An entire month passed in the blink of an eye. Marie seamlessly integrated into the dungeon management team, completely exceeding Anastasya's expectations. With her sharp mind and diligent studying, she quickly mastered her role as a Watcher.
Meanwhile, Fenrir and Camilla had finally completed their highly anticipated acoustic puzzle door and were ready for the field test.
"Run the prototype on Level 16," Anastasya instructed from her command terminal. "The adventurers are still bottlenecked around Level 6, so that floor is completely empty."
"It won't be empty for long," Vergil commented as he cleaned his forging tools. "We have seen a massive influx of new adventuring parties lately. Roughly sixty different parties have already successfully cleared the first five floors."
Down on Level 16, within a simulated, eerie village environment, the prototype door materialized onto the frame of an abandoned wooden house. As Fenrir and Camilla approached, glowing runic text etched itself into a stone tablet beside the entrance.
The riddle read: "A friend when small, a foe when tall. I live without food, but a drink will make me fall. Make sure to shout, for the door cannot hear you at all."
Taking a deep breath, Camilla yelled at the top of her lungs, "Fire!"
With a heavy mechanical click, the puzzle door swung open, revealing a standard treasure chest sitting safely in the center of the room. Anastasya monitored the feed from the control room, thoroughly impressed.
Fenrir and Camilla closed the door, stepped away to let the magic reset, and approached again. A new riddle materialized: "You buy me to eat, but you never consume me. Speak in a whisper, for a nasty surprise lies waiting behind me."
Leaning close to the stone, Fenrir whispered softly, "A plate."
Instantly, the door unlatched and swung open without triggering any hidden traps. The twins high-fived, thrilled with the flawless results.
Back in the control room, Anastasya tapped her screen. "Vergil, we have an empty treasure chest in the backline of Level 6A."
"On it," Vergil replied, immediately standing up and heading out to restock the floor.
Elsewhere in the dungeon, Aeka and Valkriea were busy in the monster pens, carefully managing the breeding grounds of the Slime Mother. Aeka was conducting complex biological experiments, carefully infusing concentrated Holy and Darkness mana into two separate slime offspring. Valkriea, meanwhile, was experimenting with the soul of a slime that had recently been killed during a dungeon cleanup, successfully mutating it into a Ghost Slime.
"How is the mutation process coming along?" Anastasya asked through the intercom.
"Technically, we are at ninety percent completion, and the results are fantastic," Aeka reported proudly. She held up her two creations. One slime was actively sprouting a pair of tiny, glowing angelic wings, while the other had grown leathery bat wings and a miniature spiked demon tail.
Freya chuckled as she watched the feed. "Have you ever actually encountered slimes like those before, Aeka?"
Aeka nodded. "I have. Angel Slimes and Demon Slimes are incredibly rare variants, but they do exist. Valkriea's Ghost Slime is equally elusive." On the screen, Valkriea's creation floated by—a translucent, spectral slime with a miniature phantom hovering menacingly behind it.
Watching the bizarre experiments, Marie looked slightly concerned. "Is it really safe to experiment on the slimes like that?"
"It is perfectly fine," Anastasya reassured her. "As long as they don't experiment on the Slime Mother herself, the ecosystem remains stable."
Suddenly, the communications crystal on the desk chimed. Lira's voice echoed from the alchemy laboratory. "Aunt Anastasya! Aunt Izumi and I just finished brewing a new batch of items. We are calling it the 'Thunder Potion'. Whoever drinks it temporarily gains the movement speed of a lightning bolt!"
Anastasya's eyes gleamed with managerial delight. "Excellent work. Can it be mass-produced?"
"Absolutely!" Lira confirmed.
"Ramp up production immediately," Anastasya ordered. "We will begin distributing them randomly inside treasure chests."
Mina, who was currently stationed in the maintenance corridors behind Level 1, chimed into the radio frequency. "Can I place some of the Thunder Potions in the chests on Levels 1 through 5?"
"Negative," Anastasya replied firmly. "Distribute them only on Level 6 and below. Floors 1 through 5 have effectively become a tutorial zone for rookie adventurers traveling from the neighboring villages. We don't want to hand high-tier speed buffs to beginners who don't know how to control them."
Meanwhile, back in the forge, Aria and Hilda remained entirely focused on crafting high-tier magical equipment. Nova, however, had shifted her attention to assembling Rare-tier and above firearms specifically designed for the Gunslinger class.
As she worked, Nova observed the adventurers' behavioral data. "I have noticed something interesting," she remarked to Broomir. "The Gunslingers are incredibly meticulous. They obsessively maintain and clean their own firearms, regardless of whether they are using standard lead ammunition or specialized magic rounds. The Guild Master of the Gunslinger Guild must be incredibly strict, considering the high level of discipline required to safely operate these weapons."
Broomir let out a gruff, hearty laugh as he hammered a glowing ingot. "Most adventurers actually start out highly disciplined! It is the trauma of the labyrinth, the near-death experiences, and the brutal reality of their job that eventually turns half of them into sloppy drunks."
Nova nodded, the grim reality of adventuring making sense. "Who is the Guild Master of the Gunslinger Guild, anyway?"
"The Commander of the Kainaldia Special Forces," Broomir replied casually. "Axel Ragnaros."
Nova froze, her eyes widening in absolute shock. "Axel?! That Axel who "
Broomir nodded. "Aye. A while back, he came to my forge and asked me to create exact duplicates of several of his personal firearms, along with drafting detailed manufacturing blueprints for them. I essentially had to reverse-engineer his weapons, study their kinetic performance, and forge every individual part from scratch."
Nova looked at the Dwarf with newfound respect. It completely explained why Broomir, a traditional blacksmith, was the undisputed Master Smith of the high-tech Yuta Dungeon.
Down in the Level 6 Safe Zone, Mina was seamlessly blending in with the crowd of resting adventurers. Dressed in standard rogue gear, she casually chatted with different parties, masterfully gathering intelligence and rumors.
Through her subtle investigation, Mina learned that Gideon and Hydra's veteran parties had only managed to map out roughly 25% of Level 6 before being forced to retreat. When she asked why, the adventurers shuddered. They explained that the Level 6 Skeletons possessed absurd physical strength; even though they were only wielding regular bone clubs, the kinetic impact felt like being struck by solid, high-density steel.
Other parties whispered that the rumors of this brutal difficulty spike had reached the major factions. Several elite, large-scale Adventurer Clans were reportedly mobilizing toward the Yuta Dungeon, eager to test their mettle against these supposedly overpowered skeletons.
Mina also took note of the Safe Zone's rapidly booming economy. The area was now bustling with opportunistic merchants loudly offering everything from healing potions to emergency armor repair services. Between the merchant stalls, adventurers swapped survival tips, constantly updating each other on which graveyard zones to avoid. A new rumor was rapidly spreading among the ranks: given the massive graveyard theme of Level 6, many feared it was only a matter of time before highly infectious Zombie mobs began to spawn.
Back in the control room, Chloe caught Marie's eye and gave her a subtle hand signal, gesturing toward the private training chambers. It was time for her lesson. Chloe was tasked with teaching the young noblewoman how to safely manage her colossal holy power, carefully training her to use the enchanted accessories as a "dam" so she could release the energy slowly and deliberately, rather than letting it overwhelm her.
The dungeon's influence was growing exponentially. Several veteran parties who had previously conquered the Arudi Dungeon finally arrived in Zephyr Village, only to immediately hit the exact same progression wall, the Level 5 Bosses and the devastating Level 6 Skeletons.
Realizing the unprecedented scale and difficulty of the Yuta Dungeon, the Adventurer's Guild took drastic action. They issued a massive, global broadcast to all their branch offices—reaching across neighboring kingdoms and empires, both inside and outside the Distopi Contingent.
Mina carefully navigated her way back from the Level 6 Safe Zone, using a hidden security golem to seamlessly phase back into the command center. The moment she arrived, she called for a briefing. The entire dungeon management team quickly gathered around the main control console to hear her intelligence report.
"I successfully blended in and interviewed several adventurers," Mina began, flipping open her detailed notebook. "The results are actually quite surprising."
Anastasya leaned forward, her eyes narrowing with analytical interest. "What did you find out?"
"As of right now, the adventurers have only managed to map out about twenty-five percent of Level 6A," Mina reported. "According to their vanguard leaders, our skeleton formations are the primary bottleneck. They are planning to launch a massive, coordinated dive back into Level 6 tomorrow morning to try and break through our lines."
Nova raised her hand, looking slightly confused. "What exactly is the issue? Are their party compositions flawed?"
Mina checked her notes again. "No, the issue is raw power scaling. The skeleton squads are simply too strong for any single, standard adventuring party to handle in isolated combat."
Vergil rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Which means they will have to abandon their solo-party mentalities. They need to form multi-party raid groups to match the skeletons' numbers and coordination. However, a standard adventuring party is usually perfectly balanced for most traditional dungeon encounters." Freya and Lira nodded in agreement.
Chloe spoke up. "Are any of the adventurers utilizing the Summoner class? A skilled Summoner could easily call upon additional monsters to bolster their frontline and match the skeletons' numbers."
Mina flipped a page in her notebook. "Out of all the adventurers I observed and questioned, I only counted five Summoners in total. The class is incredibly rare right now. Apparently, no one knows where the Summoner Guild's actual headquarters is located, and their training regimen is notoriously secretive and difficult."
"That is a perfectly logical reason for the shortage," Sylvy noted.
Vergil nodded. "The Summoner class has an incredibly steep learning curve. Not everyone possesses the innate talent and willpower required to dominate magical beasts and command them in the heat of battle."
Marie, who had been listening intently to the tactical discussion, raised her hand hesitantly. "Excuse me, but what exactly is the difference between a Summoned magical beast and a Familiar?"
Vergil smiled, always appreciating a good question from a student. "That is an excellent distinction to make, Marie. A Summoner calls upon magical creatures specifically engineered for combat—like Lamias, Thunder Mice, or other highly offensive beasts. They are essentially living weapons, summoned strictly for battle and dismissed immediately afterward. A Familiar, on the other hand, is a lifelong companion and partner to a mage. They are deeply bonded to their master, and they aren't always bred for combat."
The Cat-Sith, who was currently lounging comfortably near Freya, tilted its furry head. "Does that mean the Winged Uncle's mother is a familiar? I heard stories in the forest that the Uncle's mother was originally summoned by a human."
"Yes, she is," Vergil confirmed. "I actually watch the witch who summoned Cat-Sith enter the dungeon few days ago. The mother cat of the Red Dragon was indeed bound as that witch's familiar. Usually, a summoned familiar acts as a direct magical reflection of the mage who called them. As to why that specific witch manifested a dragon of all things, I couldn't tell you."
Chloe chimed in with a gentle smile. "In my studies, I have found that a familiar's form and abilities usually adapt to perfectly match the subconscious needs and the core personality of the summoner."
"There is more," Mina continued, flipping to the next page of her notebook. "Rumor has it that several major, elite clans—specifically those ranked Star 1 and Star 2—are mobilizing. They want to test their mettle against the Level 6 through 10 skeletons."
Vergil leaned against the console, his interest piqued. "I am genuinely curious to see how they fare. It has been a full month, and every single party is still violently bouncing off the Level 6 defense line."
Aeka chimed in from the surveillance station. "The dungeon's stall is actually having a massive impact on the surface economy. I scouted Zephyr Village earlier today. Every single inn is fully booked. The local residents have even started constructing new housing specifically to rent out to adventurers on monthly and yearly leases."
"That is a brilliant economic shift," Vergil noted with an approving nod. "Since our merchants buy the magic crystals looted from the dungeon at a fair market price, the adventurers have a stable income. The ones stuck on the upper floors are still hunting just to meet their living expenses."
Freya raised an eyebrow. "Are they using that trick?"
Vergil nodded.
Marie tilted her head, confused by the jargon. "What trick do you mean?"
Vergil sighed, shifting into his mentor persona. "It is a tactic known as 'farming' or 'grinding'. They loop through Levels 1 to 5, hunting monsters and looting chests until their spatial rings and backpacks are completely full. Once they hit their carrying capacity, they retreat from the dungeon, sell everything in the Safe Zone or the surface, and repeat the cycle."
"Which is actually highly beneficial for us," Freya added with a practical, assassin's mindset. "When adventurers find better gear, they often discard their old, damaged weapons and armor. We can easily recycle that discarded equipment, either by using it to restock our empty treasure chests or by selling it back to the merchants in the Safe Area."
Anastasya, Mina, and Camilla all nodded in unison, fully approving of the ruthless efficiency of recycling adventurer trash into dungeon treasure.
"Speaking of merchants," Mina added, checking her notes one last time, "the Safe Zone commercial district is booming. I even spotted a few dedicated gunsmiths setting up shop to cater to the growing Gunslinger population."
Vergil smiled in satisfaction. "Then the dungeon's ecosystem is functioning exactly as I intended. At least for the time being."
Suddenly, Lira and Aunt Izumi raised their hands from the alchemy and tech laboratory feed. "Excuse me, but our recent laboratory research has yielded a rather fascinating new invention," Lira announced proudly.
"What kind of invention?" Anastasya asked.
Izumi stepped aside, revealing a small, spherical device hovering in the air. It was outfitted with a pair of mechanical wings and featured a single, large, unblinking glass eye that reflected the ambient light of the room.
Vergil instantly recognized the design. He leaned over and whispered something into Freya's ear. Freya's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. "Is that actually possible?" she whispered back.
Aria and Chloe noticed their parents' hushed exchange. "What is it?" Aria asked. "Do you know what that device is, Dad?"
Vergil straightened up. "It is a magical live-stream camera. If the mana frequencies are tuned correctly, that device can wirelessly broadcast high-definition video directly to the Adventurer Guild headquarters. Everything an adventurer does while exploring the dungeon would be broadcasted live for everyone on the surface to watch."
Everyone in the room—from Mina to Camilla—gasped in shock, completely stunned by the implications. Only Lira grinned, already fully aware of her creation's potential.
"For now, the device primarily functions as a recorder," Izumi clarified to calm the room. "We can deploy them in the labyrinth to securely record battles. It will allow us to study enemy tactics in detail, or review our own monsters' mistakes during combat training."
Anastasya's managerial eyes gleamed with calculating ambition. "The surveillance and entertainment applications are astronomical. However, we cannot simply unleash a live-broadcasting system into the wild. We will need to formally pitch the technology and secure official authorization from the Adventurer Guild's central headquarters first. They hold the monopoly on approving new adventuring tech."
Vergil and Freya nodded in agreement, with Vergil noting that a proposal of that magnitude was best discussed directly with the Adventurer Guild's central headquarters before deployment.
The conversation shifted when Creed, who was sitting next to Nova, raised his hand. "Speaking of new deployments, are the custom monsters created by Aeka and Valkriea ready to be released into the dungeon?"
Anastasya blinked, suddenly remembering the breeding project. "I completely forgot about them with all the camera excitement."
Aeka looked over at Creed, her eyes shining with anticipation. "Are they really ready to be deployed into the wild?"
Creed nodded confidently. "I have been closely observing the three slimes. Their specs and behavioral patterns perfectly match the legendary variants found in Rune Midgard. Their skin thickness, elemental resistance, and defensive scaling are exactly where they need to be."
"Are they truly one hundred percent complete?" Anastasya asked, double-checking the safety protocols.
"They are," Creed confirmed. "They can be released immediately. However, with one major caveat: their defense is so absurdly high that taking down just one of those slimes will require a highly coordinated raid of at least five different adventuring parties."
Aeka smiled mischievously. "That is perfectly fine. Besides, I have already prepared some exclusive, high-tier accessory drops as rewards for the first raid group that actually manages to defeat them."
Valkriea chimed in, holding up a sleek, magical hairpin. "For the Ghost Slime, I crafted a special hairclip accessory. Whoever equips it gains a highly durable magical shield. Even if the shield takes too much damage and shatters, it only has a one-minute cooldown before it regenerates and can be cast again."
Aeka then proudly presented her own creations. "And I made exclusive headbands designed to match the Angel and Demon Slimes! Naturally, the Demon Wing Headband provides a massive passive buff to physical strength, while the Angel Wing Headband significantly amplifies the wearer's magical power."
Vergil and Creed burst into roaring laughter, thoroughly enjoying the blatant homage to the classic adventure of their do on Rune Midgard. Freya simply shook her head with a weary, affectionate smile, fully understanding exactly what ridiculous gaming tropes Aeka and Valkriea were imitating.