Live Dungeon!

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The Gnome — the Earth Spirit with a secondary humanoid female form clad in earthy-toned garments designed by Amy — exulted in triumph. With arms raised high, fists clenched in victory, it mirrored the stance of a champion boxer reveling in the applause of an adoring crowd.

In stark contrast to the foreboding atmosphere of the eighty-first layer, the eighty-second had unfurled before them like a classical painting that sought to capture the biblical heaven in strokes of light and ethereal grace. Here, monsters born of the light element roamed in abundance; though only a handful had ever faced them so far, they were already recognized among Explorers as formidable adversaries.

These monsters possessed an inherent resistance, wreathed in defensive waves of light that halved the effectiveness of any attack that did not specifically exploit their weaknesses. Some were even nigh impervious to physical damage. Knowing the enemies’ weaknesses was not merely advantageous; it was necessary — and in the case of light, the only elements they were weak against were darkness and earth.

Of the two, dark-elemental attacks were the most potent. However, Jobs that had access to such skills were few — and Absolute Helix had none among their ranks. The burden, therefore, fell to the second option: earth-elemental magic, possessed by two of their comrades: Leleia the Spiritualist and Gnome the Spirit of Earth.

Despite practically being the last resort, Leleia’s power was nothing to scoff at — she had access to all types of Spirit Magic, and her excellent synergy with the Gnome did wonders for their collective damage output. Gnome, though its form was humble, wielded immense power; when contracted with Tsutomu, it would create a secondary body — a humanoid female form more suited to combat, capable of inflicting devastating blows.

With the battle won, the Gnome darted toward Tsutomu, its wide eyes gleaming with a yearning for approval. Tsutomu’s gaze drifted down to the Gnome’s true body — the terracotta statuette nestled on the girl-shaped body’s shoulder — before lifting his eyes to Daryl, whose towering frame seemed even more conspicuous now that he was standing right next to them.

“Wouldn’t you get more power if you grew bigger? …Like, to his size?” Tsutomu suggested.

“……”

Silence followed as both the secondary body and the statuette paused, lost in deep thought. Then, in a moment of realization, a gleam of understanding sparked in their eyes. The girl-shaped figure raised its right hand, its earthen form stretching, morphing, twisting into something new — a massive hammer. It swung the colossal weapon through the air, the sheer force of its movement creating gusts that made Tsutomu’s white robe billow in the wind.

“O-okay… I guess that could work,” Tsutomu stammered, clearly taken aback by the sudden transformation.

“……”

The Gnome, ever eager for praise, opened its secondary body’s mouth wide. Even the mouth’s interior was unbelievably human-like despite its earthen composition. Tsutomu proceeded to hand the Gnome a Small Colorless Magic Stone. Its face lit up with delight as it crunched the stone between its teeth, a satisfied expression spreading across its features.

Nearby, the Salamander stared longingly at the bustling scene before it, its mouth hanging open with an almost childlike envy. Diniel, catching sight of the Salamander’s yearning look, reached into her Magic Bag, fetching a Small Inferno Magic Stone which she offered without hesitation.

“Peei,” The Salamander chirped, giving thanks before snapping up the Magic Stone.

Diniel watched as it tried to swallow the stone whole, her eyelids drooping as if on the verge of sleep.

“Diniel,” Leleia spoke up, quite apparently exasperated, “how many Magic Stones are you planning to feed it? You’ve already handed it more than ten today.”

“I wish I had the Largest Magic Stone to give it…”

“Please don’t. No matter how many you feed it, the Salamander won’t grow any more attached to you. It’s just a waste.”

There was some truth to those words. Though it was possible to increase a Spirits’ affection through interaction and feeding them Magic Stones, the process was costly and the results were far from dramatic. For a true boost of compatibility, something special was required — a rare Spiritualist item, said to be hidden away in silver treasure chests. Yet, those treasures were elusive, seldom found in this area.

Despite the logic behind Leleia’s warning, Diniel seemed unfazed, her indifference as impenetrable as ever. Diniel’s low compatibility with all Spirits made it so she could never win over the Salamander’s attention. Neither this fact nor the logic behind Leleia’s warning seemed to bother her, however. Instead, she simply took out another Magic Stone.

“It’s fine — I don’t mind. I’m just enjoying watching it eat.”

Leleia could only sigh heavily at Diniel’s stubbornness. The latter’s lack of compatibility also meant she could not form a > with the Salamander, and Diniel knew that would not change anytime soon. Still, she seemed satisfied enough with the simple act of feeding it. She had already poured a small fortune into doing so — nearly 10,000G worth of Magic Stones today alone.

“>!” Daryl’s voice rang out a few paces away from the ladies.

His voice was sharp with effort as he attempted to improve the ‘stylishness’ of his skills under Xeno’s guidance.

“Non, non! You must make it more elegant! A spiral, Daryl — think of a spiral! And don’t overlap with mine!”

“Ngh…! >!” Daryl growled, trying to follow his mentor’s nigh incomprehensible instructions, leaving his expression strained.

Yet despite his frustration, there was a glimmer of excitement in Daryl’s eyes. At his age, the allure of flashy techniques was irresistible — so recently, he had even been practicing a more animated execution of >.

Daryl’s efforts were not without reward — as he endured the relentless pace of Garm’s training, he had begun to find a balance between his two mentors’ teachings. Moreover, unlike Xeno, who consciously directed the God Eye to showcase his best moments, Daryl’s natural, straightforward personality was beginning to earn him a fanbase among the audience. This allowed them to coexist without cannibalizing each other’s popularity.

As the party was done collecting the Light Magic Stones, it was now time to move on. They shifted their attention to the Black Gate they had discovered earlier.

“Diniel,” Tsutomu called out, “It’s directly south from here, right?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“All right, thanks. Xeno, you lead the way.”

“Leave it to me!”

Although Xeno’s strength as a Paladin was of little use against light-elemental monsters, his resistance to their magic made him the ideal vanguard for the eighty-second layer. On the other hand, he was painfully vulnerable to the dark-elemental foes that lurked on other layers. When they inevitably progressed deeper down, Daryl would assume the lead instead.

“By the way, Xeno, I’ve been meaning to ask you about changing skill colors…”

“Hmm?” Xeno raised a brow. “What’s this, Tsutomu? Don’t tell me… you wish to be a part of my illustrious troupe!?”

“Wait, what!?” Daryl’s eyes lit up, excitement spilling over in his voice. “You’re joining too, Sir Tsutomu!?”

“No, no… I just want to understand how to change their colors. I’ve tried it on my own, but… I haven’t quite figured it out yet.”

Seeing Xeno and Daryl’s excitement, Tsutomu decided to show them what he had now. Smiling wryly, he cast a >, its light a touch dimmer than usual.

Ever since that one time in the Royal Capital, when he had idly attempted to doodle images of the Spirits using the auras of his skills, he had been fascinated by the possibilities. His progress had been frustratingly slow so far, however.

Xeno, never one to miss an opportunity to nurture a kindred spirit, swirled his cape with a theatrical flair, drawing the group’s attention.

“Very well, then! My troupe is always open to new members! Leleia! Diniel! What say you two? You should both join us as well! Especially you, Leleia — your skills, combined with your Spirits, would be nothing short of spectacular for our broadcasts!”

“No, thank you,” Leleia said, her response swift and dismissive.

“Shut up,” Diniel grumbled, barely registering the invitation and more annoyed by the volume of his voice.

Despite their cold responses from the green-scaled Dragonewt and the Elf, Xeno deflated only slightly, his spirit barely faltering. Meanwhile, Tsutomu seized the moment to ask for advice on refining his control of >. While Hannah was, without question, the most skilled flyer in Absolute Helix, her talent was innate; she lacked the ability to impart her expertise to others. Xeno, on the other hand, though less adept, meshed with him logic-wise, making for a far more suitable teacher.

Diniel observed their exchange with quiet interest. She could have easily offered her own insights on how to master >, yet she remained silent, knowing full well that stepping in would only invite the hassle of guiding Tsutomu through the intricacies herself — a burden she had no desire to shoulder.

▽▽

“Holy moly, she’s good…” muttered Haltto, the young, newly-promoted Ealdred Crow Team 1 Attacker — and notably, a Birdkin who hailed from the same village as the now-renowned Hannah.

His eyes swept across the aftermath of their skirmish. The battlefield of layer eighty-four lay scattered with the loot of the Fallen Angels they had vanquished. His hands, tightly gripping the Cosmo Alpha — sleek black-and-white dual blades — started relaxing as the battle’s tension faded.

He glanced over toward Stephanie, whose pink spiral curls bobbed with each step she took.

“Feel free to attack without restraint, Haltto. I’ll adjust my rhythm to yours.” She had said to him at some prior point.

Haltto had fought alongside other White Mages before, but those prior experiences had always shackled him, forcing him to curb his strength for fear of outpacing his support. Those words of Stephanie’s had been shocking, and the notion that a White Mage like her could match his pace had been doubtful — at least at first. But now that he had gotten to see her in action, he knew how profoundly he had underestimated her.

Stephanie, known throughout Ealdred Crow as the ‘Ice Conductor’, more than lived up to her moniker — not just through sheer dedication, but also her adaptability and the precision of her every command. Now, witnessing her prowess firsthand, Haltto felt a visceral awe ripple through him, down to his crimson-feathered wings.

“…Like, really, REALLY GOOD! No wonder even YOU are spooked by her, Sir Bitt! And those eyes? They’re, like… merciless — way scarier than any monster!” Haltto rambled on, unable to contain his excitement.

“……”

Beside him, Bittman — one of the city’s three mightiest tanks — only smiled wryly. Haltto’s boundless energy reminded Bittman of Sova, another comrade of his and Stephanie’s — as well as the latter’s childhood friend — who had only recently been demoted from Team 1. As abrasive as Sova could sometimes be, he had acted as the stopper to the team’s beer barrel, keeping everyone in check. And to Bittman personally, the news of his demotion had been awful to hear.

“Tsutomu’s great for keeping up with Hannah, sure, but Miss Steph? Man, she’s on a whole different level,” Haltto continued, his enthusiasm undiminished.

Bittman’s smile turned weary as he promptly issued a warning, “Stop, Haltto. Do not bring up Tsutomu while she is within earshot.”

“…Oh, right. Sorry!” Haltto stammered, chastened but undeterred.

His gaze quickly shifted toward Pollux, who stood nearby.

“And I gotta say, Sir Pol, I didn’t expect much from you at first — you know, given your reputation. But man, you’re AWESOME! I’m not kidding — you’re hands down one of the best Buffers I’ve ever seen!”

Though Haltto lacked much direct experience with Enchanters, it didn’t take a seasoned veteran to recognize that Pollux’s unparalleled skill control was an art form in itself — literally, even, as he also used his Explorer skills to assist with creating paintings. His near-flawless weaving of buffs and debuffs, fortifying allies while undermining foes, had been crucial to the team’s success. Moreover, thanks in part to Tsutomu’s teachings, he had even mastered the techniques for mental stamina management.

Despite Haltto’s praise, Pollux spat a glob of phlegm onto the cloud-covered ground, his eyes narrowing with seething irritation as they bored into the younger man before him.

“You’ve got some talent, I’ll give you that… but there’s no place for you in Team 1. Sova was better. You act on your own too much, kid. Why too much.”

Pollux had once dismissed Sova as a pale imitation of Weiss, weaker and less cool. But when Tsutomu had pointed out the intricacies he had been blind to, Pollux had been forced to reconsider. Sova, though no longer part of Team 1, had been far better at understanding the rhythm of the team, syncing excellently with Pollux’s support skills.

Haltto, for all his undeniable strength, was reckless — selfish, even. Every move he made seemed like a declaration of his own independence, a wild thrust into the battlefield without a moment’s thought for those around him. Pollux had often found himself struggling to adjust his support to keep up.

“But didn’t Miss Steph say she’d adjust to my rhythm?” Haltto shot back.

“Don’t compare me to her — that girl’s practically sold her soul to the Dungeon. Not everyone can sync up with someone they’ve never fought alongside before — It’s just not normal. If you don’t put in the effort to match the team, you’re not getting support from me. Understood?”

Pollux’s eyes flickered venomously toward Stephanie, who, even now, was engrossed in her passive practice, an array of skill wisps orbiting her head. She had the uncanny ability to adapt on the fly, syncing with almost anyone instantly — even when she was grouped with those outside the usual makeup of Team 1. One new Birdkin joining their ranks wasn’t going to throw her off, but Pollux was a different story. Despite his raw talent, he was relatively lacking in experience, and the chaotic nature of Haltto’s style was just too much for him to track.

“Okay, okay, fine,” Haltto said, rolling his eyes before shifting his gaze toward Rook. “Got anything to add, Boss Man?”

“No real issues on my end, actually.” Rook shrugged, his lips forming a faint smile as Gargoyle Eidolons hovered behind him. “Keep doing what you’re doing, Haltto.”

“Aww, yeah! You got it!”

Rook, for his part, had barely held onto his spot in the main party, largely thanks to the fact that he was able to bring out the latent potential in both Pollux and Stephanie. As a Summoner, he held a somewhat unique position, able to fill the roles of both Attacker and Tank depending on what the situation called for. This capability made him a natural match for Stephanie and Pollux, allowing them to maximize their respective skills in healing and support.

As for Haltto, he had long been a subject of attention for his prowess as one of the more notable Dualbladers. His fame had only grown after he laid claim to the Cosmo Alpha dual blades, a treasure he’d pried from a chest within the eighty-fourth layer. With those blades in hand, his speed had been even further enhanced, and combined with the natural agility of a Birdkin, he was capable of unleashing incredible magnitudes of damage.

“Maaan, I’m on a roll today!” Haltto exclaimed, his voice brimming with youthful exuberance. “Can’t wait to hit the ninetieth layer!”

“Annoying brat,” Pollux grumbled, his annoyance unmasked.

“Meh, you’re annoyed by everything, old man!”

“……”

Before Haltto had joined, the team had functioned like a well-oiled machine — but now, everything felt off-kilter. Yet, despite this undeniable friction, they were still moving forward, inching ahead of Silver Beast in the race for progress. Pollux’s eyes, small and squinting beneath the folds of his face, glinted with disdain as he cast one last look at the excitable Haltto before turning on his heel and stomping away.

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