As Bell Cranel stood at the entrance to the dungeon, the familiar weight of his sword resting on his back, the cool air of the underground world washing over him. He had come here countless times before, but today, things felt different. Perhaps it was the peacefulness of the surface, or the life he had built with his wives and children, but this time, he wasn't in a rush. There was no impending doom, no great quest hanging over his head. This was just him, the dungeon, and the monsters that lurked within.
He smiled to himself, adjusting his grip on his hilt. "Let's take it easy for once."
Floor 1-5: The Caverns of Twilight
The first few floors of the dungeon felt almost nostalgic. The stone walls were rough and uneven, shimmering faintly in the dim light cast by the magical crystals embedded in the ceiling. The air was cool and damp, the scent of earth and stone filling his senses.
The monsters here were small fry—goblins, kobolds, and the occasional weak bat-like creature. Bell dispatched them easily, without even breaking a sweat. With a single swipe of his sword, goblins were cleaved in two, dissolving into aether with little more than a squeak.
As he walked through the twisting passages, Bell couldn't help but enjoy the simplicity of it all. His mind wandered to thoughts of home, of Hestia's warm smile, Ryuu's calming presence, and the laughter of his children. He wondered what they were doing now—probably training or playing, or maybe causing some mischief with Haruhime's guidance.
Occasionally, he'd stop to admire the walls, running his fingers over the cold stone. He had become so strong, so powerful, that the early floors almost felt like a museum tour. He took his time, savoring the journey.
Floor 6-10: The Mushroom Forest
Descending further, Bell entered the Mushroom Forest, a floor filled with towering fungi that stretched toward the ceiling like giant umbrellas. The bioluminescent glow of the mushrooms cast an eerie, otherworldly light over the cavern, illuminating the thick underbrush.
The monsters here were more of a nuisance than a threat—giant ants, poison frogs, and overgrown insects. They were bigger than the creatures on the upper floors but still hardly worth his attention.
Bell moved through the forest with ease, slicing through ants and frogs like they were made of paper. He stopped for a moment to watch one of the oversized poison frogs as it tried to puff itself up, croaking loudly in a display of dominance.
The frog's life story flashed before his mind in an amusingly over-the-top fashion: "Born from the deepest, murkiest swamps of the dungeon, this poison frog had dreams of becoming the king of its kind, ruling over the insect hordes—"
Slash! Bell cleaved the frog in half mid-monologue, chuckling softly. "Sorry, buddy. Maybe next time."
Floor 11-15: The Blue Caves
The Blue Caves were beautiful, filled with pools of glowing water that reflected the soft azure light of the crystal formations embedded in the walls. As Bell descended into the crystalline tunnels, he felt a sense of calm wash over him. The soft trickle of water echoed through the caverns, and for a moment, it felt more like a serene getaway than a dungeon.
The monsters here were stronger—lizardmen, dungeon wolves, and blue slimes. Bell dispatched them with ease, his movements fluid and graceful. He didn't rush, taking time to appreciate the beauty of the glowing pools, the way the light danced across the water's surface.
He even paused for a moment to sit by one of the pools, dipping his hand into the cool water. A smile tugged at his lips as he thought about his children—perhaps they'd like a glowing fish as a pet. He considered catching one, but the moment was interrupted by the screech of a nearby lizardman.
"Really?" Bell sighed, rising to his feet. He dispatched the monster with a quick thrust of his blade, the creature dissolving into particles of light before he could finish its own tragic backstory.
Floor 16-20: The Beast Lair
On the 16th floor, the atmosphere began to change. The air grew heavier, the darkness deeper. Bell could feel the shift in energy—he was entering the territory of the more dangerous monsters. The Beast Lair was home to larger, more aggressive creatures: minotaurs, hellhounds, and giant trolls.
Bell smiled to himself, cracking his knuckles. Now this feels a bit more interesting.
He faced a minotaur first—a hulking brute with thick muscles and blood-red eyes. It roared, charging at him with its massive axe. Bell waited until the last second before sidestepping and delivering a clean slash across its back. The minotaur fell to its knees, dissolving into light.
The hellhounds, with their flaming breath, were dispatched just as easily. Bell had fought these kinds of monsters many times before—they posed no real threat. Still, he took his time, enjoying the battle, his movements effortless as he danced around the enemies.
Just as Bell was about to descend to the next floor, the ground beneath him suddenly gave way.
"Whoa!" he shouted as he felt the floor disappear. His body plummeted into the darkness below, the walls of the dungeon whipping past him at terrifying speed. He tried to brace himself for impact, but before he knew it, he had fallen far past the 20th floor and continued downward.
Floor 26: The Dark Abyss
The fall stopped abruptly, and Bell found himself standing on the 26th floor—much deeper than he had originally intended to go. He landed softly on his feet, the strange sense of the dungeon itself guiding him downward unnerving him slightly.
"Guess the dungeon's in a hurry," Bell muttered, dusting himself off. He looked around the new floor, his senses heightened. The 26th floor was a stark contrast to the ones above—a vast, cavernous landscape with jagged rocks and eerie glowing moss. The monsters here were much more powerful—ogres, centaurs, and massive stone golems.
A sense of anticipation filled the air as he took a step forward, but Bell didn't feel rushed. He could handle whatever the dungeon threw at him.
Floor 27-34: The Lava Pits
Bell descended further into the depths, entering the infamous Lava Pits. The walls here glowed with molten magma, casting a red-hot hue across the entire cavern. Rivers of lava snaked through the floor, and the heat was almost unbearable for anyone without high-level resistance.
Here, the monsters were formidable—fire drakes, salamanders, and lava golems. Bell took them on one by one, his sword flashing in the light of the molten rivers. The fire drakes screeched as he sliced through them, their fiery breath ineffective against his superior magic resistance. The salamanders tried to ambush him from the shadows, but Bell was too fast, cutting them down before they even had a chance to strike.
He paused briefly by a particularly large lava pit, staring into the bubbling magma. "Maybe the kids would like a fire drake as a pet..." he mused, but quickly shook his head. "Too much fire hazard."
Floor 35: The Wild Expanse
Finally, Bell reached the 35th floor, a vast, open expanse of wilderness that stretched on for miles. The air here was cool and crisp, and the ground was covered in a thick layer of grass and shrubs. It felt like a completely different world, one where nature reigned supreme.
Bell could see monsters in the distance—giant eagles soaring through the sky, large boars grazing in the fields, and strange cat-like creatures prowling the edges of the forest. The entire floor was alive with the hum of activity, and for a moment, Bell simply stood there, taking it all in.
"This place… it's very beautiful," Bell whispered to himself. He could sense the energy of the floor, the life teeming all around him. It was a strange contrast to the chaos of battle, but it made him smile.
His gaze wandered to a flock of small, brightly colored birds perched on a nearby tree. Their feathers shimmered in the light, and Bell couldn't help but think of his children again. Maybe they'd like a wild and scary bird as a pet or maybe something else. It's cute enough.
With that thought, Bell began his slow, leisurely hunt, his mind on his family and his heart filled with peace. He knew the deeper floors awaited him, but for now, he was content to take his time, savoring the journey and the world he had come to love so much.