Chapter 32: Friendly greetings from the dungeon~

Chapter 32: Friendly greetings from the dungeon~

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From the eighth to the ninth floor, the scenery and terrain of the dungeon changed significantly.

First, the number of caves increased, and they became noticeably wider. The paths connecting these cavernous rooms were much shorter, while the ceilings, once only three to four meters high, now stretched to nearly ten meters.

The once barren, wood-colored walls were now covered in moss, and the ground had transformed into a grassy plain. Phosphorescent light streamed down from above, mimicking sunlight, creating an uncanny illusion of walking through a wilderness.

As for the monsters here, they were a mix of familiar enemies. No new types appeared, but weaker monsters like goblins and earth spirits showed up in stronger forms.

Still, their attack patterns were predictable, no different from before. While they might have grown stronger, it didn't mean Izzy had grown weaker.

Thus, in this wilderness-like environment, Izzy progressed through the eighth and ninth floors with relative ease, hardly expending any effort.

---

Then he arrived at the more distinctive tenth floor.

The tenth floor was unique because of its dense fog. It resembled an early morning forest, shrouded in white mist, with a quiet, eerie stillness.

The fog wasn't thick enough to obscure vision completely, but it was sufficient to restrict it. This unrelenting mist enveloped the entire dungeon floor.

The structure of the tenth floor continued the layout of the previous two levels, with vast, open caves and grassy terrain. However, the light from the ceiling was no longer bright like sunlight. Instead, it dimmed to a soft glow, reminiscent of dawn breaking through the fog.

As Izzy stepped through the passage connecting the ninth and tenth floors, the space ahead opened up.

What greeted him was an expansive field of grass-covered caves, dotted with countless dead trees. These trees, stripped of leaves and barren of branches, stood hauntingly in the fog.

"The weapons arsenal of the labyrinth..." Izzy murmured.

He wasn't entirely unfamiliar with the tenth floor's peculiarities. The sight of these eerie dead trees made his brows knit slightly.

These trees, standing one or two meters tall, weren't ordinary deadwood. Their hardness rivaled the durability of some low-level adventurer weapons.

This was one of the dungeon's more challenging features—an intentional design by the living labyrinth.

The dungeon provided these "dead trees" as natural weapons for the monsters roaming its floors.

From the tenth floor onward, this terrain feature made monsters far deadlier.

Creatures that were once manageable with bare hands became formidable foes when armed with these weapons.

---

"Buu..."

A guttural growl interrupted Izzy's thoughts.

From within the white mist, a massive black silhouette loomed, accompanied by the glint of crimson eyes piercing through the haze.

An "Orc" had appeared.

The monster was enormous, its pig-like head perched atop a bulky frame covered in brown skin. Tattered, peeling rags hung loosely around its waist, resembling a makeshift skirt draped across its massive body.

Standing over three meters tall, the orc was a genuine giant among monsters.

"Buji, oh oh oh oh oh..."

Its crimson eyes locked onto Izzy, brimming with feral intensity as if it had just spotted its next meal.

The ground trembled as the orc stomped forward with a thunderous bang, its massive arm reaching toward a nearby dead tree.

"Don't even think about it!"

Realizing the orc's intentions, Izzy reacted instantly. He raised his arms, channeling magic with practiced ease.

"The wall is a thousand feet high!"

Before the orc's outstretched hand could grasp the dead tree, a towering black-and-gold rock pillar erupted from the ground, obstructing its path.

Judging from the size of the cross-section alone, the rock pillar appeared to be only about one-fifth the size of the orc.

However, this relatively slender rock pillar effortlessly lifted the orc and sent it flying into the air, forcing a guttural howl from its throat.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to knock the orc away, Izzy, who already had a shimmering shield surrounding his body, exerted force on his foot tendons and dashed toward the orc.

The orc, midair and unable to defend itself, was riddled with flaws until it could land and recover.

Holding the silver-gray spear tightly in his hands, Izzy located the orc's trajectory and rushed toward it.

At the exact moment the orc was about to hit the ground, Izzy gripped the spear with both hands and swung it fiercely. The tip of the spear slashed through the orc's body, leaving a gaping wound deep enough to expose the bone, nearly splitting it in two.

Because Izzy was now in combat mode, several of his abilities had significantly improved, making it effortless for him to send the orc flying.

Skill: 『Heart of the Earth』

Upon entering combat mode, strength and durability are greatly enhanced.

This combat mode was instinctively triggered by Izzy's subconscious mind, which judged this moment as the perfect opportunity to fight.

With a loud crash, the orc fell to the ground. Green blood sprayed from its torn wound as its agonized screams echoed throughout the area. It struggled to stand, but its efforts were futile.

Izzy's attack had severed one of the orc's stubby legs. Now crippled and unable to stand, the orc was completely defenseless.

Having lost its ability to move, it was only a matter of time before Izzy finished it off.

Moments later, the orc's massive three-meter-tall frame disintegrated into a pile of black ash, leaving behind a faintly glowing blue-purple magic stone.

"This is my first time fighting a large monster like this," Izzy remarked as he bent down to pick up the magic stone. "I used magic to help me, but magic is also part of my power. So... yeah, this wasn't too bad. Easy, even~."

When no one was around, Izzy's tendency to talk to himself became apparent.

In the dungeon, after experiencing the initial battle on any floor, it was inevitable that more monsters would notice your presence.

This meant one thing—endless combat.

There was only one way to avoid being consumed by this relentless cycle: retreat or push forward.

Only by reaching the connecting passages between floors could one stop the constant harassment from monsters.

However, Izzy was unfazed by the endless waves of creatures. He fought monsters along the way, collected their drops, and even found a strange sense of camaraderie with the dungeon's inhabitants.

It just so happened that he was worried about having no money. These monsters seemed to show up in waves, delivering treasures right to him. Apart from the occasional difficulty of cleaning up the battlefield, Izzy saw little difference between these creatures and a boy scattering coins.

But as Izzy ventured deeper into the eleventh floor, it was as if the living dungeon sensed his thoughts and decided to prepare a special "gift" for him.

The eleventh floor continued the structure of the tenth, with thick white fog that obstructed visibility.

The grasslands, which rose high enough to submerge his shoes, seemed boundless. Scattered throughout were thick, dry trees that were part of the so-called Arsenal of the Maze.

At some point, dark shadows began to emerge, surrounding Izzy. Some were tall, others short, but all had scarlet eyes glowing with undisguised malice. Their hoarse cries echoed as they advanced.

"Are you kidding me?" Izzy muttered, quickly assessing his situation. "My second time exploring a dungeon, and I run into a Monster party???"

For a moment, Izzy froze in place, stunned by the overwhelming predicament he had found himself in.

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