Compared to the previous floors, the scenery and terrain of the 8th and 9th floors of the Dungeon were once again distinct.
The walls here were no longer a pale green, but a moss-covered wood-brown. The ground had transformed into a grassland covered in short grass, and phosphorescence descended from the ceiling like sunlight, giving one the sensation of walking through the wilderness rather than a subterranean labyrinth.
The changes in terrain were not particularly drastic; there were still countless intricate rocky passages connecting various chambers. However, in the 8th and 9th floors, the number of chambers had increased and their interiors had become broader. The paths connecting these chambers were quite short, and the ceilings, which had previously peaked at three or four meters, rose to nearly ten meters. In poor lighting, the ceiling could sometimes not even be seen, illustrating the sheer scale of the area.
As for the monsters appearing here, they were a medley of everything encountered on the previous floors. No new species appeared; instead, creatures like Goblins, Kobolds, Purple Moths, and Needle Rabbits from the earlier levels reappeared in stronger forms. If one misjudged their strength simply because they had seen them before, the consequences would certainly be dire.
In other words, as long as one didn't underestimate the opponent's power and fought them using established tactics, it was generally possible to survive here unscathed.
Therefore, the difficulty of clearing the 8th and 9th floors remained relatively low, or at least not significantly higher than the 7th floor.
However, once one reached the 10th floor, the situation changed again.
The structure of the 10th floor followed the pattern of the 8th and 9th, but the light source on the ceiling was no longer as brilliant as sunlight; the brightness dropped sharply.
The reason for this change was simple.
"This mist is really an obstacle to one's vision..."
This was Leon's first impression upon arriving at the 10th floor.
Indeed, there was fog on the 10th floor.
A white mist thick enough to obstruct one's line of sight shrouded the entire floor. As Leon passed through the rocky passage and entered the spacious, grassy chamber, he didn't feel his vision opening up at all.
Standing there, Leon could only see scattered, withered trees devoid of leaves or branches.
The sight of those many dead trees standing eerily in the mist made Leon raise an eyebrow as he drew closer.
He reached out to touch a dead tree about a meter tall and found its bark to be much harder than he had imagined. The trunk was thick at the bottom and exaggeratedly thin at the top, presenting a clearly abnormal structure.
"Is this the Labyrinth's Armory?"
The Labyrinth's Armory—one of the Dungeon's troublesome characteristics.
These were natural weapons provided by the living labyrinth specifically for the monsters wandering in the vicinity.
Starting from the 10th floor, this kind of terrain would appear intermittently to enhance the monsters' capabilities.
These structures could be destroyed, but as part of the Dungeon, they would naturally be repaired over time. Even if monsters took them away as weapons, identical replacements would grow back in the same spot after a period of time.
Of course, this wasn't the most troublesome aspect of the 10th floor.
The true danger of the 10th floor lay in the appearance of monsters that were not present in the first nine floors.
"Hee-gu-ooooo—"
A low sound, like a large beast growling in the darkness, appeared without any warning.
Thump—thump—thump—thump—
The ground began to vibrate slightly. A massive figure appeared at the other end of the mist accompanied by these footsteps, sending vibrations through the soles of Leon's feet, which remained in constant contact with the ground.
Leon did not panic. Instead, he looked calmly toward the other side of the mist, watching the massive figure approaching with heavy strides.
Gradually, the figure pushed aside the mist and revealed its full form before Leon.
It was a hideous monster, far larger in stature than Leon.
The creature's body was covered in brownish skin, standing over three meters tall. It was broad and stout, with tattered old furs wrapped around its waist like a ragged skirt, exuding a raw, wild aura.
It had thick limbs and a pig's head atop its neck. Its eyes were yellow, fierce and sinister, like an enchanted wild boar.
"Hee-woooooooo—!"
A terrifying roar erupted from the creature, instantly creating a wave of sound.
"An Orc—"
Leon's grip on his small straight sword tightened suddenly.
The Orc: normally the first large-class monster adventurers would encounter in the Dungeon.
On the preceding floors, the monsters adventurers met were generally small-type species—stunted creatures like Goblins, Kobolds, Purple Moths, and Needle Rabbits.
Monsters like War Shadows or Killer Ants were mid-type species; though larger than the small-types, they did not exceed the size of an adult human and were not overly intimidating.
However, starting from the 10th floor, adventurers would begin to encounter large-type monsters that did not appear on the levels above.
These types of monsters typically possessed physiques far exceeding that of an ordinary adult human, and their strength was much greater than that of small or mid-type species. Furthermore, each one was a "thick-skinned" type; their difficulty to kill surpassed even that of the hard-shelled Killer Ants.
Moreover—
"Hee-woo!"
The Orc roared as it stomped loudly across the ground, passing through the grove of dead trees.
It reached out toward a nearby withered tree and ripped it out by the roots with its massive arm.
In an instant, that dead tree became a crude club, gripped firmly in the Orc's hand.
This was the trouble with the Labyrinth's Armory: it transformed itself into weapons suitable for monsters, turning an enemy that might be defeated bare-handed into a special foe that could not be taken lightly once armed.
Armed and breathing heavily, the Orc turned its yellow eyes toward Leon, a murderous glint flashing within them.
It was the look of a predator spotting its prey.
"Hee-woooooo—!"
Seconds later, the Orc moved.
The roar erupted again as its feet slammed into the ground, shaking the earth as it charged toward Leon.
Bang!
As the crude club slammed down, the Orc smashed a crater into the ground, sending dust and gravel flying into the air.
Leon dodged the heavy blow with extreme speed, having no intention of meeting the Orc head-on.
The difference in physique made it clear: an ordinary adventurer could not block an Orc's attack directly.
Even for an adventurer who had received a Falna, unless they were particularly specialized in the "Strength" and "Endurance" abilities, no one could engage a large-class monster like an Orc in a frontal clash.
Leon's Strength was only D and his Endurance was only E; even if both reached rank A, it would still be difficult to match an Orc in a contest of raw power.
Therefore, Leon dodged the Orc's clubbing strike without hesitation. As the club struck the ground and created a pit, Leon suddenly lunged toward his opponent.
Pshh!
A flash of light from the small straight sword slashed across the Orc's flank, cutting through its side and causing blood to spray.
Leon brushed past the Orc's side, using the momentum to deliver a wounding strike.
Green blood splattered from the wound in the Orc's abdomen, making the pig-headed monster howl in pain.
"Really tough."
Having already dashed behind the Orc, Leon gripped his small straight sword and spoke in a low voice.
This was the first time he felt his blade meet significant resistance after striking a monster.
Previously, even when cutting a hard-shelled Killer Ant, the sharpness of his high-quality straight sword allowed him to cut straight through with a single stroke. This was true even when his Strength was at I0; he had never felt any resistance.
But this time, Leon clearly felt the blade being obstructed as it bit into the Orc's belly. It was evident that the Endurance of this large-type monster was indeed quite high.
"Roar-ooooo!"
The Orc's agility, however, seemed low. It bellowed for a long time before finally turning around, charging at Leon for a second time in a fit of rage. Without a second thought, Leon leaped backward to retreat, dodging the club's strikes.
Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham!—
For a while, the sound of the club violently striking the ground echoed continuously through the hazy mist.
Dust and stone chips flew everywhere as the furiously roaring Orc pursued Leon relentlessly, only to be evaded time and time again.
With his Strength and Endurance inferior to the Orc's, Leon simply used his "Dexterity" and "Agility" to play with his opponent, causing the creature to gradually lose its sanity due to its inability to land a hit.
Bang!
Once again, the club struck the ground violently. The Orc maintained its downward swinging posture, falling into a brief state of recovery-lag amidst the rising dust.
In that exact instant, Leon abruptly halted his backward jump and lunged forward like a bullet, leaping onto the Orc's club and pinning it down with his feet.
He didn't stop there; he ran up the length of the club and onto the Orc's thick arm, reaching the monster's massive head in an instant.
Pshh!
A cold light flashed as the small straight sword in Leon's hand plunged directly into the Orc's eye socket, piercing through the eye.
This was an undeniable weak point; it was impossible for the blade to be obstructed here as it had been when attacking the abdomen.
"Hee-woooooooooooooooo!"
The Orc suddenly let out a shriek of pain more agonizing than any before, acting as if it had gone completely insane.
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