My D Rank Skill is Actually SSS-Rank

Chapter 13: The Shadow Beast's Demise and the Dungeon's True Core

Alaric grinned. Finally. A proper fight. And a B-Rank monster. Let's see how my SSS-tier refinements handle this. This is where the build truly shines. He tightened his grip on the 'Staff of Ever-Bright Illumination'. He had a perfectly optimized dungeon, a pocket full of confession crystals, and a very judgmental, transparent slime. He was ready.

The Corrupted Shadow Beast lunged, a blur of darkness and razor-sharp claws. Its red eyes glowed with malevolent intent, and a chilling aura of 'Mana Drain' emanated from it, making the air feel heavy.

System Notification: Monster Attack: [Shadow Claw - B-Rank]. Effect: Physical Damage, Minor Mana Drain.

Alaric didn't panic. He didn't have flashy combat skills, but he had something better: optimized gear and a gamer's analytical mind. He sidestepped the initial lunge, the 'Staff of Ever-Bright Illumination' held defensively. The beast's claw scraped against the staff's crystal, and instead of shattering, the crystal pulsed, repelling the shadow energy. The beast recoiled with a hiss.

"Inefficient attack pattern," Alaric muttered, assessing the beast. Direct physical assault. No complex abilities beyond Mana Drain. Predictable. Good.

He then remembered the 'Pool of Pure Mana' he'd just refined. Mana Drain, huh? Let's see how you like a mana overdose. He quickly retreated, drawing the Shadow Beast towards the shimmering blue pool.

The beast, driven by its corrupted nature, instinctively lunged towards the concentrated mana, eager to drain it. But as it neared the 'Pool of Pure Mana', the aura of 'Serene Power' washed over it. The beast paused, its red eyes flickering, a strange, bewildered expression crossing its shadowy face. The 'Mana Drain' skill, instead of activating, seemed to reverse, as the pure mana began to flood its corrupted form.

System Notification: Environmental Effect: [Pool of Pure Mana] interacting with [Corrupted Shadow Beast]. Effect: Overwhelming Mana Infusion. Condition: Beast attempting to Meditate. Side Effect: Minor Euphoria.

The Corrupted Shadow Beast, a creature of pure aggression, suddenly stopped. It stood still, then slowly, awkwardly, sat down by the edge of the pool. Its glowing red eyes dimmed, and a faint, almost blissful sigh escaped its shadowy form. It looked like a very large, very dangerous cat that had just found the perfect sunbeam.

Alaric stared. "It's... meditating? And feeling euphoric? Holy crap. This is even better than a one-shot kill. This is a pacifist victory!" He glanced at the transparent slime on his shoulder, which was jiggling silently, its clear form reflecting the meditating beast. You better not be laughing at me, you little blob. This was pure genius.

He approached the now-placid Shadow Beast. It was still a B-Rank monster, but it was completely neutralized. Alaric pulled out one of his 'Crystals of Unburdened Truths'. Let's see what a corrupted beast's deepest desires are. For research, of course. He held the crystal near the meditating beast.

The beast stirred slightly, its eyes remaining closed. A low, guttural growl emanated from it, but it wasn't aggressive. It was... mournful. "My deepest desire... is to be a fluffy kitten... and chase butterflies... and receive belly rubs..."

Alaric nearly choked on his own laughter. A corrupted shadow beast wants to be a fluffy kitten? This world is truly broken. And I am its meta-breaker. He quickly stored the confession in the crystal. This is going straight into my 'Embarrassing Secrets of Aethelgard' collection. For future blackmail. For optimal leverage.

With the Shadow Beast neutralized, Alaric's task was almost complete. He had optimized the dungeon's threats, transformed its hazards, and even made a B-Rank monster confess its adorable dreams. He just needed to find the source of the corruption, the 'Dungeon Core' or whatever was causing the Whisper Slimes and malfunctioning traps.

He followed the flow of purified mana from the pool, which seemed to lead deeper into the cavern. The walls here were no longer rough stone, but smooth, almost polished rock, glowing faintly with the blue light from the mana pool. He was in the heart of the dungeon.

He entered a vast, circular chamber. In the center, embedded in the floor, was a pulsating, dark crystal. It was the source of the dungeon's corruption, radiating a faint, unsettling aura. It looked like a giant, diseased gem.

System Notification: Dungeon Core Detected: [Corrupted Dungeon Core - A-Rank]. Condition: Malfunctioning, Corrupted, Suboptimal Mana Production.

"A-Rank Dungeon Core? Suboptimal Mana Production? Oh, you poor thing," Alaric muttered, a strange sense of pity rising in him. This isn't a villain; it's just a broken piece of hardware. A D-Rank problem disguised as an A-Rank threat.

He approached the pulsating crystal. It hummed with a low, discordant frequency, emitting faint, dark tendrils of energy. He extended both hands, placing them flat against the cold, rough surface of the core. He focused his skill, channeling every ounce of his 'Basic Material Refinement' into it. This wasn't just purifying; this was a full-system overhaul. He was going to optimize the very heart of the dungeon.

The dark crystal began to shimmer, the discordant hum rising in pitch, then smoothing into a harmonious resonance. The dark tendrils of energy retracted, replaced by vibrant, pulsating blue light. The impurities, the 'corruption', flowed out of the crystal like black smoke, dissipating into the air. The core transformed, its rough surface becoming impossibly smooth, its dark color shifting to a brilliant, multifaceted sapphire.

System Notification: [Basic Material Refinement] activated. Material: Corrupted Dungeon Core (A-Rank). Result: Perfected 'Heart of Aethelgard Dungeon' (SSS-Tier Artifact). Condition: Provides Infinite Pure Mana (Passive), Generates Optimal Dungeon Layouts, Controls All Dungeon Functions, Emits Aura of 'Harmonious Balance', Minor Side Effect: Causes Overwhelming Urge to Organize (for Non-Users).

Alaric stared, breathless. "Infinite Pure Mana? Generates Optimal Dungeon Layouts? Controls All Dungeon Functions? 'Harmonious Balance'? And... 'Causes Overwhelming Urge to Organize'?" His jaw dropped. Holy crap. I just turned a dungeon into a perfectly optimized, self-managing, infinite mana generator! This isn't just an exploit; this is a full-blown game break! I can make the dungeon generate any layout I want! Any traps! Any monsters! And it'll all be perfectly balanced! Or perfectly unbalanced, if I want to troll adventurers!

His perverted mind immediately supplied: I could create a dungeon full of 'Optimal Flexibility' traps! Or a 'Hidden Bathhouse' zone! Or a 'Maid Cafe' monster spawn! The possibilities for 'research' into dungeon ecology are endless!

The transparent slime, which had bounced off Alaric's shoulder and was now jiggling excitedly around the newly refined Dungeon Core, emitted a series of perfectly pitched, joyous giggles. It then began to hum a surprisingly catchy tune that sounded like a triumphant fanfare.

Alaric grinned, a true, unbridled grin of triumph. "You're right, little blob. This is glorious." He felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to organize his pockets. Whoa. That's the side effect. Gotta be careful with this one. Don't want to accidentally organize myself into a filing cabinet.

Just then, he heard footsteps approaching from the entrance to the cavern. It was Master Elara, followed by Agnes, and a very weary-looking Sir Grady.

"Alaric! What in the blazes have you done now?!" Master Elara demanded, her eyes widening as she took in the gleaming Dungeon Core and the peaceful, meditating Shadow Beast. Her Mana Sense flared, then dimmed, clearly overwhelmed by the sheer purity of the mana.

Agnes, her face pale, stared at the perfectly organized cavern. "The dungeon... it's so... clean! And the rats... where are the rats?!"

Sir Grady, still looking slightly traumatized from the festival, stared at the meditating Shadow Beast. "Is that... is that the Corrupted Shadow Beast? And it's... purring? By the Holy Light, what madness is this?!"

Alaric shrugged, affecting his most innocent, bored expression. "Just a bit of basic material refinement, Master Elara. You know, Guild Asset Optimization. The dungeon was a bit... suboptimal. And the Core had some impurities. All fixed now. For optimal dungeon crawling. And optimal monster management." He winked.

Master Elara stared at him, then at the Dungeon Core, then at the transparent slime, which was now mimicking Sir Grady's squirrel ballad in a tiny, perfectly pitched voice. "Oh, bushy tails and beady eyes! They haunt my dreams!"

Alaric groaned. Traitorous blob. I'm going to refine you into a perfectly clear, perfectly silent paperweight that only hums soothing lullabies and has a 'Permanent Mute' condition.

Master Elara's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Alaric! You refined the Dungeon Core?! Do you have any idea what you've done?! This is unprecedented! This changes everything!"

Alaric just grinned. "Yep. Just a D-Rank skill. Breaking the meta, one refinement at a time." He felt the 'Coin of Infinite Prosperity' subtly warm in his pocket. And now, I own a perfectly optimized, infinite mana dungeon. This is going to be a very profitable playthrough. And maybe, just maybe, I can finally get that bathhouse built. For optimal relaxation, of course.