Live Dungeon! Chapter 360: Sweep Them All Away

Tsutomu and his companions had spent nearly three hours meticulously clearing the monsters that emerged from the passages of the ninety-sixth layer. They tirelessly pursued foes of various elements, gathered Magic Stones from their vanquished forms, and completed the circuit of the donut-shaped zone a total of three times before Tsutomu finally broke the silence.

"That ought to suffice. Amy, Xeno, your group will advance north. Garm, Amira, you will lead the rest to the south."

"…Tsk."

"Listen, I apologize for placing all the burden on you, alright? I promise to make it up to you soon. We're just about to enter the most exciting phase."

It was entirely understandable that Amira clicked her tongue like a petulant adolescent; to prevent any information leaks, she had been deliberately kept in the dark regarding the strategy. Nevertheless, she complied with the orders, though her reluctance was quite apparent. The other members understood the reasoning behind it and displayed no particular reaction, perhaps even finding her attitude mildly amusing.

The ninety-sixth layer, in Tsutomu's assessment, functioned as the stress-release zone of Live Dungeon. It was intentionally designed as a chaotic and vibrant battleground, enabling players to utilize environmental gimmicks to eliminate vast numbers of monsters, akin to engaging in a tower defense game. The layout and gameplay mechanics clearly indicated the developers' intention for it to be a cathartic experience.

Within the game's framework, players were allocated five minutes to acquire Magic Stones through combat. Subsequently, utilizing Dragon statues strategically placed outside the ancient citadel, the team would bifurcate into two distinct roles: one contingent would defend against the approaching legions using the Dragons' power, while the other would persist in gathering Magic Stones. The ultimate objective was to prevent the castle's structural integrity from dwindling to zero.

Parties that became proficient in utilizing the defensive armaments and maintained a robust supply chain of Magic Stones could navigate the stage with ease. The rewards were substantial, and the inherent efficiency made it a favored bonus stage among the player base.

In those past days, Tsutomu had never once opted to skip his daily run.

However, in this altered reality, no system notification heralded the commencement of the invasion. On his initial foray, Tsutomu perceived something amiss from the outset: no monster wave materialized after the customary five-minute interval. Suspecting an alternative trigger, he cautiously conducted tests under a strict veil of secrecy and discovered that enemy hordes would not appear unless a Magic Stone was physically presented to the Dragon statues.

From that point forward, Tsutomu maintained this discovery as his secret. He leveraged this knowledge to gain valuable time, effectively impeding Ealdred Crow's advance on this very layer.

But that period had now concluded. The delay had served its intended purpose. And thus, armed with an ample supply of Magic Stones to sustain them for three hours, he initiated the final phase: the absolute subjugation of the battlefield.

In Live Dungeon, the dual tasks of gathering and defending had to be executed concurrently, presenting a formidable challenge for parties unfamiliar with the game's intricacies. Yet, here, possibly due to the added complexity of physically infusing the Magic Stones and the Explorers' constrained inventory capacity, the five-minute time limit was absent. They possessed the liberty to accumulate as many stones as they desired beforehand and unleash them simultaneously, overwhelming the opposition in a controlled conflagration of might.

[It feels as though I've become the Devourer Dragon now,] Tsutomu mused with a sly grin, recalling the colossal beast from a past encounter.

He gestured for Amy and Xeno to retrieve the stones from their Magic Bags and feed them directly into the sentient, stone Dragon statues. The statues emitted soft exhalations, as if awakening, and accepted the Magic Stones with a low, resonant hum.

Tsutomu then proceeded to enlighten Amy on the operational principles of the Dragons: they responded to the user's commands. Given Amy's existing proficiency in manipulating God Eyes, she swiftly grasped that the Dragons functioned on a comparable fundamental basis.

Following Tsutomu's direction, she commenced launching fireballs, empowered by Inferno Magic Stones, towards the gradually coalescing adversaries beyond the perimeter defenses. Observing her initial attempts at control, Xeno joined her. He, too, demonstrated considerable skill in manipulating God Eyes, and it wasn't long before the two were executing the Dragon's assaults in perfect synchrony.

Content with their progress, Tsutomu entrusted the northern front to their capable hands and made his way south, navigating around the periphery of the Ancient Castle. Upon arrival, Amira looked up, clearly surprised to see him descend, but her countenance rapidly shifted back to a frown. She gestured towards the distant horizon.

"An entire legion is marching this way. Do you want me to descend and handle them?"

"No, we will neutralize them from this vantage point. Accompany me for a moment, and I shall demonstrate how this operates."

Despite her lingering skepticism, Amira followed him. After a concise explanation, she learned the method of operating the stone Dragons and embraced the task with unexpected zeal. For a short period, she manipulated them with the unbridled joy of a child at an amusement park. However, her fascination soon faded, and she returned with an expression tinged with mild disappointment.

"So, this is our tactic? Simply… hurling fireballs?"

"Yes, essentially."

"…Honestly, it’s not quite my style."

"I understand," Tsutomu chuckled. "It feels more like a massacre than a battle. It doesn't exactly suit your preferences… Actually, you know what, the northern defense might soon require reinforcement. If the enemy continues their relentless advance, Amy and Xeno might be forced into direct combat. Would you be amenable to lending them support?"

"Certainly. That sounds like a more appropriate allocation of my efforts."

With that declaration, Amira unfurled her brilliant red wings, ascending into the sky.

Tsutomu resumed his position, manning the Dragon statue in tandem with Garm, unleashing torrent after torrent of fireballs upon the descending monsters. Garm stood stoically at his side, his gaze fixed on the ceaseless horde pouring in from beyond the ramparts, his expression grim.

"At this relentless pace, their sheer numbers will undoubtedly overwhelm us. Are we anticipating an escalation of attacks from this point forward?"

"Ah, there's no need for concern. It's on the verge of leveling up," Tsutomu stated nonchalantly, his hands never ceasing their assault of fireballs.

At that precise moment, the Dragon statue underwent a visible transformation. Fissures webbed across the horns adorning its head, and a deep, incandescent glow began to emanate from within these cracks, as though the very stone had ignited. The subsequent fireball expelled from its maw was significantly larger than before. What had previously been capable of engulfing only two or three monsters now swept through a group of ten.

Garm recoiled slightly from the sudden, drastic increase in the statue's power.

"As I comprehend it, all the experience points gleaned from those monsters outside are being assimilated by the Dragon," Tsutomu elucidated. "In return, it achieves a higher level and enhances its strength. If we maintain this momentum, vanquishing the subsequent wave will pose no significant challenge."

Without an understanding that it operated similarly to the God Eye or possessed the capability to level up, one could easily dismiss the Dragon statues as mere decorative components of the defensive infrastructure. This very misconception was precisely the trap that ensnared Ealdred Crow. As was their custom, they had attempted to overcome the challenge through brute force, relying solely on their Explorers. Failing to unravel the intricate mechanics of the statues, they were utterly incapable of leveraging their true potential.

However, once the Dragons achieved their initial level-up through sustained engagement, their power escalated at an astonishing rate. Tsutomu periodically alternated with Garm to assess the situation on Amy's flank, confirming their stability, all while diligently continuing to advance the level of their own Dragon.

The statue, initially resembling little more than an indistinct, draconic effigy carved from animated stone, progressively metamorphosed into an entity of far greater menace. Its physical dimensions expanded, its formidable aura intensified, and its offensive capabilities became increasingly lethal.

"Oh, yes… Obliterate them all…" Tsutomu murmured, his tone drifting into distraction rather than dramatic pronouncement.

Directly responding to the unspoken directive, the Dragon unhinged its maw and unleashed a potent beam of raw magical energy. It then contorted its neck, carving a devastating arc of incandescent destruction across the battlefield. This sweeping beam vaporized thousands of monsters in a singular, cataclysmic stroke, the sheer force and heat causing the hair of Tsutomu and Garm to whip around wildly.

"…That is truly formidable," Garm breathed, his voice tinged with profound awe.

"I daresay Korinna’s contingent is achieving even greater results," Tsutomu responded with a lighthearted laugh. "Those three truly grasped the essence of this layer."

Leleia and Diniel harbored no reservations regarding the wholesale annihilation of monsters, and Daryl’s unwavering dedication guaranteed they would maximize their Dragon’s potential through extensive leveling. Indeed, Tsutomu could vividly picture Korinna becoming quite agitated as she directed the unfolding slaughter, all the while he persisted in his own relentless extermination.

When the final wave, a horde so colossal that no conceivable team of Explorers could have confronted it alone, was utterly annihilated, the Dragon dissolved into nothingness. In its stead, the Black Gate shimmered into existence.

Shortly thereafter, Tsutomu reunited with Amy, who was now preening with the air of a self-proclaimed general. With the path forward cleared, the party proceeded to descend into the ninety-seventh layer of the Dungeon.