Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: The Second Named Boss, Akan the Magic Golem
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Rumble!
The entire boss room vibrated.
At first, the movement was barely perceptible. But a strange sensation gradually rose from beneath my feet, enveloping my body. The feeling of my body floating in the air. It felt as if gravity had momentarily vanished, my body seeming to lift upward.
Thud.
Kiiiing.
Soon, the vibration in the boss room ceased, and the wall where I had entered opened up, revealing a landscape completely different from Area 1.
The color gently flowing from the corridor beyond the door was a verdant green. It wasn't that the color emitted by the magic crystals had changed; this was a different area altogether.
The entire boss room had descended like an elevator, bringing me into Area 2.
I'd sensed it when the boss room walls rotated, but the ancient dwarves' technology was on the level of lost tech. Or perhaps the game company had modified the ancient temple's structure when turning it into an instance dungeon.
In either case, the structure of this instance dungeon was quite interesting.
Whooong.
As I entered the first cube-shaped room of Area 2, the stepping stone puzzle I'd seen in Area 1 reappeared. And in a much more complex form.
"Hiii."
I grimaced.
This isn't very fun.
Area 2 was more complex than Area 1. There were more cubical rooms. Of course, in addition to puzzles, there were also mechanics that required defeating the monsters inside a room within a short time.
The problem was, the rooms in Area 2 had doors on all four sides. Even excluding the door I came through, there were three possible directions to go. This was even a dungeon where the cube rooms themselves moved at will.
The right-hand rule doesn't work in this kind of maze. Since the rooms' positions could change, map reading was also impossible. However, with a structure like this, it was highly likely that the boss room was located in the center when viewed as a whole.
I solved the maze by choosing a clear direction, ensuring I wasn't just going in circles. The occasional corridor-like rooms confirmed that I was on the right path. In any case, if the overall structure consisted of cube-shaped rooms, there wasn't necessarily only one path to the boss room.
As long as I didn't go in circles, I would eventually arrive.
"Here, that is."
I had finally arrived at the Area 2 boss room.
Reaching the place illuminated by the soft green light emanating from the magic crystals that formed the walls, I looked toward the center.
There it was. A golem that looked like a named boss.
A wooden dummy, no, a tin doll? Since it was a golem made of magic crystals, maybe I should call it a magic crystal doll.
The doll-like golem, about the size of an adult man, had a head with no facial features.
Come to think of it, there was a character in a classic fighting game where you could choose a wooden dummy or tin doll form. It reminds me of exactly that.
The problem was, there wasn't just one golem.
The named golem was in the center, and at the three vertices of a triangle surrounding it, similarly shaped golems were positioned. The subordinate monsters were arranged in a triangle, as if protecting the named boss.
One golem in the center of the room, and at each of the three vertices of an equilateral triangle with it at the center, was a golem slightly smaller than the central one.
"What a nasty setup."
I'd fought named bosses with minions plenty of times. These golems looked like they would use ranged attacks at a glance.
If I fought while facing the named boss head-on, I could keep two of the minion golems in my line of sight. However, I would have to fight with one of them at my back.
Is there a mechanic to move the minion golems' positions?
Or maybe I could just focus on the attacks from the named boss and the two minions, and handle the one at my back by using invincibility skills well.
I sat on the floor, clutching my head, and ran through various combat simulations.
It was too tricky a setup to just rush in blindly. I needed to make a solid plan before starting the battle.
But then.
"Huh?"
It was no wonder I let out a sound of confusion. In front of my eyes, where I had brought up the named boss's status interface, some very strange information appeared.
[2nd Named Boss]
[Level 45 Magic Golem Akan]
[HP 2,000,000/2,000,000]
[Level 45 Magic Golem]
[HP 2,000,000/2,000,000]
Its HP was lower than the named bosses in the Forward Base, an elite dungeon from two regions ago.
Setting that aside, the minion golems' HP was identical to the named boss's.
Like the strangely twisted dungeon structure, my mind fell into a labyrinth.
What is this? What is it implying? Does it mean I have to take care of all of them, including the minions?
Two million HP might seem low on its own, but it's by no means a trivial amount for a subordinate monster rather than a named boss.
Magic Golem Akan, this guy must have a berserk pattern too. If I deal with the minions first, I'll definitely run into the berserk timer.
The Minotaur's berserk state just enhanced his attack power and speed and created a barrier, but if it's the type that restricts the combat area or spams wipe mechanics, I won't be able to handle it.
I guess I have no choice but to figure it out one step at a time.
I immediately drew my sword and entered combat.
Boom, kabooom!
Through the sparks scattering in all directions from the clash of swords, the named golem 'Akan' came into view, swinging a blade of magic.
Whoosh!
As I ducked my head lightly to dodge Akan's blade, a chill crept up my back. In that instant, I used two skills in succession.
Tatat!
Using a backward dodge followed by a closing skill, my body blurred on the spot, deflecting the chunk of ice shot from behind me.
Indeed, the golems' attacks themselves were monotonous. If I got close, they would crudely swing their magic blades, and from a distance, they just shot fireballs or chunks of ice.
However, contrary to the simple attacks, the battle's difficulty was extremely high. A 1-on-1 combat structure where I only had to focus on one named boss was much easier.
As I was now, it was no different from fighting four bosses at once.
Fortunately, even amidst the dizzying flurry of movements, I could standardize a combat pattern.
First, I maintain the offensive while deflecting the named boss's melee attacks.
The attacks from the two magic golems far in front of me, I synchronize their delays to block them at once. Since my distance from both golems was the same, their projectile speeds wouldn't be out of sync. The interval between projectile launches was also quite long.
And the attacks from the one golem inevitably outside my field of view, I deflect with an invincibility skill.
I mobilize all my senses and skills to block and deflect attacks, while continuously attacking the named boss.
Even in a situation where I couldn't land satisfying attacks, Golem Akan's HP decreased rapidly.
It was a named boss with inherently low HP to begin with. If I could just maintain this state, it seemed I could defeat it much faster than other named bosses.
[2nd Named Boss]
[Level 45 Magic Golem Akan]
[HP 1,799,105/2,000,000]
Whooong.
When Akan's HP dropped below 90%, a strange resonant hum sounded, and a change occurred in the combat area.
Pshk!
The sensation transmitted to my sword changed to a repulsive force. It was a similar feeling to when I hit the Minotaur's barrier.
A red barrier had already formed around Akan's body. The damage reduction rate was about 1/10th. It was a situation where I couldn't possibly continue the assault.
I calmly surveyed the battlefield.
Just as with the Minotaur, there must be a way to strip this guy's barrier.
What about the minion golems' states?
Both of the two in front were enveloped in red barriers. The same color as the named boss.
Whoosh. Craash!
While spinning my body and sword together to bat away the two fireballs from the front, my gaze momentarily swept to the rear.
The minion golem at the rear.
The barrier's color was blue.
Shwaaaak!
My body shot toward the rear minion golem like an arrow.
In that fleeting moment, I understood.
I have to use that golem with the blue barrier.
After approaching the minion golem, I immediately used a counter move to bring all four golems into my forward field of view.
The pattern of the blue-barriered minion golem immediately switched to melee, and it swung a blue magic blade at me.
Clang! Craaash!
I held my sword upright in a defensive stance and surveyed the situation again.
This was much more comfortable than my previous position where I had to worry about attacks from the rear. However, in this state, I couldn't attack the boss.
Pshk!
I tried swinging my sword at the blue golem in front of me, but the same repulsive force I felt when hitting the named boss was transmitted to my sword.
Indeed, the minion golem's barrier had the same specs as the named boss's. There was no way to break through this damage reduction and defeat the minion.
So, what changed? What pattern do I need to exploit?
Clang! Woooong!
When I blocked the minion golem's second blue magic blade, a faint blue light, accompanied by a strange resonance, enveloped my sword.
Clang!
The third attack, the blue light on my sword grew stronger.
This confirmed it.
"Aha."
Block the melee attacks of the golem with the blue barrier to charge my sword with blue energy. And then, slam the fully charged blue sword into the boss's red barrier.
A charging mechanic, huh.
I continuously blocked the magic attacks coming from the front, enduring the long wait until my sword was fully charged.
Paaat!
And finally, my fully charged sword began to shine, emitting a strong blue light.
Shwaaaak!
Taking advantage of a lull in the magic attacks, my body rapidly closed in on Akan in the center of the combat area.
Pshk!
When I swung the blue-glowing sword, Akan's barrier was torn apart futilely.
Pzzzt!
Akan, sparking intensely as if a machine had broken down, soon fell to its knees.
Kwakwang!
I lightly batted away the attacks from the minion golems still firing magic from a distance, then lowered my stance and readjusted my grip on my sword.
"Good."
Mechanic deciphered.
Now, it's time for some serious damage.