Just as the fight with the giant ogre was about to begin, a White Mage, one of the queens of that origin, raised her hand.
"No!" she shouted. "The giant ogre is also an illusion."
She explained that the forest that had disappeared did exist; that floor was, in reality, a wooded area, and the goblin lived there alone, manipulating the environment.
"Watch out, he's going to hit you with the club!" they warned her.
The White Mage stood still. The ogre's club came down on her with the force of an impact, and the image seemed to crush her. But the next moment, she emerged unharmed from within the illusory club. The demonstration was definitive: the goblin did not possess such strength. The ogre was merely a smokescreen.
And while the forty queens processed the double illusion, the true enemy acted: the goblin (the black goblin) was escaping with his pot of gold toward Floor 43. The queens tried to catch him, but the creature was elusive. The forty queens realized, with frustration, that the goblin had successfully deceived them. Thanks to the White Mage Queen, they had discovered the trick, but the goblin used the same ogre illusion as a final distraction, disappearing between the floors with their gold.
Kai's Greed
As they advanced toward Floor 43, the queens commented on the escape of the little thief. "What could that goblin be? Why would he take the gold instead of defending the floor?" they wondered.
One of the Queens of Knowledge provided the answer, speaking to everyone: "That is a ruse of our husband's. That being Kai has created is designed to steal gold from adventurers." "Steal gold from adventurers? They want to conquer the dungeon because they hope to reach the vault and obtain great treasures, right?" they all said, confirming the traditional motive. "Exactly. This being has been designed to take the gold that adventurers bring. Therefore, either the vault will have more gold, or the place where this little goblin is headed is the vault itself, where he will store the gold he has stolen from us."
Everyone was shocked by how crazy their husband was. The Warlock King gave nothing away; even the entrance to the dungeon did not seem to be free. Assimilating Kai's greedy and genius nature, the forty queens advanced with renewed caution. They passed from Floor 43 to Floor 45, fighting different monsters along the way. The goblin did not appear again. Their mission was now clear: to reach Floor 50 to wait for the Third Group.
The Floor of Desire
After two days of intense combat and exhaustion, the forty-two queens reached Floor 50. This floor contrasted sharply with the previous ones. More than a dungeon, it was a place of rest: there were cabins, tables, seats, and water. It looked like a tourist spot. The only warning was the door to the final boss, which read: "Enter at your own safety."
The queens stopped. Out of the forty who had entered this stretch, thirty-five were injured. It was decided that the thirty-five would turn back, taking the full report with them. Only 7 remained on the floor, the fastest and strongest, waiting for the relief. The Third Group (composed of thirty queens) was already near, having taken almost a day to arrive from the surface. They crossed paths with the injured queens and offered quick support, but they had to keep going.
Relief and Advancement
When the thirty queens of Group 3 arrived at Floor 50, they met the 7 survivors of the previous stretch. The new contingent was thirty-seven queens in total (30 from G3 + 7 from G2). The seven survivors told them everything, from the lizard monsters to the goblin trap that stole their gold. Some laughed at the absurdity, but all understood that the coming challenge was immense. They had to defeat the boss of Floor 50. The thirty-seven entered the chamber together.
The Utopia Trap
They did not find a super-monster, but an oasis of happiness: a meadow full of flowers and roses, beautiful ponies and pegasi, rabbits, kittens, and puppies. There were chocolate trees and rivers of jam. There seemed to be no danger. The queens, exhausted and exposed to tension, gave in to temptation. One touched a chocolate tree and could not stop eating. Others dedicated themselves to petting the sweet animals. Almost ten hours had passed without any of them being able to break the enchantment.
Only one queen, Anya (the Queen of Geniuses, the most intelligent), who had survived since the first group, touched nothing. She realized the truth: the enemy was not physical. The true enemy was desire. That floor reflected the queens' deepest yearnings: the need for comfort (pets), pleasure (chocolate), and escape from war (the Pegasus).
Mental Victory
While Anya watched, the illusion shattered for those who had overindulged. The one eating chocolate until she vomited could not stop; the one eating cookie leaves vomited. Then, the petted pets took on monstrous forms, and some queens began to scream.
Anya understood that the illusion not only rewarded desire but punished it with terror. She tried to call out to them and make them react until an Elf Mage (from Group 3) managed to conjure a strong and powerful spell to dissolve the illusions. Reality was revealed: the floor was dead, scorched earth. There were no rivers or food; there was nothing. The door through which they had entered had disappeared. They understood that Floor 50 did not have a physical boss; the boss was in their minds. They had to set a goal and visualize it. The 37 queens, focused and united in their minds, began to visualize the door to Floor 51. Together, they managed to make the door manifest, and they crossed to the next level.
The Trial of Faith and Terror
Group 3, consisting of thirty-five queens with the overwhelming strength of the demi-beasts (tigers, panthers, wolves, demi-lizards, and the Fox nation), represented a formidable fighting force. However, half of the dungeon still remained.
Floors 51-52: Strength and Gravity
Floor 51 tested their brute strength. The monsters were mostly high-powered Minotaurs. A single blow from their clubs knocked the queens back up to ten paces. Although they were powerful and eliminated all the monsters with only two or three minor injuries that were healed instantly, the toll was both physical and mental.
Floor 52 was even worse. Gravity was doubled, making every movement difficult. The monsters were giant ostriches, incredibly fast. The queens had to hide among the trees as the beaks came down with overwhelming force. It was a terrifying floor that led some to wonder if their husband was completely deranged. Even so, they continued to move forward.
Floor 65: The Wall of Doubt
They reached Floor 65, where a wall spanning from floor to ceiling divided the level without leaving any door. While they searched for a solution, monsters surrounded them, creating a permanent state of attrition. Some fought while others searched for an exit.
They realized that the wall they saw was not physical; it was a wall manifested by their own minds. The queens who no longer wanted to continue—those who understood that the game was too dangerous and had lost faith in reaching Floor 100—were strengthening the wall with their doubt.
The Cunning Queen of the Church, one of the most sagacious of the harem, halted the combat. The White Mage raised a large magic dome that repelled the monsters, giving them space to speak.
"If we do not have faith in the trials our husband imposes on us, we will always accept that he defeated us," the Queen of the Church told them. "If you want to accept that Kai beat us here, then do so. But I will never accept that my husband has defeated me."
In that moment, everyone realized they had lost faith in themselves. When they looked again, the wall had disappeared. They were able to advance.
The Corridor of Terror
They reached Floor 70 badly wounded. What they found was a path in total darkness that cut through a forest. Bravery alone was not enough for what was coming: as soon as they began to walk, they felt whispers in their ears and touches on their shoulders, but when they looked at each other, their companions swore they hadn't touched them. They were ghosts and evil spirits trying to possess them.
Panic broke out when they saw an apparition: a spirit with the appearance of Death, wielding its scythe. The queens began to run.
At the climax of the terror, everything suddenly went pitch black. They couldn't even see their own shadows. The White Mage conjured a light, but it only illuminated her, and upon looking up, she saw a beast so horrific that she screamed and nearly vomited. In that instant, everyone began to scream as the spirits touched them.
The Red Mage and the Fire Mage reacted, creating a gigantic fireball that illuminated the area, revealing that they were surrounded by rotting, zombie-like monsters. They began to burn them. The magical light and fire restored clarity to the floor, closing a truly chilling and terrifying episode.
Floor 75: The House
After the purge, they moved forward. They reached Floor 75, their relief point. What was on this floor were not monsters, nor bosses, nor zombies, nor ghosts. Instead, it was a house.
The Victors' Rest
Of the thirty-five queens who had fought in this stretch, the cost was brutal. Although many of the floors (from 53 to 64, and 71 to 74) had been merely physical attrition filled with common monsters, the psychological challenges of Floor 50, 65, and 70 had broken the will of many. It was very clear that not even the strongest groups of adventurers on the planet could have overcome this dungeon. They had done it, and that filled them with pride, even though the toll was high.
Thirty-three of the queens were injured, some with bone fractures. It was impossible for them to continue.
The queens headed to the door of Floor 75 to return to 74, but it was sealed. Instead, on the side, they found a handle with the inscription: "Emergency Exit." They turned the handle and the door opened. The thirty-three wounded queens stepped directly outside, right next to the main cave where the other sovereigns were waiting for them. The door sealed immediately behind them.
The Final Relief
Only two queens remained on Floor 75: Anya (the Queen of Geniuses) and Luna Moreno (the White Witch). The Fourth Group, composed of twenty-four queens—the strongest in the harem—had set out on their journey a day ago and continued walking toward the dungeon.
Anya and Luna, the two survivors of the grueling stretch, headed to the only house on that floor, a place that contrasted with everything that came before: a green moor beneath a blue sky. Inside the house, they found three or four beds.
With their bodies and minds at their limit, Anya and Luna lay down to wait for their companions. They fell into a deep sleep from exhaustion, finally safe from the terror of the dungeon... for now.
Reflection in the House
Outside the cave, the situation was one of organized chaos. Out of the 120 queens, a total of 88 were out of action, resting or tending to their wounds. The three queens who had not entered the dungeon were in charge of healing. Although magic and potions managed to mend broken bones, the queens needed to rest for at least one or two days to fully recover from their extreme fatigue.
Meanwhile, in the dungeon, only 32 queens remained: 27 from Group 4 advancing, and Anya and Luna waiting in the house on Floor 75.
The Restful Conversation
During the two days it took for Group 4 to reach them, Luna and Anya had time to talk and, for the first time, seriously reflect on their husband's mind. Both were in a deep sleep at first, but they woke up and had time to converse.
"Is Kai really as twisted as we think?" Anya asked Luna, observing the peaceful landscape through the house window. She made a list of the horrors they had faced: "Goblins wanted to kidnap and rape us, monsters wanted to devour us in the dark, and a goblin stole our gold. Honestly, I think Kai is a bit deranged."
Luna, the White Witch, looked at her. "Yes, perhaps, Anya. Our husband is capable of anything."
"Maybe we should talk to him," Anya suggested.
Luna sighed, closing her eyes. "I believe he does it in earnest. Do you really think Kai enjoys making people suffer? Kai isn't seeking our suffering. People want the gold that is in the vault, and he is making them understand, in the most brutal way, that that gold will never be touched."
The White Witch's logic resonated: the dungeon was a test of dignity and sacrifice imposed by a being who did not value earthly resources, but rather audacity and will.
The Reunion
Just as the conversation was coming to an end, they felt a distant tremor. Group 4—the 27 strongest queens, including Aliarda—had arrived at Floor 75, ready to take the lead.
The Final Stretch and the Horde
The Fourth Group—the 27 strongest queens of the harem, including Aliarda, the Dragonesses, Princess Sara, and the other High Humans—arrived at the house on Floor 75. Anya and Luna welcomed them, assuring them that for the moment there was no danger. The newcomers set up some tents with the provisions they had brought, knowing that the previous floors of the dungeon were completely empty. The dungeon had a unique privilege: if a floor was defeated, it did not reset until the last adventurer left. Therefore, it was vital that the remaining 29 queens stayed inside.
The Dragon Portal
Everyone talked about the same topic: Kai's mind. Many agreed with Luna's conclusion: he did it because he did not like sharing his gold. "We better forbid our husband from opening this dungeon to the public, because many people could die in it," one said. "We will," Luna affirmed. "We are going to take it from him and close it."
While the queens rested, they noticed something strange: the floor had a sun that set and a moon that appeared. In reality, that floor was not part of the dungeon, but a portal that transported them to a cabin in the middle of nowhere in the Dragon Empire. One of the Dragonesses explained: "We are actually on my continent, not in the dungeon. It is a place Kai designed for us to rest after so much battle. It seems our husband is not that bad." "Wait, Luna! You can't say he's not that bad after what we've been through," Anya said. "The thing with the zombies in the dark was truly terrifying!" "Yes, I know you went through a forest that had nothing, but you don't know how scared we were," Luna said.
The Stampede of the 800
When the 29 queens felt recovered and tried to advance, the portal closed. They reappeared inside the dungeon, on the same floor, but the oasis had vanished. Now, there was only a dark cave where eight hundred red eyes began to glow. The dungeon had given them a planned rest, but now it demanded the price. The 800 beings watching them in the dark were a horde of all the beasts they had faced: wolves, minotaurs, giant ogres, bears, and the three-headed beasts.
As they moved forward, the horde launched itself in a stampede against the 29 queens. The combat was titanic:
Aliarda took her father's form, transforming into a dark being, a shadow with bright lilac eyes, surprising everyone.
The Dragonesses unleashed their power, feeling their musculature change.
Luna, the White Witch, cast a powerful spell and created a Dullahan, a headless knight who fought as her protector.
Anya, who was not a warrior queen, hid behind Luna.
The other warriors, the strongest ones, took up their swords and began to conjure spells.
For almost an entire day, they fought against the eight hundred monsters. It was a floor of attrition, designed to decimate right after a rest. Many of them were injured, but they healed quickly and continued to the next floor. The dungeon had imposed its greatest challenge.
The Thief's Lesson
The advance became unbearable. From Floor 76 to Floor 80, they had only been able to clear four levels. The number of monsters increased exponentially: 800 on 75, more than 1,000 on 76, and almost 3,000 monsters on Floor 80. Each floor was a war of pure attrition that pushed the 29 queens to their limit. They reached Floor 90 exhausted.
Here, Kai's strategy changed drastically: the monsters were reduced to a single one. It was a small humanoid, similar to a goblin, with a tail and rabbit ears. It was incredibly fast, moving at a speed reminiscent of their husband's, disappearing and appearing like a blur. They spent two days trying to catch that "fast little guy" to take the key hanging around his neck. Most agreed that the decision to divide into groups had been the only way to survive until that point.
Robbery and Blackmail
While they were temporarily camping, one of the queens noticed something. "Our gold! Our jewelry and provisions are missing!" At that moment, they were alerted to a moving shadow, much slower than the speedster. It was the Thief Goblin from the fortieth floors, who had returned to steal the rest of their belongings. Anya and Luna confirmed it was the same being. Rage gave her speed. Aliarda (the Dragoness, transformed and powerful) caught him.
"Look, I'll let you go on one condition," Aliarda negotiated. "You return the stolen gold and provisions to us." "No. I'm keeping the gold," the goblin said with a greedy smile. "You will die here. You will never be able to catch him." Aliarda quickly changed tactics. "Fine. We will give you all the gold we have, what you have, and what we can gather. But in exchange, you have to tell us how to catch him." "Let me go first," the goblin demanded. Aliarda let him go. The goblin moved about twenty meters away, put his hands on his waist, and before disappearing into the shadows with the queens' stolen treasure, he dropped the valuable clue: "Silly queens, the only thing you must do is not chase what you want. Sit down and wait for it to arrive."
The Cost of Humility
With the Thief Goblin gone along with their treasures, the 29 queens took in the bitter lesson: they had to set aside ambition and pursuit. In the temporary camp they had set up on Floor 90, they decided to follow the advice in their own way. They prepared something to eat, settled down to rest, and recover their strength. While they laughed and talked about the past floors, they saw the fast little guy approach.
He watched them and disappeared in the blink of an eye, but the queens, faithful to the newly learned lesson, said nothing and remained still. The small being came even closer, attracted by the aroma of the food they were preparing on the campfire. He tried to take something. One of the queens slowly stood up. "Little one, do you want food?" The speedster just looked at her, saying nothing. She served him a plate. The little guy, who was a dark creature, almost faceless, with a strange mouth, began to eat greedily. While eating, he took off the key hanging around his neck and handed it to the queen. "Thank you for the food," he said in a childlike voice. And without waiting for an answer, he disappeared in a puff of smoke. The pursuit had ended. What 29 SS warriors had not achieved in two days of fighting and magic, a simple act of generosity and patience had.
The Final Push
With the key in hand, the queens opened the door. The advance became faster. Floors 91, 95, and 98 were a hell of lesser dragons and shadow creatures, but the combined strength of the Dragonesses and Aliarda was unstoppable. Finally, they reached Floor 100.