ALL NOVEL Chapter 65(3/3): Dungeon Soul
Nekra giggled. Suddenly, the hologram filled the area with clouds, revealing a large floating platform resembling a pier. A magnificent ship, reminiscent of the RLS Legacy from Treasure Planet, floated majestically in the display. The vessel had a sleek, wooden hull with ornate details, large solar sails billowing out majestically, and intricate rigging. The masts were adorned with glowing, celestial lights, and the entire ship seemed to hum with an otherworldly energy.
Yuki's jaw dropped, her eyes widening in disbelief. Her tails, which had sagged moments before, now stood completely rigid. She blinked several times as if trying to process what she was seeing. Finally, she found her voice.
"You... you built a spaceship?" Yuki stammered, her tone a mix of awe and incredulity.
“You should look around the floor, Yuki dear,” Nekra responded with a smile.
Yuki focused on the hologram, feeling her stomach drop.
“Nekra, where is the floor and roof? How did they get there?” Yuki asked, her voice trembling.
“Anyway, this is floor 8, where daring adventurers must protect their ship from wave after wave of enemies,” Nekra answered, not addressing Yuki's question at all. “You appear on an aircraft runway with a steampunk zeppelin plane thing. It has to be defended before it can take off on a set route. Defend the airship and don’t let it take too much damage.”
Yuki blinked, still processing the sight before her. “Monsters come in waves, right?”
Nekra nodded enthusiastically. “Correct! Here’s the breakdown:
Wave 1: Three Legiana.
Wave 2: Two Legiana and two Shrieking Legiana.
Wave 3: Three Rathalos and two Azure Rathalos.
Wave 4: Three Azure Rathalos and one Bazelgeuse.
Wave 5: Two Bazelgeuse and one Seething Bazelgeuse.
Wave 6: Velkhana.
Wave 7: Kushala Daora.
Wave 8: Golden Rathian.
Wave 9: Silver Rathalos.
Wave 10: Coup d'état – Silver Rathalos and Golden Rathian.
The ship takes off after the tenth wave, and you arrive at level 9 the air stage in the ship.”
Nekra’s excitement was infectious . “Once the airship takes off, you board it, make your way to the deck, and continue the defense. The airship is outfitted with cannons, ballistae, and a gong. Monsters will fly at the airship from above. This section is split into five specific events.”
Yuki's eyes widened further. “Five events?”
Nekra nodded, her ears twitching with excitement. “Yes, let me explain:
- Storm Ahead: The airship heads into a massive storm cloud and is beset on all sides by storm spirits. This section tests the perception of challengers and their ability to both detect threats amidst the storm and hit said threats.
- Cloud Plain Panic: At the end of the storm event, the ship will breach the top of the cloud layer. A light shower will ensue, refracting sunlight through the raindrops. Here, challengers face crab hybrids that shoot invisible bubbles of high-pressure air. These bubbles refract light perfectly, in an event I like to call bullet hell.” Nekra’s laugher after that final comment caused Yuki to worry a bit.
“Anyways 3. Fear Incarnate: After defeating a few of the hybrids, the sky will become cloudy. A Gore Magala plunges from above, instantly enraged, tinting the surroundings dark grey. The challengers will be highly pressured to kill it quickly as it slams into the ship frequently, damaging it.
- A Royal Procession: The ship rises to about 15 feet below the second layer of clouds. A chariot pulled by two Kirin charges at the challengers at high speed. This event tests their reaction time, preparation skills, and ability to take the loss of at least a single person if caught unawares.
- High Holy Dragon: The ship breaks through the clouds, revealing a massive expanse of clouds with a wrecked starship on it. Amatsumagatsuchi breaches the clouds and guards the island. This is the ultimate test for challengers as they try to invade the dragon's domain for their goal. The door to the next level is on the crashed starship in the clouds.”
Yuki let out a long sigh, her shoulders slumping. “This sounds... insane?”
Nekra beamed with pride. “It’s going to be epic! ”
Yuki took a deep breath, nodding slowly. “I… I guess? But, Nekra, what about the tenthfloor?”
Nekra’s grin widened, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Oh, you’ll see. I know Safi happens to love it.”
Yuki's tails drooped in exhaustion. “I’m almost afraid to ask.”
Nekra chuckled. “Alright, alright. I’ll tell you. The tenth floor is a futuristic realm filled with factories that seem to be working tirelessly, yet not a single soul is seen around.”
Yuki's ears perked up slightly, curiosity piqued. “Factories? What kind of factories?”
Nekra nodded. “The entire floor is dominated by massive, automated factories churning out advanced Robotic golems like no tomorrow . You'll encounter various types of robotic enemies due to that.”
“Like what?” Yuki asked, intrigued despite her weariness.
Nekra continued, “Firstly, there are the Automaton Androids(Literally YORHA) sleek and agile, designed for quick and precise attacks. Then you’ll face Robotic Golem Knights(An army of the first boss Nekra ever made), heavily armored and strong, serving as the frontline defenders of the factories. Lastly, there are the Standard Silhouette Knights(The god damn mecha from Knights and magic piloted by the YORHA androids), a versatile class of combat mech suits that can adapt to various fighting styles.”
“Nekra… Is this made to fight a demon lord?” Yuki asks
“I wanted older sister Milim to be able to have fun too.” Nekra responds with a smile
“And the Boss is Safi? Nekra no normal human would be able to complete this.” Yuki states
“I think Rimuru would have fun though.” Nekra responds with a smile.
“...”
“...”
“Uh, Nekra did you ever see Rimuru since you decimated the army coming to invade?” Yuki asks
“Uh, Nyo?” Nekra asks
“We should probably pop out and say hi.” Yuki states.
“That would be a good idea nya.” Nekra states
Yuki squints at her beloved master. “Why do you keep saying Nya? I thought you didnt have to?”
“Its fun.” Nekra states blandly.
