"Maelyrra! Shoot that mecha's head! There's an opening there!"
Landon shouted, his transparent shield expanding to three times its size to protect himself from the robot's stomp.
While his party members scattered around. It was hard for him to get to them because of the relentless attack.
"Ismene, heal Asson right now! We need to move fast; our mana is depleting quickly!" he screamed again, his eyes darting to two of his party members.
Ismene, a priest, and Asson, a warrior, were in bad shape. Asson had been smashed into the ground by the robot as Ismene frantically tried to heal him with a light of Goddess.
They were on the fourteenth floor of The Dungeon of Noctis Babel. The boss, Enigmata Genesis, was a giant robot, 350 meters tall, with a head and arms disproportionately larger than its legs. Its eyes were so big, that most of the head consisted of it and moved by crawling with its arms.
The boss domain was full of fire and thunder, striking randomly and often hitting party members, making their party members separated.
No one -not in 100 years- had ever cleared this floor before.
Maelyrra cast her spell, forming several magic circles behind her. From them, seven giant lasers shot at Enigmata's head, its weakest point.
But Enigmata was faster, shielding itself with its arms. The spell deflected, redirecting towards her party.
"Ismene! Get out of here!" Landon, realizing the danger, ran desperately towards them, but he couldn't reach them in time.
Ismene, busy healing Asson, was an easy target. The laser hit them, and their bodies vanished in an instant.
"This damned monster!"
He cursed, attacking its arm with his claymore, but his legs were caught by a fire that spread across his body, dancing like a malevolent spirit.
"AAAKHHHHHH!!!!" he screamed in pain.
"LANDON!"
Maelyrra flew towards him, not noticing Enigmata's arm moving again. It grabbed her and slammed her into the ground multiple times before throwing her against the wall.
With that, the entire party was wiped out in an instant.
***
[Fourteenth Floor is cleared!]
[Once again, Enigmata Genesis has defeated another party cruelly!]
[Winning streak: 10,890 times!]
[Fourteenth-floor staff, please clean up and fix the domain area! Ensure Enigmata Genesis is in great shape before the next party challenges it!]
[Thank you for your hard work! Stay sane and defeat all challengers!]
The notification from the Dungeon System Administrator echoed through the workers' floor, especially in the command deck where cheers and cries erupted as some lost their bets.
They were watching from the big screen in front of them as if they watched some action movie together with friends.
"Ahh!!! I lost the bet again!" the ogre yelled, frustrated, as he disheveled his hair. "They looked so promising too!"
"The first party after a month, huh? What a shame they lost just like that!" the werewolf in a suit said, his tail flicking in annoyance.
"HAHAHA!!! GIVE ME! GIVE ME ALL YOUR MONEY, MONGRELS!!!"
The demon with golden horns and a sleek tail strutted about, his white tuxedo adorned with golden accents, exuding elegance. He walked upright, approaching each table without exception.
He swiftly gathered all the money from the other monsters, leaving them visibly frustrated and disappointed.
"I told you, this dungeon is unbeatable!"
The demon continued, fanning himself with the money, his red hair flowing around while his golden eyes that looked like reptiles gleamed brightly.
"AKH! I should've followed Mr. Moloch's advice!" one monster grumbled.
"Man, I can't buy any lunch today," another sighed.
"And I need to work overtime," a third lamented.
The room was filled with collective sighs. Darkness and depression replaced the excitement in their eyes as they returned to their tasks, ensuring there were no issues on any of the floors.
The command deck room was a hive of activity, filled with screens and controls overseeing the dungeon's operations.
The space hummed with the low murmur of focused conversations and the soft beeps of incoming data.
Some workers concentrated on the blue, transparent screens in front of them, their fingers dancing across translucent keyboards.
Some received calls from the system, while others were intently monitoring the dungeon floors, their eyes scanning for any strange phenomenon.
Whenever a problem arose on the dungeon floor, they were the first to be notified, tasked with relaying the information to the appropriate division for swift action.
Their responsibilities extended to overseeing repairs, contacting floor guardians for cleanups or fixes, and fielding complaints from floor workers.
Despite the dungeon comprising only 17 floors, the domains of some levels were larger than small kingdoms, making the work both demanding and exhausting.
Moloch, the Head of the Command Deck, cut an imposing figure at 6'6" (200 cm). His presence was commanding, and his impeccably neat attire reflected his meticulous nature.
After collecting some money, Moloch walked up the stairs and passed through a small, open hallway. He glanced to his right, observing the workers diligently performing their tasks.
Reaching a door at the end of the hall, he entered his luxurious office. The room was opulent, with velvet walls adorned with intricate golden designs.
Behind his desk, the wall was replaced by a large window, allowing him to oversee his subordinates below.
Kicking back, he placed his feet on the table and began counting the money in his hands.
"Fufu... Money... Money... Come to Papa," Moloch murmured, kissing the bills ecstatically.
Suddenly, the office door swung open, and someone entered unnoticed by Moloch, who was too engrossed in his money.
A sharp tug on his pointed ear snapped him back to reality. He looked up to see Ashtarot, whose piercing red eyes bore into his soul, making him flinch.
"MOLOCH! Are you gambling again?!" Ashtarot's voice thundered.
"We-well! I'm the Head of the Command Deck Division! I can do whatever I want in my domain, can't I?" Moloch stuttered.
Everything about Ashtarot was terrifying—his dominant aura, menacing figure, and height of 6'10" (210 cm).
With crimson eyes, black hair, red horns, and a sleek tail, he looked like a living nightmare.
Although his height was typical for the demon race, which averages between 6'2" (190 cm) to 7'5" (230 cm), it was his dead eyes and intimidating presence that made Ashtarot feared by all. It was a shame he was so handsome.
He snatched all the money from Moloch's hands, saying, "Good, this will pay off all your debt."
"Ehhh??? No! Give it back, I don't have any money left!" he protested, trying to reclaim his money, but Ashtarot held his face firmly with one hand.
"It's your fault for constantly sending gifts and money to your palace," Ashtarot sighed, pocketing the money.
Moloch stood up from his seat, protesting, "Of course I need to! Look how beautiful my children are!"
He showed him a blue screen from the system, displaying a picture of all his children, smiling and kissing him happily.
Ashtarot looked at him with such disgust, "You disgusting lolicon."
Moloch was flabbergasted. "WHAT! I LIKE GIRLS AND BOYS TOO! NO! NO! THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!"
He took a deep breath before continuing, "I don't like them in that way, okay? I just want them to be happy, wearing cute clothes, and posing adorably... Hehe..."
Moloch began to imagine all of his children in the adorable outfits he gave them. It was so adorable for him that his face showed it all.
But Ashtarot's face was even more revolted, "What makes you think it makes you any better? You are a shotacon and lolicon. You are doubles worse."
"NO! I MEANT! I'm their savior! Since humans like to sacrifice them to me!!!" he tried to explain.
Ashtarot sighed, still massaging his temples. "You should stop your followers from sacrificing children to you." he was frustrated because sometimes his co-worker was a total airhead.
"Why should I? I told you I am their savior! Most of the children are homeless and orphans! They live miserably."
Moloch crossed his arms, "When they sacrificed to me, they can live in my castle and live peacefully together! I am the greatest aren't I?" he nodded in satisfaction.
"Eww...."
"Looks there is an adult who likes children."
"Disgusting."
As he looked down, he noticed a group of children lined up behind Ashtarot, all wearing matching school uniforms, probably in their elementary school.
Even their vampire teacher seemed to be shielding them from him.
"Errrr... Ashtarot, who are they?" he whispered, attempting to maintain a smile despite his confusion.
"Ohhh... It's a school field trip," Ashtarot replied nonchalantly.
"YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME SOONER!!!" he exclaimed in frustration.
"Don't be scared of me, children! I'm a kind and soft-hearted brother. I won't do anything to harm you," Moloch assured them, kneeling to their level. However, the children instinctively stepped back.
"Don't get too close to us, you perverted old man!"
"STRANGER DANGER!!!!"
"BEWARE THE LOLICON!!!"
The chorus of screams and accusations cut through Moloch like a knife, leaving him slumped on the ground, overwhelmed with sadness.
"The children hate me..." he lamented, his heart heavy with remorse. "They called me an old man..."