The Dungeon of the Unyielding Stone
Unlike the last unstable dungeon, this one was a textbook superior-grade dungeon.
The dungeon's scale, the types and numbers of monsters that appeared—all perfectly matched the average for a superior-grade instance.
That meant the knights participating in this raid, with fewer numbers than other raids, would have to move with absolute frenzy.
At the start, the knights stood back, trusting Michael, watching from a distance like spectators.
But Michael focused solely on eliminating the monsters approaching Irene, paying no heed to the others.
“Wait! The monsters are attacking! Hiiik!”
The knights, who had assumed Michael would handle everything and leave them unscathed, only now realized their mistake and rushed into battle.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal clashing with the monsters' tough hides echoed through the dungeon.
Especially unfortunate was the fact that the monsters appearing this time were mostly made of rock.
Although their slow movement made dodging easy, it also made it nearly impossible to inflict serious damage no matter how hard they attacked.
Of course, these monsters had weaknesses too. If knights could get close enough to thrust a sword between the joints, they could sever the limbs and leave them immobile.
But that required getting dangerously close.
“Everyone should know that by now. Hurry up. We have to go deeper.”
“But Sir Michael! We’re supposed to fight ourselves, right?”
The knight who had been about to shout that bit his tongue the moment he realized how utterly ridiculous his words sounded.
They were all knights who had come here with their pairs to hunt the dungeon.
Every time they entered a dungeon they risked their lives against monsters, yet here they were, leaving everything to one strong knight.
It was humiliating even for themselves and their partners.
“Damn it!”
The knights, filled with self-loathing, finally began moving swiftly.
Although their skills varied, they were experienced enough to enter superior dungeons with their pairs.
“Hah!”
Then a less experienced knight failed to land a proper attack and found himself in danger.
While bracing for the impact of the monster’s fist heading straight for his face, he shrank back.
Clang!
Michael blocked the monster’s fist with his own sword.
The surrounding knights were stunned by the sight.
Rock-attribute monsters, with their dense bodies, carried immense weight. A mere graze could shatter dungeon rocks, boasting terrifying destructive power.
That was why knights usually avoided direct confrontation and targeted weak points instead.
But Michael had blocked the attack head-on with just a single sword.
If it had been a normal human, they would have been sent flying. Yet Michael’s feet remained firmly planted on the ground without even a twitch.
And he even issued commands with ease.
“Target the shoulders.”
“Yes, sir!”
The knight snapped out of his daze and attacked.
Because Michael held its arm, the blow was easy. The monster soon let out a pained scream and collapsed.
The battle continued without pause.
The knights fought fiercely without rest. Whenever someone was hit and covered in blood, the purifiers rushed over to cleanse it.
Meanwhile, the other knights formed a protective barrier around them, ensuring the cleansing process remained safe.
During the ongoing fight, the knights realized something.
Michael was not fighting on their behalf.
Yet if they seemed in danger, Michael would immediately rush over to block the monster’s attacks.
Knights who entered superior dungeons were always tense, merely thinking about surviving.
That was why they barely managed to see or block monsters, frantically defending.
“Sir Michael is protecting us.”
If they were in trouble, Sir Michael would definitely help.
That belief kindled a fire in the knights. They displayed far more excellent skill than usual and boldly attempted attacks they would never have considered in ordinary circumstances.
Meanwhile, the knights discovered what it truly took to make a monster’s attacks land properly and found their own hidden strengths.
“Next!”
“Come on, come on!”
Now the knights took the initiative without needing Michael’s encouragement, facing the monsters head-on.
The purifiers watching from behind were equally astonished.
Since they were not part of the Princess’s gathering, they had always only cleared lower-grade dungeons before.
This was either their first time in a large and powerful dungeon or a rare occasion, and they had expected the knights to grow timid.
Yet the knights displayed even greater strength than usual.
The purifiers were just as thrilled.
If their own knight got injured while trying to dodge, they would be at a loss.
Whenever a moment of time opened up, they would approach, take the knight’s hand, and pull them into a close embrace, cleansing the accumulated demonic energy and healing their wounds.
They had thought it was strange that only Michael was suffering.
But it turned out to be training for the knights.
Everyone was filled with more confidence than was reasonable for a superior dungeon, creating an energetic atmosphere.
“I hope dungeon hunting is always like this.”
One of the knights said it, and his purifier replied.
“That’s possible if we travel together with the members of this gathering.”
His words left everyone silent, all of them gazing at their own pairs.
Everyone felt it.
If they could always move together like this, their skills would grow rapidly and they would earn a great deal of money.
***
After hours of steadily defeating monsters, the end of the dungeon finally appeared—the reward room.
“The reward room!”
Everyone was thrilled upon discovering the distinctive arched door.
No one was injured or cursed. They had all safely reached the end.
It was a completely different atmosphere compared to the last superior dungeon where several had been injured or killed.
The knights, hearts racing, hurried toward the reward room.
Then one of them realized something and stopped.
“Sir Michael should open the boxes.”
They had managed to complete the hunt without major injuries, thanks entirely to Michael.
Moreover, he had even taken on the bothersome task of training the knights, which he didn’t have to do.
“Understood.”
Michael did not refuse. He guided everyone into the reward room and gathered the boxes in the center.
Normally, a lower-grade dungeon reward consisted of just one small wooden box.
A middle-grade dungeon had somewhat more luxurious boxes that numbered at least one, sometimes even five.
A superior-grade dungeon was filled with high-grade boxes of varying sizes and quantities.
“There are five boxes in total. The sizes vary too.”
Two large boxes, two medium ones, and one very small box.
Everyone’s eyes sparkled as they waited for Michael to open the boxes.
Irene felt the same.
“The average reward from a superior dungeon is around 100,000 gold, isn’t it?”
That was enough to pay her body’s price in full at once. But considering that fifty teams entered at the same time, the amount per pair was not particularly high.
‘So everyone is hoping for artifacts to appear…’
Irene recalled the 02nd superior dungeon.
Since she had no special memories, it was probably just a normal reward.
Still, for those who had come here today, it would be quite generous.
Michael opened the largest box first.
“Waaah!”
Cheers erupted from the crowd. As expected, the box was filled with gold coins of an unknown country and era.
Just that alone seemed enough to satisfy them all.
The other boxes were no different. Gold, jewels, and occasionally mysterious trinkets.
The only thing left was a single small box.
The plain wooden box was the usual reward container for lower-grade dungeons.
So everyone showed little interest in the last box and simply gazed at the ones already opened.
It was a bit less than average, but still far more than what dozens of people in the Princess’s gathering would have divided among themselves.
“Everyone might get 10,000 gold each.”
Feeling a bit regretful for not claiming their share, Michael spoke.
“Then I will open the last box.”
Everyone looked on with calm expressions, assuming the reward would be nothing special.
“Eh?”
Everyone’s eyes widened. The box Michael opened contained only a single ring.
And Irene unconsciously took a step forward and stared at the ring in a daze.
“No way.”
Why?
Why?
“Why is a transparent ring coming out of here?!”
The item inside the box was definitely the transparent ring she had been hoping for.