Live Dungeon!

”Ugh… gah–!”

”[.”

Xeno narrowly avoided an acid shot fired from a towering, turret-like Slime. But before he could regain his stance, a tentacle lashed out from behind, slamming into the back of his head. The blow stunned him instantly.

Tsutomu, having anticipated this exact scenario, cast [ right at the moment of the impact, pulling Xeno out of his dazed state before the Slime could follow up.

”Die!!” Amira roared, unleashing a breath attack straight at the Slime targeting Xeno.

She had been practicing with her fire breath as Tsutomu instructed: positioning herself precisely so she could cut through targets cleanly. A short distance away, Amy and Garm were locked in battle with a squad of Goblins, swigging potions mid-combat to stay fully efficient.

Tsutomu’s party was exploring the ninety-first layer, just as they had the previous afternoon, focusing primarily on individual training. Today, instead of Garm, it was Xeno receiving Tsutomu’s direct instruction… but he was clearly struggling.

Drenched in sweat as though someone had dumped a bucketload of it over his head, his silver hair clinging wetly to his forehead, Xeno bent double, hands on his knees, gasping for breath. Tsutomu topped him up with another [ cast before popping a leftover, grassy-smelling Blue Potion into his mouth. He tapped his chin thoughtfully.

”Your decision to dodge that acid shot was solid.” Tsutomu said. ”But your read on the tentacle strike was still off. Remember what I said this morning: unless it hits your head, it won’t stun. So, rule number one is not to take a headshot. Don’t worry about it hitting anywhere else. Keep that in mind.”

”I’m aware of that much…” Xeno replied, his voice tight.

”Well, it’s still a step up from yesterday when you got stunlocked to the floor and had your gear melted. You’re improving. Keep this up and you’ll be fine! C’mon, let’s get to the next round.”

Yesterday, Garm had been the one thrown into the fire, training against Slimes and Goblins under Tsutomu’s direct orders. Even from the sidelines, it was clear Tsutomu demanded an unreasonably high standard from his Tanks. Xeno had dreaded today ever since he had seen Garm suffer through it… and now, unsurprisingly, he was facing his own private hell.

[I suppose it’s better than what Garm endured… Good grief, I have no idea how he stayed standing through all of that.]

Yesterday’s training had felt more like a deathmatch than an exercise. Tsutomu had gleefully sent Garm charging into hordes of Slimes, guiding him through brutal real-combat drills with all the cheer of a child banging together some action figures. He had watched Garm’s miraculous evasions with a smile, marveling at his tenacity while continuing to cast support skills with unwavering precision. And Garm, terrifyingly enough, had withstood it all, keeping his face unreadably straight and his movements ironclad, his body bruised but never hesitating.

Compared to that, today’s instructions were not quite as hellish. Xeno was told first to evade acid blasts that, considering his relatively low VIT for a Tank, could instantly kill him if they struck the head. Now, he was tasked with avoiding the tentacles, which were not only fast and erratic, but also came in all directions. During the fights, Tsutomu gave no live orders, only providing healing and support, letting Xeno act on his own judgment. Afterward, Tsutomu would evaluate, give feedback, and suggest refinements.

That method, though grueling, suited Xeno. He was arrogant, yes, but he was also sharp, and Tsutomu’s teaching style reminded him of how Pico had once drilled tactics into him during preparations for the seventieth layer. Moreover, it seemed Tsutomu was meticulously directing the God Eye to sync to Xeno’s. When things got tough, he would even remind Xeno that he was live on the Monitors, boosting his motivation.

After an hour, the fruits of training were evident. Xeno was no longer getting caught by acid as frequently, and he was beginning to anticipate the tentacles’ trajectories. It was demanding, as Tsutomu always pushed slightly beyond one’s limits, but the results were undeniable.

During his break, Xeno watched Tsutomu make use of every spare moment: tweaking Amy and Amira’s skill rotations, coaching Garm on Goblin behavior and attack patterns, and scribbling furiously into a stack of notes about the Clan members. Curious, Xeno crept closer and peeked over Tsutomu’s shoulder.

He gasped softly. Dozens of pages were filled to the brim with diagrams, notes, observations, and tactical notations. A web of preparation, seemingly bottomless in detail. Tsutomu, sensing the gaze, turned around.

”You’re ready to go now? Well, if you insist…” He said, not giving Xeno any gap to deny it. ”The one Amira blasted should be starting to regenerate now.”

[…How does he manage all this? How does he find the mental space to train us AND write that much? Now I’m starting to think Amy calling him Dungeon-brained is actually not so far from the truth…]

There were people like Ealdred Crow’s team managers and some among the Dungeon Maniacs who closely watched Monitor broadcasts and provided feedback to Explorer parties. It was common knowledge that teams improved drastically with a tactical overseer, but not many active Explorers had the ability to manage the same.

Tsutomu, too, was a full-time Explorer. And yet he handled party coordination and Clan administration as if it were second nature. No one else in the dungeoneering scene could manage what he did.

Among Ealdred Crow, Rook might come close, and perhaps Stephanie, who had been outshining him as of late. Still, their observations came through separate managers, relayed from behind the scenes. Stephanie had explained as such via newspaper interviews.

Tsutomu, by contrast, needed no one whispering advice. Even Ollie, who now managed the Clan House, had started watching broadcasts, but never once had she interrupted Tsutomu’s process.

Tsutomu had not made waves like he used to since the buzz around the ninetieth layer cleared. He had advanced to the ninety-ninth layer with no fanfare, but his skills had not dulled; in fact, they had been honed sharper than ever. And while doing so, he still found time to train everyone else.

[He’s a true enigma… no one has managed to learn a single thing about his background. But perhaps there’s no deeper meaning to it. He’s just that good. A man born to conquer God’s Dungeon… even if his humanity leaves a lot to be desired.]

Xeno remembered the Solit Company scandal. Dungeon Maniacs had reported that Tsutomu had driven the instigator into the slums and left her there to rot. And during the Stampede incident, Tsutomu’s coldness toward onlooking civilians, who, to be fair, were warned not to be there, had drawn visible horror.

Even his fellow Clanmates, most notably Hannah and Leleia, often grumbled about how unpleasant he was to deal with. Whatever the public thought of him as a strategist, their opinion of him as a person was far less generous.

The turret-shaped Slime that Amira had cleaved cleanly in half was beginning to regenerate from the spot where its core had remained intact. Several of the others had already fully revived, too. Xeno sent out a [ to draw their attention, bracing himself as a spray of acid bullets came flying his way. He blocked them with an arm covered in anti-corrosive armor and stepped forward to confront the monsters once more.

[No, but really… his reputation might be cold, sure, but not THAT cold.]

Just as that thought passed through his head, Xeno’s focus wavered. A thick tentacle whipped toward him from behind and came crashing down on his skull. With a sickening thud, he was driven face-first into the dirt.

”Xeno, you’re much sloppier than earlier. Keep your mind on the fight in front of you. If you can’t focus, you’ll never improve.”

”A-ah… right. My apologies.”

”[.”

Chastised, Xeno pushed all lingering thoughts from his mind and locked eyes on the hulking, regenerating turret-shaped Slime writhing in front of him.

▽▽

”W-what a… coincidence, Mister Tsutomu!”

”Ahh. Yeah, sure. Coincidence it is.”

Stephanie clasped her hands in delight at finally encountering Tsutomu on the ninety-first layer after yesterday’s failed attempts. She had made three re-entries the previous day, but today she had finally crossed paths with him on her second try. Her joy was, to say the least, palpable. Behind her, however, the Attacker and Tank members of Ealdred Crow wore varying shades of exasperation.

Tsutomu caught the expressions and offered a weary smile. Still, the timing worked out well enough. His party had spent the morning drilling the most crucial encounters on this floor, and the afternoons were reserved for freeform exploration. Joining up now, post-lunch, was ideal.

”So then, should we go with the terms we discussed yesterday?” Tsutomu asked.

”Yes! In exchange, we’ll give up the Black Gate rights!”

”Got it. Then we’ll help you with material farming today. My party still lacks polish, so I’m sure they’ll appreciate the extra fighting.”

The agreement had been that Tsutomu’s party would assist with gathering materials in return for Ealdred Crow helping them progress to layer ninety-two. They had already confirmed the arrangement the day before, so the collaboration between Absolute Helix and Ealdred Crow moved forward without friction.

”Ooh, it’s the real Amy!” A young woman, one of Ealdred Crow’s Attackers, squealed with delight.

”What do you mean by that?” Amy asked, tilting her head. ”You’ve seen me around the Guild, haven’t you?”

”Well, sure, but when I think ‘Amy,’ I think the Dungeon! That’s where you really shine. I mean, these days, you’re less cute and more… deadly. And that’s AWESOME!”

”Hehehe~!”

Amy grinned at the compliment, clearly pleased. That little exchange broke the ice, and both Clans began chatting amiably as they advanced together into the layer.

”Garm, want this?” One of the Tanks asked, handing over a piece of jerky.

”Mm-hmm. I’ll take it,” Garm nodded.

”Hahaha! I’ll have one too!” Xeno added.

”…Well, sure. Looks like your Healer’s got it rough too, huh?”

Garm was a well-known, seasoned Explorer who held connections with many in the dungeoneering scene. And Xeno, unfazed by strangers, mingled easily as well.

”Hey, Nix,” Amira greeted the other Attacker. ”I didn’t know you made it past the ninetieth layer, too.”

”Stephanie’s contribution carried us, really. I thought YOU were going to run it with Tsutomu, but then you cleared it with… the other girl? Now that’s a surprise.”

”That’s Korinna to you. She’s pretty awesome, you know. Looks timid at first glance, but she’s got guts.”

Even Amira, usually uneasy around strangers, seemed relaxed thanks to Nix’s presence. He was a former member of her now-defunct Clan and had since joined Ealdred Crow, but since they had reconciled, the pre-existing camaraderie made all the difference.

Seeing his teammates integrating smoothly, Tsutomu let out a subtle sigh of relief. Then he turned and met the unmistakably intense gaze of Stephanie. Their eyes met for only a moment before she quickly looked away, cheeks coloring, fingers fidgeting nervously with strands of her pink hair.

[She’s… better than she used to be. But still a little terrifying.]

To be fair, Stephanie’s appearance and demeanor had noticeably improved. The dark circles that once framed her eyes were gone, and the gauntness in her face had faded. The adoration in her gaze lingered, but it had softened into something resembling genuine respect — more mentor-student than worshipper-devotee.

Still, Tsutomu could not quite shake the memory of their last encounter on the ninety-first layer; that spine-chilling presence she’d exuded then still clung to his thoughts. He had often second-guessed his handling of the situation afterward, and while things had somehow turned out all right, he wasn’t quite sure exactly how.

”So, the ninety-sixth layer’s been giving you trouble?”

”Y-yes! That strange Dragon-like thing just feels… impossible to deal with…”

Tsutomu did not want to walk around in awkward silence forever, especially as a party leader, so he steered the conversation toward the Dungeon. Stephanie, visibly relieved, leapt at the chance to speak on more neutral ground.

And so began the cooperative expedition between Absolute Helix and Ealdred Crow. It was awkward, perhaps, but effective enough.