I picked up the last of the heart hats from the fallen soldiers and stared at the path leading up the stairs on the side of the heart soldiers.

The strategy was a crucial part of any war. I remember clearly a very vicious individual back in the Mafia. Antonio, that man, old as he was, was cunning—so cunning that all businesses that ran under the Castellano family were, in some way or another, created by him.

There was a time when he, with just a group of ten, managed to flip another family on its heels, all thanks to his wits. And those were thinking, sharpened humans. What were soldiers with a heart and mind of hollow tin?

A sigh left me as I gripped the spear tight.

"Status."

[Name: Noir (N01R)

<<LV: 16>>

<<HP: 1000/1000>> <<MP: 500/500>>

Titles: NA

Guild: NA

Dois: 2117

<<:::Stats:::>>

Available points (14)

Strength: 18

Perception: 26

Endurance: 20

Charisma: 44

Intelligence: 23

Agility: 26

Luck: 37

<<:::SKILLTREE:::>>

-Spear Stab-

<<:::EQUIPMENT:::>>

-Iron Spear-

-Spade Hat-

]

Everything looked good.

Four in my charisma had risen on their own, and all the points from the level-ups had gone straight into luck. There were also some cash drops and I ended up with 2000 more of the in-game currency. The harvest of items was also splendid, and if not for me reaching a limit to my inventory, I would have farmed many more here.

It was even better that the ones on this floor did not drop that many of those stupid hats but instead gave me more weapons. I also found some rare-grade gunpowder, muskets, and shields, all magnitudes better than the hat.

Their abilities weren't all that for rare grades, but these items were still geared toward beginners. The requirement level was very low, and for beginners, they were practically cheat codes.

Stretching my hands and waist, I let out a sharp breath and walked up the stairs one last time.

Beyond this was all uncharted territory. None of the guide authors had made it this far, even if some guilds might have.

The torches around me were much brighter up the spiral staircase, their illumination only increasing with every step.

I found myself passing by the last step and into the fifth floor of the dungeon.

The torches around were extremely bright, the flames on them raging.

But nothing came into my sight. Neither heart nor spade soldiers, none of them were around.

Only the tapping of my feet rang out. Suspicious, I started taking faster steps toward the center, but there was no room in the middle and no war. All of the floor was just one clear ground, yet I couldn't see far enough past the torches.

Their illumination mechanics were quite the piece of work.

As I got closer, the sound of steel crashing against steel filled my ears.

"What the?"

Each of the impacts was loud to the point of being the sound of firing canons.

I rushed forward through the passageway, and at last, the torches that had lit up just a few inches lit up all at once and filled the entire space with their light.

At the very center of the building were two giant tin soldiers on steeds of tin.

The Spade's mace and the Heart's bayonet clashed with one another before they rushed back on their steeds.

And then, both of them turned toward me.

"You..."

"Intru...der..."

Damn it! The spade hat was not working on this one.

Their eyes suddenly turned a deep golden hue while two red bars appeared above their heads.

Along with it, words formed above their heads.

<Heart General>

<Spade General>

I gulped.

My hand on the spear tightened.

Uncharted territory, these beings, everything I had faced till now had been a fair bit of a challenge, but this seemed to be the biggest one yet.

"Eliminate... Intruder..."

The Heart General pulled its musket back while the Spade's Steed rushed toward me. With a rushed gait, I dashed ahead and rolled under the horse's feet.

As I came under it.

[Spear Stab]!

The skill activated even at an odd angle, and the spear in my hand jabbed at the horse with the same power as a full wind-up would give.

The horse whinnied and stomped the ground as I got back on my feet.

At the same time, the Spade General swung its mace.

The speed of the spike-studded iron ball was incomparable to that of the ones before. I barely managed to duck and avoid the mace.

The more pressing matter, though, was the Heart General.

It was busy loading its musket while the Spade General kept me busy—a terrifying teamwork.

"Equip Spade Mace."

The spear in my hand switched out for a Mace, and I swung it straight at the head of the tin horse. A loud clang resounded as it tumbled backward.

"Oh?" My luck had helped!

That attack on the head seemed to have left a 'stun' affliction. I switched the mace for the spear and charged at the Heart General.

The spear in my grip tightened. Even though I had fought a lot, nothing had ever been like this.

This sense of thrill, this joy at being able to jump around, felt as if this dungeon was stirring something primitive inside from the beginning of my time here.

"Intruder...!"

The General pointed its musket at my head, and I jumped up with my spear.

It became a game of speed.

With all my might, I pushed my spear ahead and barely pushed away the tip of the musket.

"Equip Heart Knife!"

In my other hand came the knife.

This was it, time for the finishing hit—

[You Have Died]

—Or so I thought.

The steed suddenly dashed off at a speed incomparable to before. From my back, a mace smashed into my head while the Heart General pulled out a throwing knife as well.

And...

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