Shun POV:
The sight of Phoebe’s head resting in my lap greeted me from the darkness. Her breathing paced itself in a slow rhythm that was accompanied with the relaxation of her muscles. Phoebe’s sleep cycle was unique, but I concluded that it wasn’t harmful to her health: either she was born this way or adapted to it.
Her cheek squashed against my toned abdomen, somehow finding it comfortable to rest on. The corners of my mouth rose at this new experience.
This healthy one.
I shifted my gaze to Katherine, meditating in the same position. Aiden and Gerard were already doing their stretches after waking up. Ki strengthened the body, so the risk of pulling a muscle or experiencing related injuries was reduced by default. However, this wasn’t a damn game; warming up would still improve the efficiency of movement, increase heart rate and enable more oxygen to reach your muscles.
Aiden knew this, but it was likely that the person who taught him that was Phoebe. Both Gerard and Aiden regarded her as the leader of the party, so it was reasonable to assume friends that close would go to each other for advice.
My gaze fell back to Phoebe. She stared at me with large eyes that complimented the immediate darkening of her cheeks.
“Did you rest well?”
“Y-yeah...”
Her long pink hair sprawled out over my lap, hiding the black clothes underneath. It drew focus and accentuated a beauty that should be noticed more, but I had never seen another male show interest in Phoebe.
I didn’t understand why.
‘Was it because of Aiden and Gerard always being with her?’
It was plausible.
The only time she was alone was when she worked as a receptionist. Phoebe even shared a room with them too, and that would explain their lack of reaction to her appearance.
They weren’t just friends, but more like siblings.
“Good. Now get up and move.”
I peered down at her, irritated by the thoughts I didn’t even care about. Phoebe’s lips spread into a soft smile before parting.
“How did you rest, Shun?”
The slight shimmer of her amber eyes sealed the irritation away. They hoped that their presence was enough for me to feel warmth in the darkness.
“...Not bad.”
A bright grin graced her slow movements; it formed a link that kept the distance the same despite the gap growing. Phoebe gathered her long hair and angled her body in my direction. Her gaze fell to the side. She knew... I was watching but didn’t get ahead of herself. Phoebe turned back to the front, letting the nape of her neck face me until a pink ponytail hid it from view.
‘...’
I discarded any pointless thoughts I had and got to my feet. Shinobi sped up the stretching process, allowing all of my attention to shift to the 63rd Floor.
“Let’s move.”
I walked through the arcading first and made my way up the long set of stairs. Phoebe walked beside me; the silence added to the gentle brush of her hand passing mine. I knew what she was doing.
I could explain it in detail, but...
My lips curved upward.
[Your party has entered the 63rd Floor.]
The Dungeon System would only produce this message under two specific conditions. The first condition was when an Adventurer entered the next Floor without their party. The second condition was when a solo Adventurer entered the next Floor within 30 minutes of arriving on the previous one.
In other words, the Dungeon System favoured parties. Forgetting what Floor you were on could be the difference between life and death, but a higher influx of Adventurers meant more food for the dungeon monsters.
I didn’t care either way.
The top of the stairs brought us to a bright room. Castle walls no longer carried their dark colour but a strong cream instead. Deep blue tiles replaced the stone floor, and the arcadings were removed. Pathways became hallways from the new openings between the walls. They would lead to five separate areas, housing the Floor Bosses: the Sentri Guardians.
According to Byeol’s report, each area had an assigned location where a flag pole needed to be inserted. All 5 flag poles had to be put into the correct holes at the same time in order to reach the 64th Floor.
‘Tch.’
I unmuted Aiden, Phoebe and Gerard. The Dungeon System added voice communication once we cleared the 30th Floor. It was likely due to the sheer size of each one as well as the Sentri’s strategy. Unlike my own damn system, the dungeon’s one was useful and fair.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“According to Byeol, we’ll need to split up here, guys.”
Phoebe’s eyes scanned the surrounding area. The only time her relaxation faded was when a dungeon required the use of her brain.
“...Shun, you need to unmute us so that we can clear this Floor properly.”
“I know.”
Aiden’s cheeks rose by a small amount while Gerard chuckled.
“I bet he doesn’t want to hear Phoebe.”
Phoebe coughed several times but failed to stop the blood rushing to her cheeks. The flutter of her long eyelashes caught my eye till her soft gaze followed along with it.
“If my Ki Stage was higher, I could protect you all with Lady Nefia’s technique: Mother’s Care.”
Gerard’s mouth was the first to drop open. Then Aiden’s calm composure drifted away with the rise of his eyebrows, and a faint tension stiffened the muscles around Phoebe’s mouth.
“Lady Nefia?”
My current hypothesis was that Katherine’s connections weren’t on Juri’s level yet due to The System not triggering any missions. However, two things bothered me: Phoebe’s reaction and how vast Katherine’s connections were. The latter was hard to tell because of her irritating nature, so I questioned her to get the information I needed.
“At this point, I’m not even surprised anymore. Lady Nefia is Keo ‘The Superman’ Yeboah’s wife, and, apparently, she’s stronger than him.”
‘What??’
Phoebe let out a sigh while Katherine’s lips formed a gentle smile.
It was beyond my expectations.
Keo Yeboah: the man known as both ‘The Superman’ and ‘The Black Winds of Destruction.’ The man who soloed a Rank SS+ Arcane Dungeon; there was a chance that his wife was stronger than him??
‘Damn it!!’
I clenched my teeth and turned around. The Dungeon System suppressed The System, so that meant the likelihood of a mission triggering inside a dungeon was almost zero.
In other words, there was a chance that this new information led to another X Ranked mission, but now I would never know.
‘This useless system!!!’
A mission wouldn’t trigger twice. Whatever chance I missed here was gone for good. So far, only those types of missions seemed legitimate, yet once again, another opportunity slipped away.
“Maybe we should start calling Katherine, Your Majesty. She seems to know everyone!”
Gerard didn’t use a word to describe Lady Nefia. This meant her status left him speechless, so he elevated Katherine’s instead. She was higher than the aristocracy and could be on par with the Ten Families of Xera.
This was my current line of thinking, but it was pointless in the end.
“I’ll take the strongest one.”
I dashed off alone with the map in front of me. Five minutes passed by, but my speed remained the same. The hallways were as intricate as they were long; the separated areas didn’t change this trait that all the Floors seemed to share.
“Shun, a-are you alright?”
An annoying voice caused the veins on the side of my head to pop.
“...You worry too much. Look after yourself first.”
“...”
My eyebrows fell at Phoebe’s silence. I skidded to a halt, expecting her to reply, but a response never came. I took two steps backwards before realising no monster here should give Phoebe that much trouble.
‘It doesn’t matter anyw—‘
“You’re sweet.”
My finger hovered over the mute button next to her name. Phoebe knew that I would do this. I ruffled my hair and let out a frustrated sigh.
“And you’re annoying.”
A pleasant laughter made the corners of my mouth rise. Her interruption helped push away the growing agitation I felt earlier.
“Inventory.”
[Equipment Name: Genuine Sentri Uwagi (Enhanced +12)
Durability: 500/500
Description: An Uwagi made exclusively from Sentri. It has been enhanced to the genuine limit via a deep understanding of the Uwagi, Sentri Species, Sentri materials, and a solid grasp of Sentri Culture. Defensive properties are increased by 12x.
• The Uwagi is made from the dark skin of the Sentri, reflecting the species’ symbol of growth. It is lined with bright yellow, reflecting the light that births the growth they chase after. Darkness alone is nothing without the light. Defensive properties are multiplied by 12x.
• The Obi is made from the grey scales of the Sentri, reflecting the species’ inner battle. There is no greater feat than conquering the desires of this world, but such a feat can never be done alone! Defensive properties are multiplied by 12x!
• Movement Speed is noticeably increased. Airflow ventilates the body, reducing sweat content and rejuvenating muscles due to the skin of the Sentri reaching its Genuine Level.
• It is a genuine masterpiece made by Shun, a Genuine Tailor, and Shadow Bloodied Deadmin #4. It is part of the Genuine Sentri Set. Outstanding Sentri Teacher allowed him to complete his understanding, and bring out the specialities of all materials within.
----
Genuine Sentri Set:
• Genuine Sentri Hanzu (0/1)
• Genuine Sentri Tekkō (1/1)
• Genuine Sentri Uwagi (1/1)
• Genuine Sentri Ransasu (1/1)
• Genuine Sentri Waraji (0/1) ]
The desolate city didn’t consist of just barren buildings, other amenities were also present. The Recon Unit managed to locate an abandoned smithy on the 3rd Floor, so I sent Bloodied Deadmin #4 to repair any facilities that were damaged.
My own observations and Zinyul’s input formulated the designs that were sent over to her, along with the appropriate materials. By the time I arrived, she had completed half of the work for each item.
Unlike other Bloodied Deadmin, she showed regret. She despised the Deadmin Ritual and hated blood. She missed the fur that once covered her arms; that was ripped off by her own hands the crazier she became. Though the Bloodied Deadmin could no longer speak—though the Bloodied Deadmin had lost her name, she chose to stop killing.
That was why I taught her about blacksmithing.
The careful control needed for the Deadmin Style made her learn fast. She studied well and adapted what I taught in order to create a variety of interesting equipment. The only thing she cared about now was receiving praise for the work she created.
Before I cut off the link with the shadows, I entrusted her with one final task: creating a weapon for Vealhar. That would be enough to keep her busy till her Ki ran out.
‘Good.’
I looked down at my new black and yellow attire. Grey embroidery formed sequential diamonds across the lower quadrant of the Ransasu. They overlapped before being cut through the middle with a gold line extending down from the waist. Bloodied Deadmin #4’s handiwork replicated the style with perfect accuracy, and this was due to the hundreds of replicas she had made by the time I arrived.
That same passion spent on Deadmin Rituals was the same passion fuelling her dedication to this new craft. The measurements and fit clung to my frame with ease.
‘Very good.’
Some parts of the Set weren’t needed. This was due to the Shinobi attire, bearing similarities to what the Sentri wore. I threw on a detachable hood, casting a thick shadow over my face and sprinted forward again.
Byeol couldn’t access the 64th Floor. That meant the likelihood of only Armoured Sentri Knights and Guardians being able to bypass it was high.
I concluded that the Sentri’s habitat was somewhere on this Floor, so I made this Set to blend in when the time came. Even if it wasn’t, I’d wear the clothes till this dungeon run was over.