The group entered a vast, empty room with modern walls. In the center stood the robot Rae had seen in her vision, crafted from both metal and earth, just as she had envisioned.
The sight of machinery made Rae feel a sense of comfort, a reminder of the modern world. It felt good to finally see part of it here, but there was no time to dwell on it. She had a mission to complete.
The robot was stationary for now, but Rae's attention was drawn to a tall console-like structure at the far end of the room. It seemed to be a quantum gate, similar to the one she had once created, though this one appeared different. This gate involved standing on it and being showered with dark magic. Through the combination of dark magic and quantum mechanics, it transported people to other locations within the world. Rae was curious—who had created this? Perhaps someone from the modern world had found a way to merge science and magic.
But her curiosity had to wait. There was a robot to defeat, and Rae needed to reach the labyrinth.
The robot suddenly came to life, its voice booming with authority. "Welcome, Rae, Eleanor, and Cilia, to the final floor of this dungeon. I am the protector of the Dungeon Core. To find your way home or to the labyrinth, you must defeat or shut me down. Arm yourselves."
Rae quickly formulated a plan. Her coordination with the others hadn't been ideal during the dungeon's trials, so it was time to change that. Eleanor, with her shield, was a strong tank, capable of drawing the robot's attacks. Rae would focus on breaking it apart while Eleanor kept it distracted. Unfortunately, Cilia's abilities weren't suited to this fight, so she'd be sidelined.
To Rae's surprise, Eleanor quickly adopted the strategy without any prompt. Rae couldn't help but feel slightly unnerved by Eleanor's readiness, but she pushed it aside.
"I see you're ready," the robot's voice echoed. "Prepare yourselves."
The battle began, and the robot moved with incredible speed, nearly blurring in Rae's vision. For a moment, she doubted if this was all real. Cilia was badly injured, and Eleanor didn't seem much better. Rae found herself alone.
"Protect her, Eleanor," Rae called out, hoping the knight could at least ensure Cilia's safety.
"I understand, my lady," Eleanor replied, though her voice was tinged with regret. "I'll protect Lady Cilia. Leave the rest to you. I'm sorry I'm not strong enough to protect you fully."
Rae reassured her, "Don't worry, you're doing great. I'll finish this soon, and we'll be out of here."
Now, with Eleanor occupied, Rae could focus. She activated thought acceleration, pushing her mind to overdrive to predict the robot's movements. With gravity magic and light magic combined, she began attacking the robot, hoping the same weaknesses she'd exploited with the dungeon monsters would apply here. Still, she struggled. The robot's metal and earth composition made it resistant to her gravity magic, and without control over her visions, her approach felt hampered.
Then it clicked—she could control the earthy parts of its body.
The robot surged forward again, moving with unbelievable speed. Rae increased her thought acceleration to 150%, enough to read its movements clearly. She could see an opening, but her gravity magic had no effect. Light magic, however, seemed like a more viable option. She channeled her light magic, only to discover the robot wasn't entirely made of metal and earth. Upon contact, it became semi-transparent.
Was this some sort of camouflage technology? Rae couldn't be sure, but before she could think more, the robot turned toward Eleanor and Cilia. Rae wasn't fast enough to save them, but something strange happened. In an instant, she found herself in their place.
"Did I switch places with them?" she wondered, confused. But she didn't have time to question it. The robot was coming for her, and she needed to act fast.
Using her most powerful light magic spell, Rae unleashed a torrent of energy. Through her enhanced vision, she saw the robot's true form—transparent materials and metal, with complex circuitry beneath. Symbols glowed intermittently on the metal parts, as if they indicated some sort of programming.
The attack was coming, but Rae had been so focused on the robot's inner workings that she was caught off guard. She couldn't fully dodge it, but with her vampiric speed and wind magic, she minimized the damage. It still hurt, but it wasn't fatal.
Now that she understood the robot's outer body was a facade, Rae used her light magic to enhance her vision, allowing her to see through the robot's deceptive exterior. The symbols on its body glowed in response to its actions, and Rae realized they were likely part of the robot's programming.
"Liza, can you decipher these symbols?" she asked, calling upon her AI companion.
[Already done, Master. Here are the results.]
Liza's quick analysis revealed that disrupting the code on the left side of the robot's chest would shut it down. Rae smiled at the thought—like striking a human's heart, it was almost poetic.
Without hesitation, Rae moved in, preparing to strike with her light magic. The robot seemed to notice her intentions, but it was too late. Her attack landed, and the robot's transparent body, which appeared as durable as carbon fiber, absorbed the blow.
Slowly, the robot shut down. Rae exhaled in relief—finally, it was over.
Or was it?
The robot compressed itself into a compact form, its voice echoing one final time. "Congratulations, Rae, Eleanor, and Cilia. You've conquered the dungeon and earned the Dungeon Core. A symbol will appear on your right hand, serving as your key to the labyrinth. The core will diffuse energy to enhance your abilities. Stand in the center of the room now, for the dungeon is collapsing. You will be teleported to the labyrinth's door in thirty seconds."
Rae couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment as she stood with Eleanor and Cilia. Thirty seconds later, they were back above ground, victorious.
"It feels good to conquer a dungeon," Rae mused.
But as they prepared to move on, something caught her eye. A dragon.