On the next day, a large army of Sahuagins and raptor monsters, spearheaded by a trio consisting of the blade-dino Virt and his two friends, an ankylosaurus-looking monster, and a raptor-looking monster with lots of feathers on their body, walked toward the center of the floor.

From the opposite side, I could see an unruly bunch of Glavras-type monsters led by a gigantic T-Rex and an even bigger tortoise with multiple snake-like heads coming out of its head. Those must be the rumored C-rank Glavras monsters. They look terrifying even from this distance...

"They're going at it," I told Gust as I packed away the binoculars that the Sahuagins had given me.

"I can't see the Sahuagins!" shouted Gust. Considering we're around 8/10th on the path from the Sahuagin fort to the spider tower, it's not that surprising.

"Let's go." - Garami

"Yes, yes. But you got to feel sorry for the Glavras monsters. They're checkmated however things end up." - Gust

Yeah. The Sahuagin army is armed with 200+ barrels filled with poison. The goal for today's battle is to launch those barrels into the C-rank bosses, trying to take them out once and for all. The Sahuagins have taken all their war power with them today. Things are gonna be hectic down there.

Meanwhile, while the rest of the Glavras army is mustering all they have to counteract the full force of the fully recovered Sahuagins, Gust and I are sneaking around to the tower where the Queen's hiding. She's the main reason why the Glavras army, whose low tactical abilities resulted in many casualties on their side, has managed to fight for so long.

...I guess the brainiac snake boss that's currently hiding on the 6th floor also helped the Glavras army while he was working with them. It was around the time when he was scared to the 7th floor by the ghost knight that Virt's two friends got hurt so badly that they needed my medicines.

While keeping a low profile, Gust and I went the last stretch toward the tower. The monsters are too busy with their march to notice us, but it's best not to be cocky.

"...craaaaap..." - Garami

When we arrived at the tower, we saw something really unfortunate. A bunch of gigantic spiders, "General Aquarects", were guarding the upper levels. Six of them, to be exact. I can see them all very clearly, even when the closest spider is still quite the distance from us.

Those guards are protecting the tower from a different direction. If one of them is attacked, the others will be warned and storm to the rescue. 6 D-ranks in a row is gonna be tough. Probably even with the new toy I have, even when taking the support skill for it into account. The new skill I bought this morning (it would be a waste not to since it's gonna get some free levels soon, hopefully) won't be of much help either. Its current level is too low.

Still...

"Isn't just six guards a little too weak for being a security?" - Garami

"Actually, why aren't these guys among the troops? Using strong monsters as guards is a good idea when they don't have anything else to do, but now there's a full-blown war going on." - Gust

Hmm? Hey, the bird's right. Did we leave behind some clues last time? ...no, I doubt it. Then what...

"It is likely that the Glavras Ophagus had taught the other Glavras monsters the strategy of assaulting an enemy's HQ through a diversion. However, the bestial minds of the other Glavras monsters must have interpreted it as "use guards only when you're the most vulnerable" and not "be on guard at any given moment"." - ???

"Oh, good deduction, Garami." - Gust

"...that wasn't me." - Garami

"I was hoping it was..." - Gust

Gust and I turned around stiffly and found...huh? What's this?

"...?" - ???

"......who are you?" - Gust & Garami

"*Shock*-!!" - ???

Rather, what is this? A fairy? She's dressed in some gothic dress with fur ends, black and grey. Quite tasteful, especially when combined with the fairy's silver-grey hair and jade-colored eyes. She's so small that she could fit in the palm of my hand, and her dragonfly-like wings keep her silently afloat.

No way this could be another Glavras monster who's evolved in a strange way

"Master! Please don't say stuff like that!" - ???

Master? She's...not talking to Gust. Rather, it feels like she hasn't even registered that he's there. Meaning she's talking to me. Where did this fairy hit her head to believe I am...

"You're the avatar?" - Garami

"Yes! The newly synchronized and better-than-ever assistant of the Darkness Champion, Garami's [Gamemaster]! Ready to aid your quest of dark conquest however you like~!" said the fairy, the avatar of the [Gamemaster] skill that should have been linking with the Kigal-Note.

"...then crush this Dungeon." - Garami

"You know that's impossible!!" - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

What a useless servant I've gotten...

"Hey, is this that floating ball of light from when we first arrived?" - Gust

"Has to be. It said the linking would take 2.5 days." - Garami

I mean, I can instinctively feel that this fairy is the avatar, now that I've put my mind to it.

"Oh, that's now..." - Gust

Yup. I hadn't forgotten about it, but with the two armies and everything that'd happened between them and us, the priority of the skill and the Kigal-Note's linking fell on my mental list.

"Master, even I can be angry at this." - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

"Yeah, yeah. But why do you have that appearance?" - Garami

Gust wasn't wrong. The avatar was just a flying lightbulb before, but now it's a pretty gothic fairy. Not that I'm complaining. Rather, I wanna thank them. Congratulate them. Salute them! Worship them!! Or is it wrong for demons to worship something?

"During the synchronization phase, an outside force downloaded an appearance package to the skill with 0 increase to the total processing time." - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

"An outside force?" - Garami

"Yes. There is no info about who, but it is for certain that they are part of the World System administrators. They seemed to use a design from something called the "AD-files", but I have no idea what those are." - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

In other words, this is done by this world's pantheon. Better not look a gift horse in the mouth. I'm curious what those "AD-files" are, but that seems out of my power.

"In that case, here's your first official job." - Garami

"Yes, ma'am!" - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

She's gotten her personality updated as well, hasn't she?

"We need to get around that guy and get to that tower." - Garami

"...that is one big spider. Why do you need to reach that building?" - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

"Dumping dangerous goods." - Garami

"Hey! Wording!" - Gust

"That's illegal. Dumping dangerous goods." - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

"It's poison. Enough to kill the creature inside that tower...I hope." - Garami

"Okay. But there's not enough data, so I'll go and take a look." - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

"H-hey! Wait!" - Garami

I tried to stop the fairy avatar, but she was too quick. Before I could catch her, she...went to the edge of the cliff without being noticed by the spider and flew down. Later, I could see her flying up the tower, peeking into the window there, and returning the same way she took.

"Yes, four, no, five of the barrels stored in the [Spatial Storage] skill would be enough. The Glavras-type creatures are weak to "pollution", so poison-" - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

"Hold on, what did you just do?" - Garami

"Hmm? What are you referring to?" - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

"She's talking about how you entered that tower! Have you ever heard about the word "risks"!? They're not supposed to be taken lightly!" - Gust

"So you were talking about that part. But I figured it would be okay. Spiders' necks cannot look above them, so even if there were guards placed on the ground level, they would not see me if I keep myself close to the cliff." - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

"Well...that's true, but..." - Gust

The fairy made the bird shut up by only using logic. ...this is a good skill I've gotten. Praise be the author of those "AD-files". I really wanna meet them now.

Following the avatar's example, I sneakily went down the cliff edge and climbed over to the tower that way without letting the spider guards notice me. There are a few...and I really mean, just a FEW monsters down there. They don't know the meaning of "keeping guard" at all.

But thanks to my skills, like [Sticky Limbs], I managed to climb around the guard and reach the tower thanks to some additional help from my webbing. I was this close to releasing a Tarzan roar, but I managed to keep it in. Good job withstanding that, me.

And I'm finally inside the tower. The queen is...doing its stuff like always. Bleagh.

How many barrels was it the fairy suggested...? Oh, right. Five barrels, ready for illegal dumping~~.

Before the poison could reach the lowest floor and the queen, I jumped out of the window and started to climb back to where Gust and the fairy were still hiding. After I gave them a silent greeting, we fled like rats out of there.

Around the time when we couldn't see the tower anymore, a message appeared in front of me.

SYSTEM the MESSAGE:

Your level has increased. You have gone from Lv.3 to Lv.8.

You have earned a total of 3.0 Aether Points.

Due to the Blessing: "Champion of Alvatria", an additional 3.0 Aether Points were earned.

One of the objectives for the quest: [Cutting the Water-Knot, Part 7] has been cleared. Granting rewards...

All skills have their skill levels increased by 5.

So the spider did die. Not that I'm gonna stop here. Pursuers can already be on our tail for all we know. RUN LIKE THE WIND!!

---

*Gasp, gasp*...

"Master, you are out of shape." - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

"I'm forced to agree with her here." - Gust

Shut up...damn flying bastards...I'm the only one who's been running here...my legs...are killing me...

As for now...we're at the entrance to the 8th floor. That should be far enough. Even if those spiders did follow us, they should have given up by now.

"...hey, I only got 5 levels after killing that queen," I told the fairy, the one who should have all the info at hand.

"That must be because the queen, while still a C-rank creature, did not own any notable combat capabilities outside its ability to breed spider soldiers." - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

Are you serious? That sucks. For me...

"...geh!" - Gust

"What now!?" - Garami

I turned around to where Gust was looking, the same direction we'd just run away from, and saw a dust cloud coming closer and closer. Isn't that...

"That appears to be the Glavras General Aquarects from before. And more of them seem to be following it." - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

I was afraid of that. Better take out that secret weapon, and maybe also the ghost knight's greatsword-

"There is no reason to panic." - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

"Says you!" - Gust

"Just wait for 4..., 3..., 2..., 1..., now!" - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

And with that...all the noise disappeared from the floor. Only a vague echo remained...

"...huh?" - Garami

"Hmm? That is weird..." - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

"...where did..." - Garami

There is nobody here. Not the spiders that were approaching, the far sounds of the battle between the Sahuagins, or even Gust, who should have been right beside me.

"It seems that they were evacuated by the World System." - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

"E-..., evacuated?" - Garami

"Yes. The System finally managed to break through the protection wall the Dungeon had placed on itself. They are sending every living creature, from the Sahuagins to the Glavras monsters to the random cannon fooders to that bird, out of the Dungeon. Maybe the death of the Glavras Queen Aquarect and the Glavras Rexus was the cause? Or maybe it is because the Dungeon is collapsing now that made it possible?" - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

...okay, it's good. They seem to be fine...I'm fine...everything is fine... did she say "collapsing"?

"Hey, why aren't we evacuating?" I asked the fairy. Strangely, everyone else is getting out but me.

"...it seems that our rescue is being delayed on the order of a certain person..." - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

"Who did that!" - Garami

"...your patron goddess..." - Avatar of [Gamemaster]

...my what?