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The five-member party, under Tsutomu’s leadership, advanced steadily across the desolate expanse of the eighty-first layer. The ground beneath them was scorched black, and above, the red sky loomed, bathing the world in an eerie, unnatural glow. Rows of ominous statues lined their path.
The monsters inhabiting this layer were as merciless as the environment. Demi-Liches, once rare encounters in the Wasteland layers, now appeared regularly. They were joined by Gargoyles and Dark Sculptures, creatures that disguised themselves as ordinary stone statues, blending near-seamlessly into the landscape.
Any statue could conceal a lurking threat, and to move forward without caution was to invite disaster. A misstep could lead to an ambush, where the statues would suddenly spring to life, surrounding the Explorers — these ambushes were the layer’s most common traps. Yet, caution alone was not enough, for some traps were triggered by the very act of checking the statues. Reckless attacks and use of skills could activate these traps, turning all nearby statues into monsters.
“There — I see some Gargoyles,” Diniel, the team’s scout, announced. She had activated her <<Eagle Eye>> skill, enhancing her vision to pinpoint the faintest of movements. Among the rows of statues, she spotted some that blinked — one of the tells of a monster in disguise that she had learned from Tsutomu beforehand.
“Got it. <<Haste>>, <<Protect>>.”
Each arrow struck the Gargoyles with a series of sharp, resonant cracks. The stone shells encasing the creatures shattered, and like butterflies emerging from chrysalises, their true forms were revealed. Their malevolent auras intensified as they brandished their weapons — tridents and hammers that gleamed ominously in the crimson light.
The once-still statues had come to life, their stone-dusted wings beating furiously as they launched themselves toward Diniel.
“<<Combat Cry>>!” Daryl’s voice rang out as he unleashed a focused blast of blue energy at the Gargoyles, drawing their aggro.
As the monsters shifted their focus to Daryl, Xeno unsheathed his one-handed sword with a flourish that bordered on the theatrical.
“NOW IS MY TIME TO SHINE!! <<ENCHANT HOLY>>!!”
Against dark-elemental monsters, light was the most effective attribute, and as a Paladin, Xeno possessed the ability to apply it to his allies as well as himself. He twirled his sword — more a display of flair than function — before channeling the divine energy into the weapons of his comrades.
However, the brilliance of the enchantment was blinding, so much so that Diniel was forced to squint as she examined her now-luminous bow. Tsutomu, likewise irritated, drove his glowing staff into the ground and proceeded to cast support and healing skills with his bare hands.
“Salamander, I’m counting on you.”
“Byah!”
Though not as potent as the holy light, the elements of fire and water were also effective against darkness. The Salamander’s fire blazed forth, searing the air as it hurtled toward the now-revealed Gargoyles. Daryl, standing firm, met the massive Gargoyles’ assault with his unyielding resilience and tower shield.
As a Heavy Knight, Daryl’s strength lay in his VIT — he had once stood against the fearsome Winter General, holding his ground for what felt like hours. No ordinary monster could hope to bring him down easily. Over time, Daryl had learned to embrace the unique strengths of his Job as Heavy Knight, moving away from the shadow of Garm’s fighting style.
Diniel switched to a different bow — one not blindingly radiant, which she pulled from her slender Magic Bag. She began shooting elemental arrows with an almost casual air, her lethargic expression belying the deadly precision of her aim. Each arrow found its mark with unerring accuracy, piercing the foreheads of the Gargoyles.
If one were to assume Diniel’s peak performance was when she fought the Winter General alongside Amy, she was now operating at sixty percent effort — yet she remained the finest Archer in town. Her arrows never missed their target, even when shot on the move, and she had never once accidentally struck the Tanks as they distracted the monsters. Her precision was borderline legendary among Archers, leaving her peers in awe.
“It’s fine — no worries,” Tsutomu replied, his tone light.
“To be honest, I didn’t notice it either,” Leleia admitted, her voice tinged with relief.
“I got distracted by the others moving,” Diniel casually explained in her usual flat voice.
Leleia found herself gaining newfound respect for Diniel, impressed by her ability to clean up her own mistake with such calm efficiency.
“Hahaha! No need to fret! More monsters are always welcome! And I must say, Diniel, I’m relieved to see that you DO make mistakes sometimes!”
“I don’t need to hear that from someone who’s all too familiar with failure.”
“Ah, but a life filled with failures isn’t so bad! After all, it’s brought me here!”
“Why don’t you just roll all the way back up to the first layer, huh?”
“Hahaha! No matter how hard I fall, I will inevitably claw my way back up! THAT is how stubborn of a man I am!”
“By the way, I heard you were in the news recently. Something about illegally occupying your wife’s house?”
Noticing Xeno’s expression freeze at the mention of the camping incident, teased,
“Come on now, try climbing back up from THAT.”
The team proceeded to gather the Medium Magic Stones that had fallen during the battle. Tsutomu opened his Magic Bag for Daryl, who was laden with stones, allowing the latter to offload his haul. Leleia, her arms also full of Dark Magic Stones, added them to the bag as well. The Salamander, still perched on her shoulder, eyed the bag longingly, as if considering whether to jump in with the stones.
“Diniel, your skills just now were impressive... Why don’t you move like that all the time?”
“Too tiring.”
Leleia’s disapproving look was followed by silence as she chose to leave her thoughts unspoken.
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