Chapter 35
A Regular Customer
Monster
Moving, and more moving. I'm currently painfully realizing to a
sickening degree that a mountain stage Dungeon is tough just because of
that. Dungeons are mysterious things; even though I'm trying to proceed
to a lower floor, the entrance to the next floor is sometimes at the top of a
mountain, and my mind is baffled by the incomprehensible structure.
It's troublesome how it makes me anxious, thinking, "Is this really
the right way?". I can't help but wish I had companions I could converse
with at times like this. The negative effects of being a loner are coming out
in full force. It's a solo Dungeon, so it can't be helped, though.
For now I am proceeding smoothly, but just repeatedly climbing and
descending makes me tired and fed up. The Higashi-Nakano Dungeon, even
before talking about the monsters, there's no way this would be popular the
moment it became a mountain stage! It's only natural that it's depopulated.
However, thankfully, perhaps the poison snake monsters are shy; they
haven't shown themselves at all before me, who is just moving through. I
absolutely don't want to get poisoned by any chance, so this was good. I do
have the skill 『Status Ailment Resistance』, but I don't feel like actively testing it out at
all.
After all, I don't even want to imagine what kind of terrifying poison
the poison snakes in my 『Ultra Hard Mode』 Dungeon have. It's
definitely bound to be a more potent poison than in normal Dungeons.
Avoiding such things is the best policy.
「This isn't
running away! It's a proactive forward advance!」
Because I'm proceeding toward the floors ahead, after all. Poison snakes
are uncalled for.
I diligently repeat climbing and descending the mountains, traversing
the pathless paths while looking at the map. It's pointlessly wide, but the
trees are sparse and there are large trees and huge rocks that can serve as
landmarks, so if I plan the route at the start of my movement, there's no worry
of getting lost. Kindly enough for mountain climbing beginners, there are no
places that require highly difficult, special mountain climbing techniques, so
while it's tough, I can proceed normally.
The fact that it's not a rugged mountain for advanced climbers is a
silver lining. If it was something like that, I probably would have changed my
base. Besides, it seems I am a girl who can read maps, which was also extremely
good. If I were to get stranded or something, it wouldn't be a laughing matter
because this is a depopulated Dungeon.
「Or rather,
there isn't a transfer circle unless I go all the way to the Tenth Floor,
right? The guys who can't make it that far have to go back the way they came,
right...?」
Are you kidding me. Just thinking about it is so bothersome I feel like
collapsing. I just have to get fired up a bit and do my best so I can reach the
Tenth Floor.
I wonder how much time has passed since I started diving into the Dungeon.
Since worrying about the time makes me depressed, I've decided not to look at
my watch unless I reach my goal, or get exceptionally hungry or sleepy. Doing
that, I was somehow able to safely dash through the mountain-and-poison-snake
stages that started from the Sixth Floor. Even though I hardly fought
any monsters, I'm super tired.
「Finally, the
Ninth Floor! Ooh, they're here, Golem-kuns.」
Since they are huge monsters, they stand out incredibly well even from a
distance. There are a whole lot of them all over the place. Alright, let's
cheer up and get going.
First, I'll observe the Golem as I approach. According to my
prior research, I heard that the Golems appearing from the Ninth
Floor are existences like tree monsters called Wood Golems. The Wood
Golem apparently looks like a thick, long trunk with equally thick branches
growing out like limbs. Their size is about two and a half meters, give or take
a little, and especially large ones are supposed to be about three meters.
However. I knew this would happen, but the Wood Golems in the 『Ultra Hard
Mode』 Dungeon were completely different.
「Rather than
a tree monster, it's more like a wooden giant.」
Its size seems to be no different from a normal one, but it has a
sturdily built humanoid shape. Not like a tree monster, but more like what
you'd expect a Golem to be. If I take a direct hit from an attack
unleashed by those thick limbs, I surely won't get off scot-free. Since my
level is 8, the monsters on this floor are exactly one level higher than the
suitable level. At first, I'll go all out without holding back. It's time for
battle!
As I ran closer, the Golem noticed me from quite a distance away.
They shouldn't have long-range attacks, but letting my guard down in 『Ultra Hard
Mode』 is strictly
forbidden. I'll act under the assumption that they might have them. While
staying vigilant and making sure not to miss the monster's movements, I ready
my hammer for the attack I'm about to smash into it.
I increase my speed and approach. The Wood Golem's movements are
slow, exactly as it looks. With this, I can take the initiative.
The powerful footsteps of the monster echoing with a thud thud
would surely make someone cower if heard with normal sensibilities. But when
I'm fighting, strangely enough, it's hard for me to feel fear. Power wells up
within me, thinking, "I'll do this." My fighting spirit wells up,
thinking, "I'll beat you to a pulp!"
Although I feel the Golem's giant body getting bigger the closer
I get, as expected, there is no fear. Rather, I increased my speed even further
and closed in to point-blank range. Wood Golem-kun is slow. Its motion
to stop, its motion to punch down an enemy, everything is slow. Even if it has
incredible power, it's meaningless if it doesn't hit!
While circling around to its left side, opposite the right arm it was
trying to swing, I slammed my hammer into its thick leg. Take an attack from
the skill where a mysterious, magical, twinkling hammer performs a follow-up
attack, its name is 『Twinkling Hammer』!
With the sound of green wood shattering, the Wood Golem
collapsed. The attack, which was intended to gouge out the base of its left
leg, completely destroyed half of its leg from the waist area. But, it doesn't
turn into light and disappear with just this. I hear that golem-type monsters
don't die unless you destroy a part called the core. In order to destroy the
core that should be in its head or chest, I delivered the finishing blow to the
Wood Golem that had fallen face-down.
「Doryaa!」
Without even leaving it the momentary pause where it couldn't move from
the impact of falling, I swung my hammer down from a jump. When I destroyed its
chest and head in quick succession, it seems I successfully destroyed the core.
The Wood Golem's giant body turned into particles of light and vanished,
leaving only a small magic stone behind.
「Whew. Though
it's thanks to my equipment and skills, still, as I thought, I'm strong.」
While swinging the hammer I was gripping with a whoosh whoosh, I
reflected on the battle just now in my mind. Yeah, no matter how you look at
it, it was a complete victory. I didn't even need to use my defensive skills,
huh. If fighting here seemed too tough, the plan was to go back up and level up
on poison snakes, so this is great.
「If anything,
couldn't I go to around the Fifteenth Floor?」
Probably. In the Higashi-Nakano Dungeon, nothing but golem-type
monsters will appear for a long while from here, so those guys with inferior
mobility are easy to deal with. Because giant monsters stand out, I won't get
ambushed either. It's far better than dealing with weirdly nimble ones or gross
bug types.
I got a little tired from the travel, but I'm still gonna go hard. Hand over the money and experience points to me!
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