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Chapter 157 – Battle of the Dungeon.
Chapter 157 – Battle of the Dungeon.
Chapter 157 – Battle of the Dungeon.
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Gradually, the soldiers and the generals of the empire’s army began entering the dungeon.
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Each one had a rope in hand, connecting them at 3 meter intervals. There was a combat team stationed elsewhere, and they must be able to detach the rope swiftly.
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Since they have already made various preparations beforehand for conquering the dungeon, their actions were quick and swift.
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Through interrogating Shinji and co, Calgurio had a fair grasp of the dungeon’s structure, and prepared measures to combat getting lost in the dungeon.
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While spirit mages confirmed the course ahead, a special team would disable any traps.
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The combat team would work on subjugating monsters, and the analysis team would collect dismantled monsters and “monster cores”
TN Note: “demonic crystal stone” is the literal translation.
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Money and Goods collected from the treasure boxes of various rooms would transferred to the back, and be prepared to be transported to the Command headquarters.
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With the soldiers connected, they could act accordingly to the situation.
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Calgurio’s plan initlally went well.
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However, things started happening within.
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Contacts with soldiers who entered first were cut off, causing minor disturbances.
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There were also reports of rather than a labyrinth, it was a wide space internally
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Previously connected to staircases, an order to continue the search was issued under the assumption that it was a distorted structure.
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The spirit mages reported that due to the spirits being in disarray the path would sometimes be uncertain.
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Thanks to Shinji’s report, he knew that the dungeon would change its internal structure on a weekly basis.
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This had caused Calgurio’s decisions to go awry
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(How unlucky. We’ve just clashed with the maze’s remodeling period……)
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Thinking about this, he gave his subordinates their orders.
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Even so, to panic so much over a changing maze, Calgurio was very dissatisfied with the empire army’s disgraceful display.
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Among the items continuously delivered from the dungeon, each and everyone of them were first rate equipment made with demon steel.
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The “Monster cores” collected were also of high quality, with high energy-conversion rate.
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Before all the reaped profits, the confusion was a minor problem no matter the scale.
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After a whole day, the majority of the 350,000 troops had successfully entered the dungeon.
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The ground troops were on standby at the dungeon’s entrance, communicating with the internal group via ropes and making preparations.
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In addition, they’re work on pitching up a tent in order to place the transported riches and goods.
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That’s when the actual abnormality began.
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Losing contact with the soldiers within, the rope was suddenly cut.
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This happened exactly when all 350,000 soldiers entered the dungeon.
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They tried getting in contact, via telepathy and clairvoyance communication, but there was no reply.
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Things were going well up until then, the transportation of goods from within was also interrupted then.
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The means of confirming the internal conditions of the dungeon were all lost.
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The entrance of the dungeon remained opened as it first was.
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And yet, near the entrance within, the presence of soldiers were all gone.
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With an indescribable foreboding silence, the empire’s troops felt an ominous premonition
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Calgurio was no exception, as it hindered his decision-making.
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However the situation is changing too rapidly, he had no time to spare worrying about those who went conquering the dungeon……
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Calgurio was left with little time.
????61?70????
??Dungeon Stratum 61~70??
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Charging through a hoard of undead type monsters, the soldiers of the Empire army?cybernetic troops invaded deeper into the dungeon.
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Having a delayed headstart, the combat group vigilantly guarded each other as they took cautious action.
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To begin with, the soldiers were all individually fairly strong.
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In adventurer terms, they were all at the very least above B rank.
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Their bear first class prowess.
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If it’s them, they would need not panic as they dealt with monsters … … or so it should have been.
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After the first day in the dungeon, things took a drastic sharp turn.
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Losing all contact with the surface troops, they were completely isolated.
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No, this isn’t right.
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They’ve descended 9 layers.
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And then, there was a large space, with absolutely nothing there.
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They’ve continued to descend, but once 10,000 had passed, the stairway had disappeared.
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In its place, a giant door.
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Without hesitation, they’ve opened the door.
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And……
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“Welcome, to mine kingdom of death, Dystopia.
Now, let us immerse in fun-filled times.
We’re holding back those behind thee, so lets begin!”
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Skeleton, one word describes it all.
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With Polished, pure white bones, it spoke to the empire’s troops in fluent human tongue.
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Right after, a demoniac roar bellowed as if the very space itself was crushed under its pressure.
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And with it a Spectral dragon (death dragon).
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The strongest of the undead types and the vilest of dragons, it assaulted the empire’s soldiers.
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The large door was swung completely open, and a continuous steam of death knight cavalry lead by a death knight charged.
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The Spectral dragon (death dragon) released corrosive zombie breath from above, while the death knights began their assault from the ground.
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The empire army’s numbers diminished in an flash, and the first 10,000 were wiped out in less than an hour.
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After all, even if the death knights only number about a thousand, they would rise up no matter how many times they were felled.
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This situation broke the minds of the empire’s soldiers, driving them to the edge of despair.
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Their enemy knew neither fatigue nor death. Then, there’s the overwhelming threat from the skies known as the Spectral dragon (death dragon).
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The second wave followed, and the first wave also met a similar fate.
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More and more empire soldiers descended below, unbeknownst to them as they ceaselessly entered the jaws of death.
????71?80????
??Dungeon Stratum 71~80??
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The empire’s forces traversing this level were forced in a battle against an endless swarm of insects.
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An endless onslaught, the bugs attacked fiercely.
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With no fear of death, they fought in their swarms without rest.
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However, the amount of “Monster cores” collected were high in both quantity and quality, bringing a smile to the soldier’s faces.
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They were simply endless, their individual fighting powers were nothing much.
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If this were a normal adventurer party, they would be unable to rest from the endless onslaught, fatigue hampering their performance and ultimately be brought down.
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However, even if there were a large quantity of bugs, the empire’s numbers are nothing to scoff at.
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Switching out those who are tired, the empire can still advance as one.
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Even though the contents of the dungeon didn’t match the reports, this isn’t content a single should care about, and shouldn’t mind the reports of their superiors.
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There wasn’t much time to rest, and the situation is still manageable, but it’s the amount of luxurious goods they’ve obtained that brightened their mood.
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For example, an earlier room had a treasure chest, and a soldier discovered a dagger within.
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Glided with gold and silver, it was an expensive looking dagger. It had superior capabilities, and was made of demon steel.
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A demon steel core alone would make something very expensive, yet the whole dagger was made of pure demon steel.
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The soldier spoke of it with a grin.
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Naturally there would be a body search afterwards, however a dagger of this degree could easily be sneaked through.
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The surrounding soldiers were envious, and hoped themselves that it would be them next.
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If there weren’t perks like these, it would be unbearable to fight insects in such a place.
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The number of “demon cores” collected had also piled up considerably.
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High purity “demon cores” were difficult to come by, yet they could be easily procured here by defeating monsters.
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This alone warranted quite the bonus.
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There was a feeling of loathing when the first group screamed something about specters, but they felt like they hit the jackpot with this insect-filled stratum
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And so everyone’s delusion of getting lucky continuously bloated.
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While some started acting carelessly, there were also those who still remained alert.
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Soon, those individuals gathered secretly and formed a group, consisting of the intelligence bureau and the reconnaissance bureau.
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They had originally been allocated to separate groups, but soon they gathered.
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The reason is simple.
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They felt danger.
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“This dungeon is dangerous, the conquering plan may have already failed”
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One spoke without opening their mouth.
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By holding hands and communicating via telepathy, this was a unique method of communicating within the intelligence bureau.
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“Ah, you noticed?The powerful individual earlier, I think they’re known as the floor boss……”
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“Ah, the one in front of the stairs right?
It’s strength is in a different league, it even took down a several high ranking soldiers.”
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“Ah, it’s that guy. But, the report that followed was unbelievable.
It revived, in 3 hours.”
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“W……TF……?”
TN Note: Got creative. Why not
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And so, they’ve exchanged information.
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The more they listened, the more chaotic this dungeon seems.
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The current situation, was evidently different from prior reports.
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When the situation doesn’t match prior intelligence, forceful actions would be evaded while a re-investigation is commenced.
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And yet, the higher ups forced the search to continue.
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It’s evident this was the result of prioritizing their desires, and so the intelligence bureau members wondered should they comply with the mission and fail with it.
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As they were discuss should they retreat from the dungeon first
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The head of the soldiers next to them had fell to the ground.
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They’re too late.
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They weren’t able to decide, as the time for talk was over.
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“Fufufufu. The bait has arrived.
Good work all of you. You may now die.”
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They’ve heard a voice.
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Resounding from the floor, a beautiful voice.
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That, was the beautiful voice of this level’s guardian floor boss, the Insect Queen Apito.
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Transforming into Mental waves, it undulated throughout the entire floor.
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And there it began, a one-sided slaughter.
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Any amount of confident in their fighting strength was now all meaningless.
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Even if they were A ranks, if they were below a certain threshold they were no different from amateurs.
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Those who couldn’t react aren’t even given the chance to fightback.
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The army wasps led by Apito.
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They real identities, slaughters with 3D-maneuvers capabilities at hypersonic speed reaching sizes of only 30cm.
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Small invisible wings emit terrifying high-frequency blades. Approaching you at speeds surpassing sound, they were silent killers.
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These slaughters numbering over a thousand could seek out humans (game) with their heightened senses.
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Excellent dynamic vision is meaningless, if one doesn’t possess the unique skills “accelerated thinking” and “hyper reaction speed” they couldn’t even possibly react to them.
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An opponent beyond the perceivable range of humans, even if it’s only one, would be classified as an A rank disaster class??On a side note when such a monster is discovered in the western countries an emergency alarm would be triggered. A subjugation team consisting of elite holy knights would be formed, and a large scale holy barrier would be erected to weaken the monster followed by a large area sweep. Still they must enter with the conviction to make sacrifices, for such was the danger of an A rank disaster class ?? it was such a monster.
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And thus begins the slaughter fest.
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And the time it took to slaughter the empire soldiers was a measly less than 10 minutes.
????81?90????
??Dungeon Stratum 81~90??
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They could say it now.
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The first 2 floors were bonus stages.
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Michael and Raymond are waging a desperate 2 man battle.
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Their comrades aren’t here anymore.
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They, were all slaughtered.
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The demon before them, with beautiful white hair, was an ape with wisdom.
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However, they weren’t the only ones suffering.
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What they didn’t know, was that beyond the 81st stratum, those who reached the lower floors are all engaged in a miserable battle.
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The 81st stratum was simply a taster level. Where powerful beasts roam, it’s the paradise of demonic beasts.
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However, even though there are would be some head and shoulders above their group, they’re basically wisdom-lacking monsters.
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For veteran soldiers with a load of experience in their belts, they were opponents that could be taken down with ease.
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Monsters beyond what they expected??on average, B+ monsters appearing in groups of 3 to 5??were a tough matchup, but they managed to clear the first floor with no casualties.
At this rate it would probably take some times, but given a few days conquering the dungeon could still be possible
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Until that guy appeared.
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With the capability of speaking human speech, it was an ape with wisdom.
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Making use of Youjutsu, it had annihilated the army.
TN Note: ??, Think witchcraft, but for Youkais instead.
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A pure white Youkai ape, a Byakuen.
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Using a unique Taijutsu utilizing the staff, it was a phantasmagorical way of killing from the air.
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Manipulating wind and sound, beckoning forth storms.
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Then, slashing vacuum blades at all directions, it was an extremely dangerous demonic beast
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Their encounter with this demonic beast has lasted over an hour, and their friends fell one by one.
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Michael and Raymond, as “otherworlders” and as soldiers, were reasonably relied on.
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With their pride as strong individuals, they desperately fought against the demonic beast.
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The sniping squad’s attacked were blocked by the storms, the mage squad’s debuffs, status effects, and even magic itself, were all interfered via Youjutsu.
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A barrier of wind threw a monkey wrench into the plans of all direct magic attacks for their strength was insufficient.
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Even the elites amongst the enhanced cybernetic troops of the empire are toyed like children with the Byakuen as their foe.
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It was an unbelievable sight at first.
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But in reality, it soon developed into a despair-filled battle, and only Raymond and Michel were left in the end.
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Similar beasts also lurk in the other stratums.
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The soldiers who lead the invasion began to painfully collapse.
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When they were asked, there were also black spots on their skin, and high fever.
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Small black mice scurried around their feet. They existence were so insignificant the soldiers simply ignored them.
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However, it was those very mice that were the perpetrators of the current situation.
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Black Rats Coccus.
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They, are the floor boss of this level.
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Spreading Black Death everywhere, the rulers of plagues.
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If someone with abilities like Shinji’s were here, they would probably be able to neutralize this floor, unfortunately there isn’t.
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Magic treatment had little effect on the disease, and holy magic that could completely cure this was scarce.
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Treatment of injures and treatments of disease are based off completely different fundamentals.
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In this fashion, death had spread throughout this floor.
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Similarly in other floors,
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The lightning clad trigger??The thunder Tiger Raiko, blocking all who attempt to pass the stratum.
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?? the rabbit manipulating gravity?? Lunar Rabbit Getto??scattering tyranny here and there.
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The snake with wings??Winged serpent Yoda??lowering the oxygen concentration in the air to 0 by manipulating air contents.
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The sheep that reaps the conscious of soldiers??drowsy sheep mink ??lulling all to sleep with hallucinogenic hypnosis.
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The bird with a cowl of flames??Fire bird Enchou??killing all soldiers with high temperature.
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The dog that uses the mirror that reflects all??Mirror hound Igami??sending any and every technique back to sender.
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At each stratum, was a vicious demonic beast rampaging about.
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What’s worse is the fact that even after being defeated they would revive.
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This truth easily crippled the hearts of soldiers.
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They could do naught but fight endlessly.
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Mouse?Tiger?Rabbit?Snake?Sheep?Ape?Bird?Hound are all beast type demonic beasts.
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They, are the Nine-Head Kumara’s squad (pet) of eight.
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Their forms are those of Kumara’s and they each manifested an aspect of her abilities.
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Kumara has the bewitching form and beauty of a courtesan, however in reality she is the illusive empress of the demonic beasts whom beckons death.
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Before Kumara, the fools have finally arrived.
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Yet, they are only food for Kumara……
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It would seem death is being mass-produced within the labyrinth
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And so……
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When the dungeon conquering of the empire’s 350,000 soldiers had ended, a day has passed.
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The number of survivors, is 0.