The massive stone door slammed shut with a heavy thud, locking them inside the boss room for the second time. In the center of the room, the newly respawned Black Werewolf roared again, ready to tear apart anyone who dared disturb its territory.
But this time, the atmosphere was different. There was no tension or gripping fear like before. For Party Noiver, this was merely a routine slaughter.
"Donovan, forward!" Keyzier commanded briefly.
Without answering, Donovan shot forward.
Clang!
Donovan deflected the monster's massive sword strike with a perfect parry. Their blades clashed, creating sparks. Even though his body was much smaller than the Black Werewolf, his stance and sword technique allowed Donovan to withstand such a heavy blow without flinching.
"Is that all?" mocked Donovan. He twisted his wrist, channeling pure mana into his blade to enhance its cutting power, then slashed at the monster's leg with a precise horizontal movement.
Zrash!
Fresh blood sprayed. The Black Werewolf roared in pain and lost its balance.
"Now, Key!"
Keyzier seized the opening. His body vanished from plain sight. He moved at lightning speed, leaving an afterimage behind him.
Keyzier's blade glowed with two colors: lightning yellow and fire red. He slashed the monster's chest with unreasonable speed. The attack didn't just slice through flesh; it burned and shocked the monster's nerves simultaneously.
Behind them, Evaliza had already drawn her bowstring.
Three arrows of light shot out, spinning like drills, piercing the monster's right and left shoulders to paralyze its arm movements.
"And for the finisher..." Novalia raised her staff, smiling broadly. "Boost!"
A glowing red aura enveloped Keyzier and Donovan. Their already terrifying strength was now multiplied. Keyzier leaped high, his sword now cloaked in the ice element, and with a single vertical swing, he cleaved through the monster's final defense.
Zrash! Bang!
The Black Werewolf collapsed, its body shattering into particles of black light in just a short moment.
In the corner of the room, members of Party Shadow, Party Swansea, and Party Zeff could only stand frozen like statues. Their mouths were slightly open, their eyes unblinking as they witnessed the one-sided massacre.
"This is... a different level..." whispered Viona. "The three of us almost died fighting it earlier. But them? Donovan withstood the monster's physical attack alone, and Keyzier... he used three different elements in a single attack sequence?"
"His speed..." added Billy, leader of Party Shadow, in an awestruck tone. "Our eyes couldn't even follow Keyzier's movements."
Moments later, a treasure chest appeared again in the center of the room.
"Good work." Keyzier said, looking at his three teammates, then turned to his audience. "Well, now it's your turn."
Since Zeff had already received his share in the first round, now only Party Shadow and Party Swansea were entitled to the loot. Billy and Viona looked at each other, then performed the sacred ritual of adventurers: a coin toss.
"Heads!" said Billy.
"Tails!" replied Viona.
The silver coin flipped in the air, spinning and reflecting the torchlight, before falling to the stone floor with a loud clink. And the result was heads.
"Yes!" Billy clenched his fist. "Luck is on Shadow's side this time!"
Viona let out a long sigh, slightly disappointed but accepting the result gracefully. "Congratulations, Billy. Hope it's something good."
Billy opened the chest carefully. Inside lay a folded cloth of midnight blue that shimmered softly.
"A cloak?" muttered Billy. He lifted it up. The cloak felt light but radiated a strong aura of magical protection.
"It's a Magic Cloak." Keyzier explained after a quick glance. "Its elemental resistance must be high. Very useful for a mage or an assassin like you."
Billy never expected to get an item that would be so useful for their team's mobility.
And then, they exited the dungeon through door number one.
The air outside felt much colder than before. The sky was already dark.
"How long were we inside?" asked Donovan to the guard on duty.
"About 15 hours." replied the officer while noting the time.
The Rank A and B adventurers gasped. "Fifteen hours? It felt like we were only inside for 15 minutes!" exclaimed Zeff in disbelief. The time distortion in this dungeon was truly no joke.
Without a second thought, they immediately reported to the Guild Master's tent. Duke Hectorize and the Guild Master welcomed them. Party Shadow's magic cloak was handed over temporarily for appraisal and recording before being returned to Billy as the rightful owner.
After a short rest, Keyzier prepared for the third round. He looked at the other party members who were still faithfully waiting.
"Why do you still want to come along?" Keyzier asked in surprise, looking at Party Shadow and Party Zeff. "You've already got your items, right? Usually, people would go home. The risk isn't worth it."
However, Billy shook his head firmly. His eyes implied a strong determination. "We will continue to join."
"Why?"
"To see your fighting style." Billy answered without hesitation. "Watching you fight earlier opened our eyes. It's a valuable reference so we can become stronger in the future!"
Keyzier was silent for a moment, then smirked slightly. "Good reason. Feel free to follow us if that satisfies you."
...
...
The third round began.
This time, Party Noiver increased the tempo of their attacks. Donovan slashed enemies with terrifying efficiency of movement, while Keyzier unleashed various elemental magics while moving at lightning speed.
The Black Werewolf appeared again, but its fate was more tragic than before. The monster fell in just 10 minutes.
The treasure chest appeared.
"Swansea's turn." said Keyzier.
Viona stepped forward enthusiastically. With a prayer in her heart, she opened the chest. A bright light dazzled their eyes.
"Huh?"
Everyone's eyes went wide. Inside the chest, there wasn't just one object. There were three items at once: a large sword, a beautiful shield, and a set of armor.
"Three?!" Zeff exclaimed in shock. "Why does this chest have so much stuff?"
Keyzier crouched down, picking up the large sword. He tried flowing his mana into the metal blade, hoping for an elemental reaction like Zeff's sword.
But there was no reaction.
"No element appeared." Keyzier muttered. He tapped the sturdy blade. "But this is no ordinary sword. The material is extremely strong. Maybe this is a pure physical weapon type without magic. Take all three with you and report to the Guild Master!"
Upon returning to the command tent outside the dungeon, Party Noiver's report successfully caused an uproar inside.
The Guild Master, Duke Hectorize, and the expert staff stared at the three items Viona placed on the table with disbelief.
"One chest produced three items at once?" muttered the Guild Master while holding his chin. "This is strange. Usually, the drop quantity is consistent."
"That means," Duke Hectorize spoke up, "the item drop mechanism in this dungeon is truly random. It's uncertain in both form and quantity. It could be a rare magic item, or it could be a set of physical combat gear."
After the recording was finished, Duke Hectorize stood up. He looked at the three Rank A and B parties that had accompanied Party Noiver.
"Good work!" said the Duke with the authority of a high noble. "Your participation greatly helped us gather data."
The Duke signaled his assistant. The assistant handed over three leather pouches that looked heavy to Billy, Viona, and Zeff.
"As a token of gratitude for your help in this investigation, accept this."
The Duke handed one pouch to each of them. "Two hundred thousand Lyra for each party. And of course, all items that have become your rightful property will not be taken by the guild or the government."
Zeff's eyes sparkled as he held the money pouch. Billy and Viona bowed deeply in respect.
"Thank you very much, Your Grace Duke!"
That afternoon, the three parties left Treeze Forest and returned to Verna City. Their steps were light, their hearts blooming with joy. They had gained treasure, cash, and most importantly: the valuable experience of witnessing firsthand the strength of Party Noiver in battle.