Chapter 66

"Raaaah! ...Oren!"

Will swung his dual-bladed sword at the approaching winged lion beast, causing it to stagger.

I immediately thrust the Schwarzhase into its vital point, turning it into a magic stone.

As expected, this sword, made primarily from black dragon scales by an excellent blacksmith, is exceptional. Even without activating [Sharpness Boost], the Schwarzhase in its base form is superior to the sword I used before. Moreover, it is tailored for me, so I don't need to adjust myself to it like with other swords. It feels as if it brings out my full potential. I finally understand why high-level explorers insist on custom-made equipment. Seeing is truly believing.

The 92nd floor is a vast canyon-like area.

In contrast to the 91st floor, there are fewer beasts here. However, each one has significantly higher combat power. Some are even a match for the floor bosses in the lower levels.

The terrain is extremely uneven, and many of the beasts have flight capabilities. Because we are often attacked from above, we need to be vigilant not only in front, back, left, and right but also above and below.

It has been three hours since we arrived on the 92nd floor.

I am cross-referencing the terrain of the 92nd floor that I have mapped with the data from the *Silver Hare of the Night Sky* to choose a route that minimizes encounters with beasts and allows us to reach the boss area as quickly as possible. As a result, we have kept the number of battles to a minimum.

Our goal this time is to reach the 93rd floor. Since we will be facing the black dragon at the end, we want to conserve our strength and minimize unnecessary battles along the way.

This is a significant difference between exploring a dungeon and conquering it.

"Ah, Oren, you have a cut on your hand. Let me heal it, okay?"

Lucre pointed out a light cut on the back of my left hand that was oozing blood.

"This is just a minor injury; there's no need to use healing magic—"

"No way!!"

Lucre interrupted me with a loud shout.

"Ah, well, you know, bacteria might get in! It's better to heal it if we can, right?"

...I messed up. I must have triggered Lucre's trauma. I should have realized that this child would be sensitive to her comrades' injuries.

"Indeed, there is a possibility it could worsen. In that case, I'll leave it to you."

"Y-Yeah! Leave it to me!"

◇

Despite repeated battles, we continued to advance smoothly. Finally, we could see the cave leading to the deepest part of the 92nd floor, the boss area.

It seems there were no irregularities this time.

After walking through the cave for a while, we came to a massive double door, about three meters wide and ten meters high.

The black dragon is inside this door. The interior is a huge hall with a diameter of about seventy meters. Most boss areas are similar in shape, though they vary in size. However, the boss area of the 92nd floor, unlike the one on the 50th floor we fought recently, has no ceiling and is open to the sky. If the black dragon moves to the air, it could rise to a height where our attack magic won't reach. Therefore, destroying its wings is essential this time.

"...We've arrived. Everyone, check your equipment and surroundings. Rain, Oren, start your preparations."

I quickly checked my equipment and the new storage magic tool. Confirming there were no issues, I focused my magic power on the blade of the Schwarzhase and enveloped it in pitch-black magic power.

Rain was also concentrating, her eyes closed, constructing a spell.

"[Frontline Ability Boost], [Rearline Ability Boost]"

Selma cast [Frontline Ability Boost] on Will and [Rearline Ability Boost] on the three rear members. [Rearline Ability Boost] is similar to [Frontline Ability Boost] in that it simultaneously applies five buffs out of the basic six, excluding [Strength Boost].

I also activated [Quadruple All Ability Boost] on myself.

"Alright, are you ready? ...Let's go!"

In response to Selma's final check, we all nodded.

When Selma touched the door, it slowly opened with a loud noise.

As we slowly entered the boss area, we heard the black dragon's roar from above.

The black dragon was flying about twenty meters above the center of the boss area.

Spotting the black dragon, I immediately used [Magic Power Convergence] to create a foothold and closed the distance.

"Rain! Oren! Bring the black dragon down as planned!!"

The black dragon was about to fire a fireball, but before it could,

"[Heavenly Thunder Hammer]!"

A massive bolt of lightning descended from above the black dragon.

Rain's surprise attack didn't bring the black dragon down, but it did disrupt its balance in the air.

By the time the [Heavenly Thunder Hammer] attack ended, I was directly above the black dragon.

The black dragon, unaware of my presence, was focused on Will on the ground.

"Heavenly Flash...!"

I swung the Schwarzhase, releasing a pitch-black slash. This time, it wasn't blocked by the tail, and the shockwave, enhanced by [Instant Ability Super Boost], obliterated the black dragon's left wing.

The black dragon, losing its balance, fell to the ground.

It managed to land properly but glared at me with a hateful expression.

(This black dragon's field of vision might be limited.)

I stood in the air, analyzing this individual.

Not all beasts of the same species are identical. While there is little difference in their abilities, there are individual differences in personality, size, and other aspects. This is true even for floor bosses.

From the blades of Will's dual-bladed sword, a mix of red, blue, and green magic power was emitted.

Will's dual-bladed sword is both a weapon and a storage magic tool. Storage magic tools can only store physical objects. However, by tweaking the spell, Will's dual-bladed sword can store magic power instead of physical objects. The storage is only possible when the blade is in contact with the magic power, making the timing very critical, but it can effectively nullify magic and spells.

Since it can store magic power, it can also release it. The released magic power can be controlled to some extent, similar to the flow of magic power.

However, magic power that has been converted into magic or spells is not exactly magic power. If one has a special ability like my [Magic Power Convergence], which can directly interfere with magic power, it might be possible, but for those without such an ability, controlling that chaotic magic power would be extremely difficult.

However, Will has made it possible. Whether through his own efforts or natural talent, he seems to have completely tamed that unruly magic power.

"Don't look away! Chaos Slash!"

Will swung his dual-bladed sword horizontally, and a chaotic magic power slash flew towards the black dragon.

The slash hit the black dragon's face, which was distracted by me.

So far, everything has gone according to plan. Rain and I brought the black dragon down and destroyed its wing. This caused the black dragon to focus its hate on Will.

The black dragon roared in anger and released five purple mists around it.

One of the mists, like a whip, lashed out at Will.

That was a bad move.

"Like that's going to work!"

The mist disappeared without a trace when it touched the blade of Will's dual-bladed sword. The mist is just a mass of magic power.

In other words, it doesn't work on Will.

"Let's go with Pattern C! Rain and Oren, take turns whittling down the black dragon! Will, manage the hate, and Lucre, support Will!"

"Understood!!"

Everyone responded to Selma's instructions.

Rain activated her spell.

As I moved away from above the black dragon and landed behind it, multiple [Fire Spears] rained down from the spot where I had been, hitting the black dragon.

Thank you for reading to the end.

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