Four days. It took four days to complete the map.

I'm talking about the Floor 4 map. It was bigger than I expected. Like, triple the original size that I had first anticipated. And that's when not taking the myriads of secret paths and rooms into the equation...

It was a stroke of genius for me to capture the Queen Crushroach. The roaches may be muscleheads, but simply add some guidelines for them to use, such as having their left hand on the Dungeon wall at any time, and any labyrinth can be conquered.

It was a surprise to me the third day when I woke up and discovered that the mental map was plastered with markings for secret entrances. Heck, if I had tried to do this by myself, I'm not sure if even a month would be enough.

After the map was completed, the roaches went to Floor 5, or as I like to call it, the Dungeon's very own water coaster. The floor's one big lake, way too deep and big to cross by swimming.

Above the lake, there's a pipe system that one can use to travel to the other shore or any other place on this floor. You can hatch a ride on the large "boats" made of a material that looks like black pumice. Therefore the "water coaster" part.

Eh? You don't know what pumice is? It's a volcanic rock, look it up.

The boats are durable enough to carry even four roaches before capsizing, but that's seriously on the edge there. And it's not only the wild ride that's the problem. 

As one may have noticed, the different floors, except Floor 8, are populated by a specific genus of Glavras monsters. The snakes on Floor 1, the tortoises on Floor 2, the dinosaurs on Floor 3, and while they were extinguished by the macho-roach army, the spiders on Floor 4. 

And like a digital clock that reached 24:00, we have reached the end of the line and returned to having snakes on Floor 5. These guys shoot magic on any intruders that they notice using the pumice boats. I managed to sneak past them before thanks to my hiding skills and small body, but that's no good with the macho-roaches.

Since they couldn't sneak a ride, the macho-roaches decided to take it instead. An all-out brawl happened between the roaches and the snakes, which even included some evolved, bigass snakes like the floor boss on Floor 1! They weren't the Floor Boss though. Wonder where that guy is?

The battle between the snakes and the roaches is still going on. I'm even looking at the conflict right now! From the safe distance of the entrance to Floor 6. 

That's right, the roaches found the secret entrance! Or, roughly where it is.

The fight with the snakes moved the roach army all across Floor 5, resulting in that floor's map being completed in record time. It helped that it was an open-type floor instead of a labyrinth as the previous one.

After looking at the map, I noticed one point of interest. Since this is an open area floor, there shouldn't be any inaccessible spaces here like on Floor 4, but lo and behold, one large area, around the size of two auditoriums, is completely untouchable.

I took a look at the secret place while ordering the roaches to distract the snakes over to the other side of the floor. All the pipelines didn't even cross that space, leaving a huge square open. There are other such openings around the floor, but not something this big. 

And guess what happened when I tried to throw a rock towards the water there? It was repelled. 

I found the control room! As suspected, the room was camouflaged through some Dungeon-means. Since I know where it is on Floor 5, all I need to do is to search for an entrance just below this place on Floor 6. 

I'll leave the roaches to make a mess on this floor while trying to infiltrate the control room on Floor 6. I'll have them fight until they die. A little cruel, but if I leave the roaches alive any longer, they'll become a true pain later. 

The Queen's dying.

The monsters trapped inside the Kigal-Note have their powers drained each time I utilize their abilities. Just an itty-bitty portion. Not enough that they won't recover from it, despite being in a coma-like state. This wouldn't be a problem normally, but [Kin Domination] is used passively. The Queen's got no time to recover.

It would be delish if I could train some of my skills on the roaches like the Evil Eye, but the snakes aren't letting up their assault. The big snakes managed to crush half of the roach army before they died out and the other half is busy with the smaller snakes.

I did try to train some of the skills while we were on Floor 4, but the results weren't any good. Was it because they were under my control? 

Then there's the fact that I don't like to be in the same room as them. They're too disgusting...

Well, the roach army has served me well these last nine days. Not only the maps but also my skills... my skills... it's better to show them instead of trying to explain.

I know what you're gonna say, but it's real! I swear! Those roaches are too efficient! And there were more than 400 of them at the beginning to boot!

The first day was the most surprising one. I obtained more than 4 Skill Points before dinner! Even the Rogue class got proficiency because of the roaches!

Felling the fever, I decided to pick another skill, which reached new heights in a blink. Then I picked a new skill after that, and one more, etc, etc, until we ended up with that list.

I also got a title from having the roaches work day and night without rest to improve the [Sleep Resistance] skill along with the other guys. It's called "Cruel Commander", and it gave me the [Tactics] and [Sadistic Constitution] skills. Wonder why I got this one anyway? I'm kindness itself.

Then came the option of evolving the skills that reached level max, but it turns out that the evolution of skills requires the original Skill Point amount + 5 more. That's 6 Skill Points for a single skill! It's more than my Rogue class!

Therefore, I've decided to save my remaining Skill Points for the abovementioned reason, and another one: I've planned to use those "skill growth" potions when I evolve, so why not wait with the skill evolutions until then? I also need to see what skills are best for me to have an evolved version of after I evolve myself. 

Even so, I bought some skills that I needed at the moment, such as [Impact Thread] and [Magic Power Operation]. Now I have threads that can inflict cutting, piercing, and blunt damage!

As for the magic spells of [Darkness Magic] that I can use thanks to [Magic Power Operation]... there's only the Night Vision spell... and one needs 40 MAG or higher to use it so the roaches can't grind it...

I managed to capture one of those magic-using snakes, and that allowed me to use the snake's [Water Magic] through the Kigal-Note! It's only two spells though, so I  still have to train [Dark-

*SPLASH!*

...*Spit*. Ugh, there are more of those bigass snakes after the roaches now? Good thing they haven't seen me yet. Do your job as distractions well now roaches. Ta-ta~

---

Not here... what about here...? No response there...

I looked after the entrance to the control room on Floor 6. More specifically, at the area on Floor 6 directly below the inaccessible area that was on Floor 5. I think my thinking here's right, as the area below the inaccessible area leads to a solid wall. What's better of an entrance to a secret control center than a secret door?

So, I've been tapping the whole wall for a good while now, to less than good luck. Did my reasoning fail me here? Maybe it was on Floor 4 after all...?

It could be the "oooo~ooooo~~"-wailing that works as a BGM on this floor. The floor is has a big abyss in the middle of it, with many thin paths one can use to cross it. Thank god the entrance's supposed to be on solid ground instead of there... I think the "abyss" is related to that Dread Spirit from Floor 1. I seriously don't wanna deal with it.

*Clack*

I think I found something. A part of the wall can be pushed. A doorbell? Entrance switch? Don't be a trap button...

*Rattle, rattle, rattle*

The wall opened up. It was the entrance switch. Go me!

Ulp, forget that last part. Something's coming! Hide, hide, need to hide!

I hurled myself into the cover of the boulders just in time for the "trap" to make his entrance.

A large snake. Bigger than the normal-sized cobras, but smaller than the Floor Boss on Floor 1. Maybe halfway between those two? Other than that, its scales were golden at the ends, so it had a more regal appearance than the other guys. An evolution? But then, what about... I need to confirm this.

OOOIIIII! What's that thing, it's too damn strong! All its stats are in the triple-digits, for Pete's sake! Stay calm, and stay hidden. This thing doesn't look like it has noticed me, so just pray that it doesn't have any skills like [Discovery]!

"......Is the door broken? Back to work...*sigh*" - Glavras Ophagus

The big snake went back into the lair and closed the door behind him. Wait, what? The snake spoke? And in human language!? At least, the language the adventurers and that Black Baron fellow spoke with, but that's not important here.

I did manage to hear what two cobra snakes talked about in the past, but that was because of [Language Adaption]. This time, the snake talked Humanlish (tentative name) on its own. 

This is bad. That thing is a Floor Master. And not of this Floor 6, but for Floor 5. The cobra snakes and giant snakes live up there, so it's logical to think they're this guy's subordinate. It was like that on the first three floors after all. Floor 4 doesn't count as those were already exterminated by the roaches before I could check.

This is not good at all. If he's Floor 5's Floor Master, then he should also be the control room's Master. That line about "going back to work" must mean using the control room in some way... ah.

The roach army. The Floor Master is using the control room to send more and more snakes after the roaches. That's why new giant snakes arrived at the battlefield right before I left the floor. They must have been spawned, or called, or summoned, or whatever, by that Floor Master through something in the control room. I mean, a control room in a Dungeon must have something like that in it.

So yeah, I've found the control room. It's almost beyond doubt at this point. The only thing left is to confirm, if it's possible to sneak around that overworker.

Fighting him's not possible. Not in a million years. 

The Evil Eye/Kigal-Note combo's useless. Too much RES.

Trying to become friends with him? That overstressed overworked salary-snake? I'm not stupid, you know.

Or..., that could work... a little risky though. But he's bound to fall into that trap.

Alright, let's get working. I don't have much time to work with here, so let's go for a new speed record!

---

The time is nigh. The trap is placed. All that is needed is this last act of bravery! 

*Clack*

*Rattle, rattle, rattle*

And back to the boulders!

"Alright, this door is going to the junkyard! ......? AAAAHHH!!!" - Glavras Ophagus

The "Ding Dong Ditch" operation is a success! The boss-snake went out to check what's happening and laid eyes on my trap.

The Queen Crusroach

"You... you are the leader of those damn pests that hinders me from getting even a single second of sleep!!?" - Glavras Ophagus

Kukukuku. The Queen's EXP may be delish, but having her as a scapegoat is even better. The boss snake's glaring at the Queen and the macho-roaches that's already appeared.

A little while before starting the operation, I released the half-dead Queen a good distance away from the secret entrance while making sure that one could see it from this distance. Then, when the first macho-roaches, that the Queen probably called for, arrived at the area, the operation was in motion.

"So, it's fun bullying a poor reptile, huh? Just because I've evolved some times and even gotten a promotion to a Floor Boss, this is my treatment? AAARRRGGHH! I hate this job! I hate this Dungeon! And I hate master Glavras who's responsible for them both! Hey, I have not slept for 6 days now. Can't you let a poor serpent sleep a few minutes? Can't you? EH! CAN YOU OR NOT!? I'M ASKING A QUESTION HERE, YOU HEAR ME!?" - Glavras Ophagus

......Scary. Even more so for me as the real culprit of this guy's sleep problems. 

Well, good luck snakey. I'll root for you at least. Now, time to sabotage some controls.