A single-person rift that opens when you touch a statue.

All officers, mages, and explorers unanimously agreed on this phenomenon.

All statues–or activating a certain number of them–likely opens that firmly closed stone gate, allowing progress to the next stage.

Of course, I agreed with that view as well.

So after clearing the Green Mine, I spent quite some time experimenting.

I tried reopening a cleared rift.

Checked whether someone who had already cleared a rift could enter it again.

Observed when opened portals would disappear.

I paused the mainGong Lue and continued the research.

Not a wasted moment.

After all, aren’t other games like that?

To excel, you need to know activation conditions, enemy traits, skill interactions perfectly.

‘Okay, I’m starting to get it.’

As the research progressed, lots of info gathered.

If no one enters, the portal closes after 10 minutes; portals can’t open if someone is inside; and so on.

Among these, five key points stood out:

I say at least seven because that’s the sample size.

Including me, seven people cleared the Green Mine, and statues still created portals each time touched…

‘So there’s basically no usage limit.’

Next.

But nothing else drops besides essences.

In seven attempts, no Rift Stones or Numbers items dropped once.

Though more samples needed for certainty, due to randomness.

Anyway.

This seems unique–only lit once when I first cleared it.

To light all lights, all statues must be cleared.

No usage limits for statues; portals close 10 minutes after opening.

5th floor rifts have two portals.

In other words, two people can enter.

Below 4th floor, all are one-person-only, so you must clear solo.

Finally…

No cheating here; only those truly strong enough can clear the rift.

For me, that was discouraging.

Dungeon & Stone isn’t a game where just leveling up and gathering good essences means winning.

I pride myself as among the strongest in the world, yet there are always tough counters.

‘…But two can enter, so maybe it’s doable.’

Though the field concept was a single-person rift, there was no entry limit.

That let us bring in hundreds of elite members.

We could pick the best explorer matchup to send inside.

‘Alright… let’s start.’

It was time to begin realGong Lue .

Unlike normal rifts, where the boss room appears after a short walk from the entrance, the earlyGong Lue ended quickly.

The cursed knight Blatter of Blood Castle.

The tyrant Tarunbas of Glacier Cave.

The iron man Ildium of Steel Tomb.

All defeated in a flash, all dropping essences.

Though I had no use for those essences now.

Still, it wasn’t a total loss.

[Guardian defeat bonus. EXP +3]

[Guardian defeat bonus. EXP +3]

[Guardian defeat bonus. EXP +3]

After several kills, I was sure–the guardian bonus applied here.

But…

‘Too bad.’

You can’t enter a cleared rift again.

Even if someone else opens the portal, you just pass through it to the front.

‘If not for that, I’d have duplicated experience.’

It was disappointing, but I decided to think positively.

After all, killing all but the bosses I can’t yet get experience from is still plenty.

Maybe that’s better than mediocre essences.

‘There are still many guardians I haven’t beaten.’

Adding initial hunt experience here, I could theoretically get 200 experience points from thisGong Lue alone.

Though, maybe other explorers thought the same.

As we moved to the 2nd floor guardians, someone approached.

“May I try the challenge too?”

“Your name is…?”

“Miles Humbrake, Baron.”

Ah, right.

I remembered him as an explorer recruited into the expedition after being called, not a knight.

Come to think of it, many such explorers were in the expedition…

“Except for the Blood Castle, I haven’t yet earned any guardian merits in the 1st floor rift. If you allow me–”

“Get permission from the count, not me.”

“The count said it’s fine if the baron permits.”

Looks like the chief was still playing figurehead here.

“Hmmm…”

What to do?

Sending him out and having him die only weakens our force.

While I pondered, the guy earnestly continued.

“I understand your worry. You’re anxious about someone entering where there’s no real reason.”

“…”

“But don’t worry. Though called a guardian, I’m not weak enough to lose to a Grade 7 monster.”

“There’s a condition before permission.”

“A condition…?”

Seeing his serious face, I chuckled.

“What are you nervous about? Go to the mages, learn everything about the guardians perfectly. That’s my condition.”

“…Yes? Understood! Thank you! Really, thank you!”

He left, apparently expecting more demands but touched by my words.

What I didn’t know then was why the judges hated precedents so much.

“Baron…?”

“May I try too…?”

Starting with him, others shyly approached.

‘Phew… I let him in, can’t refuse these guys now…’

Getting tired of answering one by one, I finally left it to Raven.

“Ask Arua Raven whether you can challenge. If she permits, I will too.”

“Me? Why me?”

“You’re the most knowledgeable about rifts here.”

“Don’t lie. You think I don’t know just because I’m lazy–”

Tsk, that’s why the sharp ones are so quick.

I cut him off firmly.

“It’s not laziness.”

“…?”

“It’s because I trust you.”

Not untrue.

Though there are many mages I could order, none are as thorough as Raven.

And she’s vulnerable to praise.

“Sigh…”

Raven sighed but nodded resignedly.

“I’ll only send those who can definitely return alive, only such people. Okay?”

Yeah, I expected that.

Though I dumped the annoying task, I saw responsibility in her eyes and knew I wouldn’t have to worry.

While thinking that…

“Yandel.”

Amelia called me.

I guessed she wanted to check if she could challenge alongside Raven.

That seemed likely given the timing.

But…

“May I try too…?”

Amelia’s uncharacteristically timid question surprised me.

“What…?”

“Ahem, if guardian defeat merits count, it’d be a shame to miss this chance. Actually, I think all members should try at least once.”

Caught in her gaze, Amelia cleared her throat embarrassed but argued logically.

Hard to just ignore.

‘Hmm… she does have a point.’

I didn’t ponder long.

“Fine. But only up to the 3rd floor.”

“Understood. Then I’ll prepare. Even if others don’t, Ainard Frenlin needs to be well prepared before entering.”

“I leave that to you.”

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t worried about them entering without me, but I couldn’t care for them like baby birds forever.

So I chose to trust.

Amelia, Ainard, Elwen, Misha.

The four would easily manage up to the 3rd floor.

‘Ended up taking a long break.’

After watching explorers taking Raven’s rift guardian lecture, I glanced over the statues I hadn’tGong Lue ed yet.

Eight 2nd floor guardians.

One End Knight of the White Temple on the 3rd.

Two on the 4th floor…

Twelve in total including unique rifts on the 5th floor.

And…

‘Including Cambormier, fourteen unidentified guardians.’

Add four on the 1st floor, that’s forty-one total.

‘I’ve killed four, so…’

That meant 37 guardians left to defeat.

‘…Let’s start with the easy ones.’

There was no time limit here, right?

No requirement to finish in a few days or anything…

[Guardian defeat bonus. EXP +3]

[Guardian defeat bonus. EXP +3]

[Guardian defeat bonus. EXP +3]

[Guardian defeat bonus. EXP +3]

[Guardian defeat…]

After defeating all eight 2nd floor guardians and exiting, the area was quite chaotic.

They seemed to welcome me, saying I’d done well, but…

“What’s the record? How much time?”

“3 minutes 27 seconds!”

Some immediately checked the time and furiously wrote in notebooks.

Now that I think about it, they did that before too.

“What are they writing?”

“…They were recording how long it took the baron to kill the guardians.”

For some reason, that answer made me quite annoyed.

I felt like a racehorse at the track.

“Are you betting on me?”

I asked sternly, and the mages freaked out, waving their hands.

“N-No way! Absolutely not. Just… curiosity… Everyone’s keeping records, not just you.”

Hmm, then I couldn’t stay mad.

“Because… the data is important…”

A mage who doesn’t keep records isn’t a mage.

Knowing how instinctive record-keeping is for mages, I let it go.

‘Misha and Elwen areGong Lue ing… Amelia is attending class.’

Sitting to rest and organize thoughts, a portal opened and an explorer who challenged the Glacier Cave returned.

And…

“How long did it take?”

Someone immediately asked.

“1 minute 24 seconds.”

The mage taking notes replied flatly; the explorer asked again with excited eyes.

“So, what place is that?”

“Third.”

The explorer looked around disappointed, then whispered something to the mage.

Sadly, I couldn’t hear…

“Bjorn Yandel is asking how long it took.”

I realized Amelia was beside me.

I had seen her listening to Raven’s lecture just moments ago…

Did she slip out when she saw me?

Whatever, doesn’t matter.

“Ahem, I see. Thanks for telling me.”

The explorer smiled proudly and moved toward Raven’s lecture room.

“Want to know what the mage said?”

“No, not really.”

“3 minutes 27 seconds.”

“…If you’re going to say it anyway, why ask?”

A little absurd, but I didn’t feel bad about the record.

I can’t get a better time anyway.

I took it slow, analyzing as I went through.

‘Well… even at best, I probably wasn’t faster than them.’

They seemed to be competing, and I felt it was unfair to be included.

What’s so great about killing faster than a tank?

Just pathetic–

“By the way, I was 47 seconds.”

“…Huh?”

“…And I’m first.”

“Ah…”

Maybe I’m blinded by love?

Now it seems less pathetic and somewhat cute…

“Already leaving?”

“Rested enough.”

After a short break, standing before a new guardian statue, Amelia tilted her head.

“Isn’t this the End Knight?”

I stood before the vampire guardian Cambormier’s statue.

Simple Novelight reason.

“It’s time to check the unidentified guardians.”

“Is that so…”

Amelia just nodded, saying nothing.

She knew well enough.

A vampire posed no threat to me.

“Still, be careful, okay?”

“Got it. I’ll be back.”

I entered the portal, seeing Amelia off.

The sensation of floating lasted briefly, then–

Thud.

I recognized movement had ended and dashed forward.

I could scout terrain while running.

Brick walls reminiscent of a medieval castle.

Candleholders illuminating the walls.

Old bloodstains stained the floor.

The place where I opened my eyes resembled, but differed from, the last chapter of the Blood Castle–The Demon Worship Room.

Not a ‘m’ shape but a straight line.

Tatatatat.

Running full speed toward the boss room straight ahead.

I’m human, after all.

I don’t care much about records…

But I didn’t want to be anyone’s consolation prize.

So if nothing happened, I planned to kill the guardian quickly and leave.

But…

Kwahhng!

The sound of the door being kicked open forced me to stop as I saw the vampire awakening.

“How curious… very curious…”

The vampire looked at me with sleepy eyes and spoke.

“…Have we met before?”