Live Dungeon!

[Such tiresome talk of spirit and camaraderie…]

Stephanie had long believed that the conventional wisdom surrounding party formation for Explorers was fundamentally flawed. That morning’s newspaper only reinforced the notion. The article, written by one of the so-called ’Dungeon Maniacs,’ spouted platitudes about trust, teamwork, and morale as though those alone could win battles.

Yes, those things had their place. But for someone like Stephanie, who now held enough authority within Ealdred Crow to voice her opinion on even Team 1’s composition, there were far more pressing concerns.

[If trust and teamwork were all it took to make a party function, none of this would be difficult. In the end, all they’re doing is using those pretty words to plaster over holes in their party. But if you simply build a party with no holes to begin with, everything else follows naturally.]

A party with no weaknesses was the ideal foundation. Watching Absolute Helix’s Team 2 compete against her own team on the ninetieth layer, and seeing Silver Beast’s imitators stumble through their mimicry, Stephanie’s conviction of this only grew. Spirit and morale could come after. Victory was water, and a leaky vessel would never hold it.

Absolute Helix’s current formation, she noted, had lost much of its former bite. The group had grown preoccupied with compensating for the so-called ‘hole’ that was Xeno. Amy’s once-lethal presence had dulled, especially after her [ transformation. And Amira, though in peak form, lacked the menace she once held. Stephanie could see clearly how everyone was too focused on patching the crack, and in doing so, they were dulling the blades that should have been cutting forward.

Yet Stephanie herself did not view Xeno as a genuine liability. According to her informants, his performance during the battle against the Winter General had been exceptional, surpassing even what was considered humanly possible. That alone put him in the upper echelons of Ealdred Crow’s standards. And watching him Tank during the ninetieth-layer battle through the Monitors confirmed it: Xeno was usable.

Certainly, part of his miraculous showing could be attributed to Tsutomu’s flawless support and healing. But Stephanie had sensed something deeper. A willpower, a recklessness, a brightness that laughed in the face of danger.

[So long as his posturing drives him to fulfill his role as a Tank, that flamboyance is not only tolerable, but valuable. That foolish lightheartedness, that willingness to sacrifice himself in ways others won’t, makes him an asset. Mister Tsutomu recognized it and used it well. What looks like a hole is nothing of the sort. And those who fail to see that will only stumble in the final stretch.]

Amy, on the other hand, had recently begun to overextend herself — trying to act as a commander, issuing orders that should have come from someone else. In truth, Xeno was better suited to that role. In terms of combat alone, Amy’s skills had grown sharper, more refined. Her Job, Dualblader, made her one of the most dangerous Attackers out there, swift and unrelenting. To shackle that potential with extra responsibilities was wasteful.

Garm, too, had lost his edge. His attention was scattered, his thoughts clearly consumed by Xeno’s presence. Even Amira, gifted as she was, still lacked long-term experience. Both of them, caught up in the shifting dynamic, had started to hesitate. They ended up following rather than leading.

Despite their recent recovery over the past week, Stephanie saw Absolute Helix’s Team 2 as no real threat. In fact, Silver Beast, for all its inexperience and experimental composition, was more of a credible rival. They stumbled forward with reckless abandon, but at least they moved.

[Korinna… Her abilities as a Channeler are impressive, but perhaps she lacks experience as a Healer? It’s hard to believe she’s in the same Clan as Mister Tsutomu. Her capabilities in a leadership position are shockingly low… or is it something in her mindset?]

Korinna’s potential was undeniable. Using her death-sight to eliminate the lag of resurrection, her support and healing had reached a level that could be considered respectable even among top-tier Healers. In fact, she might have already surpassed Kisaragi, Team 2’s current Healer.

But for a Healer, commanding the team was as important as healing it, and Korinna lacked the finesse. Her healing and resurrection were exceptional, yes. But when compared to her commanding ability, the disparity was clear. Stephanie had seen it before among the ranks of Ealdred Crow: Healers growing up with a martyr’s mindset, never learning to lead.

[Power without will is empty. Unless she yearns for it, desiring with a burning heart, it will never become strength.]

Before meeting Tsutomu, Stephanie had been that kind of woman herself: easily swayed, adrift in the tides of others’ decisions. But the moment she graduated from her apprenticeship and received THAT stack of notes from him, things had changed. She’d found her voice. She could finally speak her mind to those around her. All of it, every step she took, was to walk the path Tsutomu had once pointed toward.

And now, she had arrived. Tsutomu stood just beyond her reach, but this time she could almost see his back.

[I’ve assembled the perfect party… A flawless formation that could claim victory on the ninetieth layer.]

Like Tsutomu, Stephanie had poured herself into fostering the growth of her party. Bittman, Rook, and Dorssia, the newly-promoted Tank… all had come to obey her commands without hesitation. They were hers, forged in her mold. As for Sova, she’d heard he’d been changed by Tsutomu’s influence, too. When he returned to Team 1, her heart had pounded with anticipation.

It all made sense. Tsutomu had rehabilitated Sova, and now he was part of HER team. In a way, this party was a collaboration between them. And if they were to lose to another Clan — if their joint creation were to fall short — she could never face him again.

[We’ll be the first to catch up. No matter what. Because this party carries Mister Tsutomu’s will. That damn rabbit, that empty husk… none of them will reach him before I do! I will! Yes, I will! ME, ME, MEEE!!]

At the very least, Tsutomu would see her through the Monitors. In God’s Dungeon, he would HAVE to look at her. Even if she were seen as grotesque or unhinged, that wouldn’t change.

And as she imagined the look on Tsutomu’s face when she finally caught up — when she overtook them all — Stephanie let her skill wisps flare around her in an erratic storm. She proceeded to step out of the Clan House and into the pale morning gloom.

▽▽

”…Hmm? Sounds lively in here.”

The next day, just after Tsutomu and Absolute Helix’s Team 1 had secured their path through the ninety-fifth layer, they returned to the Guild… and were met with a palpable buzz in the air. The Explorers loitering in the main hall were visibly stirred, their voices raised, their steps quick. Using Daryl’s broad frame as a shield, the party pushed their way through the crowd.

Then Tsutomu caught the source of the commotion: Ealdred Crow on Monitor #1.

”Oh, they… won?”

A Pair Magic Stone was displayed on the screen. It was confirmation that the Light and Darkness layers’ Corrupted Shell had been defeated. At the center of the screen, an Eidolon Golem hoisted Rook into the air, with Sova and Bittman joining in the celebratory toss. Meanwhile, Dorssia collapsed at Stephanie’s feet, gasping for air. The chaotic scene was surreal enough to make Tsutomu blink in disbelief.

Then, the Monitor’s projection shifted, focusing squarely on Stephanie. She had once looked like a feral beast driven to the brink: her pink hair a tangled mess, her expression twisted in desperation as she fought within God’s Dungeon. But now, she looked composed and, despite being in the aftermath of a fierce battle, still quite presentable. The expression she wore was the same one she showed each morning and night during her personal greetings in her room.

”I WILL catch up to you!”

[Man, she’s terrifying!]

There was only one person Stephanie could possibly mean, and Tsutomu FELT her intent. There was something indescribable lurking behind her smile, a thing not meant to be looked at directly. Shuddering inwardly, Tsutomu promptly averted his gaze and made a quiet exit from the Guild.

◆

”…So. Ealdred Crow managed to snag a win,” Leleia said.

”Looks like it,” Tsutomu replied.

”Did you… expect this?”

”More or less. I thought Silver Beast might surprise us, but… Lorena’s not in great shape.”

On the Monitors these days, Lorena’s expression was tense, her usual smile conspicuously absent. She had been losing to the Corrupted Shell over and over again, and with her long-standing rivalry with Stephanie, the gap between them must have felt wider than ever. Smiling through that would have been impossible.

”She hasn’t looked like she’s having much fun lately,” Hannah muttered. ”It’s like… I dunno, she should just let herself run free more.”

”Oh?” Tsutomu tilted his head, intrigued.

”Wh-what’s that look for?”

”Nothing. Just thought that was an interesting thing for you to say, Hannah. You and Lorena actually have more in common than you think.”

Hannah, who found both wide-open skies terrifying and cramped birdcages stifling, probably saw something of herself in Lorena, someone trapped by expectations. But even the freedom to run wild needed solid ground beneath one’s feet. No one could sprint through a swamp.

”Well, we don’t have time to worry about Silver Beast anyway. Ealdred Crow might catch up faster than we expect, so we’re going to keep pushing forward to the next boss monster without slowing down.”

”Wah…! So cold!” Hannah whined.

”We did form a temporary alliance with them,” Leleia said, ”but they’re still our competition. No need to hand them any advantages.”

”They’ll be fine,” Diniel added flatly.

”You’re all so cold…” Hannah repeated, shoulders slumped in dejection.

”I’m sure they care… at least a little, somewhere deep down,” Daryl offered, voice uncertain. ”…Probably.”

Tsutomu simply chuckled through his nose in response.