Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Goddess's Tear (2)
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The characteristic chill of the underground brushed against our skin as we arrived at the third basement level.
The stairs leading down to the third floor.
As we descended the final step, what came into view was a narrow, elongated corridor.
And at the end of that corridor was an unobstructed exit, with a blue light flowing in from within.
The darkness unique to underground dungeons took on a gentle feel from the sacred blue glow.
"The guardian should be up ahead."
"...It won't be dangerous, right?"
"It's fine. Rapne and I will take care of it quickly."
I gently stroked the head of the anxious Emily to reassure her.
If Rapne and I fought on the front line, we could handle most battles without much trouble.
But Emily, who served as the party's healer, still didn't let her guard down.
That mix of cuteness and reliability made me smile faintly as I moved forward.
━Fwoooosh.
As we approached the exit where the blue light emanated, a fierce wind blew even though we were underground.
'...Is this wind?'
A faint beastly scent mingled in the blowing wind.
Feeling it on our skin, we cautiously exited through the opening into a vast plaza.
"That's why the blue light was shining."
Rapne's murmur.
As she said, the interior of the plaza was covered in self-luminescent blue moss and blue ore.
And at the far edge of the plaza.
There was a brilliantly sparkling blue pond, shining brighter than anything else here.
[ ━Grrrrrr. ] Of course, as expected, in front of that pond was this dungeon's guardian.
In other words, the boss monster, lying prone and glaring at us.
"It's a beast-type magical creature. Be careful of its unpredictable movements! And Lize, stay right next to Emily!"
Blocking the pond and growling at us as enemies was a tiger with white fur.
White fur that reflected the blue light, appearing blue as well.
A white tiger.
But it wasn't the typical form of a white tiger; it had several unusual features.
For example, a normal tiger has two eyes.
But this white tiger monster had four.
Beneath its normal pupils were smaller eyes positioned one each.
Moreover, the fur patterns were a different design from a regular tiger.
Above all, the claws on its front paws looked so ferocious they seemed like blades.
The moment we emerged from the narrow corridor, it rose slightly from its prone position and prowled toward the outer wall.
Yet it never took its eyes off us.
"Attack before it comes at us first! Rapne, back me up!"
"Got it!"
A boss-grade monster, especially a beast-type, often attacked with acrobatic movements.
Being hit by a preemptive strike would put us at a disadvantage, so I shouted and charged forward immediately.
"Mary━!"
As I ducked low and rushed in like a bull, I yelled to her behind me, who was gathering mana.
"Haaah━!!"
━Kwarrrrg!
With my signal, Mary's mana wave exploded outward.
That mana instantly transformed into frigid ice energy, passing Ken and Rapne as they charged and engulfing the boss monster directly.
[ Kraaaah━!! ] The white tiger's four legs froze to the ground along with a sheet of ice.
Deprived of its prized mobility, the beast opened its mouth in what seemed like an indignant roar.
"Haaaah!!"
Before it could break free from the icy bonds, I pulled the Base Sword from my pocket and swung at its neck.
Thud━!
[ Kraaaang!! ] A dull sound echoed, unbelievable for a sword slash, as the Base Sword merely grazed its hide and sliced through empty air.
'As expected of a boss...!'
It wasn't a full-power swing, but it barely cut the outer hide without reaching the skin.
The hide was tough.
But.
"Dieeee━!!"
While I held its attention, Rapne circled to the side and leaped high above its crown in an instant.
With a feral roar more beastly than the tiger's, her sharp eyes blazing,
Kaang━!!
She brought down the shaft of her drawn longspear mercilessly onto its crown.
Kwaaaang!
The white tiger slammed its head into the ground without even a groan, its crown caving in deeply.
[ ……. ] It rolled all four eyes back, showing only whites, and died on the spot.
"Hah! A monster like this doesn't stand a chance! ...Hehe, did I do good?"
"You did great, you did great."
When she saw my sword fail to pierce its hide, Rapne immediately shattered its skull with a blunt strike.
She landed lightly on the ground, puffed out her chest proudly, then trotted over to me, shaking her head.
I stroked her head as she sought praise, then turned to look at the rest of the party in the rear.
They had noticed we'd finished off the boss and were heading this way.
"Waaah~! Big brother, you're amazing! You and big sis are super strong!"
Lize, who had been trembling beside Emily just moments ago, now beamed with a wide smile as she approached me.
Having only seen us handle regular mobs until now, witnessing us dispatch such a massive boss in seconds must have made her realize our skill level, child or not.
I wasn't one to strut normally, but with a kid looking up to me with admiration, I couldn't help feeling a bit smug.
"Alright, now for what we've been waiting for: the Goddess's Tear."
I released Rapne's head and pointed toward the pond behind me for Lize, who was smiling brightly.
The pond we and Lize had desperately sought.
It had taken time, but we'd finally arrived.
After collecting the white tiger monster's corpse, we headed straight for the dungeon's reward: the Goddess's Tear.
'Definitely an incredible energy.'
Even just approaching it, the warm aura on my skin told me this pond was no ordinary thing.
"But big brother, what's your business with the Goddess's Tear?"
Lize, who had been smiling with us while gazing at the pond, suddenly looked up as if something occurred to her.
"Oh, that? ...Want to watch from now on?"
"Huh?"
As Lize scooped water from the pond into a bottle, I pulled various tools from my bag and said that.
It would be quite a spectacle for a child, so I felt a bit of fun setting up my equipment.
"Rapne, mind lighting a fire?"
"Sure!"
Afterward, in front of Lize, who watched the furnace with wide-eyed curiosity, I picked up my hammer and began striking the materials.
'I've already read the blueprint plenty of times.'
Now, all that remained was forging the magic sword.
For a normal sword, it would take days, no, months of work.
But I was a craftsman with crafting skills.
I could reduce countless hammer strikes to just a few and condense numerous heat treatments into one.
And the one reason I'd come to this place.
I quenched the heated blade, after processing, in the Goddess's Tear to cool its fiery heat.
"Waaah...!"
Lize watched the process in awe.
"Ken acts like a kid at times like this."
"Totally. He always seems so mature, but then moments like this make him cute."
"W-what do you mean?"
Emily and Mary, watching beside me, gave knowing smiles and said that.
Not understanding, I tilted my head in confusion.
"You're showing off your crafting skills to Lize right now, putting in extra effort."
"Yeah, your eyes keep glancing at Lize's face—it's obvious."
"Urk...!"
It was that noticeable, huh.
I couldn't deny it.
People naturally want to show off what they're good at.
Even I couldn't help but be conscious of their gazes while demonstrating my specialty to the girls who admired it and the cute little lady.
The two giggled as if my behavior was adorable, enjoying the sight.
Should've practiced my cool, indifferent act more.
"...It's complete."
In that slightly embarrassing atmosphere, I nearly made a minor mistake, but as a true craftsman, I finished a flawless sword.
━Wooong.
"So this is it... "
"Amazing. It has such a mystical feel."
"Among all the weapons Ken's made so far, this one radiates the most special aura."
The pure blade, not yet joined to the hilt.
But even just looking at that blade, something extraordinary emanated from this sword.
A pristine blade seeming infused with the will to permit no impurity.
'Well, it is stuffed with all sorts of dragon materials.'
It was the pinnacle masterpiece of my life, using even a dragon heart.
A unique magic sword, irreplaceable now even if I wanted to make another due to lack of materials.
The magic sword to slay the Demon King was born.
"Waaah... This is the magic sword big brother made."
Lize stared at the blade I held up, mouth agape as if entranced.
Puffing up with pride at her reaction, I kindly explained to her.
"Heh heh, impressive, right? Big brother and the sisters came here to make this."
"Yeah! It's incredible! I never thought you'd actually make it!"
"Aw, but big brother's a craftsman. With the materials and blueprint, this is a breeze."
"True. I knew you had the blueprint, but I didn't expect you to have all the materials too."
"Oh, that? ..."
"You got them from there, right? Tarros Tower!"
"Yeah, exactly. At the top of the tower... "
As I explained the sword to Lize, who showed keen interest,
I sensed something off.
"Hey, Lize... How did you know I conquered Tarros Tower...?"
I pointed out the suspicious part and asked her.
She was a girl from this city we'd just met today.
A child who'd braved danger to come to this temple to cure her mother's illness.
So when she spoke as if she knew about me, it felt incredibly awkward.
"Well... "
At Lize's smile, oddly mature for a child,
"Everyone knows Ken Fineshtein conquered Tarros Tower."
A chill ran through me, and I shot up from my seat.