Songs in the Void

ICDS Universe, 1st Dungeon, 17th Floor. 

Three days have passed since Tatsuo finished raiding the Dark Ratman and creating the [Thunderclap Daggers]. In that time, Tatsuo returned to his normal schedule of climbing the Dungeon, training his [Skills], and hanging out with Sumire whenever they were both free. 

And today, after spending three days climbing the 16th Floor, Tatsuo finally reached the 17th. However, most of that time was spent getting used to the difference in weight between the [Thunderclap Daggers] and the [Heavy Bladed knuckle Dusters] during battle. And once he did, he decisively sold the [Heavy Bladed Knuckle Dusters] to Loretta at the Floor Shop before kicking things up a notch with his climbing speed. 

Running through the 17th Floor in [Stealth,], Tatsuo came across a group of six Lizardmen. However, he did not slow down in the slightest during his approach. Instead, he snuck behind the largest of the group, leapt into the air, and plunged the blades of the [Thunderclap Daggers] into either side of its neck. 

Immediately, the sound of loot collection rang out in his ear. However, he ignored it for the moment. Instead, as soon as the Lizardmen turned their attention to their slain comrade, Tatsuo used [Blink] to teleport behind the Lizardman furthest away the one he killed. Then, he repeated the process of stabbing either side of its neck. 

With another one of their comrade's blood splashing from fatal wounds, the Lizardmen turned around once again. However, unlike last time, [Blink] was still on cooldown, meaning Tatsuo was unable to teleport away immediately. So, he did the next best thing. 

Just as the Lizardmen were prepared to throw themselves into battle, Tatsuo flowed a large amount of [Energy] into the [Thunderclap Daggers]. And when he did, it was as if a flash bang had just exploded, forcing all the Lizardmen to close and cover their eyes thanks to the bright light. 

In fact, Tatsuo had only discovered this effect of the [Thunderclap Daggers] near the end of the 16th Floor, when he found himself surrounded by a group of Lizardmen. To exterminate then quickly, as he was reaching the limits of his stamina; he flowed as much [Energy] into the bladed knuckle dusters as he could. To his surprise, the more [Energy] he supplied, the larger the arcs of lightning that were emitted, the louder the claps of thunder that were produced, and the brighter the luminance of the lightning. And if he did it fast enough, it would all explode at once. 

Unfortunately, Tatsuo was affected by these effects, as well. However, thanks to his training at DOATECH, he was used to fighting with sensory deprivation. So, just like he did on the 16th Floor, he was able to slaughter the rest of the Lizardmen in the group on the 17th Floor, as well. 

Like that, Tatsuo spent the next three days, with an average of twelve hours a day, clearing the 17th Floor. And because the only thing he fought were Lizardmen, he gained a lot of lizard scales as loot. Now, the only thing he had to do was figure out what he would do with those scales. 

So, he decided to ask the person who would know best in this world. 

ICDS Universe, 1st Dungeon, 17th Floor Shop. 

"What do you need this time, Kid?" Lin asked with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. 

"I wanna know if this would be a good material to make my next defensive set from." Tatsuo said as he pulled a lizardman scale out of his [Inventory]. 

Looking over the scale closely, Lin eventually nodded his head. 

"It would." Lin replied. "but it would not be as useful as the [Dark Ratman Set]. I'd suggest using that. Modify it if you have to, even. It comes with bonus stats and a skill, after all." 

"Nah… I have plans for that." Tatsuo replied while shaking his head. "Unfortunately, wearing it doesn't fit into those plans." 

That statement managed to peak Lin's interest. So, he leaned over the Shop Counter as he took a drag from his cigarette. 

"Really? Mind sharing?" Lin asked, trying to sound uninterested. 

"Nope." Tatsuo replied while shaking his head once again. "I'll show you what I did if it works. But if it doesn't, this topic will die here and now." 

"Tch! Whatever." Lin replied, after clicking his tongue, as he pushed himself up from the shop counter. "Do whatever you want, then. I'm going back to work." 

Then, before either Tatsuo or Loretta could say anything, Lin walked through a gate leading to another part of the Dungeon. Meanwhile, Loretta could only smile at what she saw. 

"I think he really likes you." Loretta said while staring at the spot where Lin disappeared from. "I haven't seen him so interested about another Explorer in a long time. And for the first time, it's not because of their combat power. But their crafting abilities." 

"Although I'm flattered, I have no interest in men." Tatsuo replied in a sincere tone. 

That response made Loretta freeze while she blinked her eyes a couple times in confusion. Then, after thinking about God knows what, her face turned so red that most tomatoes would be jealous. 

"I have no idea what you're thinking, Loretta-Oneechan." Tatsuo said while taking a step away from the counter. "But I'm certain that I don't' wanna know, either." 

With that, Tatsuo opened the door back to Earth. Meanwhile, Loretta snapped out of her not so family friendly fantasies. Then, she reached a hand out towards Tatsuo. 

"Tatsuo-Sama, wait!" Loretta shouted as Tatsuo stepped through the door back to his world. "I wasn't thinking about what you thought I was. It's just… the scene was a little steamy." 

Fortunately, or unfortunately, Tatsuo did not stay long enough to reach the end of Loretta's self-incriminating explanation. 

ICDS Universe, 1st Dungeon, 20th Floor. 

The next week seemed to fly by. While Tatsuo kept himself busy, he did not even make time to hang out with Sumire. Instead, he spent all his time working on new defensive gear using the lizardman scales, as well as the hides and feathers from the Giant Azure-Winged Magpies. 

And when he was not working on the defensive gear, he was climbing the Dungeon or training his [Skills]. Though, his [Skills] did not show much improvement in that week. And that was because he was avoiding fights as much as possible while climbing the Dungeon, all so that he would have more time to work on his crafting. 

Even so, Tatsuo eventually reached the 20th Floor. Not only that, but he was also standing in front of the Floor Master's Room. However, he was wearing a completely different set of defensive gear. 

Though the body suit he wore looked similar to the Kevlar body suit he created before leaving his world, the color scheme for this one was dark blue, from the leather of the Giant Magpie, with green scales covering the vital areas. 

There were also a pair of bracers made from lizardman scales around his forearms, as well. And those bracers concealed a set of long needles made from the [Keen-Edged Bladed Knuckle Dusters] he melted down during his crafting spree. And those needles could be shot out as hidden weapons when [Energy] was applied to the bracers. 

The [System Description for the body suit looked like this: 

{[Azure Green Scaled Body Suit – D+] 

-Agility Increased by 15% 

-Endurance increased by 10% 

-When injecting [energy] into the bracers, concealed needles can be fired as hidden weapons. (Needles must be refilled manually) 

The work of a talented item crafter, though there are still several flaws, the craftsman ship is excellent for his level of skill.} 

However, that was not all that was different in Tatsuo's appearance. Atop the body suit, Tatsuo also wore a long, azure blue coat that was clearly made from the leather and feathers of the Giant Magpies. 

The coat was considered a separate piece of gear, so its description looked like this: 

{[Fluttering Tail Feathers – D+] 

-Agility + 15% 

-Dexterity + 15% 

-When inserting [Energy] into the coat, the long feathers on its back will spread, allowing the wearer to glide or slow their descent. 

The perfect piece of equipment for those who wished they could fly. Although this coat will not give the wearer wings, it is the closest thing they could wish for from a simple, stylish coat.} 

With his new equipment, Tatsuo was ready to face the 20th Floor Master, the Lizard Knight. 

"*Sigh* After I beat this guy, that will mark the completion of one more [Objective] for this mission." Tatsuo muttered to himself as he placed his hand on the door. Then, after declining the offer to join a party, he continued speaking. "*Sigh* Although I'm gonna miss Sumire-San, I wanna go home. But hopefully, I'll be able to come back to see her from time to time. And based on the Awakening Dream I had, I should be back here for the Wyvern Canyon Field Dungeon, too. But who knows how true that is." 

Shaking his head to get rid of any unnecessary thoughts, Tatsuo finally pushed the doors to the Floor Master Room open. And when he did, he saw a tall, at least 8'2" tall, sturdily-built lizard man wearing an armor that seemed to be made from its own scales, with a layer of scales underneath that, holding a spear that was perfectly made for its size. 

"Hmm? A single human?" The Lizard Knight asked in a surprised tone. "How long has it been since anyone was brave enough to challenge me alone." 

"Like two weeks?" Tatsuo asked with his head tilted to the side. "I mean, Kang-San started grinding here back then, right?" 

In response, the Lizard Knight, who could not remember any of its past foes, looked at Tatsuo with visible confusion in its eyes. 

"*Sigh* I guess it doesn't matter." Tatsuo said as he stepped forward with the doors closing behind him. "Let's just do what we both came here to do… Fight." 

"Yes." The Lizard Knight replied as he took a stance with his spear. "Nothing else really matters, does it." 

With that, the Lizard Knight dashed forward with its spear drawn back. And Tatsuo was slightly impressed, it was much faster than its size would suggest. Still, it was too slow to contend with Tatsuo, who specialized in speed and technique. 

Upon reaching Tatsuo's front, the Lizard Knight viciously thrust its spear forward. However, there was very little in the way of technique to speak of. Although it was quite fast, that was only because of its great physical strength. Meaning, Tatsuo had no issue avoiding it. 

Turning to the side, Tatsuo avoided the thrust. Then, before the Lizard Knight could transition from a thrust to a sweep, Tatsuo raised the bladed knuckle duster in his left hand, and slashed at the Lizard Knight's right wrist, which was the hand it was holding the spear with. 

"Argh!" The Lizard Knight roared in pain. 

On top of the dagger cutting between the gap in the Lizard Knights armor, Tatsuo was also flowing his [Energy] into it. As a result, it was also shocked by the lightning emitted by the [Thunderclap Daggers], slightly paralyzing its hand. As a result, it almost dropped its spear. 

However, Tatsuo had no intention of letting go of that brief opening, as he coated his right leg with his [Energy] and kicked the hand holding the spear. As a result… 

*Clang!* 

… the Lizard Knight's spear went flying out of its hand. Then, in the same motion, Tatsuo flung his right arm at the Lizard Knight's face, flowing [Energy] into the bracer on his forearm at the same time. 

"Gwah~~~!" The Lizard Knight screamed in pain. 

Because of the hidden weapons that were hidden in his bracer, The Lizard Knight covered its eyes while trying to remove the two needles that stabbed it in the eyes. Meanwhile, Tatsuo made sure to kick the Lizard Knight's spear as far away from it as he could. 

'If I remember correctly, the Lizard Knight drops everything once he's lost his spear.' Tatsuo thought to himself while he began raining lightning imbued slashes and stabs all over the immobilized Lizard Knight's body. 'So, I've got a little bit of time before he'll be in fighting shape again. But damn, this scale armor of his is really hard.' 

Just as Tatsuo mentioned in his thoughts, the Lizard Knight was not taking much damage from the simple lightning imbued attacks thanks to its scale armor. Or, at least, that was how it looked from the outside. However, Tatsuo had no way of seeing the damage all the lightning was doing to its body's interior. 

Eventually, with blood leaking from its eyes and charred armor, the Lizard Knight broke away from Tatsuo's onslaught of blows. And as soon as it did, it dashed towards its discarded spear. Meanwhile, as it turned its back on Tatsuo, Tatsuo's sight zeroed in on its swaying tail as it ran away. 

"I'm going in." Tatsuo muttered as he [Blinked] behind the Lizard Knight. 

When Tatsuo reappeared, both the [Thunderclap Daggers] were covered in the purple-tinted black light of [Spatial Slash]. However, there were additional sparks of black lightning arcing from the bladed knuckle dusters as well. 

Then, just as the Lizard Knight picked up its spear from the floor, Tatsuo swung both of his weapons at its tail. 

*Swish!* 

"Gwah~~~~~~~~!" The Lizard Knight screamed in pain once again. 

*Bang!* 

A moment later, the sound of the Lizard Knight's heavy, thick, and long tail falling to the floor echoed around the Floor Master room. Despite that, the Lizard Knight was not even slowed in its next actions, as it raised its spear high above its head with the blade pointed at the floor. Then, with a high amount of mana channeled into it, it stabbed its spear into the floor with all its might. 

*Boom!* 

*Rumble!* 

As a result of the strike on the ground, a powerful shockwave, strong enough to severely damage, if not outright kill Tatsuo, was sent out in all directions with the Lizard Knight as the center. On top of that, the entire room began to shake, destabilizing anyone who could survive the shockwave's footing. 

However, thanks to his meta-knowledge, Tatsuo was prepared for the shockwave. In fact, that was the whole reason why he created [Fluttering Feathers], after all. So, as soon as he saw the Lizard Knight raise its spear, he dashed forward. Then, he leapt before kicking off the Lizard Knight's back and throwing himself backwards. 

Just as the shockwave spread out, Tatsuo injected [Energy] into his coat, causing the long portion below his waist to spread and catch the air, slowing his descent by a considerable amount. As a result, he was not hit by the shockwave, nor was his footing destabilized by the shaking floor. 

Quickly turning around after raising its spear again, the Lizard Knight realized that Tatsuo was unharmed by its attack, it ran forward with its spear pulled back to stab at Tatsuo's torso. 

"No, I'd rather not get stabbed in the chest." Tatsuo muttered as he swung his left arm in the Lizard Knight's direction while imbuing his bracer with [Energy]. 

Like last time, a pair of needles, aimed at the Lizard Knight's eyes, were shot out of the bracer. Unlike last time, however, the Lizard Knight had seen this sneak attack before. So, he was able to react. 

With its armor and scales turning a bright red color, the Lizard Knight used its second special Skill, [Dragon Skin]. Now, with [Dragon Skin] active, its outer physical defense had raised tremendously. Ninety percent of all attacks would be defended against, taking only ten percent of all damage from attacks made on its body. 

Naturally, that included the needles Tatsuo shot towards its eyes, as it simply closed its eyes and the needles bounced off its hardened eye lids. 

However, there was a downside to using [Dragon Skin]. And that was that its speed dropped tremendously, as well. So, despite the fact that he was already airborne, and the Lizard knight was already primed to pierce its spear forward, Tatsuo was able to evade the strike. 

*Clang!* 

Cutting off the [Energy] flow to [Fluttering Feathers], Tatsuo then swung the bladed knuckle duster in his right hand against the side of the Lizard Knight's spear, propelling himself to the side and getting clear of the devastating attack. 

"So, you avoided that, huh?" The Lizard Knight said as he turned his head towards Tatsuo's landing spot. "But how long can you keep that up? And what will you do now that you can't hurt me, human?" 

"I guess we'll just have to find out." Tatsuo said with a truly daring smile on his face. 

Then, Tatsuo unequipped the [Thunderclap Daggers], sending them back into his [Inventory], confusing the Lizard Knight with his actions. After that, with his hands bare, he charged forward. 

Though the Lizard Knight found it strange that Tatsuo put away his weapons, it did not cause its killer instinct to wane in the least, as it stabbed out with its spear with as much power as it could. 

Unfortunately, Tatsuo was able to avoid its stabs before it was slowed by [Dragon Skin]. So, now that it was even slower, dodging its stabs was even easier. Then, after getting too close for the spear to be a viable attack option, Tatsuo coated his hands in his [Energy] before clapping them on either side of the Lizard Knight's body. 

Although the amount of damage an attack like that caused on the outside was miniscule, the shockwaves it caused to start bouncing around inside the Lizard Knight's body was another story. Unfortunately, because of [Dragon Skin] most of the shockwaves were stopped on the surface. 

"I guess I can't do it in one strike, huh?" Tatsuo muttered as he stepped back to dodge the arm the Lizard Knight swung at him after releasing a hand from its spear. "Well, if at first you don't succeed… dust yourself off and try again." 

From then on, Tatsuo continued dodging all the punches, kicks, and piercing strikes the Lizard Knight sent its way. All the while he landed palm strikes as counters that sent shockwaves to bounce around inside its body. 

By the time [Dragon Skin] wore off five minutes later, the Lizard Knight was barely standing, supporting itself with its spear as blood leaked from its mouth, nose, and eyes. 

"So, what was that about not being able to hurt you again?" Tatsuo asked with a cheeky smile as he re-equipped the [Thunderclap Daggers]. 

"Grrr!" The Lizard Knight could only growl in response. 

"Well, it was fun, but I need to bring this to an end." Tatsuo muttered as he disappeared from where he stood. 

In the next instant, after using [Blink], Tatsuo reappeared behind the Lizard Knight in the familiar stance of having his arms crossed in front of his chest. Then, he violently swept his arms towards the outside of his body. As a result, [Spatial Slash] cut through the Lizard Knight's neck with little effort, sending its head upwards, accompanied by a blood geyser shooting up from its neck. 

{A grand achievement! You defeated the Floor Master, Lizard Knight, alone! Amazing!} 

{You obtained the Title, "Lizard Knight Slayer." All Stats permanently increase by 1. This effect will apply even if the Title is not equipped.} 

{You defeated the Lizard Knight alone! You obtained the special reward, [Lizard Knight's Scale Armor].} 

{You obtained 10,000 Gold.} 

{Choose your reward! 

[Lightning Speed Magic Book]} 

"I'm finally starting to agree with Kang-San." Tatsuo muttered after listening to the announcements. "If there is only one reward, why does it ask me to choose? Just give me the damn reward." 

As he grumbled in annoyance, Tatsuo reached forward and pulled the reward from the announcement window. 

{You learned the Active Skill, [Lightning Speed].} 

{[Lightning Speed] 

-By using 20% of your total mana, you can triple your speed for 0.5 seconds. 

-The Skill duration and speed increase rises with increased Skill Level. 

-The mana cost decreases with increased Skill Level.} 

"*Sigh* If I had gotten the first solo clear before Kang-San, I would have got [Divine Speed], instead of [Lightning Speed]." Tatsuo muttered as he looked over the description of his new [Skill]. "And the speed increase would have been four hundred percent instead of two hundred percent." 

While Tatsuo was grumbling about the difference between being first and second, another set of Dungeon Announcements popped up. 

{You became Level 21. You've obtained the qualifications to challenge the 21st Floor.} 

{You became Silver-Rank 9. You are no longer an Apprentice Explorer, but an Official Explorer.} 

{You can appoint 1 person as a 1st Dungeon Explorer. This is a right given only to Bronze-Rank Explorers who have explored the Dungeon for 20 years, or to Explorers who have been promoted to the Silver-Rank. When you become a Gold-Ranked Explorer, you can appoint an additional person as a 1st Dungeon Explorer.} 

{As a Silver-Ranked Explorer, you obtained the right to enter Event Dungeons. You can enter Event Dungeons by hunting monsters or finding hidden areas while exploring.} 

{You obtained the right to participate in Event Raids. 

-Event Raids are created when certain Event Dungeons are cleared, or when the necessary conditions are met. 

-The Event Raid's creator becomes the host and can invite others to participate. 

-One can join a Raid by accepting the host's invite. 

-One's Levels or qualifications may prevent him or her from participating, and the host maintains the right to enter or exit Raids.} 

{You can buy a residence in the Dungeon by going to the Dungeon's Residential Area. 

-The residences of Explorers from various worlds are located here, and support and recreational facilities exist to ensure that 

-Explorers can make the best use of their time of leisure. Explorers can meet with other Explorers and markets exist where various foods are sold. 

{However, to enter the Residential Area, one must use a [Residential Area Entrance Ticket], dropped by monsters on the 21st Floor or above. Other Dungeon's Explorers cannot enter the 1st Dungeon's Residential Area.} 

Then, as soon as the announcements ended, Tatsuo could not help but smile at the [System Notification] he received right afterwards. 

{[Notifications] 

[Missions] 

[Mission #1] 

[Objective] 3 – Complete} 

"Only two more to go." Tatsuo muttered with a smile. "Then, I can finally go home."