Chapter 4

It has been about three hours since I engaged in battle with the Deathsize.

I am now standing in front of the door to the Floor Boss of the 390th level of the "Orpheon Underground Labyrinth."

According to my estimation, the Floor Bosses are likely to exist every 10 levels.

The reason I think so is because this is the only large iron door in a large room, unlike other levels.

Such large rooms with only an iron door are invariably in front of the Floor Boss's room.

In my case, I am in the room after defeating the Floor Boss.

Normally, I should enter from a different place.

If I enter this way, I will see the back of the Floor Boss, not the front.

The Floor Boss probably wouldn't expect a challenger to come from behind.

Moreover, this Floor Boss is the final boss of the "Orpheon Underground Labyrinth." I am certain of this because there was no path leading down from where I fell, and I searched for three years.

Now, if I were to ask whether it's acceptable to catch the Floor Boss off guard from behind in such a grand stage... I think it is acceptable.

I learned over the past three years that if there's a chance, you should attack aggressively.

I tried to level up by using offensive magic, which I had just learned.

However, I knew from the start that the offensive magic wouldn't work on the monsters inhabiting the lower levels.

So, what I did was observe the territorial disputes among the monsters from the shadows, and then continuously attack the defeated, barely alive monsters with offensive magic.

Is this a dirty move? No, I think it's a smart move.

I am struggling to survive.

In a dungeon where overly powerful monsters run rampant, you can't survive without using every available resource.

Of course, at the time, my level was too low, and the damage I could inflict with magic was minimal.

To prevent other monsters from stealing the kill, I used earth magic to create walls to isolate them. Then, while conserving my mana, I inflicted status effects like poison and paralysis to deal damage.

Even so, the monsters' recovery speed was fast, and I sometimes failed.

When that happened, I had no choice but to move on and look for the next monster.

It took me about a week to defeat the first monster.

Finally, when I defeated a monster that was nearly 200 levels higher than me, the experience points I gained were enormous. My level shot up to around 120, and I became much stronger.

From then on, it became easier.

The mana needed to use magic and the stamina required to run around increased, making it easier to level up.

However, if someone were to ask me what the point of getting even stronger is, I would say there isn't much of a point. But as the saying goes, "It's better to be prepared than to be caught off guard," so there's no harm in leveling up.

Well, standing here won't get me anywhere, so I'll head to the room where the Floor Boss is.

As I touch the large iron door, a heavy sound echoes throughout the space, and the room gradually reveals itself.

The structure is not much different from what I've seen before.

The only difference is that it's a flat, open space with no obstacles, designed for large-scale battles.

However, there is no sign of the Floor Boss.

While there are exceptions, normally, when you enter a room where the Floor Boss is supposed to be, the Floor Boss should be waiting.

Perhaps it hasn't appeared because it was already judged to have been defeated.

The Floor Boss reappears after a certain period of time. During this time, the door remains closed until the Floor Boss reappears.

This is a rule of the dungeon.

So, if you encounter another party, you have to take turns, and in the worst case, it can lead to conflicts.

But there are no other parties here, so it doesn't matter.

If there is no Floor Boss, I don't have to fight.

I'm glad I didn't have to waste mana.

By the way, the place where I am standing now, after passing through the door, resembles an altar.

Next to the altar, there is a crystal floating in the air.

Actually, when you become an adventurer, you receive an "Adventurer's License." If you hold this license over the crystal, it records the level, and you can instantly teleport to the recorded level. My Adventurer's License is already worn out after three years.

The recording is possible after defeating the Floor Boss on each level.

The teleportation destination is the room after the Floor Boss.

For example, if I defeat the Floor Boss on the 390th level and record it, I can teleport to the place where I just was at any time.

But for me, this is meaningless.

Because I haven't recorded any teleportation destinations in the "Orpheon Underground Labyrinth."

Three years ago, I kept running and fell into the abyss, and the place I reached was the lowest level.

Where would I have had the chance to record anything?

So, the first level I will record is not the 10th level, but the 390th level, where the final Floor Boss is.

By the way, I just remembered something.

The first place you can record is not the 10th level but the crystal near the entrance of the dungeon.

The specifications vary by dungeon, but the "Orpheon Underground Labyrinth" has a crystal where you can register teleportation destinations.

Additionally, there is the same crystal in the room with the Floor Boss. After defeating the Floor Boss, you can register the destination, and if you return to the surface, you can start from the level after the Floor Boss.

I want to ask my past self why I didn't record it.

If I had recorded it, I could have returned to the surface immediately.

But, at that time, my mind was preoccupied with other things, so it's pointless to blame myself.

In conclusion, I have no other choice but to aim for the surface on my own.

I will record the 390th level and proceed.

But I am curious about what kind of monster the final Floor Boss of the "Orpheon Underground Labyrinth" is.

Just a little bit...

I left the room once and entered it again from the front.

Suddenly, the large iron door closed, and I couldn't open it.

My little curiosity seems to have been a bad idea.

Ah... I can hear a fierce roar from behind, indicating that the Floor Boss has appeared...