The 99th floor of the Dungeon was nothing like the ones before it. Bell Cranel could feel the intensity as soon as his foot touched the uneven ground. The air was thicker, pulsing with energy, and every instinct screamed at him to be on guard. He had come so far, pushed through countless battles and traps, but now, standing at the precipice of the 100th floor, he felt an exhilaration unlike any he had experienced before.
For Bell, this was it. This was the climax he had been craving, a true test of his strength, even with 18 seals on his power.
The floor stretched out before him like a battlefield forged by the very will of the Dungeon. A vast expanse of water, darkness, jagged cliffs, and blinding light formed around him, shifting like a living organism. The Dungeon had never felt so alive, so intent on crushing him, and Bell grinned in response.
He paused for a moment, closing his eyes, taking a deep breath. His mind, sharp and attuned, immediately noticed the abnormality ahead.
He opened his eyes, and there they were—thousands of monsters. Monster Rexes of every variety from floors he had long since conquered. Balors, Goliaths, Amphysbaenas, Udaeus, and dozens of other Rexes. These titanic creatures filled the horizon, their roars echoing off the Dungeon walls. The ground quaked beneath their sheer presence, each one towering, deadly, and bred for war.
As if that wasn't enough, the Dungeon morphed, shifting the terrain to create environments favorable for each type of monster. Rivers of acid formed for the Amphysbaenas. Dense darkness blanketed sections where the Udaeus lurked. Spires of rock shot up, creating advantageous positions for the Goliaths, while the floor was scorched to unbearable temperatures for Bell to face the Balors at their strongest.
But what made Bell's grin even wider was the appearance of Juggernauts—countless numbers, all shining with a deadly, amplified aura, faster and more dangerous than any he had ever faced. They leapt and skittered over the rocky terrain like hunting beasts, their claws gleaming and thirsting for blood.
Bell cracked his neck. His blood surged, excitement flooding his veins. His grin stretched from ear to ear as the army closed in.
"Bring it."
The first wave came crashing down on him, a legion of Balors erupting with flames, hurling fireballs the size of houses toward him. Bell's feet barely skimmed the ground as he dashed between them, dodging and weaving effortlessly. His sword flashed, a gleaming arc of destruction, slicing through the Balors like a hot knife through butter. The creatures exploded into ash, their massive bodies crumbling under his assault.
But then came the Juggernauts. They were faster than the Balors, faster than anything else in the Dungeon. Dozens of them attacked in tandem, their razor-sharp claws slicing through the air as they tried to eviscerate him from all sides.
Bell met them head-on. His body moved with fluid grace, each motion precise and devastating. His martial arts blended seamlessly with his swordsmanship, allowing him to deflect their attacks with ease while landing bone-shattering blows. He spun, ducked, and leapt into the fray, his fists and feet striking like lightning.
But as more monsters pressed in—Goliaths thundering toward him, their massive fists cracking the ground—Bell felt a flicker of frustration. The sheer number of enemies, each one of them powerful in their own right, was overwhelming.
It was time to push a little harder.
With a flick of his wrists, Bell opened two more seals on each hand. The circle tattoos on his skin glowed with a faint, ominous light as two more rings vanished from each arm, allowing 4/20ths of his true power to flow freely.
The effect was immediate. His strength, already terrifying, surged to new heights. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he moved, and the air hummed with the intensity of his aura. He shot forward like a bullet, his sword a blur as he cleaved through Goliaths and Juggernauts alike. One slash, two, three—the monsters fell before him, their bodies torn apart before they could even react.
The Rexes responded in kind, converging on him with renewed fury. Amphysbaenas launched waves of acid, while Udaeus warriors rushed him from the shadows. The darkness enveloped him, but Bell didn't slow down. His eyes flashed with raw power, and a wave of energy exploded from his body, obliterating the shadows and sending the Udaeus flying.
He moved with unparalleled grace, his strikes so fast and precise that the monsters barely had time to realize they had been killed. He laughed as he fought, his voice echoing through the battlefield. It was a sound of pure, unhinged joy.
A Goliath lunged at him from behind, but Bell didn't even turn. With a flick of his wrist, a barrage of golden weapons shot from his Gate of Babylon, impaling the monster mid-leap. The Goliath roared, but its body crumbled to dust before it could even land.
"Is that all you've got?" Bell yelled, laughing as he danced through the battlefield. "I expected more! C'mon, you ugly bastards, show me what you've got!"
More monsters charged him, but Bell was a storm of death. His sword slashed through the air with precision, cutting down Balors and Goliaths in rapid succession. He spun, his foot crashing into the side of a Juggernaut, sending it flying into a wall. His fists followed, each punch breaking bones and shattering bodies with ease.
"Die faster, would you?" Bell barked, kicking the severed head of a Juggernaut toward another group of monsters. "I've got places to be!"
As the battlefield cleared, Bell stood at the center, breathing heavily but grinning wildly. Thousands of monsters lay in pieces around him, their bodies disintegrating into ash. The once-formidable terrain had been reduced to rubble, and the amplified Juggernauts that had once posed a serious threat now lay in ruin at his feet.
He sheathed his sword, dusting off his hands with a satisfied sigh. "That was fun."
But then he looked ahead—toward the entrance to the 100th floor.
There was no grand gate, no towering doors, no majestic staircase leading down. Instead, a massive, gaping hole lay before him, stretching into the darkness below.
Bell stared at it for a moment, blinking in disbelief.
"Seriously?" he muttered, scratching the back of his head. He had expected something… more.
A grand entrance, a stairway to hell, a portal of sorts. But this? It was just a hole.
He sighed, shaking his head with a sweatdrop forming on his brow. "Well… I guess there's only one way down."
Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the hole and, with a wild grin, jumped into the abyss.
"YAHOO!!"
His voice echoed through the chasm as he plummeted into the unknown, his laughter fading into the darkness below.
The Dungeon had no idea what kind of madness it was about to face.