The Core Area of the Fourth Floor

Mushroom Jungle, deep within.

Berserk Slash!

The greatsword tore through the air, cutting several muscular Puchis in half. Aik stared expressionlessly at the dead monsters, then looked toward his companions gathering Mana Mushrooms nearby.

Half an hour earlier, while searching for the entrance to the next layer, Mary had sensed this small area where mana converged. After arriving, they discovered an entire patch of Mana Mushrooms and spent some effort clearing out all the monsters here.

"A total of one hundred and three Mana Mushrooms. Not a bad haul."

Mary placed the last mature Mana Mushroom into her Alchemy Expansion Bag, a captivating smile appearing on her lovely face. More than a hundred gold coins was no small sum even for high-level professionals. It was hard not to be happy.

"This Dungeon's resources are truly abundant. The Fourth Layer alone has magical herbs of this grade, and they can even be cultivated on such a large scale."

Ulag, built like an iron tower, walked over and lifted his helmet's visor. As he looked at the immature Mana Mushrooms, the many Puchis deliberately left alive were dragging their dead kin onto the Fungal Mat for recycling.

Who would have thought that Puchis, which usually sat at the same table as Goblins and Slimes in Dungeons, had cultivated an entirely new magical plant here?

"Ross, how long has it been since we entered the Dungeon?"

"Half a day has passed."

Ross, holding a lyre, took out a timer and glanced at it. Adventurers could easily lose track of time in a Dungeon, so to avoid overlooking it amid battle and exploration, many carried a separate timer.

"Let's clear the Fourth Layer today."

Aik sheathed his greatsword and took the lead toward the outside. He had a feeling that the true core area of the Fourth Layer was not far away.

One hour later.

The Ironblood Thorns Squad successfully left the Mushroom Jungle, and the Venomous Swamp appeared before them once more. Dense poisonous fog churned like a living thing, while the pitch-black swamp gave off a heavy stench of rot. More than a dozen Swamp Giant Crocodiles floated on the surface, disguised as logs.

Mary took out a small boat from her Alchemy Expansion Bag. After infusing it with mana, the boat rapidly expanded and landed in the swamp ahead. Once all five boarded, the magic boat automatically sailed forward.

The scent of living people caught the attention of the disguised Swamp Giant Crocodiles. The massive crocodiles, each over ten meters long, raised their heads and looked toward the magic boat in the distance. But before they could approach, a bolt of golden lightning struck, instantly killing all of them.

Their charred corpses floated atop the swamp, giving off the foul smell of burned protein.

A Ghost flashed by, and a sharp dagger easily sliced open the Swamp Giant Crocodiles' bodies, removing their most valuable mana organs. These were the most refined parts of monsters, needed for brewing alchemical potions, enchanting, crafting magical equipment, and even preparing materials for class advancement.

"Average quality."

Mary accepted the monster materials handed over by her companion, examined them for a moment, then placed them into the Alchemy Expansion Bag at her waist.

As time passed, the magic boat entered the depths of the thick fog. The poison had no effect whatsoever on high-level professionals. On the deck, Aik stood at the front with his arms folded, his hawk-like eyes sweeping the surroundings.

Suddenly, a black shadow appeared before Aik. He instinctively drew the sword from his back and saw a dried corpse hanging in midair. Its mummy-like face stared rigidly forward, still bearing the terror of its final second.

"That really gave your big sister a fright."

Mary patted her heaving chest and stepped closer to inspect it carefully. The corpse had likely belonged to an adventurer who had entered earlier. All the blood, muscles, and organs inside its body had vanished, leaving only an empty shell.

Judging from the traces left behind, the victim had tried to resist, but it had been completely useless. Even all of the victim's equipment had disappeared without a trace.

Clang!

Suddenly, sparks burst above Mary's head. The Ghost assassin Lao appeared behind her, his eyes fixed on the churning fog overhead. Something had attacked Mary just now, yet he had only noticed it at the instant the attack appeared.

"Stay alert! Enemy!"

Aik immediately retreated to his companions' side, his expression turning grave. Even as high-level professionals, they could never underestimate a Dungeon. Danger was everywhere here.

"The enemy is overhead!"

At that moment, Ross suddenly rolled aside to evade an attack from above. Only then did Aik and the others clearly see what had attacked them. They were vines as thick as arms, completely transparent and resembling tree roots, covered in bright crimson barbs.

The first vine seemed to be a trigger. The next second, the dense fog above Aik and the others began churning violently as countless snake-like vines drilled out, launching frenzied attacks like bloodthirsty monsters.

Flaming Fire Ring!

Almost the instant the vines appeared, Mary lightly waved her wand. Violent flames condensed into a gigantic ring of fire that completely blanketed the sky. Under the terrifying heat, numerous vines twisted and burned into charcoal.

But the vines seemed endless, breaking through the flames in only a few seconds.

"Mary, speed up!"

"The rest of you, hold them off with me!"

Seeing that the situation was wrong, Aik abruptly raised his greatsword. The surrounding temperature suddenly plummeted, and sheets of ice crystals condensed in the air.

Frost Slash!

With a single swing, an icy-blue slash tore through the sky. Thousands of vines were instantly frozen, then shattered into fragments. The others did not remain idle either, clearing away all the remaining vines.

Beneath their feet, the magic boat began accelerating continuously. After the attacking vines made several more attempts, the Ironblood Thorns Squad successfully escaped the vines' attack range. The surrounding fog gradually dispersed, and the swamp below turned into clear lake water.

Several minutes later, a lush island appeared before them. At its center grew a gigantic tree hundreds of meters tall. Its thick trunk resembled a mountain peak, while countless aerial roots hung from beneath its canopy, which blotted out the sky.

"Is this the core area of the Fourth Layer?"

Ross lowered the lyre in his hands, his gaze fixed on the island ahead, so utterly at odds with this poisonous, swamp-filled layer. As an Advanced Bard, he could clearly sense the island overflowing with the aura of nature and life.

And that gigantic tree, hundreds of meters high and resembling a mountain, was the final ruler of this layer.

Yet it was not a monster. At least, such a powerful monster could never be born in the upper layers of a Dungeon. The vines that had just attacked them were merely the giant tree instinctively hunting prey.

"Let's go."

When the magic boat reached shore, Aik spoke and jumped off first. His iron boots stepped onto the soft grass, and a faint fragrance of fresh greenery drifted to his nose.