Chapter 87

"Hahahaha! You did well to defeat Lotus! But those were the weakest of the new monsters I prepared!"

Viel started talking like a villain.

"Come on! Hurry and move on to the third floor! There, even more powerful monsters will be waiting for you!!"

"Well, that's true..."

"What do we do?"

"Let's take a break after just finishing a battle. I want to check if this turtle can be used as a material, just in case..."

I thought maybe we could make something like a soft-shelled turtle soup, but with tentacles inside, it seems impossible.

Can the shell be used for something?

It's hard and has a good shape, so it might be useful.

"Don't take it easy, you guys!!"

The dungeon master is angry.

"I'll temporarily keep the materials from the monsters you defeated! I'll give them to you when you return, so hurry up and move on!"

As he said that, the body of the Rotating Flying Turtle Lotus suddenly disappeared from in front of us.

It was sucked into a hole that opened up in the air. Moreover, not just one, but the bodies of over ten turtles we defeated vanished in an instant.

It's probably as he declared, Viel took them away.

"...Hey, Platy."

"What?"

"Do you think Viel could wipe us out instantly if he got serious?"

"Of course. He's a candidate to succeed the Dragon Emperor Geizardragon, and this is the dungeon he controls."

Limited to this dungeon, he can display omnipotence comparable to a god?

This is really just an attraction for Viel. That's why we're still safe.

Let's try to make her enjoy it as much as possible.

* * *

And so, we arrived at the third floor.

I had heard before that the dungeon is a different dimension, but as soon as we entered this third area, I could really feel it.

It's hot.

The moment we switched areas, it was sweltering.

"The third floor is the Summer Area! The most capable monsters will attack you under these high temperatures! Be prepared!!"

The game master is getting excited.

"The dungeon can control the internal temperature so freely...!?"

"I hope it's impossible for anyone other than a high-ranking master like Viel. ...It's really hot. My shirt is getting see-through from the sweat..."

The steamy heat of the third floor area is, in a way, more troublesome for us than the monsters.

We didn't prepare for the heat at all.

Especially Platy, the mermaid, and Lamp Eye, who are weak to dryness, are about to dry up from the heat.

We should get out of this area as quickly as possible.

Just as I was thinking that...

The main disaster arrived.

"Wolves this time...!?"

Several wolves with a slightly bluish-gray fur appeared in a pack.

They bared their knife-like fangs and growled.

Their hostility was clear.

"That wolf-type monster is the most troublesome of the quadruped monsters, the Hyricon!! While there are several stronger types individually, they always act in packs and have the tenacity to pursue their prey for days without giving up!!"

That was Viel's explanation.

If it's true, it's troublesome. They must be naturally heat-resistant to be placed here.

On the other hand, we are being drained of stamina just by moving in the heat.

If we run, they will definitely catch up, and if we fight, we will definitely run out of stamina first.

"..."

They seem to know that, as they are not rushing to attack and are preparing for a long battle.

Ah, just staring at each other like this, I'm sweating profusely. It's draining my stamina...

We should take the initiative before we start to really drain our stamina...

"..."

Then, the wolves started to approach us.

Trotting.

What's this completely unguarded gait?

And when they got close enough for me to reach, they suddenly rolled over.

Showing their bellies.

...Is this a sign of surrender?

Before we even did anything?

"The Hyricon seems to have sensed the strength of the Holy One with its sharp senses."

A magical broadcast echoed from the void.

But it's clearly not Viel's voice. It's the teacher's.

"Wolf-type monsters build strict hierarchies to form packs. They must have recognized the Holy One's incredible strength and accepted him as their leader."

Really?

I don't think I'm that strong myself.

I tried petting the belly they showed.

The fur was fluffier than I expected.

The wolf wriggled in pleasure and rubbed against me, as if asking for more.

The other wolves also gathered, saying, "Me too, me too."

"What... How should I judge this?"

"Ah, fine, you win, masters! Congratulations!!"

Viel, sounding irritated.

He must have planned an exciting battle here.

I'm sorry to disappoint him.

The wolves, who now recognize me as their leader, don't care about the game master's disappointment.

Hyricon, right?

They wag their tails and lead us somewhere.

Following them, we found the exit of this area, the passage to the next area.

"Seriously...?"

The difficulty is ridiculously low.

The wolves looked up at me with their big eyes and stuck out their tongues, as if saying, "Praise me, praise me." I couldn't resist the silent pressure and petted their heads.

The wolves followed us even as we moved to the next area.

They completely recognize me as their leader and will follow me wherever I go.

* * *

The next area.

The fourth floor is the Autumn Area.

The main monsters were mushrooms.

Walking mushrooms.

They release a large amount of spores from their caps, and inhaling them causes hallucinations.

However, the spores' hallucinogenic effects don't work on similar monsters, so the group led by Oakbo and the group led by Gobuji, along with the newly added Hyricon pack, devastated them.

With this, the fourth floor, the Autumn Area, is cleared.

Next is the final floor, the fifth floor.