I glow red and gold while my blade burns crimson with a black aura leaking from its core.

My eyes are locked on the Stone Knight charging towards me, its dual blades for arms are covered in a thick red layer of mana shielding.

The aura of fog that filled the room earlier has condensed into a smaller form and seeps out from the small slit in the approaching Monster's helmet.

It takes long strides, bouncing off the rippling floor without making a sound.

This must be a perk of its Earth Summoning magic. The stone all around us can become its weapon whenever it chooses.

Then again, it could be its mana manipulation skill. The entire Labyrinth is made of mana, it could just be toying with dungeon mass itself.

Either way, I've been training for a moment like this. It may seem stronger than me now, but by the time this battle is over, I'll be on top.

Every footstep of mine makes holes in the fragile tile floor as I propel myself forward with wind magic. I zig and zag between the white-clothed tables and gear up for another strike on the gracefully moving stone Knight.

A 1000MP attack from a 10-meter launch distance was deflected without a second thought, I'll need to put the pressure on for this next strike.

I grin, grabbing a table with my left hand as I air-step by and flip it up into the air. I continue running forward and do the same for the next table, then again, and again.

The glowing Knight stays at a steady pace, gaining distance on me every few seconds.

Once it gets too close for comfort, Dungeon Walk 10 to 20 meters away while continuing my table flipping and zig-zagging madness.

Its deep voice rings out in my head.

"Do you mock me? You challenge a Floor Boss, but run and hide the moment your cheap attack fails to do any damage!"

I smirk, getting a clear line of view of its open back. My preparations are almost complete.

The monster is right, it does seem like I'm just running away. It can think that all it wants for all I care, I'm just setting the scene for our battle to commence.

While setting Dungeon Walker points across every square meter in the banquet hall, I've also made quite a mess. Perfect for quick cover during a long and tiring fight.

I focus on empty space right behind the Stone Knight's back, less than 1 meter away from its blind spot.

Its left side is wide open again. This time, I won't waste this chance on a long-range attack with low levels of MP. I'll strike where I know it's weak, and with enough MP to shatter its shield.

With my All-Seeing Eye in full focus, I let my mind dive deep into the depths of its shielding to replicate the paper-thin width of its grid-like stone armor.

With the 1500MP stored up in my blade that I've been charging while evading its advance, I Dungeon Walk in to launch my attack. Simultaneously, the monster opens our link to speak into my mind.

"Just keep on running and hiding human! Do you really think you could-"

Its deep voice halts the moments I blip towards its backside.

I'm already halfway through releasing my attack before it begins to turn, attempting to block with its glossy-bladed arms.

My black flaming energy attack comes shooting out of my sword at point-blank range, making contact with its unguarded backside. The flash of white light is blinding, and the intense buzzing sound of mana fills my ears as I'm forced to air-step backward. I don't want to be caught up in the explosion of fire that follows.

I propel myself way up into the air, smirking as I hear a murderous roar of a wild beast ring out below me.

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Its battle cry shakes the room. The walls crack under the pressure as flames from my attack explode outwards and an intense red fog leaves the monster in the center of the room.

I continue upwards, nearing the ceiling, shielding myself from the shattered glass that now falls from above.

The Dungeon sky is now wide open above us, clear as day.

This is the first time I've heard the floor boss make a noise, that isn't through our link.

It sounded like a beast... That roar was nothing like the intelligent creature I've been communicating with.

As the flames clear, I get a good look at the damage my attack has done.

A large 10-meter-wide crater is made in the center of the banquet hall. A dozen tables have been burned to ash, but the Stone Knight still stands tall.

I smile, as I see a large crack in its armor. The back side of its suit has been fractured, and a blade-sized hole remains.

I landed my first hit.

Red mana leaks out and I begin to air-step down while charging my blade again. The damage seems to be pretty bad, and our fight has just begun.

While getting closer, my smirk leaves my face, and the blade in my right hand shines brighter.

I watch the floor begin to ripple as more liquid stone inches up the monster's leg to heal the crack on the Stone Knight's back.

Its voice echoes in my mind.

"I underestimated you, that was quite an attack. It may have worked well on me unguarded, but you're not going to have as easy a time with me as you may have on lower dungeons in this Labyrinth. You're facing a Floor Boss now, I won't let my guard down again."

I grit my teeth, then Dungeon Walk to the ground floor. I begin my zig-zag patterns through the fallen tables charging my blade for another round.

Sure, it can say whatever it wants, but I know that attack did some damage. I'll do it again.

My eyes are locked on the Stone Knight. It stands in place, not moving at all. I focus on its blind stop. Drinking an MP potion, I boost my perception skill to watch for any irregularities in its mana control.

It stays exactly the same.

It's leaving itself wide open again...

"Why...?"

The Knight's head moves back and forth, tracking me as I blip around the banquet hall. The thick cloud of mana-imbued aura coming from its helmet trails behind it as it shifts its positioning ever so slightly every time I Dungeon Walk to a new location.

It takes a fraction of a second for it to lock its vision on me every time I blip around the room.

Those fractions of a second are more than enough time to launch an attack and teleport myself into its blind spot just like before.

It takes under 6 seconds to charge the 1500MP attack that injured it so badly before. I'm fully ready to do it again.

Without any hesitation, I blip toward the monster's back while it's looking the opposite way.

Swinging my sword upwards, I grin, watching the flaming blade make contact with its backside for a second time.

The moment my sword and its shielding collide, I feel the floor beneath my feet ripple. The armor before my eyes disintegrates leaving nothing but frail stone devoid of mana.

My attack slices the melting stone suit of armor in two, but the Knight within it twists its body out of the way with ease.

My attack flies forward, gliding through the banquet hall's stone wall without making a sound. It shoots off into the depths of the lava-filled dungeon outside.

The shadowy Knight completely left its suit of armor and dodged to my right side...

I dart my eyes back and forth locking onto its location. The monster points a hand to the floor. Stone from the ground surrounds its arm and it creates a double-sided glossy blade instantaneously. The Knight lunges towards me and swings its weapon at my chest.

I grit my teeth, registering the attack, and Dungeon Walk away the moment its mana-covered stone blade makes contact with my armor.

There's a flash of white light the moment I blip away, teleporting across the room.

Fragments of metal and fountains of blood fly off in all directions as my chest plate is blown to bits by the impact of its attack.

A deep wound opens in my upper chest and shoulder. I let out a grunt as it starts gushing blood onto the floor.

I've lost over 600 HP in a single blow, that's roughly 1/4 of my health and it hardly even hit me.

The white flash of light was the Floor Boss' sword breaking through my armor's mana shielding. I have no way of increasing its strength or density... All I can do is channel MP into this set.

For now, I'll just have to be thankful it took the brunt of the blow.

I focus on the broken armor covering my bloodied chest and shoulder while the black shadowy figure walks over to me from a distance.

The floor around it ripples as stone flows up its legs to cover its body entirely once again.

I'm down on one knee, gripping my sword, drinking an MP potion, and channeling mana into my armor while activating my self regeneration skill.

The Stone Knight speaks through our link.

"One hit. Ha! One hit and you're on your knees, knocking at death's door. What a sad excuse for a rogue Dungeon Master. I thought I'd get to see some real action today."

I take a deep breath, focusing on the slowly approaching Stone covered Floor Boss. My flesh grows back and the blood from my wound stops dripping onto the floor.

The shattered armor covering my chest begins to glow with a dim white light the moment I channel MP into it. Just like the time I put this armor on, it feels like an extension of myself. It's almost natural to heal it just like my bloodied shoulder. I use self regeneration on the armor set and it completely restores its natural form.

I smirk, then stand up to face the approaching Stone Knight.

I point my glowing sword forward, bursting back into flames while glowing red and gold.

"Is that all you got? We're just getting started."