Chapter 3: Nightmare 1st Floor (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 3: Nightmare 1st Floor (2)
Within the frozen flow of time, I stared at the Goblin holding the bow.
Wait a second...
Can I actually dodge that?
I didn't have a clue. It wasn't like I’d spent my life training to dodge arrows.
I tried to picture it, and the odds didn't look good. For starters, just perceiving the exact moment an arrow is released is nearly impossible. If someone swings a sword at you from close range, you can react to their preliminary movements. But predicting the precise millisecond a finger releases a taut bowstring? That’s a different story.
The moment they let go, the arrow is already in flight. How are you supposed to time that?
In the end, the only way was to split time as finely as possible from the moment he aimed at me—toggling the flow on and off until the shot was fired.
...Still, I should be able to manage somehow, right?
The guy with the shield is also a problem.
A Goblin armed with a wooden shield and a one-handed sword. It felt like the difficulty had spiked compared to facing two swords and a spear. This time, I had to deal with two melee combatants while constantly worrying about an arrow flying at my head.
But I had to do it. If I didn't, I’d die.
Steeling my resolve, I let time flow.
The Sword Goblin and Shield Goblin rushed me. Behind them, I saw the Archer Goblin nocking an arrow to its string.
Take out the Sword Goblin first.
I ran diagonally, planning to use a similar strategy as before. I needed to distance myself from the Archer while positioning myself to take on the chargers one by one.
Soon, I saw the Archer draw his string and aim in my direction. The two charging Goblins were still a few paces away.
Anticipating the shot, I began Time Splitting. I had to be ready to dodge the very instant that arrow left the bow.
If he was going to fire, he’d do it before the other two reached me. Once we were locked in melee, he’d lose his clear line of sight.
I focused every nerve.
"...!"
He fired.
Fortunately, my timing was on point. Since he was directly in front of me, the incoming arrow looked like a tiny, growing dot.
The dot expanded as it drew closer.
...Wait, it’s faster than I thought.
I realized it instantly.
Ah, shit. This isn't going to work.
No matter how much I prepared to dodge from the moment of release, the human body was simply too slow compared to a flying arrow. By the time I sensed the danger while trying to calculate the trajectory, I was already twisting my upper body to the left. It was a desperate, frantic evasion.
“Ughhhhh...!”
I screamed internally, contorting my frame with everything I had.
It was incredibly close.
The arrow grazed my right forearm. If I had started moving even a fraction of a second later, I wouldn't have dodged it. Period.
I forced myself to stay calm.
Okay, I get it now.
This wasn't something I could just "get good" at. I immediately regretted my arrogant thought from moments ago. Manage somehow? Like hell I would.
What was the distance? Twenty meters? Thirty? At this range, even the slightest slip-up meant death.
Furthermore, I realized another problem. It was difficult to discern exactly where the arrow was headed until it was right on top of me. But by the time it was close enough to tell, it was already too late to move.
There’s no answer to this, fuck.
I vividly felt the sheer unfairness of ranged weapons.
For now, I had to deal with the enemies right in front of me. I let time flow and regained my balance from the awkward dodge.
The Sword Goblin was already upon me. As expected, it lunged blindly—a move I was grateful for.
I prepared for the attack, splitting time once more.
A horizontal slash aimed at my upper body.
I leaned back as I retreated, letting the blade whistle past. It was much easier than dodging an arrow. I countered immediately, thrusting my blade into the Sword Goblin’s throat.
I stopped time again to assess the situation.
The Archer was just nocking his next arrow, and the Shield Goblin had closed the gap.
If I used a clock face with 12 o'clock as my front, the Shield Goblin was at 1 o'clock, and the Archer was sniping from the 2 o'clock position.
I saw the Shield Goblin preparing a thrust with its one-handed sword. I quickly stepped clockwise, dodging the blade aimed at my waist.
Kehek—!
My sword was still embedded in the first Goblin’s throat. Because of that, the dying creature was wedged between me and the Shield Goblin. Moreover, with the two Goblins blocking my front, the danger from the arrow was significantly reduced as long as I maintained this angle.
I was able to catch my breath.
Since everything had been successful so far, I decided to keep time stopped for a moment to think.
How do I deal with this one?
The Shield Goblin. The shield covering almost its entire upper body was a massive nuisance. No matter how many simulations I ran in my head, a one-shot kill seemed unlikely.
Instead of aiming for the neck or chest, I decided to go for the legs.
The moment I let time flow, I kicked the dying Goblin away and wrenched my sword out. The Shield Goblin behind it stumbled back for a second before thrusting its sword again.
I had to time this perfectly.
I split time to dodge the attack and grabbed the Goblin’s sword arm by the wrist. Simultaneously, I slammed my sword downward with my other hand.
Kieeeek!
The Shield Goblin shrieked as my blade pierced through its foot. I gripped its wrist tight, refusing to let go while making sure I didn't lose my own weapon.
Then, its shield came swinging toward my face.
Uh, I can't dodge this.
Thwack!
I grit my teeth and took the hit with my forehead. My head spun.
As we wrestled for dominance, the Shield Goblin fell backward. I lost my balance as well and tumbled on top of it.
I hurriedly lifted my head just as an arrow whizzed past, inches above me.
Holy shit, I almost got fucked...
I scrambled to grab my sword and finish the Shield Goblin. The creature pinned beneath me had its torso wide open from the fall. Before it could regain its senses, I drove my blade up through its lower jaw.
Kek—
Suddenly, something warm trickled down my forehead and stung my eyes.
Blood? Ah, my forehead must have split open.
I hurriedly snatched the shield away from the corpse and held it up to cover my front. After stopping time, I took a moment to pull myself together.
That damn Archer Goblin was already aiming at me again.
You son of a bitch.
Perhaps because I’d nearly died several times now, my emotions were running hot. It wasn't just anger; it felt like adrenaline was flooding my system.
At least I had a shield now. Blocking an arrow with a shield was infinitely easier than trying to dodge one.
Only the Archer remained.
Having composed myself, I let time flow and stood up. I tucked as much of my upper body as possible behind the shield. This way, even slight movements of the shield could cover everything above my waist. I didn't have to do any more desperate body-contorting stunts.
“...”
I split time, bracing for the arrow that could fly at any second.
But the Archer didn't fire. It just kept its aim on me.
Yeah, you’re nervous too, aren't you?
It seemed the creature realized that if it missed once, it was over. If it fired, I planned to charge immediately and gut it.
As long as I closed the distance, I would win. It was a distance I was confident I could cover before he could nock another arrow.
I circled the Archer, leading with the shield in my left hand and keeping my sword low in my right.
The Goblin never fired. It loosened the tension on the string slightly, maintaining its aim but refusing to commit.
I clicked my tongue.
If he played it like that, I couldn't just charge in blindly either. The current distance was the limit of where I felt confident in my blocking. Any closer, and the pressure would be immense even with a shield. If I charged with my head and torso covered, there was always the chance of a lucky shot hitting my leg and taking me out of the fight.
Of course, it wasn't like he was guaranteed to hit me, so the odds were fifty-fifty—actually, they were probably in my favor, but still...
“Hey, you piece of shit! You scared?!”
I tried provoking him like I did before. I shouted and mocked him with a sneer, but the Archer remained motionless.
What a calm bastard. Annoying.
Rumbleeeee—
Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed through the area. A Stone Gate was descending from above the tunnel the Goblins had emerged from.
“Huh?”
What now?
I stopped time.
Are they trying to lock me in?
The only path in this area was that straight tunnel. If the Stone Gate closed completely, I’d be trapped. I didn't know why they were trying to lock me in, but it felt incredibly ominous.
Wait, is there more? This isn't the end?
Should I get out before it closes?
Should I run into the tunnel, or stay put? I had no way of knowing which was the right answer.
...I have to go out. I decided to trust my gut.
But there was one problem. The Archer was standing right in front of the tunnel. To get out, I had to go through him.
It was a crossroads where I had to take a risk.
Then a risk it would be.
I let time flow and sprinted straight at the Archer. I raised the shield just enough to see, protecting my vitals.
Seeing him frantically draw his bowstring, I split time.
When I was about ten meters away, I didn't miss the slight downward tilt of his bow. He was aiming for my legs.
I immediately lowered the shield.
At that exact moment, the arrow flew and thudded into the wood.
...Blocked it! You’re dead.
Reaching the Archer in an instant, I plunged my sword into the side of the creature as it tried to scramble away.
I didn't have time to make sure he was finished. The Stone Gate was already more than halfway closed.
Pulling my sword out and leaving the fallen Goblin behind, I sprinted into the tunnel.
Thump!
The passage slammed shut.
Having made it safely, I gasped for air.
“Haa... haa...”
I looked down at the arrow stuck in the shield. It was embedded near the very edge. If it had been off by just a little bit, I would have taken an arrow to the knee.
But in the end, I won.
As my excitement cooled, I looked around. The Stone Gate was firmly shut, and ahead of me was a gentle upward slope.
I narrowed my eyes as I spotted something.
Looking closely, there was something at the end of the slope.
It was... a ball.
As my sense of perspective kicked in, I realized just how massive that ball was.
Thud.
“...Uh.”
That massive ball.
It started rolling toward me.
Its smooth surface gleamed with a silvery light; it was a massive Iron Sphere.
I felt goosebumps break out all over my body as I stopped time.
No, wait, wait, wait... hold on a second.
W-Wasn't coming out here the right answer?
The back was blocked, and there was a ball in front. The Iron Sphere filled the entire width of the straight tunnel as it rolled down, leaving no room to dodge.
I felt like I’d been completely played.
I realized I was truly, utterly fucked.
...I’m going to die like this?
No, this is just wrong. Anyone would have thought the door closing was a sign to get out. You bastards!
But venting my frustration changed nothing. With time stopped, I was essentially already under a death sentence. The moment I let time flow, I’d be crushed into a pancake.
No, I don't want to die like this.
After a moment of despair and panic, I desperately searched for a way out.
There has to be a way to live... what’s that?
Something caught my eye.
Looking closely at the wall halfway down the tunnel, there was a niche carved into it. It was just large enough for one person to fit inside.
...!
Feeling like I’d found an oasis in the desert, I let time flow.
I threw away my sword and shield and sprinted with everything I had. The rolling sphere was accelerating, closing the distance with terrifying speed. Since I was running toward it, the gap closed even faster.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
They say humans can't even scream when they feel extreme terror. Apparently, that didn't apply to me. Shit, please save me!
Just before the Iron Sphere filled my entire field of vision, I barely managed to dive into the niche.
At the same time, a gust of wind whipped against my back.
With a deafening roar, the Iron Sphere rolled past, followed by another massive crashing sound.
My legs gave out, and I collapsed right there.
“Heh... ha...”
Wow.
I actually lived.
For a moment, it felt like I’d dipped my toes into the River Styx.
I stood up unsteadily. Too terrified to move, I waited a long time before stepping out of the niche.
Looking down, I saw that the Iron Sphere had shattered the Stone Gate into pieces and rolled back into the room.
Since I had to retrieve my discarded weapons, I had no choice but to go back down.
When I reached the bottom and looked inside the cave, I was momentarily speechless at the sight.
The entire floor was densely packed with countless iron arrows.
What was this? Had a rain of arrows poured from the ceiling?
“...So coming out was the right answer.”
It meant that if I hadn't left, I would have been turned into a pincushion.
At this point, I was just dumbfounded. No wonder everyone died. Was this difficulty even designed for a human to clear?
I walked around, searching for my weapons. The shield had been crushed to splinters by the sphere, so I picked out a decent sword from the remains. Should I take a spear too, just in case?
With a sword in one hand and a spear in the other, I stepped back out into the tunnel.
“...Seriously.”
The scariest part of all this?
Even after all that, the clear message still hadn't appeared.
I just stood there for a while, recovering my stamina. I expected Goblins or something else to jump out at me, but even after a long time, nothing appeared.
...I guess this means I have to keep moving forward?
I was terrified of what else might be waiting for me.
“Whew...”
Let’s go.
I had a feeling that the end was finally near. It was just a hunch.
After letting out a deep sigh, I began to drag my heavy feet forward.