Lizardman (2)
Preparations complete, it was time to seriously clear this dungeon. I gathered the drones and gave them simple instructions. Even though they were just drones, they moved smarter than most people, so I trusted they'd carry out my orders perfectly.
"If any of you get damaged, come back to me. I'll fix you up."
This assault also served as a test for the new bone bombs' power.
"Scout drone, hover at maximum altitude. When the combat drones herd the lizardmen, drop a bomb right on them."
No sooner had I given the order than the scout drone climbed higher. Then the combat drones rocketed toward the lizardman settlement with a ferocious roar.
Pfshhh-!
As the combat drones flew overhead, spraying machine-gun fire everywhere, the peaceful dungeon turned into utter chaos in seconds.
"Krrraaak!"
"Krruk!"
Over ten lizardmen raised their weapons and charged en masse to catch the cheeky combat drones raining bullets from above.
They clustered thickly beneath the combat drones.
"That's a lot..."
I worried the combat drones might get shot down by the lizardmen. The drones pulled a sharp vertical climb, nimbly dodging the spears and axes the lizardmen hurled, while the scout drone hovering high above extended its mechanical arm with a soft whir.
A single black speck plummeted straight toward the lizardmen's heads.
"Krruk...?"
Sweeeesh—
Booom-!
A deafening explosion tore through the air, sending swamp mud and water geysers sky-high. Dozens of razor-sharp bone shards hidden inside the bomb burst outward like shotgun pellets.
Papapap-!
The blast's shockwave and fragments were fiercer than expected—even the scout drone that dropped the bomb from on high got grazed. Luckily, I had the Repair skill, so a few scratches were no big deal. But the lizardmen who took direct hits below were in.
"Krrruk..."
As the dust settled, most of the lizardmen clustered near the blast site had their upper bodies shredded, already dissolving into smoke. Those on the outskirts who avoided instant death crawled on the ground, bone shards embedded all over their bodies. Minimum, severe injuries.
"Good thing I was far away..."
Amazed by the destructive power that exceeded expectations, I began moving forward slowly. Now it was time for me and the sniper drone to shine.
I charged toward the staggering lizardmen. Already dazed from the bomb, they barely resisted as I appeared right in front of them. I was swiftly finishing them off with my toothed flail when—
Shwick!
Suddenly, a whoosh of air-cutting wind came from somewhere.
Thwack-!
"Ugh!"
From my blind spot, a massive lizardman—mortally wounded and collapsed—lashed out in a final spasm with its log-thick tail, slamming straight into my abdomen.
I'd let my guard down. Never expected a downed one to attack with its tail—
I clenched my teeth, bracing for the pain. But...
"...Huh?"
I was fine. Way finer than expected. Just a dull thud of vibration, no pain at all.
Bewildered, I looked down at my stomach.
"Oh... right, this outfit too..."
I'd completely forgotten. The plain-looking outer layer I was wearing was actually armor I'd made for Signal alongside the other gear. Until now, I'd been dodging attacks casually with Leap and boosted agility, so I'd never tested its defense.
"Works great..."
I let out a hollow laugh and lightly smashed the toothed flail down on the lizardman staring up at me in despair from my unscathed belly.
The rest of the hunt was a breeze. Using the exact same bone bomb drop on the second lizardman group wiped them out in seconds.
Two bombs took out most of the lizardmen in the dungeon. Now only a handful remained, rushing in from all directions after hearing the booms.
I gripped my toothed flail tighter, no more wasting bombs.
"Sniper drone, go all out now."
Boom-!
At my command, the sniper drone's rifle roared, exploding a charging lizardman's head like a watermelon.
No need for combat drones to pull aggro without bomb tactics anymore. Growing accustomed to the swamp, I crossed the sucking mud first, closing in on the remaining monsters.
"Kee-ruk!"
Their combat prowess wasn't negligible, but the more I fought, the better I got at handling them.
They... rely too much on their shields.
In a way, it was natural, but my sniper rifle and toothed flail's firepower was superior—aggressively attacking let me break through easily. Playing passive only invited their assaults, so I went on the offensive instead, smashing them shield and all.
Just like that, we wiped out the lizardmen and reached the boss room.
"Haven't even used the traps yet."
All three virulent poison traps were intact.
"Gather up first. I'll repair you."
We'd cleared the lizardmen quickly, but without the bone bombs, it wouldn't have been so smooth. As expected of a mid-grade dungeon—even without fatal damage, all three drones had armor wear and needed my repair touch.
...Come to think of it, some damage was from the bone bomb fragments too.
I'd taken no injury thanks to my gear's defense, but I'd eaten one tail strike from a blind spot. If regular mobs were this tough, I'd need to stay extra alert against the boss. Gear wouldn't fully block a boss attack.
I shoved open the heavy, sealed boss room door. Damp, heavy air wafted out, along with a silhouette.
"Krrrr..."
Standing tall in the dark swamp center, it looked nothing like the regular lizardmen. Scars etched its scales like medals, and heavy steel-like armor plated its body. Its outfit screamed fantasy warrior.
One hand gripped a massive spear longer than a grown man's height; the other, a giant steel shield studded with spikes.
"Krruk."
Spotting me, the boss let out a low growl and hoisted its spear high overhead.
...What’s it doing? No way...
Instinct screamed it was about to act. Worried it might hurl the spear, I moved immediately—safely, even using Leap to roll sideways big-time.
And that judgment was spot-on.
Whoosh—
Crash-!
As I dove aside, it leaped high, slamming its spear into where I'd stood moments ago.
Splurt!
Mud and rock shards erupted like a bomb blast. Close call.
How'd it jump like that?
No preliminary wind-up. I'd thought it was throwing—
And I quickly figured out why the jump motion was invisible.
Splurt!
It used its thick tail to brutally excavate the swamp, propelling itself back to its original spot. So tails could do that too.
"...Handle trap setup! Sniper drone, keep suppressing it."
I sprang up and yelled at the drones. They buzzed every which way, but the boss's eyes locked solely on me, ignoring the flying pests.
Better for us.
While it fixated, the scout and combat drones grabbed traps and scattered, cleverly hiding the virulent poison traps in murky puddles and reeds. The monster-only trigger option was a godsend—I'd seen every spot personally, yet couldn't spot them with the naked eye.
Meanwhile, the boss retracted its spear and charged me ferociously again.
Whoosh!
This time, spear tip aimed at my gut.
"Urk!"
I twisted to dodge, but it was too fast—grazed my abdomen slightly. Did Counter count this as a dodge? Power surged through me anyway.
My enhanced toothed flail arced toward its side.
Clang-!
"...What?"
A stunned yelp escaped me. The flail that'd crushed every monster so far clashed against its raised steel shield, rebounding with a metallic ring.
The shield dented, but the boss merely staggered back a few steps, unfazed. It curled its lip.
"Krrruk..."
Boom-!
As I hesitated, the circling sniper drone targeted its blind spot—the grinning boss's side—firing perfectly through the shield commitment. But beastly reflexes raised its arm sans shield, barely blocking.
Crack!
The sniper round wrecked the wrist guard, but inflicted no real damage.
...Run?
Stronger than expected. Gear saved me from major injury, but the abdomen armor tore. A solid hit would've—
Then the combat and scout drones, traps set, rejoined the fray.
Pfshhh-!
"Krruk!"
They hounded the boss's eyes relentlessly. No major hits, but the nagging attacks finally irritated it into reacting.
Whoom-!
Enraged, it swung its spear at the combat drone. The drone dodged the blade with acrobatic flight but couldn't withstand the massive wind pressure.
Whirr—
Thud!
Off-balance, the combat drone crashed into the mud. The boss raised its spear for the kill.
The instant it stepped forward big for the swing—
Click-!
A crisp, chilling metallic snap pierced the swamp's silence from underfoot.
"Keeeaak-!"
Its majestic poise vanished; the boss shrieked ear-splittingly, flinging its spear away. Its right ankle was clamped by a hidden virulent poison trap's jagged teeth in the mud.
Whirr.
Was it my imagination, or did the mud-stuck combat drone shake its camera lens up-down at me like a wink? Good job—I'll definitely upgrade you next.