*THUD*

Four tiny fingers could be seen desperately grabbing on to the ledge within the abyss. It was Crayford’s fingers. If one followed his fingers, it would lead to Crayford, then Claire hugging his back and finally the three warriors hanging on his leg. The party of five had nearly fallen to their deaths.

Fortunately, Crayford noticed a ledge hidden in the darkness. Unfortunately, he saw it after crossing it. However, given their skills, the five hopped from one falling rubble rock to another – defying gravity till they reached back up to the ledge. However, because the entire process of reaching the ledge took so long….in a last attempt to reach all five jumped towards the ledge and the consequence was Crayford managing to reach the ledge and everyone else grabbing on to him.

Claire climbed off Crayford first and then quickly grabbed Crayford’s hand. She then pulled the other four out. One after another, the four crawled out of the Abyss.

“Somehow…we made it…” Claire said as she panted.

The three warriors nodded in agreement – they had been pushed to their limits (with limiter on) trying to reach this ledge whilst free falling.

The previously clean faces of the warriors (all five) were nowhere to be seen. They were all covered in dirt and grime as though they have lived the life of moles.

Behind the dirt, the faces of all four men were red for various reasons owing to their compromising position (more like Claire’s compromising position) – however Claire did not take notice of that owing to her exhaustion. If she had taken notice, neither of them would be able to escape her wrath.

“Master this dungeon might be too difficult to complete with limiters on.” Claire complained.

Crayford nodded and then instructed. “Agreed. As of now, limiters maybe removed however limit your strength to 50% only. Things always get dangerous from the fifth floor, so if you need to use more force then do so at your own discretion.”

The limiters had originally limited their strength to 30% of their true strength. Now they were permitted to use an additional 20%. A single percentage increase was equivalent to a single percentage increase of all stats – that is how much more powerful they became. It would be considered a miracle that the five were able to escape the abyss with just 30% of their true power.

(FYI: 50% was what they had used against the third wave of orcs)

The four nodded in acceptance. They understood well from the fifth floor onwards, the true test of the dungeon began….

“Where do we go from here?” Claire asked as her exhaustion rapidly faded away thanks to the improvement in her stats.

However, she didn’t ask any further as she noticed the others were silently staring at something.

When Claire saw what the other four were staring at – she too was too shocked to utter a single word. They were already standing in front of their next destination – the Gatekeeper of the fifth floor.

***

Crayford and his party stared at the undead skeleton warrior. He was wearing ice armour and a massive ice sword by his side…His minions were ready with fire balls hovering in the air…

This was the final boss for this floor – killing him would enable his party to advance deeper into the dungeon…except for one problem….those fire balls weren’t meant for them….and this boss didn’t look like it was interested in fighting them.

“Oye, you idiots. I told you already go ahead. There is no need to fight me. I am not interested in fighting you.” Sora repeated as he rested comfortably on the lounge chair. The skeleton had what appeared to be a cocktail glass (made of ice) in one hand, meaty skewers in the other and a straw hat on his head to cover himself from the glare of the fireballs….it were almost as if the boss of this floor was sunbathing….

No it wasn't 'almost as if' .... He in fact 'was sunbathing'...the skeleton appeared to be "too carefree"...

Crayford's party was confused was this a trap or an illusion? The five ‘explorers’ stupidly stared at Sora with their mouths hanging wide open as Sora stuffed his mouth with meat.

Coming from bloody battles where the party had been hit by waves of organized mobs followed by floors filled with traps and then running in circles in a seemingly endless maze followed by finally nearly falling to their deaths – Crayford was certain there was nothing else this dungeon had that could surprise him. He was wrong.

This scene was too absurd more than absurd it was out of context. Would anyone expect a finding Gatekeeper ‘chilling out’ in a dungeon where people fight for their very lives?

It could be possibly the most absurd thing that Crayford had ever seen in his extremely long life.

This situation reminded Crayford of an experience he had in Royal Road.

***

Some time ago, when Royal Road had been released for six month or so....

“Teacher, is it alright to be frivolously having a picnic here?” Crayford asked as he looked at a man wearing a painted mask and dressed in casual clothes setting up a picnic spot in the middle of the forest. The mask covered the man’s eyes and nose but no more than that (it did have slits for the eyes and nose).

“Stop worrying about unnecessary things, Cray!” A woman could spoke out as she appeared jumping down from a tree. This woman was dressed in a mage like costume and she held on to a wooden mage staff as long as her.

“No…Oneechan, I am not worrying. It’s just that this is the Forest of the Dead. A friend of mine told me, the average monster level is around 240….”

“What is it? The hikikomori has problem?” A deep manly voice could be traced to a man wearing thick black armour appearing from the forest carrying a pile of wood. From his attire, anyone would be able to conclude this man was a knight / swordsman.

“Not you too…” Crayford swore as he looked at the man. “You are going to indulge the teacher as well?”

“Stop calling my brother a hikikomori!” The Onnechan cried out as she gave a flying kick to the man wearing thick battle armour. “Cray is no hikikomori!”

“What! He stays locked up in his room all day! That is a typical sign of a hikikomori!” The knight roared as he withdrew a massive sword from his back.

“Not this again!” Crayford cried out. “Teacher we must stop them!”

The masked young man who had been setting up the picnic spot looked up at Crayford and smiled and then resumed nonchalantly drinking his hot green tea.

“Teacher!” Crayford cried as he rushed to separate his sister and friend from hacking each other’s levels away.

“Oooh! A fight!” Another woman’s voice could be heard in the distance. “This is so not fair! While I do all the work, you guys go enjoy yourself.” Saying this much the second woman reveals two daggers and appears beside the Oneechan. She was dressed as a rogue.

“Vladamir, you have crossed the line today.” The Oneechan spoke to the knight as she held up her mage stick defending against the sword attack.

The man ignored her words and simply pulled the sword back and began shouting out on the top of his voice, “Hikikimori. Hikikimori. Hikikimori. Hikikimori.”

“Cray is no Hikikimori!” The Oneechan shouted back as she began preparing a high level spell to attack the bully whilst the rogue kept the knight (man) busy.

“Ani-oneechan! Marcille-oneechan! Please stop!” Crayford begged the two women to stop fighting. He was literally in tears. “I am really a hikikimori…so what Vladamir-san said isn’t wrong….”

Ani-oneechan (the mage), looked at her brother pitifully. “See what he did! He bullied you into believing you are a hikikimori…if there is one thing I have learnt from bullies Cray-chan, it is you must never let them have it their way! I am never going to forgive you now Vladamir!”

“No Onnechan….the only one who has yet to accept I am hikikimori is you…” Crayford feebly argued back.

“Heaven’s Descent!” Ani-Oneechan muttered.

White light crashed from the heavens, blowing away everything in the vicinity. The Forest of the Dead, rumbled as though it had been hit by a cataclysm.

*Huff*Huff*Huff*

When the wind from the attack stopped blowing and the dust settled, the five people could be seen again.

The four adventurers were breathing heavily. The Mage, the rogue, the knight and Crayford were panting heavily. That spell may have been too much.

Thankfully, a fourth person (a healer) seemed to have cast a powerful enough shield on everyone - the reason why they got away with only their clothes tearing into tatters and not losing their lives.

Meanwhile, the masked ‘Teacher’ finished drink his green tea - unperturbed by everything that happened here.

The cataclysmic attack, awoke a hidden beast from its deep slumber. First, the earth shook. Then birds began going crazy by chirping like crazy and then evacuating the forest in large droves and then finally, there was the large....

*ROAR*

Now a monstrous roar shook the earth. It sounded like a dinosaur or a T-REX, roaring out in anger.

The light creeping through the green tapestry of the forest suddenly dimmed out. Above the picnic, loomed a frightening dark shadow – a black dragon. Who dared to disturb its slumber?

The masked ‘Teacher’ happily put his tea cup away. “Shall we get started then?” He asked the others who were staring at the dragon in awe.

***

“I see, you wish to fight me even though I am providing you safe passage?” Sora asked as he noticed four of the five explorers withdrawing their weapons. Only Crayford was lost in thoughts somewhere.

“Shall we get started then?” Sora asked as got up and picked up his massive ice sword.