The dwarf laughed heartily, as though the victory was already theirs.

After chuckling, he looked Vera up and down, then glanced toward the two sisters waiting not far away.

“You made it to this floor—you must have some skills. Silver rank?”

Vera nodded, already guessing where this was headed.

“Well then, want to join us?

That Black Shroom’s scales are rare stuff. Not to mention, there’s a bounty on it.

Once we finish, the four gold-rankers get half the spoils, the rest split among the silver ranks.

No way you’ll lose out!”

“I can’t decide on my own. I’ll have to discuss with my teammates.” Vera smiled.

The dwarf nodded, understanding. He hadn’t expected much—whether Vera joined or not didn’t matter.

Back with the sisters, Vera repeated what he’d learned.

“What do you think?”

Filin was incredulous. “How could there be a monster on the fifth floor even gold ranks can’t beat?”

“Maybe… a floor boss,” Fiyin said quietly.

The so-called “floor bosses” were unique monsters stronger than the floor’s norm—like the old bat.

It wasn’t an official term, since not every floor had them, but each was a special case.

“I think it’s unnecessary,” Filin said firmly. “We don’t know that Black Shroom.

If even gold ranks can’t handle it, then it’s dangerous. No need to go looking for trouble.”

Their real goal was the sixth floor—to gather paralysis sap from flower spirits.

Most of it would go toward quests, with a portion reserved for Fiyin’s crafting.

She nodded in agreement with her sister.

Vera wasn’t surprised. He felt the same.

He politely declined the dwarf’s offer, and the three slipped away before nightfall, heading toward the sixth floor.

They waved farewell on their way out.

Vera didn’t know this was the last time he’d ever see that party.

——

A glow of magic lit one corner of the Mushroom Garden.

A large group of adventurers had surrounded a massive black blob.

Boom!

A mushroom fist sent a man flying. He landed with both arms broken, screaming in agony.

But the others pressed on unfazed.

While the Black Shroom’s punch had created an opening, two shieldbearers charged in, trying to pin her down with skills.

She slammed one aside with her shoulder, gaining space again.

The adventurers regrouped and pressed in steadily.

When she tried to retreat, ice walls rose behind her.

It looked like she was trapped.

But the problem was Lin Jun.

He had noticed the adventurers resting on the stairwell earlier, but didn’t know their purpose.

Since they’d stayed quiet, he shifted most of his attention elsewhere.

Only when battle erupted in the Mushroom Garden did he realize they were fighting Gray.

Completely beyond his expectations.

What were these humans thinking?

He had spent so long teaching Gray not to attack humans.

She’d only recently developed a little hoarding habit, easily placated with empty bottles.

Now, people had come knocking on her den to die?

One or two dying was normal for the dungeon.

But twenty-two of them?

And four gold ranks?

If they all vanished, it would cause a massive stir up above!

Lin Jun had to be careful.

So from the first moment, he kept urging Gray to hold back.

Though unhappy, she listened—otherwise that silver-rank she punched would’ve exploded.

Lin Jun was already maneuvering blobs to surround the fight. In seven minutes, they’d have the adventurers boxed in.

His plan: cripple them, strip them, toss them out. That would teach the lesson without deaths.

That was the plan…

It could have worked…

【Charge LV6】

A shieldbearer lunged. Gray met him with a kick, sending him tumbling, but she had held back—he wasn’t seriously injured.

Holding back made her uncertain with her strength.

Two more minutes of scuffling, and the dwarf finally found his chance, slamming his axe into her feet.

【Earthbind Slash LV5】

“Hahaha! Let’s see you run now!”

Earthen chains wrapped around her. Weak, breakable in half a second—but that half second was enough.

【Piercing Strike LV7】

Sixth-tier spell—Rockfall.

Seventh-tier spell—Lightning Bolt.

…

Four or five different attacks struck in an instant.

“Damn, these scales are tough!

Anyone willing to sell me their share?

I’ll pay fair!” the dwarf laughed, already imagining his new armor.

In his eyes, the Black Shroom was fast and tough, but after that barrage, it had to be crippled if not dead.

All they needed now was a quick retreat before the blobs arrived.

And in truth, Gray had taken damage.

【HP -120】

Three black scales shattered from her shoulder.

Not severe, but her 【Mimicry】 failed. And Gray… got angry.

“What… what is that?”

“Humanoid?”

As the smoke cleared, what the adventurers saw was a furious dragonkin.

They were doomed.

Lin Jun almost covered his nonexistent eyes.

It had taken three minutes for them to break her defense.

It took Gray two minutes to massacre every silver rank.

Her absolute speed isolated each one, cutting them down before they could regroup.

Two minutes later, only four sweating gold-rankers stood surrounded by corpses.

“The hell!? What is this!? Weren’t we fighting a blob!?”

“Idiot! Can’t you tell? Mimicry!”

“That kind of monster mimics a blob!?”

“We’re dead, we’re dead, we’re dead…”

Their panic was cut short.

Lin Jun’s blobs arrived at last.

【Mushroom Cannon LV8】 × N

…

Gray landed, stomping furiously on a corpse, before sulking back to her mushroom house.

She was upset—he had told her to hold back, and she’d gotten hurt because of it.

Sigh—

He’d have to bring her some new flavors to cheer her up later.

Now… what to do next?

How would humans react?

At least he wasn’t as powerless as he’d been when he first reached the fifth floor.

For now, best to breed another batch of battle blobs.

——

One day later.

“That went smoothly,” Filin said as they returned from the sixth floor.

“Once we turn this in, we’ll be fine for a while. Vera, your blade needs care too.”

“Vera?” she asked, seeing him silent.

He was crouched in the dirt, prying out a shard of iron.

It looked like it had splintered off a battleaxe…

Another day envying the tentacle-monster seniors.