To A New Floor.

Training from Level 1 is something you get quite used to after doing it so many times.

Lately, Yoru and Kuu have been acting almost exclusively as the “walls” that soak up all the attacks. Even without medicine, the gap in physical defense is so large that most strikes just bounce harmlessly off their round bellies. Since weight difference is a factor, they occasionally get rolled around like balls, but they seem perfectly fine. Plus, because their speed is superior, they can easily intercept and cover anyone else who gets targeted.

The Bat’s and the Giant Worm’s are a bit of a pain, but we have , , and to counter them. Yo the Fairy and Gob-tchi have also completely split the duties of mob-pulling, forming a very synchronized duo.

So, despite the occasional interference from the Assault Birds, we successfully finished leveling the four villagers to Level 15 and reached the fifth floor.

“Alright, Mee-kun, Mizu-san, I’m counting on you.”

Leaving the four villagers in the care of the two Giant Worms—who have now completely become farm guardians—we head toward the familiar settlement. Despite nearly falling off the Assault Birds several times, we arrived in about twenty minutes without any detours. We’re getting used to the travel time, clocking in at just under two hours total so far.

“Oh, what are they playing today? That looks like so much fun!”

“It certainly looks very lively.”

It was easy to see why the two women raised their voices in excitement. Today, the plaza of the goblin settlement was hosting a fashion show.

Tunics made of terror-bird leather, waistcloths made of horn-rabbit fur. They were accessorized with bat-wing hats and scarves adorned with beautifully arranged red feathers; everyone was dressed exactly as they pleased. Goblins acting as judges were watching them, deciding the winners based on the amount of applause. They were all using roughly the same materials, but if you looked closely, there were subtle differences in taste that were surprisingly impressive. Someone even managed to make a drawstring pouch out of bat wings.

“Wait, us too?”

“Oh, is it okay? Thank you very much.”

Mia and Paula were immediately surrounded and changed into leather outfits. The blonde girl was dressed in soft-looking rabbit fur separates with a Great Bat wing cape and a bat-wing hat. The brown-skinned beauty wore a form-fitting terror-bird leather ensemble—choices that highlighted both of their charms perfectly.

In truth, I had ordered new equipment for Mia and Paula, thinking they could finally make it. While the details were still a bit rough, the finish was better than I expected. They looked so cute and well-fitted that they seemed like different people compared to their drab robes or village-girl clothes.

As I was admiring them, I realized I’d been surrounded by goblins as well.

“Eh, wait… for me too?”

I relaxed my body to make it easier for them to undress me, feeling quite excited, but they silently shook their heads. Apparently not.

The goblins pulled me along to the workbench. On top of it sat the donkey saddle I’d left as a model. But finding a silhouette next to it that was similar but a size larger, I caught my breath.

“No way, it’s finished already!? This is incredible! Thank you!”

It was a saddle for the Assault Birds. It even had stirrups for the feet. I rushed outside to put it on To-chan’s back and secured it by wrapping leather straps around his belly. When I had him crouch and climbed on, it was incredibly stable and easy to ride. Yes, yes, this is great!

However, he must have felt some discomfort because he turned around and pecked at me with his beak.

“Well, I guess you’ll just have to get used to it bit by bit.”

The reins weren’t finished yet, anyway.

When I returned to the settlement, Red-Feather tugged on my sleeve. He led me into one of the huts, where piles of Verdant-Hard (olive) fruits were stacked. These were collected by the scout units. This floor is so vast that visiting every olive tree manually takes way too much time. While I can harvest them instantly by touching the tree, it is possible to pick them by hand. Fortunately, I have a surplus of goblin-hands, so I’d put in a request.

“Kee-hee-hee-hee!”

“Yeah, good job.”

And it wasn’t just olives they were gathering. Carcasses of Horn Rabbits were also piled high. I tucked them all into my special storage in an instant, and in exchange, I pulled out rabbit meat, salt, and tanned rabbit leather. Red-Feather giggled at the new mountain of goods.

“Alright, I’ll bring more souvenirs next time, so look forward to it.”

“Ge-he-he-he!”

Leaving the processing of meat and leather to the goblins, we decided to move on. Checking the Goblin King’s room, I found Yoru and Kuu—who I’d lost track of—playing together. Apparently, they were taking turns wearing the Fairy-Silver Crown and playing a game with the King that seemed to be a mix of tag and “Red Light, Green Light.” We took him down quickly, collected a new crown and bone club, and headed past the iron bars.

“Well, just a bit more left on the sixth floor.”

“Which way are we going today, Sensei?”

“Let’s see. We’ve finished checking the east side, so it’s time to move forward.”

The sixth floor, where the subterranean salt lake is, has paths extending east and west along the walls. The east side curves gently toward the north and ends abruptly after about thirty minutes. At the dead end, we encountered a Great Turtle and Great Pincer set, but there was nothing particularly eye-catching.

And then there’s the west side. This one also curves gradually toward the north, and after about thirty minutes, the path ends, blocked by water. However, there is a set of stairs with iron bars there, and a even larger crab waiting for us. After filling out the map, it turned out to be a simple, essentially one-way floor. Since most of it is occupied by the lake, I suppose that’s only natural.

“And we still haven’t been able to go into the depths of the lake.”

“Hehe, I’m looking forward to that, my Lord.”

“No, that’s not fun at all…”

Moving across pitch-black water with no visible bottom… even in a game, that’s too scary for me. Plus, judging by the mapped area, the lake is definitely several kilometers long.

“I’m just glad there were stairs on solid ground.”

On the way, we had Yo fish up some crabs and turtles, moving along the narrow path without danger. It’s not a place I want to linger, but the materials are very popular.

The area in front of the stairs held only the Boss Crab with no small-fry adds. The ground was also somewhat wider, so it looked like a safe place to fight. Our current party consisted of Yoru (Attacker/Tank), Kuu (Attacker/Decoy), Yo (Scout/Distraction), and Gob-tchi (Archer support). At their feet were the two Blue Slimes providing consistent chip damage. In the back was Mia, and Paula acted as the mid-line commander.

The Assault Birds were unsuited for new territory, so I left them at the settlement with Imo-tchi.

“Alright, let’s take it down quick.”

To open the fight, the beast-child and the bird-child dove in to grab the Boss Crab’s attention. The massive crab reacted sluggishly, swinging pincers so huge they could have snapped my torso in half. Being a boss, its level was likely boosted to 21 or higher.

But Yoru and Kuu were much faster. The two oversized pincers did nothing but cut through the air repeatedly. Meanwhile, the Blue Slimes crept close and began slamming into it. Sue and Rah, having reached Level 20, had naturally developed a new specialty. The sound that initially sounded like water bags hitting transformed into the sound of being bludgeoned by rocks. This was , a mid-tier ice-attribute specialty where they turn the inside of their bodies into blocks of ice before using .

With its leg joints shattered, the Boss Crab couldn’t endure it and tried to defend itself by blowing out a continuous stream of . Instantly, and arrows flew in, popping the bubbles one after another. can nullify damage, but its weakness—being temporary—is fatal.

The Boss Crab then activated its next specialty, , creating a wall with both arms to cover its front. Yo the Fairy drifted down and gave it a cute little peck.

—<Fairy’s Kiss>.

A status-ailment specialty that causes confusion. Abandoning its ironclad defense, the Great Pincer began swinging its claws around wildly. Paula cracked her whip and shouted a sharp command.

“Go! Yoru, and ! Kuu, !”

Yoru vanished into the Boss Crab’s exposed underbelly in an instant and thrust her tail upward. Kuu, wreathed in purple electricity, dove down from near the ceiling. The massive crab, its body scorched and its shell stained purple, arched its back and flipped onto the ground. Its eight legs convulsed in unison, and the bubbles spewing from its mouth trickled down the side of its shell. The Boss Crab’s movements slowed, eventually stopping altogether. Simultaneously, the iron bars began to lift slowly.

“Victory!”

“Koo!”

“Even though it was so big, that was surprisingly easy!”

“Good work. When we keep your levels high like this, I don’t feel nervous watching at all.”

“My Lord, Yoru and Kuu look like they want something.”

After letting the two drooling kids eat their fill of the Great Pincer meat, pincers grew from Yoru’s hands… Well, she didn’t look like an alien; rather, protrusions shot out from her elbows. She can apparently keep them retracted normally and extend them to stab when necessary. The loot was one small Blue Magic Cluster, a Great-Pincer Shell, and Great-Pincer Meat. Since there was nothing else, we moved forward.

Greeting us on the seventh floor was once again an artificial corridor made of stone. However, there wasn’t a single White-Glow Stone to be found; everything was shrouded in pitch-black darkness. The floor looked quite aged, cracked and chipped in places, and several cracks had formed in the walls as well. It was an eerie shift in atmosphere.

“This place feels pretty ancient.”

“Ugh, doesn’t it smell kind of musty?”

“Yo, if you would.”

“Kee-hee.”

Flapping her faintly glowing wings, the fairy slowly led the way down the corridor. But before she could advance five meters, she stopped dead.

The stone corridor was illuminated by a pale light. And there, emerging silently from the gloom, was a human silhouette.</Fairy’s>