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As if in response to the threat, one of the protrusions began to move. As it turned out, it was no ordinary rock, but a creature very similar to a gorilla,

the Stone Mountain Ape.

This monster has chameleon-like abilities, able to blend into the rock and camouflage its presence.

In addition to its incredible physical endurance, it also possessed the skill of Intimidating Roar, a Mana-filled roar.

Although it does not inflict any direct damage, the sound can temporarily paralyze anyone who hears it.

"ROOOOOOAAAAAR!"

The monster roared loudly, echoing throughout the room and causing the surrounding air to vibrate subtly.

However, El remained silent. Not because of the intimidation effect, but because the attack was completely useless to him.

With a physical resistance that was too abnormal, even without Magic Resistance, the monster's roar was nothing more than the cry of a child trying to bully a wall.

"Noisy!" said El in a cold tone.

Without moving a single step, El immediately controlled the sword made of reddish-purple colored energy with the thoughts floating around him.

The sword darted and pierced through the monster's body with great ease.

Craaat!

The monster exploded. Blood sprayed up to the ceiling, mixing with the pulverized flesh, like processed meat put through a mill. A rancid scent filled the air, mingling with the cold temperature of the room.

The next second the blood splatter and the monster's flesh flakes instantly froze and burned, before dirtying the clothes.

Staring at the place where the monster died in such a miserable way, El breathed a sigh of relief. At least, his clothes remained clean. Wasting no time, he continued on his way.

Each time he broke through floor after floor, the difficulty level increased dramatically, making ordinary adventurers unable to continue.

However, for El, this kind of thing was no obstacle. He even started running through the Upper Level: Floor 25 and beyond, as if the obstacles were nothing.

When he reached the Upper Level: Floor 38, El finally met a monster that was quite familiar, just like the ones he had seen in the anime.

The Traum Warrior.

They were skeletal knights with glistening red eyes and dark bones, each wielding a sword and shield.

However, El felt no aura of death from them, signaling that they were not Undead, but merely ordinary monsters animated by Mana.

Although each Traum Warrior was quite powerful, their main advantage lay in their large numbers.

They rely on number tactics to defeat anyone who dares to set foot in their territory.

With a gradual and relentless battle strategy, they continuously put pressure on the opponent, forcing them into exhaustion before finally being defeated.

However, to El, they were no different from the monsters on the previous floor.

Moreover, the subsequent floors, up to the uncharted 64th Floor, suffered a similar fate.

Finally, El's steps led him to the entry point of Floor 65, a new frontier that had never been explored before.

A long, narrow staircase lay before him, descending deeper into the labyrinth. A cold and inhospitable darkness enveloped the place, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Stepping forward, El squinted slightly with a relaxed expression. He knew exactly what awaited him down there, so there was not a hint of anxiety in his eyes.

The starting point of the fantasy he had seen on Earth, as well as the reality that was now before him, was getting closer.

The sound of El's regular breathing echoed in his ears, combined with the vibration of each step on the jagged steps.

The surrounding darkness swallowed up all the light, creating a somber atmosphere that cut to the bone.

Soon, at the bottom step, a faint glow began to spread, illuminating most of the cave and almost the entire floor.

El gazed ahead, noticing the existence of a stone bridge that spanned 100 meters.

The ceiling of the room rose 20 meters high, decorated with huge stalactites hanging high.

Below the bridge, as expected, was not a river, but a dark abyss with no visible bottom, resembling the pit of hell imagined in legends.

Although the bridge is 10 meters wide, there are no railings or guards on the sides. This means that anyone who slips will fall without anyone being able to hold them back.

The whole room was eerily quiet, as if it were an endless graveyard, creating a tense atmosphere.

"Here we are at last," El said casually.

"So, this is where Hajime fell?" muttered El as he glanced at the gaping abyss like a pit of hell.

His gaze then shifted to the end of the bridge, where a wide passage could be seen stretching out, leading deeper into the maze.

For those unfamiliar with this place, one might think that this was some sort of resting area before continuing on into the depths of the maze.

Instead of immediately stepping onto the bridge, El chose to stand on the far step, quietly observing her surroundings.

El raised his right hand, touching his chin while thinking. "Should I wait for the Hero group to appear and watch Hajime fall? Or... just go straight ahead?"

With his current strength, taking care of the Behemoth, the monster that would appear once someone set foot on the bridge, was no big deal for El.

However, killing the Behemoth was not the goal. There was something else, something that had caught his attention more strongly since arriving on this floor. A strange call, now seemingly inviting her to plunge into the abyss.

After considering it for a moment, El sat down on the bottom step, then removed the strands of hair swords floating around his.

With a single swing of the hand, El took out the gourd jar filled with Avatar Animal's concocted wine, then took a slow sip. "It's better to wait while drinking, it's been a while."

El decided to wait for the Hero group while enjoying his drink.

"Hmm? The flavor of this wine is amazing," El murmured with a satisfied smile.

El lifted his cup, letting the clear liquid swirl slowly before taking another sip.

"It's a bit strong, but the herbal ingredients of this wine contain extraordinary vitality," he continued, feeling a warmth spread throughout his body.

His body felt light, as if all the accumulated fatigue had simply vanished. The sweet and fragrant aroma was tantalizing, leaving his feeling as if he had just sipped heavenly nectar.

Some time later, a bright red light filled the room, accompanied by the formation of a magic circle in the center of the bridge.

A second later, a large group of people appeared from within the light, in the center of the bridge. Their expressions were filled with shock and confusion. They were the Hero group.

"What's going on?"

"Where is this?"

"Shit! What the hell!"

Panic began to spread among them, while several magic circles appeared on both sides of the bridge, one in front of El and another at the end of the bridge.

Red light glowed from the circles, as if emerging from the springs of hell.

"It's finally starting," El said enthusiastically, putting away his wine jar.

Calmly, El stood up, ready to carry out his plan while witnessing this event firsthand.

This scene was what El had been looking forward to from the start, the moment when the group of heroes were filled with a sense of dread that enveloped them.

Suddenly, the glowing magic circle at the end of the bridge had a shocking size, stretching about 10 to 15 meters, a ridiculous dimension for a summoning magic.

Meanwhile, the magic circles in front of El were smaller, only about a meter each, but there were not too many of them.

The dark red glow of the circles resembled pools of blood, emitting a suffocating aura to anyone who saw it.

However, for El, who was already used to unpleasant things, this scene was mere entertainment.

The magic circles pulsed once before finally spewing out a wave of monsters that scattered out.

They were Traum's soldiers, skeleton-like armored figures with glowing red eyes, ready to draw swords in their hands.

Their empty eye sockets glistened with blood-red light, just like the magic circle that summoned them, spinning as if they were real eyes.

Within seconds, the area in front of El was almost completely filled with hundreds of those creatures.

Meanwhile, something even more threatening appeared from the other side of the bridge. From within the 10-meter-wide magic circle, a giant monster stepped out, its body as large as the portal that summoned it.

Standing on four sturdy legs, with its head protected by a huge Triceratops-like helmet, the creature was none other than Behemoth, the infamous monster that ruled the 65th floor.

It was a monster that even legendary adventurers, who were called the strongest, could not stand against.

Its eyes glowed bright red, its sharp fangs and claws clenched tightly, while flames burned from the helmet on its forehead, as if fertilizing the darkness surrounding it.

Inhaling deeply of oxygen, the creature let out a rumbling sound that shook the entire room, signaling the start of the battle.

"GRRRRRHHH!"