I ran away the moment that... thing started to float toward me. I mean, who wouldn't? It's a vengeful ghost just from its appearance. And then there's what it did to that snake monster. I'm not getting close to that thing!

So yeah, I'm running. I have to. Because this stupid [Lurk] skill doesn't seem to work! I've been using it all this time, but it's coming at me like a homing missile!

I ran into tunnels, quickly climbed up the walls, and dashed through open roads, but I never shook that thing off my trail! Seriously, work for me here, [Lurk]! Even doing a Tarzan swing with my threads didn't work! What's with this thing! Scary, scary, scary, scary...

Ack! Rats! Get out the way! Don't you guys see the freak right behind me!? Wait, this is a chance!

I ran towards the rats with the ghost behind me. The rats didn't notice me, probably 'cause of my stealth skills (work on the guy behind me, not only the trash!), but they could see the ghost. They stiffened up a sec out of fright, but they tried to escape right after that. Something I didn't allow, as I threw some mini-web bombs at their feet, gluing them to the place.

I passed the rats, and just as I hoped, the ghost stopped to kill the rats first. Now I've got the time to-

*Pop*

-to... to... escape? Wait, not even a sec!? The ghost simply stabbed the rat with its long, pointy skeleton hands, and the rat burst like a water balloon! The other five rats that saw this turned hysteric, but the ghost simply went to pop the next guy, er, rat.

*Pop*

These rats can't even be used as a good distraction! Even if I ran away now, I won't get the lead I need to flee this fiend. Ah, that was kinda good.

*Pop*

NO TIME FOR JOKES! But only running around won't help me! This thing's 1.1 times faster than me, and it doesn't look like this guy knows the meaning of the word "exhaustion".

*Pop*

Crap, crap, crap! K-N! Give me a good idea, NOW!!

Acknowledge. Usage of [Aura of Darkness] is a good start, but direct contact with the Dread Spirit chasing you is not recommended. Use [Darkness Bullet] to launch long-range Aura attacks at the Spirit.

Great idea! ...but how!

*Pop*

Crap, no more pow-pow time. Please work, please work, PLEASE WORK!

I let the [Aura of Darkness] kick in as the ghosty guy charged at me and tried to use the aura to fire a [Darkness Bullet]. I used the image of how the [Web Bomb] skill worked and imagined the aura swirling around into a sphere. And lady luck is giving me her attention today. It worked! FIRE!!

The way-more-evil-looking-than-normal [Darkness Bullet] hit the ghost right in his solar plexus if he has one, you know. But he's still standing! Do you want a shootout? Then a shootout it is, you practice dummy!

Rapidly, I produced as many of these "aura bullets" as possible and fired them at the ghost. And honestly, there weren't that many of them. I don't have enough MP for such tricky and expensive maneuvers. I could only manage 6-7 of them.

But yet again, lady luck is my ally. As I collapsed after the seventh bullet due to..., I don't know, mana exhaustion? In any case, the ghost broke into pieces from the last bullet and disintegrated into nothing. Go me!

SYSTEM MESSAGE:

Karma Value has decreased.

Acquired title: [Dread Spirit Slayer]

Acquired skill: [Mana Lv.1].

And I take that as being safe for now. Hahahaha..., that was too scary.

I couldn't do anything except for collapsing on the spot, listlessly laughing and crying, as if my soul had completely broken. Again, that was WAY too scary!

---

Alright. I'm back to normal. And having left the scene of the crime before any new monsters came to take a look at what was going on with all the popping from before.

Even so, I needed two days to recover from the shock. But don't judge me. I was just a few millimeters from dying in the worst way possible. Speaking of which, I need to give the rats a prayer. Thank you, meat shields.

Now then, the question is, what the heck was that!? I got some title called... "Dread Spirit Slayer"? Then the "ghost" must have been something like a "Dread Spirit". Wait, K-N did mention that before. Give me the info, tome.

Answer. As you wish. The Dread Spirit is essentially the aether of dead individual(s) who have refused to pass on and are still wandering the earth without its body and soul.

...so, it's sorta like a ghost? Or is the ghost what the soul turns into when you're dead and this Dread Spirit is the "supernatural abilities" that's been left behind and is somehow moving around with a grudge? Through having a grudge?

Answer. That is correct.

...well, if "aether" or whatever can be used as skills that let me shoot bullets made out of darkness, I guess it could go that way as well.

And didn't I kill just one of those guys? Why am I getting a title all of a sudden?

Answer. Dread Spirits are such a threat that the World System is more round-handed regarding rewards for their subjugation.

Works for me. I always wanted the MP-up skill.

Now then, where was I before being scared half to death? ...the 2nd floor and its quest. But I'm not going any deeper than to the 3rd floor. That "spirit" looked like those ghosts that attacked the lake serpent on the last floor. And the "abyss" on the 6th one. Maybe it's my Magic Eyes that are telling me that. But whatever. 3rd floor's the charm or something like that.

---

After dodging some snake patrols, I finally reached the path leading to the sauna floor. Wonder why those guys are so up and armed anyway? Don't tell me another Spirit is walking around..., floating around here.

Or maybe not. From these tracks on the ground, it seems to be..., a tank? There are caterpillar trails on the ground that goes to the 2nd floor. This place didn't have machinery, did it? ...no way. If there was, I'd noticed it. I was a city girl in my previous life. That's for certain.

Then I'd guess whatever made these tracks must have arrived from the outside. Did the adventurers from before spilling the beans about this place?

Whatever the case, I'm going in. It's too risky trying to get past the on-duty snake patrols right now anyway. I'll just have to be on the lookout myself for any magical tanks.

...hoooot. Damn hot. Steaming hot. This stupid floor's too humid. Not to mention I can't use my threads to their full potential here. They're either too soggy for anything.

Ugh, let's skip the quest on this floor and hope the one on the 3rd floor is any better. K-N, what is the quest on this floor anyway?

Answer. Here are the quest details:

Quest: Cutting the Water-Knot, Part 2 Quest giver: World System Administration Quest Description:

Now that the stealth barrier disrupting our entrance to the Dungeon is gone, it is time to make havoc!

It's "Search & Destroy"! The 2nd floor of the "Water-Knot of Glavras" acts as a large boiler for all the water the Dungeon has stolen from the outside world. Crush the place to hamper the plans of the devious snake that threatens the whole world.

Quest Content: Find and crush the "Grand Boiler" located on the 2nd floor of the "Water-Knot of Glavras" Dungeon 0/1 Rewards: Skill: [Water Resistance] (participation prize) AP: 5.0.

...threatens the world? This place?

Answer. It seems that this Dungeon is harvesting all the water that should have been outside the Dungeon's directory.

...that sounds weird. Guess I could give..., or not. I don't have the muscles for such power work. And even if they're called "web bombs", they do not go ka-boom. I'll give up on this. But the 3rd floor's quest is still active even if I skip this one, right?

Answer. That is correct. Do you wish to see the 3rd floor's quest details?

Hit me, baby!

Quest: Cutting the Water-Knot, Part 3 Quest giver: World System Administration Quest Description:

Now that the stealth barrier disrupting our entrance to the Dungeon is gone, it is time to make havoc!

The Filter Mangroves on the 3rd floor of the "Water-Knot of Glavras" Dungeon are filtering the stolen water before transporting it further down the Dungeon. Destroy those trees and put a stop to the devilish snake's plans. Whatever they are.

Quest Content: Cut down the "Filter Mangroves" located on the 2nd floor of the "Water-Knot of Glavras" Dungeon 0/22 Rewards: Skill: [Dreamlike Form] (participation prize) Item: "Lusalki's Selected Potion-Set" (MVP prize)

Hmm...I guess I do have "cutting" threads. I could give it a try.

But first, I gotta clear this stupid-hot tunnel! How can anyone even live down here?

...you know what? They can. Or so says my [Detect Monster] skill. And it's pointing at two suspicious-looking rocks.

The turtles. Ooooh, I remember those guys. Trying to trick you by acting as rocks, then getting the bite out of you. They're the first monsters I've ever seen..., except myself, the lake snake, and that haunt of Dread Spirits.

In any case, I remember those jerks. And they're blocking the path deeper into the Dungeon. Tch. Lousy turtles. Go and find some pizza shop to raid instead! Wait, that's only for the mutated kind.

Tch. Guess even the 2nd floor's off-limit for me then. Is it the mecha-guys that presumably went past here? If the snakes are all freaking out by them, it wouldn't be strange if the turtles here are in the same situation.

So..., how do I sneak past them? I mean, fighting them head-on is more than impossible. That rock shell is too hard for me to break, and the moment they try to bite me..., is the moment they're vulnerable. Heck, I could just use a web bomb and glue their mouths shut. While they're busy getting their mouths clean...

Ah, who am I kidding? I'd need some real bombs if I wanted to get past those guys. Or, that's what my trauma's telling me. ...which isn't such a bad idea at all.

I did a quick search of the local flora in this tunnel and finally found what I was looking for. Those bomb fruits the Kigal-Note warned me about on the 9th floor, all the way back when I was first looking for stuff to eat for the first time. Please let there be some with long stalks...

Found some! Okay, now to get those bastards' mouths open..., hello there, mister rat. I got a job for you. [Web Bomb]!

"Squeak!" - Rat

Normally, I hate that these guys are to be found everywhere in this Dungeon, but I'll make an exception for today.

I hauled the trapped rat..., ugh. He's heavy..., gotta...throw...him...to the...beasts...YARGH!

*Splatt*

The rat landed right in the middle of the two beasts, who weren't shy in attacking the rodent. Wasting no time, I cut the stalks of the bomb fruits I'd prepared and threw them with a sling-slot-like thread at their unprotected heads. The sticky webs I'd added on the bombs before cutting them off adhered the fruits to the turtles' skulls, and...

*BOOM!*

Wow..., that was more violent than I expected. Who said that fruits were good for your body? Just look at the turtles! Getting blasted sky-high is NOT good for you!

SYSTEM MESSAGE:

Your level has increased. You have gone from Lv.1 to Lv.4.

You have earned a total of 0.6 Aether Points.

Due to the Blessing: "Champion of Alvatria", an additional 0.6 Aether Points were earned.

You have acquired the title: [Merciless].

Acquired skill: [Sadistic Constitution Lv.1].

Acquired skill: [Heretic Magic Lv.1].

But level-ups are awesome. Wo-hoo!

---

Back on the 1st floor:

"Captain! I heard something like an explosion further inside!"

"Are there Gunpowder attribute monsters here too or something?"

"No, captain. This sounded more like the noise characteristic to the Badaboomb fruits."

"Did some idiot trip on them or something? Monsters are instinctively staying away from those little devils, aren't they?"

"Which means we are either hearing the last remains of a foolish monster...or our perpetrator. After the boom, guys!"

"Sure. All these cobra-like monsters aren't enough to make me sweat anyway. Let's get that bomb terrorist!"