Her Highness appeared visibly excited—clearly, Leanne Vale had told her quite a lot along the way.
Indeed, the moment she heard about Luceris, her interest had been piqued.
Coincidentally, there had been a recent breakthrough—and temporary bottleneck—at Mr. Fang's research institute. So upon hearing that Luceris was participating in a large-scale dungeon, she decided to come see for herself.
Guided by Leanne's directions, she looked over and witnessed a dazzling battle unfolding before her eyes.
Starlight shimmered in her holy gaze.
"She truly is a delightful girl…" she murmured, stunned for a moment. Covering her mouth with a soft hand, her expression was one of genuine surprise.
During the journey, Leanne had spoken of Luceris with such fervent admiration—likening her to an angel. It was enough to stir her curiosity.
She had imagined countless possibilities along the way.
Yet upon actually seeing her, she was still taken aback.
That face… it was like something from a fairytale.
Seeing the dumbfounded look on the noble girl's face, Leanne couldn't help but beam proudly.
"Well, Your Highness? I told you I wasn't exaggerating."
The girl nodded slightly, still in awe. "She's… incredible."
Mr. Fang added with a thoughtful tone, "What surprises me even more is her skill in combat. I dare say, she may well match your strength one day."
Leanne spoke honestly: "Luceris's power is already beyond conventional metrics. You can't judge her by the standards of ordinary classes."
Selene chimed in, "She's proficient in both ranged and melee combat—excellent at both single-target and area-of-effect damage. Honestly, she's the perfect asset for dungeon raids."
"But the most astonishing thing," she added, "is her domain ability—what she calls the 'Flawless Dome.' It's unimaginably powerful. If she reaches my level… I can't imagine how overwhelming she'll become."
"A domain ability…" Mr. Fang mused, then chuckled lightly. "If that's true, then her class specialization might be on par with even the saint profession. Your Highness, looks like you'll have some competition."
There was a glimmer of pride on the noble girl's face as she smiled behind her hand. "I can't sense her aura through the light screen, but… there's something strangely familiar about her. I can't quite place it."
"Perhaps," she said softly, "we're destined to become good friends."
"You're all taking the college entrance exams this year, right? Maybe we'll have the chance to meet."
Leanne grinned mischievously. "If you want to tease Luceris, I suggest you act quickly. At the rate she's growing, you might not be able to bully her for much longer."
Selene rolled her eyes and scoffed, "She'd cry if she heard you say that."
The others laughed. None of them had expected the center of attention after their arrival would be the pink-haired girl.
Clearly, she wasn't just anyone—how else could she draw such influential figures?
Wasn't she supposed to be some noble heir from Tranquenhold, just here to gain experience?
But judging from their words…
Her name was Luceris—and she was just a high school senior?
Several powerful university representatives exchanged glances.
Electric sparks of strategy danced in their eyes—they were clearly plotting something.
Leanne added, "Time's running short. More and more adventurers are converging on the central mountain range. Looks like the final lord battle is about to begin."
Mr. Fang nodded. "Maybe it's because the dungeon's gotten lax these past couple of years—or maybe the new professionals really are that much stronger. Either way, the current raid is progressing surprisingly smoothly."
"With dozens of level 40 adventurers wielding sacred relics to farm monsters, even the dungeon's will might be struggling to keep up," Leanne added with a smirk.
Mr. Fang suddenly recalled something and broke into a hearty laugh.
In the Dungeon World
The strength of this wave of adventurers far exceeded expectations. Tasks were being completed with astonishing speed across the map.
The seemingly chaotic efforts of nearly ten thousand participants actually masked coordinated breakthroughs at key locations, rapidly opening new pathways.
More and more adventurers were following the flow of missions toward the dungeon's central zone.
In this eerie world of eternal night, the moon hung high, casting an otherworldly silver glow.
"Looks like more people are gathering around us," Celene Sirra said nervously.
Galen Skylar crossed her arms. "Obviously. We've been 'playing heroes' the whole way here. Everyone practically kneels and calls Luceris a goddess."
Luceris blushed, trying to deflect with an innocent grin.
The dungeon's fantasy-like atmosphere stirred something primal and nostalgic—a desire to live as one's truest self, to adventure freely.
Seeing Luceris playfully stick out her tongue, Galen was momentarily dazed. Her cheeks flushed slightly, though it wasn't easy to tell against her dark skin.
"You wicked little fairy…" she muttered, turning away with a mix of embarrassment and pride.
As for Celene, she had long since become Luceris's number one fan.
By now, thousands of adventurers were advancing toward the Valley of Decisive Battle—spirits high, determination fierce.
With no immediate conflicts of interest, cooperation reigned. But as always, adventurers from different nations eyed one another with wary resolve.
"Let's go, brothers! There's gold in this dungeon! Take down the three lords, and we're rich!"
"Fifty hours of suffering, but the end's in sight!"
"Once I get the final reward, I'm cashing out and going home to raise my kid!"
"Lame! Come with me to the interspecies tavern instead—way more fun!"
"Quit yapping and swing your sword if you're my brother!"
…
Adventurers marched from all directions, gathering in the vast basin known as the Valley of Decisive Battle. Though surrounded by mountains, it offered a perfect battlefield.
Ranged classes like mages, archers, and gunners had already secured high ground, ready for the boss's appearance.
Though most had never worked together, years of raiding had trained them well—they fell naturally into formation.
To outsiders, they looked like a disciplined army.
Suddenly—
Crack!
A bolt of lightning split the skies.
The boisterous chatter fell silent. Tension settled like a fog.
"They're coming!"
A massive silhouette emerged from behind the mountain—half a head shorter than the ridge itself.
A towering bull-headed demon wielded a giant axe, horns glistening, its roar loud enough to shake the earth.
Bull Demon Lord!
Before the shock could settle, dark shadows rose all around.
Even without seeing their faces, the malevolent aura they exuded chilled the soul.
Goblin monsters.
At the center was a larger goblin, crowned with colorful feathers and wielding a sinister staff. Magical energy surged around him—he was clearly no ordinary creature.
Goblin Magister.
Then—
Under the moonlight, a majestic white-furred wolf stood atop a cliff, its horn gleaming as if drawing power from the moon.
At its howl, thousands of wolves—some red, some black—poured into the valley.
Sky Moon Wolf King.
All three lord bosses had appeared—with over ten thousand minions in tow.
The atmosphere turned to ice.
This wasn't a battle—it was a beast tide.
When did large-scale dungeons get this hard?
But then someone shouted in horror—
"Look at the boss stats!"
Everyone's eyes snapped to the status screens, and their blood ran cold.
==========
[Bull Demon Lord]
Level: 65
Savage Roar: High-damage AoE roar
Fearless Charge: Invincible while charging
Sweeping Devastation: Giant axe with massive attack power
=====
[Goblin Magister]
Level: 60
Magic Missile: Meteoric fire attacks
Fear: AoE panic for those under level
Plague: AoE poison
=====
[Sky Moon Wolf King]
Level: 70
Moonlight Slash: High-powered lunar beam
Clone: Creates a copy with 35% stats
Illusion: Moonlight-induced confusion
==========
Boom!
Another lightning bolt illuminated the faces of the terrified adventurers.
Deathly silence.
Some were seasoned veterans—on their second or third dungeon raid. But this?
This was madness.
Three bosses. Levels 60–70. With tens of thousands of mobs?
The strongest enemy—20 levels above their cap.
Why? What was the dungeon will thinking? Was this a trap?
The crowd's morale crumbled.
Galen Skylar's expression darkened. Quietly, she grabbed Luceris and Celene's hands, preparing to retreat.
"We're not fighting. If things go wrong, we run. Got it?"
…
At the operations center—
"What!? Three bosses over level 60!?"
Robert shot to his feet, furious. "Mrs.Virel, explain this immediately!"
Solenne was pale. "I… I don't know!"
The irate elder slammed his hand on the table. "What the hell is wrong with this dungeon? Wasn't it already purified by the Temple?!"
The others looked grim, panic setting in.
Leanne and Selene clenched their fists in frustration.
"Has the dungeon's will… betrayed us?"
Usually, once a dungeon was purified with divine power, its will became stable. Controlled.
No one expected this kind of deviation.
His Highness offered a theory: "Could it be a miscalculation? Maybe the dungeon judged the adventurers to be stronger than they are."
Leanne's eyes lit up. "The holy relics?"
His Highness nodded. "That's possible. Even though the relics are mainly with the Knights, the dungeon's will may have adjusted the difficulty based on the apparent power level."
Mr. Fang said nothing, but his gaze locked fiercely on one figure in the light screen.
Luceris.
She was a keystone to the Eastern nations' rising power.
She must not die!
"No matter what it takes, I will get them out safely."
"And then—"
"Destroy this dungeon."
Everyone around him could feel his wrath—quiet but earth-shattering.
If a national scholar becomes enraged…
Luceris… just who are you?
And yet—
Sadness flickered in their eyes.
Because they knew…
Without the Temple's direct intervention in the dungeon's will…
There would be no escape.
There were no teleport scrolls in large-scale dungeons.
This battle—cannot be avoided.