I choose [YES].
As the fragments of white dungeon mass collapse in on themselves, being dragged into the core and a very fast rate. I activate my Temporary Minion Perk, attempting to take control of the deceased Boss.
It takes a moment to activate as I enter a lower level. Just 20% under the max will be much easier to handle.
[Level 400]
Threads of white and pink light attach the black hole of mana to my fingertips.
Just like the times before when I used this skill, I begin to gain full control of the deceased creature’s body.
Even so, the swirling black core has already absorbed more than half of the floor in the dungeon.
We all float high above the ground as the swirling mass and light flash constantly below.
A few seconds pass, and I gain full control. My mind’s eye can see exactly what the Metal Warrior see’s as it stores dungeon mass in its core.
It seems it didn’t get to fully exploit this feature when we battled… but I’m curious to see how it works in the near future.
I could stop the chaos, but decide to keep up the show. Fisher and Lydia probably have enough questions already, there’s no need to give them any more.
Plus, absorbing every last white metal fragment may come in handy if I want to summon this creature again. I knew something felt off about this material, it’s not normal dungeon mass, but I can’t quite put my finger on what it is.
Our main mission is still to get to the top of this Labyrinth. Not much else matters right now, so it’s a question for another day.
Simultaneously, the blinding white transfer magic of the Boss Room activates, bringing the 3 of us up to floor 24.
“Item Storage.”
Not wanting to miss out on the potential loot of a ranked-up mutant boss like this, I place the bonded core into my item storage.
My mana threads snap and dissolve the moment it enters my pocket world. Then, the white transfer magic fades.
My black boots sink into the ground as the familiar sensation of hot sand under my feet and the glimmering rays of sunshine beat down overhead.
I take in a deep breath and the smell of salt water and fish fills my nose.
The crash of a nearby wave makes me raise my eyes to see an ocean in front of us for as far out onto the horizon as I can see.
I turn around to be surprised by the sight of an ocean off in that direction too.
To my left and right, the waves of a deep blue sea fill my vision once again.
Lush green palm trees grow high in the sky to give off a bit of shade, and smaller plant life grows below it.
We all relax knowing that the Boss Room fight is over, but I can’t help but realize the new problem we’re facing.
I whisper to myself.
“This is a desert island…”
Fisher replies with a laugh, pointing his blade into the deep blue water.
“Yeah, there’s more too. Plenty of islands for as far as the eye can see!”
He’s right.
There’s dozens of them way off in the distance, similar to the one we stand on now.
Every few hundred meters, a small golden desert island with a patch of palm trees pops up.
In between each of them, there’s deep blue water and calm rolling waves.
It’s a beautiful sight.
The only thing that bugs me is how silent it is. With rolling waves, golden sand, and lush green trees, It’s like this is a string of paradise islands.
A vacation resort even.
It’s a nice thought, but I know this isn’t true. We’re in a labyrinth.
Lydia turns to me as I activate my All-Seeing eye and search the dungeon for a Boss Room portal.
“We’ve already spent nearly 3 hours climbing, there isn’t any more time to waste.”
I nod, locating the Boss Room’s precise resting point as the white-haired mage speaks again.
“We should get moving, now.”
I nod, pointing my gaze off into the distance past the countless islands.
She summons ice and jumps into the air, motioning for me to follow.
Meanwhile, much closer to us, the sea nearby begins to bubble and swell.
The water of the shoreline rises, making me snap out of my dungeon scanning process and air-step upwards to avoid the incoming flow of water.
Lydia and I float about 10 meters off the ground, but the water mage stays down below letting the crashing waves hit his ankles.
Fisher yells as he backs up toward the exit portal.
“I got this, you two keep climbing! Guard duty is up to me!”
My Appraisal and Inspect skills pick up the reading of the creature that’s causing this ocean swell.
_______________
[Lv. 504]
Active Items:
[Shell Armor of The Island Crab] +2750 Defense
Active Skills:
Body Hardening [Special Grade]
_______________
The sand caves in and the water explodes into the air to come crashing down flooding the entire island as an enormous red and orange crab bursts out from the ocean floor.
It’s a newly Ranked-Up Monster.
Its long clawed arms and legs grip the sandy shore of the island pulling it forward as Lydia and I float Higher into the air upon Fisher’s request.
Looking the crab up and down, I can tell its deadly. The monster’s defenses and shielding are much more powerful than the base-level Metal Warriors on the floor below, but it’s decided to play in the water.
This is Fisher’s element.
I grin as I watch the blue-haired swordsman glow bright and the water that floods the island begins to rise into the air and surround him.
It spins and blends with his glowing magic, creating a whirlpool of energy to form in the air around his body and sword.
A bright flash of light and the twang of mana on mana clashing fills the entire island as we leave the two to have their duel.
Stepping on air and Ice Lydia and I, the final duo, run off to find the Boss Room Portal.
Meanwhile, pincers fly and shells are cracked.
I sense the crab’s level reading disappear on my radar before we even make it to the next island.
He took the ranked-up crab out in under 3 hits.
I smirk, turning back around, now fully confident in the water mage’s abilities to see a stern look on Lydia’s face.
“What’s wrong?”
She pauses as we continue to run through the air on platforms of ice and wind just 30 meters or so over the open ocean. The woman doesn’t respond until we pass the first island.
“Nothing. This is all just new territory for me. I haven’t trained in many dungeons more powerful than this. We could be walking right into a death sentence for all I know.”
I nod, sensing another massive crab break through the ocean floor below us, but ignore it.
“One dungeon at a time. We’ll face the 25th Floor and see who is most capable of moving on. I just hope it’s me… I’m looking forward to a good fight.”
I smirk and push off the air while activating my stat-boosting skills to move even faster.
She responds, with a light blue pulse of her own as we speed up towards the back of the dungeon.
She responds.
“You’re right. One dungeon at a time…”