Chapter 17: The Long Road to the Imperial Capital – Part 12
Now, on the final day, we find ourselves on the 26th floor of the Dungeon.
This Dungeon is considered unexplored, but the unexplored floors are said to begin from the 28th. In other words, the battles ahead will be fierce enough to make even A-Rank parties reconsider their choices, even against mere fodder.
As I descend the stairs to the 26th floor, I am astonished to find an endless wasteland spread out before me.
Looking up, the heavy clouds hang low in the sky, creating a momentary illusion that we have returned to the surface.
However, when I turn around, I see a large boulder with a gaping hole in it, leading to an ascending staircase. About 500 meters away, another large boulder with a similar hole sits, this one featuring a descending staircase. Thus, while it appears to be an outdoor setting, it is ultimately just another mysterious space within the Dungeon.
“It hardly feels like a Dungeon, does it, Soushi-sama?” Freinir remarks.
“Indeed. While all Dungeons have their peculiarities, this one is particularly strange,” I reply, taking the lead as we step into the wasteland.
After about ten steps, a black mist begins to rise 200 meters ahead, revealing the silhouette of a large monster.
It is a “Grey Dragon,” measuring 20 meters in length and covered in grey scales. Its wings are small, rendering it incapable of flight, but its impressive horns and deeply carved reptilian face exude an aura of divinity.
Normally, three of these dragons would appear, but due to the effect of “Soul’s Guidance,” we face eight.
“I’ll take all the breath attacks, so focus on taking down the ones farthest from me,” I instruct, charging toward the group of dragons alone. Activating the “Provoke” skill, all eight heads turn in unison to face me.
The three dragons in front open their mouths, unleashing a barrage of stone projectiles. It’s an attack reminiscent of a large shotgun, but unfortunately, it’s no more than a mere nuisance against my “Immovable Fortress Wall.”
As I absorb the stone breath, Freinir casts “Divine Halo,” slowing the movements of the dragons.
In that moment, over a hundred fiery spears arc through the air, striking one of the dragons and instantly turning three of them into a flaming wreck.
From the sides, Larni, Mariane, Karma, and Sakurahime rush in to attack. Meanwhile, I continue to activate “Provoke” while unleashing a “Shockwave” at the dragon directly in front of me. The force of the attack crumples its body and sends it crashing into the dragon behind it.
Further above, Freinir’s “Holy Light” descends from the sky, severing one dragon’s head cleanly. Her magic possesses terrifying power.
Larni and Mariane engage one dragon, moving with such speed that their strikes are nearly impossible to follow, and as the dragon’s head lowers, Larni executes a swift beheading.
Karma and Sakurahime also close in, delivering a powerful slash that takes down another dragon in an instant. Karma’s attack, wielding the great sword “Beast King’s Fang,” is particularly devastating, capable of cleaving through a dragon’s torso in a single blow.
As the second wave of magic strikes, my “Shockwave” reduces another dragon to a pile of minced meat, while the front line continues to dispatch the Grey Dragons two at a time. Before long, the battle on the 26th floor comes to an end.
“Dragons shouldn’t be this easy to eliminate. My understanding of them has been shattered since entering ‘Soul’s Guidance,'” I remark.
“But Sakurahime doesn’t seem scared at all anymore,” Freinir points out.
“Having comrades to rely on makes a huge difference,” Sakurahime replies.
As I listen to their conversation, we take a moment to rest before heading to the 27th floor.
The 27th floor is nearly identical to the 26th. The monsters that appear are also Grey Dragons, but this time there are a staggering twelve of them. Facing a dozen dragons feels like an excessive sale, but we have no choice but to confront them head-on.
However, employing the same strategy as before, we swiftly annihilate them. I even shifted to a more aggressive stance, prepared to take some hits.
As for the 28th floor, the location remains unchanged. However, the monsters that appear are “Red Dragons,” the quintessential dragons with crimson scales.
True to their appearance, these powerful fire-element dragons typically appear in groups of three and unleash devastating fire breath while flying—an enemy that would normally compel anyone to flee.
And, as expected, eight Red Dragons are poised to take flight about 300 meters away.
“We’ll stick to the same strategy. I’ll draw their breath attacks. Freinir, Sfenia, Shizuna, and Geshura will attack with magic. Focus on disabling their flight capabilities rather than outright defeating them. Larni and Karma, aim for their wings with ‘Flying Blade.’ Once they come crashing down, Mariane and Sakurahime, join me to finish them off. Be cautious, as they will still breathe fire even as they fall.”
Hearing everyone acknowledge my orders, I charge toward the group of Red Dragons alone.
The eight Red Dragons glare at me, spreading their wings wide. I had hoped to take one down before they took to the skies, but it seems that won’t happen. Before I can close the distance, all eight Red Dragons ascend into the air.
Activating “Provoke,” I fix my gaze on the nearest dragon, channeling “Intimidation.” It seems to take the bait, opening its mouth wide and diving toward me.
“How fortunate,” I mutter.
I wait until the last moment, then unleash a “Shockwave” at point-blank range. The head of the impatient Red Dragon explodes, neck and all.
Understanding my strength from that single blow, the other Red Dragons begin to circle above me, unleashing their breath attacks one after another.
“Ha!”
Of course, I create a barrier of “Shockwave” to nullify their fiery breath. Any damage that slips through is mitigated by my dragon armor, along with my “Magic Resistance” and “Elemental Resistance.” Any minor burns are swiftly healed by my “Regeneration” skill.
Naturally, my comrades are not merely spectators to my lone struggle. Countless ice spears rain down upon the dragons above. As “Holy Light” and “Flying Blade” sever their wings, the massive red bodies crash to the ground with a thunderous sound. Larni, Mariane, Karma, and Sakurahime leap in, swiftly beheading the fallen dragons.
Before long, the number of dragons in the sky dwindles, and I blast away the last one that descends toward me, finally conquering the unexplored 28th floor.
“Indeed, Sfenia and the others’ magic is incredibly powerful. Freinir’s ‘Holy Light’ accurately slices through their wings, and with ‘Flying Blade,’ we can engage safely from a distance,” I comment.
Karma chuckles, shaking her head. “No, no, no. It’s thanks to you drawing all the attacks that we can easily take aim. Not every party can fight like this.”
“That’s true. With this, we can claim the 28th floor as our first successful exploration, but this strategy is certainly not something anyone could replicate,” Mariane adds, and the others nod in agreement.
While our approach may be too exceptional to serve as a reference for others, the fact that someone has conquered it is significant. After all, the unknown is what truly terrifies adventurers. In that sense, this may be the beginning of our true journey as adventurers.
That said, the 29th floor merely features twelve Red Dragons, with no other changes.
Employing the exact same strategy as on the previous floor, we easily break through and take our final rest there.
Given the flow of events so far, it seems likely that the 30th floor will lead directly to a boss battle.
The most probable boss, based on the pattern, is likely to be another dragon.
“Hey, Mariane, which dragon is said to be the strongest that has appeared so far?” I ask.
“Well… it would probably be the ‘Evil Dragon,’ which is said to have appeared long ago. However, since the Evil Dragon is more of a legendary figure, the ‘Chaos Flare Dragon’ is likely the most confirmed threat. It is an advanced variant of the ‘Dark Flare Dragon,'” she explains.
“There’s an advanced version of the ‘Dark Flare Dragon’? What kind of creature is it?” I inquire.
“Simply put, it’s enormous. It’s said to be 1.5 times the length of a ‘Dark Flare Dragon.’ Its breath attack possesses multiple elemental attributes, capable of obliterating everything in its path,” she elaborates.
“Has it been confirmed in the Dungeon?”
“No, it has appeared on the surface. A large number of high-ranking adventurers gathered to defeat it, but they suffered significant losses. It is said that the empire possesses the dragon’s horns and fangs as national treasures,” she replies.
“That’s quite a shocking tale. So, there have been instances in the past where such powerful monsters emerged on the surface,” I muse.
“Historically, a powerful monster appears every 50 to 100 years. While it’s rare to encounter one as formidable as the ‘Chaos Flare Dragon,’ it does happen,” she adds.
“That makes sense. If such creatures appeared frequently, no one would be able to sleep peacefully,” I agree.
“Indeed. It would be ideal if someone like you, Soushi, and parties like ours were always around, but that’s not the case,” she responds.
“True enough… Well then, let’s prepare ourselves and head down. Let’s hope this is the final floor,” I say.
“Yes. The atmosphere certainly suggests that this is the final level. Let’s give it our all,” she affirms.
I call out to everyone, scanning their faces to ensure their morale is high. They all return my gaze with confident expressions, ready to face the unknown boss.
“Alright, let’s go.”
With that, I step forward toward the stairs leading to the 30th floor.