From the 65th to the 79th floor lies a frozen wasteland, where all the monsters are of the same species. However, as the floors go deeper, their numbers grow, and their strength increases.
No matter how much their numbers or power grow, these monsters' resistance remains the same.
Regardless of how many monsters appeared, they were all instantly devoured by Xia's corrosive power, becoming nothing more than food. Even Bell didn't need to lift a finger, easily bypassing their encirclement and reaching the exit of the 79th floor.
"Next up is the 80th floor."
At the exit of the 79th floor, Bell sat down without warning.
The blazing sunlight in the sky was slowly beginning to fade.
At this moment, Bell needed time to recover his stamina. Otherwise, no matter what kind of Floor Boss awaited him, it would pose a significant threat.
"I wonder who will show up as the 80th floor's boss?"
Previously, the guardians of the 80th floor had been Ais's parents—both of whom were more than qualified in terms of strength.
But what about now?
After the Dungeon's comprehensive overhaul, the Floor Bosses had either been replaced or significantly strengthened. So what kind of monster—or possibly god—now occupied the 80th floor?
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Bell's stamina was rapidly recovering.
After a brief rest, sensing his physical strength, magic power, and energy aligning, Bell stood up.
He couldn't afford to rest any longer. It was time to take down the Floor Boss.
He descended the stairs leading to the 80th floor.
After passing through the long, winding tunnel, he finally reached the entrance to the 80th floor.
However, the design here seemed a bit different from his last visit.
A large stone door stood at the entrance to the 80th floor.
Its design was simple—just an ordinary stone door one might see anywhere.
There were no decorations on the stone door, and its weight wasn't heavy at all. A light push was all it took to slide it open.
Bell stared at the door.
"So, this is the place outside the 80th floor boss's chamber where I can rest?"
That was certainly good news.
He had just dealt with Gugalana today and walked through the frozen wasteland region.
While his energy expenditure hadn't been excessive and his physical and magic stamina were still manageable, if he could take a moment to rest, Bell would gladly do so.
After all, his current condition wasn't optimal, and facing the Floor Boss like this would clearly be a mistake.
He was at a critical juncture, transitioning from the four-digit to three-digit threshold. Bell knew his current condition was unstable.
Therefore, it was best to challenge the Floor Boss when he was in a relatively stable state.
"Rest."
After some consideration, Bell decided to rest on the spot, postponing the boss fight until tomorrow when his stamina and energy were fully restored.
Since the challenge was delayed until tomorrow, today was meant for proper rest. Once he regained his strength, he'd be ready to face the unknown Floor Boss tomorrow.
Of course, besides resting, he also needed to block his mother's gaze.
Otherwise, even his rest wouldn't be peaceful.
He wasn't some streamer selling himself; he didn't want his personal space invaded like that.
"Alright, Mother, that's enough for today."
He casually blocked her gaze completely.
Once those basics were settled, Bell finally stretched his entire body, loosening his muscles.
"Haah~~"
"Once I relax, I can't help but feel sleepy."
Bell hadn't been prone to drowsiness like this before, especially after his strength increased—the issue of excessive sleepiness had disappeared.
Of course, that was only true when Hestia didn't invite him to sleep. If she did, Bell would feel drowsy even at noon.
However, before properly sleeping, he still needed to create a shelter.
Since this was the entrance to the 80th floor, it wouldn't be ideal to build a temporary shelter here. So, he had to use other means.
Bell reached into four-dimensional space and pulled out a seed.
Infusing it with a bit of authority, he flicked it toward the wall behind him.
The seed embedded itself into the wall like a bullet.
Soon, cracks began to form around the seed, and branches began to sprout from the hole it created. In just a few moments, the branches had formed a small, sheltering tree hollow.
The interior space wasn't large, but it provided a livable area. Outside, a resting seat and dining table had grown into place.
Rest and sleep could both be accommodated.
Excess branches slowly spread over the table, forming a watermelon of moderate size, along with a wooden spoon that grew alongside it.
"Let's have some watermelon today to replenish my energy."
Although Bell had reached a state where he could survive without eating, he never abandoned the human desire to "eat."
Even if he didn't need food to survive, he kept this habit alive.
Bell walked over, plucked the watermelon, grabbed the wooden spoon, and sat on a chair outside to rest quietly.
"Huuu…"
He gently blew on the watermelon's rind, coating it with a layer of frost.
He casually split the melon open, scooped out a piece with the spoon, and took a bite. The icy-cold sweetness cleared his mind, making him feel more awake.
His eyes were fixed on the stone gate before him.
"I'm starting to sense its aura. Not as potent as that guy's Tanabata, but it has a distinctly earthy scent."
"Is there an earth-attribute monster inside?"
Different authorities have different scents, which can be roughly discerned through one's perception of the authority itself.
However, this was just a rough guess. He couldn't be certain.
Moreover, the sealing effect on this stone gate was impressively strong, allowing only a faint trace of aura to leak out.
But the idea of an earth-attribute monster being elevated to god-tier status left little room for speculation.
Besides, Bell wasn't particularly interested in the specific types of monsters.
Without knowing, it was naturally hard to judge the next monster he would face.
"I'll just have to see tomorrow."