Inside a certain building, there was a room—an office where every piece of furniture and decor was a uniform, somber black.
Two men sat facing each other within its walls.
The first was a young man in his mid-twenties, seated behind the desk. He was missing his left arm, and an eye patch covered his right eye.
The second was a man in his late forties whose black hair was beginning to gray. His usual mild-mannered air was gone, replaced by the sharp, cold atmosphere that was his true nature.
Based on appearance alone, the older man looked like the one in charge, yet the power dynamic clearly favored the younger man.
"Forgive the discourtesy of an unannounced visit, Grandmaster."
"It’s you. I take it the news is significant enough to justify the intrusion?"
"Yes. Given the nature of the matter, I expect it will reach your ears soon regardless. However, there is a high probability that the story will be distorted by rumors by the time it does, so I felt it best to report in person."
"Hmm. And the details?"
"Three days ago, an Irregular occurred in the Great Labyrinth of the South, which falls under my jurisdiction. An Explorer witnessed the Floor Boss of the 92nd Floor—commonly known as the Black Dragon—active outside its Boss Area."
"……I see. A malfunction caused by the disappearance of the West, or perhaps something intentional? We won't have an answer until the analysis is further along."
"If I may be so bold, I believe it is the former."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"A Floor Boss is meant to be a powerful defense mechanism. A massive amount of resources is expended to bind such a powerful Magic Beast to a specific location. If a Floor Boss could move freely, an Explorer might manage to bypass it entirely in an area as vast as the Deep Floors. Why would the system take such a risk?"
"You have a point. For now, we shall treat it as a temporary glitch resulting from the loss of the West. If that's the case, it has likely already been corrected. Is the East next to go?"
"It appears so. The West and East have no Deep Floors. I cannot speak for the North, but progress in the South will likely stall for some time."
"Ensure I am contacted the moment the East disappears. And report any further malfunctions like this to me immediately."
"As you wish."
"Is that all? This was certainly information I wanted to know sooner rather than later, but I don't feel it was quite enough to warrant your haste."
"There is one more matter. In fact, I believe this will be far more useful to you, Grandmaster. As you suspected, the malfunction appears to have already been resolved."
"Useful, you say? What is it?"
"Related to the previous incident—an Explorer has appeared who defeated that same Black Dragon in a solo hunt."
"That is impressive. Was it Oliver Cardiff? I see, he’s finally blossomed."
"No, it was not him."
"……What? To think there is someone else capable of soloing a Deep Floor Boss besides him—no, it can't be... Tell me, that man's name isn't Orun Doura, is it?"
"You knew of him? He was a member of the Hero Party, but he was a complete nobody until now. Your intuition is as sharp as ever."
"You’re joking... That’s impossible... No, that's impossible... Even if he had the power to defeat a Deep Floor Boss alone, there's no way he would choose to slay it."
"……Is something the matter?"
"Has there been anything unusual about him lately?"
"No. I haven't received any such reports from the staff in charge of him."
"Then, what about his attitude toward the Guild?"
"Perfectly normal, I believe. When he reported the Black Dragon the other day, his demeanor was no different than usual."
"Does that mean he somehow managed to obtain enough power to kill a Deep Floor Boss while staying exactly the same? Heh... Hehehe... Ahahahaha! Just how insane can he be?! This is a masterpiece! Fine then—go ahead and become my savior, Orun Doura! If you do that, I'll let everything you did to me slide! Ahahahaha!"
"Um... Grandmaster...?"
"Ah, forgive me. I got a little carried away. I'm fine now. You're right; the news of someone soloing a Deep Floor Boss is bound to be exaggerated by the public. Regardless... hehehe... this is very beneficial information. You have my thanks."
"Your praise is more than I deserve."
"If there's nothing else, you may go."
"Yes. I shall take my leave."
The man with graying hair bowed and exited the room.
Left alone, the young man they called Grandmaster whispered to the empty air.
"Don't wake from the dream. Just keep dancing for me... for the sake of my ambition! Ahahahaha!"