Live Dungeon!

The Rampage Elephant spun in place, tearing through the vines that bound it with brute force alone. In that moment, the Fenrir lunged, driving crystalline fangs formed from pure translucent ice into the monster’s throat. But its rocky hide, as coarse and unyielding as boulders, refused to yield. The fangs only managed a shallow puncture.

Rampage’s trunk lashed out in retaliation, but the Fenrir dodged nimbly, the strike smashing into a tree and reducing its branches to splinters with a cracking roar. Without pause, the Fenrir conjured icicles overhead, raining them down like spears. One after another, they struck Rampage’s already battered ears, damaged in the team’s earlier assault, and at last, the monster flinched, just slightly.

As expected of what was considered a secret boss of the ninety-second layer, the Fenrir was no less formidable than Rampage. In a one-on-one fight, the wolf had a strong chance of victory, particularly thanks to its magic, which made its repertoire more versatile than Rampage’s raw power. Admittedly, though, such a match would be difficult within the usual 24-hour time limit imposed on the Dungeon’s Explorers.

”Hehehe… I’m really feeling it! [ is almost ready!” Hannah grinned.

”Let’s coordinate our attacks. [. [. Korinna, you may want to step back,” said Leleia.

”R-right!”

”[.”

Hannah’s combo count had soared to nearly one hundred. At that threshold, using [ to cap the chain off would greatly magnify its destructive potential. Leleia, in turn, invoked the Spirits’ elemental powers to enshroud her rapier in flame and wind. Now that she was level 80, she could wield up to three Spirits simultaneously, and with a knight’s unwavering gaze, she raised her blade before her, ready to square off.

The elephant was far from weak. Its incredible strength and nigh-impervious hide made it a terror, and halting its rampages had always been a challenge. But this was not the team’s first encounter; they had hunted this monster multiple times, and with Tsutomu’s comprehensive strategies for each Dungeon layer burned into Leleia’s memory, their preparation was absolute.

Even without the Fenrir’s help, the four of them had the skill and synergy to bring Rampage down. With the wolf’s full cooperation, the outcome was inevitable. Rampage had been reduced to nothing more than a glorified punching bag. It was tough but helpless.

While the Fenrir kept it distracted, Hannah crushed an Inferno Magic Stone in her left hand and let its fire-infused energy surge through her right, which was already glowing faintly with built-up combo energy. She dove beneath Rampage’s guard just as Leleia raised her flame-and-wind-coated rapier as if aiming a rifle. Above them, Diniel released the first shot of her [ skill into the sky.

”[!” Hannah shouted.

”[!” Leleia followed.

*Beep!* chirped the small Fire Spirit.

Hannah’s Magic Fist and hundred-combo [ merged into one devastating uppercut. Her right fist, bursting with compressed force, struck Rampage’s multi-ton body, launching into the air. It was as if a bomb had gone off beneath it, and even Korinna, standing a fair distance away, felt the shockwave ruffle her hair.

As Hannah was sent flying backward from the recoil, the Salamander exhaled a fireball. In response, the flame crystals orbiting Leleia’s rapier ignited in unison, triggered by resonance. What followed was a scorching beam, not unlike Amira’s fire breath when transformed, that seared into Rampage’s softer underbelly, blistering and charring the flesh.

Then came the follow-up from above: Diniel’s lightning-infused [ rained down like a meteor shower. Sandwiched between flame and thunder, Rampage had no way to retaliate. The blazing ray from Leleia’s blade faded just as Diniel’s second volley of countless arrows came crashing down, driving the beast into the ground with punishing force.

It tried to rise, grunting and groaning, but it was pinned. The overwhelming barrage, combined with the Fenrir’s icicles, kept it frozen in place.

”[.”

As the hail of arrows ceased, Diniel, already having downed a Blue Potion, was a step ahead. Holding a single, elongated arrow in hand, she darted forward and leaped.

[ was a skill not usually associated with Archers. Gained after passing level 90, it involved gripping an arrow and physically driving it into the enemy. It was inefficient and left her exposed, which is why she rarely used it, but its sheer power made it ideal when a rare opening presented itself.

”Hmmm…” she hummed without an ounce of tension in her voice.

Under normal circumstances, stabbing with an arrow was far weaker than releasing one from a bow. And with such a casual grunt, the attack looked almost laughable. Yet the skill’s boost made all the difference. The arrow embedded itself deep into Rampage’s trunk, prompting a trumpet-like scream of pain, more like a smashed brass instrument.

The Fenrir responded instantly, ramming its fangs into the same nostril, then jerked its head upward and tore away a chunk of the trunk from within. As if that weren’t enough, Korinna’s [ landed next, bypassing defenses with its fixed damage effect.

Had Rampage possessed the intelligence of a creature like Fenrir, it would have fled. Instead, it threw its head back in a final roar, stamping the earth with tree-thick legs, fury boiling in its cry.

Hannah charged in once more, her eyes gleaming with mischief. She twirled her electrified wings with a flourish and grinned.

”We’re just getting started! I’ve got plenty of Colorless Magic Stones left!”

She jingled a handful of small Magic Stones in her hand. To Rampage, she must have looked like a demon: cackling, relentless, and utterly invincible. Yet even with such a monstrous adversary before it, Rampage did the only thing it knew: lower its head and charge. Helpless against the one enemy, it was most ill-equipped to fight an evasion-based Tank who refused to get hit.

▽▽

Though Rampage had managed one brief burst of frenzy and fled the immediate area, the battle from start to finish had remained firmly under the control of the four-person-and-one-beast party.

”Anddd that’s a wrap, folks!” Hannah declared with a triumphant grin.

Much of their success could be attributed to Hannah herself. As an evasion-based Tank, she had flawlessly held Rampage’s aggro without taking a single hit, stabilizing the fight from beginning to end. Korinna, recognizing the advantage, focused on casting [, a blessing imbued with exhaustion-relieving properties, ensuring Hannah never ran out of steam. With this combination, they achieved a clean, flawless victory.

Rampage was now lifeless at Hannah’s feet, its massive frame collapsed in a final sprawl. In front of its carcass, Hannah stood tall, arms crossed in a self-satisfied pose, radiating smugness. When Korinna praised her for making it through without a scratch, her tough facade melted into a bashful, fawning smile.

Unlike previous battles, the Fenrir had suffered no serious wounds this time. Silently, the great wolf approached Leleia, her steps cautious.

”……”

”You may eat it,” Leleia said, smiling gently as she noticed her hesitation. ”We’d like to keep the Magic Stone, if that’s all right.”

The Fenrir’s white ears perked up in response, and after a soft, appreciative growl, as if offering thanks, she sank her fangs into Rampage’s carcass.

Leleia glanced sideways as the Fenrir wrenched his head back like sawing through an overcooked steak, determined to rip away a piece of the tough meat. She handed a Small Inferno Magic Stone to the Salamander perched at her side. Meanwhile, Diniel kept watch on the perimeter, confirming no new threats lurked nearby, though her gaze occasionally drifted to the Fenrir’s struggle with faint, amused interest.

”We did it,” Hannah said, voice bright at first… but it faltered halfway through. ”Now we won’t have to go through that again…”

The joy in her expression dimmed as old memories surfaced.

The first time they had cleared the ninety-second layer, they’d been desperate. Instead of facing Rampage directly, they had let it clash with the Fenrir and swooped in to take advantage of the chaos. It worked, but at a steep cost: the Fenrir’s cub had been killed, and the mother had been left gravely wounded. As the four of them stood around in tense silence, unsure how to feel, Tsutomu casually suggested they take down the Fenrir as well.

Even Leleia had balked at that. Her look of open disgust had been enough for Tsutomu to awkwardly laugh it off as a joke. Worse yet, while they argued, the scent of blood had drawn predators. A swarm of opportunistic monsters descended, all drawn by the promise of Rampage’s corpse and the Fenrir’s weakened state.

Hannah, naturally, wanted to protect the Fenrir. But the others had no strength left to give; after that long a fight, they were spent both physically and mentally. Immediately charging into another, against so many monsters, would’ve been suicide. Tsutomu had pointed this out bluntly, reminding her of the consequences, and added almost flippantly that if she got herself killed, she would be liable for the cost of any lost equipment.

The debt Hannah had once incurred, from recklessly burning through an extremely expensive Magic Stone, had been repaid with Amy’s help. And while Hannah was often a fool, she wasn’t unintelligent. Weighing her pride against the cost of losing her gear, she had made the painful choice to leave the Fenrir behind.

And so she had passed through the ninety-second layer to the next, forced to listen to Fenrir’s anguished howls as monsters tore into her alive. That memory had never left her. It still clung to the edges of her mind like a bloodstain that wouldn’t wash out.

But this time, things were different. The cub was safe, guarded in the Safe Zone by Daryl. The mother had survived and was perfectly healthy thanks to Korinna’s healing. By contrast, Tsutomu, for all his preparation and cunningness, had never once attempted to heal Fenrir.

Looking back, Hannah found herself wondering: if he had only spared a moment to heal her, wouldn’t that cruel death have been avoided?

She clenched her fists, teeth grinding slightly at the memory. Did Tsutomu really not have a shred of compassion? Not even a drop of blood or a single tear for her?

As if sensing her brooding, Korinna stepped quietly to her side, sipping from a Blue Potion before speaking in a soft voice.

”…It’s possible Daryl could be in danger, too. I trust him to be able to manage, but we might want to return to the Safe Zone just in case.”

”Oh… oh, right!” Hannah’s eyes went wide. ”I totally forgot! We gotta get back, quick!”

The reminder hit her like a blind spot she’d failed to check. She called out to Leleia and Diniel in a near-panic, waving her arms as she shouted.

The Fenrir, still gnawing on Rampage’s tough hide as if chewing on dried gum, perked up at the commotion. When the party explained, she paused, then froze Rampage’s corpse in a block of ice and turned a sharp gaze on the surrounding forest.

One commanding roar echoed out, sharp as a blade, and every lurking monster that had crept near in hopes of a share of the kill scattered like spiders before a torch.

Impressed by her power, Hannah flared her blue-feathered wings and gave her a nod of approval. Then, following Diniel’s signal, she turned and headed for the Safe Zone.

The Fenrir lingered, watching the retreating figures of the four humans. Then, as if puzzled, she tilted her head and sat down, scratching at her ear with a hind leg. With a final shake of her head, as though casting off an itch, she trotted after them.