The next room in the dungeon is the largest Jimbo has built to date. It is a coliseum with stone bleachers and a white sand floor. In the center stands a row of three monoliths; the first features a cylindrical block and a spike, the one in the middle has two blocks, and the last is three blocks high. A bone gate blocks the way to the next area of the dungeon.
Initially, Jimbo wrote a word on each monolith: Easy, Normal, and Hard, representing standard difficulty levels. But he was surprised to learn that Dowmy was unable to understand his language, and that it was the first time she had seen such a script.
Jimbo deduced that everyone was speaking to him in a language native to this fantasy world, and that being a dungeon core somehow translated the language into a form he understood. But when it came to written language, this convenience didn't apply. To solve this, Jimbo asked Dowmy how to write the numbers 1, 2, and 3.
The imp shrugs and says:
"I don't know how to write."
Jimbo rolls his ethereal eyes and lets out an exasperated sigh. He can't blame the imp; it's obvious the girl's education wasn't a priority for Arrax. After thinking for a while, Jimbo decided to use a color code: He placed a magical green mark on the first monolith, yellow on the second, and red on the third, making them visible to anyone. Just like with the stone-throwing goblins, the monoliths had their own summoning mechanism.
Dowmy takes charge of explaining how it works to the captains.
"You place your hand here and monsters appear. The green stone is for rookie soldiers, the yellow for those with some practice, and the red is for those looking for a challenge," the imp says, pointing at each mark.
Lynel whistles, impressed, and leans in to inspect the monoliths with interest. Hilda maintains a stoic face and steps up to test it. She places her hand on the yellow mark and immediately feels something drain a sliver of her energy; it's as if an invisible force is pulling her forward. She grits her teeth and quickly pulls her hand back. Around the woman, three skeletons are summoned, each wielding a club.
To save costs on summons, Jimbo added an extra feature to the marks: a small capacity to absorb aether and ki. It's a trap, but Jimbo reduced its absorption rate to prevent it from being harmful.
"Do you need help, Hilda?" Lynel asks when he sees the undead.
"I've got it all under control," Hilda says with a relaxed look on her face.
"I know, but I only offered as a gentlemanly gesture. All yours, Captain"
Lynel steps back to stand next to Dowmy.
As soon as the three skeletons step forward to attack, Hilda unleashes a spinning slash.
She spins a couple of times on her own axis, slicing the skeletons at the waist. The torsos are severed, and although their legs walk away, the hands and skulls keep dragging themselves forward to attack. Hilda's boot stomps on the first skull and pulverizes it, causing the rest of the skeleton to disintegrate. She does the same to the second enemy, and kicks the third skeleton's skull, sending it flying and shattering against a wall.
With no enemies in sight, the monolith's mark lights up and the bone gate at the back opens automatically.
"I can already picture the future training sessions here; they'll be very useful for our troop of slackers!" Lynel exclaims, crossing his arms and nodding with a satisfied smile.
"It's an interesting idea, I'll admit," Hilda accepts, though unlike Lynel, she avoids letting a single ounce of optimism or emotion slip through.
Dowmy continues the tour into the next room. Jimbo watches the result with an annoyed grimace.
«The math just isn't adding up with this woman the way I want.»
Hilda disposed of the skeletons without breaking a sweat; consequently, the aether her body expelled was minimal. Jimbo trusts that with the rest of the soldiers, the outcome will be better for him.
If the bridge tests courage and self-control, and the coliseum tests strength, Jimbo decided the third challenge of his first floor would test the gray matter.
«A daily puzzle never hurt anybody.»
Since it's the first one, he decided to go with an easy riddle.
The final chamber is barely a hallway with a stone door at the end. Only three of the six torches inside are lit, and they are arranged in pairs, each adorned with a differently sized skull. The first pair of torches is the size of a child's skull, the second an adolescent's, and the third pair looks like adult skulls.
Hilda walks straight to the door and tries to push it, but no matter how much she searches, she finds no way to open it. She lets out a grunt of annoyance and steps back to scan the room. Like her, Lynel also inspects the unlit torches.
"It's a simple puzzle; we just have to light all the torches to open the door," Hilda comments.
Lynel nods in agreement and grabs one of the lit torches to ignite the others. However, nothing happens, and when he lights the last one—the adolescent's skull—all three fires extinguish themselves as if blown out by a mysterious wind.
The captains raise an eyebrow and look at Dowmy, expecting an explanation.
"The master asks if you want a hint," the imp says.
Lynel opens his mouth to accept the help, but Hilda cuts him off.
"There's no need; we'll figure it out ourselves. I imagine it's some dirty trick, like a hidden lever or a path we missed."
Hilda checks the hallway again, growing increasingly frustrated. Lynel tries to convince her to accept the Dungeon Core's help, but she insists they can solve the riddle on their own.
Jimbo wishes they could hear his roaring laughter.