Live Dungeon!

When Team 2 finally descended to the ninetieth layer and put Korinna’s proposed strategy into action, several flaws became immediately apparent. Even so, the entire party could feel that something had changed; there was definitely a sense of accomplishment in it. Eager to capitalize on that, the members gathered and began refining the plan together through open discussion.

”Would you let us take over command during battle?” Xeno asked.

Until now, Korinna, as the party’s Healer, had been directing their operations, with Amy occasionally offering supplemental calls. But Korinna’s command aptitude was limited, and understandably so. The ninetieth layer demanded much from a Healer, and trying to maintain the battlefield’s overview on top of that was simply too much.

As such, Xeno had proposed a shift: he and Amy, with their broad field awareness and decent command ability, would handle tactical direction. Korinna could then focus purely on support and status effect recovery.

”Yes,” Korinna replied. ”I’d say it’s worth a try.”

Though Xeno often came off as a clown, Korinna knew just how much effort he put in behind the scenes. Trusting in that, she accepted his offer without resistance. When Xeno saw that no one else objected, he puffed out his chest with theatrical confidence.

”Leave it to us! It’ll go splendidly, I promise!”

”……”

Korinna gave him a long, unreadable stare.

”…What? Did I say something wrong?” Xeno asked, wilting under her gaze.

”Uh, no, you haven’t upset me,” she said calmly. ”I just realized… Tsutomu used to look at you like this sometimes. Now I understand why.”

”I-I don’t recall ever being on the receiving end of such a look…”

He, in fact, had quite often been under this expression of Tsutomu’s. It was an expression reserved for watching circus jesters perform in public spaces. Korinna’s imitation was spot-on, causing Xeno to falter under the awkwardness of it, while Amira, watching from the sidelines, blinked in mild surprise at their dynamic.

”Hey, so listen… about saving Amira for the endgame,” Amy chimed in, ”we’re going to need a better approach.”

Rather than resting her entirely until the final phase, they opted to change her equipment to a more lightweight set in the early and mid stages, and limiting her use of [ to keep her from overheating. In tandem, Amy and Xeno would be positioned to support Garm, who had grown increasingly adept at handling the Corrupted Shell’s unpredictable attacks.

For the next few days, Team 2 refined these adjustments through trial and error. And then, once more, they returned to the ninetieth layer, a layer they had already visited almost a hundred times. It had become tediously familiar at this point.

From the pitch-black sky descended the former Archangel, now a Corrupted Shell, screaming its hatred of all creation. The first time they had encountered it, the sight had struck fear into their hearts. When Amy used her Appraise skill and revealed it had once been an Angel, pity had mixed with that fear.

[Just let us through already!]

By now, Korinna no longer saw it as a pitiable figure. She regarded it instead as an obstacle, one that had stood in their way far too many times. With steady hands, she cast [ and [ over her party, her gaze locked on the fallen Angel like that of a long-standing rival.

There had been plenty of theories circulating among the Dungeon Maniacs about the true nature of the Corrupted Shell. Once, Korinna had enjoyed those speculations too. She had wondered about the creatures that had once been Angels, who hadn’t even become Fallen, but had simply rotted into monsters.

But now, none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was defeating this one and pushing onward.

As she tightened her grip on her talisman, something began to shift in her vision. Like a heat haze or a mirage, dark wisps shimmered behind the monster. She recognized it instinctively: the death-sight she had developed after witnessing so many Explorers meet their end.

Until now, the phenomenon had only applied to humans. But for some reason, it was starting to work on this Corrupted Shell too.

Reading the thickness of the fog, she estimated how long the creature would live. Realizing that her current strategy, reliant on careful aggro management, would inevitably lead to a slow, bleeding defeat, she shifted tactics. They would pour everything into the endgame.

”[!”

It was a turning point. Korinna, who had followed in Tsutomu’s footsteps as a Healer, now took her first real step onto a different path. It was a path not toward White Mage, but toward Channeler.

[ shortened the cast times of her two blessings, and when they activated, a surge of blue energy flared around each party member. Everyone’s AGI spiked, and Garm’s VIT rose as well. The moment the blessings took effect, Xeno raised his silver sword high, like a signal flare against the darkness.

”Now! Let the battle begin!” Xeno’s voice rang across the battlefield like a war cry.

”Loud as ever, huh?” Amira muttered.

”Loud’s just right for a fight!” Amy grinned.

”……”

”Let’s get going,” Garm said nonchalantly.

Amira and Amy continued exchanging playful jabs, and Korinna closed her eyes to focus.

Garm gripped his tower shield with steady resolve. He then activated [, and a black spear-shaped aura burst forth.

Research into the Tank archetype had led to the recognition of three distinct roles, and [ had undergone similar reevaluation. Like [, it could now be altered in form and even color; the latest focus was on the shape’s influence over aggro generation.

A standard [ released a wide red wave. But when shaped like a spear and focused on a single point, it could land more of its force directly onto the enemy. In short, more efficient and more potent. Of course, that also meant enemies would try to dodge it, requiring greater precision and skill from the Tank.

Reports had also started to emerge that even different combinations of color and shapes could influence a monster’s aggro response further, if only slightly. Weapon-shaped cries seemed to draw more aggression, and matching the color to a monster’s elemental weakness helped amplify the effect further.

At first, Garm had frowned at Daryl and Xeno when they began experimenting with color changes, treating it like a game. But over time, he came around. Through practice and discipline, Garm too had mastered the basics of shaping his [.

”YAAAH!!”

”[”

Thanks to a month of steady observation and repetition, they now knew the Corrupted Shell’s attack patterns well enough to predict even its trickier moves. When it launched a wild slash with those blade-like, absurdly powerful yet flexible claws, Garm met the attack head-on with a [.

Blown backward by the strike, Garm landed hard, but before the Corrupted Shell could follow up, a double-bladed strike cut through the air to intercept. And as if perfectly timed to counter the blow, a [ wrapped around Garm, healing him instantly.

”[, [, […”

Amy’s voice was low and rhythmic, her dilated feline eyes locked on the enemy as she repeated the skill name like a metronome. Her dual blades shimmered as she slashed without hesitation, every motion stripped of waste or doubt.

If victory required her to support Garm, she would do it regardless of how much she disliked him. That sense of selflessness had first taken root during their fight with the Devourer Dragon, but only recently had she been able to act on it openly. Now she fought without hesitation, subtly shifting her path to match Amira’s approach while keeping her eyes averted from the Corrupted Shell’s petrifying gaze.

”[!”

Amira, wielding a spare greatsword crafted with materials from the Light and Darkness layer. It was notably lightweight and not sourced from Dorren Workshop, striking at the enemy without activating her [. The monster did not flinch the way it usually did; an expected outcome, yet that didn’t stop her from clicking her tongue in irritation.

Amira technically had everything she needed: a weapon that dealt bonus damage by exploiting the Corrupted Shell’s weakness, a unique skill in [, and years of training under Camille, giving her both the strength and finesse to wield her massive blade. Her firepower was terrifying, enough that she could carry the entire mid-phase on her own.

But even with [ mastered, the physical toll remained. Stamina still drained rapidly, and if she exhausted herself mid-fight, her performance would spiral. With proper healing and support, she could last one, maybe two hours… but long engagements would always be her weakness.

That was why the team had adopted a new plan: conserve Amira for the final phase. But dialing back her damage output proved harder than expected; she struggled with restraint. Bursting into full power without a warm-up was also difficult, so for now, they limited her gear and skills to let her gradually heat up both body and instinct.

The battle raged on, and eventually, the Corrupted Shell tilted its head to the sky in that all-too-familiar motion.

Xeno’s clear, commanding voice rang out. ”That’s area attack pattern 1! Amy, Amira, retreat to Korinna’s position on the right! Korinna, hold your ground! Garm, shift to the left-rear position!”

Having left full Tanking responsibilities to Garm, Xeno was playing a support role, fully devoted to tracking the monster’s every move. As soon as he identified the cue for a wide-range attack, he issued precise commands without missing a beat. His voice, resonant and confident, needed no magical amplification; it echoed through the battlefield like a war drum, unignorable and unmistakable.

That voice had once led a mid-tier Clan. And now, fortified with information painstakingly gathered by Pico, his Dungeon Maniac wife, Xeno had memorized the Corrupted Shell’s every behavior. He gave orders not from guesswork, but grounded theory.

”Garm! I’ll be right behind you! Fight freely, without restraint!”

”[!”

”[!”

Garm and Korinna continued to work in perfect synchrony, ignoring Xeno’s grandiose proclamations.

As the battle unfolded, Korinna realized something: she was far more focused than usual. Being able to concentrate on healing alone, rather than juggling battlefield orders and situational awareness, was a game-changer. Supporting Garm, tracking status effects like petrification… she could manage it all far more effectively now that Xeno had taken on the burden of command and Amy was helping with Amira.

[Well then, it seems I was right to trust Xeno.]

And Xeno, still calling out commands with gusto, seemed genuinely fulfilled. Once, Korinna might’ve doubted the man’s competence. But now she knew how much he had studied and practiced; he had definitely earned this role. He wasn’t making things up on the fly. He was drawing on real data. There was no need to second-guess him anymore.

”[! [!”

[I was worried we’d lack damage output in the opening phase with Amira holding back… but Amy’s performing way beyond expectations. This might actually work.]

Amy darted around the Corrupted Shell with uncanny agility, landing hit after hit with her dual blades. Her movements were clean, precise, and deceptively light. She had taken Tsutomu’s training to heart, and now her theoretical peak output as a Dualblader was steadily climbing. Where once she had been seen as a mere idol, she was now recognized as a proper Explorer.

”Yoink!”

Even that light remark, muttered as she repositioned mid-strike, fit seamlessly with her fighting rhythm. She attacked without sticking, danced without losing range — her motions feline, her control elegant. In this moment, she clearly outshone even Amira. Despite the lack of a unique skill like the [, Amy had narrowed the gap through sheer effort, theory, and instinct.

[Yes… we can win this!]

With that thought held close, Korinna maintained her web of channeled skills, managing the team’s health and tracking status effects with calm clarity. The battle on the ninetieth layer had only just begun, but this time, their start was stronger than ever. Team 2’s new strategy had already begun to bear fruit.