Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

"Please speak in a way that I can understand, Hegney."

Otto engaged Hegni, whose gaze and tone were unlike anything he'd ever heard before, in close combat. After speaking with him at extremely close range, Otto swung his greatsword with force. Hegni, weaker than Otto, leaped backward, landing gracefully on the crystal cluster.

Although Ota was affected by the blast, and his clothes and skin were charred, he did not suffer any damage that would burden his body. Even with a series of fierce attacks, Ota managed to deflect them all and was not at a disadvantage at all.

"Complete defense".

Although Otto's attacks, powered by his extraordinary strength, were terrifying, Allen and his crew knew very well that Otto's strength lay in "defense".

His exceptional defense was the sum of all the "skills" and "tactics" he had honed through practice.

Its incredibly stable stance, its ability to instantly respond to any attack, its keen eyes that can see through all "moves," and its extraordinary "endurance" make it seem like a solid fortress capable of withstanding any attack. The proof is that—Ota has not moved even half a step from the very center of the "island" until now.

Allen and the others clicked their tongues in anger, continuing to try to break through the "complete defense" in front of them.

There were actually six opponents.

If not only the four Jariba brothers, but also Allen and Hegny joined forces, even someone as strong as Omega would be driven into a corner, and might even be forced to use his "trump card".

But they resolutely refused to cooperate.

"You bunch of little people, stay out of my way!"

"That's what I wanted to say, you shit cat." "It's all your fault for running around like that." "Where did you come from, you brat?" "Go to hell."

"You obstructive warriors, don't stand in my way of dominance! You're an eyesore!"

Allen swung his gun to clear away Duvalin and Ger, who were blocking his path of attack. Bellin and Alfred immediately countered, while Hegny, who was using the cursed weapon to extend the range of his slashes, intended to kill them along with Ota.

The first-tier adventurers of the Freya Familia all insist on one-on-one battles.

He trained relentlessly in order to defeat Olympia single-handedly.

Otherwise, even if they win, they are not worthy of being a member of the goddess's harem.

No one here has any half-baked understanding of the idea of ​​defeating the "strongest" through cooperation.

Therefore, their battles always escalate into the most extreme free-for-all (battle royale).

Countless sword flashes and sparks flew across the battlefield, along with remnants of magic. If other adventurers were to witness this, they would likely lose all confidence. This was a fierce battle fought to the death.

Otto countered Allen's rapid-fire attacks, the Jariba brothers' coordinated attacks, and Hegni's superb swordsmanship and "magic," defusing each attack and wielding his greatsword in retaliation.

"—Watch me crush you."

At this moment──

Allen unleashed boundless killing intent and sank his body.

He will then unleash his "fastest" attack.

As the four Jariba brothers and Hegni all frowned, Otto adopted a "full-force" defensive stance for the first time.

If Ota fails to block this attack, he will die a violent death. As declared, the "ultimate kill" capable of crushing the target is about to be unleashed.

Just as Otto was preparing to respond to the ever-increasing "magic" with his greatsword, suddenly—

"【Eternal Suppression, Undying Thunder General】".

—【Varian Hilde (The Valiant and Tragic Undead Warrior)】.

With the brief name of the spell, a burst of lightning appeared, enough to engulf the entire battlefield.

““!!””

Faced with this massive lightning strike, not only Otto and Allen, but also the four Jariba brothers and Hegney were terrified and evacuated the scene.

The lightning that swept across the battlefield evaporated the river water, easily blasting a hole in the crystal ground.

The "island" was half destroyed, with huge waves rolling around it and charged droplets covering the entire cave.

Otto and the others turned to look, and an elf wielding a long sword (rhomphair) emerged from the large hole they had seen earlier.

"Stop it, you bunch of idiots!"

【Freya's Familia】The last Level 1 adventurer to arrive at the scene, Hedin, deactivated the magic circle and stepped into the "cave".

"What are you trying to do, you little brat who's always late?!"

"You hypocritical little elf, what do you mean by telling us to stop?"

"Get out of my way, nemesis. Ellen is absolutely right. A warrior who arrives late has no right to fight."

Seeing that Allen and the others weren't talking past each other, but rather six mouths spouting out three sentences, Hedin helplessly took out a letter from his pocket.

"This is the order of the goddess Freya."

"!"

"The instructions from above are 'Don't interfere with it'... Do you want to verify the handwriting?"

Allen and the others stared in disbelief at Hedin, who was waving the letter in his hand.

Olympus, who was observing from the sidelines, also noticed. Presumably, after Eren and the others went out to fight him, Freya ordered Hedin to come and stop the battle.

"Goddess Freya herself agreed to let Ota go and defeat the Floor King, you know? If anyone dares to interfere with Ota, it is tantamount to disobeying the goddess's will. What kind of behavior is it for you bunch of idiots to cause trouble?"

"Ugh...!"

"You bunch of good-for-nothings, at least you've learned something from the 'Expedition' incident. If you truly care about Goddess Freya, then use your brains."

Faced with the merciless insults of "idiot" and "trash," Allen and the others looked extremely grim. To be honest, they were so angry that veins were bulging on their foreheads.

Hedin snorted coldly at the six people who were speechless.

"...How did you know we were here?"

"The entire 'Mysterious City of Water' is experiencing constant earthquakes, so I can easily guess what's going on. The other adventurers thought it was a new type of monster appearing, and they were all so scared that they ran home."

After being told that a series of earthquakes had occurred that were powerful enough to shake the three underground cities, Otto was speechless. Hedin walked over with a helpless look and tossed a bottle of elixir to Otto.

"Although you probably don't need it, you'll likely expend more energy here than you would challenging the floor master (Udeos)."

"Thank you for your help, Hedin."

"...Actually, I also really want to become a 'fool' and defeat you, oh it."

The elf frowned and uttered those words.

But at this moment, his tone sounded as if he greatly envied the "idiots" he despised.

By the will of the goddess, the battle between the first-level adventurers came to an abrupt end.

Clearly not satisfied with their fight, Allen and the others glared at Ota with dissatisfaction. Ota, without a word, immediately set off, passing through the large hole back to the lakeside and descending the stairs to the lower level.

Even the strongest in the city (Ota) still took half a day to reach its destination.

Because Allen and the others had slowed down his journey, he quickened his pace somewhat.

It goes directly through the second safety point, traversing two layers, from the "lower layer" into the "deeper layer".

This is the 37th floor, the "White Palace".

Although there is only one floor difference, this is the starting point of the "True Deadline" recognized by the management (guild).

But even the most dangerous areas within the dungeon could not stop the man's advance.

With a single swing of its greatsword, Oota wiped out the "Lizardman Elite," "Cunning Wolf," and "Earthling." The "Warrior" and "Undead" monsters were also defeated one after another, leaving Oota unable to even buy time.

Instant kill.

If this cannot be done, there is no way to explore the "deep" parts of the dungeon on your own.

In other words, it is precisely because Ota is capable of doing so that he can enter and exit the "Deep Layer" alone without the help or assistance of others. Even if he encounters a swarm of monsters within this layer, they cannot pose a threat to Ota. On the contrary, dealing with the fallen "Magic Stones" is more troublesome, because ignoring them may result in "Enhanced Species," triggering events similar to the "Bloody Giant." This forces Ota to accurately aim at the "Core," turning the monsters into piles of ashes. As for the monsters that die in the attack blast, their chests must be completely crushed along with the "Magic Stones."

It shook the entire gray-white labyrinth, dominating the gloomy atmosphere that could put pressure on adventurers, and continued to advance deeper into the 37th floor.

After some time, he finally arrived at his destination.

"...The reason I feel a bit nostalgic is probably because it's been so long since I've been here."

"The Throne Room".

This is where the staircase leads to the lower level, which is also the central area of ​​the floor where Ota's target is located.

Ota stands in one of the enormous "caves".

Unlike other areas of the dungeon, where a persistent, eerie light clearly illuminates the view, the ceiling above is at a height that makes it impossible to see clearly, just like in other areas.

There was no sign of any monsters anywhere; at first glance, it was just a vast, ordinary space—when suddenly a "crack" sound came from it.

"They're here..."

As if triggered by Otto's arrival, cracks appeared on the ground.

As the cavern shook violently, severe, radial cracks appeared in the floor, like the groans of a mother (the underground city) preparing to give birth to a gigantic infant. A colossal, dark shadow burst forth from the ground, revealing its true form amidst the countless gray rocks.

The King of Bones let out a cry of birth into the world.

"--Ooo ...

The Lonely King of the Labyrinth (Monster rex) "Udeos".

It is the pinnacle of the "undead" that haunt this floor, possessing an imposing appearance that resembles a giant "earthling." The lower half of the "deep" floor master's body is still buried in the earth, and deep within the dark eye sockets, a strange red fire, which should be the eyeballs, burns, aimed at the intruder (Ota) before him.

The Fiora (Ais) achieved the feat of single-handedly defeating the floor master (Udeos) exactly three months ago.

It awakens after a production interval because someone has set foot here.

Suddenly, countless stone pillars resembling a forest of spears rose from the ground, completely sealing off the entrance to the cave behind Ota. Ota could not leave until "Udeos" was defeated. The floor master transformed this place into his execution ground.

However, Ota never intended to escape from here in the first place.

"What the Sword Princess has seen and surpassed... I will now fully reveal."

The warrior, who was called a "tomb raider" yet was too resolute and strong, showed no fear in the face of the earth-shattering roar of the Bone King and swung his greatsword.

The battle was one-sided from the very beginning.

Ota displayed speed contrary to its massive physique, dodging the stone pillars, the strongest weapon of "Udeos," and slamming its greatsword into the ground, shattering the pillars before they could be launched. When Ota charged into the enemy's arms, the enemy, regardless of whether Ota was within attack range, swung its massive right arm forward, but before Ota's "complete defense," the floor master's ferocious and earth-shattering blow was blocked on the spot. Ota steadied itself with its tree-trunk-thick legs, leaving only slight cracks in the ground, and then skillfully swung its greatsword, shattering the crystal ball connecting the bones—the "core joint"—with a single blow.

Udeos's right wrist slammed to the ground with a loud thud, and he screamed in agony.

"Too young."

In fact, the Freya Familia had already figured out the "best strategy" for defeating the floor master (Udeos)—a tactic that only a master like Ota could execute—but he didn't do it. If he failed to defeat Udeos before seeing the "black greatsword" seen by the swordswoman (Ais), he would have to wait another three months, wasting time like that, which Ota was extremely reluctant to do. Therefore, he had to adopt the wrong battle strategy to avoid defeating Udeos, thereby forcing the enemy into a corner.

The floor master roared, summoning minions (earthlings) within the cave, but they were no match for Oota. Oota shattered them all in one fell swoop with a sharp slash, or conversely used the stone pillars shot up from the ground by the enemy to lure them into fighting each other.

Lv·7.

Even the Sword Maiden (Ais) would have to push her limits to defeat this opponent, yet Otto easily gained the upper hand—this is the demeanor befitting a "giant." Within that body, far smaller than the floor master, lies an ability far exceeding that of the floor master. He is practically a "little giant," no less than the Labyrinth King (Monster Rex). His ability to block an enemy's enormous arm with just a greatsword is proof enough, a scene that would surely make onlookers doubt their own eyes.

The fact that the girl, with only Lv.5 strength, single-handedly defeated "Udeos," whose potential had reached Lv.6, is truly remarkable. But if asked whether Ota could accomplish the same feat under the same conditions, his answer is—no problem. At least that's true when facing the "Udeos" that Ota knows well, the one that didn't use the "Black Greatsword."

Combat skills and reflexes honed through countless training sessions.

Ota, who reached this level solely through his physical body, possesses the purest form of "powerful".

He lacked the "wisdom" and "intuition" of his arch-enemies, the dwarves, as well as the superior "magic" of the royal family (elf royal family), and the outstanding "brute strength" and "durability" of the veterans (dwarves).

Its only weapons are its own body and will.

Through tireless efforts and unwavering faith, he has gained an advantage over the Sword Princess (Ais) in "Wind".

More importantly, it possesses "experience" that the Sword Maiden (Ais) can only dream of.

He traversed countless "battlefields" and inhumane "death zones".

And she received extremely humiliating "sympathy".

This is the biggest difference between Otto and the Swordswoman.

It is precisely because of his talent, ability, and the "bitter memories" that cannot be overturned in less than ten years that Ota has been able to reach such a level.

"────────────────────────!!"

"!"

Udeos, whose black bones were being shattered one after another, suddenly let out a roar with a tone different from before.

As Ota narrowed its eyes at this promising omen, the enemy summoned "that thing".

It continues to elongate.

A colossal stone pillar appeared on the front floor of "Udeos".

That stone pillar has a handle.