Dungeon: Let's Crank Up the Difficulty for You!

"I don't understand what you're saying at all."

Vera picked up the weapon expressionlessly and tried to channel energy into it. The gun vibrated slightly, then subsided.

"I can feel the energy being drained. Can the Terra even use this weapon?"

"No problem," Vane smiled mysteriously, "I'll just add some plugins for you later."

Vera didn't reply, but instead reached out and pinched the corners of his mouth, pulling them forcefully to the sides.

"Try being the riddle solver again."

"I'm so sorry! Let go!" Vane pleaded, his words slurred.

Vera let go of his hand. Vane rubbed his cheek and explained:

"I assimilated a group of Seaborn with my blood, sharing the characteristics of the 'Immortal Body'."

"Use their flesh and blood to make 'energy packs,' so when your weapons run out of power, just punch them a couple of times to give them a boost."

"Let's put that plan of hanging streetlights aside for now."

Vera frowned.

"What do you mean by 'assimilation of the Seaborn'? Didn't you say before that it was one of the major catastrophes that could lead to the destruction of the world?"

"So I'm explaining this..." Vane shrank back.

A moment later.

"Why do I not feel surprised at all..." Gorth looked at Vane with a wistful expression.

"If that's all there is to it, why were you being so evasive before? I have a feeling you're hiding something else."

[Suddenly I feel a little sorry for this Daichi...] Gregor's voice carried a hint of helplessness.

Are you sure this isn't escalating the disaster?

"What are you talking about! Of course it's controllable!" Vane immediately straightened his back, full of confidence.

"The licensing rights to all derived 'Bloodline Heir' and 'Immortal Body' can only be used after my approval."

"Given their current modified structure, without my abilities, they will perish even faster than natural Seaborn."

Gregor and Gorth exchanged a glance and reluctantly accepted this explanation.

Vane breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Vera with a hint of smugness, awaiting her evaluation.

Vera stared silently at Vane, making the latter inexplicably uneasy.

"You mean... those 'Bloodline Heir' you spawned developed self-awareness?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean that?" Vane thought she was worried about control issues.

"Don't worry, with the permission of the We Many, they will absolutely obey and would never betray us."

"Do you even realize... that you've created a new group of conscious 'life'?"

"Ah?"

"..."

Vera stared at him silently for a few seconds, then sighed, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards the passageway.

Gregor and Gorth walked over, patted Vane on the shoulder, and followed Vera's steps.

"There are two kinds of people I hate most in this life!" Vane muttered, scratching his head, and quickly caught up.

"One type is the one who only says half of what they mean..."

As they continued their exploration, the group finally discovered the special room again.

The space was small, with only a spotless stone sculpture in the center, emitting a faint dark red glow in the dim environment.

"This is good stuff..." Vane's eyes lit up instantly.

"It's definitely a good product," Gorth recognized it, his tone affirmative.

The crowd gathered around, gazing at the rugged statue depicting a berserker.

[Berserker Statue]

Increased Attack Damage: When activated, attacks deal an additional 2 points of damage before a critical hit, and the damage of bullets, projectiles, and other projectiles is increased by 75%-100%.

Increased bullet volume: The volume of the trajectory of bullets, arrows, etc., increases.

Vane eagerly stepped forward to touch the statue, but the statue did not react.

Gorth seemed to be deep in thought, then took out the Pure Gold and placed it in front of the statue's base.

When the amount of Pure Gold reaches a certain threshold, it instantly turns into specks of light and disappears.

Immediately afterwards, a ray of dark red light shot out from the statue and entered Gorth's body.

How are you feeling?

Gorth tried summoning the vines and, after observing, confirmed that they had arrived.

"It's effective; both strength and size have increased."

Take out the Pure Gold and give it to the remaining people to try.

The others made offerings and received bonuses, which made Vane very excited.

With the statue's enhancement, his attacks finally began to cover the entire map, but Vera didn't seem to care too much about it.

"I'd prefer a priest statue; the energy consumption during continuous combat is still a problem... It's just a pity that buffs can't exist simultaneously."

"Who said that!"

Vane whirled around and grabbed Gorth's shoulders with both hands.

"Third brother... let's move this statue back to the main hall!"

"Oh? Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

Gorth paused for a moment, but the shadow beneath his feet had already honestly spread toward the statue's base.

"It's for its own good!" Vane said righteously.

"Think about it, nobody comes to the Dungeon except us. Wouldn't it be better to have more people offering sacrifices outside?"

That makes sense.

Gorth no longer hesitated. The shadows receded, and the center of the room was now empty.

Ignoring their smooth "robbery," Vera turned to Gregor:

"Boss, when you were exploring the first floor, did you encounter any 'people' you could talk to? Like mercenaries or merchants?"

[No.]

Gregor shook his head. Recalling the previous exploration, apart from the monsters and treasure chests, the NPCs in the Dungeon seemed to have vanished into thin air.

"I think it's quite normal."

Vane had just finished a job, came over.

"Whether the Dungeon even has an exit is debatable. We can't really expect some wandering mercenaries to be waiting to be hired by players, can we?"

"Too..."

Vera agreed with this statement, and after searching unsuccessfully, the group continued their journey.

As the number of monsters increased, everyone gradually realized something.

The boss room should be nearby.

Gregor extended his special vision; the seemingly ordinary walls could block the extension of his senses.

"Then let's speed it up! Who cares what kind of boss it is? Just kick it to death like a roadside monster."

Vane strode forward, and soon, the end of the passage no longer led to a fork in the road; a massive door blocked his way.

"Did the Dungeon have a gate before?"

Gorth was somewhat puzzled. The unique presence of the gate suggested that the room behind it was definitely not a small monster.

But...

Why are there two doors?

Vera looked at the two gates, which were very different in style.

A door, grand and imposing, with a relief of crossed swords and shields;

The other door was dark and eerie, covered with flowing blood patterns.

"Who cares, just open them all."

Vane stood before the dark door and tried to push it open.

"Hmm? Why can't I push it?"

Several people took turns trying, and even when Gregor used his Molten Flying Shield to blast it, it only caused the passage to tremble, and the door remained intact.

Vera looked at another door, lost in thought:

"Perhaps... we need to enter at the same time?"

The four men stood in front of the two gates and exerted force simultaneously.

Sure enough, each door opened a crack, revealing the thick darkness inside.

As soon as I let go, the door slammed shut.

"The Dungeon is trying to separate us."

Vane dropped his playful expression, and the group looked at Gregor, waiting for a decision.

[I'm in a group with the second oldest.]

Gorth immediately worried, "But without my vines to absorb energy, what if you go berserk again, boss..."

[The second brother's curse can also suppress energy activity.] Gregor remained calm and stuck to his point of view.

[As long as the rate of energy depletion in combat exceeds the rate of natural energy accumulation, a balance can be maintained.]

That's just theory!

Vera disagreed somewhat, while Gregor was surprisingly firm.

[You have to choose between me and the third brother. We almost got into danger with the first-level boss, let alone the second level.]

"Um... actually, that first-floor boss wasn't quite right either."

Vane tried to explain, but no one paid him any attention.

Vera remained silent for a few seconds, then finally gave in:

"Yes, but we need to add an extra layer of protection." She looked at Gorth.

"Take out the Cytoplasm and wrap it up with vines."

Gorth did as instructed, though he was puzzled.

What's going on here?

"If it really comes to an irreversible point, use Cytoplasm to transform the boss, and the berserk state will naturally be deactivated."

"So this is how it was solved?"

Vane was somewhat surprised, and at the same time, a little worried.

"But I don't know if it can ever turn back..."

"Safety first."

Vera ended the discussion.

The plan was thus finalized.

Gregor and Vera stood before the gate of Sword and Shield.

Gorth and Vane faced the entrance, which was covered in blood-red patterns.

Are you ready?

There was no answer; they all nodded in unison.

Both doors were pushed open simultaneously, and darkness instantly swallowed their figures.

Tap... Tap...

The sound of Gregor and his companion's footsteps echoed in the empty corridor.

The darkness receded, revealing an exceptionally magnificent hall.

The dome, tens of meters high, is magnificent and imposing, with faded scarlet curtains hanging all around.

As if startled by their arrival, torches on both walls lit up one after another from the outside in, their light spreading in layers until it illuminated the center of the hall.

A figure kneels on one knee.

Below the cross-shaped visor of the visor, a scarlet light suddenly shone.

With a heavy metallic scraping sound, the figure slowly stood up.

With his left hand, he raised a massive shield large enough to completely cover his body, while with his right hand, he drew a broad Knight Commander from the ground.

The lord looked at the visitor.

"The Grand Knight..."

Vera named the monster in front of her, her expression somewhat puzzled.

"Isn't it a little too small?"

Indeed, compared to an Ape King that is several stories high or a colossal statue that reaches the sky, the knight in front of him is about the same size as Gregor.

Something's not right, be careful.

Gregor's lava began to boil; his skills were activated, and he was on high alert.

The Grand Knight showed no intention of attacking; he simply faced them silently, observing and waiting.

Gregor no longer hesitated and decided to test the waters first.

The Explosive Flying Shield, powerful enough to vaporize steel, slammed into the knight with a deafening roar.

Clang--!

A crisp, almost melodious metallic clang rang out.

There was no explosion, no fire, and no splashing lava.

A simple, unadorned arc of light flashed, and the massive lava fireball vanished without a trace.

The passageway was deathly silent.

"..."

Vera's pupils contracted slightly, and she dryly uttered what she had seen and heard:

"Bullet comments removed..."