Floor 5: The Phantom Grid

The moment we stepped into the fifth floor, The Phantom Grid, the suffocating atmosphere of the previous level vanished entirely.

Zack and Mikan both looked relieved to have left the fourth floor behind. Even so, I could feel the awkward tension between us. They still seemed hesitant around me, no doubt because they had disobeyed my orders not to follow me into this dungeon.

Mikan slowly approached me.
“Kyouze… um… are you angry?”

“There’s no point being angry with you two.”
I kept my reply short, yet that alone was enough to make her smile.

Zack suddenly wrapped his arm around my shoulder from behind.
“Come on, brother, don’t be so cold! Back in that fight you were blazing like a star, HAHAHA! I’ve never seen anyone switch their EtherCode like that before. How did you even do it?!” His eyes shone with excitement.

“I’m not telling you.” I had no interest in explaining.

But Zack kept pestering me, and soon Mikan joined in, equally curious. Their persistence wore me down until I finally groaned.
“Fine, damn it… it’s part of my Advanced Class, Ether Saber. I can shift my EtherCode from Volta to another element.”

Mikan tilted her head.
“I’ve never heard of an Advanced Class like that before…”

“That’s because it’s a Hidden Class. A Unique Advanced Class, one of the rarest out there. How in the world did you get something like that, Kyouzeee?!” Zack practically shouted in amazement.

“Calm down already. I just reached Level 4 and unlocked it. That’s all I know.”
It was the truth. As far as I remembered, I got it simply because I was the first player to hit Level 4.

“Tch… meanwhile, my Advanced Class is just Firearms Master. Damn it, I’m losing to you again!” Zack groaned, though he quickly laughed and puffed out his chest. “HAHAHA! Still, beating the floor four boss leveled me up! Look, Kyouze! I’m Level 6 now! I even unlocked an Ascendant SystemCore: Machine Constructor! Get ready for our next duel, brother!”

His excitement didn’t surprise me. It was only natural he would level up after that battle. I was sure Mikan and the others in our raid—both players and NPCs—had leveled as well.

Zack, the muscle-brained fool, was already boasting about his new SystemCore. Machine Constructor. I knew exactly what that was capable of. Unlike typical SystemCores that produced weapons, this one could build structures: fortresses, bunkers, turrets. In the next raid, it would be invaluable. At the very least, Zack could hold back enemies and strike back at the same time.

My eyes shifted to Mikan. She must have reached Level 4 too, which meant she would have gained her own Advanced Class. I was curious about her EtherCode as well.

Mikan’s base Class was Restorer, a non-combat type that focused solely on supporting allies. Unlike most Classes, Restorers’ EtherCodes weren’t used to attack, but to empower others who shared the same element. If, for example, she possessed Volta, she could amplify my Volta EtherCode directly.

I asked her with genuine interest, “Mikan, you reached Level 4, didn’t you? What Advanced Class did you get?”

Her face brightened.
“Mm-hmm! I got an Advanced Class called Restorarch. It lets me restore HP, EP, and CT… and I can provide stronger area buffs too.”

I knew of that class. A powerful support role. That made Mikan a central figure in our raid. Most of the other Restorers were still low-level, and with no Miko among us, her presence was critical for healing both players and NPCs.

“Not bad. What about your EtherCode? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you use it.” I pressed further, wanting to gauge her potential for the battles ahead.

“Um… mine is Umbra. I rarely use it, since hardly anyone else has Umbra EtherCode.” She looked uneasy as she admitted it.

But I simply smiled to myself. I already knew exactly how to maximize her power.

Then she suddenly asked, “Kyouze, I’ve been wondering… you fight using your Class skills and EtherCode, but why don’t you use your SystemCore?”

That was a question I did not want to answer. My SystemCore was… abnormal. It was one of my trump cards, and revealing it now would only raise suspicion.

Before I could respond, Zack barged in again, echoing Mikan’s question with even more noise. I finally snapped.
“You’ll find out when the time comes. Until then, drop it.”

My tone silenced them both. They seemed to realize they had pushed too far.

I let out a long breath. They exhausted me, especially Zack, that loud, clueless NPC.

After some time, we reached the starting zone of the fifth floor. As I expected, the scenery was nothing like before. The dungeon walls were lined with glowing holographic grids, while streams of matrix-like numbers floated through the air.

Confusion rippled through the players. No one had any idea what the numbers were for.

The glowing grids served as barriers or walls. Touching them would instantly trigger traps. Some grids were visible, others invisible, and most traps were linked to those hidden ones on the floor or walls. The design was abstract, disorienting, making it almost impossible to tell which way led to the boss chamber.

Previously, this floor had been a labyrinth of grids and traps. Back then, players had already mapped the layout and knew how to reach the boss. But now, the minimap function was sealed. Without it, everything became far more difficult.

The traps had clearly evolved. We had to tread carefully. Zack, realizing this, activated his new SystemCore ability.

“I didn’t think I’d have to use my new power so soon… watch this, Kyouze! [Machine Constructor Skill: Build, Censoric Turret!]”

He manipulated the data streams and built a turret that immediately began scanning the dungeon.

His face went pale.
“No way… there are hundreds of traps?! Everyone, don’t take a single reckless step or you’ll trigger them all!”

The players froze, fear spreading across the group. It felt as if we were trapped already, unable to move forward.

The only way to disarm the traps was by solving the puzzles scattered throughout the dungeon. The deeper we went, the more riddles and questions we would have to face. This was why players hated the fifth floor so much. Brute strength meant nothing here. Intelligence was the only weapon.

I allowed myself a faint smile. I already knew all the puzzles and their answers from before. But that was before the dungeon shifted into Nightmare difficulty. Things could have changed. The puzzles might be far more complex now.

It didn’t matter. I believed in my intelligence. Whatever the challenge, I would solve it.

And then, a sudden notification appeared before my eyes.

[QUEST: MATRIX OF DEATH!!]

[SOLVE THE PUZZLES AND QUESTIONS OF THE MATRIX. A SINGLE MISTAKE WILL TRIGGER EVERY TRAP ON THIS FLOOR AND KILL EVERYONE PRESENT.]

[If you successfully answer all the questions, then you can immediately challenge the dungeon boss of this floor!]

The matrix of glowing numbers swarmed around me and the rest of the raid.

I had expected a quest… but not something this brutal.

Damn it.

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