djarcher

The people of the alpha plane have made it their hobby to enter the dungeons of other worlds and conquer them. Naturally not everyone is happy with this as dark undercurrents begin to work against the conquerors.

As some people die in the dungeons they are made an offer. To give up their humanity in order to live on. 
Guy, a veteran carrier, is one of them, he can't bear to leave his family alone and accepts. From then on he must fight in the dungeons but as a monster while simultaneously continuing his life in the alpha plane in the shape of a human.
Jade, an elite adventurer, also accepts the offer but her intent is solely to get revenge on those who killed her and make humanity suffer for her life.
Monica, a little girl not native to the alpha plane is pulled into the happenings due to her childish innocence.

Counter Dungeon-Delving

I sidestep the weak swing of the cane and just punch the skeleton mage. Its skull cracks under my punch and I quickly leave the shrubbery as the fire is about to claim it completely.


As I return to the stairs of the next floor I find no further barrier obstructing my passage. A quick look at the skulls reveals that each of them has been destroyed in the same manner as I killed the corresponding skeleton mages. Since I cracked nearly all of their skulls it's hard to differentiate for others but I can tell the difference.


Ready or not I'll try to clear the boss rooms until I fail to I'll begin to remedy them in reality.


My vision blurs and I arrive on the fifteenth floor before the boss room. No fancy tricks this time just a whole bunch of skeletons wielding swords.


Aren't mages usually classed higher than swords users though?


So what floor am I going to encounter a whole squad of skeleton mages on?


<Isn't that what you are currently doing?>


Quarreling with Navi over what Hades should or shouldn't have done is pointless so I return my focus to the boss room. After thinking for a few more moments I charge in head-first.


To clear a stage like this I don't even need any planning. The skeleton swordsmen are individually weak and they don't know the first thing about cooperation. 


I dodge between them and slash all around like a mad man. Whenever I get a clear shot I fire a rock needle to finish off an already damaged skeleton. These guys really need helmets since their skulls are their biggest weakness.


I take about an hour to eradicate every skeleton swordsman in the room. Lots of scattered bones and swords fill the floor and in the end, the biggest obstacle in the fight became not tripping over any of those things.


Stamina skills? I only have enhanced stamina on level three.


universal humanoid language, universal monster language, dungeon map


throwing lv. 6; enhanced stamina lv. 4; breathing technique lv. 4; stealth lv.3; soul vision lv.2; enhanced stomach capacity lv.1;


instructing lv.3; instructor's assessment lv.2; 


dagger use lv. 4; backstab lv.2; energy dagger lv.1;


trap making lv. 5; camp construction lv.2; make-shift crafting lv.1;


dismantling lv. 5; cleaning lv. 1; field surgery lv.1


Mental resistance lv.1; physical damage resistance lv.1


Looking at my status those two skills have indeed both hit level four. And now that I think about it, I have never felt exhausted while fighting these skeleton swordsmen. My stamina must really be a cut above the rest then.


Honestly, this boss room is so simple that there isn't much to criticize. Short of remodeling the entire room I can only think of strengthening all skeleton swordsmen. Teaching them teamwork and some precise attack skills should raise the boss room's difficulty by at least two folds. But redesigning the entire thing could definitely do more than that.


Sigh, time constraints while working on a job. This may be an extraordinary company at some times but at others, it's the same as every normal company. 


Sure, mind giving me the rundown of what I am about to go into?


<Thirtieth-floor boss room, swordmaster's tomb. It's the same thing as the sword grounds but instead of many, there's just one stronger one. Daedalus' notes say that this is a boss room very dear to Hades and nothing is to be changed under any circumstances. You can only train the skeleton swordmaster and nothing else!>


So you told me about leaving the last boss room without a full redesign to prepare for this one. Not very smooth.


Seems like a pain. But I also heard a challenge there so let's see if I can beat that skeleton swordmaster on my first try.


Testing the sword grounds