Chapter 20
Chapter 20
I stared at the Champion Kobold far in the distance.
'No sense of intimidation.'
There was no sense of intimidation like when I faced the Orc Commander.
But that was just for me.
Excluding Laura, the five people in front of me seemed to be feeling quite pressured.
Jake's retreating figure caught my eye.
At this rate, the front line was going to collapse.
Not that the front line was more than seven people, though.
If the tank is that terrified, it'll crumble in an instant.
I gripped the Black Javelin in my right hand.
My target wasn't the boastful Champion Kobold standing there.
It was because Kobold Soldiers were blocking the way, as if guarding it.
Screeeech!
Among the Kobold Soldiers standing in a line in front of the Champion Kobold, one in the center was pierced through its torso by the Short spear I threw.
Once one falls.
Kwah-ah-ah-ah-ah!!
The rest reacted.
The Champion Kobold slammed the shaft of the giant spear it held vertically down.
Kuuuung!
Was the act of slamming the spear down a signal for the Champion to command the Kobold Soldiers?
About twenty Kobold Soldiers charged at once.
Laura began to run around wildly, holding her longsword.
Perhaps because she had killed them a few times already, her movements were definitely better than yesterday.
Kikikik-!
Misaki was uniquely a player who used a bow.
And she used it quite well.
Pook!
Kaak!
Misaki's arrows didn't always result in instant death upon piercing a Kobold's body, but they were sufficient to serve as a stepping stone for Laura or Sun Haoran to finish them off.
My vision was observing the entire dungeon room.
Kik!
Perhaps annoyed by Misaki shooting her bow, two charging Kobolds had their bodies sliced.
"Th-thank you."
Misaki, not even bothering to wipe the sweat covering her face, expressed her gratitude to me.
By now, a considerable number of Kobolds had met their deaths.
Exactly when about four remained.
Tjeoong!
The Champion Kobold's body shot upwards.
Landing.
The problem was the spot where the Champion Kobold landed.
It was right on top of the shield of Jake, the only tank among the exchange meeting participants.
Tjejejejeok─!!
The shield was mercilessly crushed.
Unbelievable for a sturdy shield that had blocked countless Kobold attacks.
The fragments of the shattered shield scattered widely like shards of broken mirror glass.
"Kwah-ah-ah!"
A scream of pain, unheard since entering the exchange meeting, rang out.
Jake's abdomen was directly hit by the Champion Kobold's sharp claws, no different from its spear.
Chwak!
I pulled the Black Javelin I had thrown from the right shoulder of the Kobold in front.
Then, I ran towards Jake's position as fast as possible.
"You…!"
Laura glared at me as I suddenly darted forward.
I slashed at the Champion Kobold's ankle with my straight sword.
Kaak!
Ignoring the Champion Kobold's enraged voice, I lifted Jake's body with both hands and threw myself backward.
Misaki and Zi Xuan bravely blocked the front of me as I retreated with Jake.
"Gack… Gakak!"
A mouthful of blood flowed from Jake's lips.
I had heard that potions, in case of emergencies where there's no time to take them out of the inventory during combat, are often hung separately in a pouch on the waist.
Jake was one such player. He took out a low-grade potion from the pouch tied to his waist.
He poured the potion precisely onto the wound.
There were bandages in the pouch too.
He also tied the bandages hastily.
"If I've done this much, don't blame me even if you die."
Jake nodded awkwardly at me amidst it all.
"Its movements have slowed! Attack it simultaneously!"
Laura's shout was heard.
The reason for the Champion Kobold's slowed movement must be the stab I gave its ankle.
Before entering the exchange meeting, I had discussed the matter of last hits in the Transcendent Gallery.
Title: How is the experience distribution when killing monsters in an exchange meeting?
Author: ㅇㅇ*
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Does the person who deals the final blow get more?
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Yeah, you won't have much to do, but it's the same in party play as in exchange meetings. The one who delivers the killing blow gets the most experience.
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Spear King) Highly recommend if you're excited about getting the last hit by throwing a javelin.
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Yes*) Recommend.
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It's okay!!!!
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They're having fun, having fun.
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Sword of Light) Why bother throwing a javelin? You can just use a ranged slash.
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Sword of Light) Ah, you can't use it yet. Not before level 20.
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Hahahaha, look at the show-off.
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But with this growth rate, won't you reach it soon?
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Shrine Maiden) Curses are like curses, so it's easy to get the last hit. You should learn curses.
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Dragon King) Beltui - Last hit play is funnnn.
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Ice Queen) Hehe! I've also gotten the last hit by stopping the heart inside the Ogre Lord's body without anyone noticing! Freeze!
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If a Hidden Boss Room appears, try to enter if possible. If you clear it, it's an experience double event.
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If there are five stars, avoid it.
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Heavenly Demon) Why avoid it if there are five stars? It just makes it more exciting.
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I'm a normal, commoner, weakling, so I've never entered one with more than three.
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A smart commoner who knows their place. Okay
In this boss room, I'll go for the last hit.
The experience I'm losing by observing now can be made up for in the Hidden Boss Room.
Perhaps it was because we were nearing the end of the exchange meeting.
The breaths of the five people, which hadn't meshed harmoniously, began to align.
The soldiers guarding the Champion were now all annihilated.
Laura and Sun Haoran simultaneously charged towards the Kobold standing alone with dignity.
"You attack the right side!"
Laura shouted so and slashed her sword towards the Champion Kobold's left shoulder.
Kaang!
But the sword did not tear through the leather. The Champion blocked Laura's longsword with the blade of the spear it held in its left hand.
Sun Haoran's thrusting spear was caught by bare hands.
Pook-!
An arrow shot by Misaki, still sweating profusely, lodged in the Champion's torso.
The accuracy was commendable, but the problem was that the Champion Kobold's face showed no change whatsoever upon being hit.
The remaining members were diligently distracting its attention.
It was a perfect situation to get the last hit.
[Mana Body Reinforcement Lv.3 - Skill activated.]
Mana flowed from the Mana Heart and spread throughout my body.
My muscles, trained thus far, expanded on their own.
[Focus Enhancement Lv.3 - Skill activated.]
For the first time in a long while, I gave myself a self-suggestion.
This is the mound.
Taking a step forward, I leaned back.
Rotating my waist, I swung my right hand holding the Black Javelin.
Swaaaash!
The javelin split the air.
─Kwajik.
The charging javelin precisely embedded itself in the Champion Kobold's forehead.
Strike.
[Boss Monster 'Champion Kobold' has been defeated.]
[Level Up!]
[Lv.12 → Lv.13]
My level finally increased.
['Strength' stat increases by 7.]
['Agility' stat increases by 6.]
['Stamina' stat increases by 6.]
['Mana' stat increases by 5.]
['Kobold's Cradle' Dungeon has been cleared!]
I felt all eyes, including Laura's, turn towards me.
Every single one of them had a stunned expression.
[Calculating 'Tower Exchange Meeting' Dungeon Contribution Score.]
[You are '1st Place'.]
[1000 Coins awarded as 1st Place Reward.]
[An item awarded as 1st Place Reward.]
[Great Enemy Sword Karnavalt]
Category - Weapon (Sword)
Attack Power: +50
Effect: Critical hit chance increases when facing 2 or more enemies.
Usable Level: Level 12 or higher
Grade: B+
Spear King senior.
I succeeded in getting the last hit with a javelin.
Laura walked towards me, letting out a hollow laugh.
"1st place, you got it, right?"
"Yes."
"Curious how you knew?"
I nodded at Laura's words. I already knew the reason from the seniors in the Transcendent Gallery, but I was currently playing the role of a newbie.
"Most lower-floor exchange meetings consider the one who delivers the killing blow as the standard for 1st place. Wow, you're really talented. Your javelin skills are amazing."
Laura, who was kindly explaining the reason, held the Black Javelin I had thrown in her hand.
What is this?
Stab? Throw?
Feeling foolish for doubting Laura for a moment, I saw she extended the spear in a safe direction, away from me, with the blade not sharpened.
"But I'm not resentful. If you hadn't thrown the javelin, I think we would have been stuck in a power struggle with that bastard."
Jake, who had instantly recovered as if he had leveled up, stood beside Laura. He bowed his head to me.
"Thank you. I'm alive thanks to you."
Misaki approached hesitantly.
"Good work…!"
Zi Xuan just shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, I'm satisfied with just surviving."
Laura was waving her longsword in the air with her right hand.
It wasn't difficult to infer what she was doing.
"I'm leaving."
Laura said in a low voice.
"There's no way we'll meet again in an exchange meeting with this party, but if we do, we'll greet each other."
A white circle was drawn at Laura's feet.
Then, a white light burst from the circle and enveloped Laura's body.
The German woman of Hard Difficulty disappeared thus.
Misaki suddenly approached me.
"U-um, would you like to add me as a friend?"
I had no intention of doing so.
My newbie act wasn't over yet.
"Let's do it next time we meet."
There was no value in it.
The latter reason was clearly much greater.
Misaki, perhaps anticipating why I refused, gave a bitter smile.
"Okay, then!"
Still, her voice was cheerful.
"Then we'll be going too!"
Fwoosh!
The cheerful Misaki and her friend Zi Xuan disappeared simultaneously with a burst of light.
"I'm leaving too!"
Jake waved at me and disappeared.
Excluding myself, there were two people who had not yet returned to their own Towers.
I was organizing my thoughts to head straight for the Hidden Boss Room once those two left.
Sreung.
Baek Jinyeong pointed his sword at me.
"Move as I say if you don't want to die."
Beside him stood Sun Haoran, holding a spear.
The direction of the spearhead, like Baek Jinyeong's sword, was aimed at me.
Sun Haoran's mouth opened.
"Still, you'll die, but it will hurt less."
Oh, really.