For a brief moment.
Alicia even wanted to let Isagi hit her with an "Immobilization Spell," to experience her body being completely unable to move, able only to watch the boy helplessly...
"!!"
As everyone knows.
Generally speaking, for adventurers under Level 5, their [Titles] are very likely to be not quite serious, containing the "nasty jokes" of the gods—just like giving someone a nickname.
However, members of the Loki Familia usually do not receive strange nicknames.
After all, they are the strongest Familia in the city.
But there are exceptions.
For example, when the Goddess Loki herself wants to tease her own children.
So, Alicia's title of [Garden of Purity] does not imply that this Elven older sister is some serious and terrifying "Disciplinary Committee Member" who strikes hard against lewdness; on the contrary, it is rather...
Of course, on this point.
Alicia herself would absolutely never admit it!
As the most solid right-hand woman of Lady Riveria, she must not only constantly pay attention to maintaining the Royal Highness's dignity! She must also maintain and supervise the daily conduct of other Elven compatriots who joined the Familia out of admiration for Her Highness!
Therefore, regarding those "strange and peculiar" books she confiscated, she absolutely did not read them because she wanted to or liked them, but to master firsthand intelligence so she could better strike at and criticize all "evil"!!
That's right, that's exactly it!
"Phew..."
Blinking her eyes, Alicia quietly moved a little closer to the boy.
The exploration continued.
The [Kingdom Core] before them was a circular city that looked much smaller than Orario.
After all, this was only the 8th Floor; the vastness of the entire floor was limited, let alone the Goblin Kingdom located on just one side of it.
Isagi and the girls arrived at the central plaza of the city.
This place seemed to have once been a battlefield.
Beneath that towering statue of the Pale King, the severed limbs of Goblins and Orcs were piled up in layers, dyeing the fountain pool around the statue blood-red.
Among the stone slabs in front of the statue, the following words were carved:
[With wisdom and strength, the King leads the Kingdom forward.]
Along the way.
There were monsters everywhere. Walking on the main streets, hiding in ruined buildings—these monsters were even hostile toward each other. Isagi and the girls had seen rebellious Goblin soldiers fighting Iron Armored Orcs more than once.
There was even "Cricket Fighting" to watch here.
On the way, they also picked up some Dung Pellets and Primal Residue.
Still, no new drops appeared. Isagi wondered if he would have to go raise the Dungeon's affinity again?
Aside from that.
Inside those dilapidated buildings, there were quite a few Goblin NPCs.
From behind closed windows or doors, one could hear the sounds of weeping inside. They were either fearfully pretending not to be there, or letting out pitiful cries for mercy and the like...
The atmosphere was set quite well.
Around the Central Plaza, one could see four main roads extending out: East, South, West, and North—excluding the West side from which he and the girls had come.
At the end of the North.
It was the city gate where the Infant Dragon was entrenched. From time to time, it would spread its wings, circling above the gate tower for a moment before landing again.
Lying prostrate between the towering city walls, it looked like a giant black gecko.
And heading South.
Before long, one could see a wide staircase leading constantly downward, as well as a pale stone tower at the far end.
Well-equipped Goblins were garrisoned in front of the stairs and had already set up temporary positions.
That was presumably the path to the [Central Tower] after the 9th Floor.
It was being guarded by the loyal Goblin Royal Guard Legion, who still obeyed the commands of the Kingdom's ministers.
As for the final direction, the East.
Before walking a few steps, one could hear the sounds of explosions and raging fires burning.
Tracking the direction of the sound, they soon saw a fellow on the long street who was over four meters tall, wearing pitch-black armor, looking like a steel beast.
Its hands, shoulders, chest, and even its head had all been modified into dark cannon muzzles.
Either blasting out shells or spraying flames, it turned everything nearby into a sea of fire and ruins.
And on its back, it carried a small fortress covered with noisy "Imps" who were waving their hands and dancing around at all times. They were like the operators of this steel Orc.
Crawling back and forth on its body, some changed ammunition, while others sat on its head or shoulders to issue commands.
Some.
Even drilled directly into its interior through the gaps in the armor.
"?"
Could it be that there really was some kind of "cockpit" inside the thick armor?!
It seemed the opponent was no ordinary elite monster.
Isagi ordered the girls to stand by where they were, while he quietly moved forward, slowly approaching the distant fellow. Sure enough, its name naturally surfaced from within his heart—
[The Iron Queen Conquered by the Pale · Gena · Steeltooth]
"..."
Silently, he retreated back to the girls' side, then signaled for them to withdraw as well.
Isagi decided to go crusade against that Infant Dragon first.
Firstly, that opponent would drop a "True Miracle." Even if Tiona didn't want to enhance the greatsword in her hand for now, it could enhance other weapons and equipment to boost combat power.
Secondly, after taking it out, they could use the elevator in the city gate tunnel to quickly move back and forth between the [Management Layer] and the [Kingdom Core].
After all, that "shortcut" Pal blasted out earlier was actually not short at all.
Thus, very quickly.
Just as Isagi and the girls returned once again to the original Central Plaza.
A violent vibration suddenly came from the ground.
What was the situation?
An earthquake?!
An anomaly appearing in the Dungeon was definitely not a good thing.
Just as everyone was thinking this, abruptly, the ground in the distance cracked open with a crash, and a giant snake monster poked its head out from within.
"What is that?"
While Isagi was still wondering what the hell the Dungeon was pulling now.
Tiona and Alicia beside him had already recognized the opponent. That was—
[Omen].
A super-large monster with a total length exceeding ten meters and a height of over five meters. Its official name in the Guild records was "Great Serpent of the Well."
As a Rare Monster of the Deep Floors, it possessed a very special ability: it could drill into the ground, walls, and ceilings to move between various floors!
Therefore, although it was a fellow that would only appear in the Deep Floors, in reality, it was possible to encounter it in the Middle Floors, or even be dragged by it to the Deep Floors.
For adventurers, it was naturally the most terrifying [Omen]!
However.
According to the Guild's confirmed sightings, it would at most come to around the 29th Floor. No matter what, it shouldn't appear here, right?!
This was the 8th Floor!!
Could it be that an [Irregular Situation] had occurred?
There are no constants in the Dungeon; it is not surprising for any kind of accident to happen.
The situation this time, however, was different from what Tiona and the others guessed. This was not an accident, but man-made.
At this moment, several corpses of Iron Armored Orcs were spat out from the great snake's mouth, and crawling out alongside them was a Cat Person youth with a ferocious expression.
"Phew!"
Yama looked at the burning city before him, and a certain indescribable sense of shock left him stunned on the spot for a moment.
Is this still the Dungeon?!
Behind that pale city wall, it actually looked like this?!!
Completely abandoning all his companions.
After the attack on the city gate located on the 9th Floor went unfavorably, Yama called upon his own "Final Trump Card."
It was also the strongest monster he had tamed—"Great Serpent of the Well."
This Rare Monster located in the Deep Floors possessed strength close to Level 5 itself, and utilized its characteristic of being able to move by diving into the ground.
Yama thus had it hold him in its mouth.
Then he commanded this great snake to rampage, smashing directly through the obstruction of that pale city gate, drilling all the way here.
His mood instantly became much more cheerful.
Then next, it was time to search for a target he could tame! The Cat Person youth saw the Great Dragon on the distant tower at a glance!!
What is that?!
A Dragon-type monster of the Upper Floors—could it be the rare [Infant Dragon]?!
Thinking about how the Goblins and Orcs from before had become so exaggerated and powerful, then what kind of existence would that Infant Dragon, known as the [Monster Rex of the Upper Floors], be?!
Yama was so excited that he wanted to immediately command the great snake monster to pounce in the opponent's direction.
He was very confident.
Because, whether it was the Goblins or Orcs from before, they had indeed become much stronger, transforming from weak Level 1 monsters into powerful fellows of Level 2 or even Level 3.
But that was all.
The Infant Dragon itself was a Level 2 Rare Monster. Even if strengthened, wouldn't it just be Level 3 or Level 4?
That still wasn't as good as his [Great Serpent of the Well]. How could a Deep Floor Rare Monster not beat a guy from the Upper Floors?!
One had to know that the Dungeon was quite "strict in hierarchy"!
Not to mention he still had a secret weapon!
Yama touched the [Jewel Fetus] in his bosom. He just needed to parasitize this thing onto the monster. [That Existence] in the Deep Floors would help him control the opponent and eventually tame it.
This was what Olivas had said.
They were all from Dark Familias; surely he wouldn't lie to him, right?
Back during the [Great Feud], everyone had fought side by side.
Yama also believed in the power of [That Existence]. The [Jewel Fetus] it had painstakingly cultivated possessed the effect of assimilating and parasitizing other monsters, strengthening them in all aspects.
One had to know that cultivating such a completed [Jewel Fetus] was no easy task; it required absorbing the Dungeon's power over long years.
Every completed [Jewel Fetus] was incomparably precious.
So, charge!
Yama commanded his only remaining trump card now, intending to rush toward the distant Infant Dragon.
However.
Suddenly, a line of text surfaced within the Cat Person youth's heart.
"[The Iron Queen Conquered by the Pale · Rena · Steeltooth]"
"?"
What the heck?
Accompanying Yama's confusion, the rumbling sound of cannons suddenly came from behind. The place where the great snake monster had emerged happened to be not far from the giant steel Orc.
"!@￥#@!!"
The pained roar of the great snake monster resounded through the heavens and earth.
Large patches of flesh and blood, accompanied by the smell of scorching, were blasted to pieces amidst the permeating gunpowder smoke.
Yama didn't even have time to react.
The enraged great snake monster fiercely pounced toward the Iron Queen not far away.
Huh?!
Yama only had time to hurriedly jump out of his trump card's mouth.
Then, he saw the Great Serpent of the Well and that giant steel Orc tangled together. Accompanying the fierce sounds of cannon fire and the raging flames spreading all around, Yama's heart couldn't help but tremble.
This guy didn't seem to be some simple goods either, huh?
Finally.
The great snake monster swallowed it into its belly in one gulp.
This was its habitual method.
It would use the compression of its stomach and the secreted digestive fluids to strangle or corrode the adventurers or other monsters swallowed into its belly.
Only...
A long, long time passed.
Visibly to the naked eye, the Iron Queen continued to struggle after being swallowed. Until, accompanied by several muffled sounds, suddenly, a pair of hands broke open from within the great snake's body.
The pitch-black steel Orc survived.
The heavy armor on its surface was dented and pitted. On its body, those Imps that originally had a "symbiotic relationship" with it were also struggling. Covered in corrosive liquid, as they wailed and died, the Iron Queen stiffly and slowly crawled out from within.
The great snake monster, having its belly ripped open and completely broken into two sections, was of course as dead as could be.
And it was precisely at this moment.
Yama seized the opportunity and threw the [Jewel Fetus] in his hand toward the Iron Queen!
The crystal ball containing an ugly infant inside did not shatter the moment it touched the monster's steel armor. Instead, like some kind of liquid, it slowly sank into the opponent's body.
Immediately after.
Deep green vines grew out from within it, rapidly and tightly embedding the [Jewel Fetus] into its body.
"Roar!!"
The Iron Queen let out a roar of pain.
Countless pink, tender fleshy strands began to grow from the gaps in its armor. Vines resembling tentacles spread out, completely covering the Iron Queen's heavy armor.
Finally, a massive tumor was woven onto its back.
It pulsed, it squirmed.
When it finally bloomed and split open, what appeared was a female upper body with a fine and slender figure, yet displaying an interweaving of deep green and tender pink. The colors on its body were so vivid they were uncomfortable, looking like a "poisonous mushroom" at first glance.
It had tube-like organs that looked like hair but were actually drooping tentacles, and a flat, flesh-colored crest resembling a jellyfish or an eel.
There were no eyes, nose, or ears on its face, only a circular hollow that looked like a mouth. Only the slender face shape and the protrusion of the chest made one associate it with a female.
It laughed with a "Hiss, hiss, hiss."
Extending its hands, it wrapped them around the Iron Queen's helmet, which completely covered its face and extended out like a cannon barrel.
Like a gentle mother embracing her child.
"Hahaha! Success!!"
Yama waved his "Red Whip." This was also his secret weapon, allowing him to tame monsters far higher than his own level—and because of this, he, who was not a First-Class Adventurer, could possess a Level 5 Rare Deep Floor Monster like the [Great Serpent of the Well] as a trump card before.
"Go! Attack that guy!!"
Not enough, this still wasn't enough!
Yama wanted to use the giant steel beast that had just been successfully parasitized by the [Jewel Fetus] to go and defeat the distant Infant Dragon, making it his "pet" as well!
And as the sound of the whip cracked in mid-air.
The parasitized Iron Queen, the twisted female form behind it, raised its head. Subsequently, the Imps on its body, which had already died from corrosion and whose bodies were long dilapidated, were also parasitized by the vines and "resurrected."
They began to move, just like in the past, loading shells into the Iron Queen's cannon barrels.
Then, they aimed at the Infant Dragon entrenched on the city tower in the distance.
BOOM!
Another muffled sound rang out; firelight and gunpowder smoke exploded precisely on the Infant Dragon's body.
Thus.
Accompanying an earth-shattering dragon roar.
The Infant Dragon that had just been attacked spread its wings. In an instant, it charged over from the distance, opening its huge mouth toward the place where the Iron Queen was located, spraying out dragon flames that seemed as if they would burn everything to ash.
Far away.
Isagi and the girls, who had just arrived in the vicinity and happened to see this scene, were all dumbfounded.
What was the situation?!
How did top-tier "Electronic Cricket Fighting" suddenly start? Could this be...
Got it!
The Dungeon's "ecosystem" is really well-made, huh—
PS: Woke up this morning with a toothache so bad it was killing me, so I went to the hospital to check it out. Got some painkillers prescribed and came back; barely managing to hold on. I have to go again this afternoon, so the update for one more chapter will be moved to the evening.
For the next week or two, I'll have to go get fillings from time to time—haven't confirmed yet, have to wait and see to know. But fillings are definitely needed. The main thing is that I seem to have a lot to fill; not just the painful spot, but 2-3 other places are decayed hollow.
This is what happens when you like eating sweets. Everyone, don't learn from me, always eating chocolate to replenish sugar whether there's a reason or not.
Therefore, in the coming days, the update times might be a bit unstable. Sorry.
However, two updates a day, with 3K-4K words per chapter, will still be maintained unless I really have no time. That's all.
___
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