Got a Red Drop!

"Is this the boss room?"

In the dim dungeon, Gorth swept his gaze over the excessively empty room before him in confusion.

It did meet the characteristics of a boss room—no mobs and an unusually spacious area—but...

[Where's the monster?]

Gregor looked around. The glow from his lava body illuminated the room, yet there was still nothing there.

"Do we have to go inside to trigger it?" Gorth guessed.

[We'll know if we try.]

The two stepped into the room together. The next instant, the gate behind them crashed shut.

"..." x2

Yet the monster they had expected still did not appear...

"Did it bug out?"

Whoosh...

Gorth abruptly turned around. There was still nothing behind him.

[What is it?]

"Just now... I felt like there was something behind me." Gorth looked around uncertainly.

[Something...]

Gregor immediately spread out his heat perception, but the feedback made him shake his head.

[I don't sense any living creatures.]

Gorth fell silent for a moment, then shook his head as well.

"Maybe I'm just too nervous..."

[Yeah... probably an illusion...]

Gregor agreed with that explanation. Just as Gorth relaxed slightly, his tone suddenly rose.

[—You think I'd say that!?]

Gregor abruptly raised his head, his lava eyes locking onto the room's ceiling.

Following his gaze, Gorth finally saw clearly—it was not a ceiling at all!

A massive "white plastic bag" silently covered the entire ceiling of the room.

Its translucent body blended into the dim surroundings. The emptiness they had felt before was because they had been standing beneath its body the whole time!

"So it's this thing..."

Gorth looked up and calmly spoke its name.

"Ghost King..."

Having been discovered, the Ghost King no longer hid. The center of its translucent body suddenly split open, revealing a huge maw filled with profound darkness.

A piercing shriek erupted from within, and countless dangerous crimson energy bolts poured down like a rain of light.

[You want it, or should I?] Gregor's voice remained steady.

"I'll take it..."

Gorth lightly stamped his foot, and dense darkness instantly spread out, covering the entire floor of the room.

Before the rain of light could fully descend, countless twisted giant trees surged upward from the shadows, crashing straight into it.

"Boom boom boom boom—!"

The rain of light detonated in an instant. The Ghost King's body paused, then became even more transparent and vanished completely from sight.

"Invisibility..."

Gorth did not panic. The shadows beneath his feet churned as though boiling, and vines rapidly crawled across the floor, walls, and even the ceiling.

In the blink of an eye, the entire interior of the room was nearly completely enveloped by his vines, leaving no blind spots.

[Is the consumption okay? Do you need me to provide energy?]

Gorth shook his head and condensed several seeds as a gesture.

"They're all pre-grown stock. I still have plenty..."

Before he could finish, the Ghost King reappeared above their heads.

This time, powerful suction came from its gaping maw, intending to suck the two of them directly into that endless darkness.

"..." x2

Gorth tilted his head. The vines wrapped around their feet instantly tightened, firmly anchoring them in place.

At the same time, while the Ghost King had yet to turn invisible, countless vines shot upward and rapidly expanded into towering giant trees in midair, viciously stabbing toward it.

Yet the expected piercing attack did not occur.

All the giant trees passed through the Ghost King's body without resistance, colliding with one another behind it in deafening crashes.

"They went through?"

Gorth was stunned for a moment. The Ghost King let out a shriek filled with mockery.

[Could it be immune to physical attacks after materializing?]

"Immune to physical attacks..."

Gorth muttered, then seemed to remember something.

"Come to think of it... I don't think I've ever used the energy attacks that come with my skills."

[Want to try?]

Gorth nodded. Under his control, crimson energy patterns began to appear across the surfaces of the giant trees.

A teeth-grating tearing sound came from their tips as ferocious Wendigo skulls extended from within.

As the vines themselves were enhanced by the skill, the skulls, which had originally been only half the size of a person, rapidly swelled to nearly five meters.

The skulls opened their jaws. Dark red energy gathered in their mouths, while their hollow eye sockets all locked onto the Ghost King above.

The Ghost King's mocking laughter came to an abrupt halt. Its enormous body instantly turned translucent again, attempting to disappear.

"Not a complete idiot, but close."

The next moment, giant trees wrapped around Gregor and Gorth layer upon layer, forming a solid shelter.

Then, countless Wendigo skulls attacked at once.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—!!!"

Red-black energy claws filled every corner of the room, and violent explosions merged into an unbroken roar.

The dungeon trembled, mixed with the Ghost King's agonized wails.

Inside the shelter, Gorth and Gregor quietly waited for the explosions and cries outside to subside.

When the final blast faded, the giant trees parted. The Ghost King's enormous body had vanished, leaving behind only a ruined, massive crown.

Gregor walked over and tried to pick it up.

[Bring it to Number Two. I wonder if she can use this thing to revive the boss.]

However, his hand passed straight through the crown, as if it were merely a phantom.

[Can't touch it!?]

Gorth tried to swallow it with his shadows, but failed as well.

"I can't do it either... But why could we collect the corpses of the mobs before?"

[Looks like the dungeon's rules won't let us exploit this loophole...]

Gregor shook his head and stopped dwelling on it, turning toward the portal that had appeared.

[Let's go, Number Three. Take what we need and head to the next floor.]

Gorth moved over to the treasure chest and lamented.

"If I could just take the whole chest with me, wouldn't I not have to open it...?"

[Open it, open it.] Gregor's voice carried a hint of helplessness.

[You already have the best luck out of all of us.]

"What luck could I possibly have... Luck!!!!"

[What happened!??]

Gorth's complaint instantly turned into a high-pitched cry. Gregor immediately became alert, thinking a new enemy had appeared.

Trembling, Gorth lifted a... miniature crown from the treasure chest, identical in design to the Ghost King's crown on the ground.

Gorth raised his head. His crimson eyes were filled with disbelief, and even his voice trembled.

"Boss."

[...]

"I got a red drop."

In the hall, Vane and Ifrit lay sprawled across the table together, boredly blowing at each other's hair.

"Little Fire Dragon..."

"What..."

"I'm so bored..."

"Play games?"

"I'm tired of them..."

"Isn't it really because you're too bad at them, so you got tired of them?"

Vane abruptly raised his head and clutched his chest.

"When did your mouth get so vicious? Where did that little cutie who used to tug on my clothes and ask me all sorts of questions go!?"

Ifrit quietly looked at him and flatly stated the facts.

"You taught me."

Vane: "..."

"...Did I bring this on myself?"

Left speechless, he recalled that he really had not watched his mouth much around Little Fire Dragon. In the end, he dejectedly flopped back onto the table.

"Sigh..." x2

The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously sighed in boredom, looking just like two puddles of liquid.

At that moment, the portal in the center of the hall suddenly lit up with familiar light.

"Hm?" Vane abruptly raised his head. "At this time...?"

Under their watchful gazes, Gregor and Gorth rapidly emerged from the light.

"Boss, why are you back so soon?" Vane stood up in surprise. "Based on your previous pace, shouldn't you have only just reached the second floor?"

Gregor and Gorth looked at each other and sighed at the same time.

"So, here's what happened..."

Having successfully defeated the Ghost King and unexpectedly obtained a red-quality weapon, the two had been brimming with confidence. They had planned to press their advantage and directly challenge, then clear, the third floor.

However, just as Gregor touched the dark portal leading to the next floor first, something unexpected happened.

A wooden sign appeared out of nowhere, blocking the way between Gregor and the portal.

A line of words was written clearly on the sign.

[Your free attempts (3/3) have been used up. Please return in seven days.]

Gregor and Gorth: "..."

The two stared at the shoddy notice with complicated expressions, momentarily unsure where to even begin mocking it.

"So..." After hearing their explanation, Vane's mouth began twitching uncontrollably. "Did a penguin company buy the dungeon? Do we have to buy VIP to keep clearing it?"

"Looks like it." Gorth nodded, his voice full of helplessness.

[It even... thoughtfully kept track of the count for us.]

More heat radiated from Gregor's body than usual, clearly showing his displeasure with this sudden "rule."

Ifrit suddenly raised her hand and said brightly.

"Reporting, Boss! Big Sis seems to have found out about your situation! Number Four contacted Big Sis, but she hasn't replied at all."

Gregor's enormous lava body suddenly stiffened. He then grabbed his pair of twisted demon horns and let out a despairing roar.

[Gregor: Number Four—!!! Why does even Ifrit know about this!? What exactly did you tell her!?]

[Vane: Boss... at this point, I must tell the truth. I've led this kid astray! Her way of thinking is extremely dangerous! I request that she be sent back for a rebuild!]

[Gorth: ...I think the one who most needs a rebuild is that leaky mouth of yours.]

[Gregor: The important thing now is how to explain this to Number Two... How about we go together?]

"Huh?"

Vane suddenly seemed to remember something and slapped his forehead.

"Right, Boss! Earlier, Number Two told me to go out and confirm my exact location!"

"Since you're back just in time, I'll leave Little Fire Dragon in your care! The mission comes first, so I'm off!"

Before Gregor could react, Vane's figure vanished into the light.

[Wait...!]

Gregor's outstretched hand grasped only air. He could only smash his fist angrily into the ground.

"Boss I have something to do so I'm leaving first I left the crown here for you give it to Number Two to calm her down—"

Gorth's rapid-fire words hit him. Gregor abruptly turned his head, but only a flash of fading light remained where Gorth had been standing.

Gregor: "..."

Ifrit blinked and broke the silence.

"Boss, what are we playing now? Number Four said that if I'm bored, I can grill meat on your back."

Gregor slowly lowered his head and looked at Ifrit, suddenly getting an idea.

Right! Let this child speak for us!

"[Unidentified Flame Demon Roar]"

"What did you say, boss? You agreed! That's great!"

Gregor: "..."

Forget it... I should just apologize honestly.

Gregor sighed and bent down to pick up the crown from the floor.

If only I could talk, this wouldn't be so troublesome... huh?

"What is it, boss?"

Seeing Gregor standing completely still, Ifrit curiously bent down with him.

She looked beneath the sofa and immediately met the gaze of an unknown blue creature—probably?

Unknown creature: "〣( ºΔº )〣"

"Whoa! What the heck is that?"