Chapter 14
Purgatory.
An Underground Dungeon that spans a whopping 100 floors.
To summarize the difficulty of this place, it goes as follows.
First, up to the 30th floor.
The difficulty is something top-tier Academy students can clear without issue.
True to its original purpose, it is an area where students can safely gain experience.
That is why it often serves as the backdrop for practicals, assignments, and exams.
'The real challenge begins from the 40th floor.'
From here on, it is strictly required to be accompanied by a Professor in charge.
Because it is too much for students to break through on their own.
'And from the 50th floor, it is a restricted zone.'
Below the 50th floor, student entry is restricted.
It is just a place where professors come and go to gather research materials.
Even then, entry is forbidden unless approved by the Dean.
Because even professors could lose their lives on these floors if they let their guard down.
Especially when entering the 60s, even professors find it difficult to operate individually.
Entering alone is suicide.
'From the 70th Floor onwards, it is a completely un-cleared zone....'
A floor that has remained un-cleared despite the passage of over a hundred years.
A Raid Squad had been dispatched countless times, but it was an area where they had to swallow bitter defeat every single time.
There have been exactly 15 officially recognized dispatches of a regular Raid Squad.
A total of 137 Raid Members were sent in, and there were 0 survivors.
Perhaps due to the continuous losses, the Academy decided to completely seal off the 70th Floor.
[Warning]
This space is an area with an extremely low survival rate even for a regular Raid Squad.
-A regular Raid Squad consists of at least two powerhouses of the Professor level or higher.
-Twenty years ago. Following the deaths of five professors in the line of duty during a raid, raids in this area were temporarily suspended.
Your chances of returning alive are extremely low.
Do not enter under any circumstances.
It meant the warning sign we saw earlier wasn't just for scaring people.
The number of people who died in the line of duty here is 137, and more than 50 of them were of the professor class.
'Because the Master of the 70th Floor is just that difficult.'
Once you enter the room, escape becomes impossible.
Because Teleport and Dimensional Travel through Sorcery also become impossible.
There is only one way to open the locked door, and that is to hunt the Master of the corresponding area.
"Shall we go?"
A pitch-black background.
It was a space filled only with a musty, pitch-black darkness, without even a glimmer of lamplight.
Past the warning sign and the main gate, we finally entered the Boss Room.
Thud-!
The entrance to the room was sealed tight behind us.
Now, the path of retreat had vanished.
From right beside me, a trembling voice could be heard.
"V-Victor...?"
"Princess."
Carmilla muttered as if she was tense.
Her hand was tightly clutching my sleeve.
She must be feeling it, given how sharp her senses were.
Even a faint remnant would be enough.
To realize just how unreasonable a being the Master of the 70th Floor was.
"I-I can't breathe... This is the first time I've felt such a terrible, um, dark energy."
"Take a deep breath. You must not be captivated by its aura."
"Ugh, this is nonsense. To think we're going to hunt something like this...."
"You're doing well. Breathe deeper."
Gasp, gasp-.
Carmilla only regained her composure after gasping a few times.
However, her red eyes were still gripped by Fear.
The girl wiped away her cold sweat and spoke.
"Victor, you really are amazing...."
"Pardon?"
"Even I feel like I'm being crushed by this aura, yet let alone being afraid, you show no signs of agitation."
"Hmm...."
How should I explain this.
Unlike Carmilla, it was simply because I was so weak that it was hard for me to even detect its aura.
After all, there's no way someone with an E-rank in mana sensitivity could do something like that.
It was just a feeling of being a bit more chilled than usual, a cold shiver down my spine, that was about it.
"I am glad you are by my side. Please, do not leave my side...."
"Of course. I, Victor, am here, so you don't need to worry."
"My Retainer truly is reliable."
Naturally, I didn't offer any unnecessary explanations.
Because the Princess was relying on me.
We surveyed our surroundings.
"However... this is strange."
"What do you mean?"
"I can feel a mighty aura, but there's not even a single trace of this supposed Master to be seen...."
"You will find out about that shortly."
Because it was about time for it to appear.
Before I could even finish speaking, a faint breeze brushed against my cheek.
A breeze in an enclosed space. There was no time to question it.
Because right after, a fierce storm swept over us.
"Eek, kyaah...?!"
"Princess! Please, use Blood Manipulation to cast a veil...!"
"U-Understood!"
Even while stumbling from the gust of wind, the girl carried out my request.
As she brought her hands together as if offering a prayer, a light writhed.
A dark red light. It bloomed like a flower, then softly illuminated the surrounding darkness.
The girl's lips chanted an incantation.
"Scattering life, let the moonlight quench your thirst at dawn."
Swirling blood light.
Thinly spread drops of blood enveloped us.
A neat hemispherical shape, a transparently covered defensive shield.
"You shall worship your rightful Master. By night, the night, to the night, as the night shall speak."
-Blandir Style Blood Manipulation 7th Form-
'Crimson Blood Half Sky'
"Bloom."
Ruumble-.
Following the final sentence, the gust of wind shattered into pieces.
Thanks to that, we were able to stay safe without getting swept up in it.
It was a Barrier of the highest hardness that Carmilla could deploy.
Beyond the red, glass-like shield, something pitch-black wriggled.
"It has appeared."
The beginning.
The previous gust was nothing more than a byproduct left behind by its entrance.
Checking beyond the Barrier, Carmilla's red eyes trembled slightly.
As if doubting her own eyes, and hoping it wasn't true.
"T-That is...."
An opaque green.
Wings that spread out majestically, yet were torn in various places.
Bones and muscles were clearly exposed beneath the rotting flesh.
A terrible stench wafted through the air, and rusty water dripped from pupils swarming with maggots.
Carmilla's single word swallowed her breath.
"...A Dragon?"
Yes, what stood before us was a Dragon.
Or rather, what used to be a Dragon.
The stench of rotting meat wafted out.
[Name: Undead Dragon]
-Race: Undead
-Description: An Undead based on the corpse of a Dragon. It is the Master that presides over the end of the 70th Floor.
-Possessed Passives: Physical Attack Damage Reduction, Magic Attack Damage Reduction, Fire Attribute Attack Immunity, Water Attribute Attack Immunity, Light Attribute Attack Immunity, Dark Attribute Attack Immunity, All Attribute Attack Immunity....
A body dangling with all sorts of immunities.
It looked down at us, then soon opened its rotting maw and roared.
Roooar-!
It felt like my eardrums were going to tear.
The Ceiling shook, and cracks formed on the Barrier.
Carmilla hurriedly reinforced the veil.
"V-Victor...!"
"It is fine. Just buy us some time like this!"
"Against that? The B-Barrier won't hold!"
"Just a moment is enough! Exactly 75 seconds will do."
"T-To think we could actually... win against something like that...."
The next moment.
The Dragon's arm swung fiercely and crashed into the Barrier.
Craaash-!
"Ugh...!"
Even as it crumpled into a mess, the Barrier was restored with Carmilla's hand gestures.
At this rate, it seemed like it could withstand a few more hits.
And the guy seemed to be underestimating us too.
"I will prepare right away."
I immediately bent my body.
I sat down on the ground.
'It is exact. Right at this spot."
A rolling Claw Piece.
It was a very small piece.
It must have definitely fallen off from that guy's body.
After picking it up, I began to rub it on the floor.
'I must not make a mistake. Exactly the order in my head."
Thump, thump-!
Even in the midst of that, the Barrier was attacked several more times.
The red veil repeatedly crumpled and smoothed out.
The speed of recovery gradually began to slow down.
No, it hadn't slowed down.
It just couldn't keep up with the speed of collapse.
"It is gradually reaching its limit...!"
I scratch five times to the left, and seven times to the right.
I diligently roll, rub, and scrub that piece of nail.
Continuously, until the desired reaction occurs.
"Gasp, ugh...!"
Slam-!
This is not a guy I dare to try fighting.
Even if it has been downgraded to an Undead, a Dragon is a Dragon.
As seen in the Status Window earlier, it even has immunities to all sorts of physical and Magic phenomena.
This is also the reason why the previously dispatched Raid Squad had to drink the bitter cup of defeat so many times.
'However....'
I was different.
The experience ingrained in my fingertips, the sensation of manipulating the keyboard, the time.
All of that would be like a disaster that the guy could not cope with.
Clatter, clatter-.
The Claw scratching the floor finally shows a reaction.
Though faint, it sizzles, and a haze rises.
'It is done.'
I raised my head.
I got up.
"Even for me, any m-more than this is...."
Carmilla stumbled as if she had reached exhaustion.
The Barrier could not be restored, and was on the verge of being completely shattered.
Gurgle....
As if trying to finish things off, the guy had its jaw wide open.
Rusty water swarmed, and condensed energy flashed from its maw.
'Breath.'
It seemed intent on melting us away without a trace.
The Barrier could no longer be repaired and fell away with a thud.
Carmilla's pupils paled with terror.
Did she intuitively sense her death?
Following a briefly leaked breath, the Dragon also exhaled.
Sticky gastric juices and flames poured out enough to fill the space.
Whoosh-!
"...!"
Clang-!
The Barrier breaking powerlessly.
The two people unable to even let out a single scream.
The figures swallowed up by stomach acid without a trace.
Gurgle, gurgle-.
The Undead swallowed the swarming rusty water, convinced that they were dead.
Just as it was about to disappear back into the darkness like that.
"Oh my."
Sadly for it, we were alive.
Beyond just being alive, there wasn't a single scratch on our bodies.
Clink-!
[Item 'Mask of the Evil God' has been activated.]
The Mask that nullified the Breath.
Carmilla was also held in my arms.
After confirming that she was safe, I looked up at the massive height.
"Where are you going?"
The corners of my mouth inside the Mask were split wide open in a grin.
I figured the corners of the Mask's mouth were probably the same.
The Claw Piece was still held in my hand.
"I don't know if you know about the Clipping Bug."
Clipping Bug.
A phenomenon in games where a Player or NPC gets stuck in a wall.
"It is fine if you don't. Because you will experience it right now."
The Undead looked down as if it couldn't understand.
I held out the claw pinched between my fingers.
Then, imbuing it with a little Mana, I flicked it toward the guy.
"Shoot."
Hollow Technique, Murasaki.
The Claw Piece flew weakly.
Perhaps because of the clinging haze, a long, distorted afterimage remained.
The Undead remained still, as if it didn't even understand what I had done.
Tap-.
The piece finally struck the guy's chest.
Soon, the haze spread to the Undead as well.
"Bullseye."
Gurgle...?
Perhaps realizing something was wrong, the guy wriggled its flesh.
However, it was too late.
The Claw remained firmly stuck to its chest.
Crackle, bzzt-.
Its image stuttered, like an error occurring in a game.
The next moment, the guy's body sank right into the floor.
Exactly up to half of its torso.
Roooar-!
The guy flailed as if panicked.
It was a technique utilizing the Clipping Bug.
Inducing a mob or NPC to get stuck in the map.
The Dragon could neither advance nor retreat, and could only roar in place.
'Good.'
Half of the guy was completely stuck in the floor.
Then, what would happen if the Bug was resolved like this?
I tugged on the thread I had previously threaded through the Claw.
Snap-.
Applying a little force, the Claw fell off helplessly.
This was the source of the Bug.
Since it was originally a part of the guy's body, and it was attached, it was judged as one body.
After applying the Clipping Bug to this, I transferred the phenomenon by attaching it to the guy.
However, now the Claw had been removed again.
"Then... what. will. hap. pen?"
What would happen?
Now that it is stuck in the floor, if the judgment that it was a Bug is released.
It is no different from a situation where the guy's torso and the floor are overlapped.
There is only one answer.
"It splits in half and dies."
Splaatt-!
Blood splattered along with the bursting sound of flesh tearing.
As the sizzling haze dissipated, half of the guy's torso vanished.
"Oops."
Organs splattered everywhere.
The rest disappearing without a trace.
I took out an Umbrella from my Robe and blocked the pouring rusty water.
Thud-.
The massive body sprawled on the floor.
Countless messages popped up before my eyes.
Ding-!
[You have defeated the Master of the 70th Floor of Purgatory, Undead Dragon.]
[You have acquired the Exclusive Weapon, Dragon's Scale x1.]
[You have completed the Mini Quest, Small Courage.]
[You have completed the Hidden Quest, What is Important.]
[You have completed the Hidden Quest, Champion of Reversal.]
[You have completed the Main Quest, 70th Floor of Purgatory Raid.]
[Main Quest, 71st Floor of Purgatory Raid, has been unlocked.]
Ding-!
Ding-!
Ding-!
.
.
.
Status Window notifications popped up like crazy.
I asked the girl in my arms.
"Hehe, how is it."
With a relaxed glow.
Seeming unwavering.
"I told you it would be fine, right?"
"...."
I smiled at Carmilla, who had a blank expression.
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