The moment I entered the middle layer, still in a relatively shallow area, a battle involving more than ten adventurers was unfolding.

With shield-bearers at the front lines, they gradually whittled down the enemies with spear thrusts while maintaining a steady pace, and when the time was right, magic support came in to assist.

From what I could see, there didn’t appear to be any Blessed Item users or individuals with divine protection, but the presence of multiple magic casters—rare among adventurers—indicated a well-organized group.

I hadn’t inquired about the details beforehand, but… they might belong to one of the warrior guilds.

“Hmm… they’re holding steady. If this keeps up, there really might not be any opportunities to hunt in the middle layer during normal times.”

There might not be any enhanced species appearing in this area, but even so, fairly strong creatures still roam around. And yet… they don’t seem to be in any danger at all.

In other dungeons, by the time one reaches these deeper floors, they’d already be somewhat worn out. However, that final base in the uppermost layer must be serving as an excellent recovery point.

They should have entered the dungeon today, yet despite rushing all the way here in such a short time, they show no signs of exhaustion.

At this rate, more groups will likely start hunting in this area.

“Well… it can’t be helped. Let’s move on quickly so we don’t get in their way. You guys, stay on alert.”

I considered using my whistle to make my presence known, but it might attract unnecessary attention and interfere with their battle.

I decided to stick to the walls and move along while clinging to the ceiling.

The occasional pillar got in the way, but I left the lookout duty to Akame and skipped all monster encounters.

◇

Passing through the middle layer, I finally reached the lower layer.

Now then, how long did it take?

“Ugh… that took longer than expected.”

I pulled out the timer hanging around my neck, just like my whistle, and checked the elapsed time—nearly 40 minutes had passed.

Even though I hadn’t engaged in combat, I had spent some time chatting and taking detours, so I couldn’t take the most direct or fastest route.

At this rate, if I fight even one battle in the first chamber, it’ll be time to head back.

“Well… whatever. Alright, then… here we go!”

First, I activated the Blessed Item 【Shadow Sword】 and 【Scarlet Bee Needle】.

Next, I activated 【Ankle Bracelet】 and firmly grasped 【Floating Orb】.

My lower body was already secured to 【Floating Orb】, so there was no risk of falling, but this grip allowed me to move my limbs more freely—perfect for combat.

Then, I activated 【Amber Shield】 along with 【Fairy’s Eye】, 【Serpent’s Tail】, and 【Purple Wings】. With that, all the Blessed Items were ready.

“And then… there we go.”

To finish up, I activated 【Prayer】 and 【Wind Cloak】 again—combat preparations complete.

“Alright, let’s do this!”

I passed through the corridor and stepped into the first chamber.

The lineup of monsters was the same as usual—a horde of Ogres, packs of beast-type monsters, and small groups of lesser demon species scattered around.

There were a few enhanced species among them, but… I’d just put them to sleep.

No big deal.

Clinging to the ceiling near the center of the chamber, I began scattering the poison from 【Purple Wings】 using the wind from 【Wind Cloak】.

◇

After about 30 minutes of dispersing poison from the ceiling, the effects began to show, and most of the monsters collapsed.

That’s when the main event finally arrived from the corridor’s depths.

The guardian of this floor—Mr. Giant Ape.

Lumbering forward with exaggerated steps, he made a point of showing off his presence.

At first, when he stepped into the chamber, he didn’t notice me up near the ceiling and looked around curiously.

After a while, he finally spotted me—then quickly lost interest and continued wandering around the chamber.

Well, considering the power difference, that reaction wasn’t exactly wrong.

Even with all my Blessed Items, the gap in strength between us was significant.

But… hehehe.

“Alright, let’s take care of the ones still awake first… hmm, three Ogres and one boar. Easy enough!”

Before dealing with the Giant Ape, I decided to eliminate the still-active monsters first.

Since the poison had already slowed their movements, it wouldn’t be difficult.

They weren’t tough to begin with, so it was an easy task.

“First up… Flash!”

Even weakened, Ogres were still incredibly tough.

I closed in and blinded the first one—one, two, three slashes of 【Shadow Sword】, and its head went flying.

I quickly turned my gaze toward the Giant Ape, but… no problem.

He still wasn’t paying any attention to me.

With three Ogres down, I had Akame and the others process their cores while I moved on to the boar.

Compared to the Ogres, a single boar might seem easy, but… its position was problematic.

While the Ogres had been in the center of the chamber, the boar and other beast-type monsters tended to stay near the walls.

And, as expected, this one was also lying near the wall—close to the Giant Ape.

I’d have to handle this carefully.

“Hah!”

I swiftly approached, slashing through the core in its head as I passed.

Immediately, I ascended back toward the ceiling.

Down below, the Giant Ape continued to pace around.

If I took too long, he’d eventually get bored and start throwing rocks or other monsters at me.

But today, I’d gone for a swift execution.

There was still plenty of time left.

Previously, in this situation, I had taken my time picking off other fallen monsters while waiting for the right moment to strike.

But today would be different!

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sera・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind Garment】・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lung】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Serpent’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】【Amber Shield】【Purple Wings】【Red Sword】・19 cards

Seriana・【Area Identification】・【】・34 cards

Elena・【】・【Green Fang】【Amber Sword】・4 cards

Alec・【Strong Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・9 cards