After the first basement floor came the second, naturally. Unlike the level above, it didn't feel like a harsh environment; it was simply a vast, open wasteland. As far as the eye could see, there wasn't a single obstacle in sight, just an endless expanse of parched, cracked earth stretching toward the horizon.
"This is a complete change from B1F. There's nothing here. Which golem is stationed on this floor?"
(Magnawell-sama's golem is kept here. It isn't anywhere near as powerful as the real thing, but it's still incredibly large, so it needs a lot of space.)
"I see. I don't see it anywhere, though."
(One second, I'll call it over.)
I knew that any golem based on Magnawell-san would have to be huge, yet I didn't see a single shadow that size in the vicinity.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, Roze-san announced she would summon it. Suddenly, the ground began to tremble as if an earthquake had struck. Then, the earth quite a distance away from us exploded—or rather, a massive golem erupted from beneath the surface.
While it didn't quite reach Magnawell-san's scale, it was a super-massive construct with an estimated length of nearly a thousand meters. Its design focused on ground combat, featuring a heavy, powerful body and a sturdy head built to withstand frontal assaults, complete with sharp horns. Its form was, for all intents and purposes, a colossal Triceratops.
"This is... truly incredible."
(This golem's name is "Shouting Earth" Geo Gaialm. It isn't particularly fast, but the range and weight of its attacks are terrifying. It can also manipulate the ground at will, so its overall reach is massive.)
"Given its size, dodging would be difficult... and even if someone tried to block, an attack backed by that much mass would be devastating."
(I think even among highest-ranking Count-class Spirits, only a few could survive a single direct hit.)
Wide-range, high-mass attacks—the golem was essentially a living heavy tank. It looked like the personification of overwhelming power. Combined with its ability to reshape the terrain, surviving an encounter with it would be an uphill battle. Depending on the matchup, a challenger facing this golem on the very first floor might find themselves completely checkmated without a single hope of a countermeasure.
"By the way, Roze-san, you're able to control all the Six Kings Golems, right?"
(That's right! Aside from me, the golems are set up to obey the original Six Kings-sama themselves, but I'm the only one who can operate all of them. However, they're hard to use outside of this dungeon because they require a special Barrier Magic to function.)
"So, provided you have the Barrier Magic, they can be deployed outside as well?"
(Technically, yes, but since it also depends on the concentration of Magic Power and the size of the area, the conditions are very, very hard to meet. It's quite difficult.)
"I see... Out of curiosity, how strong are you personally, Roze-san, when you aren't using the golems?"
(Me? Me? I'm an Ultimate Slime! I grew up drinking in the Magic Power of the Six Kings-sama and my big sisters, so I'm a Count-class High-ranking Demon. If I had to fight, hmm... I'd say I'm about equal to Big Bro Zex? But I'm no match for people like Big Sis Funf.)
If she was on par with Zex-san, didn't that put her in the highest-ranking Count-class? Well, matchups played a role, so perhaps she was just specifically strong against him while remaining at a standard Count-class level, but regardless, she was clearly far stronger than she looked.
"You're quite powerful, Roze-san."
(Ehehe, yep! Roze is a strong girl. If things ever get dangerous for you, Kaito-kun, I'll protect you!)
"Ahaha, I'm counting on you then."
While feeling comforted by the adorable Roze-san, we moved on to B3F. The scenery there shifted once again, looking for all the world like a massive Great Forest. Given the surroundings, the golem on this level was likely...
"Since we're in a forest, I take it the golem here is modeled after Lilliwood-san?"
(Full marks! This is where Lilliwood-sama's golem, "Singing Forest" Frau Chil, stays. I'll call it now!)
Shortly after Roze-san spoke, the surrounding trees began to move of their own accord. The ground swelled upward, and a colossal Great Tree sprouted before our eyes. Its massive branches were woven together into what looked like giant arms, giving it the aura of a colossal tree monster.
"The presence it gives off is staggering. It's smaller than "Shouting Earth" Geo Gaialm, but it still stands well over a hundred meters tall..."
(Frau Chil has incredibly high Defense Power. It's constantly covered in powerful Reflection Magic, so most attacks just get bounced right back at the attacker.)
"I see. That part sounds a lot like the real Lilliwood-san."
(Yep. Plus, all the trees growing nearby are actually part of Frau Chil, so the entire forest attacks at once.)
Good grief, this one was also terrifying. If the entire forest was your enemy, the sheer volume of attacks would be overwhelming. On top of that, it had permanent attack reflection, high defense, and knowing it was based on Lilliwood-san, its regeneration was likely off the charts. Defeating it would be an absolute nightmare.
So far, we had seen golems based on Megiddo-san, Magnawell-san, and Lilliwood-san. Since Alice and Kuro's golems were fixed on the lower floors, that meant the next one should be based on Isis-san. I wondered what it would be like... Surely it was impossible to replicate her Magic Power of Death with a golem, but still...
Dr. M: "Basically, my beloved child's preferences... and the current laws governing them... to summarize, my beloved child is simply too cute..."
Serious-senpai (In a daze): "...(My child is cute... My child is cute... My child is cute... Wait, what?!)"