Cloaked in the darkness of Dark Fog, he slowly approached the Giant Club. It seemed he wasn't particularly perceptive, as he showed no sign of noticing us even after getting within about twenty meters.

"Phantom Warrior"

I concealed myself in the shadows and summoned the Phantom Warrior.

The tricky part about using this one is that it risks wasting a perfect surprise opportunity.

However, when it comes to reliability, this one is superior.

The phantom warrior marched forward, clashing sword against shield with a slow, deliberate pace.

The giant crab immediately noticed and rose to its feet, assuming a battle stance.

(Surprisingly fast, aren't you?)

The crab attacks by moving erratically, using its pincers to clamp down on the phantom warrior.

It's surprisingly aggressive and moves much faster than expected.

Honestly, I thought this giant crab was one of the weaker monsters in the fourth layer, but it might be better to adjust its stats upward.

No wonder it's so disliked—this is the fourth layer.

I crept closer to the crab battling the phantom warrior, blending into the shadows.

My heart pounds so loudly I can hear it myself—nervousness grips me.

My hand trembles around the short blade, on the verge of dropping it.

At less than three meters away, I expanded the range of Dark Fog, enveloping both giant crabs.

At the same time, I used Shadow Bind to immobilize them.

Watching the dark tendrils wrapping around the crab's limbs, I charged forward toward the monster.

(One! Two!)

I plunged my dagger into the giant claw's brow.

With a sharp crack, the blade pierced through the thin shell, sinking deep and severing the vital core.

After finishing one, I turned my blade and swiftly dispatched another in the same manner.

A clinking sound echoed as a larger spirit stone fell to the ground, signaling the end of the battle.

"Huff, huff... Dark Sense."

I scanned the surroundings with spirit magic, confirming no more monsters were approaching, then picked up the stone and steadied my breathing.

— I did it.

In the end, I managed to defeat it just like the monsters from the third layer.

But the exhaustion was severe.

After all, it was my first fight against such a monster—expected, really.

From past experience, I've learned that a tactic that worked once will likely work again against monsters of the same type.

Maybe not if more intelligent monsters appear, but we'll deal with that when the time comes.

Fighting alone is risky, but the rewards when it succeeds are substantial.

"The spirit stones are pure and water-type. This size should sell for a high price. The fourth floor might be tough, but it could be more profitable than the third."

I went back down to the staircase and began exploring in another direction.

Right in front of the staircase exit was a massive waterfall, making progress in that direction impossible.

Well, maybe it's possible, but I'd rather avoid slipping and plummeting straight into the waterfall's pool. It's probably best to stay away.

Well, since there's a corridor extending to both sides, we'll search in that direction.

As we progress, dealing with slimes using summoning magic, another monster's presence was detected.

Confirmed visually.

"There's a lizardman. Just one… but it looks incredibly strong."

It's just… huge.

Probably around the size of a troll. Two-meter class.

And unlike trolls, it's completely encased in muscle-like armor, so much so that just seeing it walk conveys its immense strength.

Plus, it's carrying both a shield and a sword.

"Lizardmen might have sensory organs different from humans. Snakes, for example, have pit organs that detect infrared. If it's similar, it could sense heat and attack accordingly. But judging by its appearance, resembling a lizard, I don't think that's something to worry about…"

If it's the type that attacks upon sensing heat, it could be my ultimate enemy.

I'll need to investigate this further.

I sent out a Phantom Warrior from a considerable distance.

This phantom warrior can move silently at will.

I put even more distance between myself and the Lizardman, ensuring I could quickly retreat down the stairs.

The Phantom Warrior quietly approached the Lizardman.

"The Lizardman has noticed the Phantom Warrior. The battle has begun. It seems it's not just a pit organ-based ability."

If the Lizardman hadn't noticed the Phantom Warrior, that would have been dangerous. Not noticing it would have meant it relied on heat perception—perhaps another sense entirely.

There's no guarantee either way, but hope remains for now.

"Suuuuu, haaaaa. Well then, here I go."

I took a deep, deep breath and made my decision.

Facing a monster I've never fought before could easily end in a life-or-death struggle, so this was my resolve.

If my mind isn't steady, I won't be able to react when something unexpected happens.

Always prepare for the worst.

That's only natural in a place like this labyrinth.

That monster is stronger than the Giant Club.

And, of course, stronger than me.

That was my instinct.

I approached the lizardman, still fighting the phantom warrior, stealthily blending into the shadows.

My dagger was already drawn.

"Summon Knightbug!"

I summoned the Knightbug, just to distract it slightly.

It probably won’t be very effective against an opponent of this level.

The Night Bug buzzes around, quite annoying.

Especially since I have to fight a Phantom Warrior at the same time, I need to divide my attention toward that as well.

There’s no sign that it’s paying attention to me as I quietly approach through the darkness.

Yet, I could sense a stronger pressure than from any previous opponent.

Its skin is covered in tough-looking scales, making me uncertain whether my dagger could pierce through.

(But I have no choice—now that I’ve come this far!)

If I can’t even defeat a single Lizardman, exploring the fourth floor would be impossible.

After all, I might even encounter a Scylla.

"Shadow Bind!"

I spread darkness and dash forward in an instant.

At the same time, shadow tendrils lash out, wrapping around the Lizardman’s limbs.

(We can do it!)

A strike from behind. Just like with the troll, a single blow should have finished him— that was the plan.

But the lizardman forcibly broke free from the binding curse and slightly twisted his body.

That small movement was enough to deflect the sword’s path, causing the dagger to pierce his left shoulder, covered in scales.

(This is bad!)

Fortunately, the binding effect hadn’t fully worn off yet.

But it had already passed the peak moment of effectiveness by just a fraction.

The lizardman swung his single-edged sword like a saber in a horizontal slash.

I released my grip from the dagger still lodged in my shoulder and instinctively blocked it with my gauntlet.

"Gh—!"

The impact felt like my arm was about to snap.

I managed to dodge backward reflexively, slightly reducing the impact, but my left arm felt numb and wouldn't respond for a while.

Even though it should have been bound, this speed.

If the opponent had been at full strength—and if I hadn't had the gift of the Shadow Gauntlet from the divine beast—there's no doubt I'd have been cut.

Inside my heart, I silently thanked the divine beast Lilimuf for such a wonderful gift.

　

The lizardman wildly swung his sword in the darkness.

It seemed he couldn't see in the shadows. Just knowing that was enough.

I could escape now, but the dagger was still lodged in his left shoulder. I wanted to retrieve it.

(Use it?)

From Shadow Storage, I pulled out the Chaos Spirit Stone.

The mantis stone.

Weaker than the Lizardman, but more than adequate as a makeshift ally.

I clenched a stone in my hand and recited the spell.

"——Create Undead"