Ren Isana and his group separated all their gathered materials and Magic Stones, taking the time to organize their spatial equipment. They meticulously sorted their loot, grouping the Magic Stones together and stacking the monster drops in their own designated piles.
By the time they finished, the students who had gone out scouting returned. Seeing Ren Isana and his group still lingering in the room, Sora asked in confusion, "Class Rep, aren't you guys heading out?"
Ren Isana nodded and offered a helpless explanation. "We were just reorganizing our spatial bags. If we didn't, we wouldn't have any room left. We've just accumulated way too many materials and Magic Stones."
As the rest of the class trickled back in and realized what Ren was doing, those who owned a Spatial Backpack quickly followed suit. They dumped out their materials to repack them more efficiently, realizing that their storage space was indeed running dangerously low.
It was a good thing Ren Isana had decided to stop grinding monsters on the 23rd Floor. Otherwise, they would have been forced to start abandoning valuable loot.
After sorting through their inventory, the group began preparing dinner. They decided to simply set up camp and spend the night right there in the Floor Boss room.
Naturally, they still assigned people to keep watch overnight. This was a Floor Boss room, after all. If the boss happened to spawn in the middle of the night, a simple warning barrier wouldn't do much good—especially since they knew this particular monster had ranged attacks.
The safest approach was a physical night watch. With so many people in their group, it was easy enough to have a few of the boys take turns standing guard. No one had any objections to the arrangement.
Besides, whenever anyone needed to rest, they could simply use [Meditation]. There was no such thing as being unable to fall asleep.
The night passed without incident. The next morning, everyone woke up, stretched their legs around the boss room, and then headed out into the Dungeon to hunt monsters.
Ren Isana joined them on the hunt this time. By unspoken agreement, the entire class significantly slowed down their grinding pace. If they kept slaughtering at their previous speed, they truly wouldn't have anywhere to store the drops. Yet, adhering to their strict principle of never wasting loot, they still picked up every single item that dropped.
Days passed in this manner. For five consecutive days, the boss refused to spawn. During this time, Ren Isana and his classmates encountered quite a few passing adventurers. Seeing the massive group camped directly inside the boss room, the other parties immediately understood what was going on.
It was obvious this group was waiting for the boss to respawn. After all, it wasn't uncommon for a Familia to stake out a boss room specifically to hunt the Floor Boss.
Because Ren's group had already claimed the territory, the passing adventurers didn't linger. They hurried along their way, ensuring there wouldn't be any disputes over kill-stealing.
Everyone had to live together in Orario, after all. If Familias constantly fought over boss spawns, the city would descend into chaos. Furthermore, the Guild had strict regulations in place; causing malicious trouble within the Dungeon carried severe penalties.
Beyond that, a Floor Boss wasn't something just any Familia could handle—especially not the boss of the 27th Floor. The number of Familias capable of subjugating it could be counted on one hand.
"The strategy guide mentions that the 27th Floor Boss is capable of moving around. Do you think it might have wandered off somewhere else?" Yukino Yukinoshita asked Ren Isana, glancing up from the reference book she had brought along.
Ren Isana shook his head. "No, it wouldn't. This boss was subjugated exactly a month ago, which means it's currently in its regeneration cycle."
He shifted his gaze toward Ais and Lefiya. Catching his look, Lefiya—who had grown quite comfortable with the class by now—raised her hand. "That's right! We were the ones who subjugated this Floor Boss last time. We ran into it on our way back from an expedition."
Yukino nodded in understanding. If that was the case, their only option was to keep waiting. Or... perhaps they could try her method to force a summon? With that thought in mind, she looked back at Ren.
The deadline for their return to the surface was fast approaching. If the boss didn't spawn soon, Ren would likely ask her to use the Divine Blood to force it out. However, doing so carried the risk of unpredictable variables.
She had never actually tried summoning a Floor Boss before, so she couldn't guarantee it would work flawlessly. Ultimately, the decision rested in Ren's hands.
"If it still hasn't spawned by the day after tomorrow, we'll pack up our camp first thing in the morning and... summon it ourselves," Ren said, meeting Yukino's gaze. "If anything feels off, we run immediately."
He knew exactly what she was silently asking. Hearing his verdict, Yukino nodded in agreement. It was a solid plan—force the spawn, and if things went south, evacuate at top speed.
"Understood," Yukino replied, leaving it at that. The rest of the class overheard Ren's decision and voiced no complaints. They collectively decided to take it easy the next day to ensure they were in peak condition for the impending battle.
But despite their careful planning, the Dungeon had its own schedule. Late that night, while the camp was fast asleep, Leo—who was on night watch—suddenly heard a deep, churning sound echoing from the distant lake.
Leo instantly shot to his feet, gesturing for the classmate beside him to push their [Perception Magic] to its absolute limit. As they peered through the gloom and spotted the colossal monster slowly materializing in the center of the lake, the color drained from Leo's face.
Without a second thought, he channeled Magic Power into his communication mark and roared, "The Floor Boss is spawning! Everyone up! Prepare for battle!"
Leo's shout shattered the silence of the camp, instantly jolting everyone awake. Ren Isana was the first to sprint out of his tent, with the rest of the class hot on his heels. Rushing to the edge of their campsite, they peered through the dim light and saw the waters of the massive lake violently churning.
"Looks like we won't have to summon it ourselves after all." Despite being rudely awakened, a fierce grin tugged at the corners of Ren's mouth as he stared at the emerging boss.
"Everyone, be careful!" Lefiya called out, quickly reiterating the tactical briefing she had given them days ago. "The head with the blue crystals breathes azure flames, and the head with the white crystals exhales a red mist! That mist literally burns away Magic Power, so standard spells won't be very effective against it!"
Beyond that, they had to be extremely wary of those azure flames—the heat was intense enough to melt their equipment into slag. One wrong move in this fight could be fatal.
"Understood! We remember!" "Don't worry, Lefiya, we've got this!" "If Magic Power doesn't work, we'll just use True Qi! No problem!" The students cracked their knuckles and drew their weapons, practically vibrating with eager anticipation.
Seeing their high morale, Ren Isana leaped down toward the lake. "Then let's get started! I'll freeze the lake to give us some footing!"
With a flick of his wrist, his magic staff materialized in his hand. The rest of the class surged forward, weapons drawn. Utilizing their [Lightness Technique], they bounded across the massive roots and branches lining the cavern, swiftly fanning out to surround the boss room.
Reaching the water's edge, Ren unleashed the advanced ice magic he had copied from Riveria. He poured a massive amount of Magic Power into the spell, blasting it directly into the churning waters. A bone-piercing chill instantly swept across the entire floor.
The sudden drop in temperature made the students perched on the roots shiver. Before their shocked eyes, the massive lake began to rapidly freeze over. Meanwhile, Lefiya sprinted across the roots to position herself on the opposite side of the cavern.
She raised her staff and cast her own ice magic, assisting Ren in freezing the water. Under their combined assault, a thick, solid layer of ice quickly sealed the lake. Just as the ice set, the boss finally completed its spawn sequence.
*ROAR!* With an earth-shattering bellow, two colossal dragon heads—one blue, one white—smashed through the ice. The beast's massive body was covered in gleaming white scales, and jagged clusters of white and blue crystals protruded from its twin skulls.
Ren stared at the two-headed dragon as it broke through the ice, his eyes gleaming with excitement. *So this is the 27th Floor Boss.* Without a second of hesitation, he activated his [Jianjigu]. He was incredibly interested in acquiring the mechanics behind that magic-burning red mist and those scorching azure flames.
"Attack!" Ren commanded through their communication marks, keeping his observational ability fully active.
At his order, the students unleashed a torrential barrage of spells, bombarding the two-headed dragon from every conceivable angle.
Sensing the massive fluctuations of Magic Power, the Amphisbaena reacted instantly. The white head opened its maw and exhaled a thick cloud of red mist to act as a shield, while the blue head unleashed a torrent of azure flames, sweeping the deadly fire toward the students perched on the roots.
Volleys of [Magic Bullet]s slammed into the red mist, only to fizzle out and dissipate upon contact. However, the mist could only protect the dragon from the front. The students' crossfire was coming from all directions.
The spells striking from behind were impossible for the beast to dodge. Dozens of [Magic Bullet]s slammed into the Amphisbaena's unprotected flanks, detonating against its scales and drawing furious roars of pain from both heads.
The bombardment was clearly effective. Several of its pristine white scales were blown off, clattering onto the frozen lake below.
Meanwhile, the students targeted by the blue head's azure flames swiftly used their [Lightness Technique] to evacuate their positions. No one wanted to test if their armor could withstand heat capable of melting solid steel.
As the two-headed dragon thrashed and roared, two figures shot forward from the left and right—Ren Isana and Ais. Seizing the opening, Ais charged in, her body enveloped in a swirling aura of wind-green Magic Power.
Just as she closed the distance, preparing to slice into one of the necks, Ren's voice rang out. "Mages, focus your fire on the blue head! Melee fighters, target the white head! Don't worry about the red mist—it only burns Magic Power! Reinforce yourselves with True Qi and push through! Ais, take the blue head!"
Hearing his command, Ais decisively shifted her target to the flame-spewing head. Channeling her Magic Power to its peak, she leaped high into the air and launched a fierce assault on the blue skull.
Ren, meanwhile, lunged straight for the white head. Without needing to exchange a single word, the two of them perfectly synchronized their aggro management, ensuring neither head could interfere with the other's fight.
Once the rest of the class regained their footing, they immediately joined the fray. With Ren and Ais acting as the vanguard and the mages providing heavy artillery support from the rear, all fear evaporated.
*Two-headed dragon? I'll cut off both!* Surging forward, Ren swung his Tang Dao. A crescent of white sword aura erupted from the blade, slashing brutally into the white head just as it tried to turn and spray red mist at Ais.
*ROAR!* The strike landed true, forcefully interrupting the white head's breath attack. The blue head tried to snap its jaws at Ren in retaliation, but Ais was already there, driving her rapier into its scales with explosive force.
The rest of the vanguard closed in, swarming their designated targets. With Ren keeping the white head locked down, the mages in the backline had the perfect opening to unleash hell.
A relentless storm of [Magic Bullet]s battered the blue head. Meanwhile, Asuna, Yukino, and the other melee fighters coated their bodies in True Qi, charging through the magic-burning red mist completely unhindered to assist Ren against the white head.
The battlefield was flawlessly divided. The two heads were completely isolated from one another, unable to offer any mutual support. Every time one head tried to assist the other, it was immediately punished with a devastating strike from either Ren or Ais.
However, Ren didn't let his guard down. Dashing in, he delivered a vicious slash to the white head, leaving a deep, bone-exposing gash across its snout. Leaping back, he shouted, "Lefiya! Keep freezing the lake! Reinforce the ice! Do not let it slip back into the water!"
Lefiya, who had been providing magical fire support, immediately shifted her focus. "Understood! Reinforcing the ice now!"
She knew exactly what was at stake. If the Amphisbaena managed to retreat into the depths, its home-field advantage would become insurmountable. It would quickly remind them why it was the undisputed tyrant of the aquatic floors.
When submerged, the monster's combat power spiked to the equivalent of a Lv.6 adventurer. Ren wasn't about to take that risk; their best strategy was to keep it permanently grounded.
The lower half of the dragon's massive body was still submerged beneath the ice. *Since you're already stuck, you might as well stay there permanently.*
"I'm leaving this head to you guys!" Ren called out to Asuna and Yukino. "I'm going to help freeze the lake!"
With that, Ren disengaged, sheathing his Tang Dao and pulling out his staff. Asuna and the melee team seamlessly stepped up to fill the gap, utilizing their [Lightness Technique] to nimbly dance around the white head's snapping jaws while delivering rapid-fire strikes.
The dragon continuously spewed its red mist, but against fighters relying purely on True Qi, the anti-magic gas was completely useless. Through their flawless coordination, the melee team kept the white head so thoroughly suppressed that it couldn't find a single opening to aim its mist at Ais.
Driven mad by the relentless, stinging attacks, the two heads thrashed in impotent rage. Meanwhile, Ren channeled his Magic Power to its absolute limit, joining forces with Lefiya to cast a massive, overlapping ice spell that froze the entire lake solid, locking the boss firmly in place.
The ice might not hold forever against the beast's struggles, but it didn't need to. It just needed to hold long enough to prevent the dragon from diving.
The Amphisbaena quickly realized its predicament. It had been waiting for an opening to retreat into the depths, but that escape route was now sealed. Its lower half was completely encased in meters of solid ice.
*ROAR!* Two synchronized bellows of pure fury erupted from the dragon. The azure flames within the blue head's maw flared violently. Jaws dripping with liquid fire, it lunged forward, attempting to ram Ais head-on.
Facing the desperate charge, Ais swiftly backstepped, putting distance between herself and the beast. The flaming blue skull slammed brutally into the ice where she had just been standing. Seizing the opening, Ais swung her rapier.
A massive, wind-green blade of Magic Power erupted from her weapon. She had perfectly mastered the art of firing sword aura mid-retreat. The wind blade tore through the air, aimed squarely at the blue head's neck. However, in that split second, the white head made a desperate move.
Ignoring Asuna's strikes, the white head shrouded itself in a dense layer of red mist and violently threw itself into the path of Ais's wind blade. The moment the magic-infused strike touched the red mist, the Magic Power fueling the attack rapidly burned away.
The devastating wind blade was forcibly eroded, losing more than half its power before it even connected. What little force remained struck the white head, only to shatter harmlessly against its thick scales.
It was a stark display of just how severely the red mist countered Magic Power. Taking advantage of the white head's block, the blue head—still resting on the ice—opened its jaws and unleashed a full-power breath attack. A torrential wave of azure fire erupted from its maw, sweeping wildly across the cavern and targeting the mages perched on the roots.
Seeing the incoming inferno, the backline students paled in horror. They frantically activated their [Lightness Technique], scattering in all directions as the azure flames washed over their previous positions, setting the massive roots ablaze.
Ren clicked his tongue in annoyance. *Of course a Floor Boss wouldn't go down that easily.* Asuna and the melee team were momentarily stunned that the white head had willingly taken damage just to protect the blue one, but Asuna recovered instantly.
Leaping forward, she charged at the white head, aiming her rapier directly at the deep gash Ren had carved into its snout earlier. But the moment she launched herself into the air, the white head violently whipped around. Opening its massive, blood-stained jaws, it lunged upward, aiming to swallow Asuna whole.
It didn't bother exhaling its red mist this time. Instead, it resorted to the most primal form of combat—using its sheer mass, razor-sharp teeth, and armored scales to crush its prey.
Seeing the cavernous maw rushing up to meet her, Asuna's face drained of color. She was completely airborne; there was no way for her to alter her trajectory. Below her, Yukino and the others watched in horror.
"Asuna! Look out!" "Damn it! Attack! Get it off her!" The panicked shouts of her classmates echoed through the cavern. The mages who had just repositioned frantically fired off spells, bombarding the white head in a desperate bid to force it back.
But it was too late. The spells wouldn't reach in time. Just as the massive jaws were about to snap shut around Asuna, a brilliant purple Magic Circle flashed in the air. In the blink of an eye, Ren Isana materialized right beside her, wrapping his arm tightly around her waist.
Asuna gasped in shock, but before she could process what was happening, a tremendous force pulled at her waist. Ren spun her through the air, using the momentum to pivot his own body. A blinding arc of silver light flashed before her eyes, and the next thing she knew, the colossal white head was tumbling through the air, completely severed from its neck.
Ren held Asuna securely with his left arm while his right hand gripped his Tang Dao in a reverse hold. Pushing Yukino's [Body Control] to its absolute limit, he had channeled every ounce of strength in his body into his waist and right arm.
Suspended in mid-air with Asuna in his arms, he had executed a flawless, devastating slash. A massive wave of condensed sword aura had erupted from his blade, tearing through the white head's scales, flesh, and bone. It was a strike delivered with one hundred percent of his maximum power.
With a single swing, the white head had been cleanly decapitated. Witnessing the impossible feat up close, Asuna's mind went completely blank. The entire sequence had happened so fast that her brain simply couldn't process the fact that she had just been saved from the jaws of death.