Chapter 139 (1/2)
Ch 139 — Magic Item
Next ‘morning’ after breakfast we paused in front of the boss room of the 25th level while I took a look inside…
“The room’s even bigger than the last one.” I said dispiritedly. “And the number of monsters has also gone up.”
“Umu.” Fer concurred, his muzzle lifted high as if he was sniffing the air while he used his monster-detecting sense. “That’s what it feels like to me too.”
“1, 2, 3 … ah, I count 10 Spriggans.” It was unfortunately quite easy to count them as the immense Spriggans stood head and shoulders, literally, above the mob of other large monsters that packed the correspondingly immense boss room. Was it because this was the last level of the Giants Zone we were getting a special offer sale, Everything Must Go! deal? Had the dungeon put all its leftover giant monsters in this room just for our benefit? Did Not Want, but they were standing there, between us and the stairs to the next level. I sighed, did the dungeon really have to be so nasty to its visitors?
“Fuuuh, no matter how big the giant monsters are, they’re still not that much of a challenge.” Fer said with a tinge of disappointment in his voice.
“That’s true, big guy. On the other hand they’ll be good exercise.” Dora-chan was looking to burn off some excess energy, apparently.
“Sui is ready to knock down more Bad Guys too-” Darling battle maniac Sui-chan added, her Acid Bullet-shooting sniper tentacle at the ready.
Yeah, the mob filling the boss room would be a challenge for most parties of Adventurers but my contracted monsters didn’t think they posed any sort of a problem, and they were probably right.
“Well, let’s go.” Fer said, rushing into the room.
“Charge!” Dora-chan piped, flying in behind Fer.
“Hooray-” Battle maniac Sui pyonged through the doorway behind the other two. I heard Fer’s wind magic blast the mob of giant monsters, scattering them around the immense dark room as the unequal contest began.
I wondered if my three contracted monsters ever feared anything, like I feared pretty much everything in this danger-filled world. They were strong, of course and me… yeah, I was weak, I admitted it to myself. I had expected the dungeon to be exciting but with those three accompanying me and fighting all the monsters it had been almost boring, a stroll in the park. If I had been by myself, yeah I’d have been knocked back by a grasshopper, never mind the giant monsters we had been encountering for the past few levels. I peered into the room where the battle was raging, exciting and heart-pounding and all the things I’d played games to enjoy at a safe remove. If I didn’t hurry it would all be over soon. I braced myself, made sure I had a firm grip on my Mithril short sword and edged into the boss room.
“Gooah!” A Troll spotted me and headed in my direction. Huh? The pounding of its footsteps sounded faster than the Trolls I had encountered in the recent levels. Were the monsters in this last Giant Zone level boss room faster and more dangerous than in the previous levels? The dungeon was trying to trick us, it seemed.
“Goooooahhhh!” the Troll shouted while it raised both fists and swung them down at me in a double hammer-blow, moving faster than the Trolls of the previous levels…
“Still not fast enough!” I shouted back, “I can easily dodge that!” I stepped to one side as the Troll lurched past me and I cut into its side with my outstandingly sharp Mithril short sword, slicing a gaping wound in its belly and ribs and leaving great ropes of grey intestines hanging out.
“Gooooh” the Troll moaned, swinging a massive fist at me but it was wounded now and slower than before and again I avoided its attack easily. I stepped quickly behind it and slashed at the back of its legs, severing the great muscles in its calves, chunk chunk. The Troll fell forward and I plunged my Mithril short sword deep into its back around the area where its heart should be. I hoped.
“Take that!” I cried as the Troll shuddered and then died.
“Yosh-!” Thump. While I was celebrating my victory over the Troll I was hit by something from behind and knocked onto my backside.
“Wh-, what was that?”
“Bumooo!” I looked up to see a Minotaur swinging a massive axe down at me.
“Ooooh” I covered my head with my arms and closed my eyes. Was my Perfect Defence Skill really working?! I had become over-confident fighting the Troll and this morning Fer had decided that he wouldn’t provide me with his Barrier any more because of my Perfect Defence Skill. I knew it had worked before but would it work now? Perfect Defence Skill, don’t let me down!
Thump–. The Minotaur’s axe hit my arms but… nothing happened. I felt the blow but it didn’t hurt or do any damage to me. I moved my arm aside and looked up, seeing the Minotaur shaking his head, enraged. It swung the axe at me again and again, thump, thump, thump– and again it had no effect. It was like a series of gentle taps, no more. I realised the force that had knocked me on my butt was probably the Minotaur’s first attack on me from behind, doing no damage but pushing me down.
Thump, thump, thump–. The Minotaur persisted in its useless attacks on me and I decided enough was enough, now that I had more confidence in my Perfect Defence Skill to protect me.
“Take that!” I cried, standing up and stabbing the Minotaur through the heart with my Mithril short sword.
“Bomoo ‘o ‘o ‘o–” The dying Minotaur fell backward onto the floor and lay there motionless.
“Yosh, I did it!” I picked up the Troll’s Poison Claw and Minotaur Horns left as the monsters evaporated, items drops from monsters that I had fought and defeated. Me, monster killer Mukouda-san…