Live Dungeon!

Several days had passed since both parties of Absolute Helix had cleared the ninety-ninth layer. Now, at last, they stood before the Black Gate, the threshold leading into the hundredth layer. As anyone could have predicted, the yet-unseen layer of God’s Dungeon had drawn immense attention. In response to requests from nobles and the city’s Security Team, Absolute Helix had agreed to a scheduled entry time.

Thus, the assault was set for two days later, in the early evening. It was also announced that Korinna’s party would take point as the vanguard unit. The decision sparked a mixture of praise and skepticism from Explorers and Dungeon Maniacs alike, yet few dared to claim Korinna lacked the strength to deserve the honor.

”The hundredth layer, huh… So this is really it. God’s Dungeon, fully conquered.”

”Which means the rest of us are about to be obsolete.”

”Well, that’s when I finally make you take over the family business.”

”Ugh, anything but that…”

A young Dungeon Maniac wrinkled his nose at the remark, made by his master and father, a craftsman who made ornate furnishings and decorations commissioned by sponsors eager to adorn Explorers with glory. If the Dungeon truly ended at the hundredth layer, such extravagant commissions would slow to a trickle, and the steady stream of new intel for Dungeon Maniacs would dry up. The business, and the culture around it, would wither.

”C’mon, I bet there are more layers after that. Right?”

”Right!”

”I’d like to keep running the food stand a bit longer, too. Daryl’s been a regular lately.”

”Yeah!”

The craftsman’s wife and their small child chimed in cheerfully, their faces bright with hope. They were far from alone in that opinion; families and workers tied to the God’s Dungeon in one way or another had begun discussing the Dungeon’s future with growing frequency.

And this was not just idle chatter. The symbolic weight of reaching the clean, seemingly final number, one hundred, had stirred up heated debates across the entire Dungeon City. Whether this was truly the end or a mere milestone would determine the future of every citizen. Even a child could grasp how much was at stake.

”Man, I really don’t need this stress…”

”I wish I could take the day off…”

Everyone knew the day after tomorrow would bring a swarm of spectators. Even now, the Security Team was out on patrol, their faces shadowed with dread. Keeping the peace once the area around the Monitors was packed with commoners and nobles alike would be no easy task.

By the eve of the assault, the Dungeon City was ablaze with life. Every corner, from the Pedestal Market to the farthest tavern, buzzed with anticipation. Dungeon Maniacs worked feverishly to analyze Absolute Helix’s party compositions and predict how the challenge would unfold.

Around Monitor #1, extra seating was being constructed to accommodate the expected flood of onlookers. Most of the workers, short-haired and broad-shouldered, were operating deep into the night or in the pre-dawn hours, using Shell Crabs to haul materials and avoid crowds. Even House Babenberg had joined the effort, assisting with the construction of a massive dome-like observation deck above the Monitor. Smith, as one of the lead architects, furrowed his brow as he clutched a blueprint, adjusting the plans with meticulous care.

Street vendors near the Pedestal Market ordered more ingredients than usual, prepping in bulk to meet the inevitable surge in customers. Delivery runners darted back and forth between stalls, while the sale and exchange of Magic Stones for cooking tools reached a frenzy. At Tsutomu’s usual exchange post, the Dwarf girl barked orders at a group of burly men, keeping the operation running like a war camp.

Over at the Dorren Workshop, craftsmen scrambled to finish seating and fencing in time for the main event. At the Potion shop, the old Forest Apothecary supervised her increasingly skilled apprentice, instructing the younger-but-also-old lady as they brewed batch after batch of Potion. Everywhere, everyone moved with purpose. The entire Dungeon City was preparing, united in anticipation of the hundredth layer.

”…All right then, shall we go?”

And so the day came. As evening approached, a hush fell over the city. Businesses had closed early. Workers had wrapped up their shifts hours ahead of schedule. All eyes turned to Monitor #1, where Korinna, visible on-screen, stood before her party with a taut, nervous expression.

The moment the great Black Gate creaked open, revealing the hundredth layer, the crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.

▽▽

”Quite the uproar down there,” Tsutomu remarked with a light, unbothered tone.

He sat near the top of a specially constructed airborne viewing gallery, a structure conjured through Shield magic by Smith, with its color-coded seating and intricate embellishments designed by Biancaea.

At his words, Smith turned to glare, his sharp eyes glinting with mild irritation.

”If I hadn’t extended the invitation, you’d be down there in that mess. Show some gratitude.”

”Yes, yes. My sincerest thanks, Lord Smith,” Tsutomu replied with exaggerated deference.

Smith clicked his tongue at the sarcasm, then turned his eyes back toward the Monitor, where the roar of the crowd was rising like the sea. On either side of Tsutomu, Garm and Amy sat in focused silence, their attention locked on the display of the battlefield.

[The Ancient Castle of Oblivion…]

Tsutomu recognized the scenery being projected on the Monitor: the place where he had first awakened in this world. A prickling sensation crawled up his spine, as though embers were snapping against his skin, but still, he could not look away.

Down in the Dungeon, Korinna and her party stood at the heart of a structure shaped like an arena. The open, circular space seemed to unnerve them at first, but after Korinna quickly cast [ and [, the party regained their composure and began surveying their surroundings.

”……”

Of them, Diniel was the first to react, her long ears twitching at a sound none of the others could hear. She glanced upward, her eyes narrowing against the overcast sky.

At first, it appeared to be nothing more than a dark speck in the clouds. But it grew rapidly, blotting out more of the light as it descended. The speed of its approach made it clear it was no idle curiosity.

”Something’s coming! Above us!”

Diniel’s voice cut through the tension. The entire party looked up, catching sight of the dark shape diving toward them.

Then came the roar.

It thundered across the arena like a storm breaking loose, laced with a malice that made the ground seem to tremble. The sheer weight of that sound forced everyone to stillness but none of them panicked. They had all stared down the Devourer Dragon before. This was not their first encounter with a monster that radiated death.

”Welp, there’s our boy! Let’s see what the hundredth layer’s got in store for us, eh?”

Hannah cracked a grin as she crouched in place, bouncing on her heels like she was warming up. Then she crushed a Colorless Magic Stone in her right hand and clapped her fists together, channeling its energy into her body.

”Did you hear that!? That roar! It’s every bit as dreadful as the Devourer Dragon’s! Surely that’s the boss monster!”

Xeno pointed to the rapidly descending creature, speaking with the zeal of a commentator addressing an unseen audience through the God Eye.

”[,” Leleia murmured.

Though outwardly calm, her being a Dragonewt amplified her fear. She summoned the earth Spirit Gnome to Xeno’s side with mechanical precision, then reached up to stroke the smooth throat of the Salamander perched on her shoulder, trying to steady herself.

”Haaah…”

Korinna exhaled deeply, a breath that trembled with nerves and faint anticipation. Her hand clenched around the talisman hanging from her neck.

Diniel noticed the motion, but said nothing. Instead, she simply readied her bow, drawing the string taut with a strength no ordinary person could match. She narrowed her eyes at the monster, now close enough for its form to be seen.

The creature landed with an earth-shaking impact.

It was a massive Dragon, eyeless and skeletal. It turned its vacant gaze on Korinna’s party.

”It’s a… Dragon skeleton?” Hannah muttered, eyeing its form.

”No… it’s more like a corpse than a skeleton,” Xeno said. ”The bones look raw. There’s a grotesque freshness to them. [!”

From a distance, the creature bore some resemblance to the Skeleton Dragons found beside the Demi-Lich on the Wasteland Layers. But unlike their dry, fossilized remains, this one looked as if the flesh had only just been torn away. It was repulsive, its bony frame still slick with some unseen corruption.

The Corroded Elder Dragon…

While Hannah and Xeno debated its form, the creature finished gathering itself. Then, with a grotesque gagging motion, it spewed forth a blast of corrosive breath.

The party had no choice but to react instantly. [ lifted them out of harm’s way just in time, the breath carving a trail of sludge across the battlefield. The ground below bubbled and writhed, as though a swamp had suddenly erupted in the Dragon’s wake.

”Ugh… getting hit by that wouldn’t end well,” Xeno said, grimacing.

”Try not to melt, eh, Xeno?” Hannah teased, flashing him a toothy grin.

”Let’s not say such ominous things, shall we?” Xeno replied. ”Still… point taken. We’ll need to be careful.”

On the other side of the Monitor, the spectators buzzed with speculation and excitement. The Corroded Elder Dragon had made its entrance, and now all eyes were on Absolute Helix to see how they would respond. The Dungeon Maniacs were already in full analysis mode, debating the Boss’s abilities, tracking the party’s movements, and guessing at strategies.

Even Smith and Biancaea, seated beside Tsutomu, were riveted by the unfolding battle. So too were Amira and Daryl.

But not everyone was watching the fight; Garm and Amy, both seated beside Tsutomu, had begun to notice something else. A subtle tremor in the air, coming not from the Dragon, but from the man between them.

”…Tsutomu?” Garm asked, leaning in.

”Hey, you okay?” Amy added.

Tsutomu’s head was bowed, his shoulders trembling. When they spoke to him, he jerked upright as if just waking from a bad dream.

”Oh, yeah. That Dragon’s attack… kinda looked like it was throwing up, you know? Made me a little queasy,” he said quickly.

”Ahaha, yeah, it kinda did!” Amy laughed.

”…I see,” Garm murmured, still eyeing him.

Tsutomu smiled and waved off their concern, reassuring them that he was fine and reminding them to focus on the battle so that they wouldn’t miss the good parts.

And so, despite their lingering doubts, they both turned back to the Monitor.