Chapter 187
Third Dungeon Battle: Battle 10
# Team Demon King's Point of View #
Core 666 advanced through Team Sovereign's dungeon.
Although it was unfortunate that she ended up having to use her trump card, [Crimson Road], she didn't regret it. She would have been put in a pretty severe situation if she had to expose her body to the iron ball, after all.
[Aidi, they broke through the boss room.]
"Alright. But it's not like they'll find the Dummy Core."
[Yeah, they won't find it.]
Core 666's master responded in confidence. His voice reflected how confident he was that they wouldn't ever be able to find the Dummy Core.
"So, how's our dungeon?"
[As planned, they are stumped. After all, the Dummy Core isn't here.]
It was in the Black Armor. That was the Dummy Core's hiding spot.
The Dummy Core was basketball-sized, but it fit perfectly in the Living Armor's abdomen.
The enemy's dungeon should be attacked with the strongest war potential.
The Dummy Core, that which must be protected, should be protected with the strongest war potential.
So that she could follow both of these without contradicting either, Core 666 and her master thought of this plan.
They came up with the reckless strategy of [Place the Dummy Core inside of the strongest war potential].
This was also the strategy they'd planned to use since long before the Dungeon Battle.
That is why they had the rule be [Destroy the Dummy Core] rather than [Touch the Dummy Core]. That way, even if their enemy somehow managed to get inside of the armor, it wouldn't be counted as a defeat. It was a good opportunity.
Their dungeon itself was made up of five floors that had cost them a fitting 50,000 DP. Most of their traps were prepared so that they would work by themselves even if the dungeon was suspended due to the core being outside of the dungeon. Their monsters were almost entirely gotten through [Summon Skeleton]. And finally, their final boss room was a facade.
They had to make a boss room midway and buy a bone fish so that they could dam up the water, but—well, it served its purpose of stalling for time.
The rest of their DP was used entirely for the sake of strengthening Core 666 herself.
"Fufufu, I don't think Core 695 will figure out that the Dummy Core is right here."
[It looks like they're starting to look around outside the dungeon... Let's just have them keep crawling around the dungeon until it's all over.]
Core 666 advanced further inside.
There was a room ahead of her.
"Master, open it."
[Yeah.]
Her master opened the door with the Skeleton he was operating.
A wiggling sound came from inside the room followed by a translucent tentacle appearing, wrapping around the Skeleton and seizing it.
[Uwaah!? Kuh, this thing—!]
Weaponless due to being summoned by [Summon Skeleton], it was equipped with what could at most be considered a bone club. It bashed the Tentacle Slimes tentacle with it—it didn't deal any damage at all.
[Tch, I'll switch to another Skeleton.]
"Master. Even if I can summon however many Skeletons needed with [Summon Skeleton], even my magical power will run out since we're outside of the dungeon alright? Please fight properly."
[That just now was justified.]
They knew that there was something waiting in ambush behind the door. That's why she had a Skeleton open the door, so he wasn't wrong in saying that the cost was justified.
However, that was that. Core 666 smiled.
"It's added to your punishment. Please look forward to it."
[...]
"Oh? Not answering?"
[Hah... understood.]
"That's a good master. You are, in the end, my puppet."
Swinging the fire-clad magic sword, she burned the Tentacle Slime.
With a sound akin to evaporating water, the Tentacle Slime withdrew its tentacle... A slime's weakness is fire and magic. This magic sword hit both of those perfectly.
"Even so, they have an unusual slime, don't they? Is it a boss? What do you think, Jiji-sama?"
[The Tentacle Slime? Physical attacks don't work against it, so it's somewhat of a nuisance to deal with... but it's not as though you could say they don't have their weaknesses. It being a boss is possible. However, it would take a considerable amount of DP... did they bring it in themselves?]
"Oh, they brought it in? Did 695 want to enjoy the Dungeon Battle with me that much?"
When she stepped into the room—there were enough forces gathered together that it could practically be called an army. There were Golems, Gargoyles, even the Sahagins that she'd seen over in her dungeon and the octopus from a bit ago, as well as a Flying Squid and some others she didn't know. The Tentacle Slime was there as well, of course.
"... So many."
Core 666 muttered.
"What a wonderful welcome. But who shall be my dance partner for this party?"
[The last one standing?]
"Fufu, I'm getting fired up..."
Holding up her magic sword, Core 666 delved into the crowd of monsters.
*
# Kehma's Point of View #
"The boss room's door was a fake, huh?"
I just got Ichika's report.
"Yeah. Even though I'd finally got it open after breakin' it, there was just a dirt wall. It was just a normal door."
"Huh. There wasn't an [Under Construction] sticker too, was there?"
"[Under Construction] sticker? What's that?"
"Ah, it's nothing. It's a long story... so, there isn't a way forward then?"
"Un. I think we might've overlooked something', so I'm going over everythin' again."
"No, it's alright."
I stopped Ichika. I had Meat check outside the dungeon's entrance, but I was only really able to figure out the the dungeon was located somewhere in an area under the Demon King's rule.
... I'd started wondering what the heck we were supposed to do next, but I came to a conclusion straight away.
"Well, it's alright."
"Alright...? What do we do? We can't win if we can't beat Core 666's dungeon though."
"What're you saying, Rokuko?"
I clapped a hand onto Rokuko's shoulder and spoke.
"Isn't the enemy Dungeon Core in our dungeon already?"
"... Ah—"
Right, the Dummy Core could be anywhere. It could even be hidden and brought here.
If we defeat Core 666 who's invaded us, that'll be our win.
Either our enemy will lose all of their war potential and be unable to fight or we win because their core is destroyed. It's our win either way.
Un.
Core 666 is either super confident in herself or she's an idiot.
I'd be glad if it's the latter.