~{Three Hours Before Midnight}~
They're angry.
"*Huff!* *Puff!*"
They're so angry.
"I think she went this way!"
Liliruca Arde was desperately running like her life depended on it, because perhaps it does. She made a sharp turn into an alleyway, knowing that it was only a matter of 'when' rather than 'if' she got caught.
The moment she and Bell had separated for the day, she had immediately made a beeline for one of her makeshift safehouses, hoping to store her gained loot before Canoe or any of his men found her per usual.
But what had happened between them and Bell had made them angry, and they hadn't hesitated to hunt her down not long after she had left the guild, leaving her with no opportunities to stash her earnings like times before. They must've pulled all the stops to keep her in their sights for tonight, and even then, a naive part of her just hoped to lose these adventurers just long enough to hide somewhere.
Sadly, that hope was quickly smashed as the raccoon man Canoe popped up at the end of the alley she was cutting through, a sinister grin on his face.
"There she is!" The man cheered as Lili skid to a stop. Fear flashed on her face before she turned around, only for two more of his posse to have already cut off the way she came.
"Arde, Arde, Arde..." Canoe shook his head like a disappointed parent as he stepped towards her. "Why are you running? We just wanted to have another 'talk' with you, you know?"
She was quickly surrounded by grinning men with drunken insanity in their eyes.
"I thought we had an understanding, Arde," Canoe continued, getting right in front of her. "We generously let you be a part of the Soma Familia, and all we asked was for you to show a little appreciation for us, and yet..."
His grin dropped into a snarl as he yanked the girl's backpack off and lifted her by the collar.
"You've been holding out on us, you damn BRAT!" As if prompted by his words, the men started ransacking the backpack while Canoe slammed Lili against the wall. Monster drops, potions, and other items made it into the adventurers' hands while Canoe himself intensely stared at the loot in greed.
"So many monster drops, you knicked those off that white knight of yours, didn't you!?" He turned back to a struggling Lili before slamming her onto the ground. "What else you got on you!?"
He tore Lili's white cloak off, revealing her tattered clothing, with a bag of valis and a small red sword dropping onto the ground.
"Shit, you even had a magic sword!?"
Lili cried out as she was tossed aside and Canoe picked up the magical blade with a feral grin threatening to tear his face.
"I have half a mind to show you what happens when you lie to us, Arde," He said, his smile not leaving his face as he walked over to the prone girl and put a boot on her head, pressing down hard enough for her to hiss in pain. "But seeing as we're so forgiving, we'll let you off with something light if you do us a little... favor."
Lili tensed, already dreading what was next.
"You see, I'm a little ticked off at you but more at that new white knight of yours," Canoe growled, thinking back on their earlier interaction. However, his smile then returned in malicious excitement. "But I know how both of you can make it up to us. You'll be heading with him to the dungeon tomorrow, ain't ya?"
"Yes..." She groaned.
Canoe lifted his foot off the pallum and knelt, looming above her.
"Then all you gotta do is bring him down to the tenth floor and make sure he wears himself down reaaaaaal good. Then you just bring him up to the ninth floor and we'll handle the rest, got it?" He whispered wickedly.
Lili whimpered. "H-He hasn't gone to the tenth floor yet-"
"THEN MAKE HIM!" Canoe roared, abruptly kicking the girl into the wall. "Do whatever you can to make sure that fucking pretty boy is down right where I want him!"
He proceeded to repeatedly stomp on the girl in uncontrollable anger while his team grinned.
"Who's responsible for the fact that a useless supporter like you can be part of the Soma Familia like us!? ME! So shut your trap and just DO WHAT I SAY! GOT IT!?"
He stomped one last time before glaring down expectedly.
"Y-Yes, C-Canoe-sama..." Lili whimpered, bruises already forming on her beaten body.
His punchable grin returned.
"Atta girl, and don't worry if things get a little hectic down there. We'll be there to save you, alright?" He said in a sickeningly sweet voice. "See ya tomorrow then, Arde! Bwahahaha!"
Canoe and his cohorts laughed in the night as they left Lili and her torn backpack on the ground. The girl moaned as he body throbbed, forcing herself onto her back and staring upward into the twinkling night sky.
"Figures..." She choked, every slight movement bringing a flare of pain. "Lili supposes it was only a matter of time."
She sighed, staring dully into the sky.
"Why did Bell-sama have to antagonize them? Now Lili has to..."
Her words trailed off, only for her to scoff.
"Why am I feeling bad!? Stupid adventurer! It's all your fault! And now you're going to die!"
He was the one who had butt into something when he should've known better! Why should she feel guilty about him being an idiot!? If anything, she's still angry that she could never figure out how to get her hands on that dagger of his! Hmph! Adventurers really are good for nothing!
"Serves you right!" Lili growled, hands balling into fists on the ground.
'But if it makes you feel better... I'll always be glad to work with you, no matter what.'
Her burning anger was forcefully snuffed as she saw that annoyingly handsome face smiling in her memories.
'Unlike all of you, I actually trust Lili.'
She weakly moved an arm over her face, covering her eyes as she bit her lip hard.
"Serves you right..." She mumbled.
'Why wouldn't I? My precious supporter was getting harassed.'
"S-Serves..." Her voice cracked.
Despite covering her eyes, wet trails fell down the side of her face as she involuntarily sobbed.
"Wh-Why...?" She sniffled.
And so, a shaking pallum silently cried in barren loneliness.
~{Present-Dungeon}~
"Okay... Here we go."
Bell stood in an area nearly identical to where he had been standing on the fifth floor moments ago, but instead of brownish walls lit up by luminous stones, it was a gray area engulfed in darkness.
"Why is it so dark?" He squinted his eyes but couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him, which is honestly still a surprise considering he doesn't have any night vision abilities.
[-1 mana consumed]
"Hm?" He blinked in confusion at the sudden message, only for his eyes to widen in realization. "Ah, I must've left those white flames still burning outside."
With a simple thought, the message disappeared.
"I gotta make sure not to unconsciously let my flames burn," He noted to himself, only to get an idea. "Actually..."
Bell opened his inventory, pulling out a club and the old coat he had picked up in the first instant dungeon. He wrapped the coat around the club's end before pointing his free hand at it.
"Okay, let's see if I can control the output."
With just a thought, Bell's hand fired a small burst of purple flames that lit the end of the club, then continued to burn in an illuminating violet.
"So not only can I control the amount, but I cast with just a thought like when activating my skills. Good to know."
Lifting his new torch, Bell was surprised to find the path behind him non-existent, along with additional tunnels above the ones that already exist.
"I thought the structure would stay the same as it was in Orario's dungeon, but it expanded instead? Or is it more accurate to say it created it's own space separate from the original?"
"But still..." He muttered to himself, giving a suspicious look at the many tunnels around him. "Why is it so dark, unlike the other dungeon? Wouldn't the monsters here also be hindered by the dark? Unless..."
Bell suddenly shot to alert with Rasaka's Fang in hand, carrying himself in a defensive stance.
"I hear skittering!" He listened closely to his surroundings, putting his Sense stat to good use as he warily pivoted in place with an unsure look. "There's so much of it, too! But it's the loudest..."
His gaze shot upward in realization.
"Above!?"
Then his eye grew with horror.
"Killer Ants!? No... What in the gods' names are those things!?"
Over three dozen insect-like monsters were swarming down the largest tunnel in the area. While red in color and ant-like in appearance, similar to the Killer Ants that start appearing on the seventh floor, these monsters differed through not only multiple pairs of glowing red eyes but with open mouths holding human-like teeth between their pincer-like mandibles.
[Insectoids]
All of their names were orange.
Bell didn't hesitate to drop his torch to the ground and aimed his palm up.
"Ignis Mortis!"
A powerful explosion of violet burst upward into the tunnel, taking out a large chunk of insects by itself.
"Brilliant Light! Brilliant Light!"
Bell sent more torrents of flames to hit as many monsters as he could, but even after killing so many of them, more insectoids managed to crawl through the opening and jump into the open with aggravated clicking sounds.
He didn't waste any time rushing forward and started slashing them apart with Rasaka's Fang.
[Effect: Paralysis has activated]
[Effect: Bleed has activated]
[Effect: Paralysis has activated]
Despite their orange name, Bell could still kill the insectoids with only one or two slashes, thanks to his dagger being an absolute godsend. However, he quickly realized that these monsters were extremely more dangerous than the Killer Ants. Not because they're faster and stronger and can leap forward, but due to their sheer numbers alone.
He'd carve up two only for half a dozen more to be leaping right at him, a few even succeeding to strike him at times because he couldn't keep track of them all.
"Ngh!" Bell grunted as two insectoids rammed into his side and sent him tumbling. He barely had a split-second to react by moving out of the way of four more trying to dogpile him, with more trying to join the swarm.
"Damn it!"
He jumped out of the way of more ants and opened his palm.
"Brilliant Light! Brilliant Light!" He repeatedly blasted light bolt around him to cull their numbers, leaving their remnants continuously burning with his new spell's damage-over-time effect, which caused both panic and disarray among the masses of gathering insectoids. Bell was sure he would've been overwhelmed a few times if he didn't have his new magic with him. An attack that takes out several enemies at once is an absolute necessity here.
Then he called out his other Magic.
"Umbra Mortis"
Several shadow tendrils Came out and grabbed all the nearby Insectoids in a grasp.
Bell put forward both of his hands.
"Brilliant Light!:
With two more batches of light bolts, Bell killed another pack of insectoids that had attempted to converge on him holding them in place with his second magic and blasting them with the other, leaving their numbers noticeably lower.
"Take this!" He shouted as he carved through more with his weapon, sweat dripping down his brow as he worked to finally end the ambush attempt. Using Sprint with his dagger made quick work of the remaining monsters, finally allowing a moment of respite for him to catch his breath.
"Holy Hestia, there were so many of them," Bell panted, reaching into his inventory and chugging down a blue potion. Popping it out with a breath of relief, he wiped his mouth. "I can't believe I already have to use a Mind potion. This dungeon is no joke..."
Not detecting any more monsters, Bell picked up his torch while putting out the lingering flames that had helped keep the ants in disarray.
"Now then..." He lifted the item and took a glance at the numerous tunnels. "Where to go?"
It was a maze.
The dungeon layout was a maze with several more paths than what he remembered from the fifth floor of Orario's dungeon, and it continued downward into the sixth and even the seventh. Different tunnels sometimes led to previous ones, while others led to dead-ends that would've killed any everyday adventurer. That was because every time Bell found himself at one, he'd suddenly be ambushed by insectoids from other paths, like predators leading their prey into a trap. It was only made worse by the ongoing darkness that filled the tunnels, and Bell knew that if he didn't have his Sense stat, he easily would've been caught off guard many times. He had to use his magic to make sure he didn't get swarmed, and it was about halfway through the dungeon when he discovered something.
"I didn't do this..." Within one of the many tunnels he's explored, Bell found dismembered bodies of insectoids that he clearly hadn't caused. He approached the closest one and crouched down to examine it.
"These wounds..."
The monsters' bodies were evidently torn apart, and judging by the patterns on their damages...
"Bitten off," He frowned as he stood back up, not liking the image presented. "Looks like there's a bigger bug here. Is that why I've only been finding monsters at dead-ends? They're collectively hiding from something?"
He didn't think there'd be something like this in a dungeon created by the system. A territorial despute? Will it make conquering this dungeon easier? Or will it complicate things? Well, no matter the issue, the only way out is forward.
Bell steeled himself as he jogged further down the tunnel. A few hours had passed since entering the dungeon, but he could tell he was almost nearing the end. The names of the insectoids had turned white at some point, an immense relief since that meant he should handle any more ambushes much easier. The deeper he traversed, the more bitten corpses he found, all clearly leading him to something.
It wasn't long until he found it.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
Bell's face scrunched in disgust as he found a tunnel covered with webs. They encircled the entire outline aside from scattered spots along the ground. Hundreds of partially or fully wrapped cacoons littered the floor or hung from the walls and ceiling, each holding the remains of insectoids intended for a later meal.
He shivered at the appalling sight.
"A giant spider, great. I don't know if that's better or worse than the giant snake."
As if on cue, one of the many sacs of webbing hit the ground right beside him. Bell stared down at the decapitated ant corpse with a blank gaze.
"...Nevermind, definitely worse."
He won't be looking forward to this.
Taking a deep breath, Bell held Rasaka's Fang ready in hand while his left palm aimed forward. He then slowly made his way through the tunnel, ducking and stepping around webs. Luckily, they were gathered in thick batches rather than spread out everywhere. Otherwise, he would've needed to use Ignis Mortis to clear the way, and that would most likely just get the attention of whatever monster was further ahead.
He traversed the tunnel for a few minutes (thankfully not finding a single live monster along the way, it would suck to fight surrounded by webs) and entered an enormous cavern that took his breath away.
"Whoa," Bell dumbly stepped forward as he found giant crystals covering the ground along the walls, some even higher above but below the webs dangling around the room. They were jagged and glowing with a captivating light blue color, with magic radiating from them. He couldn't feel much of it in each individual crystal, but together? Waves of it engulfed the atmosphere to every corner.
"What are these?" He stepped to the closest batch in a trance, examining them.
[Mana Crystals]
Dungeon-born magic minerals that can be mined. Used to forge weapons and equipment with special properties. Can efficiently power appliances or magic equipment.
"Mana crystals?" Bell's eyes sparkled at the descriptions. "Wait, so they're like magic stones but can be used for weapons and equipment!?" He loudly whispered in awe.
These are game-changing.
When he thinks of a weapon with special properties, he thinks of Rasaka's Fang, and as he's seen so far, Rasaka's Fang is absolutely extraordinary. So if he gets a blacksmith that can use these materials and the monster parts he's collected to make more weapons like it... they'd be on a whole other level than the ones in Orario.
"But where am I gonna get a blacksmith to give these materials to?" Bell grimaced. He couldn't just advertise that he has never-before-seen materials from originally made dungeons created by an external force.
He checked his inventory of all the monster drops within. He was still holding a mass bulk of Raikan Fangs in addition to the many Insectoid mandibles and legs he had picked up from the dungeon so far. Would these work better than normal monster drops from the first floors of the dungeon?
Bell dispersed his inventory and sighed. He'll have to think about this later; he has more important things to worry about.
"Okay, so where's the boss?" He glanced at the surrounding room and turned to stone at the sight of a giant nest of webs at the far upper end, with something huddled in their center.
"That's-! Oh boy," Bell found himself looking at a giant spider with a gray carapace on its enormous abdomen and eight legs covered in black exoskeleton armor with grey exposed joints. Although it was at the other end of the room, he could make out the jagged teeth of a closed mouth and a dozen dimmed eyes. "That's a big spider."
[Giant Arachnid Buryura]
Only an orange name, but...
It's stronger, far stronger than Rasaka had been. So much that even when it wasn't moving Bell found his body tensing up.
"It's... It has to be at least level two!"
Bell knew that hardly anyone would ever think to fight anything a level above them. After all, no level one would ever think to fight something like a minotaur; he sure hadn't back on the fifth floor. Rasaka had been at most a level one at the very peak of becoming a level two, and in comparison, the Buryura was unbelievingly strong.
And yet, as he stared at the monster... he didn't feel any ounce of fear or a single concern that he was in over his head. His Sense stat would've told him if it was impossible to fight such a monster, but here he is, standing tall in the same room as it.
"I'm strong enough to feel confident against a level two monster?"
Bell crouched into a fighting position, waiting for any sign of movement from the dungeon boss.
He waited for half a minute until he realized that the Buryura's body was slowly elevating up and down.
"It's sleeping?"
Bell lowered his guard, admittedly feeling slightly awkward that he wasn't immediately thrown into a fight, unlike every time before. Did it get tired after eating a whole bunch of ants?
"Okay, but what now?" He could take the chance to land a vital blow on the monster, but its position up high on the webs would make it difficult to press on.
Taking a minute to think, Bell's eyes lit up, and he turned to the mana crystals.
"Wait, the dungeon will disappear the instant I kill the boss, won't it? Did the system set it up so that I can collect these first?" He rubbed his chin in thought. "But how do I mine them?"
Almost immediately after asking out loud, he answered his own question.
"Oh, right. With a pickaxe!"
He reached into his inventory and pulled out an item.
[Metal Pickaxe]
Item Class: D
Type: Tool
Increases mining efficiency by 30%.
"Thank you, random item box," Bell chuckled, patting the object in appreciation. It had been one of his Daily Quest rewards, one of the many random items he collected. While he's gotten a few weird or plain things from it, sometimes it's given him some useful stuff for everyday things.
He lifted the tool over his head, only to freeze at a foreign thought.
"But... what if the boss wakes up from the noise?"
He hesitantly glanced over at the sleeping arachnid at the room's far end and then back to the crystals. It wasn't long before he sighed.
"Well, either I try getting some of these now and risk waking the boss, or I immediately fight it and don't get any crystals at all."
Decision made, Bell lifted his pickaxe and slammed it down onto the nearest crystal, shattering it into multiple pieces. He then immediately turned around in preparation for the boss to wake up and attack... only for it not to.
He smiled excitedly.
~{Meanwhile-Room Of Prayer}~
A giant man with an aura radiating power was seated on a large throne in a poorly lit room. With wrinkly skin, white hair down just below the shoulders, and pale blue eyes, the man sat with an impassive gaze, wearing a black cloak with a white robe underneath, giving an impression of unarguable authority.
"Nothing at all, Fels?" The man's calm voice echoed through the chamber, but there was a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone.
Before him down the stairs stood a black-cloaked figure with notable skeletal hands; no other parts of his features could be made out.
"None, Ouranos." The figure responded, voice mystical and reverberating. "I've investigated the fifth floor of the dungeon where you've felt the disturbance but found nothing indicating its cause."
Ouranos, the head of the guild, sighed at the lackluster answer.
"Nothing at all, Fels?"
"The only signs showing that something had occurred were pitch-black scorches I found along the walls and floor as if something had burned them. Aside from that, I waited for nearly two hours and even searched a floor above and below for anything out of place, but found nothing. My apologies, Ouranos." The now-named Fels admitted.
"It is nothing to apologize for. However... it is quite concerning that twice something has occurred in the dungeon, but we don't have anything to show from it."
Ouranous's eyes narrowed in contemplation.
"First, the day when that room was found... now this."
It had been simply a typical day for Orario until the god of the sky sensed a pulse of foreign, abnormal magic spike from the dungeon. He had sent Fels to investigate the matter, and the information his assistant had come back with was something entirely unexpected.
A room.
A room on the fifth floor that hadn't been discovered for decades, and yet, the Ganesha and Loki Familias had found practically nothing but a stone pedestal and a boy who had gotten chased inside.
It was later when the mystery only grew, for the boy's accounts of the room had involved a harrowing challenge he had been forced to complete, nearly perishing in the process. As nothing had been shown to have actually affected the dungeon, Ouranos hadn't been sure what to think of the matter and had simply let it pass.
That was until just hours ago when he had felt another spike of the same unnatural magic from the dungeon's fifth floor again. But yet again, besides the signs of fire Fels found, there was no information gained that could point to the cause of the disruptions. Luckily, there appeared to be no consequences involving the dungeon, but the concern about it remained.
"Fels, twice now has something occurred on the fifth floor of the dungeon. I must ask you to contribute portions of your time to keep a watch there for anything else abnormal." He commanded.
"It shall be done, Ouranos." The mysterious figure politely bowed.
"And about the adventurer that had been discovered in the room. What else have you found about him?"
Fels shook his head. "There isn't much to say. He had only started his descent into the dungeon two weeks before that event, simply a level one unlucky enough to have been chased into that room. There isn't any other history to him aside from coming from a rural village days away from Orario."
"Nothing else... I see. You may conclude from investigating him further, then. Focus your efforts on searching for what could be causing the abrupt changes in the dungeon."
"Of course."
With that, the black-clad figure vanished from sight, leaving the god of the skies alone. He looked upward in the room with a frown on his face.
Something is changing, and he knows it.
He just doesn't know what.
*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*
Bell carved into crystals at a fast rate, going through just above half of them in about half an hour, quite the feat considering how much of the room was covered in them.
"Phew." Wiping his brow of sweat, he picked up the many chunks of crystals and vanished them into his inventory. "I got all the ones by the entrance, but now I'm mining nearly in front of the boss..."
He took another glance at the slumbering arachnid. It still hadn't moved since he entered the room, but now he was closer than comfortable to the monster.
"I already have over a hundred mana crystal shards in my inventory. Do I really push for more so close to it?"
He considered it for a few moments before his face hardened.
"No. I'm lucky enough to have gotten these crystals without waking it up. I can't waste the opportunity for a surprise attack when it's so much stronger than the other boss. And the system said that these crystals are 'dungeon-born' anyways, so what's not to say it there won't be more in other dungeons?"
Decision made, Bell put away his pickaxe and took a position away from the boss. He had already refilled his mana with another Mind Potion and still has both the High Potion and his status recovery in stock.
He's ready.
"Sprint!"
Bell rushed forward and leaped high into the air, flying just above the boss.
"HERE GOES!"
Holding his dagger downward with both hands, Bell roared before plunging it right for the center of the Buryura's head.
*CLANK!*
Dread filled his veins as he stood on the monster's head, his dagger shaking against it with no visible damage.
"I-It's skin is like armor!"
The Buryara woke up instantly.
"SCREEEEEEEEEEAAAAAA!" Uncurling its legs, the giant spider immediately flicked its head up while shooting to its feet, flinging Bell backward through the air as its grotesque, jagged mouth released a screech that shook the entire room.
Landing into a crouch several feet away, Bell grimaced as he witnessed the giant monster crawl out of its webs and crush the ground under its many feet, a powerful pressure of bloodlust directed at him.
"Ugh, a surprise attack, and Rasaka's Fang didn't even draw blood. Now I know why this is a D-rank dungeon."
The Buryara immediately rampaged forward for him, its front two legs swinging its pincer-like feet surprisingly fast for its size.
"Sprint!" Bell rushed forward and avoided the strikes as they smashed the ground behind him, swinging his dagger right for another leg as hard as he could. But like before, his weapon clanged off the appendage with sparks flying. "Too hard!"
"Craokaokaoka!" Growling, the monster tried rapidly stomping its many large feet to crush Bell, pivoting in place while the boy jumped and swerved out of the way of each attack.
"Even a single leg strikes so strong!" Bell panted as he swerved and slashed at each leg grazing by, leaving no lasting damage even with his fantastic weapon. "This isn't working! If my weapon won't work, then maybe my magic?"
Bell sped around the Buryara before being forced to block one of its swinging legs. His dagger clashed against the hard armor-like skin, and he grunted as he was sent flying backward, feeling his bones vibrate like when blocking a strike from Ryuu. He quickly recovered by flipping through the air and landing on his feet a few yards away from the monster, which he used as a chance to aim his palm forward.
"Brilliant Light!" Concentrated White flames burst forward and hit the monster's large body, bringing an annoyed scream as purple flames spread against its side and continued to burn.
"Yes, they work!" Bell exclaimed.
Not a second after saying that, the spider turned in his direction and opened its mouth.
"SCREEEEEEEEEEAAAAAA!"
Its roar created a shockwave that forcefully snuffed the flames off its body.
"It put them out with just a roar!?" Bell shouted, flabbergasted by the feat.
But at the very least, his magic did leave scorch marks on the monster's body, signifying it had some damage. But it wasn't enough to justify spamming Ignis Mortis on it.
The Buryura raised its legs high before burying them halfway into the ground. It then burst them upward, flinging large boulders in Bell's direction.
"Tsk!" He activated Sprint and dashed forward, weaving between chunks of rock.
"It's just like before when I couldn't cut the first boss, which means..."
He zoomed and used some flying debris as footholds to leap high above the arachnid.
"Go back to the same strategy and target its weakness!"
Bell spun his dagger and held it downward as he fell toward the monster's head, a goal in mind.
"Cut into the eyes!"
As he descended for the boss, it snapped up its head and opened its mouth wide.
"Phrah!" A green liquid spewed from its mouth right at Bell, making him gasp.
He pointed his palm left and activated Ignis Mortis with just a thought; the force of the blast abruptly sent him to the side, narrowly avoiding getting hit by the spray of green liquid.
But his changed trajectory resulted in a giant limb slamming into his side.
"UGH!"
Bell felt ribs shatter as he was sent flying into the wall, bouncing off the service and crashing down onto the ground.
"Blech!" He spurt blood from his mouth as agonizing pain spiked through his chest. His vision blurred but he kept just enough clarity to see the boss already rushing toward him.
"Ngh! No time to take the high potion! STATUS RECOVERY!"
Immediately a glow flashed quickly around him as if sensing his urgency. His internal injuries became no more, and he dove out of the way right before a leg stabbed the ground where he had just been.
Bell grunted as he rolled and flipped backward to avoid three more legs trying to strike him in quick succession. He then jumped high and unleashed another blast of magic in the boss's face, sending himself backward with the recoil, making space between them.
Landing into a crouch, Bell panted in a brief moment of respite. He glanced to the left, where the spider's green liquid had fallen, and found the ground melting away.
"Acid!? So I was right to dodge..."
If he had been a second late, he would've died. Granted, he still almost did from one hit just now, but that seemed far better than getting hit by corrosive acid.
"A tough body and acid? This sucks!"
Bell glared ahead at the monster as it screeched in pain, extinguishing the lingering flames again to reveal a disgusting, partially scorched face.
"If it's actually concerned enough to put out the flames, they must be doing good damage. Even if just one hit from this monster can do so much damage, it doesn't change that I can still hurt it, that I can still kill it."
He brandished his dagger as the Buryura rushed for him again.
"I just need one moment, that's all I need."
Bell dashed forward in a burst of speed, heading to meet the boss. Seeing him heading towards it, the Buryura opened its jaws and spewed another wave of acid at him.
"Move faster, FASTER!"
He vanished from the spot and moved faster than ever, ducking under the acid and dashing underneath the giant monster. Using the chance out of sight, he leaped up to one of its pivoting legs, pulled himself up, and jumped right on top of the boss's head, dagger reeled back.
Bell's battle cry roared through the dungeon as he plunged his dagger directly into one of the monster's larger eyes, dagger and arm sinking into the organ with orange blood splattering all over him. The arachnid roared in agonized fury as it started flailing around and bent its front arms to strike its attacker, only for its body to be unexpectedly locked in place.
[Effect: Paralysis has activated]
[Effect: Bleed has activated]
[Your foe will lose 1% of health each second]
"NOW!"
Seeing the prompt, Bell recalled his dagger and made it materialize in his left hand, leaving his right free inside the monster as he grinned dangerously.
"BRILLIANT LIGHT!"
The boss's head jerked and started swelling with a strangled cry, its face distorting as it expanded violently right before-
*BOOM!*
Bell was sent flying backward as blood and guts, both charred and fresh, splattered in all directions. He landed on the ground with a grunt, sprawled out on his back, with orange blood covering his entire front frame up to his face. Chunks of organs landed in a pitter-patter all around him, with even the remains of a single eye landing right on his chest.
(!)ALARM
You have slain the [Giant Arachnid Buryura]
He stared at the ceiling with a tired gaze, completely done with everything.
"I probably could've done that a lot cleaner..."
(!)ALARM
You have completed the normal quest: [Conquer the dungeon.]
[Your REWARDS have arrived.]
Bell sighed before sitting up, wincing at the now headless corpse of the boss collapsed with a loud crash.
"Sorry, but you did try to kill me."
(!)QUEST REWARDS
Normal quest: [Conquer the dungeon].
You have unlocked the 'buy' function of the shop.
The selection of items for purchase will be scaled to the PLAYER'S status.
He bounced to his feet. This is what he's been waiting for-!
(!)ALARM
The PLAYER has met the requirements to [Level Up].
Bell gasped at the abrupt message, his breath taken away.
"Wh-What?"