“Good! You’ve got quite the knack for this!”
Tao clapped her hands, looking delighted as she watched me circulate ki and gather it in my palms. She seemed truly thrilled that I’d taken an interest in the art and was generously sharing her knowledge with me. She was an effective teacher, and thanks to the groundwork I’d already laid, I had reached a point where I could manipulate ki with relative ease.
“You’re something else. I’m shocked you’ve gotten the hang of ki in such a short time.”
“It’s only because you’re a good teacher, Tao. It’s much easier to understand when I can actually watch you use it.”
“Oh, stop it! Flattery won't get you anything, you know! ♪”
Tao wiggled her hips with delight as she poked me in the back. I was grateful for her guidance, but her behavior was a bit of a turn-off—that was the one flaw in the experience.
“But Roberto, isn't the ki breathing difficult? Until you get used to it, it’s supposed to put a massive strain on your lungs.”
“Not really.”
“That shouldn't be possible. The breathing techniques for ki are supposed to make it feel like your lungs are being scorched. Even I feel a stinging sensation, so I can’t maintain it for very long...”
“I mean, it definitely stings, but it’s fun. It isn't a struggle at all.”
Perhaps I had grown accustomed to the sensation through the meditation I practiced in my previous life. I was perfectly fine.
“I-Is that so...?” Tao muttered, looking at me with a bewildered expression.
Did I say something strange?
“Regardless, there isn't any treasure lying around at all,” I noted.
We had likely descended quite deep by now, yet we hadn’t come across a single chest. I had heard that dungeons were filled with sleeping treasure, but perhaps this one was a dud.
“In a dungeon where the monsters are only at this level, the treasure only sits at the very bottom. This dungeon is probably brand new.”
“Oh, I see.”
Dungeons grew like living organisms. Newly formed dungeons were home to weak monsters and had shallow floors. Their bosses were easy to defeat, but the rewards were equally meager. High-level dungeons were the opposite; the enemies became progressively stronger as the floors went deeper. It was said that for dungeons that hadn't been conquered for hundreds of years, cities were built on top of them, and the dungeon itself became the lifeblood of the people's livelihood.
“And it looks like we’ve reached the end.”
Tao came to a halt at the bottom of the stairs. A large, yawning cavern opened up before us. I could sense a powerful presence within, unlike anything I had felt up to this point.
“You sensed it, didn't you, Roberto? That’s right—the boss resides in the deepest part of the dungeon. If we defeat it, the treasure is ours.”
“Oh! Finally...!”
“It looks like a newborn dungeon, so I wouldn't expect anything too grand, though.”
Tao laughed, but for some reason, I sensed a strangely large amount of mana. Isn't the mana level a bit high considering how weak it's supposed to be? Could it be a magic-type monster?
“Regardless, there’s no use lingering here. Let’s head in.”
With that, Tao marched inside. I followed her, remaining somewhat on guard.
The interior was a vast, dimly lit space. It felt as though a strange barrier had been erected. So this was the source of the mana I had felt. The moment I stepped inside, the entrance was sealed by the barrier.
Well, this is a surprise. We’re trapped inside.
When I reached out to touch it, I was repelled. The texture... it wasn't magic. Intuitively, it seemed to be fueled by the dungeon's own mana, much like the Light Stones.
“It’s no use. It won’t open until the boss is defeated.”
Come to think of it, I’d heard that dungeons contained several mysterious rooms: rooms that warped you, rooms with an abnormal number of monsters, rooms where you could recover, and so on. Specifically, it was said that once you entered a boss room, you couldn't leave until the enemy was slain.
Hmm. A barrier made of something other than magic. Truly fascinating.
“Grrrrr...!”
Along with a low growl, a giant four-legged beast stepped out from the back of the room. It was a monster with grey fur, blue eyes, and sharp fangs.
“A Grey Wolf. It’s dangerous, Lloyd, so stay back.”
“Gau!”
The Grey Wolf leaped forward the moment Tao took her stance. She retreated just enough to dodge its sharp claws and fired a Ki Blast.
It was a direct hit. The Grey Wolf was blown back, but it managed to correct its posture and land on its feet. Tao clearly had the upper hand in the fight. The Grey Wolf, which could only fight at close range, seemed to have no answer for Tao’s agility and her Ki Blasts.
For now, it seemed I could leave the combat to her. I’ll take this opportunity to investigate the barrier, since it’ll disappear once the boss is dead.
“I’m going to show Roberto how cool I can be...! Then... he'll confess... and I'll finally have a boyfriend...! You're just a stepping stone for my love...!”
“Gwoooooo!”
Tao was muttering something to herself as she fought, but I couldn't hear her clearly over the Grey Wolf's howling.
...I see. The mana source for this barrier is the dungeon itself. Does that mean the barrier is an inherent ability of the dungeon? Since it activated the moment we entered, it must be an automatic mechanism. Apparently, these exist in every dungeon, but why go to such lengths to prevent intruders from escaping the boss? Why invite intruders in the first place? Perhaps it defeats people to use them as nourishment...
“Hey! You aren't even looking over here!?”
Ugh, she's noisy. I can’t concentrate.
Wind System Magic: Sound Isolation.
There, much better. Now I can focus on my research in peace.