Liam and the three beautiful women advanced to the subsequent floors of the dungeon.
Just as with the appearance of golems on the previous floors, their numbers continued to rise.
Upon entering the 71st floor and those that followed, the number of rounds per floor increased from six to seven.
Yet, even though each floor seemed increasingly dangerous, Sirem and Vivian demonstrated the fruits of the months they had spent training under the supervision of Liam and Margaret.
Thanks to their improved mastery of their abilities, neither Sirem nor Vivian found themselves in situations of extreme peril; however, that did not prevent each floor from being exhausting for both women.
For her part, Sirem showcased her martial prowess by successfully facing a Crab Prince.
Vivian managed to efficiently control her mana usage, allowing her to cast spells with greater precision and effectiveness—a skill that enabled her to manipulate three Crab Princes.
Floor after floor was conquered; since there had been no issues up to the 79th floor, Liam decided to stockpile his play points.
[Mission: Clear C-Rank Dungeon]
[Dungeon Floors: 79/100]
[Play Points Earned: 2,945]
[Play Points: 1,200]
On the 80th floor, the sheer number of golems was overwhelming, and C-Rank (or lower) golems ceased to appear.
Even so, the floor was completely conquered in less than six days. [Mission: Clear Rank C Dungeon]
[Dungeon Floors: 80/100]
[Play Points Earned: 3,000]
[Play Points: 1,255]
Upon reaching the rest floor following the 80th floor, they were surprised by another virtual window indicating:
[Time remaining on rest floor: 6 Days | 23 Hours | 59 Minutes...]
...
Since rest time was quite limited, Liam instructed everyone to rest during those days.
"Liam, at best, we'll only have enough potions to reach the 90th floor—and that's if we ration them," Vivian pointed out.
She was currently near the campfire, preparing some food.
Sirem and Margaret had gone to get some rest.
"Don't worry; just do what you can. I'm not asking for more than is necessary," Liam said kindly.
"Thank you..." Vivian started to say more but stopped herself.
Liam looked at her as she added ingredients to the meal.
He stood up and stepped up behind her.
"Liam!"
His arms wrapped around her waist.
"I don't regret bringing you two along; besides, both you and Sirem have grown stronger."
Vivian nodded happily; Liam's words dispelled her doubts.
"It smells delicious," Liam said with a playful glint in his eye.
"If you want to eat, you'll have to wait," Vivian said, smiling with a subtle, provocative air.
...
A few days later, following a strategic discussion, they entered the next floor.
As soon as they stepped inside, the "wooded zone" began to stir.
The trees seemed to possess a life of their own, even though they remained rooted in place.
"Those are new," said Sirem, preparing for combat.
Hundreds of strange golems, covered in dark moss, emerged from the forest.
Some golems had three arms, while others had four.
Yet, every one of them possessed long claws and slender bodies.
"Don't let your guard down; remember, we first need to get an idea of how the golems are organized on the upcoming floors."
Liam had barely finished speaking when the golems began charging rapidly toward them.
Liam used his perception to analyze the surroundings.
To him, these golems could be considered a trap.
Especially since no other types of golems had appeared yet.
"Rank C Golems"—Liam was considering the likelihood that even more dangerous golems might still be lurking in the "wooded zone."
This thought was prompted largely by the fact that the unsettling sensation emanating from the "wooded zone" had become increasingly palpable.
Sirem and Vivian also felt a strange unease regarding the "wooded zone," yet they didn't dwell on it, as the battle was about to begin.
Vivian attempted to manipulate some of the golems, but the moment she took control of one, the others would detect the anomaly among their ranks.
Those moss-covered golems would then attack any golem Vivian had seized control of with the ferocity of starving piranhas.
A cold sweat broke out over Vivian, but she refused to be intimidated.
She immediately used her compass to amplify her perception and disorient the senses of several golems.
As soon as she gained control of a group of golems, she commanded them to launch a collective assault against the opposing groups of golems.
Sirem was quick to act as well; she leapt toward the location of the golems Vivian was controlling, aiming to capitalize on the enemy golems' distraction and create an opening for Vivian's controlled units.
The beautiful witch unleashed several purple magic spears, destroying a number of the golems.
This was necessary because any golem whose vital core wasn't instantly destroyed would grotesquely regenerate its body or limbs with the aid of the moss.
Liam, meanwhile, had already separated from the group.
He launched a swift attack, cleanly slicing through the vital cores of every golem that stood in his path.
His goal was to head straight for the "arboreal zone" to check for any major threats.
The closer he got to the arboreal zone, the more golems lunged at him.
Dozens upon dozens of precise magical slashes sent the severed golems crashing to the ground.
Upon entering the arboreal zone, Liam was somewhat surprised to find a magical barrier blocking the way to the area where moss covered the dungeon walls.
However, near the barrier, he spotted ten golems with elongated bodies covered in dark moss.
Each of these golems stood nearly three meters tall and was ranked C+.
The ten golems opened their artificial eyes the moment they sensed Liam.
Liam remained unfazed and sliced two of them in half; yet, even though their vital cores were destroyed, he watched in astonishment as the golems regenerated.
The beautiful witch was watching the "wooded area," keeping an eye on what Liam was fighting.
She felt a chilling yet familiar sensation emanating from the magical barrier in the forest.
But at that moment, she didn't know what caused that feeling of familiarity.