For the fourth floor I decide to get creative with the floor plan. While simply doubling the size still feels right, I believe I can do better. More to the point I believe I can be more creative than that. I can't wait to see the look on delvers faces when they finish mapping it out and realize what I've done. First, I start with the entryway and make it bigger for the first time. Instead of just the usual 5x5x5 starting room I place down a 30x10x10 that I just crafted. I started to go for a room that was even 40 meters long, but I figured that might be a bit much for a starting area. I place it so that it would be running lengthways east to west.

I fill this room with Miracle berries and jujube trees. Then create a small pond that is two meters at its deepest. I even throw down a campsite theme that I just bought, minus the bedrolls of course. I am curious if I get mana for them harvesting the supplies at the camp site since they came with the theme. I'll admit it's a bit fancy for a simple entryway, but it is the fourth-floor entryway. Besides I'm feeling a little generous. The fact that I miss camping has almost nothing to do with it. In fact, I kind of wish I had some fish to place in the pond. Then again, the idea is for them to rest not for them to actually camp out.

I start to place down the next room when I suddenly realize I forgot to get new mobs. Goblins were rarely used in the last floor, but I feel like it's still too early for a 'goblin floor'. As I'm looking through the creatures' section of the system shop, I can feel Clyde's party once again descend to the second floor. Looks like they might go pretty far this time seeing as they're all wearing stone rank gear and carrying stone rank weapons.

One of the perks of being officially recognized as a higher rank is getting access to higher rank gear and being allowed to actually wear it. It makes more sense to me to let people buy the most expensive thing they can afford, and under special circumstances such as equipping guards and the army that is indeed the case. The way Clyde explained it though is that a rich idiot with a heroic rank blade can do a lot of damage both to himself and those around him. Not to mention that levels come from being challenged and gear that is too high of a level either completely removes the challenge or forces the person to confront things they aren't ready to face in order to gain experience.

I make a mental note to check in on their progress later and go back to working on the fourth floor. Specifically looking at new creatures to buy. I thought about going with basic zombies, but I'd rather not be known as 'the undead dungeon' thank you very much. Instead, I go with basic golems. Not alive per say but also not technically undead either. I go ahead and pick up a few deferent varieties as well. Including mud, wood, stone, plant, and bug golems. There are others but they get progressively more expensive as you go down the list. Besides I also bought giant scorpions. I soon spawn one just to check how giant it is. I don't think any of my delvers are ready to fight a walking mountain. The giant scorpions are only about the size of a small car though so, while they are big, they aren't overly huge. I think anyone around level 15 or higher should be able to handle them.

I'm getting ready to place my first actual room on the fourth floor when I notice that Clyde's group is now only one room away from the boss room. This isn't the first time they.ve made it this far. It was quite amusing though watching them realize that that just went in a circle. Reluctantly Clyde has the party back track to clear the rooms they hadn't gotten to yet while mumbling to himself about how he should have realized it back when they first started encountering rooms with no mobs. I'm inclined to agree he really should have.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

It doesn't take them very long to make it back through the skeleton path to the room they haven't been in yet. I can see having to backtrack being really annoying when the rooms start to actually get big though. For now though, they enter the room and are immediately greeted by four level 8 skeleton fighters which they quickly defeat, even the level 8 rogues don't pose much of a challenge anymore. The food is a welcome site though and they do spend a fair amount of time harvesting. The next room does present more of a challenge if only because one of the rogues was replaced with an archer. Arrows are still deadly if they hit the right spot after all. Admittedly by this point they know how to handle archers so clearing this room still doesn't take too long.

When they enter the next room though things quickly change. Clyde barely manages to get out a simple "fuck" before finding himself fighting two on one against level 10 skeleton fighters. Cole for his part uses taunt to get the two rogues to focus on him on top of the two fighters he was already fighting. Tanking enemy attacks is kind of a tanks job though. That leaves Chandra to deal with the two archers while Darrel tries to keep himself and Lily safe until the archers are dealt with.

Clyde is getting pretty good at parrying unfortunately he doesn't get the chance to capitalize on it facing two level 10 opponents. You wouldn't think there would be much difference between this and the level 9 fighters, but these are stone rank fighters now. Going up in rank represents a qualitative leap in all stats with the increase to class specific stats being even better. This also explains why Clyde's party found the rest of the floor so much easier lately. Part of why I created this room was to give delvers that just reached stone rank a challenge that wasn't the boss. Sure, there are a few other level 10 mobs but for the most part this is a wood rank floor.

Cole isn't fairing much better but at least he has a shield. Chandra on the other hand is finding it hard to get close to the archers. Their perception isn't enough to break her stealth skill, but they can tell something is there. Even if they don't know exactly where she is. They forced her to have to dodge a few times despite essentially blind firing. Still, she does eventually manage to take them out with a few throwing knives from a distance.

These in turn frees up Darrel to start throwing ice spears to help Clyde while Chandra moves on to the two rogues attacking Cole. The ice spears catch one of the fighters off guard while the other just barely manages to dodge in time. Clyde is able to take a more aggressive stance now that he isn't fighting two on one. this puts the skeleton fighter on the defensive for the first time during this entire exchange.

Meanwhile Darrel quickly switches targets and begins helping Cole. Speaking of which it's a good think Cole got a full set of stone rank gear. It's already showing a few dents despite being heavy armor designed to take abuse. Nothing too serious however, I can imagine wood rank armor already having a few blade sized holes in it. Once again Darrel's ice spears catch one of the fighters off guard although this one just loses an arm rather than being killed. The ice spike that comes out of the ground however does manage to kill the other skeleton fighter. Mainly because he was expecting another ice spear.

Cole then turns to confront the one-armed fighter only for it to be stabbed in the back by Clyde who had already finished with the other fighter. At this point Chandra has already dealt with one of the rogues leaving just one more opponent who unsurprisingly doesn't live much longer. They are a little surprised when they open the chest and find stone rank gear. The gear they have is better, but they actually had to pay for it.

After that they take a little break while Lily checks over everyone. Chandra managed to reached level 9 while Cole and Darrel are both close to level 11. When they are done resting Clyde decides that they should head back claiming he wants to be at least level 12 before challenging the boss. Even though he doesn't say it I can also feel that he wants Chandra to at least reach stone rank before attempting the boss.