Live Dungeon!

Although Diniel’s blood had vanished, Tsutomu wiped his cheek with a sleeve before casting a resurrection skill on Daryl, summoning him near his discarded equipment. A pillar of light shot into the air, briefly illuminating the ruined landscape. As the glow faded, Tsutomu turned to face the Corrupted Shell — still grinning as it admired the bloodstained claws that had torn through Diniel.

[It’s been a while since I last felt this… excited.]

The moment Diniel saw all three of her teammates die in an instant, she chose to end her own life. In this world, that was not unusual. For Explorers, preserving equipment and conserving time and resources took priority. Better to fall back than to waste valuable Potions and magic tools in a drawn-out, hopeless struggle. Dungeon gear, hard-earned and easily lost, wasn’t something to risk lightly, either.

But Tsutomu understood Diniel’s decision was not born entirely from logic. Part of her — perhaps a large part — had simply decided there was no point in trying anymore. That it was too much trouble. That they could not win. And that, more than anything, made his blood simmer.

Still, she was not all that unusual. In Live Dungeon, during chaotic large-scale raid battles, Tsutomu had seen plenty like her — players who’d throw in the towel at the first sign of discomfort, confident that their absence wouldn’t make a difference in a crowd. They’d idle out or unplug their connection when the going got tough. And while that attitude spanned all roles, Healers — Tsutomu’s own — had the worst reputation. Some would rage-quit mid-fight, shouting that healing ‘trash’ was a waste of time. Others would drop as soon as they died, even if there were still allies around to bring them back.

Tsutomu had done it, too. Back when he was still an intermediate player, he’d stormed off after watching Tanks who refused to build aggro or Attackers who didn’t think past their own damage output. It was frustrating, exhausting… and easy to give in.

But in the end, quitting was just running away. Complaining about everyone else being garbage did nothing. If you wanted to grow stronger, you had to look hard at your own shortcomings and fix them. That was what Tsutomu had learned. In raids where a large chunk of the group had given up, he would keep going — kept stabilizing, strategizing — and sometimes, just sometimes, he would even manage to turn it around.

And in those moments, people who had stopped moving would start again. One by one, they’d rejoin the fight. And the rush of satisfaction that came from watching them fall back in line — from knowing he had made that happen — was better than any win. Afterward, when victory finally came, he’d slam his fingers against the keyboard with a grin so smug it could power a city. By the time he was a seasoned veteran, trolls and AFK players weren’t frustrations — they were favorite challenges.

[I WILL bring us back! Just you watch!]

And so, even as Diniel fell to despair, Tsutomu felt no inclination to follow. Instead, he focused on what needed doing and brought back Daryl, his mind already working out the steps ahead.

At the moment, Hannah was performing far better than Daryl. Tsutomu hesitated briefly — was this the right call? But in this situation, a guaranteed sixty percent performance was better than a half-half chance at a hundred and twenty. Besides, Hannah required freedom to perform at her best, and this battlefield didn’t allow for that. One mistake and she could be wiped out.

Also, Daryl had already built up significant aggro before his death. Some of that had faded, but not all. It wasn’t enough to outweigh the aggro Tsutomu had drawn by healing and reviving, but it gave them a window. The Corrupted Shell locked eyes with Tsutomu — and moved.

”…Hah!” Daryl let out a sharp breath as he came to, remembering the moment his body had frozen and darkness had taken him. He looked around quickly, assessing the scene.

No one else remained.

That realization struck him like a slap. But without missing a beat, he dropped to one knee and began re-equipping his heavy armor.

”Daryl! Once you’re geared up, drink both Potions and use [ to grab aggro! You should be able to pull it right away!” Tsutomu shouted, rising into the air with [, dodging the Corrupted Shell’s charge.

”Y-yes, sir!” Daryl called back, strapping on his armor. Normally, this would take a lot of time, but thanks to his Job bonuses as a Heavy Knight, he moved almost as if dressing in a simple tunic rather than a suit of plate.

Within seconds, he’d downed both Potions and released a thunderous roar — [ ha — to draw the enemy’s attention.

Meanwhile, Tsutomu stayed airborne, avoiding eye contact with the Corrupted Shell by focusing his gaze below its face. Ever since training with Xeno and copying Hannah’s mid-air maneuvers, his flying technique had improved dramatically.

”Oh shit, it’s fast–!” he muttered under his breath, impressed despite himself.

But no matter how skilled he became, he was still a pale imitation of Hannah. He could not match her agility, and he certainly could not dodge the Corrupted Shell’s attacks as effortlessly as she could. A claw ripped through the [ guarding his right side — and a moment’s mistake in avoiding eye contact let the petrification effect begin creeping in.

”[!” Daryl bellowed again.

Fortunately, the aggro Daryl had stored prior to death gave him the edge. Even with just one person revived, he reclaimed the enemy’s focus almost immediately. Tsutomu — with half of his layers of [ already gone so quickly — could only let out a hollow laugh and dig through his Magic Bag.

”Sorry, but we’re short on time. Don’t bother responding — just listen and keep building aggro.”

As he spoke, Tsutomu began placing a collection of magic tools on the ground, each one purchased from a skilled artisan. He laid them out methodically, even as Daryl continued engaging the Corrupted Shell.

”In ninety seconds, I’ll revive Leleia. Until then, use [ and [ to hold its attention. Don’t worry about burning through blue Potions — use as many as you need. What matters is keeping it off me once Leleia’s up. I know it’s exhausting, but I believe in you. You can handle this.”

”[!”

Daryl’s shield struck the monster with a deafening clang. With every clash, he gathered more aggro, his concentration sharper than before. Watching him, Tsutomu felt no need to hold back. He resumed placing the magic tools without hesitation, ignoring the possibility of them being destroyed by area attacks.

”Watch out — Pattern Two!”

As expected, a rain of blinding light descended from above — an all-encompassing area attack that obliterated most of the magic tools Tsutomu had laid down. Still, a small handful — about twenty percent — survived. He crouched by one of the surviving devices, inserting a Magic Stone into the heart of its mechanism. A quiet click. The device pulsed, awaiting activation.

[Good thing I had that Potion,] Tsutomu thought to himself — earlier, he had taken a small sip of the gray, powdery Potion he’d received from the Forest Apothecary. The stony rigidity around his abdomen began to vanish almost instantly. Bitter on the tongue and hard to swallow, yes — but faster-acting than [. Convinced of the Potion’s potency, Tsutomu nodded to himself and continued supporting Daryl with only the bare minimum of healing.

”[!”

Exactly ninety seconds later, he cast the resurrection skill on Leleia. She revived, clutching her white rapier to her chest, her expression blank with the haze of death still clinging to her. Tsutomu stood before her, relieved to see that the Corrupted Shell wasn’t closing in on them just yet.

”Leleia, bring out the Undine — right now.”

”…[!”

Tsutomu’s words themselves held nothing unusual, yet Leleia sensed something was different in his tone — something she could not place. Still, she asked no questions and initiated the Spirit [ without complaint. Water spiraled around her, coalescing into the shape of a Slime-like creature — Undine. It slid across the air before neatly slipping back into Tsutomu’s right pocket.

”In one minute, I’ll revive Hannah. Diniel will follow shortly after. Once that happens, the Corrupted Shell will target me. So I’m handing you party leadership for the time being. I’ll give you my Magic Bag — use the Potions inside to support the group as needed. I’ll be directing the Undine, so keep your mental energy reserves high. Use the Candy Potions if you have to.”

He placed one of the precious blue Candy Potions in his mouth, letting it melt while shoving several vials into the spare pouch. Leleia, calculating as always, glanced at him with a furrowed brow.

”…And you? Will you survive this?”

”If the Healer dies, no one can cure petrification. We will all go down. But without everyone up, we don’t have the power to push through either. I won’t lie — the odds of me surviving once I become the target are low. But I’m going to do it anyway. I’ll need your support, as much as you can give. I’ll give quick orders to each member. Daryl will keep chugging Blue Potions and pull as much aggro as he can. Hannah, once she’s back, will use Magic Fist to stagger the Corrupted Shell and make it vulnerable. That’s all.”

”…Understood.”

Leleia noted that he had not given any instructions to Diniel. It struck her as odd, but she assumed he trusted the Elf to know what to do. Taking the Magic Bag, she strapped on her gear without another word. Leaving her to prepare, Tsutomu moved quickly across the battlefield. Some of the magical tools had miraculously survived the area attacks, and he began inserting Magic Stones into the ones still functioning. Thɪs chapter is updated by NoveI(F)ire.net

These devices had been developed after the Devourer Dragon’s Stampede — they simulated [ skills through the use of Magic Stones’ energy. It was a technical workaround, mostly cosmetic, but useful enough in practice.

General distrust toward [ skills had driven magic tool artisans to innovate, and thanks to their efforts, Tsutomu — as one of the people funding their operations — had managed to get his hands on a few compact prototypes. He activated others that might help stall monsters and kept track of the time. Before he knew it, thirty seconds had passed — if he wanted to revive Hannah within the three-minute window, he needed to act now.

”…Time to make it work,” he muttered to himself.

The moment he brought Hannah back, the Corrupted Shell would come straight for him. Add Diniel to the mix, and the pressure would only increase. Realistically, reviving Diniel was not necessary — and there was no guarantee she would even fight after being brought back. But leaving her down felt wrong. He could not stomach the idea of restoring the team incompletely. As a Healer, it was his pride on the line.

Still, just the brief moment he had been targeted earlier had already torn through half his [ layers. He could not risk drawing more aggro — not unless Daryl could pull it back fast, and that would take at least five minutes. And if Tsutomu was stuck in a chase, he’d most likely be dead in less than a single minute — sliced into three like Diniel had been.

[It’s a suicide run,] he thought grimly.

The memory of being melted alive on the hundredth layer bubbled up in his mind, but surprisingly, he felt little fear. Maybe it was the anger still lingering from Diniel’s attitude. The crunch of the Candy Potion rolling around in his mouth echoed in his ears like a war drum.

[I won’t last five minutes playing it safe. I need to take risks. Don’t worry about what happens next — just survive this moment. I’ll get through this. Alone, if I have to.]

Taking a deep breath, Tsutomu centered himself. When he opened his eyes, the Undine popped out of his pocket, splashed onto the ground like a dropped water balloon, and began wriggling toward him insistently. He picked it up and gently placed it on his unprotected right shoulder.

”You helped me back at the Royal Capital,” he said with a nostalgic smile. ”I’m counting on you again.”

Undine let out a chirp and immediately transformed into its humanoid form, hugging his shoulder tightly. Startled, Tsutomu blinked. Then, casting a weary glance at the water Spirit clinging to him, he sighed.

”Why’d you get big again? Stay small and cover my right side. We don’t have time to play around.”

The Spirit nuzzled its cheek against him, and he gave it a light splash on the head with his fingers. With a pout, the Undine reluctantly shrank back into its Slime form and nestled into place.

[Man, I still don’t fully understand how Spirits work,] he thought wryly, then narrowed his eyes in focus. ”Okay, here goes… [!”

Tsutomu pointed his White Staff toward the designated spot. A pillar of radiant light shot into the sky — and Hannah was brought back to life where her gear lay scattered.

”YAAAAAAARGHHH!?” She screamed the instant she revived.

Just as expected, the Corrupted Shell’s attention snapped from Daryl to Tsutomu. Its head twisted a full hundred and eighty degrees to face him, wings of bare bone creaking wide as it prepared to strike. Tsutomu cast [ on himself and leaped skyward, narrowly dodging the charge.

”Good God, this is ROUGH–!”

The velocity made his instincts scream, but he managed to evade the follow-up swipe of the monster’s claws. Even with layers of [ for insurance, moving at such high speeds still rattled his nerves. He flew toward the Corrupted Shell, hovering just above it like a pendulum, swaying gently as he prepared his next move.

If Hannah was a falcon — blessed with powerful wings, combining both agility and offense — then Tsutomu was nothing more than a mosquito, one stiff breeze away from spiraling out of the sky. The difference between them was not just a matter of strength as living beings, but also a fundamental disparity in status values bestowed by their Jobs. No matter how much Tsutomu tried to imitate Hannah, it would only ever be a poor, inferior copy.

”Pattern Four!” he called out.

But even a mosquito has its own way of fighting. Tsutomu drifted around the Corrupted Shell like an irritating bug that made no attempt to bite, only buzzing close enough to be a constant nuisance. Though he lacked speed, his movements were smooth, slippery — difficult to pin down.

He had studied the Corrupted Shell’s patterns thoroughly — through his experience with Live Dungeon, his time spectating through the Monitors, and first-hand observation in battle. He excelled at evading wide-area attacks. Just earlier, when his [ had been shredded, he had also gotten a sense for the creature’s attack tempo. Rather than mimicking Hannah, he deliberately stayed close, flitting about to draw attention and annoyance.

”[!” Daryl shouted from behind.

By holding the Corrupted Shell in place, Tsutomu made it easier for Daryl to land his aggro-generating skills. Hannah, recently revived, had already downed a Potion, donned her gear, and returned to the front lines. Meanwhile, Leleia, noticing the pale exhaustion on Daryl’s face after his relentless use of skills, handed him a Blue Potion.

But a mosquito could only live so long. Tsutomu could feel that his unpredictable midair dodges — once a blur of confusion — were starting to lose their edge. The Corrupted Shell had stopped using wide swings. It was adapting — waiting, watching. Realizing this, Tsutomu dropped back to the ground.

”AaaaAAAHHH!!”

”Pattern Three! [!”

Without missing a beat, Tsutomu shouted the type of incoming attack and broke into a full sprint toward the side of the arena untouched by the spreading black patches. Of course, with an AGI rating of C, he was not surpassing any human limits. Even though he had tried to mimic Lorena — the Mobile Healer — his movements were more tortoise than hare.

Still, his early morning runs with Garm and Daryl had built up his endurance. He might have looked desperate, but he managed to buy several precious seconds. Yet if the Corrupted Shell caught up, it would be over — and it was gaining.

Just as claws slashed down at his back, the Undine perched on his shoulder extended its jelly-like body to the side and anchored it to the ground, yanking Tsutomu sharply into a new direction. The Corrupted Shell’s talons gouged the earth where he’d just stood.

”[!”

Even as he stumbled from the sudden jerk, Tsutomu raised his staff and cast the resurrection skill on Diniel, returning her to the predetermined location. Struggling to keep his balance as he ran, he reached one of the magic tools planted earlier on the battlefield and flipped the activation switch.

”Grah!?”

The tool resonated with others placed nearby, and a transparent magical Shield sprang up between Tsutomu and the Corrupted Shell. The creature snarled in confusion as it slammed into the Shield — momentarily halted. But the Shield was weak, barely stronger than a standard [, a compromise to ensure the tools could be shrunk enough to fit inside a Magic Bag. Not yet practical for combat use… but even buying a few seconds was a victory in itself.

”KIIIIIIII!!”

The Corrupted Shell shrieked and closed the gap again in the blink of an eye. It raised its claws once more to strike. The Undine shot out its gooey form again, stretching to the right in an effort to redirect Tsutomu’s momentum — but this time, the monster targeted the extended Slime and brought its claws down in a flash.

The tendril snapped.

”Whoooaaa!!”

Already being pulled in that direction, Tsutomu was flung violently to the side, letting out a strangled cry as he tumbled across the floor. Scraped and bruised, he launched himself upward with [ — but the Corrupted Shell was already waiting.

Its claws struck home, raking across his midsection. The blow launched him higher into the air. A sharp crack echoed as the partially petrified flesh of his abdomen fractured beneath the impact.

The blow would have been fatal — if not for the Undine. Acting on instinct, the Spirit flung itself in front of Tsutomu and took the hit in his place. It vanished the next instant, its body dissipating into mist. But the attack did not end there.

The Corrupted Shell came on like a beast that had finally caught the elusive gnat buzzing around its head. Its claws, sharp enough to slice through steel, lunged again — this time aimed to pierce straight through Tsutomu’s chest. And this time, he had no way to evade.

”Teach!” Hannah’s voice ripped through the air like a whip crack.

In the same breath, she crushed an Inferno Magic Stone in her hand. Her right fist ignited in a searing blaze, and with a furious cry, she drove it into the monster’s claw mid-swing. The impact deflected the blow just enough to save Tsutomu’s life.

At her side, Leleia licked a blue Candy Potion and channeled the Sylph’s wind magic to give Hannah the support she needed to push the beast back.

Tsutomu survived — but only barely.

[Man, I think… I’m at my limit…]

The last attack had torn more from him than he could afford. Pebbles clinked faintly to the floor, falling from the gaps in his clothes as his partially petrified body shed stone. He could barely move; not because of pain — the petrification had mercifully dulled his senses — but because his body simply refused to respond. His abdomen was likely torn open. He could still think, still fight in spirit, but the rest of him… had all but given out.

Even turning his head felt like lifting iron. And worst of all, locking eyes with the Corrupted Shell accelerated the petrification. His neck was already tinged pale gray, the white stone creeping slowly upward.

”YAAAHHH!!”

Daryl shouted as he did everything he could to draw the monster’s attention. But it was no use. The Corrupted Shell had locked on to its prey, and it wasn’t letting go.

Tsutomu’s trembling hand groped through his spare Magic Bag, finally closing around the familiar shape of a Potion vial. He clenched it tight and forced his legs to move, throwing himself forward in a reckless sprint straight toward the monster.

”I’m not scared… I’m not scared… OKAY, I’M SCARED!!” he shouted, raw fear bleeding through his voice.

But still he charged. With the last layers of his left-side [ flickering around him, Tsutomu used it as a shield, barreling toward the Corrupted Shell. Each impact of its claws against [ cracked the magical defense like glass under stress. But he kept going, teeth clenched, charging through the barrage to close the distance.

The sheer recklessness of it stunned the rest of the party.

Even so, Leleia and Diniel, realizing what Tsutomu was trying to do, exchanged glances — resigned, yet respectful. Hannah, meanwhile, frantically downed a Potion, trying to mend her burned right hand. She looked ready to throw herself forward again, but there just was not enough time. Daryl continued shouting and swinging, using every skill he had to draw the creature’s aggro, but it would be at least two more minutes before he could wrest its attention away.

”UOOOOOOHHH!!”

Tsutomu’s roar echoed as he threw himself directly into the monster’s line of sight.

The Corrupted Shell hovered for a moment, staring at the foolhardy human in front of it. Then, as if plucking a bug from the air, it caught Tsutomu in one hand and brought him close, peering at him with gleaming eyes.

”KihyahyaHYAHAHA!!” The Corrupted Shell cackled with malicious glee.

Light began to leak from its palm — a pale white radiance Tsutomu recognized all too well. It was the same light that had petrified three of his comrades in an instant. And now it poured around him, seeping into his skin.

”Teach!!” Hannah screamed again.

With her right hand still useless, she gripped a Magic Stone in her left and pushed herself forward. But she was too far. There was no way she could reach him in time.

Her voice, ragged with despair, rang out across the battlefield — and then a pulse of blinding white light exploded outward from the monster’s hand, swallowing Tsutomu whole.