Chương 81: Chapter 80: The Core's Pulse

Recap: You buffed the Party into Dungeon Avatars. Your MP is critical (6/26). The System Repairers are approaching. You voted to REGEN MANA (RECOVERY). Six MP. Enough for one Gatekeeper skill. Maybe two. Not enough for a war. I settled next to the Dungeon Core. The golden sphere hummed, a heartbeat of pure light. I didn't just sit near it. I opened my Core Resonance. I let my Voidband bands touch the light.

SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Skill Used: Core Link (Recharge) Cost: 0 MP (Passive) Effect: Mana Regeneration x500% Status: Meditating The flow was instantaneous. It wasn't like drinking a potion. It was like plugging a battery into a power plant. The Dungeon's mana flooded into my pool. My wood warmed. My iron bands vibrated in harmony with the Core. Safe, the Core whispered. … Rest… Little… Gate… We… Hold… The… Line… I closed my lid. I entered Dormant State.

SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Time Elapsed: 12 Hours MP Regenerated: +20Current MP: 26/26 (Full) HP Regenerated: +0 (Already Full) SP Regenerated: +0 (Already Full) Status Effect: Core Attuned Effect: Next Core Skill Cost -10% I opened my lid. The Sanctum was quiet. Torin stood guard at the entrance, a shadow among shadows. Kara sat nearby, her staff glowing softly. Renn was polishing his arrows, each tip humming with enchanted light. They looked… different. The Dungeon Authority had changed them.

Their eyes held a faint golden glow. They weren't just adventurers anymore. They were part of the place.

"You're back," Torin said. He didn't turn around. He sensed me via Shared Vision.

"Mana full?" Buzz. (Yes).

"Good," Kara said. She stood up. Her movement was fluid, like water.

"The sensors… they pinged an hour ago. Floor 2. They're moving fast." This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Faster than expected, I thought. They know we're ready. SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Warning: System Repairers Location: Floor 3 (Ascending) ETA to Floor 5 (Kill Zone): 12 Hours Status: Hostile"Twelve hours," Torin said. He sheathed his sword. The sound echoed like a gavel.

"We move to the Furnace. Final setup." We left the Sanctum. The descent was different this time. The Dungeon didn't fight us. The stairs smoothed out. The air currents pushed us forward. The Dungeon itself was helping. We arrived at Floor 5 (The Furnace). The lava had cooled into black obsidian. Sharp ridges formed natural walls. The bridges were narrow. Perfect for a choke point. Kara raised her hands. She didn't chant. She willed. The obsidian shifted, forming cover for Renn.

Torin slammed his shield into the ground. A ripple of shadow spread across the floor, hiding our exact positions.

"Hidden," Renn said. He climbed to a high ledge.

"I have sightlines on both entrances."

"Box," Torin said.

"You're the bait. And the hammer." Buzz. (Understood). I positioned myself in the center of the main bridge. Visible. Exposed. My White Door mark glowed faintly. I looked like a treasure chest left behind. A lure. The Shared Vision linked us all. I could see what Renn saw (the entrance). I could feel what Torin felt (the ground vibrations). I could sense what Kara sensed (mana spikes). We waited. The heat of the Furnace rose. My Thermal Adaptation kept me comfortable. The party sweated but didn't complain. Ping.

Renn's arrow twitched in his hand.

"Contact. Floor 4. They're… big."

"Describe," Torin ordered.

"Humanoid. Armor made of… code? White metal. No faces. Three of them." The Repairers, I thought. Level 25.

"They see me," I vibrated. Buzz. (They see the bait).

"Hold," Torin said.

"Let them cross the bridge. Cut off the retreat. Then… we break them." I focused my MP. 26/26. Ready. I focused my SP. 36/36. Ready. I focused my will. Protect the Gate. The ground shook. Heavy footsteps. Metallic. Rhythmic. They were here. Current Stats (Level 9 - Gatekeeper Mimic): HP: 31/31 (Full) Mana: 26/26 (Full) Stamina: 36/36 (Full) Inventory: 2 Pebbles, Metal Items (Fused). Mage Staff (Loot). Guardian Hammer (Stored). White Door (Integrated).

Status: The Gatekeeper, Core Attuned (-10% Cost), Party Ambush Ready. What do you do? A) GRAVITY WELL (LOCKDOWN) As soon as they step on the bridge, trap them with Gravity Well. Prevent retreat. (Cost: 5 MP. Gain: Crowd Control. Risk: They might resist.) B) HAMMER DROP (OPENING STRIKE) Release the Guardian Hammer immediately. Target the leader. Try to cripple one before fight starts. (Cost: 0 MP. Gain: Damage. Risk: Reveals Hammer Location.) C) FAINT WEAKNESS (LURE) Pretend to be a normal chest.

Let them get close. Try to loot/disarm them when they touch you. (Cost: 0 SP. Gain: Surprise Crit. Risk: You Take First Hit.) D) GATE PORTAL (TRAP) Open the White Door slightly beneath them. Drop them into Earth (Tokyo Alley). Confuse them with reality shift. (Cost: 10 MP. Gain: Removal. Risk: Unstable, Might Bring Earth Pollution to Dungeon.) VOTING CLOSES IN 24 HOURS. Reply with A, B, C, or D. Most votes wins. [Author Note] Thanks for voting on Chapter 79! Option A (Regen) was successful!

You are Fully Restored and positioned at Floor 5 (The Furnace)! The System Repairers have arrived!