10 Minutes ago.

Lan-, no, Lancelot was watching the human exploration party. It was quite entertaining, at least for him. Whether it be because of the detachment from humanity or the lack of care about strangers, he viewed their life-and-death struggle like one would view a DnD campaign with commentary to boot.

'Leopold encounters the enemy, but he has not been detected. Roll for initiative!'

Lancelot took a liking to watch humans battle in his Dungeon, but it was the first major expedition in these two months, ever since the Beast Tide led by the tiger was quelled. And, after the reunion with his mother, he had slowed down the frantic development of the Dungeon, being a bit more laid back.

He had only dug out half the planned space for the Fifth Floor, only dedicating a single Thought Channel, which he gained due to expanding after absorbing all of the souls, to the task. But compared to the intense rate of expansion before the Beast Tide, it was much more restrained. Instead, thanks to Matilda's advice, he focused on consolidating his foundations.

Overall, Lancelot's Core was slightly more than 19 meters in size, and correspondingly his domain was more than 19 kilometers in length. Still, most of that space was being wasted, to put it mildly. But Lancelot had not yet fully discovered the full potential of the 'tools at his disposal', plus the population of Beasts was not yet sufficient to expand the existing Floor before.

Just as half of his Thought Channels were about to sink back into research, while the other half watched the expedition, a familiar voice spoke across one of his mental connections.

'Lanny, how're they doing?'

It was his mother, Matilda, who was also one of the leaders of the human settlement. Though Lancelot was a bit startled due to still being unused to it, but he then responded, treating it like a phone call.

'Mom... It is the third time this day you have asked about their progress.'

'I can't help it since I have a way to check on them without going with them myself.'

Lancelot and Matilda had established a much stronger mental connection than those that Lancelot had with his Beasts and Guardians. Perhaps it was because of their familial bond, but Matilda did not need to risk being overwhelmed by Lancelot's mind when 'speaking' with him. And while she did not stay in the Dungeon, contrary to Lancelot's wishes, she could contact and speak with him anytime.

'Why wouldn't you come with them then?'

'Lan... Do not tell me you forgot the promise we made already?'

'Uh...'

It was only then that Lancelot remembered what she was talking about. Ultimately Lancelot and Matilda were (somewhat) on opposing sides. The Dungeon was not exactly a place you could call 'friendly' to the humans. However, Matilda valued her son more than she did the settlers of the camp. As helping the expeditions, with the knowledge she gained while being escorted through the entire Dungeon, was kind of detrimental to Lancelot, she did not participate in any of them.

But Lancelot did not want her to completely abandon all other attachments, so he did not insist on his mother turning her back on the humans who relied on her.

'No! I totally remember it! I would not dare to forget such an important thing.'

'Uh huh.'

Hearing her unconvinced tone, Lancelot quickly checked the human's situation, which he was already observing.

'Well, they just got past the four mini-bosses and should be on their way to Lorn, the Guardian of the Second Floor.'

'...Were there any casualties?'

'Just two...'

Lancelot heard a deep sigh over the connection. Though Matilda did not condemn his actions in creating a place of death, the deaths that came as a consequence did not make her happy in any way.

'Alright. Tell me the result of the next battle when they are done.'

With that, Lancelot felt the link become inactive. She had 'hung up', leaving him with his own thoughts and observations.

'This is a bit troubling...'

Lancelot genuinely did not feel anything about the human fatalities, the same way he would feel about the death of a random bird or animal. Maybe he would feel a trace of pity, but nothing extreme. In the end, though his mother did not particularly like his ways, he would not be changing them.

'In the end, what makes humans so different from the Beasts they are fighting? Intelligence? My Guardians have an intellect comparable to that of a human. Emotions? Tag grieved when Nacht died for the first time, not knowing that I could resurrect her. A human is just a differently shaped Beast...'

His philosophical musings were interrupted by an unexpected sight unfolding in his view, however.

'Oh?'

One of the humans in the expeditionary group was convulsing on the ground as mana rampaged throughout his body. Lancelot recognized him as Johann, one of the members of the party that first discovered him.

'He did come by quite often, didn't he? Now that I think about it, with how saturated his body was with mana, I was worried that he might blow up.'

Lancelot briefly browsed through the accumulated memories, recalling the necessary details. This Johann had a pure Earth Affinity, which Lancelot hadn't seen among other Explorers. During these two months, he had absorbed quite a few Earth Heart Cores, or as the humans called it, Earth Crystals. It would seem that the one he took just now had pushed him over the edge.

'Well... It's not like I will do anything about it, so let's see how it goes. Worst case scenario - he dies.'

So, the Dungeon's Core, true to his thoughts, remained an observer, not interrupting the change that was happening to the man in any way.

As Lancelot observed, he found similarities with the process of Core Formation that Beasts went through to become Magic Beasts, though with a few stark differences. First and most major of all, the internal organs were not broken down into pure Life Mana. Instead, the mana that resided in the Magic Circuit throughout the muscles and bones circulated rapidly around his body, before converging in a spot around his chest, concentrating and condensing.

This was an apparently agonizing process, and under Lancelot's acute observation, he also noticed that it also put quite a strain on Johann's entire body. If he was any weaker, or his Mana Circuit was damaged, he would most certainly die.

Fortunately for the human, he managed to endure and pull through. Lancelot then saw a structure similar to the Heart Core form above the man's solar plexus.

'But it is not a Heart Core... It is different.'

The thing that Johann had formed was like a... reactor or mana storage for his magic circulatory system, refining his body and mana control by a large degree. A Magic Beast's Heart Core was instead a vital part of their body, which allowed them to live off of pure mana, making it the biggest weakness of a Magic Beast.

Johann would live if he lost his... Mana Heart. A Magic Beast would die if they lost their Heart Core. In exchange, any Magic Beast had vastly bigger mana reserves compared to Johann, and Lancelot would bet they would be physically stronger too.

Lancelot continued to watch as the man then stood up and tested his mana control, reinforcing Lancelot's thoughts and guesses. And while he was then pulled back by the woman who the Dungeon's Core knew as Marilyn, Lancelot was once again in thought.

'What makes a human different from a Beast, huh? While I was just thinking about it on a psychological level, now I think from a physical perspective...'

Lancelot then briefly compared the measurements and characteristics of Johann and some weaker Magic Beasts.

'...No matter how I look at it...'

Lancelot had gotten a conclusion and a question.

'The humans are inferior in all things except for intellect, but even that is rectified as the Beasts continue to evolve... But why? If humanity is an evolved form of an ape, which is also a Beast, why don't they go through the traditional Core Formation? What is the fundamental difference?'

Lancelot continued to ponder with most of his mind, while only a single Thought Channel continued to observe the human Explorers.

"...okay I may have overreacted, but consider how it looked like! You just fell on the ground out of nowhere!"

"Alright, I heard you say that a dozen times already, but let's put it behind us."

The group was slowly advancing forward, though the majority of their attention was focused on their de facto leader, Marilyn, berating Johann... Which was what they never expected to see from the commanding woman. Even Anna, who was known for being quite expressive, though this trait was somewhat dampened ever since losing her eye, was a bit uncomfortable.

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"Hey uh, Rob?"

"Yeah?"

"Is Marilyn... usually like this?"

As the Ranger with an eyepatch walked near the Ranger of the Cloaks, she couldn't help but ask the thing on her mind.

"Her? Oh no, no way. To be fair, if I knew her any less than I do, I would say she fell for him. But Nah, I think she is just a bit twitchy from the stress. The administrative work might have been getting to her."

Hearing that, Anna made a comically exaggerated expression of disgust.

"Fall for Johann? The 'rock face' Johann? You sure have a vivid imagination..."

Rob acted as if he didn't hear her, whistling a tune as the group walked amidst the unknown territories of the Dungeon. The bickering at the front also died down and no Beast attacked them after their most recent battle, causing the expedition to move forward in relative quiet. But such peace did not last for long, as a familiar yet unnerving sight soon appeared before the humans.

As Marilyn stared at the thing before her, someone spoke out what everyone was thinking.

"A gate of fog!"

These words alone sent goosebumps down the spines of some, making others gulp heavily. It was because of the meaning that the name held. The term itself was not that new, as these 'gates' began appearing in the Dungeon shortly before the Beast Tide, but seeing it on an expedition at the end of a Floor...

A Fog Gate meant a boss room. And to make it worse, an unknown one.

Marilyn quickly began organizing everyone, preparing for the battle ahead. Thankfully, no one chickened out and wanted to go back to the last step. Everyone held the resolve to overcome the foe that waited for them.

The twenty or so people stood in rows of five, holding onto the shoulder of the person in front of them, all in an effort to regroup on the other side as quickly as possible.

"Alright people, here goes nothing! Forward!"

With Marilyn's command, the first row, which included her, Johann, Leopold, and two other party leaders, moved. They stepped into the dense fog, which then surrounded them. The people who held onto them followed promptly. In such a manner the whole expeditionary group moved forward, no one daring to make a sound, only their footsteps being heard for a while.

Gradually though, the fog took on a green hue, and the first row sped up a little after seeing this. The room was close. Their expectations were not betrayed, as a wide chamber soon came into view of those who were freed from the fog's grasp.

A massive tree sprawled across the wall opposite of them, its branches hanging above them, a green light shining down from that direction as well.

But the leaders of the group did not have time to appreciate the view, as they saw their target. And to make it worse, the target saw them.

A giant stag, whose hide was adorned with purplish patterns, who only a few among them who ventured into the Dungeon during the day of the Beast Tide remembered. It stood amidst the shallow lake which covered a good part of the Chamber's ground. But this time it did not seem as peaceful.

Just as the third row of people was coming through, the majestic Beast had run out of patience.

Marilyn saw vicious energy gather around its antlers, having only a brief moment to shout as she put her shield up.

"EVERYONE WATCH O-"

Faster than the humans could perceive, a lightning bolt connected the Stag's antlers and Marilyn's shield. She did not even have a chance to shout, being blasted back to the wall of fog, before being repelled by it and bouncing back, falling on the ground. She groaned, alive but stunned.

The fourth row of people, who had just come through, were panicked because of the sight, scattering away from the leader's flight trajectory. This caused further disorder as the fifth, and final, row which was hanging onto them was pulled along, any semblance of a formation being lost.

Just as panic was about to set in, Johann's shout could be heard.

"Calm down and put up your defenses! Focus on the bastard ahead!"

Although this did not completely create order, it reduced the chaos, with Rangers taking positions and notching projectiles and Warriors gathering to cover the Healers.

The Stag would not just wait for them to come and kill him though, as mana swirled around him, lightning once again gathering. Johann belatedly noticed it, not even bothering to warn everyone, acting half on instinct.

"Rise!"

The man did the same thing as when he was trying out his powers, but he did not have time to focus and make a complete mental image this time. A slight yellow glow could be seen beneath his armor as the earth rumbled briefly. A thing resembling a pillar appeared from the ground, but alas it took time for it to be created. Time Johann did not have.

Another bolt of energy sailed through space. It grazed the thin upper part of the earthen structure, blowing it apart before slamming into Johann's shield. Maybe because the charge was depleted by a previous impact, he was not sent flying away like Marilyn was. The man felt numb as his entire left arm felt shocked and scorched by electricity. Still, he was thankful to his past self.

'Good thing I switched to a shield and a mace after losing the hammer... Would have lost an arm if I hadn't...'

As Johann was recovering from taking the hit, other Explorers did not miss the chance that was given to them. Leopold was at the forefront, his feet rapidly sprinting across the shallow water. The Warriors were following right behind him, and Rangers were already aiming their weapons at their foe.

The Stag seemed to narrow its eyes, though those who have seen it dismissed it as a trick of their sight. Just then the Rangers loosened their arrows.

The majestic Beastec kicked away from the water beneath it with its hooves, briefly sailing through the air in a great leap, landing a distance away from its previous position. The projectiles were missed, as no one expected such agility from the Beast. This maneuver caused the Guardian to land near some Warriors, with four of them being a few steps away from the striking range.

Marilyn, who was just getting up after having her whole body shocked, saw this scene, and her eyes widened. She shouted.

"GET AWAY FROM THE WATER!"

Alas, it was too late. Mana filled with the element of lightning crackled as purple patterns lit up across the Stag's hide, converging around its hooves. And then, just when the four Warriors were about to swing their weapons at it, the Stag stomped with its front leg.

The crackling energy spread from the Guardian's limb and across the water. It weakened when it reached a certain distance away from the Stag, but the Warriors were right in front of it, completely in range of the attack.

Four men and women began spasming and convulsing, their weapons dropping out of their grasp. They then fell into the water one after another, a small amount of smoke rising from their bodies, their life or death unknown.

Johann, who was just a step too late to warn them, had also connected the dots between the Beast's power and the rarely-seen element. One couldn't really blame the people who did not grow up among electric appliances for not immediately recognizing the power of lightning.

Still, he couldn't do anything to save them while they were alive, not when the Beast was right near them and capable of doing this attack again. So he commanded the best thing he could.

"Rangers! Shoot the target, don't let it stay in place!"

The arrows soon flew through the air once again, as the dextrous fighters never really stopped the attack. The Stag made use of the same trick, but this time the humans were prepared, as some were aimed to meet with the Guardian mid-air, one of the arrows being enhanced with Air Mana, courtesy of Anna's.

However, the Stag's Mana crackled yet again, before shooting out in small bursts to meet the projectiles. Some arrows were shot down, but not all of them. Multiple arrows scratched the Beast's hide, some embedding themselves in its skin. Anna's arrow though was lodged deeply into the Beast's side.

Before the Guardian even landed though, Johann's orders were already ringing throughout the cave.

"Warriors! Don't get too close! Watch out for the water, try to force it onto land!"

Although how such a thing could be achieved was uncertain, the melee fighters listened nonetheless. They had witnessed the fate that befallen their four predecessors, and they didn't want to repeat it.

Like this, they tried to encircle the Stag, leaving the only way out to be the land. But the Stag was no brainless Beast, he wouldn't let the enemy succeed so easily.

The energy around his antlers charged once again, much to the alarm of the humans. A beam of lightning then shot out, a continuous one this time.

It drew a line across the water, leaving wherever it passed electrified and dangerous. Two humans did not manage to avoid the attack. When the beam of lightning crossed their bodies, they screamed as their armor burnt and melted under the temperature, scalding and charring the skin underneath. The victims then fell into the water, one of them falling face-down and already drowning.

This attack also caused the encircling humans to scatter, opening up a path for the Stag. However while it stood still during the moment of preparation and execution of the beam attack, the Explorers did not stand idly like in a turn-based game. Most were frightened by the brutal display, yes, but others exploited the opening. Like Leopold.

Before the Rogue even reached the Guardian, two throwing daggers were already crossing the gap between the two adversaries. The Stag noticed them at the last moment, an arc of electricity impacting the weapons. But the daggers were made entirely out of metal, and they would not be destroyed as easily as a wooden shaft of an arrow.

Alas, the trajectory of one of the weapons was altered, causing it to miss, but the other still struck true, even while being electrified. It cut deep into the Stag's shoulder, eliciting a bellow of pain.

Although the Stag was somewhat resistant to lightning and electricity thanks to his affinity, he was not immune, and the charged dagger caused its own movements to slow down thanks to its numbing effect.

And thanks to the gap in attention that was created due to this, Leopold was already right in front of the Guardian. Seeing him, the Stag swung his head at the last moment, trying to impale the human with his antlers. But Leopold was too close and too fast.

Dodging the attack that would have eviscerated him by a thin margin, Leopold held his shortsword in a reverse grip and jumped. He then slashed a line across the throat of the tall Beast, before rolling in the water upon landing.

The Guardian staggered, due to the heavy blow, but he did not collapse and die like a normal animal would. Although his neck bled severely, he kept standing and the wound was slowly closing already.

The Stag then let out an enraged bellow, his front hoof once again being raised, crackling with the energy and Mana of lightning.

"Everyone, get back!"

But this time the humans were prepared for the attack, retreating as soon as they noticed this action. Only a single person was caught in the AOE attack, but even they were pulled back with a rope that was promptly thrown over them.

And then it was the Rangers' time to shine. The Guardian was now tired and not moving, what better opportunity could there be?

Projectiles whistled across the air, with one arrow, Anna's, being ahead of them all. The swift arrow pierced right into the open wound on the neck, and the dozen others found their mark on various other parts of the Guardian's body.

The already weakened Guardian was wounded even further, and this gave the courage for the Warriors to attack.

"Attack!"

"DIE, you bastard!"

"Kill it!"

The explorers that previously stood back, afraid of getting scorched and electrocuted, were now like sharks smelling blood. One of them soon slashed his sword across the Stag's side, causing it to sharply turn and try to attack the man, but it was distracted by a spear piercing it from the opposite side. And then another slash from the back. And another. And another.

The emboldened humans frenziedly attacked the Beast that seemed slower and slower, attacking it even quicker. Becoming more reckless.

Just then, a woman who previously stood at the back with her longsword charged boldly at the Guardian's front while laughing, intent on either beheading or piercing the Stag's head.

"Hahaha! Die under my sword!"

However, just at that moment, a fierce glint filled with cunning flashed through the Stag's dimming eyes, and he surged with a burst of speed others thought him incapable of.

The woman did not even have a chance to react, being impaled on the Guardian's antlers the next moment.

"I-Iaaaaah!!!"

She cried in agony, as her entire torso was pierced and shredded by the sharp and curved antlers of the Stag. Just as everyone stepped back and got ready to fight once again, the majestic Beast fell to the side, falling down onto the shallow water. Its large body turned gradually turned to mist under everyone's gazes, and soon only a purple Crystal lay under a thin layer of water, electrifying it just a bit.

And near the beautiful crystal lay the body of a woman who would have lived had she not succumbed to recklessness.

For only in death does the Guardian's battle end.