Clearing the Infested, S-Rank Dungeon

It had been three years since the campaign to retake Kutkan dungeon began. Five years ago, S-rank beasts claimed the former A-rank dungeon as their home. The invasion forced out the A and B-ranks previously living there, causing a stampede that stormed Tengah: the forest capital. There were heavy casualties among the defenders. Most people said that the capital only survived thanks to a few A and S-rank adventures. If you were to ask them though, they would say they were useless in stopping the invasion. But that was a story for another time.

The forest country, also called Tengah, took two years to organize a team to explore and clear the infested dungeon. During that time, there was little doubt that the number of S-rank beasts had increased, so a temporary outpost was created a reasonable distance from the entrance. The suppression force consisted of two hundred adventurers: 140 B-ranks, 40 A-ranks, and 20 S-ranks. They estimated it would only take a few days to clear out the twenty floor dungeon.

However, the beasts were much more powerful than they thought. The S-rank adventurers, standing at the pinnacle of their skills like fire magic or swordsmanship, could fight one-on-one, but the A-ranks needed a team of eight. The B-ranks were nothing but fodder. It took two seasons before the force had cleared a single floor. After three years, they only managed to mop up five.

Like any other day, Pyro joined up with a few other S-ranks to head into the dungeon. She was part of the exploration party, responsible for observing the beasts’ behaviors and defeating whatever they could. It was a rather risky job, but it had major benefits: they could go back to their normal lives after five years of work. She pitied the other S-ranks who actually wanted to stay the ten, twenty, or however many years it would take to complete the job.

“Got everything you need, Pyro?”

“You should worry about yourself, Slayer. I’m ready to go.” Of course, their names weren’t actually Pyro or Slayer, but it was much easier for the party to call each other by their titles. They were all familiar with one another from the many noble gatherings and mock battles anyway.

First, there was the Indomitable Shielder. She was a petite girl dressed in light armor. The top half of her face was always obscured with a knight’s helmet. Although she rarely spoke and had a rather plain body, her skills were the real deal. Every party she joined had easily taken down a God beast without suffering a single scratch.

Next was the Swordslayer. He was a rather unwieldy grandpa whose attitude could best be described as grating, not even bothering to wear armor. However, his skills were always reliable. His sword, which changed shape, could slice anything in two, no matter the size or strength required. The only person who had ever stopped his strike was Shielder, but neither of them had been fighting at their full strength. Nobody knew who would win if they did.

After that was the Pierced Archer. Their body was completely wrapped in gauze and plate-mail, making it impossible to tell what they actually looked like. Some people thought they were a ghost or spirit since they tended to hover slightly off the ground. They were a bit crazy, barely listening or obeying anyone, but their accuracy was legendary, able to puncture a hundred beasts with a single shot. Unsurprisingly, they were once recognized as the Bow God, but they lost the title to someone in the neighboring country. One of their party members once made the mistake of bringing it up. They ended up losing the same arm thirty times, having it reattached with a high-grade healing potion after each cut.

Finally, there was the Mad Pyrotechnic. She was just your average, twenty-year-old student! Why did they call her mad? Well, she had burned down a country before, but she was completely justified! They were kidnapping and selling kids! Of course, ever since she received that title, she calmed down a bit, settling for only partially destroying countries who angered her.

Some others occasionally joined the exploration party, but these four were the core members. The best of the best, one could say. They each had over two thousands years of fighting experience. It wouldn’t be surprising to find them on the front lines of some past war. However, after being alive for so long, the battles became monotonous and boring. There was no need for them to further improve their skills as they already stood at the top. Every member longed to retire and try something new – something that made them want to keep living the remaining thousands of years of their lives. Unfortunately though, the world always found a way to pull them back into the fray.

The party ventured into the dungeon again, slaying any S-rank beasts that came up from the lower floors. The cave-like formations and musty air didn’t affect them at this point, given how many times they explored this dungeon themselves. Luckily, there weren’t that many on the higher floors today, making for a rather easy trip to the sixth floor. On the other hand, there were likely going to be more S-ranks further down. Pyro whispered a prayer that it was going to keep being a slow day.

As they continued down each flight of stairs, they only found one or two beasts roaming around on each of the second, third, and fourth floors. That was rare. Even if there wasn’t an infestation, the party had previously encountered at least ten or twenty wandering around every day. Unsure what it could mean, they continued with a bit more caution.

When they reached the fifth floor, there were no beasts whatsoever. The sixth floor was largely the same. Additionally…

“Pyro,” Shielder warned.

“Yeah, I know. Something must be going on in the depths.”

“Retreat for today?”

“No sense in getting ourselves killed.”

The party quickly returned to the surface, putting together a larger expedition. The lack of S-rank beasts was unnerving, but Pyro had a different concern. The mana in the dungeon felt about as dense as an A-rank should be, but there was something unsettling coming from further below. It wasn’t hard to figure out the beasts were planning something. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of beasts in that cave. They couldn’t just all disappear!

…or could they?

The next day, the four continued exploring. A second group tailed behind them carrying along some extra provisions in case they needed to camp out in the dungeon. However, the floors remained conspicuously empty. The sixth, seventh, eight…all the way to the tenth only had one or two beasts. Pyro still felt something disquieting below them, so they continued at a slow but steady pace.

It wasn’t long before an entire season had passed. Pyro started to wonder whether the beasts had escaped using some sort of spell. There were plenty of times she wanted to rush through and check. The same could be said for the rest of them.

It was around mid-summer when they decided to tackle the final floor. If all went well, everyone could return home tomorrow. To the members of the exploration party, it felt like a fairy tale, and they couldn’t help but crack a smile. They were in top form today.

“You’re in high spirits, Pyro,” remarked Slayer.

“Of course I am. You are too, Slayer.”

“Well, I can’t deny that I’m ready to take it easy after this.”

“Right? I’m not planning on taking any more quests from the guild for a while, even if they force them on me!”

“Ha ha. Then, let’s conquer this dungeon!”

““““Yeah!””””

The hike down to the 20th floor was the same as the others, but with a bit more action. The few beasts blocking their path were dispatched with ease. Slayer chopped two in half, Archer pierced through five, and Pyro burned a few while Shielder blocked any incoming attacks. For a ragtag group of people, they were doing quite well.

It didn’t take more than a few hours to reach the 19th floor. The party stopped to make camp, taking a short break before the four headed down to the last floor. While the S-ranks were fine, the rest of the soldiers and adventurers were tired. A and B-ranks rarely fought continuous waves of beasts, so they weren’t that good at pacing themselves. It was the same issue that led so many to die during the capital stampede.

“Pyro.”

“What’s up, Archer?”

“I think we should call it here for today.”

“Huh?” “Why?” Both Slayer and Shielder were confused, but Pyro understood what they were saying. With her heightened perception, she could tell there was something malicious on the last floor.

“My instincts are telling me to come back tomorrow. Everything should be over by then.” That statement threw Pyro for a loop. How did he know that? Archer’s instincts were rarely wrong, but at this point, the party was beginning to favor a quick resolution rather than a cautious approach. And, although the presence below felt problematic, it was still something within the range of their abilities if all four worked together. With their bodies in great shape, they shouldn’t have trouble handling it.

So, Pyro made the call. “I understand, but I still think we should push forward. Plus, we got the Indomitable Shielder here. We’ll be fine.”

“I’m not invincible, you know,” she teased with a confident smile.

“Well. I don’t think we’re going to die anyway,” Archer added on, shrugging their shoulders. Pyro sighed, thinking then it didn’t matter at all whether they went or not.

The four stood up, ready to brave the last floor of the dungeon.

The air dried up as the party carefully descended. The dreadful feeling that came with it was all too familiar for them. They would never be scared by that alone; however, a tiny seed of doubt started to manifest, growing larger by the second. The group held their weapons at the ready.

The party stepped into the corridor and found…nothing. There were no beasts in sight. On the other floors, there were at least a few roaming around. But on this one, the dungeon was deathly silent. Either the beasts had vacated somehow, or something even more powerful was lurking.

They spent hours exploring each corridor, but they were completely empty. The only room left was the boss’s chamber. Pyro could pick up something, but it kept changing its form, so it was difficult to pin down.

“There’s definitely something in there.”

“I figured as much. Should we call it a day, Pyro?”

“Let’s press on. I think it’s a bad idea to turn around at this point.”

Shielder readied her shield, taking the forward position as she circulated her mana. Slayer stood directly behind her while Archer and Pyro brought up the rear. Pyro kept her eye behind the group in case anything tried to sneak up.

Fwip. Fwip. Fwish. Fwip

Quiet sounds from the boss’s chamber echoed louder the further they ventured. It sounded like someone was swinging a sword or rapier. Pyro couldn't sense any other people, so it must be the beast that scared away or defeated the S-ranks. Shielder looked back at Pyro, using her hands to convey a message.

Pyro nodded, understanding her intent, and sent out her mana towards the noise. Using a spell like mana sense would’ve been the obvious choice, but it was likely the beast had mana sense too, making it more likely to be detected. Instead, Pyro thinned her mana, having it slither across the ground to observe their surroundings. Hopefully, that would escape the beast’s detection.

Feeling the flow of mana, it eventually reached the noise. Now I just have to figure out what this–

“Huh?” she let out a surprised whisper. The rest of the party hardened their expressions.

“What’s going on, Pyro.”

“Um… I think whoever’s in the chamber is… playing cards.” Everyone’s face dropped.

“...cards? Those things nobles play with?”

“Are you sure?”

“95%”

“Then let’s–”

“You can come out from back there.”

“What!?” Pyro instantly readied a fireball.

“Pyro, what are you doing?!?”

“Someone used my own mana as a pathway to communicate. They know we’re here, and they’re likely a lot stronger than we imagine. Get ready for battle.” Everyone nodded, rushing into the chamber. However, none of them were prepared for what they were about to see.

“Fwip. Fwip. Fwish. Fwip.”

Sitting on the ground was a man no older than twenty. His features were rather average, but his hair was a dark purple, something unusual in this day and age. He looked to be wearing a black tuxedo, but on closer inspection, it was actually armor, much stronger than any of theirs. In one hand was a six of clubs, putting it on top of a seven of hearts facing up. In the other was a ball of earth transforming into a menagerie of different things: from simple shapes to hyper-realistic animals. He leaned on a chair next to him, as if bored. Nothing else was in the cubeish room.

Without looking at the party, he spoke in a rushed yet dignified manner, flipping over three cards from the deck as his ball of earth spread into a thin film. “Well, if it isn’t Mina the Indomitable Shielder, Eise the Swordslayer, Ro the Pierced Archer, and Beretta the Mad Pyrotechnic. What brings you forest capital S-ranks to the 20th floor of Kutkan?” This man knew who they were before we even introduced ourselves, which raised even more questions in Pyro’s mind. What was he doing on the bottom floor of an infested dungeon? How did he make it past all the S-rank beats? Why was he using earth magic as a toy? Why was he playing a card game in a dungeon? And why was he sitting on the ground when there was a chair right next to him?!? The last one wasn’t particularly important to Pyro, but it still annoyed her. Actually, she wondered why there was a chair there anyway.

Archer quickly dropped to the ground, taking a knee as if in service to the man. The rest of the party was shocked. Archer was the closest to a God among them, always with his cavalier attitude, and yet there was kneeling with respect to a man who looked like an egotistical noble.

“Sir, what are you doing here?” Archer spoke in a polite tone, astounding everyone once again.

“Cut it out with the ‘sir’ stuff. Kumari sent me to fetch some materials as punishment for an accident. I already collected most of them, but she wants multiple drops from the boss. Does she even know how long it takes the boss to spawn?!? I’ve been stuck down here for an entire season! I have things I need to do too, you know!!!!!” Although his voice was dynamic, his expression remained the same – maybe even a little fed up.

“...apologies. By the way sir, do you know what happened to the S-ranks that infest this dungeon?”

“Quit it. And infested? They spawned here naturally.”

“That is impossible. This is an A-rank dungeon.”

“Says who? Rank just depends on the amount of mana in the air. The density here is more than high enough because nobody seemed to take my words seriously.” The man sighed, shooting a glare at the party. Although they didn’t feel any sort of pressure, all of them instinctively shivered, taking a step back. The man sighed again, “Though, it’ll go back to normal after the boss spawns. I’ve already made sure of it.”

“Under–”

“Wait a second… Archer, you know who this man is?” Pyro interrupted, snapping out of her daze.

Archer was confused. “What do you mean? All the God candidates know him. He’s–”

A wailing sound echoed through the chamber, making everyone but the man and Archer cover their ears. The walls began to crack and fizzle, dissolving away into nothingness. Behind the walls were a void glowing an ominous dark purple, similar to the man’s hair. Pyro could feel her heart stop as the feeling of death flooded her senses.

A hand creeped out of the void, grabbing the ground to pull itself out. Then, another hand came forward, and another, and another. Legs followed afterward. A torso, wings, shoulders, and hips were all attached in random places. Then multiple heads materialized, each one completely different but all wearing the same disconcerting smile.

No one could even begin to describe what this…monster…was. Pyro only caught a brief glimpse before she doubled over and threw up. The surrounding mana was so dense that it could bring a S-rank to their knees. The only person still standing was Archer, but even they had a bead of sweat running down their forehead.

“Looks like it’s here. I’m honestly impressed you’re still up, Ro. Do you want to take a shot at it? I’m curious to see how much your skill has improved.” The man continued flipping and placing cards, unperturbed by the monster. Was he stronger? Pyro couldn’t believe it. She didn’t sense any mana emanating from his body. However, the monster kept all of its eyes trained on him, as if he were the only threat in the room.

“Y-yes sir.” With a bit of hesitation, Archer nocked an arrow and pulled back his bow. The arrow quickly filled with mana so dense that the arrow should’ve snapped. Instead, it seemed to grow harder by the moment. There was no doubt in Pyro’s mind that the arrow could kill her instantly. She could see why he had the title of Bow God: his mana lit a light in the darkness.

However, it was still much too small.

Archer released the arrow, sending it flying past the monster. It was so dense that it somehow cracked the void behind it. Pyro didn’t even see it fly. However, the monster dodged the arrow easily, only receiving a small scratch on its cheek. Purple blood flowed upward from the cut, staining the ceiling. It didn’t spare Archer a single glance.

“Interesting. It looks like you fashioned the arrow out of a mana-conductive material. It was well worth it; you managed to scratch the beast, even one with a physical form. I can’t wait to see your battle for Bow God at the next event.”

“T-thank you, sir.”

The man stood up, leaning back on the chair to shake out his legs. “Guess they fell asleep,” he muttered before looking back at the monster. “Welp, time to finish it off. It should cover the rest of the materials on the list. But first…” He glanced back at the party briefly, tapping his chair against the floor.

Immediately, the pressure on their bodies disappeared. It seemed like they were surrounded with a barrier of mana – that would be the only way to protect them. However, to do it so thoroughly would mean the man’s mana control was at the left of a God, no… even higher than that.

The man slowly walked over to the beast, dragging the chair behind. Pyro couldn’t take her eyes off him. “Archer, who is he, seriously? I’ve never heard of a person who can construct such a perfect barrier. He’s walking towards that… monster… without a care in the world, yet he has no mana. So, why can’t I see him losing? Do you know who he is, Shielder? Slayer?”

“Nope.” “No.”

Archer had an incredulous look before coming to a realization. “Ah, you’re one of the lower S-ranks, so you haven’t heard of the God tournament before, have you?”

“The what? Lower?”

“You’re an S-rank, of course, but you’re among the weakest in your skill. The strongest of all S-ranks stand at the top of their skill: Gods.”

“Well, yeah. I know that. I could never beat the Fire God.” Even with Pyro’s skills in fire magic, she had already given up on becoming the best. What was the point?

“And that’s why you aren’t aware of the God tournament. Once every decade, challengers considered strong can fight against the current God of their skill to claim its title. ‘Fire God’ is one of the many titles that changes hands every once in a while. Of course, there are uncontested Gods, like the God of Disintegration Magic, whose titles are rarely taken from them, but they still need to fight in the God tournament occasionally.”

“Are you saying he’s one of those uncontested Gods? But–” The man stopped directly in front of the monster. The monster, identifying the man as a threat, split into multiple beings, surrounding him on all sides. They readied a variety of magical and physical attacks that could destroy the world if unleashed all at once.

“Oh, definitely not. He is the one who judges Gods, determining whether someone is one and keeping them in line. Aside from the seven, no living creature could contend with him. The only weapon he needs is a single chair. He is…”

The attacks hurtled towards the man all at once, giving him nowhere to escape. However, the man did not fear, nor did he run away. He stood in the center and smiled.

He banged his chair against the ground. And, for that brief moment, Pyro was dazzled by his mana, outshining even the suns in the sky.

Every magical attack was countered with mana, destroying the spells before they could fire. Every physical attack was countered with one of the chair’s legs. The beings that had split off collapsed to the ground – like a puppet whose strings had been cut. The bodies were sliced into pieces without a single drop of blood rising to the ceiling.

“... Stu Isu, the Chairman.”

Pyro could feel her jaw hit the floor.

Stu had a look of satisfaction on his face. “Yep, this looks like enough materials. Didn’t want to wait around for another one of these to spawn. That would’ve taken for-ev-er!” He once again tapped his chair, causing all the pieces to disappear. It looked like the Pocket spell, which stored objects in a separate space, but he managed to activate it without touching the parts. With that alone, Pyro had no reason to doubt anything Archer said. In fact, Pyro seemed elated by the prospect.

Stu turned back towards the party. “The mana density is back to normal, but I expect it to overflow in another ten to twenty thousand years. Be sure to keep an eye on it this time.”

“Yes s-, yes. Are you leaving already?” Archer asked.

“Yep. Kumari’s got her exam coming up, and I don’t want to miss it. Plus, I’ve got to turn in these materials so she’ll let me back in town. See you around!” With a wave and tap of his chair, Stu disappeared. Only a small circle of swirling dust revealed he was ever there in the first place.

Pyro didn’t have the chance to say anything to Stu, but it wasn’t like she could. She felt powerless in the face of a threat so great only a God could handle it. It was infuriating. However, seeing his mana and strength flow so beautifully, a fire began burning inside her once again. This time, she wouldn’t use her skill to fight others, but to create that dazzling scene herself. Pyro still had a few thousand years left before she died, what with her level of mana control. She was amazed at her desire to keep living as a wistful smile crossed her face.

Pyro steadied her resolve, and then blacked out right on top of her vomit.