Early the next morning
"That fat girl didn't even come out for breakfast."
Eriri muttered while munching on the sandwich Sayuri had made.
Utaha hadn't appeared since dawn.
"She's not feeling well. Eriri, help her take a day off today," Yami explained casually.
That was all he said. The truth was simple: after being too comfortable last night, it was normal to feel drained. She was still asleep.
"..."
Sayuri's eyelids twitched slightly.
This was too much. Exaggerated. She couldn't even comment—only bow her head and quietly eat her breakfast.
"Hum hum, how weak. Just a little movement and you're already feeling sick? You should go back home early."
Eriri puffed up proudly, clearly smug that she herself wasn't affected at all. Her expression practically said: If you can't keep up, then quit. She even looked down on Utaha with open disdain.
Yami just smiled, saying nothing. After all, this was his cute girlfriend—everything she said was right.
After Eriri left for school, the house fell quiet. Sayuri, alone with Yami, seemed a little restless.
She quickly excused herself to explore the neighborhood and shop for supplies. Still, Yami had noticed the way she'd glanced toward his room with something odd in her expression.
He knew why she was acting this way and found it funny.
So Yami descended into the dungeon alone this time, aiming to gather 30,000 magic stones. Even if he only pushed up to the C-rank super-meme, that should be more than enough.
All the original embryos for the Nether Fire Apostle were already prepared. The final form's choice wasn't clear yet—perhaps something akin to a mummy?
[Ding! It takes 1,000 magic stones to hatch this monster!]
The cost for a single C-rank meme was acceptable. Without hesitation, Yami chose to hatch ten in one go.
[Ding! The monster hatched successfully. You have obtained [Netherworld Priest]!]
Monster: Nether Priest
Rank: Second Level
Title: Ordinary
Race: Undead
Memes:
Level F: Corrosion (Lv.2)
Level C: Nether Fire Apostle (Lv.2)
The Nether Priest had been born.
The newly hatched creature still bore the dried, wrinkled appearance of a mummy.
But unlike ordinary undead, it was adorned in strange garb—clothes and headgear reminiscent of ancient India, rich in ornamentation. In its hand it gripped a golden Tongue Scepter, an eerie symbol of its otherworldly power.
Its legs did not touch the ground. Instead, they floated in midair, blue flames streaming from its hollow eyes and leaking out of its body like smoke from a burning pyre.
Just by appearance alone, this monster exuded the aura of a mage.
For only 1,000 magic stones? More than worth it.
Satisfied, Yami tossed the new priests into the Boneyard to stand guard.
Meanwhile, he observed the dungeon's progress. The adventurers' strategy had slowed to a crawl. They were still looping through the first four floors over and over.
The monsters there were only first and second rank. Not too hard, not too easy—but at this rate, no progress would be made.
Yami folded his arms, considering. Then he reached out with his will, sending his voice directly into the minds of two specific people: Saeko and Rei Miyamoto, who were currently fighting on the fourth floor.
[Busujima Saeko. Miyamoto Rei.]
Both girls stiffened, their weapons raised, when the voice thundered in their heads.
"Damn it!"
Saya Takagi's startled shout jolted them, forcing them to refocus on the monster in front of them. Still, they split a thread of attention to listen.
[As your master, I issue my first command: rally everyone, and attempt to conquer the fifth floor.]
"The fifth floor…?" Rei murmured, doubt flashing in her eyes.
"Master, that's too difficult," she whispered. "I'm afraid the others won't be… convinced."
Saeko's gaze slid toward her teammate, eyes narrowing slightly.
It wasn't a terrible objection, but the phrasing was off. Rei hadn't said "persuade"—she had said deceive.
Her thinking was shifting down a dangerous path, already tilting toward manipulation.
[Do not worry. I'm not ordering you to throw lives away.]
[As you may have realized, I intentionally adjusted the dungeon's difficulty. The fifth floor is the same.]
Rei nodded slowly. "Yes… I did feel that the first few floors were easier than they should've been."
"If that's the case," Saeko spoke up firmly, "I'll do everything I can to persuade them."
[Good. Then don't disappoint me with this first order.]
The voice cut off, leaving only silence in their minds.
The two girls exchanged a glance, realizing just how serious their "Master" was.
"Damn, Rei—what was that just now? You suddenly froze up! That's dangerous!"
Saya Takagi rushed over, worried something had gone wrong.
Saeko only shook her head, brushing the concern away.
"Let's finish clearing this floor quickly. Afterward, I need to discuss something with Akame and the others."
"…Ah? All right."
Neither Shizuka Marikawa nor the others objected.
Later, at the entrance of the underground city—
Shinobu Kocho, Mitsuri Kanroji, Akame, Mine, and several other adventurers had gathered, curious about the sudden meeting.
"So? You said you had something important to discuss?" Shinobu asked directly, getting to the point.
Saeko nodded.
"Have you noticed any changes in the dungeon?"
"Changes?"
Akame, Kurome, and Mine tilted their heads.
They had only just arrived not long ago. To them, the dungeon had always been strange—but they hadn't been around long enough to notice differences.
Take Kurome, for example. Her body, once ravaged by the side effects of the drugs she had relied on, should have been in constant pain without the medicine. Yet here, she felt unusually light, almost free of those crippling aftereffects.
But the broader changes in the dungeon itself? Few had paid attention.
"I know! Dungeon crawling feels… easier than before!" It was Jade who blurted it out first.
"I felt it too. Ever since…"
Shinobu trailed off, her eyes flicking toward Saya and the others. She chose her words carefully.
"…Since that incident, there haven't been any monsters above the second level on the first four floors."
Everyone understood what she meant. The "incident" was, of course, the invasion and devouring of their world. But saying it outright was never easy.
"In fact," Saeko added gravely, "I received a message in the dungeon itself. The monsters on the fifth floor have also been weakened. The difficulty has been adjusted."
"Wait… you mean—" Shinobu began, her sharp mind catching on.
Saeko nodded. "Yes. Everyone's strength has improved as well. I believe it's time to attempt conquering the fifth floor."
"I agree with Saeko's judgment," Rei Miyamoto said, stepping in smoothly. "Remaining stuck on the lower floors forever isn't an option."
Then, with deliberate weight, she added:
"Don't forget—the Muliverse Dungeon has rules. Adventurers must conquer it. If our progress stagnates… we may very well be erased."
The statement sent a ripple of unease through the group.
It was exaggerated, of course...purely speculation on Rei's part, spoken with absolute conviction. Even Saeko, who knew the truth, had to admit: Rei had a knack for twisting words, planting fear as if it were fact.
But Saeko didn't contradict her. Instead, she delivered the final push:
"I'm only telling you what I've learned. Rei and I will challenge the fifth floor regardless. Those of you who still have resurrection chances and sufficient magic stones—choose for yourselves if you'll follow."
Each adventurer carried their own resurrection limits.
Akame and her group each possessed four resurrection chances in total. The cost was tiered:
First-level resurrection — 100 magic stones
Second-level resurrection — 1,000 magic stones
Third-level resurrection — 10,000 magic stones
On top of that, the initial one-time revival for 10 magic stones was still valid.
As for Shinobu Kocho, Mitsuri Kanroji, Little Snake, and Jade—each of them held two second-level resurrections in reserve.
At the very least, 100 stones was always within reach. They had been steadily accumulating magic stones to push toward the third tier, but the price was steep. For now, they were prepared.
Akame rose to her feet, expression as unreadable as ever.
"I'll go."
"Eh? Akame, think carefully! Didn't they say the fifth floor is extremely dangerous?" Mine protested, worry creasing her brows.
But Akame only shook her head.
"There's nothing to think about. Even if I fail, it's just one resurrection lost. Better to keep moving forward… to become stronger."
Her eyes hardened.
"Not for saving the world. For destroying the Empire."
"…Tch. Then I'll join too."
Kurome, still chewing on her snacks, cast a sideways glance at her sister before stepping forward. Under the dungeon's strange rules, the tension between them had eased somewhat.
They still clashed from time to time, but the wall between them was crumbling bit by bit.
"You two…" Mine sighed in exasperation. "You never listen, do you? Fine, count me in as well."
Why was her teammate Akame so stubborn? If only Najenda were here—she'd at least act with some sense.
With Akame, Kurome, Mine, Rei, and Saeko, the five strongest combatants had agreed to challenge the fifth floor.
Shinobu and Mitsuri exchanged glances, clearly wavering. After all, those five already represented the dungeon's first echelon—each at third level strength.
Rei and Saeko, though no one knew their exact secret, had gathered an absurd amount of magic stones. Their resurrection stockpiles alone made them nearly untouchable.
As for Shinobu, Mitsuri, Viper, and Jade—they formed the second echelon, still sitting at the second level. Yet with resurrection chances available, the temptation to follow was strong.
In the end, after careful deliberation, the four of them also stepped forward. Together, they pushed their way into the third-level threshold.
Those who couldn't qualify could only remain outside, watching and waiting.
Yami observed the decision with satisfaction. A small smile tugged at his lips.
Good. This is exactly what I wanted to see.
There was no need for him to intervene further. With the strongest already on the move, he only needed to wait for results.
Glancing once more at the maze's winding passages, Yami turned and stepped out of the dungeon, leaving the challengers to their fate.
--
"Yami-kun, massage my legs for me. They're sore from kneeling too long."
"Alright."
"I swear, I won't do this again next time!"
"Mm, sure, sure. We'll just try something different next time."
The casual flirting drifted through the room.
When Sayuri returned home that evening, she opened the door to the sight of Yami and Utaha tangled together on the sofa.
She suddenly felt like a giant light bulb interrupting young love. For someone who had never experienced it herself, a faint envy stirred in her chest.
"Aunt Sayuri, you're back!"
Utaha, spotting her, immediately straightened her posture, slapping Yami's hands away from her thighs hidden beneath her hot pants.
Sayuri lifted the grocery bag in her hand with a smile.
"I bought some fresh beef—we'll have braised beef tonight."
"I'll help!" Utaha blurted, half out of eagerness, half to escape Yami's mischief.
But the moment she stood up—
"Hiss!"
A sharp pain shot through her legs, making her wince and suck in a breath.
"…Cough."
Yami touched his nose awkwardly under her resentful glare and quickly helped her back onto the sofa.
"Fine, fine. I'll help instead."
After all, this was his fault.
He headed toward the kitchen, leaving Utaha sitting with her face flushed red, one hand unconsciously stroking her stomach.
Her mind flickered back to earlier—Yami wild, relentless, like a beast and heat rose to her cheeks again.
"Honestly… such a brute," she muttered under her breath.
And yet, as soon as he left, her eyes fell on her notebook. She clenched her fists with renewed determination.
So this is love… painful, yet sweet. No wonder so many authors write about suffering.
Her lips curled faintly. Inspiration surged.
If her first novel was just the beginning, then her second would be something greater. Something written with more depth, more longing, more exquisite pain.
A title formed in her mind like a whisper.
"Metronome of Love: White Season."
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