While walking through winding corridors, maze-like rooms, and chambers filled with gnoll archer traps... Paul kept encountering groups of Dragonshield Kobolds.
But when Paul entered an empty room—no traps, no Dragonshield Kobolds—he immediately felt something was off. Still, he continued walking toward Greta's direction.
As he reached the center of the room, a sudden instinct flared.
Without hesitation, his hand gripped the hilt of his sword, tied to his left waist. In a flash, he drew the blade and slashed upward—from the lower left to the upper right behind his back.
Slash.
After slashing his sword, two monsters suddenly appeared—one to his front-right and one directly in front—both rushing at him with drawn daggers, their heads already severed by Paul's quick strike.
As the monster on the right stumbled forward, still mid-run and moments from collapsing, Paul ignored it.
Instead, he shifted his weight and struck the second one—a clean kick to the gut with his right foot, sending the creature flying sideways to the left.
He exhaled sharply and muttered,
"No wonder it felt off... turns out it was a Kobold Slyblade... huhhh."
Hearing that, Greta calmly said, "That's how it is…" as she loosed three arrows in quick succession toward Paul's front-left flank.
Stab. Stab. Stab.
Three Kobold Slyblades dropped instantly—each with an arrow buried in its head.
"The dungeon's full of dangers, so stay sharp," she added, casually walking behind Paul.
Paul just nodded in response and continued moving forward.
After battling through several waves of Slyblade Kobolds and yet another group of Dragonshield Kobolds (only about fourteen times, give or take), they finally found the stairs leading down.
Without hesitation, they descended to the 9th floor of the dungeon.
9th Floor of the Dungeon
As we followed the path Greta had pointed out, a Huge Spider appeared in the distance. The moment it spotted us, it skittered forward at high speed.
Without hesitation, Paul dashed ahead to meet it—shield raised in front, sword gripped in his lower right hand.
As Paul entered striking range, the Huge Spider launched a swift attack—both of its legs slamming downward from above, aiming to impale him mid-run.
At the last second, just before the creature's limbs struck, Paul leapt forward and spun mid-air, his right foot leading as he flipped past the attack, narrowly avoiding the deadly blow.
As he spun forward, Paul slammed the top of the Huge Spider's head with his left shield, just before its jaws could open. The force of the blow drove the spider's head downward—while the recoil launched Paul forward with even greater momentum.
Using that force, Paul spun once more, tilting his sword outward.
Slash. Slash. Slash.
Like a spinning metal cutter, his blade carved through the spider's front and upper back, slicing clean through its armored shell.
In an instant, the Huge Spider let out a piercing shriek—"Aaaaah!"—and collapsed, lifeless.
Paul's spinning momentum came to a stop as he landed with one foot firmly on the ground, stabilizing himself.
He glanced at the item the monster had dropped, then muttered, "Oh… looks like this could be useful for my rifle."
Without hesitation, he stored it in his spatial bag and continued walking in the direction Greta had pointed earlier.
Hearing that, Renya's eyes lit up with interest.
"Heh… so that one's been perfected too?" she asked with interest.
Hearing that, Paul—still walking ahead—scratched his cheek with a finger and replied, "Of course not yet."
Renya could only sigh at his answer.
But Paul added with a grin on his face, "Still, it can be used a few times now. At the very least, it's good enough to be a trump card."
As the two chatted about the weapon, Greta's curiosity got the better of her.
"So, what is it exactly?" she asked, glancing back and forth between Paul and Renya.
But both of them responded in perfect sync, "Secret."
While walking, they encountered another monster: the Rust Monster.
As Paul drew his sword with a swift motion, the moment the gleaming steel caught the Rust Monster's attention, it immediately charged toward him. Its body jerked forward with surprising speed, its antennae twitching as it sensed the presence of metal.
As the Rust Monster charged toward Paul, he quickly stabbed his sword into the ground, setting up a strategic trap. The moment the monster approached, its antennae aiming at his blade, Paul executed a swift cartwheel, launching his body forward. Using his right hand to support himself, Paul's feet spun over the monster.
As the Rust Monster's antennae reached to strike the sword, Paul swiftly pulled his blade upward, just as his foot, still in motion from the cartwheel, landed squarely on the Rust Monster's body. The impact sent the creature sprawling onto the ground, its attack failing miserably.
With a quick, fluid motion, Paul thrust his sword directly into the Rust Monster's neck, piercing its head with precision. The creature let out a final screech before collapsing, its life extinguished in an instant.
As the monster's body dissolved into the air, Paul looked down at the broken metal fragments scattered from the Rust Monster's antennae, his expression thoughtful. "A very dangerous monster for my current weapon," he muttered, eyes scanning the sharp remnants left behind.
Hearing that, Renya answered, "You can ask Greta for help to defeat the monster." While looking at the sword Paul was holding with narrowed eyes, Renya said, "Besides, you have customized the sword to be able to emit magic runes. Are you sure you want to damage it, Prince?" She tilted her head with a sweet look.
When he got that question, Paul immediately said, "Of course not, I made this with great difficulty..." while hiding his sword from Renya's sight.
After saying that, Paul immediately looked at Greta and said, "Greta, please, if there is another Rust monster..."
When asked like that, Greta smiled and said, "Oh... of course, Prince, leave the rust monster to me." She swung her hand, which now held a bow, and began walking toward the desired road.
As they continued walking, they encountered many monsters—always a mix of Huge Spiders and Rust monsters. When a Huge Spider appeared, Paul swiftly took action, even when there were many of them. On the other hand, when a Rust monster appeared, Greta handled the situation, even when there was only one.
Each time they faced these threats, Paul and Greta seamlessly worked together, with Paul dealing with the large spiders and Greta neutralizing the more dangerous Rust monsters with her precise arrows.
After encountering the Huge Spider group and Rust monsters dozens of times, they finally found the staircase leading down to the 10th floor, where the boss monster awaited. With a sense of determination, they made their way toward the entrance to the 10th floor.
10th Floor of the Dungeon
Upon entering the 10th floor, an eerie silence enveloped them. There were no monsters in sight, just the vast expanse of the floor and a large, imposing door at the far end—the entrance to the dungeon boss's lair. The atmosphere was heavy with anticipation, the air thick with the promise of a challenging battle ahead.
Paul, feeling the strain of the numerous encounters, took a moment to stretch his muscles, easing the tension that had built up over their long journey through the dungeon. With a deep breath, he stood tall, straightened his back, and walked toward the massive door.
Without hesitation, he pushed the door open, stepping forward, ready to face whatever awaited them on the other side.
When Paul immediately opened the door to the boss floor, Renya, who had been following closely behind, was surprised and asked, "You didn't try to take the door, Prince?"
Paul, slightly irritated, immediately wanted to smack Renya on the head, but he held back and responded dryly, "This door is too big. Where can I put it if I carry it?" He continued walking forward as he answered.
Renya, slightly taken aback, simply said, "Is that so?" She looked up at the towering door, muttering to herself, "It is indeed tall and big..." before following Paul into the boss's room.