Chapter 101: The Dungeon Boss Challenge

Qiu Nuoya could not help noticing that Warren was being more or less ignored, but surprisingly, Viktor did not object.

Igor looked between Qiu Nuoya and Warren and asked, "So, what do you think?"

They had come here without knowing anything about the test beforehand, but this was certainly an interesting opportunity.

"I’m fine with it, but what about Nuoya?"

"Um... If I happen to be in danger of being defeated, will you help me?"

"Of course. Here at the Dungeon Castle, adventurers are treated as our guests up to the twentieth floor. We operate under the motto of safety and security, so you can rest assured that we will assist you if necessary."

It’s all about business with these people!

Still, with how thoroughly they handled everything, Qiu Nuoya actually felt quite reassured.

If an accident occurred, it would be terrible for their business, so they would probably go all out to help him.

"In that case, I’ll do it." Qiu Nuoya nodded and Rogue immediately began explaining the test.

The dungeon boss on this floor was a Skeleton Knight. Several Ghouls would also appear at the same time.

The rules were extremely simple.

Qiu Nuoya simply had to defeat all of them to pass the test.

"That should be easy."

For some reason, Viktor seemed completely confident that Qiu Nuoya would pass, despite the fact that Qiu Nuoya was the one actually taking the test.

Qiu Nuoya had encountered several Ghouls while walking through the dungeon, so he felt he could probably handle those. However, he had never fought a Skeleton Knight before.

Being overestimated like this made Qiu Nuoya a little uncomfortable.

"However..."

After he said that, Viktor leaned down and brought his lips close to Qiu Nuoya’s ear.

Qiu Nuoya’s body stiffened in surprise at the sudden movement.

"The Skeleton Knight can be defeated with a single hit from your healing magic, Nuoya, but it would probably be better not to use it this time."

"Really?" Qiu Nuoya was surprised that he could defeat it in a single hit, but he was also puzzled by Viktor’s advice not to use it.

"That man named Rogue is not an ordinary person. Even I cannot find the slightest opening in his defenses. He is probably not a merchant, but a high-ranking adventurer. Very few adventurers can use holy magic. If he takes an interest in you, it could become troublesome."

What!?

Qiu Nuoya was bewildered.

He had never imagined that Rogue, who looked exactly like an ordinary merchant, could be someone like that.

Rogue was still standing there with his friendly, businesslike smile, looking every bit like a cheerful merchant.

He’s really an adventurer?

Still, Viktor was a Rank A adventurer, so his judgment was probably highly reliable.

"Undead monsters can also be dealt with using fire magic, so let’s defeat it that way this time."

Whoa, is this a challenge run!?

Qiu Nuoya’s fire magic consisted of little more than Fireball and the Flame Thrower spell Viktor had taught him along the way. He had not even completely mastered those yet!

"I’m starting to lose confidence..."

"What are you talking about? As your master, I would never let you take on a challenge you could not win. I allowed you to do this because I know you can handle it, Nuoya. Have confidence in yourself and go give it your best."

"Y-Yeah. I’ll do my best."

While Qiu Nuoya and Viktor were talking, Igor was speaking to Warren nearby. Throughout their journey, while Qiu Nuoya had been learning magic from Viktor, Igor had taken on a similar role as Warren’s mentor, teaching him various combat techniques.

Warren had not abandoned his swordsmanship, so he primarily fought with his sword. However, he had also incorporated hand-to-hand combat and a small amount of magic into his fighting style, giving him far more variety than when they had first met.

Apparently, Warren had also received some advice from Igor. He clenched his fist, nodded, and then asked Quu Nuoya, "Can I go first?"

Qiu Nuoya nodded in response.

"So the two older gentlemen are the children’s guardians? You both appear to be fairly high-ranking adventurers. Are you interested in challenging the dungeon yourselves?"

"I’m only accompanying my disciple so that he can improve his skills. That will depend on how much my disciple grows." As usual, Viktor gave Rogue a blunt answer.

"Haha. If I have the time, I’d like to give it a try. They still haven’t found the dungeon core, have they?"

"No, they haven’t. The dungeon continues to grow larger, and managing it has become quite difficult. We certainly do not want it to expand any further, so please consider challenging it. It would help suppress the dungeon’s growth."

I had always thought these people were incredibly business-minded, turning absolutely everything into a business. However, it seemed that the dungeon’s expansion was giving them plenty of headaches as well, and Rogue said so with a troubled smile.

Challenging the dungeon, huh?

If Qiu Nuoya remembered correctly, it currently had fifty floors. It seemed like they still had a long way to go.

"Oh, the door has opened. Please proceed inside."

Urged on by Rogue, Qiu Nuoya and the others peered through the doorway.

Beyond it was a vast area that looked almost like a large arena.

"Wow, the ceiling is so high!"

As Qiu Nuoya looked up at the ceiling of the arena, Viktor explained, "This is also one of the dungeon’s characteristics. The inside of a dungeon is connected to a special alternate space, so it is much larger than it appears."

The ceiling certainly was incredibly high. If every floor were this tall, it would be impossible to know how many thousands of meters underground they were currently.

And if the dungeon had fifty floors, the total depth would be absurd.

However, if each floor was connected to its own alternate space, it made sense that the dungeon could be this large and that the environment could change from one floor to another.