After descending to the dungeon's second floor, Rei and his companions followed their map just as they had on the first, heading straight toward the stairs leading to B3F.
"Since they called it a dungeon, I thought it would be a gauntlet of trials, but... the difficulty is lower than I expected!"
Ara muttered as she cut down a one-meter Poison Toad that had lunged at her, silencing it without a moment's hesitation. Beside her, Rei also released a Fire Bullet, incinerating a group of Giant Bats that had been seeking an opening from above, turning them into heaps of charcoal.
"We’re only on B2F, so it’s likely meant for beginners... Whoops!"
Vel replied to Ara as he loosed an arrow at a Giant Frog in the distance. Watching the exchange, Elena manipulated her Whip-sword, the segmented, whip-like blade shredding the bats that swooped down to attack.
"The enemies are weak, but having to deal with such numbers is a nuisance."
"It is exactly as Lady Elena says."
Kyuste nodded as he pierced a Soldier Ant with his Magic Spear. The creature had attempted to close in by weaving through the gaps in their formation.
"I suspect the Dungeon Core has teleported in new monsters because the number of inhabitants decreased. I read something similar in a book about dungeons."
The party finished wiping out the immediate threat. Just as he had on the first floor, Rei fed the bat wings to Seto. Meanwhile, he harvested the leg meat from the Poison Toads and stored it in his Misty Ring.
"I see. If that is the case, we were simply unlucky. ...Regardless, enemies of this caliber pose no threat. Let us make haste."
Following Elena’s instructions, they proceeded across B2F toward the stairs. Just as the staircase appeared on the map...
"More guests," Rei muttered, bracing his Death Scythe.
"What is it this time, Lord Rei? Frogs? Ants? Bats? Honestly, dealing with nothing but small fry is becoming incredibly tedious."
"Well, it won't help to tell me that. Take it up with the Dungeon Core or a Boss Monster. ...Hm? It seems Ara’s wish has been granted."
"Pardon?"
The sound reaching Rei's ears was not the high-pitched screeching of Giant Bats, the scuttling of Soldier Ants, nor the hopping of Poison Toads. It was the rhythmic footfalls of bipedal beings.
"Guruuu."
Seto let out a cry from the rear of the group. To Elena and the others, it was just a noise, but Rei recognized it as his partner's sound of alertness.
"Lady Elena, it seems we're being pinched. Judging by Seto's cry, enemies similar to the ones ahead are targeting us from the rear as well."
"Oh? The monsters we encountered previously lacked the intelligence to coordinate a pincer attack, but it seems these are different."
"Well, even so, we’re only on B2F. They likely aren't high-rank monsters," Vel muttered as he drew his bow.
The monsters that appeared from the far end of the corridor were indeed different from those they had faced thus far, but they were exactly what Vel had predicted.
"Goblins, huh?"
As Kyuste muttered distastefully, nearly ten Goblins appeared from the corridor ahead. Most were armed with weapons like Longswords and Daggers, and they were equipped with crude shields and armor.
"...Their equipment is surprisingly substantial for Goblins."
"They likely obtained it by scavenging within the dungeon or by attacking other Adventurers," Rei answered Elena, who seemed strangely impressed.
From behind, another voice called out.
"Lady Elena, about five Armed Goblins are coming from the back, too."
Elena made an immediate decision. Her individual martial prowess was undeniable, but it was this instantaneous tactical judgment that had earned her the title of Princess General.
"Avoiding battle now would only cost us more time. It cannot be helped. Rei, can you and Seto handle the five Goblins in the rear alone?"
"That won't be a problem at all."
"Then we leave the rear to you. We will handle the ten Goblins in front."
"Understood. Let's clean this up quickly."
Rei nodded, moving past Elena and Vel to the rear.
"Gururuuu."
Seto greeted Rei with a low rumble in its throat. In its line of sight stood the five Goblins Vel had reported.
Normally, Goblins would sense the vast difference in biological status between themselves and a Gryphon and would almost never launch an attack. However, unlike a forest or a grove, this was a dungeon, and these Goblins had been teleported here by the Dungeon Core. Consequently, they showed no hesitation in attacking a superior being—an act they would never perform under normal circumstances.
"Two Longsword-wielders and three Dagger-wielders, huh? ...Seto doesn't look very happy about this."
"Guruuu."
Seto nodded as if letting out a sigh. After all, Goblin Magic Stones were bought for a pittance, and they provided almost no harvestable materials. Moreover, their meat was incredibly foul, making them completely unappealing prey for Seto. The only saving grace was that the Right Ear could be sold as a Proof of Subjugation Part for 3 Copper Coins, and their weapons might be worth something.
"...No, that won't work either."
Goblins had low intelligence. They could perform coordinated actions like a pincer attack, but the concept of maintenance did not exist for them. Consequently, most of the weapons they held were rusted with blood—likely from fallen Adventurers. Even if they were collected, they would be useless without repairs at a Blacksmith Shop or a Weapon Shop. Usually, after considering the cost of maintenance, the profit from selling them was negligible.
"Can't be helped. Seto, let's go!"
"Guruuu!"
Seto gave a short cry and kicked off the ground. Beside it, Rei shortened the distance while bracing his Death Scythe.
"Gya gya gya!"
A Goblin screamed a threat and slashed at Seto, but the moment the sword was swung, Seto leaped toward the wall. Using the wall as a foothold, it lunged back at the Goblin—who had swung at empty air—using the principle of a Triangle Jump.
"Gurururuuu!"
The strike from its foreleg, delivered with a roar, burst the Goblin’s head on the spot, amplified by the effect of the Bracelet of Herculean Strength Seto was wearing.
Beside it, a horizontal flash of the Death Scythe cleanly bisected the upper and lower bodies of two Goblins who had been distracted by Seto’s sudden movement.
"Two left!" Rei shouted as he spun his body.
In the next instant, a Goblin’s downward swing with a Longsword passed through the space Rei had occupied a moment before.
"Did you think you could catch me with an attack like that!?"
He swung the Death Scythe, utilizing the momentum of his spin. Because the Goblin had moved inside the blade's reach, the cutting edge did not hit. Rei didn't care. He swung the massive weapon through, striking the Goblin with the shaft. Due to the Death Scythe's weight of over 100kg and Rei’s own strength, the unlucky Goblin was sent flying. Its ribs and spine shattered as it slammed into the dungeon wall, and the impact caused the broken bones to pierce its internal organs, killing it instantly from shock.
Rei glanced toward Seto as the Goblin collapsed spitting blood, finding only the remains of the final Goblin, its head blown apart by a similar strike.
"Guruuu."
Seto let out a proud cry as if to say "How was that?" Rei gave a wry smile and patted its head before turning back toward the others.
He had checked to see if they needed assistance, but he immediately realized it was unnecessary meddling. Elena’s Escort Unit was composed of highly skilled warriors. Regardless of Kyuste’s personality, his martial skill was top-tier. There was no way such people would struggle against Goblins.
Vel loosed arrows to suppress the pack, and Ara, seizing the opening, closed the distance and swung her sword down to cut a Goblin in half. The power of her Mighty Sword was truly startling; she was slicing through the Goblins along with the helmets they wore as if they were made of paper.
Nearby, Kyuste pierced a Goblin through its shield with his Magic Spear, and Elena used her Whip-sword to bypass another's guard and decapitate it.
"I suppose I should say 'as expected'."
Even if they were only Goblins, the enemies had numbered over ten. The group had annihilated them with less than half that number, with an ease that suggested the fight was trivial. Their ability was exceptional.
Within minutes, every one of the Goblins lay dead on the ground. Rei used a knife to quickly clip the Right Ear from each corpse and stored them in the Misty Ring before the party proceeded. Their formation returned to its original state: Rei in the vanguard and Seto at the rear.
"Even so, those Goblins didn't flee until the very end," Elena muttered.
Goblins were typically fiercely aggressive against weak opponents but would flee shamelessly the moment they realized they were outmatched. Yet, despite knowing they were facing overwhelming power, they had fought to the death. Without a High-ranking Species or a Rare Species to lead them, such a stand was highly unusual.
"It’s possible that some form of brainwashing or consciousness manipulation was applied when the Dungeon Core teleported them. After all, on B1F, the Horned Rabbits and Giant Bats were cooperating despite being different species."
"...Now that you mention it, that’s true. We should assume that every monster in this dungeon is working together for the sole purpose of defending it," Elena said, nodding at Rei’s assessment.
Then, just as they were about to proceed further...
"Everyone, stop!" Vel suddenly shouted.
"Vel?"
Vel didn't answer Kyuste. He stepped past Rei and Ara to inspect the ground. A few minutes later, a sharp click echoed through the corridor. By then, everyone understood why he had stopped them.
"Phew, it’s okay now. I’ve disarmed the trap. It was a pressure plate arrow trap."
Disarming a Dungeon Trap was a first-time experience for Vel, and although he looked tense, he nodded with a smile.
"A trap set in a place where one’s guard would be lowered after a battle. ...Do you think this is a coincidence?"
"I suspect that is unlikely. It was probably a trap intentionally coordinated with the monster encounter."
"You think so too, Kyuste? ...I didn't expect such a nasty trap on B2F. Does this mean we must be even more cautious from here on?"
Everyone nodded. Neither Goblins nor flying arrows were particularly threatening on their own, but the fact that a presence in the dungeon had the wisdom to combine those two elements was significant.
"We cannot afford to be careless, even in these shallow layers. Everyone, stay sharp."
They followed the map toward the stairs leading down to B3F. Fortunately, they reached the staircase without further incident. However, the moment Ara was about to take a step toward the descent, Vel’s voice rang out.
"Rei, stop Ara!"
In the same heartbeat, Rei caught sight of the hazard. He reflexively grabbed the collar of Ara’s armor and hauled her backward.
"Eek! Lord Rei, what on earth are you doing!?"
"Ara, take a good look at the stairs," Vel said, interceding.
Still looking indignant, Ara strained her eyes and turned her gaze toward the stairs. There, catching the light, was...
"Is that... a thread?"
"Yeah. And it’s likely from a Spider-type monster. It’s incredibly thin and light. You normally wouldn't even notice touching it, especially if you’re wearing armor like Ara or the rest of us."
"And obviously, there's no way such a thread would be placed there for no reason," Rei added.
"Exactly. I suspect this thread is a trigger for some kind of trap. ...Well, there's no point in walking into it like fools, so shall I disarm it?"
Elena thought for a moment and then nodded slowly.
"Very well. If it were just us, we could simply step over it, but if someone coming after us were to trip it and die, it would leave a bad taste in my mouth. Vel, I leave it to you."
"Understood. It'll be over soon, so just take a break and wait. At this rate, it looks like B3F might be a lot of trouble as well."
"Most likely. All right, we shall rest until Vel disarms the trap. Rei, bring out some drinks and light food. I want to put something in our stomachs while we can."
"Understood."
Rei pulled canteens and sandwiches from the Misty Ring and distributed them. Even Kyuste seemed to know better than to let his personal dislike for Rei interfere with their mission; he accepted the food without a word and began to eat. Of course, he didn't offer any words of thanks.
Twenty minutes later, the trap was successfully disarmed, and the party safely descended to B3F.