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

Only a short time can be used for praying.

This is an underground city, a monster's lair. I can't let myself linger in sadness and reveal my weakness.

So we finally left the cave.

He left words of farewell and thanks to the unknown adventurers.

Volume 14, Chapter 10: The White Demon Palace

"White Palace".

That's what people call the 37th floor.

Here, the walls are a chilling, murky white, and the maze-like structure is far larger than any of the previous floors. While there are exceptions in some areas, the passageways and chambers are mostly vast, with almost every area exceeding ten meters in width. Although the dim lighting makes it impossible to estimate the height of the ceiling, it is still considerable.

The most distinctive feature is the "large round wall".

As if the staircase at the center of the floor leading to the next floor were a throne, it was surrounded by a huge circular wall that could be described as a "city wall" in total, spanning five layers. This maze-like structure could not be seen in other floor areas. Adventurers had to navigate the complex maze between these large circular walls (walls) or climb up and down countless terrains to reach the central area of ​​the floor.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the entire floor's area could contain the entire labyrinth city.

It's generally assumed that this floor contains many unmapped "unexplored areas," and that once you lose your way, you'll never get out. Unfortunately, we're facing just that situation, and we have no choice but to break through this enormous "white palace."

Break through this labyrinth filled with "harsh reality".

"Sh ...

A strong arm covered in blue scales flashed past with a sword.

A few strands of white hair were cut off, and cold sweat splattered from my skin. I dodged at the last second, and the lizard warrior swung a powerful slash at me, letting out a threatening roar.

"Lizardman elite".

As its name suggests, it is a higher-level species of "Lizardmen" that appears in the "Great Tree Maze," with vastly different abilities between the two. Its scales, which have turned from red to blue, are as hard as armor, leaving no flaws in either offense or defense.

It wields natural weapons with its hands—two white, skeletal rock axes. Although there are differences between individuals, the "Guild" classifies its threat level as Lv.3 to Lv.4, classifying it as a melee specialist.

"Gururu!"

"Chirp chirp!"

The battlefield was a square-shaped cave, and there were two enemies.

Miss Ryu's mobility is limited, so I couldn't force her into close combat. I protected her as she knelt and waited in the rear guard position while simultaneously dealing with two monsters.

I could feel the latent power of the deep-seated species, and I couldn't easily retaliate. I retreated step by step with my right hand equipped with a longsword, patiently enduring the enemy's attacks.

As I felt the sky-blue eyes watching over me from behind, I observed the enemy's movements and gathered my strength.

When exploring the "deeper" layers, Ms. Liu asked me to do "one thing":

Prioritize conserving stamina and avoid unnecessary waste; try to eliminate the enemy with a single attack if possible.

In other words, it's a "one-hit kill".

They were aiming at the "magic stone" hidden inside the monster's chest cavity!

"Phew!!"

As one of the monsters impatiently raised its rock axe to the top and cleaved down, I instantly switched from defense to offense, launching a lightning-fast attack.

Step forward firmly with your left foot, and thrust out your right arm like a spear!

“Guwaa!?”

The adventurer's longsword pierced the center of the unsuspecting chest.

I can feel the hard magic stone (something) piercing through it.

The lizardman's eyes bulged outwards, and after a violent spasm, he crumbled into dust.

“Drink aaaaaaaaaa!”

The other one panicked upon seeing his companion killed, so I pressed my advantage.

Fearing I might miss this opening and in my haste, I launched another thrust.

The sword tip pierced the enemy's chest. However...

「!?」

"Gurgle...Gaaga!"

The monster that coughed up blood did not return to dust; instead, it glared at me fiercely with its bloodshot eyes.

The "magic stone" didn't break, but the shot missed!

It wasn't just anxiety; more importantly, my lack of technical skill led to failure. The longsword, embedded in the scales and muscles, was impossible to pull out, and the monster's chaotic attacks forced me to let go. The terrifying thing was that the "Lizardman Elite," with the sword still embedded in its body, began to retaliate.

「!?」

The lizardman turned halfway around and swung his thick tail out in a strike.

Faced with this attack approaching from the left, I used my left arm, which was equipped with the "Goliath Scarf," to defend.

Immediately afterwards, a shock that numbed my left arm and spread to my brain came over me.

My left arm has now become my Achilles' heel. Although I blocked the enemy's attack, the doubled pain stiffened my body, exposing a fatal weakness. And the monsters of the "Deep Layer" will not miss this opportunity.

It roared angrily, raising its rock axe high above its head.

"Don't even think about it."

However, before it could split my head open, the flying dagger pierced the lizardman's right eye.

"Gugahhhhh!?"

"!"

It was Miss Ryu's support shot.

My eyes widened, and a moment later my body moved reflexively.

I pulled the White Illusion from my waist and lunged into the arms of the struggling Lizardman Elite.

「!?」

A gleaming white dagger plunged into his chest.

The "lizardman elite," whose chest was pierced by a sword and then stabbed by a dagger, finally vanished into thin air.

As dust crumbled and fell, the short blade and longsword also fell to the ground.

"Mr. Crannie, the next batch is arriving!"

"...!?"

There wasn't even time to catch my breath.

The sound of footsteps echoed from the distance of the passage. There were too many; fighting here would mean being surrounded!

Wiping away the sweat, I twisted my eyes, forcing myself to switch my focus from fighting to escaping.

I didn't forget to pick up the longsword and short blade at my feet, tossing the latter back to Miss Ryu. In this situation, not a single weapon could be wasted. I went to Miss Ryu, who had received the weapons, and joined her, letting her lean on my shoulder as we hurriedly began to move.

After leaving the cave where adventurers' remains lie, the only way to avoid monsters at the beginning is to skillfully dodge them. Following the map to avoid dead ends, we arrive at a large passage, where a battle begins, and a monstrous onslaught of monsters unfolds.

The 37th floor, which prides itself on its vast area, also boasts an exceptionally high number of monsters—in absolute terms. Even their production intervals are extremely short, giving adventurers no time to react. The sheer size of the floor, resulting in monsters scattered throughout the labyrinth, is perhaps the only saving grace. However, if one is unlucky enough to be captured by the "Organization" even once, they'll end up like us now.

"Roar! Ro ...

"!"

Lizardman elites, skeleton sheep... numerous monsters are pursuing us.

Battle begets battle, roar begets roar. The slightest delay will be immediately detected by the keen senses of the deep-seated species, who will gather around their prey.

Miss Ryu told me to avoid fighting as much as possible, but... how is that even possible!

I stopped counting when the number of battles reached the fourteenth time and the number of monsters exceeded thirty.

Is this the normal state of the "deep" level?

No joke!

"--Hoohoo!"

The "cunning wolf" swiftly crossed my field of vision, wielding its natural stone blades to attack me.

Standing between 120 and 130 cm tall, it has a medium-sized, short body with an animal head and a human body. At first glance, it might be mistaken for a higher-level "Earth Spirit," but its head is not that of a "dog" but rather a "wolf."

It possesses a much stronger physique than the lower-level monsters in the upper regions, enabling it to unleash powerful attacks befitting its small size.

It's basically a monster version of a werewolf—if you dared to say something like that on the surface, you'd get ganged up on by orcs.

Despite being a monster from the "deep layers," the "cunning wolf" is infamous.

Because they caused a particularly large number of tragedies among the monsters that invaded the earth. Villages were often wiped out on dark and stormy nights, mostly by these "cunning wolf" packs. Even as a child, I knew the name and would tremble with fear at the mere mention of it.

A warlike wolf monster, hated as a venomous snake by werewolves!

"Guoo ...

"Woohoohoohoohoohoohoo!"

"...!?"

They came at you from above, kicking and stomping on the walls, or like wild beasts crawling on the ground, attacking from your feet.

Two monsters wielded dagger-like, whitish stone blades, launching a chaotic barrage of attacks at me, almost like a harassment tactic. Sparks flew from the longsword I raised above my forehead, and my left thigh was lightly slashed. Faced with the exceptional "agility" of these deep-layered monsters, I could only defend myself, let alone unleash a fatal blow to their chests.

--Intense hand-to-hand combat.

One of the reasons why the 37th floor is called the palace is here.

In addition to the "undeads," numerous so-called "warrior" monsters will also appear here.

Led by the "Lizardman Elite," the warriors, including the "Cunning Wolves" and "Earthlings," wield natural weapons and rely on their strength or agility to attack—all are melee specialists. Even adventurers known for their "skill and tactics" will suffer heavy losses when facing them.

They can truly be called the guardians of the palace.

(Do Miss Ais and the others have to pass through places like this every time...?)

So fast, so strong.

They are nothing compared to the monsters in the "lower levels".

No single enemy is invincible. However, the enemy's greatest weapon is its material resources.

To defeat an enemy, you must go through at least three steps: repel the enemy's attack, use a stab to deflect the opponent's posture, and then slash with a dagger; only after going through this process can you finally take down one. And once you've exhausted so many steps, other monsters will swarm in, trampling over corpses.

No—it can't be solved!

"Mr. Crannie, over here!"

Perhaps realizing I had reached my limit, Miss Ryu's urgent call came.

In the blink of an eye, the short blades that flew past my ears pierced the "Cunning Wolf's" forehead. Seizing this opening, I turned around at full speed. The lizardman's rock sword narrowly grazed my back, giving me a fright, but I continued to flee towards Miss Ryu.

"Roar! Ro ...

Of course, hordes of monsters also followed.

There's no escaping it; we'll be crushed. I wonder what Miss Ryu plans to do!

Seeing me retreating pathetically from the end of the passage, she didn't say anything, but instead hid around the corner and whispered:

"I have no choice... I have to use it."

Hearing her monologue, I turned to her and exclaimed, "Huh?"

Miss Liu reached to her waist and took out a crimson bead from her bag.

Seeing this familiar item startled me.

"Mr. Crannie, give me a fire."

──"Fire Stone"!

As she peeked out from around the corner and threw the bead at the approaching monsters, I reflexively raised my right hand.

"[Flame Lightning]!"

As Yan Lei was unleashed, Miss Liu used her slender arm—with the strength of Lv.4—to drag me around the corner.

Immediately afterwards, the firestone (bomb) bombed by the flames and lightning caused a massive explosion.

"~ ...