Chapter 34
Challenge
Translator : PolterGlast
While going down, I
use magic.
First, I activate the
four buff sets: Strength, Fortify, Accel, and Quick.
Since each of them
consumes 5 MP, I consume about 20 in total.
Then, to prolong the
effect as much as possible, I activate Wind Search just before descending the
stairs.
This consumes 10 MP.
The total consumption
is about 30.
Since the effect time
is about one hour each, it is necessary to always use these to explore in
perfect condition.
My MP is increasing
steadily, but it's not in a state where I have that much leeway.
I want to raise my
mana recovery skill and MP as soon as possible.
I use Wind Search, but
there are no enemy shadows nearby.
There's one quite far
away, but I can ignore it for now.
The sixth floor was an
area with an even stronger graveyard feel than before.
The light in the cave
has turned bluish-white, and it seems that I have wandered into a haunted
house.
As I walk, mysterious
ornaments such as swords and mirrors made of stone begin to be scattered here
and there, which is kind of eerie.
It reminded me of the
artifacts from an ancient burial mound that I had studied in history class.
(Maybe the [Knight's
Holy Remains] was really a tomb to enshrine knights)
I checked the map I
had taken on my phone.
On this sixth,
seventh, and eighth floor, these stone tools will be landmarks.
It's easy to check
your location by using those that don't move as a starting point.
Even if you get lost,
you can check your current location without taking much time.
If I use the door
installation power, I will be randomly teleported somewhere on the floor.
Therefore, the
specifications of the sixth, seventh, and eighth floors are a great help to me.
I keep my left hand behind me so that I can
activate [home] at any time, and my right hand in front of me so that I can use
magic.
Then Wind Search gets
a new reaction.
I detect a monster's
reaction ahead of the cave, ahead of the middle road of the three-way
intersection.
With Wind Search, I
can tell that there is an opponent, but I can't tell their strength.
I've heard that
monsters suddenly become stronger from here.
I wondered if it would
be all right.
But I gather my
courage and jump out.
I have to fight--I
have to fight to win.
I use the item box and
put a coin on my fingertip.
I've tried various
things, but coins are still the most convenient to fly with a railgun.
It's quite light, and
if you flick it with your thumb, you have a lot of freedom in the direction you
shoot.
Also, I have no
control, so when I throw stones or balls, they often go in the wrong
direction...
I think the heroine of
a certain light novel probably settled on this form after trial and error.
"Kieeeeeee!"
What appeared in front
of me was a monster that looked like a grim reaper.
A skull face, a purple
robe. And a pitch-black grim reaper's scythe.
This is a monster
called Grim Reaper.
Its characteristic
is--it releases a status abnormality attack called instant death.
That scythe that the
Grim Reaper has is a scythe made of magic power that can attack the spirit, not
physical.
If you get hit by it,
anyone with low magic resistance will die in one blow.
Also, even for those
who can resist instant death, the scythe's blow seems to be a mental attack,
and if you get hit by it multiple times, you will be in a mental state where
you can't fight properly unless you use recovery magic.
Varietta-san said that
because of that, there was a lot of damage to the knight order in the past.
Considering my magical
resistance, I probably won't die, but... I don't intend to try the power of
mental attacks on my own body.
I'll wear it down in
long-range combat.
"Kyoe!"
Perhaps because of its
high perception ability, the Grim Reaper notices me and raises its voice.
At the same time, I
shoot out the coin that I had kept on my fingertip.
"Railgun"
A line of lightning is
created connecting me and the Grim Reaper, and the coin, accelerated by the
lightning, runs between them.
The coin, which has
been deformed into a state that does not retain its original shape due to
pressurization and heating by lightning, successfully penetrates the Grim
Reaper's torso... but cannot kill it.
"I can't kill it
with one blow, after all..."
I activate the item
box.
I summon coins on the
bent index fingers of both hands, and immediately start preparing to release
the railgun again.
"Kyoooo!"
The Grim Reaper flies
towards me.
--How fast!?
But at this rate... my
magic will reach it first!
Once a line is
created, it will remain for a few minutes until it completely discharges.
Therefore, it is
possible to continuously activate with less MP and activation time than the
first time.
"Railgun!"
The coin, which left a
crackling sound behind, runs through the lightning line again while
accelerating and melting.
The second hit shatters
the skull on its face, and the third pierces its torso once more.
"Aa..."
And finally, the Grim
Reaper stops moving.
After uttering a final
hoarse voice, it disappears from the spot like smoke.
Like the wraith on the
fourth floor, the Grim Reaper doesn't drop anything even if it dies.
The scythe and robe
were all made of magic, so there were no traces left.
I check for enemies
with Wind Search.
There are no enemies
attracted by the sound of battle.
...Okay, it seems that
I can defeat the monsters on the sixth floor for the time being.
"Haa,
haa..."
My body finally
understands that the battle is over, and a rough breath spills out.
What was that... it
was too fast.
I was sure we were
quite far apart, but it got close enough that I could clearly see the skull's
face.
To calm myself down, I
check my status.
--Surprisingly, my LV
had increased by 2 in just one battle.
Probably, the
appropriate LV for this hunting ground is much higher than my current LV.
I was only able to get
through it with the brute force of high-LV magic, and I actually had to shoot
the railgun three times to defeat it.
"Phew... okay,
let's try again"
It's clearly a higher
rank than my current self... but it's not an opponent that I can't defeat.
Rather than finding
the stairs to the seventh floor, I should probably focus on defeating the Grim
Reaper and leveling up.
For the time being, I
will fight until the very limit of my MP, and then go back to my home.
And... I looked at my
status, which had improved drastically, and grinned.
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