Live Dungeon!

”Tsutomu!”

”You were amazing yesterday!”

”…Man, they’re like a horde of Zombies,” Tsutomu muttered under his breath.

”And whose fault do you think it is?”

Leleia shot him a sharp glare, her eyes gleaming like a coiled serpent ready to strike. The crowd surrounding him had grown to an absurd size, resembling spectators pressing against the bars of a zoo enclosure.

Ever since his explosive performance the previous day, Tsutomu had become the center of attention — an unnatural number of townsfolk now encircled him, jostling for a glimpse, a word, or perhaps just the chance to say they’d seen him in person.

Thanks to the rising visibility of Healers like Stephanie and Lorena on the Monitors, public perception of the role had changed dramatically. No longer viewed as mere background supporters, Healers were now seen as stars in their own right, even gathering fans. Tsutomu, whose performance had shattered expectations, was now hailed as a leading figure in the field. Gone were the whispers that he lagged behind the true front-liners — overnight, he had become a contender for the top spot.

But the moment he stepped out of the Clan House to check in on Team 2’s progress at the Monitors, he was swarmed. Reporters and commoners alike converged on him like ants drawn to sugar, their numbers swelling until a full contingent from the Security Team had to be dispatched just to restore order.

”The lady has a point, Tsutomu. This is beyond ridiculous. Why must I be the one cleaning up your mess?” Came a voice filled with exasperation.

Smith, the Eldest Son of House Babenberg, had taken it upon himself — however begrudgingly — to help contain the chaos. His handsome face was twisted in irritation as he conjured soft, shimmering Shield magic to protect Tsutomu from the crowd surging in from every side.

”I do appreciate it — it’s certainly making this easier,” Tsutomu said, glancing at the golden Shield covering his path. ”But I never actually asked you for help, so that jab feels a bit unwarranted.”

”Oh? And what would you have done without me?” Smith shot back.

”Well, Leleia could’ve borrowed the power of the Spirits and summoned a wind wall, and I can manage a [ spell myself if needed.”

”…Is that so?”

Smith turned his piercing golden eyes toward Leleia for confirmation. She flinched at the attention and quickly dipped her head in a deep, respectful bow.

”Not at all, sir. Your Shields are far safer, and they spare everyone the discomfort of a sudden windstorm,” she said smoothly.

”Hmph. At least someone here knows how to show proper respect,” Smith muttered.

Meanwhile, Hannah and Daryl — who were notoriously weak against authority — remained utterly silent, not daring to say a word. Only Leleia had managed to engage with Smith in a way that did not provoke his ire. Pleased, he turned his gaze back to Tsutomu with a smug smile.

”Oh, please. You’re an Explorer now, aren’t you?” Tsutomu retorted dryly. ”I outrank you in level AND progress. Maybe you should be the one showing some respect.”

”…You really never drop the attitude, do you?” Smith pinched the bridge of his nose with a pale hand. ”Even among nobles, no one would speak to me like this.”

He had briefly considered the possibility that Tsutomu’s irreverent tone was some kind of performance — perhaps a bid to look cool in front of his younger sister. But as always, the young man was completely sincere in his disrespect, and Smith could only sigh.

”Do you think we’ll make it to the Pedestals soon?” Tsutomu asked, his voice tinged with impatience.

”You’re still thinking about the Pedestals, even after causing all this? Honestly, you’ve got some nerve. It’ll take a while longer.”

”Ugh… Korinna’s team is probably already in the fight. I should’ve just listened to Amy. What a screw-up… I wish I could just fly over all this crowd.”

”You do know that casting [ is banned in town, right?” Leleia reminded.

Amy had, in fact, warned him the night before that today might bring unwanted attention. Tsutomu had brushed it off and walked outside as if it were any other day — and now, here he was, trapped in what felt like an endless queue. The regret was quite real. 𝘳ÂＮöβÊŜ

With deliberate care, Smith extended the magical Shield forward, guiding it through the mass of people without injuring anyone and carving a path toward the Monitors. But the initial uproar had already cost them valuable time. They were stuck for two or three hours before they could move on.

”Damn it, they’re already at the halfway point…”

By the time Tsutomu finally reached his reserved seat, Team 2 was knee-deep in the middle stages of the battle. On-screen were the grim figures of a Corrupted Shell — an abomination capable of summoning purple Mystic Eyes that could kill anyone who met their gaze — and the current formation of Absolute Helix, notably without Xeno and Amira.

Tsutomu dropped into his seat, flipped open his notepad, and immediately began scribbling notes. Beside him, Smith watched with a curious glint in his golden eyes.

”[… […”

Korinna, projected on the screen, clutched her talisman as she activated her skills. [ was a core Channeler ability that restored mental energy after a short delay and generated minimal aggro, making it highly efficient. [ accelerated the casting of a subsequent blessing — another essential tool for a Channeler.

Though Healers themselves had only recently begun to gain real recognition, Channelers were still a mystery to most. Research on them was nearly nonexistent in this world. But thanks to Tsutomu drilling her in the fundamentals based on the templates from Live Dungeon, Korinna had become the most proficient Channeler by far.

”[.”

Even ailments like petrification and the silencing effect known as Dark Silence could be cured instantly with [, making Channelers no less effective than White Mages against a Corrupted Shell. In fact, the party had made it to the mid-battle phase — with its deadly Mystic Eyes — at the cost of only two lives.

Judging from the anxious but determined look on Korinna’s face, Tsutomu could guess she had already cast [ on the fallen.

”[!”

Garm, his crimson battle aura streaming toward the Corrupted Shell, fought relying on his superior hearing. The violet Mystic Eyes, dangerous as they were, had little effect on him, and though he was clearly being targeted by the creature, the petrification afflicting him had made little progress. He did not shy away from the creature’s direct attacks either — only guarding the vital points that would trigger a critical blow. It was a textbook performance of a Tank, soaking damage deliberately while holding the line.

”[ — [!”

Amy, the only one still standing, maintained unrelenting pressure on the Corrupted Shell, aiming with precision for its eyes in an effort to keep its attacks from overrunning Garm. Though the creature’s eyes were formed of magic and regenerated within seconds of destruction, it still had a tendency to protect them. Amy’s relentless targeting and efficient management of her dwindling mental energy, all woven into seamless skill combos, painted her as the very image of an optimization fanatic. It wasn’t flashy — but it worked. Her efforts steadily curtailed the creature’s movement.

”Excuse me,” Tsutomu called a Dungeon Maniac beside him. ”Do you know how many times Korinna’s resurrected people so far?”

”Hmm… four in total. Amy and Amira once each, and Xeno twice.”

”I see… Thanks.”

”Your Channeler’s amazing, really. She’s right up there with Stephanie and Lorena, I’d say!” The Dungeon Maniac said with a smile, clearly impressed.

Despite the positive opinion, Tsutomu grimaced faintly as he jotted down the information and turned his gaze to the second monitor, where the party’s battle continued to play out. Four resurrections — that was indeed impressive. It showed that Korinna was handling the [ with finesse, pacing her mental energy well. But it also meant she was drawing more and more aggro from the Corrupted Shell.

Korinna had come into her own as a Channeler. But when it came to party command, she still had a long way to go. Compared to Tsutomu — who not only had experience leading raid battles but also advance knowledge — she fell short by several levels. What’s more, she was attracting significantly more aggro than he would have, and she likely knew that better than anyone.

The fight was not over yet. She had already completed the last resurrection, so the party hadn’t collapsed. But the situation remained dire. With Amira and Xeno revived, Korinna’s aggro would spike again, and Garm would have to draw even more attention away from her.

”Guh…!”

But Garm was nearing his limit. The Corrupted Shell’s claws, flexible in motion yet terrifying in strength, tore through his armor with ease. A single battering charge from its massive body could overwhelm even a level 80 Tank. In the blink of an eye, Garm’s arm was severed cleanly at the elbow, the armored limb crashing to the ground with a metallic thud.

As time wore on, Korinna’s face contorted in agony — as if she were swimming without ever surfacing for breath. Her broad view of the battlefield only made it worse. She could see how hopeless the fight had become. The looming presence of death grew heavier, and the suffocating pressure clawed at her heart with every passing second.

”This is rough…”

This stifling pressure, the sort that would crush even seasoned players in Live Dungeon if this were a game, had broken countless Explorers. Tsutomu himself had quit mid-battle more times than he could count, and he had seen plenty of other Healers do the same.

The way that pressure gnawed at one’s will — it was far worse in reality than in the game. Tsutomu still could not fathom how oppressive it must be in this world. If it were someone like Kisaragi of Ealdred Crow, even she might have broken by now. After all, they could always try again. Just retreat, collect the fallen gear, and the only loss would be in repair and supply costs. Losing valuable equipment by pressing on recklessly was far more wasteful. The longer one had been an Explorer, the more tempting those thoughts became — like sweet poison, whispering the easy way out.

”[!”

But Korinna did not break. Where Tsutomu’s past self, when he was an intermediate player of Live Dungeon, might have taken to the message boards to rant, she kept her focus and did what needed doing. Not just the Dungeon Maniacs who had taken note of her since the Winter General fight — but the wider audience, too — began to take notice of her unwavering healing and support.

[Still… I don’t think they’ll make it today,] Tsutomu thought.

Korinna’s unshakable resolve deserved praise, but in the end, the party lacked anyone who could handle the Corrupted Shell fight with Tsutomu’s level of precision. The middle phase of the battle, always the most volatile, proved their undoing. And so they were wiped out — falling at the same point as Ealdred Crow usually did.

”The team’s looking pretty solid, though,” one Dungeon Maniac commented. ”Looks like it’s gonna be a three-way race between Silver Beast, Ealdred Crow, and Absolute Helix 2!”

Fortunately, the loss had not cost them much. Even Garm’s gauntlet had been retrieved from his severed arm, minimizing equipment losses. Besides, it had been a string of bad luck, with multiple sudden deaths triggered by the purple Mystic Eyes right as they entered the mid-phase. The Dungeon Maniacs and audience were surprisingly sympathetic, considering the circumstances.

”…Aww, man,” Tsutomu sighed. ”Gotta choose my words carefully when I talk to those guys…”

Tsutomu had missed the beginning of the party’s fight in the most unexpected way, and the guilt weighed heavily on him. He headed back to the Clan House in a dark mood, so much so that even Leleia seemed concerned.

Smith, of course, walked them home.