still piecing together his next move when the Corrupted Shell froze midair.

Its limbs hung loose, and it slumped forward like a puppet with no one manipulating it.

”…Everyone — on guard!” Tsutomu’s voice rang out sharp and urgent. ”This one’s a new move!”

Not once had this movement pattern appeared — not on the Monitors, nor in Live Dungeon.

Rising higher, Tsutomu narrowed his eyes and watched the creature’s every twitch. The Corrupted Shell began to ascend, as if pulled up by invisible wires. And then–

Thin beams of light started leaking from its body. First in faint pulses. Then suddenly, from its eyes and gaping mouth, a torrent of blinding white light burst forth.

”YAAAHHHHHHH!!”

”What the–!?” Hannah, who had been resting nearby, cried out in alarm.

Her skin paled, turning gray in an instant.

Tsutomu whipped around — and saw her already frozen in stone.

”[!”

He cast the skill without hesitation, but the petrification held firm. Then, a crack split across her face. Her lifeless stone body crumbled, gear clattering to the ground.

Tsutomu spun to scan the battlefield. Daryl and Leleia had suffered the same, already reduced to unmoving statues. Only Diniel, who had been beside Leleia, remained standing. Her expression was frozen in stunned disbelief as she stared at the others.

Somehow, she and Tsutomu had been spared.

The Corrupted Shell floated high above, light fading from its body. It curled in on itself, just as it had when it first appeared — motionless. But that did little to comfort him.

Three allies had been taken out in an instant, by something none of them had expected.

[What the hell was that!?] Tsutomu thought, reeling. [That wasn’t just unfair — it was a Goddamn slaughter!]

Cursing under his breath, Tsutomu began counting down the time until he could start reviving everyone. He needed to reestablish their footing before the monster moved again.

But just as that thought passed through his mind, the Corrupted Shell stirred. His brain kicked into high gear.

”Diniel!” he shouted. ”Buy me some time! I’ll get them back!”

Diniel looked up at him, her expression unreadable. Slowly, she raised her bow — but then let it drop with a sigh. She reached for her Magic Bag and began stowing her weapon. Next, she stripped off her white cloth armor and packed that away, too.

Realizing what she was thinking, Tsutomu’s heart plummeted.

”What the hell, Diniel!? We’re not done yet!”

”It’s over,” she replied flatly.

”No, it’s not! I WILL turn this around!”

”Waste of gear. Waste of time. You’ve got the [ up. Collect what you can.”

Her eyes had gone dull — lifeless, like whenever she lazed around the Clan House. Piece by piece, she tucked away the last of her equipment, avoiding his gaze as she stared up at the descending Corrupted Shell.

”Look, kid, I know you’re giving it your best. Sorry I’m like this,” she murmured.

Those were her last words.

The monster’s claw came down, splitting her cleanly into three pieces. A spray of blood splashed across Tsutomu’s cheek. It shimmered gold like glittering sand, then dissolved into floating particles of light and vanished.