The disassembly of the Silver Lion went far more smoothly than expected.
Part of that was likely thanks to Grimm casting magic to enhance the knives' sharpness, but more than anything, having such a large group made the difference.
The Silver Lion measured roughly six meters long, yet with this many people helping—and with Elk's experience disassembling high-rank monster materials, Min's extensive knowledge of the process, and Grimm offering advice at key moments—the work proceeded without a hitch.
(With a group like this, I should probably throw a barbecue party later using the Silver Lion meat.)
Almost everyone had declined their share of the materials. Even Elena and the others who did want parts took only small portions. As a result, nearly the entire Silver Lion ended up in Rei's possession.
Had he taken the Silver Lion down on his own, there would have been no issue. But defeating it had required the combined strength of everyone present.
Knowing that, claiming almost the entire beast for himself left Rei feeling somewhat apologetic.
Since the opportunity was right there, serving them the Silver Lion's meat—which was bound to be exquisite—seemed like the least he could do.
That was his honest feeling on the matter.
"Hmm. Now then... all that remains is the dungeon core."
The words came from Grimm, his voice echoing through the room as Rei handed out fruit water from his Misty Ring to the group now that the disassembly was finished.
...Naturally, Grimm, being Undead, could not drink any himself.
Watching Rei and the others enjoy their fruit water, Grimm—who had single-handedly defeated a Silver Lion—looked just slightly envious. It was a rather surprising sight for Rei.
In any case, once the disassembly was wrapped up, Grimm's gaze drifted toward the room connected to the one where the fierce battle against the Silver Lion had taken place.
Not the passage Rei and the others had entered through, but the other connected room.
What lay beyond was something everyone present already knew.
It was the room containing the dungeon core—the entity that made a dungeon a dungeon.
"But... are you sure about this? It's not really my place to say, but if you destroy the dungeon core here, this place obviously stops being a dungeon."
Rei's concern stemmed from knowing that one of Grimm's research laboratories was located within this dungeon.
If this place ceased to be a dungeon, Grimm's lab would likely suffer all sorts of complications.
Understanding what Rei was getting at, Grimm let out a laugh that echoed through the chamber.
It was a warm, soothing laugh—the kind one would share with close companions. Hardly what anyone would expect from an Undead.
"Foh foh foh. I do not mind. My laboratory is not only in this dungeon. I have several others, and if it comes to it, losing this dungeon would cause me no particular trouble. You already know this, do you not? My laboratory exists within this dungeon, yet not within the dungeon."
Only Rei, Elena, and Ara could grasp the true meaning behind those words. ...Set might have understood as well.
In reality, Grimm's laboratory existed not precisely inside the dungeon, but rather in what could be described as the space behind it—a world slightly overlapping with this one.
The fact that Rei and the others had stumbled into that laboratory before had been something close to a half-coincidence.
Recalling that, Rei and the others nodded in understanding.
"Ah... I see."
Elk and the others, who had no idea why Rei was so readily convinced, tilted their heads. But they apparently decided it was better not to ask—or more accurately, better not to carelessly pry. They kept their mouths shut.
Grimm might play the part of a genial old man, but at his core, he was a Lich... no, a powerful Undead fully deserving of the title Lich Lord.
Crossing such a being would have consequences.
That much was obvious to anyone who looked at the Silver Lion's corpse—a creature whose formidable defenses had been torn open with almost casual ease.
"Therefore, you need not worry about such things. If you wish to destroy the dungeon core, do so. If not, you may leave it as is."
If the dungeon core was left intact, eventually a new monster would be summoned here—something that could be called a Boss Monster or a Lord.
Whether it would be another Silver Lion or an entirely different creature was unknown. Nor could anyone say whether it would be stronger or weaker than the one they had just felled.
(Though it wouldn't be S-Rank, if it consistently produced A-Rank monsters, this would become an unbeatable hunting ground... but no, I can't rely on something like that.)
Even the Silver Lion had required this much firepower to bring down.
If something even more powerful came to guard the dungeon core, dealing with it would be anything but simple.
Considering the possibility that things could eventually spiral beyond anyone's control, destroying the dungeon core here was unquestionably the best course of action.
Beyond that, Rei had a reason he could not afford to let this opportunity slip away.
The last time he had severed a dungeon core with Death Scythe, the weapon had acquired a new skill.
What made this remarkable was that until then, it had been impossible to learn skills from Magic Stones of the same monster species. Yet the dungeon core had been cut twice, and both times, a skill had been acquired.
One of those cores had not been a complete dungeon core, so it was possible it had been recognized as a different type of entity... or perhaps simply acknowledged as a dungeon core. The exact mechanics remained uncertain.
Either way, Rei very much wanted to destroy this dungeon core with Death Scythe and see what happened.
Of course, if this place ceased to be a dungeon, the effects would extend beyond just Grimm.
Those most heavily impacted would be the people who had built up the settlement surrounding it.
What had started as a village was now half a step away from becoming a proper town. Its shops and residents had all gathered on the premise that a dungeon existed here.
If the dungeon vanished, growth would stall.
Well, as a frontier outpost, it would not lose all value—but with Gilm nearby, its ceiling was clear.
There were no barriers to speak of, and even now, monsters, wild animals, and occasionally even Bandits would climb over the fence and wander in.
The idea that this place could surpass Gilm in development was simply unrealistic.
In short, if Rei destroyed the dungeon core, the people earning their living here—and the Merchants who traveled to trade in dungeon-sourced materials—would all take a hit.
(But if I don't destroy the dungeon core now, it's a fact I won't get another chance like this.)
Turning this settlement into something like the Labyrinth City Rei had visited before would be all but impossible in this frontier region.
Succumbing to temporary sentiment here, leaving the dungeon core intact, and watching the dungeon eventually spiral beyond anyone's control would leave Rei with nothing but regret.
"Are you sure?"
Rei turned to Marina, asking one final time as if to confirm.
This dungeon fell under Gilm's jurisdiction, which made Marina, the Guild Master, the highest authority on the matter.
"Yes. I've already contacted Daskar about this. From the moment we set out to defeat the Silver Lion, we knew the dungeon would disappear. Besides, having already slain the Silver Lion, even if we leave the dungeon core alone..."
She did not need to finish the sentence. Everyone understood.
If Rei and the others walked away without touching the dungeon core, whoever came next might end up dealing with it themselves.
And if that person stepped forward openly, that would be manageable. But if they simply disappeared without a word?
Thinking it through, it was clearly better to have it on record exactly who had destroyed the dungeon core.
Furthermore, while the people gathered here would certainly face hardships when the dungeon disappeared, it would not vanish overnight. The dungeon would gradually lose functionality over time.
In other words, even if Rei destroyed the core, the dungeon would not immediately become unusable.
There would be a transition period—exactly how long depended on the dungeon's size, the core itself, and various other factors. Even Marina could not give a precise estimate. Still, the fact that there would be some window of grace was hardly bad news for the people in the surrounding area.
"Understood."
After weighing everything, Rei's decision was to destroy the dungeon core.
A few people had mixed feelings about his resolve, but no one raised an objection.
Because they all understood who had contributed the most to defeating the Silver Lion.
"Have you decided? Then best not to waste time."
Levitating slightly off the ground, Grimm led the way. Rei and the others followed.
Set and Ielo stayed behind at the entrance of the room where the Silver Lion battle had taken place, keeping watch for anyone approaching.
The layout allowed a clear line of sight from the doorway into the dungeon core room, so Set had no trouble keeping Rei in view.
Inside the room Grimm guided them to, the dungeon core awaited.
"So this is... the dungeon core..."
Who had whispered that?
Naturally, few among those present had ever seen one before.
And even for Rei—one of the rare exceptions—this dungeon core was visibly different from any he had encountered.
The cores he had seen previously had been either from dungeons still in their formative stage or ones that had only just been established.
Compared to those, the size, color, luster, and above all, the sheer presence radiating from this core were on an entirely different level.
"Rei."
As everyone stood transfixed by the dungeon core, Grimm's voice rang out once more.
Rei gave a small nod, summoned Death Scythe to his hand, and stepped forward to stand before the core.
Aware of every gaze in the room fixed upon him, he readied his weapon.
(Would be the worst-case scenario if this doesn't yield a skill.)
The thought flickered through his mind, but his expression remained steady as he swung Death Scythe.
A single, razor-sharp strike—one that seemed to cleave through the very air, or rather, through space itself.
The blade passed through, and after a heartbeat, the dungeon core split diagonally. The upper portion slid free and dropped to the ground.
[Death Scythe has acquired the skill 'Terrain Manipulation Lv.3']
The announcement resonated in his mind.
The signal of successful skill acquisition from a dungeon core.
(Yes!)
Acquiring a skill from a Magic Stone—in this case, a dungeon core. He had succeeded.
Honestly, he wanted to shout his joy out loud.
Terrain Manipulation could only be leveled up through dungeon cores.
Which meant that if the level climbed high enough, terrain manipulation on the scale of creating entire dungeons might actually become possible.
The skill's current effect was modest, but Rei already understood from several examples—Flying Slash chief among them—that reaching level five would bring a dramatic power boost.
If Terrain Manipulation followed the same pattern and eventually hit level five, there was no telling what Rei might be capable of.
(Well, to get there, I'd need to destroy at least two more dungeon cores. ...If only I could acquire Terrain Manipulation from a regular monster's Magic Stone, though.)
As the others stood gazing at the severed dungeon core, Rei's thoughts drifted along those lines—until Set's cry suddenly rang through the room.
"Grrrrrrl!"
"!?"
Coming from Set, who was supposed to be on watch for intruders, the sound made everyone's breath catch. Had someone arrived?
Rei alone showed no change in expression.
He had recognized the joyful note in Set's cry—it was a sound of celebration for the Terrain Manipulation level-up.
But the others didn't know that, and tension rippled across their faces.
"Relax. That was a happy cry. Set isn't warning us about anyone coming."
The relief that swept through the room came from knowing how deep the bond between Rei and Set ran.
Everything that needed doing here was done. All that remained was to return to the surface.
[Death Scythe]
'Corrosion Lv.4' 'Flying Slash Lv.5' 'Magic Shield Lv.1' 'Power Slash Lv.3' 'Wind Hand Lv.3' 'Terrain Manipulation Lv.3' new 'Pain Burst Lv.3' 'Penetrate Lv.3' 'Multi Slash Lv.1'
Terrain Manipulation: While the handle of Death Scythe is in contact with the ground, the user can manipulate terrain within a specific area centered on themselves. At Lv.3, the ground within a fifty-meter radius can be raised or lowered by approximately one meter.