Isagi's plan was very successful. It was just that, for Ryuu and the others, the waiting time was slightly too long.
Located within the [Golden Desert] of the 35th Floor.
Two Elf women, first led by the Siren Ray to a certain oasis to resupply, were now walking towards the entrance connecting the 34th and 35th Floors while contacting Lyd—who was still above—and Finn's group via the Oculus.
High above, amidst the towering ceilings, small spherical orbs resembling the sun—whether crystal or some kind of fluorescence was unknown—emitted a very, very dim light.
Although Floors 33 to 35 were all part of the [Golden Desert], this place was somewhat different from the two floors above. It belonged to the "Night."
It was always very quiet, and oases where one could rest existed. However, one still had to be vigilant at all times against various monsters hiding beneath the sand. One could not let their guard down and assume this was a Safe Floor just because it hadn't been specialized by Isagi's Skill.
Normally speaking, the monsters here were only at the level of Level 3 to Level 4. Therefore, for Riveria and Ryuu, they posed absolutely no threat.
Ray, as a Xenos, also possessed a Level 5 status and was even more familiar with the Dungeon, making the journey suddenly become much more relaxed.
Subsequently, the three quickly crossed the desert under the "Night" and arrived at the entrance connecting to the 34th Floor. They waited for a long time before realizing that amidst the sand dunes not far away, a massive ruin seemed to have appeared like a mirage.
That was a sight that often appeared in the [Golden Desert]. Once, adventurers also called this place the "Land of Illusions"; at the end of that distant line of sight, various strange things would always appear.
Ray and the two Elves walked towards the direction of the ruins, only to discover that the ruins were indeed fake. Actually, appearing before their eyes was an incomparably deep large hole, looking somewhat like a mine pit.
Ancient plank roads circled the rock walls of the pit, intermittent and leading all the way down. Amidst the rock walls, ancient, mottled murals seemed to exist.
Of course, they had no mood to look at these right now. The girls quickly split up, letting Ray, who could fly, attempt to go down and see if a Fog Gate existed. At the same time, the two Elves went to the 34th Floor to see if the floor above had undergone any changes.
Soon after, they received two pieces of good news.
There was no Fog Gate at the bottom of the pit. It seemed there was no Gatekeeper BOSS, though there were quite a few strange and terrifying monsters, nearly putting Ray in danger. And, likely because changes would affect the entire floor upon approaching the Deep Levels, the 34th Floor above remained an ordinary Dungeon, unaffected by Isagi's Skill.
It wasn't like the Upper and Middle Levels before. Back then, as long as Isagi entered the Dungeon, the [Goblin Kingdom] would appear from the 4th to the 12th Floor, and after entering the tunnel to the 13th Floor, the entire Middle Level, including Rivira, would change.
Next came another long wait.
The three women stood at the edge of the large pit, waiting until the Xenos advance support unit arrived. They received supplies and even set up camp at the edge of the pit.
They didn't know how much time had passed until, finally, they saw the youth flapping golden wings fly out from below the pit.
"Phew, looks like it went reasonably smoothly."
The "365-mile road" he had traversed was too arduous to describe right now. Isagi stowed away the supplies Ryuu-senpai and Riveria had given him, then asked them and the Xenos to continue upwards. He himself needed to rest to restore his Mind while waiting for his resurrection count to refresh—it was almost midnight anyway.
Unknowingly, nearly a whole day had passed since entering the Dungeon.
And so, the cycle repeated.
Aside from the time consumed being somewhat long, the process was very smooth. Isagi flew whenever he could. When he encountered areas with many monsters, he found opportunities to switch his Character Card, transforming into "Retaking the Journey to the West." Then, utilizing the Immobilize Spell and the Form Gathering and Qi Scattering (Invisibility) spell, he ran past them. There was always a way.
At the entrance between the 33rd and 32nd Floors, they finally encountered a Gatekeeper BOSS. However, by this time, Riveria and Ryuu had already rendezvoused with Finn and the others who had come to support them.
The City's rescue team, after more than a day, had also flown quickly from the surface to reach here. Because the Xenos didn't want to be exposed in front of so many people, they had already left ahead of time, asking Ryuu and Riveria to help "keep the secret."
Thus, the rescue team, boasting multiple Level 6 and Level 5 adventurers, easily dispatched the Gatekeeper BOSS under the command of "veteran drivers" like Lefiya and Tiona, even before Isagi arrived.
They waited for Isagi to arrive, left supplies for the boy again, and then repeated the old trick. Spending another day or so, they passed through the [Forest Canyon] area located between the 29th and 33rd Floors and arrived at the Safe Floor on the 28th Floor, the [Elf Flower Sea].
"Is there really such a big guy down there?"
Bathed in the sunlight amidst the blooming flowers, in the distance, a golden Sacred Tree emitted a dazzling brilliance.
Because of Isagi's existence, the [Elf Flower Sea] had changed to become even more beautiful than usual. Furthermore, around that massive Sacred Tree, tiny "Fairies" resembling butterflies existed. They fluttered and played, looking like NPCs with stories to tell. Isagi went over to take a look, finding that these guys ignored him; perhaps the prerequisite story quest wasn't finished.
Hmm—
On the other side, amidst the hillside above the stream, the adventurers had set up camp and were resting, thinking of getting a good sleep before heading back up to the city in one go.
Everyone's mood was somewhat relaxed. No matter what, they had found the people they needed to rescue, and the operation had been very smooth. It was something worth celebrating.
Finn and the others also lamented, thankful that Isagi and Riveria hadn't fallen to even deeper floors. If it was just the Lower Levels, for this squad composed almost entirely of First-Class Adventurers, it was indeed quite easy.
But the problem was, for some reason, Finn felt a dull throb in his thumb.
He had a bad premonition.
It wasn't a Skill or Magic. As the [Braver], the Captain of the Loki Familia, he possessed a terrifying intuition. Before danger descended, he would always subconsciously lick his thumb like this and fall into thought.
"That thing... what is its status now? Logically speaking, after Isagi left, it should have returned to its [Original State], right?"
"I don't know..." Isagi shook his head.
Around the campfire, the boy sat in a circle with his companions and the adventurers who had come to support them. Not only were Ryuu-senpai and Lefiya present, but Miss Ais, several Executives of the Ganesha Familia, and even Mama Mia from the pub were there.
The sturdy Dwarf auntie, 1.8 meters tall, was still wearing the apron and cotton clothes she usually wore in the shop, looking as if she hadn't come for an adventure at all. Even her weapon was just an iron shovel she used daily.
"If it explodes, will [That Thing] really appear?"
"Mm..." Ryuu nodded.
Including Fels, who was currently contacting everyone via the Oculus, they helped the Elf girl provide an answer—perhaps because they were on a Safe Floor, or perhaps because they were closer to the surface, the Dungeon's interference was limited, allowing for barely maintainable communication.
"That is the [Juggernaut]."
The envoy of the God Ouranos spoke a very awkward name, a monster named after the title of a certain deity. Its meaning was [Calamity].
"It was only after the Astrea Familia encountered it previously that God Ouranos confirmed its existence."
"That is not a monster, but an envoy of the Dungeon."
"The Dungeon is alive. Therefore, when its interior is excessively destroyed, it will also feel pain. And born from its pain is the [Calamity] meant to erase all initiators of the damage."
Rather than calling it a monster, it was better to say it was some kind of "existence" bred by the Dungeon specifically targeting adventurers.
Its speed was extremely fast, its attack power and destructiveness extremely high. Even a Level 4 adventurer would be instantly killed by it in a single strike. It even possessed a Magic Reflection Shell—
The Astrea Familia of the past had been wiped out by it.
"In that case, it requires at least a First-Class Adventurer... No, if it's also enhanced by Isagi's Skill..."
"But we can't just leave it alone either."
Its existence was simply a time bomb.
"Currently, the safest plan should be to let Isagi return to the city, and then we go to the 37th Floor, find that thing, and think of a way to [Detonate] it."
"In that way, even if the Juggernaut really appears, even if we aren't its match, we can find a way to escape—Ryuu said so too, right? That monster won't exist forever. On the contrary, after a period of time, it will be reclaimed by the Dungeon."
Within a short time, Finn offered the safest plan.
"Without intelligence, that monster is indeed very tricky. But with preparation, given our current state, there should be no problem."
Four Level 6s, and a large number of Level 5s. Such a lineup was enough to subjugate the Monster Rex of the 49th Floor, [Balor]. As long as it wasn't a "Special Dungeon" altered by Isagi, going from here down to the 37th Floor would be completely fine.
Everyone had no objections to this. Even Fels, as well as Loki and Goddess Astrea who were keeping in contact via the Oculus, felt this was the optimal solution.
After all, they couldn't just leave that "big bomb" alone in the Deep Levels of the Dungeon.
But as luck would have it, accidents always happened very suddenly.
Just as everyone was discussing the details, from below, an incomparably violent booming explosion suddenly rang out. The Dungeon trembled once again. And it was far more violent than before. Most importantly, it was accompanied by some kind of terrifying "wailing" sound.
The Dungeon was crying in pain?
For some reason, it gave people an inexplicably fake feeling. As if it were feigned. Rather than crying, it was more like it had "finally" completed something.
That [Bomb] had exploded after all.
Almost at the same time, everyone felt a sense of "palpitation" and "terror." Although theoretically speaking, Isagi, who was already on the 28th Floor, shouldn't be able to affect the 37th Floor anymore, theory was theory. The Dungeon was always full of accidents—or rather, to this day, even the Gods could not determine what kind of things would happen inside the Dungeon.
Whether it was the [Juggernaut] that once wiped out the Astrea Familia, or now...
"Retreat."
Isagi, in the first instant, without any room for argument, told everyone around him to hurry and retreat to the city.
No one knew what would happen next. Only the boy felt that the [Dark Bond Ring] between his fingers was still emitting a chilling aura.
[Something is coming for me.]
At the same time.
After separating from Isagi's group, following Fels's orders, the Xenos had returned to the Deep Levels, wanting to check the situation on the 37th Floor. As a result, when they just arrived at the [White Palace], because of the boy's departure, the floor had returned to its original appearance. There were only gray-white giant stone walls standing erect, forming a chaotic labyrinth of caves circle after circle.
However, Lyd and Ray saw it. Located amidst the ceiling, the giant worm and the massive bloated "Magic Dragon" about to be vomited out still existed.
And in the next instant, it exploded directly.
Firelight, booming, misery?
No.
What the Xenos felt at this moment was sheer cold and darkness. Aside from that, there was actually nothing—
Subsequently, they saw the entire floor collapsing because of that massive explosion. The bomb that the Gods had originally placed high hopes on to destroy Orario had now destroyed the majority of the floor. Fortunately, Lyd and the others had just arrived there, so the Xenos retreated quickly, returning from the 37th Floor to the 36th Floor.
And as they stood at the entrance, hearts still palpitating, looking at the pitch-black tunnel down the slope, all the Xenos noticed something walking out from within.
That was—
A human shape slowly emerging from the darkness.
It was coming towards them at an extremely fast speed, but they couldn't prepare for battle at all. Because at this moment, the absolute gap in power made these Xenos, whose levels were all Level 4 and Level 5, terrified to the extreme.
Because they were all children of the Mother, they could feel that incomparably terrifying aura even more.
For a moment, Lyd and Ray even thought of death.
If it were an ordinary monster, it would definitely attack them. Even though they were all children of the Dark Mother, ordinary monsters still viewed them as "aberrations." They would even treat them as enemies and actively initiate attacks. Being unacknowledged by monsters and loathed by people on the surface—this was the origin of the [Xenos].
But this time was different.
The "Humanoid" walking out of the darkness bore an intensely strong aura of the Mother.
Was that an envoy of the Dungeon, or perhaps...
Lyd and Ray didn't know. The only thing they knew was that it didn't cast a single glance their way. Instead, it continued towards the distance at an extremely fast speed. Just as it passed by everyone, a title surfaced in the hearts of the Xenos—
[Incarnation of the Dungeon]...
"Isagi, what Level do you think she is?"
"I don't know..."
The speed of the Dungeon was simply inconceivable.
Right after the explosion occurred below, Fels received the message sent back by the Xenos and relayed it to Isagi. Immediately, the boy beckoned the adventurers beside him to prepare to retreat to the city surface immediately. Thus, just as everyone arrived at the entrance between the 27th and 28th Floors, she had already caught up.
[Incarnation of the Dungeon].
When seeing this name, everyone's heart was filled with apprehension. No explanation was needed, no words required. The "Dark Humanoid" before them represented an existence equal to the Gods.
It had no specific appearance. On the whole, it looked like a pitch-black, short girl. Because it was excessively short and slender, one would feel it was just a child—judging by the long hair behind its head, it should be female—and considering monsters called the Dungeon "Mother," it was definitely female.
However.
The instant it arrived in front of Isagi, the dark humanoid changed. As the Incarnation of the Dungeon, it seemed to be slowly manifesting some form. Or perhaps, it was imitating the boy, manifesting armor resembling a beast across its body.
Except, compared to the boy's, it was even more wild.
Those ferocious and exaggerated spikes, the fine armor resembling Great Dragon scales, and a certain feeling emerging from within that Isagi found deja vu. Distant memories surfaced all at once, making Isagi scream internally that this was bad!
It couldn't be...
Ever since establishing a connection with the Dungeon, he always felt something was wrong. And at this moment, that alarm of "wrongness" seemed to solidify into substance, frantically flashing a "Red Light" deep in his heart!
What Level was this guy?
Facing Finn's question, Isagi didn't know at all.
Analyze calmly! The [Juggernaut] Ryuu-senpai and the others encountered back then was around the 30th Floor. According to the battle situation, Alise and Kaguya managed to injure it in the end, creating the chance for Ryuu to escape. Therefore, it could be judged that the guy back then should have been Level 5.
The reason the Astrea Familia was wiped out was largely because it was too sudden; they had no defense and no intelligence on the opponent. If they had known its existence and abilities from the start and seriously formulated a combat plan, they might have even won.
Then, calculating based on this.
The [Juggernaut] born on the 37th Floor would likely be around Level 6. And as everyone knew, monsters in the Dungeon mutated by him would have their Levels increased by about Lv.2—at least based on the experience in the Deep Levels, this was indeed the case.
Ordinary monsters went from Level 4 to at least Level 6. Then as a super rare "BOSS"...
Was this guy considered a "Miracle" or a "Divine Work" or perhaps...
"Might be Lv.8," Isagi made a very conservative estimate.
"That seems manageable?" Finn said.
It wasn't arrogance. Adventurers could indeed challenge monsters above their level. Especially for powerful adventurers, this was even more so. Previously, the [Balor] subjugated by the Loki Familia expedition was a Floor Boss of Lv.7 or higher. For them, who had long been First-Class Adventurers, soloing a monster around Lv.6 was simply a daily meal. A guy that posed difficulty would indeed have to be Lv.7 or even Lv.8.
But it couldn't be looked at that way.
"This guy might be stronger than a Lv.8 adventurer."
Most importantly, Isagi was worried...
The Incarnation of the Dungeon didn't attack immediately. Instead, it seemed to still be adapting to something, undergoing changes. And right now, for Isagi and the adventurers, there were only two choices.
First, repel it.
The Prum [Braver], who was always cautious, never engaged in battles he wasn't confident in. But now, they couldn't turn and run either. So, they could only proceed as per the worst-case scenario plan: attack the opponent first.
Finn, Gareth, Riveria, Mia, as well as Ais, Tiona, Lefiya, Ryuu-senpai, Miss Heith... Along with two Lv.5s from the Ganesha Familia and several elite executives from the Loki Familia's second-line troops.
The lineup was quite luxurious.
However, before the adventurers could initiate the attack, the Incarnation of the Dungeon seemed to have finally completed something. It took the lead, rushing towards the group. The primary target was obviously Isagi.
Thus, as the high-speed vanguards, Finn and Ais instantly intercepted between her and the boy.
Then, a few seconds passed.
The [Braver] wielding dual spears, and the [Sword Princess] who had switched back to her sword [Despair]—as it was better for fighting monsters of the same size—were both blasted away directly.
It wasn't a gap in Strength.
In fact, the opponent didn't use much strength at all. Relying purely on technique, she knocked the two flying in the blink of an eye. In that instant, a moment many couldn't see clearly at all, only Finn and Ais knew what had actually happened.
It was the "Sword"!
In the hand of the Incarnation of the Dungeon, almost out of thin air, a straight sword appeared. Then, she swung it.
That feeling was very strange. Finn, holding dual spears, felt for the first time someone swinging a sword like that. It wasn't just fast. Finn couldn't describe it. Only Ais, who had once practiced with Isagi, knew that the strangeness of the battle just now actually came from a type of "technique" unique to the boy.
[Cancel].
There was no "recovery frames." After swinging the weapon, without needing to pause at all, one could swing again immediately. That was a movement absolutely impossible for humans to make—Ais had tried, finding it impossible no matter what. Swinging the weapon like that allowed the blade to slash, slash, slash continuously at a faster speed and higher frequency...
And after knocking the two flying, in the blink of an eye, the Incarnation of the Dungeon stopped her movements and transformed the straight sword in her hand into a Great Bow.
"!!!"
Now, everyone was even more familiar, because that was one of Isagi's—
[Left Bow]!
Countless black arrows poured out. Without any pause, they shot violently towards everyone. Gareth, holding a Great Shield, arrived in front of everyone first. As he raised the Great Shield, the ultra-short chant defensive magic chanted by Lefiya also raised a deep blue barrier.
But the rain of arrows was ceaseless.
Even though Riveria subsequently chanted her Absolute Defense Magic, letting that emerald giant light screen envelope everyone, the arrows from the bow in the hands of the Dungeon Incarnation still scattered out continuously, as if inexhaustible.
This was too much.
This guy's level of cheating was simply more excessive than Isagi's. Because the boy's "Left Bow" was essentially a type of Magic fueled by Mind, and couldn't be sustained for this long.
[Why does it feel like mine is the pirated version?!]
Isagi was dumbfounded.
And at this moment, naturally, they couldn't let this continue. Taking a shield from Gareth's hand, Mama Mia suddenly roared and rushed out from one side of the barrier. Truly like a steel chariot, she arrived violently before the opponent!
Suddenly falling into melee combat naturally caused the [Left Bow] to be interrupted.
But the Incarnation of the Dungeon, still unhurried, manifested a Recurve Longsword in her hand.
"..."
The moment he saw that weapon, Isagi twitched the corner of his mouth again. Sure enough. The thing he worried about most had happened—the Dungeon was learning his memories!!
Those distant, unforgettable, past memories were read by this guy. And then, taboo techniques that even the current him hadn't mastered were performed in the hands of the Dungeon Incarnation with ease!
Mia also felt the strange sensation. But it wasn't the "Cancel" Finn and Ais felt just now, but another kind of indescribable weirdness.
No matter how the opponent swung the longsword in her hand, she could feel the blade appearing before her eyes at any time and place, as if following her body's movement. Blocking, dodging, or any action.
[Toggle Roll]. [Dead Angle].
No matter how she dodged, no matter how she counterattacked, the longsword could always track her body's movement every moment, accurately slashing down towards her.
Similarly, in just a few seconds, Mia had to actively pull back the distance, feeling herself drenched in sweat.
Too strange. It was really too strange. It wasn't just that she hadn't been an adventurer for too long, nor that she hadn't fought like this for too long. The most important thing was this completely incomprehensible "Martial Art" that she had never experienced before. It truly made one feel fear from the bottom of their heart.
And as Mama Mia retreated, the Incarnation of the Dungeon still didn't pursue. Everyone felt it. In the battle just now, she hadn't even used any strength. Instead, as if "adapting" to the techniques, she used everyone as practice targets. One could even say she was playing.
At this moment, she still looked at Isagi. Beneath that black humanoid beast armor, it was impossible to see her expression. However, everyone could feel that she seemed to reveal a very proud appearance, puffing out her chest slightly, looking smug and satisfied.
"You guys go back first. Leave this to me."
It wasn't Isagi trying to be a hero.
It was because the strength displayed by the Incarnation of the Dungeon before them was no longer something they could handle. This was a power named [Taboo] from "Another World."
For adventurers of this world, it was an existence far exceeding the norm. So, to adapt to it in the instant of a life-and-death battle... reality wasn't a hot-blooded manga or game; there weren't that many reversals.
So, it could only be him. And only him.
Isagi took a deep breath and walked towards her. Distant memories were indeed awakened, even inexplicably making one feel nostalgic, as if returning to that incomparably familiar place.
And thus, next, the adventurers of the City saw a battle worth remembering for a lifetime...
____
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