Chapter 14

"Good, not bad at all!"

Tao clapped her hands happily as she watched me circulate and gather the 'Qi' in my hands. Tao seemed very pleased that I had taken an interest in 'Qi' and kindly taught me various things. Her teaching method was excellent, and since I had a good foundation, thanks to her, I was able to manipulate 'Qi' to a certain extent.

"That's impressive. To master 'Qi' in such a short time is surprising."

"It's because of Tao's teaching. It's much easier to understand when I can see 'Qi' being used in practice."

"Mm, even if you praise me like that, nothing will come of it♪"

Tao, looking delighted, wriggled her hips and poked my back. ...I appreciate her teaching, but it's a bit creepy.

"Still, Roberto, isn't the 'Qi' breathing technique painful? It should be very hard on your lungs, especially when you're not used to it."

"Not really."

"That's impossible. 'Qi' breathing causes a burning pain in your lungs. Even I can feel a tingling, so it's impossible to do for a long time..."

"Yeah, it does hurt, but it's also fun. It's not at all difficult."

Maybe it's because I was used to meditation from my previous life.

I'm completely fine.

"Is that so..."

Tao looked exasperated at my words.

Did I say something strange?

"Still, there's not a single treasure to be found."

We should be quite deep, but we haven't encountered any treasures at all. I heard that dungeons are filled with treasures... Is this one defective?

"In a dungeon where only these kinds of monsters appear, treasures are only found at the very end. This dungeon is probably brand new."

"Ah, I see."

Dungeons grow like living things. In newly born dungeons, only weak monsters appear, the levels are shallow, and the bosses are weak, so the rewards are minimal. High-level dungeons are the opposite, with enemies getting stronger and deeper. Dungeons that haven't been cleared for hundreds of years even have towns built on top of them and serve as a livelihood for people.

"And it seems we're at the deepest point."

When Tao stopped at the bottom of the stairs, a large hole opened up before us. I could sense a strong presence inside, unlike anything I had felt before.

"You can sense it, Roberto. Yes, the boss of the dungeon is at the deepest point. Defeat it to get the treasure."

"Wow, finally...!"

"It's a newly born dungeon, so don't expect much in terms of treasure."

Tao laughed, but I could sense an unusually large magical power. Isn't the magical power too large for such a weak monster? Is it a magic-type monster?

"Anyway, there's no point in hesitating. I'm going in."

Tao marched straight in. I followed, slightly on guard. Inside, it was dim and spacious. It seemed to be enveloped in a strange barrier. The magical power I sensed must be this. The moment I entered, the entrance was sealed by the barrier. What's this? We can't get out. When I touched it, I was repelled. This texture... it's not magic. Intuitively, it seems to be the same magical power that the dungeon possesses, like a light stone.

"It's no use. It won't open until the boss is defeated."

I heard that dungeons have several mysterious rooms. Rooms that teleport you, rooms with abnormally strong monsters, and rooms where you can recover. Especially, the boss's room is said to be impossible to leave until the boss is defeated. Hmm, a barrier not made by magic. Very interesting.

"Rrrrr...!"

With a growl, a huge quadrupedal beast advanced from the back of the room. It was a gray-furred, blue-eyed monster with sharp fangs.

"A Gray Wolf. Stay back, Lloyd."

"Growl!"

As Tao got into position, the Gray Wolf pounced. I dodged the sharp claws by stepping back slightly and fired a 'Qi Bullet.' It hit, and the Gray Wolf was knocked back but managed to land on its feet. Tao had the upper hand in the battle. The Gray Wolf, which could only fight in close combat, seemed to have no defense against Tao's agility and 'Qi Bullets.' I think I can leave it to her for now. I'll investigate this barrier.

"I'll show Roberto my best side...! And then... I'll confess and get my dream boyfriend...! For that, I'll use you as a stepping stone...!"

Tao was muttering something while fighting, but I couldn't hear her well over the Gray Wolf's growls. ...I see, the source of the barrier's magical power is the dungeon itself. So the barrier is a dungeon ability...? It activates automatically as soon as you enter. This seems to be a feature of all dungeons, but why go to such lengths to prevent intruders from escaping the boss? Why invite intruders in the first place? Maybe it feeds on the nutrients from defeated people...

"Hey, look at me...!?"

Ah, it's noisy. I can't concentrate.

Wind-type magic 'Sound Block'—good, now it's quiet. This allows me to focus on my thoughts.