Live Dungeon!

The following morning, Tsutomu gathered the entire Clan to formally announce, alongside Korinna, the party lineups for the hundredth layer. While Garm and Diniel voiced some doubts about Korinna being treated as the de facto leader of Team 1 this time around, the rest of the Clan appeared to accept it without issue. Amira, in particular, was so thrilled that she grabbed Korinna by the shoulders and shook her back and forth until the poor girl was dizzy and cross-eyed.

By now, the emotional high of Tsutomu’s team’s first-try clear of the ninetieth layer had faded, while Korinna’s steady improvement had not gone unnoticed. Even the three chosen to stay with her for the new team, once she explained her reasoning, seemed satisfied, if not secretly pleased.

”Diniel.”

”…”

”Hey.”

Tsutomu nudged Diniel, whose eyes were as dull and lifeless as a fish gasping on a dock. She glanced sideways at him without turning her head, prompting a sigh.

”Start by showing what you’re capable of in Korinna’s party,” he said. ”After that, I’ll decide whether I want to work with you again.”

”Maybe the hundredth layer really is the end of God’s Dungeon,” she muttered.

”I don’t know what lies ahead for the Dungeon, and I can’t just wipe the slate clean for what you’ve done, either. But before anything else, give it your all with your current team.”

”…”

Diniel didn’t seem particularly convinced; her long ears drooped slightly, but otherwise, her expression remained unchanged. Just then, Amy tiptoed up behind her and gently pinched the tip of one ear, rolling it between her fingers.

”Nyahaha! Are you sulking, Dini? That’s rare!”

”A-Amy,” murmured Hannah, watching the scene like someone witnessing a cat playing with a lit fuse. ”You might wanna stop that.”

…But Amy ignored her. She kept toying with Diniel’s ear, her expression bright with mischief, as though getting repayment for a long-standing debt. Then, without warning, Diniel grabbed her wrist, pulled her close, and launched her over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Amy, having clearly anticipated the retaliation, tucked into a roll and landed nimbly. Laughing through her teeth, she held a hand to her mouth.

”Keep sulking and you’ll mess up again, y’know?”

”I’m not sulking.”

”Really? Suuure you’re not.”

Diniel narrowed her eyes and lunged forward, swiping at her, but Amy dodged effortlessly and retreated behind the couch with a giggle. Diniel gave chase, her eyes glinting like a hunter.

”They’re really going at it,” Hannah said with an awkward chuckle. ”Amy might get caught eventually, though.”

”If it were you, you’d be on the dinner table already,” Amira quipped.

”…Oh? Big words coming from someone in Team 2,” Hannah replied coolly. ”Sounds like our Team 1 Tank here needs to teach some discipline.”

She clasped one small fist in the other, cracking her knuckles with a sound like a twig snapping. Not to be outdone, Amira clenched her hands, the veins bulging along her forearms as an ominous grinding sound followed.

Feeling suddenly outmatched, Hannah began frantically attempting to crack her own knuckles in response… but no sound came.

”I’ve got it!” Hannah, her face contorting with frustration, glanced toward Leleia’s pouch of for-Spirit Magic Stones as if struck by a flash of genius. ”Leleia, pass me a Magic Stone!”

”You’ll just get scolded by Miss Ollie again,” Leleia dismissed her plea without mercy.

”Grrr…”

Leleia seemed about to lecture Amira as well but stopped short, likely realizing no words would reach her in her current state.

”Hehehe…. Garm, Daryl!” Xeno said with theatrical flair. ”You two do your best holding up Team 2, eh?”

”Hahaha…” Daryl gave a nervous laugh. ”Sir Xeno, I think you might want to ease up on the jokes.”

”…”

Garm was scowling like thunder. Daryl glanced his way, then leaned in with a whisper.

”Just saying. Sir Garm’s taking it seriously.”

Unfazed, Xeno dramatically swept a hand through his silver hair and strode confidently toward Garm.

”Garm, my friend, I know how much trust you put in Tsutomu… BUT it was he who appointed Korinna to Team 1. To question that decision… don’t you find that a bit lacking in grace?”

”It’s not that I don’t recognize Korinna’s ability,” Garm replied. ”She’s grown into her role as a Healer. I respect that.”

”Then why the sour face?”

”…Because, on a personal level, I still believe Tsutomu is the superior Healer. That’s all.”

With that, Garm offered a stiff, awkward bow to Korinna before turning his back and heading upstairs to prepare for today’s exploration. Xeno watched him go and gave a shrug, only to be thumped on the back by Korinna’s fist a moment later, followed by a scolding.

Daryl, while watching it all unfold, remained curious as to what Tsutomu really thought of Korinna. But as he glanced around the room, he realized Tsutomu was nowhere to be found.

”…Wait. Where’s Sir Tsutomu?”

”He already went upstairs by himself a moment ago,” Leleia said, glancing toward the stairs. ”We should start getting ready as well. Hannah, stop trying to outmuscle everyone and move along. You too, Amira.”

”If I use Magic Fist, it’ll make way more noise, just watch!”

”Yeah, because you’d be breaking your damn bones at that point!”

As it turned out, Tsutomu had quietly slipped away from the living room, unnoticed amid the ruckus among the Clan members. With a startled jolt, Daryl hurried back to his room to prepare his gear.

After strapping on his heavy armor and checking over his equipment, he stepped out and turned toward the stairs… only to pause. With today’s bedhead being especially persistent, he made a detour to the washroom, deciding it would be best to at least smooth it down a little.

He opened the door quickly, not expecting anyone inside, but there Tsutomu was, facing the mirror with an alarmingly serious expression.

”…Huh?”

Daryl had seen Tsutomu’s serious face before, like when Hannah’s behavior was getting difficult, or when someone lapped him during their morning runs. Though certainly not as stoic as Garm, he was always reserved and never one for expressive outbursts to begin with.

This, however, was different. Tsutomu’s face wasn’t just calm; it was so empty it gave the impression that something inside him had simply… stopped.

In all the months they had lived together, nearly a year now, Daryl had never seen him like this. He stood frozen, struck speechless.

”Dude, what’re you standing there for?” Tsutomu said suddenly. ”Mind stepping aside so I can get out?”

His voice and manner were now entirely normal, as if nothing were out of place. He gave Daryl a gentle but insistent nudge. It was not a shove, just the kind of push someone who knew their own lack of physical strength might give.

The tone was now so familiar that Daryl began to question whether he had imagined the whole thing. Maybe it had been a trick of the light, maybe his eyes were playing games with him.

Still uncertain, he stepped aside and let Tsutomu pass.

”Your bedhead’s awful, by the way,” Tsutomu remarked. ”You should really do something about it.”

”Ah, yes, that’s… what I’m doing right now.”

”…Right. Guess I kept you waiting, huh?” he replied with a chuckle, perhaps amused by Daryl’s spur-of-the-moment, Captain Obvious reply.

But for some reason, Daryl found that he could not quite smile back like he usually would.