“Seika!”
Five people broke away from the group, their faces lighting up at the sight of him.
They must have been his party.
The strange thing was that they weren’t standing together with the others.
It could have meant nothing… but something about it felt off.
“You all made it! As expected of my loyal subordinates!”
“We are not your subordinates, Seika. But we did miss you.”
Despite their protest, their reunion was full of camaraderie.
Of course, I also had people I was eager to see. Taking a step forward, I was about to greet them when a sharp, irritated voice cut through the air.
“Are you here to socialize? How long are you planning to chat?”
“Yeah. Do you not see us all waiting? We’ve already waited long enough for you slowpokes.”
Cold stares were directed at Seika’s group—and at us.
The pressure made some of our people murmur among themselves.
“They’re really on edge.”
“But… why were they waiting for us?”
Seika, the experienced one, seemed to have realized the reason. He sighed and shook his head.
“Apologies for keeping you waiting. Well then, let’s get started.”
He clapped his hands twice to draw attention, then turned toward the empty stands, raising his voice.
“Hey, toys! Come out already!”
Since he had cleared the dungeon before, I assumed this was part of some procedure. But despite his shouting, the stands remained eerily silent.
That’s when Dain spoke up.
“You have to enter the arena first.”
His head tilted slightly in that familiar careless way—one that made him seem almost insolent.
But to me, it was just typical Dain.
To those who didn’t know him, however, his attitude must have seemed intimidating. Seika visibly flinched.
“O-oh, is that so?”
Seika scratched the back of his head, and a few people on the other side snickered.
Something about their laughter rubbed me the wrong way, and I frowned slightly.
It seemed I wasn’t the only one. The expressions of our group and even Seika’s party darkened. But the man himself didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.
“Alright, let’s head inside!”
Following Seika’s lead, we stepped into the arena.
As he walked, he shot a quick glance toward Kelian, who stood at the front of the opposing group. Then, as if putting on a show, he squared his shoulders dramatically.
I wasn’t sure if he was trying to send a challenge or simply boost his own confidence, but given his relatively smaller build, the effect wasn’t quite as imposing as he might have hoped.
Kelian, barely acknowledging Seika’s display, didn’t react at all.
But when I passed by, he met my gaze with a small smile.
That alone made all the effort of getting here feel worth it.
“Wait… isn’t that the hero?”
“Now that you mention it, those people…”
Only after stepping into the center of the arena did some of our group realize who they were facing.
Seika’s party, despite starting from the top floor, had chosen to stick by him rather than rejoin the other side.
“They were all over the hero, trying to suck up to him.”
“We, on the other hand, remained loyal to the true hero of this era—Seika!”
“And look what happened! They left us out of their little group!”
So that was the story.
In the end, they had failed to fit in and been pushed aside.
Seika, hearing his party’s chatter, scowled and shot a fierce glare at the opposing group.
At that moment, they stepped into the arena, standing directly in front of us.
—Welcome to the Toy Castle!
A booming voice echoed through the stadium, amplified as if by magic.
Then, from above, a small rabbit plushie suddenly dropped from the sky.
It landed gracefully, spun in place like a showman, then hopped onto a raised platform that seemed made just for it.
The gray rabbit stared down at us with unreadable eyes.
—This batch of toys looks especially amusing.
“Who the hell are you calling a toy?”
Dain, standing next to Kelian, grumbled under his breath. Since we were relatively close, I could hear him clearly. Unfortunately, so could the rabbit doll on the platform.
Its eyes rolled toward him with an unsettling motion.
—Why are you upset? That was a compliment.
“I wasn’t… Just get on with it.”
Dain clamped his mouth shut, likely realizing that arguing would only waste time.
The rabbit tilted its head briefly but didn’t press further.
—My name is Jack! I’ll be your host for this Toy Arena!
People around us murmured at the word arena.
Sensing the shift in tension, I instinctively gripped my club.
As I did, my gaze met Jenin’s. She was standing off to the side, casually linking arms with two unfamiliar women.
She mouthed, Don’t worry too much.
Something about her expression was reassuring.
Smiling faintly, I mouthed back, I’m not worried. You know who trained me.
Jenin grinned like a mischievous fox.
—Your task is simple! Entertain the audience! That is the most important thing!
“Audience? What audience?”
Someone voiced their confusion.
Jack spread its tiny arms wide.
—Now entering… the spectators!
WOOOOOOOAAAAAHHHH—!
In an instant, the once-empty stands filled with countless toy dolls.
Not dozens, but hundreds.
All of them, with glowing red eyes, erupted in wild cheers.
People around me flinched, startled by the overwhelming energy.
Even I found myself momentarily stunned, staring at the now-packed stands.
When did that happen…?
—Thank you, dear residents of Toy Castle, for once again joining us at the Toy Arena!
JACK! JACK! JACK! JACK! JACK!
The eerie chant of its name thundered through the arena.
—Haha! With such a warm welcome, I hardly know what to do with myself!
Jack, clearly a beloved—or at least popular—toy of this castle, bowed repeatedly toward the cheering audience.
—Today, we have an especially special set of toys prepared! Unusually, both the top-floor and underground toys have displayed remarkable performance.
Its rolling eyes locked onto Kelian.
—The especially special top-floor toys should be especially entertaining!
WOOOOAAAAAHHH!
—Are you all ready to watch?
YEEEEAAAAHHH!
—How ready are you?
ESPECIALLY SPECIAL!
…Was “especially special” some kind of catchphrase here?
The crowd’s feverish energy was suffocating, but before I could dwell on it, Jack finally declared the beginning of the event.
—Now then, let’s begin! Toys on stage—remember to have fun!
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over us.
It was massive—so large that nearly everyone standing in the arena was swallowed by its darkness.
At the same time, an ominous rumbling sound grew louder, vibrating in my ears like a distant roar.
“Get out of the shadow!”
Jenin’s sharp command jolted people into action.
Even those who had hesitated immediately broke into a run.
I dashed along with the crowd, escaping from the encroaching shadow just in time.
Once we were clear, we turned back toward the spot where we had stood moments before.
And then—just like when Jack had dropped from the sky—something slammed into the arena with a thunderous crash.
Unlike the small and light rabbit, however, this new arrival was immense.
The impact was so powerful that the entire stadium trembled beneath its weight.
“BAXC! BAXC! BAXC!”
The toy audience erupted into excited chants.
Slowly, the creature rose to its full height, basking in the deafening cheers.
It looked like a knight.
But not a normal one.
Its entire body was constructed from countless blood-red wooden toy boxes, stacked and merged together to create the form of a towering, musclebound humanoid.
Even its head was made entirely of wooden crates, all shifting and interlocking as it moved.
A Toy Box Knight.
The only reason I called it a knight was because it wielded a massive silver greatsword in one hand.
It was the only thing about Baxc that wasn’t made of wooden crates.
“What the hell? It’s just a giant toy box monster.”
“I thought something impressive was gonna show up.”
Despite its intimidating size, its core structure was just wooden boxes. Some of the people nearby scoffed, seemingly convinced that it would break apart easily under a few sword strikes.
It was an understandable assumption…
But judging by the way Jack was grinning wide enough to split its face in half from its spot on the announcer’s platform, I doubted things would be that simple.
“I’ll take care of it!”
A man, seemingly a mage, stepped forward. He wore an eye-catching blue hat and deliberately walked past several others—going out of his way to stand before Kelian and seek permission.
“Oh, great hero, would you grant me the honor of defeating this box monster?”
Kelian, looking as if he couldn’t care less, met him with an indifferent gaze.
“Do as you like.”
He had never enjoyed the attention that came with his title, and judging by his tired expression, he had likely been pestered the whole way down here.
Even though things had calmed down recently, I knew there were still times when bad impulses got the better of him.
“Thank you for your generosity! Then I, Ankel, shall eliminate this ridiculous box monster!”
With a dramatic flourish, he removed his blue hat and bowed toward the audience.
The toy spectators giggled as if entertained.
Meanwhile, Baxc—who had remained still since its landing—finally turned its head (or rather, its stack of wooden crates) toward Ankel, recognizing him as an opponent.
“Can’t even attack first, huh? Well, what do you expect from a box head?”
Ankel smirked and raised his staff.
“Wooden crates burn easily. Time to show you the power of fire.”
“…….”
“O forces of the world, gather in my hands! Flames, rise and consume!”
With an unnecessarily flashy chant, a fireball shot toward Baxc.
Since it was made of wood, fire magic was an obvious and logical choice.
The flames engulfed the motionless Baxc instantly.
However—
“W-what? Why isn’t it burning?”
Baxc should have crumbled, burned, or at the very least turned to ash.
But instead, it remained standing, completely engulfed in flames—yet unchanged.
It didn’t vanish.
It didn’t weaken.
It just stared down at Ankel, as if glaring at him through the fire.
“Wait a second…”
The moment Ankel took a step back, the burning Baxc let out a deafening roar.
KRAAAAAAAAHHH!
The sheer force of its voice rattled my eardrums.
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
Despite its massive size, Baxc suddenly charged forward at an impossible speed.
Ankel barely had time to react—he wasn’t even able to run.
A giant hand of burning wooden crates closed around him, lifting him high into the air in a single effortless motion.
“Ugh, Aaaah!”
Flames engulfed Baxc’s hands, trapping Ankel in their fiery grasp. He screamed in agony as Baxc shook him violently in midair before losing interest and hurling him beyond the stands.
“Waaaaah! Baxc! Baxc!”
The toy-like spectators erupted in cheers at Baxc’s display. But Baxc, his body ablaze, simply searched for the next victim.
“Scatter, everyone!”
A voice rang out, and the crowd obeyed, scattering in all directions. Even the slightest contact with Baxc could set flesh alight, so keeping a distance and attacking from afar seemed the only option.
No one knew exactly how Ankel’s spell had worked, but the sight of Baxc burning without ever being consumed was nothing short of terrifying.
“Kyaaah, Jenin! I’m so scared! Protect me!”
“No, you have to protect me!”
Even amid the chaos, loud voices drew attention to a group of women clinging to Jenin, vying for her protection.
“Alright, alright, just stop fighting… and don’t pull my clothes!”
As Jenin ran, she struggled to keep the others from falling while they pulled at her arms, fighting for her protection. She couldn’t hide her exhaustion. Just as I watched her with slight concern—
“We need to put out the fire first.”
Dain, who happened to be running alongside me, muttered as he raised his staff. A sudden downpour of water cascaded over Baxc’s head like a torrential shower. The flames were completely extinguished, and the fire magic that had previously strengthened Baxc now worked against him—his soaked body moved sluggishly.
“So, water works better than fire, huh?”
I smirked as I praised Dain.
“Thanks to you, the fire’s out.”
“It’s not a huge help. He’s just moving slower—he’s still just as strong.”
Boom!
As if to prove Dain right, Baxc slammed his fist into the ground, crushing several people beneath its force. The sheer power sent chills down my spine.
“What are you supposed to do in a situation like this?”
Dain suddenly turned into a strict teacher, demanding an answer. If I didn’t answer correctly, I’d surely get an earful.
“Find the monster’s weakness.”
“And what’s that monster’s weakness?”
“That’s…”
I wasn’t sure yet.
As I hesitated, watching Baxc swing his fists wildly, something caught my eye. A faint glow on his back. It was so small I had almost missed it, but there was definitely something there.
“Aine!”
The sound of my name snapped me back to my senses. I quickly picked up my pace, dodging Baxc, who had gotten dangerously close.
“Aine, are you all right? That monster dares to target you?!”
Seika rushed to my side, reacting dramatically. But knowing it was out of genuine concern, I didn’t feel as awkward as I used to.
“Thank you, Sir Seika.”
“Oh, there’s no need to thank me. Haha.”
“Have you fought this Baxc before in a previous clear?”
Since Seika had repeatedly emphasized his experience in this dungeon, I thought he might be helpful. But surprisingly, he denied it outright.
“This monster is different from the one I faced. It seems the dungeon spawns different creatures each time.”
Great. That meant I couldn’t rely on an experienced player’s help. If even Seika—who had cleared this dungeon before—faced different enemies, then the same likely applied to Kelian and the others. Of course, proving my growth to them was my goal, so I preferred to figure out Baxc’s weakness on my own anyway.
“…….”
As I ran, I noticed Dain’s expression had grown noticeably irritated. He usually had a grumpy look, but now he seemed genuinely annoyed. It was strange.
“How long have you known each other to act so friendly?”
His sharp words were unmistakably directed at Seika. Even Seika, looking just as confused as I was, pointed to himself.
“M-Me? When did I act friendly with anyone…?”
“Don’t act close with Aine.”
For a moment, I almost stumbled on the perfectly flat ground. Even after saying something so absurd, Dain didn’t change his expression.
“I’m not just pretending to be close, I am close with Aine! We’ve overcome trials together—we’re comrades, bound by fate! More than that, who are you to say such things about Aine?”
“I’m closer to her than you are.”
“W-What…? Wait a minute… aren’t you the one who always follows Kelian around…?”
Seika trailed off, as if finally realizing who Dain was.
Meanwhile, my thoughts wandered in a completely different direction—Dain had called my name. It made me unexpectedly happy. It felt like he had finally accepted me as a companion.
But then, his irritation turned back toward me.
“What are you smiling about? I told you to find the weak spot.”
Oh, right. But actually… I did have a guess. It wasn’t certain yet, but…
“I think I found it. I need to get closer to confirm it.”
I stopped running and abruptly changed direction, heading toward Baxc.
“Aine?”
Seika called my name in confusion, while Dain returned to his usual unimpressed expression, choosing to watch in silence.
Meanwhile, Baxc rampaged across the arena, striking and tossing people as he went. I carefully maneuvered closer to his back.
Despite his speed, his massive body left a blind spot—his back was completely exposed. And there, embedded in his lower back, was a single golden wind-up key.
Seeing it up close, it was definitely a key. Even though Baxc was built from sturdier materials than the other toy monsters, he was still, at his core, a toy.
None of the other toy monsters we had encountered had something like this. That had to be Baxc’s weak point.
The safest option would be to wait until the key wound down completely before pulling it out. But by then, half the team might be gone.
I had to pull it out now.
“Baxc! Behind you! Behind you!”
The audience suddenly shouted, warning Baxc of my presence. Whether he understood their words or noticed their frantic gestures, he turned his head—just in time to catch me reaching for the wind-up key.
KRAAAH—?
Wait, the audience could do that? I didn’t even have time to glare at the unfair spectators. Before Baxc could attack, I clung tightly to his back.
KRAAAAAAH!
The moment I touched the key, he reacted violently, stomping in place with enough force to shake the entire arena. My body jerked up and down as I desperately clung to the wooden panels of his frame. Ugh.
“A-Aine!”
Seika, watching in distress, bravely drew his sword and charged forward—only to be kicked mid-air by Baxc’s wild flailing and sent flying. Oh no.
Thankfully, he didn’t seem too badly hurt, as his followers quickly helped him back to his feet. I had to act fast. I grabbed the key, roughly the size of my palm, and twisted it in the unwinding direction.
Creeeak—Creeeek—
It wouldn’t budge easily. Using both hands, I gripped it tightly and hung from it, putting my entire weight into the motion.
KRAAAAAAAAh!
As the key unwound, Baxc’s screams grew more desperate. He flailed wildly, swinging his arms toward his back, nearly hitting my head. I barely dodged in time—one wrong move and I would’ve been crushed. My heart pounded in my chest.
Then, through the chaos, I caught sight of Kelian standing not too far away. He didn’t move, didn’t react to Baxc’s rampage—he simply watched me. Only me.
Seeing his unshaken composure steadied my own nerves. I wanted to show him how much I had grown. My hands burned, my palms tearing from the effort, but I refused to stop. I kept turning the key with everything I had.
Finally, with a faint clunk, the key fell to the ground.
KRRR…
Baxc, who had been shaking the entire arena with his roars, suddenly fell silent. His massive body swayed—then collapsed sideways like a broken doll. Just before it could crush me, I leaped off his back and landed safely.
—Oh dear. Looks like Baxc has lost.
The announcer, Jack, stepped in as Baxc’s body began to fade away.
—Victory goes to our new toys!
WOOOOOO!
Judging by the context, ‘new toys’ seemed to refer to us. The audience, apparently rooting for the old toy, booed loudly at our victory.
“We won…”
I had thought I was fairly composed while removing Baxc’s wind-up key, but as soon as Jack declared our victory, I realized how tense I had been. My arms, drained of strength, dropped limply to my sides. If this weren’t such a high-stakes situation, I might have collapsed on the spot.
In the distance, I saw Kelian walking toward me. A smile naturally formed on my lips as I was about to call his name—
“Kel—”
“Aine! That was incredible! As expected, you are…!”
Before I could finish, Seika and the rest of the group that had made it to the middle floors surrounded me, showering me with praise. Both I, who had intended to approach Kelian, and Kelian, who had been walking toward me, hesitated at the sudden interruption.
Instead of feeling triumphant, I felt a little embarrassed. The only reason I had been able to take the spotlight was because my companions had stepped back and allowed me to shine. If they had wanted to, they could have easily taken down Baxc without needing to target the key. They had likely done this to see how much I had grown.
Had I really shown them my growth? Sure, my level had skyrocketed thanks to our leveling-up strategy, but I had also gained endurance and persistence. That had to count for something.
—Don’t be too disappointed, dear spectators!
Jack skillfully calmed the booing audience.
—Didn’t I tell you? These new toys are especially special!
WOOOOOO!
“—But this won’t last long. Next up is Angry Face!”
The booing cut off instantly. The audience fell silent, but the gleam in their reddened eyes made it clear—they were excited.
—Now, shall we call it forth?
YEEEESSSS!
—Angry Face, come on out!
As Jack and the audience wrapped up their unsettling exchange, another monster dropped from the sky.
It wasn’t as small as Jack, nor was it as massive as Baxc. It was lime green, round and squishy like a ball, with a doodle-like smiling face on its front. It hovered in midair.
For a creature called Angry Face, its grinning expression felt oddly out of place.
“This one looks easy.”
Since it wasn’t an overwhelming giant like Baxc, the group seemed relieved, and chatter broke out.
“Should I take this one?”
“You ran away the whole time with Baxc.”
“That thing was huge. I can’t just let that guy take all the credit.”
A small group pointed at me as they whispered among themselves before stepping forward. Seika, still blinking in confusion, remained by my side as I asked,
“Have you fought this monster before?”
“No. This one’s new to me too.”
So it really was true—the dungeon changed its monsters each time. It made sense. If the same creatures appeared every time, the audience would probably get bored.
—Three of our new toys have bravely stepped forward!
WAAAAH!
“—Are the rest of the new toys just cowards? The opponent is just a tiny toy, after all.”
WOOOOOO!
Some people seemed to take that taunt personally, but all I felt was unease. Jack and the audience were deliberately goading us. Meanwhile, the three volunteers puffed up with pride at being called brave.
“Who’s going first?”
“I’ll cast a spell. While it’s distracted, you two rush in and finish it off.”
“Got it. Just don’t use fire magic, just in case.”
They must have remembered how fire magic had only made Baxc stronger. Whether that applied to this new monster was unclear, but all I could do for now was watch.
“Let’s go!”
The mage raised his staff, sending three streams of water surging toward Angry Face. It wasn’t as massive as the magic Dain had used, but it was still a powerful attack. Right behind the water spell, the two swordsmen drew their weapons and charged, planning to strike while the monster was staggered.
But—
As the water streams closed in, Angry Face suddenly opened its mouth wide. All three streams were sucked inside as if being devoured.
After smacking its lips a few times, Angry Face’s entire body began to tremble in midair.
Its eyebrows twisted at a sharp angle. The once-laughing eyes, which had been mere curved lines, snapped open with an intense glare. The upturned corners of its mouth dropped into a deep, furious scowl.
The monster’s once-cheerful expression was completely gone. Now, true to its name, Angry Face glared furiously at the two swordsmen who had charged in. It opened its mouth wide—
And the very same water it had just absorbed shot back out at them.
“Wha—Aaaghhh!”
They tried to retreat in the opposite direction, but the water blast struck them mid-run, sending them flying.
Without stopping, Angry Face bounced off the ground like a rubber ball, ricocheting toward the surrounding fighters. It was so fast that its movements were barely visible.
“Aaaargh!”
Screams erupted from all sides. The monster didn’t just knock people away—it swallowed them whole. Its body stretched grotesquely to accommodate larger victims, but in just a few moments, it returned to its original round shape, as if digesting them instantly.
“R-Run!”
Those who had attempted to fight quickly gave up and scattered, unable to keep up with the monster’s sheer speed.
Hahahahahaha!
The audience roared with laughter, enjoying the absolute chaos unfolding before them. Meanwhile, I had my hands full dodging Angry Face’s relentless bouncing attacks.
“Help me!”
A panicked swordsman, unable to shake the monster clinging to his back, flailed his sword wildly before giving up and sprinting straight toward me.
“Wait—Don’t come this way!”
