The Cerulean Golem

At first, a heavy silence fell.

No one except Malton and me realized what had just happened.

But as shattered bones scattered over the old tree roots and chunks of flesh mixed with brain matter splattered onto the ground, a stifled scream escaped from one of the adventurers.

"A-Aaaaargh!!"

"D-Damn it, run! Everyone, run!"

Driven by greed, the adventurers who had been lingering around the golem fled, screaming in terror.

In the chaos, some tripped over tree roots, struggling to get up before being trampled and crushed to death by the golem.

Unexpected situation, my ass.

You sent me here intending for this to happen from the very beginning.

I stared at the adventurers being slaughtered by the golem with a grim expression.

Watching people lose their lives so pointlessly always drove home the harsh reality that this was indeed a brutal dark fantasy world.

I could understand their greed, considering that materials from rare monsters like that could sometimes fetch dozens of gold coins each, but...

As I watched the adventurers scrambling over one another to escape, Radie spoke in an anxious tone.

"S-Shouldn't we run away too...? I don't think that's a monster we can handle..."

"Too late. Look over there."

I pointed toward the only path leading out of the canyon.

It was already crawling with Cerulean Golems that had awakened from their deep slumber.

Watching the golems ruthlessly smash massive trees as they chased after the fireflies, Malton let out a low groan.

"Hmm... Our retreat is cut off. What do you propose we do, Doran?"

"We fight, of course. Don't worry, we can easily take them down if we target their weaknesses. I've dealt with them before, so trust me."

A Cerulean Golem was a formidable monster that usually required a level of at least 40 to 50 to face alone, but defeating them wasn't impossible if you knew the trick.

Radie looked at me with a skeptical gaze, but she quickly turned her attention back to the golems and asked, "And what exactly is this weakness?"

"The hardness of the minerals varies across their bodies. While most parts are incredibly tough, their abdomens and joints are soft enough for a crossbow bolt to deal effective damage."

There are many different types of hardness.

Just off the top of my head, there's strength, stiffness, hardness, toughness, and ductility.

Glass has higher stiffness and hardness than iron, but its ductility is extremely low, meaning it shatters easily at the slightest damage.

Even with iron, its properties change completely depending on its carbon content.

That's why a cast-iron cauldron shatters upon impact, while a frying pan merely bends.

The Cerulean Golem's arms and legs, which bear the most weight, and its chest, which protects its core, are incredibly hard. However, the rest of its body is relatively weak and lacks ductility.

This level of detail was exactly why Velheim was considered a hardcore game, unlike others that lumped everything under a single 'Defense' stat.

"A crossbow will work? A golem vulnerable to physical force... How unusual."

"You saw it absorb those flames earlier, right? They were originally designed as anti-mage weapons."

Cerulean Golems were artificial weapons created by ancient mages.

They were a common mob encountered when exploring ancient ruins.

Back when I was building a Magic Swordsman, I had fought them to the point of nausea while infiltrating ancient magic towers to steal rare spell scrolls.

Clack!

Radie fired her crossbow, and a metal bolt embedded itself deep into the golem's abdomen.

"Yes! I hit it! Uh... but this doesn't seem like it's nearly enough..."

"It's fine. A tiny crack is all we need. ...Malton!"

Before I could even finish calling his name, a golden flash streaked across my vision.

With his golden hair fluttering, Malton closed the distance in an instant and slammed his mace into the golem.

Crash!

"Quite heavy...!"

"I'm joining in!"

With the golem's aggro focused on Malton, I immediately slipped around to its flank.

Dodging a massive fist, I swung my cutlass. A clear, ringing sound echoed, but it left only a tiny scratch on the crystalline surface.

Damn it, a sword really isn't going to cut it!

I immediately changed my strategy and kicked the bolt embedded in its abdomen with my boot.

Activating the acceleration effect of my greaves, I delivered a powerful kick. With a sharp *crack*, fissures began to spiderweb across the golem's abdomen.

As we clung to it like a pack of wild dogs, relentlessly targeting its weakness, the golem began to creak and totter.

Cornered, the creature raised both arms high, preparing to unleash a devastating blow, but—

Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

Radie's bolts struck the golem's shoulder joints with pinpoint accuracy, halting its attack.

With its movements restricted, I jammed my scabbard into the crack and delivered a spinning backkick with all my might. The fractures spread across its entire body, and its massive form crumbled.

Rumble!

"Phew..."

I collapsed onto the ground, exhausted.

As I let out a sigh of relief and clutched my throbbing foot, Malton approached and handed me a bandage.

"Are you alright? That was a remarkably reckless way to fight. To kick such a thing so recklessly..."

"Ouch... If the fight dragged on, there's no telling what variables might have popped up. Next time, I should make sure to strike with the sole of my boot..."

Slashing attacks were useless against such a hard opponent, so I had no choice but to use whatever means I had to deliver an effective blow.

It would be great if I could transform into a monster with high striking power later on...

After wrapping my foot with the bandage, I extracted the glowing core from the shattered chest of the golem and tossed it into my backpack.

This core was a rare alchemical ingredient and magic catalyst, so it would fetch a high price.

"Let's go. We can't let this opportunity slip away."

Grinning, I made my way toward the other golems roaming the canyon.

Doran's party dashed through the canyon, hunting down the golems.

Having succeeded once, taking down the subsequent ones was a breeze.

They would swarm a target; while Doran drew its attention, Radie fired her crossbow, and Malton shattered it.

A truly simple hunting method!

Halfway through, they didn't even need to speak.

"Shoot!"

"Bash!"

"Smash!"

A tactic so simple even an ogre could understand!

It was a far cry from the standard method of identifying weaknesses through various elemental spells and safely wearing down the enemy's strength with ranged attacks.

This was Doran's style of hunting—optimizing his strategy by pushing his game ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠knowledge to its absolute limits to extract maximum efficiency.

As they swept through the canyon at breakneck speed, other adventurers slowly began to figure out how to defeat the golems as well.

"W-We barely managed to kill one... Is everyone alright?!"

"Damn it... Just how high-level is that magic armor party to smash ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠these golems so easily? Judging by their gear, they must be at least level 60..."

"W-Wait, look at that trio over there! They're taking down golems at an insane speed! They don't even look that high-level... What's their secret?"

The surrounding adventurers stared in disbelief, but Doran's party paid them no mind, continuing to tear through the valley and slaughtering the golem hordes.

"W-Wait...!"

"...What, did you sprain your ankle?"

"N-No, it's not that... Ugh!"

In the middle of the hunt, Radie suddenly screeched to a halt, clutching a boulder as she began to dry heave.

It was a classic symptom of level-up sickness.

A natural phenomenon that occurred when one's physical body grew too rapidly from sudden level-ups, leaving the mind struggling to keep pace.

As Radie wiped her mouth and groaned, Doran urged her forward.

"If you're done resting, we're moving. Keep up, kid."

"W-Wait a minute...! You do realize we've been hunting non-stop for almost an hour, right?! I can't take another step!"

"Over this little bit...? Fine, hop on."

"What?"

"Don't make me say it twice. An opportunity like this won't come again."

"..."

When Doran offered his back, Radie hesitated, deeply conflicted, but eventually approached with a reluctant expression.

Rather than being treated as dead weight, it was better to swallow her pride and piggyback.

However...

Huh?

As Radie leaned her weight onto him, Doran felt a subtle sense of incongruity. He tilted his head in confusion but shrugged it off, adjusting his grip on her.

"W-Wait?! Your hands!! Watch your hands! That's my bu—!"

"Malton, what did the scouting show?"

"Three of them are gathered further down the valley. However, at this rate, other adventurers will snatch them up first."

"We can't let our competitors steal our prey... No, wait. We can't let those poor adventurers be slaughtered by the golems. Kid, can you hit those?"

"...It's impossible to hit their weaknesses precisely. The accuracy of a crossbow drops drastically even at a slight distance."

"That's plenty. We just need to draw their attention."

"Yes, but there are thickets blocking the line of sight, so I can't guarantee a hit..."

"No choice then."

Doran sighed and gestured. Malton stepped forward and grabbed Radie.

As the two men grabbed her from both sides and began to swing her, Radie shrieked in panic.

"W-W-Wait!! What do you think you're doing?!"

"What does it look like? We're tossing you up into that tree. Take your shot from there."

"L-Let's talk about this first! I have a fear of heights!!"

"Conquer it!"

"I wish you good fortune!"

Doran and Malton hurled Radie straight up into the tree.

Barely catching herself on a branch just before falling, Radie glared down at Doran, spewing curses.

Oh, so her fear of heights was actually real.

Nodding as I checked the log window, I watched Radie take a deep breath and pull the trigger of her crossbow.

The bolt struck the distant golem with precision, and the creatures immediately began thumping toward us.

Having cleanly completed her objective, Radie scrambled down the tree, trembling.

I think I just saw her tail peeking out from under her robe...

Radie stomped over, huffing, and immediately kicked Doran in the shin.

"You piece of trash! You pervert! Who throws someone without warning?!"

"It worked out in the end, didn't it? ...More importantly, they're coming. Three of them."

"I shall take the two on the left."

"Right. Kid, we've got the one on the right. Got it?"

"Shut your mouth before I shoot you right between the eyes."

Radie let out a sigh but pulled the trigger anyway.

Yet despite her boiling anger, her eyes—which had been filled with nothing but distrust when they first started hunting—were now bright with a mix of excitement and fighting spirit.

Seeing this, Doran let out a soft chuckle.

She did say she always worked alone...

A chaotic, fast-paced battle like this must be entirely foreign to her.

It was the exact opposite of her usual static combat style, where she would hold her breath in ambush, waiting for monsters to walk into her traps before sniping them.

Even now, they were constantly optimizing their combat patterns and movements, shaving seconds off their clear times.

After defeating the three golems, they ran to find their next target. Radie called out as she struggled to keep up with Doran.

"Pant, pant...! Just how much longer do we have to keep doing this?"

"Hmm... With this many golems, probably..."

Doran held up two fingers.

Twenty minutes? No, maybe two hours... Yeah, I can probably hold out for two hours...

"Two days."

Radie's legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the ground.

Unfortunately, the slaughter—which had raged like a runaway train—came to an end after half a day.

This was because Radie had run out of bolts first.

Of course, there were other factors too.

"Heave-ho!! Got another one!!"

"Their abdomens and joints are their weaknesses! The hardness of the minerals varies by body part!!"

"Did you hear that?! Focus on the stomach! Warriors with maces, step up to the front!! ...Man, I'm glad we watched and learned from that trio."

Having learned by watching them fight, the surrounding adventurers began to successfully take down the golems as well.

As the adventurers banded together, the number of golems roaming the valley dwindled rapidly.

But I was already more than satisfied.

Actually, this is for the best.

My stamina was starting to flag anyway.

In Velheim, hunting the same monster repeatedly caused a penalty to experience gain, so my growth had already plateaued after hitting level 26.

Besides, my backpack was stuffed to the brim with expensive golem cores. I had made a killing.

At this rate, I'll easily clear the main quest.

The only disappointing thing was that I hadn't unlocked the transformation for the Cerulean Golem yet.

Learning how to transform into a Cerulean Golem would be incredibly useful later on, thanks to its unique magic resistance...

Since it's a rare monster, does it require some special condition? Like defeating a boss...

As I pondered, I felt a gaze on me. I looked up to see Radie sprawled on the ground, glaring at me while catching her breath.

"...Are you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠some kind of monster?"

"What?"

"You're perfectly fine after running around like that. Your level was lower than mine, so how did you completely skip the level-up sickness?"

"You get used to it. You just have to push through the sickness with sheer willpower."

"...You say the craziest things with a straight face. I've never heard of anyone overcoming level-up sickness with sheer willpower."

"Well, now you have. ...Still, wasn't it kind of fun?"

"Well... I suppose..."

Radie admitted reluctantly.

Her hands, overworked from reloading the crossbow countless times, were trembling slightly. But that tremor held not just pain, but a trace of lingering excitement.

It was likely her first time being pushed to her absolute limits in such a frantic, relentless battle.

As we rested, leaning against a boulder and looking up at the night sky, Radie pushed herself up with difficulty and asked.

"...Have you always hunted like this?"

"Yeah."

"But if that's the case, why is your level so low? And you said earlier that you've defeated these golems in the past."

"That's..."

Just as I was scrambling for an excuse, Radie spoke up first.

"Is it... because you're cursed too?"

"Cursed?"

"Yes. Malton-nim was cursed, which ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠made his body extremely weak, so he's currently undergoing rehabilitation. He used to be a B-rank adventurer... I was wondering if you were in a similar situation."

"..."

I quickly nodded.

"...That's right. My level was drastically reduced, so I'm currently recovering. My adventurer rank is low because I only recently moved to Verastin and registered."

"It must be an incredibly powerful curse to actually drop your level... I know Malton-nim's physical abilities were severely degraded, but his level didn't decrease."

"Well, you see, I entered some ancient ruins a while back and accidentally touched the wrong burial goods."

I quickly changed the subject, but I kept mental note of the conversation.

Being cursed and having my level dropped...

...That's a pretty good excuse.

I should use that whenever I'm in a tight spot in the future.

"Anyway... let's get moving again."

"...!!"

As I stood up and brushed myself off, Radie's shoulders flinched.

"You heard me. Don't dawdle, get up."

"I-I suddenly feel dizzy..."

"Stop making excuses. Unless you want me to carry you on my back again."

"...No, I'm completely out of bolts, so how are we supposed to hunt any more? There's no more room in our backpacks for materials anyway."

"It's fine. A crossbow won't work on the next guy anyway. ...If you want to live, you'd better move quickly."

"What...? What do you mean by..."

Just as Radie was pushing herself up in confusion, the dark night sky was dyed a brilliant blue, and an exceptionally massive golem crawled out from beneath the earth.

"...It's finally here."