Somehow, we managed to make it all the way to the 50th-floor boss area.
I honestly hadn’t expected the trip to be this smooth. While the frequency of instructors having to step in for the rookies increased the deeper we went, that was to be expected. It was simply part of the process.
Even so, it seemed the rookies had acclimated to the Labyrinth over these past three days; we were running significantly ahead of schedule.
"Alright, let’s take down the floor boss in a flash and head back for the celebration!"
Selma called out to the instructors while layering on various buffs.
"""Yeah!!!"""
The 50th-floor boss was a massive, crab-like Magic Beast. While the creature was enormous in its own right, its left claw was nearly as large as its entire body, giving it a bizarrely lopsided appearance.
I had a specific, vital role to play in this encounter: I had to sever that troublesome left claw.
Naturally, a crab’s shell is incredibly dense. Cutting through it usually takes a significant amount of time—under normal circumstances, anyway.
I took the lead, charging straight toward the beast. I cast the necessary buffs on myself mid-sprint.
The crab raised its left claw high, preparing to bring it crashing down on me. I appreciated the gesture; it was practically offering me the perfect opportunity to cut it off.
Before the claw could descend, I kicked off the ground and vaulted over the crab’s head. As our paths crossed, I swung my sword toward the joint of the massive limb.
A fraction of a second before the blade made contact, I triggered Impact.
Impact is one of my original spells. Its effect is straightforward: for less than a second, I can forcibly boost the performance, durability, or magical output of any equipment infused with it by up to a hundredfold.
While plumbing the depths of magical theory, I had discovered a "bug"—a glitch in the system, so to speak. To someone using magic normally, the flaw was entirely irrelevant. However, by exploiting this "cheat," I had managed to establish the Impact spell and a specific technique to go with it.
I felt a slight twinge of guilt, but using it didn't carry any fatal risks to human life. The complexity of the spell formula was astronomical, but since I had spent my life mastering the art of spell construction, the difficulty was no obstacle for me.
As an Enchanter whose standard buffs provided meager returns, I had accepted this as one of the few ways I could survive in the Deep Floors. I used it without hesitation. It was part of my identity.
That said, no matter how useful it was, it was still effectively a "cheat." I had no intention of ever making the spell public. It was mine and mine alone—a magic only I could wield.
My blade carved through the base of the claw without a hint of resistance. I sailed over the crab and landed gracefully behind it.
"Are you kidding me?! He really took the claw off in one hit!"
I heard Barnard’s astonished shout from the other side of the boss. I had told them I’d take it off with the opening move, but clearly, he hadn't believed me.
The crab tried to pivot toward me, but the two Defenders closed in immediately to draw its Hate. Deprived of its most dangerous weapon, the boss was little more than a slow-moving target protected by a hard shell.
With the two Defenders pinning it from the front and me attacking its legs from behind, we kept the beast rooted in place. Meanwhile, Selma and Cathy rained down concentrated attack magic from above.
Once a crack formed in the carapace, I drove my sword deep into the fissure. In less than five minutes, the giant crab dissolved into a thick black mist.
The two Defenders gathered the Magic Stone and materials before regrouping with the rookies. Everyone was wearing a broad smile, praising one another for their hard work over the last three days.
This clan has a great atmosphere, I thought.
The sight warmed my heart, but I didn't join the circle. Even after the boss was defeated, I found I couldn't move from where I stood.
What is this sensation? It’s like... the pressure of being in the Deep Floors.
The atmosphere was entirely wrong for the Middle Floors, and my body tensed instinctively.
As the thought crossed my mind, the air in the center of the boss area began to warp.
A moment later, accompanied by a roar like a peal of thunder, a massive, black shape materialized.