Volume 5 Chapter 11 Floor 100 Sunlit Haven
All dungeons have 100 floors, starting with the easiest and getting harder as you go deeper.
This rule never changes.
The hardest traps, monsters, and surroundings are in the deepest floors. Since the boss of the 100th floor is the final boss, it's like the last defense of the dungeon.
Of course, the dungeon boss comes back to life after some time, even if you defeat it. But no one thinks it's okay to lose.
The 100th floor shows how hard a dungeon can be. It's designed to be very challenging.
"...slee-p..."
There's an endless grassy field.
The sky is clear and blue, with no clouds.
A soft breeze feels nice.
On this grassy plain, Deus is sleeping happily.
...on Horace's lap.
"...mm... this feels so good."
"The 100th floor is called 'Sunlit Haven.' It's so comfortable that people just want to relax and do nothing. Many end up starving to death here because they don't move."
"It's so cozy I get why... slee-p... what did you just say?"
Deus wakes up.
Deus is a golem, powered by magic.
Defeating normal monsters gives coins, so it's not hard to collect them. Even the monsters here are lying down, sleeping peacefully, so they're easy to beat.
Food isn't made here, but Deus doesn't need food because it's a golem.
So, it's not a problem for Deus.
But when Horace explains, Deus looks confused and says, "What's that?"
"...Is this floor something special?"
"Normally, it takes a lot of effort to reach this floor. After going through all that, seeing this peaceful scene makes people relax completely. They lose all energy and end up starving. That's how this dungeon works."
"Wow. It's a clever way to trap people. And, this is probably my most asked question... Why doesn't it affect you?"
Deus is still looking sleepy while talking.
Just understanding it doesn't change anything.
This floor has almost no magic power active.
It turned out this way because it's meant to be a "perfectly relaxing place."
The clear blue sky and endless grasslands are all set up to make people relax and lose energy.
Of course, keeping this environment needs the dungeon's functions, and some magic is used for that.
But it's rarely noticeable.
As adventurers, we talk about different "resistances," but magic can both hurt and protect.
However, there's no resistance to protect this "Sunlit Haven."
Because protecting a relaxing place goes against what people expect.
Magic can become anything, but it depends on how you imagine it.
Things that go against expectations or aren't understood are very inefficient.
This floor is just a "relaxing place," so it can't create the idea of protecting it.
"Huh? Ah... well, the answer is simple."
"Huh?"
"It's like putting something in your brain that makes you energetic in a relaxing place."
"It sounds like a tricky brain trick... but actually, you still look tired from ten years of hard work, so 'energetic' might not be the right word..."
"You're always talking too much. Anyway, just rest now and go further."
"Okay... zzz"
Deus starts sleeping soundly again.
Around here, he's like a 5-year-old.
"...Still, I made the base of 'Deus Ex Machina' 5 years ago, so it's strange that he looks like a 5-year-old."
Horace understands this somehow, but no one asks, and it's just left unsaid.
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