Inside the Cybernetic Labyrinth, the damp smell of earth mingles with the metallic tang of circuitry. Though it's dark, visibility isn't entirely obscured. Bioluminescent moss casts an eerie green glow, revealing intricate patterns of circuitry on the rough rock walls.
[Beep...Beepp...!]
The cockpit monitor beeps as my heart rate slows. With a sigh, I release the Neural Joystick. The autocannon of the Titanic Ravager powers down.
Bizzit—Bizzit—!
The sound of dead glitchlings echoes through the chamber. Then, silence. It seems all the monsters on this level have been dealt with.
With the autocannon slung over my mecha's shoulder, I relax for a moment.
'It seems this area is now clear as well. Shall I proceed to the next?'
Slowly making my way through the cave, I descend the stairs leading to the next level.
I emerge into a vast dome-shaped chamber. There are no glowing plants or ores; instead, a pulsating plasma sits in the center. Around it are over ten small glitchlings and a glitchling about 2 meters tall.
'Wait! It's the chrono-glitchling!'
Taking cover behind a shattered transfuser-like structure, I swiftly prepare my Neutrino energy blasters, ensuring my autocannons are fully reloaded.
As I gather blue-white particles, forming a lethal stream of neutrino energy visible through my cockpit hologram, I steady my aim and pull the trigger.
zzzshhoo—Boom!!
A piercing blast strikes the glitchling leader square in the head, evoking a startled cry from the corrupted entity.
In the ensuing chaos, I seamlessly switch to auto mode, unleashing a relentless barrage of firepower upon the panicked glitchlings.
Their digital forms, riddled with corrupt data and algorithms, prove no match for my relentless assault. With each blast, their hardware falters and fails, culminating in explosive bursts of malfunction.
zzzshhoo
zzzshhoo
zzzshhoo
BOOM!! BOOM!! Boom!!
As the chrono-glitchling charges in anger, wielding a pulsating plasma axe, I easily evade its swing, guiding its lethal strike to collide with the circuit-laden wall.
With a resounding crash, the glitchling collapses under a downpour of rubble.
Amidst the settling dust, I cautiously scan the area, my senses alert for any lingering threats.
Gradually, as the air clears, the remnants of the glitchling leader come into view, pierced by a multitude of arrows before dissipating into particles.
With a deep exhale of relief, I allow myself a moment of peace, pausing to collect my thoughts amidst the aftermath of the intense battle.
'Phew... as expected, glitchlings are now very bot-like for me.'
I felt happy after defeating the Weaver glitchling and chrono-glitchling floors without difficulty. Now, it's just the final level.
'It's been quite a journey.'
Half a year since I started delving into this dungeon. For the past six months, I have done nothing but fight these flickering, ominous data bastards.
Despite understanding perfectly how to navigate this cybernetic labyrinth, knowing the weaknesses of monsters and the most efficient routes, reaching the final level took quite some time.
There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, the high difficulty level.
This dungeon is divided into shallow levels with many monsters and traps, and deeper levels with stronger monsters. While the shallow levels were manageable, the problem arose with the stronger monsters in the deeper levels, where my attacks didn't work effectively.
Therefore, I needed to level up until I could increase my molecular energy bar, which took time.
After all, I can't shoot concentric neutrino blasts with less ME.
Secondly, the inability to view status. While I understood the concept of leveling, experiencing the thrill of defeating enemies, and the feeling of mastering weapons, I couldn't fully grasp my level or status.
Without the ability to view my status, it was difficult to objectively assess whether I could challenge the next floor. Hence, I repeatedly cleared each floor until I was confident in progressing.
Well, leaving that aside.
I proceed to the depths of the floor, stopping before a gate obscured by smoke.
'What should I do? Should I challenge the boss today?'
The final level boss, the Etheric Colossus. The recommended level is 82.
I haven't reached the ME level to launch multiple avalanche missiles, which is learned at level 70, so I am sure I haven't exceeded the recommended level.
But what makes me hesitate is that I know how to defeat it.
The Etheric Colossus emits an Ethereal Malfunctionator, whose primary objective is to fail the enemy's various abilities regarding the cockpit.
But, during this incantation, it becomes vulnerable to attacks, allowing for uninterrupted damage. Therefore, by maintaining distance, provoking, and landing avalanche missile attacks during its casting, one can easily defeat it.
'What should I do? Should I turn back for today?'
After much contemplation, as my Titanic Ravager accumulated large amounts of ME with my help, I reached a conclusion.
'No, let's go.'
There isn't much time left until the large-scale monster invasion. If I can obtain Yiichi's Bow here, I can easily level up by repeatedly challenging the respawned Crystal Knight.
With that in mind, I step into the smoke.