Somehow or other, we ended up reaching the 50th floor boss area...
Honestly, I didn't think we'd make it this far without any major problems cropping up.
As the floors got deeper, there were more times when the rookie parties were about to lose, and the leaders had to step in to finish the job instead.
That's just how it goes.
Even so, the rookies must have gotten used to labyrinth exploration over these three days, because today's schedule ended up way ahead of plan.
"Alright, let's take down this floor boss quick and head straight to the celebration!"
Selma-san called out to the leaders while applying various buffs to everyone.
"""Ooooh!!!"""
The 50th floor boss was a gigantic crab-type magical beast.
Its body was overall enlarged, but its left pincer alone was as big as its torso—making for a very unbalanced appearance.
In this fight, I had a major role.
—To cut off that troublesome left pincer.
A crab's pincers are extremely hard, so severing one normally takes a lot of time. —Normally.
I took the lead and charged straight at the crab.
While running, I applied the buffs I needed to myself.
The crab raised its left pincer high to swing it down at me.
How kind of it to set itself up for me to cut it off.
I kicked off the ground and leaped just over the crab's head—faster than the pincer could come down.
As I crossed paths with it, I swung my sword aimed at the base of the left pincer.
Right before the blade made contact, I activated [Instant Capability Super Rise: Impact].
[Instant Capability Super Rise: Impact] is one of my original magics.
The effect is simple.
For less than a single second—an instant—I can forcibly boost the performance, durability, and magic power of the equipped item I've applied this to, up to a maximum of a hundred times.
While delving deeply into magic, I discovered a bug—an exploit—in the magic system.
It's not something that affects normal magic use at all.
By exploiting this flaw, I established this magic and a certain technique as a cheat.
I do feel a little guilty about it, but there's no fatal downside like endangering lives.
The spell formula construction difficulty is extremely high, but construction is one of the skills I've pushed to the absolute limit.
So the difficulty doesn't hinder me.
As an enchanter with low buff values, this is one of the arts I've accepted as necessary to survive in the deep layers—and I use it without hesitation.
This is part of my identity.
And no matter how useful, it's still cheating at the core.
That's why I'll never make this magic public.
Therefore, it's a magic only I can use—my own exclusive technique.
The sword I swung met no resistance and cleanly severed the pincer at its base.
I leaped over the crab and landed behind it.
"No way!? He actually cut off the pincer in one hit!"
From the other side of the crab came Barnard-san's excited shout.
I said I'd cut it off in the opening move, but you didn't believe me, huh?
The crab tried to turn toward me to attack, but before it could, the two defenders closed in and drew its aggro—its hostility.
With the most troublesome pincer gone, it was just a weak magical beast covered in a hard shell.
The two defenders attacked from the front while I targeted the legs from behind, pinning it in place.
Selma-san and Cathy-san concentrated attack magic from above onto the shell.
Once cracks appeared in the shell, I drove my sword into one of them.
In less than five minutes, the crab turned its body into black mist.
◇
After the two defenders collected the magic stone and materials, they returned to the rookies.
Everyone was beaming with full smiles, praising each other for the past three days.
(What a nice atmosphere this clan has.)
Watching the scene warmed my heart.
But I didn't join their circle. After defeating the crab, I couldn't move from that spot.
(Still... what is this feeling...? It's like being in the deep layers or something...)
The surrounding atmosphere didn't suit the mid-layers at all, and tension rose in me whether I liked it or not.
While I was thinking that, the space at the center of the boss area suddenly distorted.
Right after—
A thunderous roar echoed, and a massive black something appeared.