Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Layer Boss
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Layer Boss.
Layer Boss.
They were the bosses responsible for each layer's territory.
Weaker than the bosses in hidden rooms, they offered standard rewards.
That was the layer boss.
However, layer bosses weren't something the folks from the lower layers usually got to see.
'Of course not.'
The Labyrinth was deep.
We'd gone down to the 20th floor, but estimates put it around the 25th.
Glasses had said so after getting wrecked by the Bone Horse Demon, so it had to be right.
That was the Labyrinth—a place teeming with adventurers like them.
'But you think they'd skip the boss?'
To descend further, you had to take down the boss.
And that boss dished out experience and loot to boot?
Naturally, anyone pushing into the deep layers cleared every boss along the way.
Handy side income in the process.
So yeah, early on, they'd compete fiercely in the Labyrinth.
'Even now, a thousand years later, with values shifted, they don't hunt bosses like they used to.'
Still, the boss drops made for solid extra cash.
Large clans that could reach the 10th floor usually scooped them up.
'But not this time.'
Thanks to that, the 4th layer boss was still kicking.
However.
As we stepped into the boss room to take it down...
'......!'
A seriously bad vibe hit me.
-What's wrong with you?
'It's ominous.'
Endlessly ominous.
Burkan's group plus another orc party made two full parties.
Add us, and that was fifteen strong.
No matter the layer boss, I figured it'd be a cakewalk.
"Friend, why the sudden change?"
"It's ominous."
"Ominous? Out of nowhere?"
Burkan's face turned grave at my words.
"I don't know what it is, but if you're feeling ominous, let's tighten up our formation first..."
He was at the front, about to relay the order to the party.
Thud.
Something landed lightly.
And then...
Boom!
Before anyone could register it.
Burkan's body flew backward. Instead of worrying about him, I drew my sword.
Pure instinct.
-Dark Moon!
I followed Rishiel's cue. My sword traced a perfect circle.
And then.
Whoooosh!
Darkness descended.
But...
Crack!
The darkness split apart.
Revealing a figure.
A lizardman shrouded in gray.
Unlike the crimson ones.
'......Doesn't feel that strong.'
Physical stats on par with a standard layer boss.
But.
'What the hell is that aura.'
Fighting spirit.
A power distinct from mana.
It made my skin prickle.
The gray lizardman eyed me with keen interest.
-It's possessed.
Rishiel spoke up then.
-That's no fighting spirit a mere gray lizard could muster. As I told you before, fighting spirit is rare—only a select few possess it, right?
'Yeah.'
-And while you can cultivate it, it's brutally tough. Conventional wisdom says you need about a hundred life-or-death battles.
Rishiel gazed darkly at the gray-skinned lizardman.
-And this thing? I suspect it's akin to that spectacle with Glasses.
'......Similar to Glasses.'
The Bone Horse Demon.
That one was tough.
It had rampaged through most of the Adventurer's Guild while puppeteering Glasses.
-Without your demonic arts, Labyrinth access would've been delayed much longer. You extracted and shattered its soul—that was huge. Even the Empire's ducal houses coughed up that fat payout because they couldn't underestimate you.
'......That was calculated?'
-You didn't seem like a mark for con artists, no family ties to trace, or at least none that'd blow up easily. Anyway, stay sharp.
As Rishiel finished, the gray-skinned lizardman leaped straight at me.
I swung my sword down.
An easy dodge spot. But.
'This guy.'
Its fighting spirit pressed down on me. Chilling stuff.
'......Still manageable.'
I leaped back. The gray-skinned lizardman—Layer Boss Gray—stared at me in bewilderment.
"Friend, how'd you do that?"
Burkan, catching his breath, glared at Gray and asked.
"......? What're you on about."
"The layer lord just unleashed its aura, and you slipped right out."
"I just moved."
"......?"
Burkan looked puzzled.
-Obviously. That aura was terrifying. Even you should've frozen a bit...
'Froze a little.'
-With that much aura. This might be a real fight...
Before Rishiel could finish, Gray bounded toward the other orcs.
'Fighting spirit's innate, right.'
And it was using that to pressure everyone else.
'......Like suppression.'
I unleashed my own fighting spirit at Gray as it targeted a burly orc.
Simple enough.
I had a gift for controlling it.
"Yuseong!"
Glasses' voice rang out, vitality and lightness flooding my body. Blessings from Rosenta and Glasses layered on.
'Blessings and buffs are the best.'
Felt at least 1.5 times stronger.
At the same time.
[Kek.]
Gray whipped around, glaring at me.
And then.
[You're the biggest threat here.]
No words spoken.
Just text slamming into my mind, eerie as hell.
-Unrefined fighting spirit... but it senses yours is superior innately.
Rishiel muttered something.
But no time to listen.
'Too fast.'
Gray moved.
With fifteen of us, coordination lagged, blunting our numbers advantage.
'Still not nothing.'
Burkan had recovered enough to join.
Even if it ignored him to hit me, the orcs could harass it.
Thud.
"Friend...!"
But that didn't mean we had breathing room.
'Not exactly leisurely.'
Gray leaped right in front of me in an instant.
Whoosh!
It swung its sword wide with one hand.
I parried with my blade.
'Heavy. Fast.'
But.
'No destructive power like when it cleaved Dark Moon.'
Was even that a stretch for it?
-Seems the body is as is. Just the mental aspect—fighting spirit—radiating everywhere.
'Looks that way.'
-And this thing... it's burned through more fighting spirit and mana than expected.
'......Guess another party hit it before us.'
That ominous feeling crystallized.
Faint blood scent in the air.
Weapons scars on the floor.
'We've got a shot.'
With that thought, I charged the layer boss.
Best play: Plunder, rip its soul right out.
But not feasible right now.
Unlike the Bone Horse Demon.
That one overwhelmed the guild and our party in Glasses' frail body.
We were caught off guard, sure.
But this meant the boss body was outputting that power.
Clang, clack!
Swords clashed, sparks flew. Each block rattled my bones.
'Reminds me of that guy.'
Ermé's master.
Daigo-level skill. No, factoring the body difference, way superior.
But.
"Monster, die!"
Unlike then, I had reliable backup.
Ten orc combat specialists. And my party.
Fwoosh.
Heat flared, then Ermé charged Layer Boss Gray.
[Annoying.]
Black power cloaked its sword.
My body stiffened simultaneously.
-......Such savage fighting spirit.
Ermé ignored it, swinging anyway.
'Stronger than expected, yet weak.'
Like it traded honed physique for something else.
Meaning: weaken it.
Thud.
I cranked my fighting spirit to max, pressing it. Gray grimaced, glaring.
'Fighting spirit counters fighting spirit.'
Its movements slowed noticeably.
Ermé's expression eased.
"Thanks!"
Luckily, this layer boss body only added fighting spirit and technique.
Strategy was straightforward.
'Leverage the numbers now.'
It cost mental stamina, though.
Had to endure.
"Friend and Friend's mate are pinning it! Comrades! Attack!"
Burkan charged with his greatsword. The orcs behind followed suit.
Wait, "Friend's mate" for Ermé?
'What misunderstanding is this.'
Flustered, I dashed forward too, harassing it.
'Shadow Dance.'
Compressed daggers from synthesis targeted it. Its technique deflected most, but a few grazed, leaving wounds.
[Kak.]
Its movements dulled slightly.
'Poison works.'
Realizing that? Its eyes locked on me.
Fierce killing intent.
Dead set on me. But then it shifted elsewhere.
'Dodging me.'
Kill the others.
That was the plan.
'Like hell.'
I extended my arm, redirecting it.
Shwick!
Shadow Reaper's end whipped toward it. Easy dodge, but I controlled the weight with mana.
Whirr!
Bound one arm.
Then I lunged.
Orcs stabbed and thrust from all sides with swords and spears.
And I sensed it.
'Why's this guy so fragile?'
Too weak for that ominous alarm.
-You're making a weird face.
'This guy's weaker than expected.'
-......It weakened sharply right after clashing with that orc and your Dark Moon. Probably fatigue piling up from prior fights.
Even that didn't fully explain it.
'......Still dangerous, though.'
These things body-hop via souls.
The nagging alarm might mean that.
Truly restricting its movement while bound.
Thud!
Straight at it.
It eyed me irritably, scattering fighting spirit. Skin tingled. Not as threatening as thought.
"Harass it to cover Friend!"
At Burkan's call, surrounding orcs jabbed and hurled weapons from afar.
As I closed in, Gray squinted at me.
[Annoying pests.]
It swung its sword wide.
Different this time. Crimson-black energy coiled around the blade.
Kabooom!!
Blasted the nearby orcs away in one go.
A few lost limbs.
But no fatalities. And no deaths meant...
"Injured orcs, fall back! Priests will heal!"
As Burkan said, our party had a capable saintess candidate.
Not quite Veronica or Clara level, but.
"Goddess, my lord, by the grace of light..."
Rosenta healed them.
Meanwhile, Ermé fell back as I stepped up.
'Rishiel.'
-Yeah?
'Can fighting spirit make sword aura too?'
-Impossible pure. But mixing? Yes.
I swung the blood-soaked sword. Poured in mana; blood-red sword aura swirled.
'Ermé mixed hers too.'
Champion's sword for pseudo-sword aura burst.
Similar vibe.
Controlled mana and fighting spirit. Purple bled into the red.
Creeeeeenng!!
Deafening roar.
Saw Gray's eyes widen. My grin deepened.
'......Managed it somehow.'
Holding it was a bitch. Barely 30 seconds like this.
Contrary to my thoughts, I held the edge in our power clash.
Not lacking force—more like draining its.
At the same time.
[Even I can't keep fighting five times straight in this body. Adventurers are tougher than I thought.]
That weird mental text slam again.
[Your body suits me. Hand it over.]
A hazy something leaked from its body.
......This bastard.
I couldn't help but laugh. Soul-hoppers gonna soul-hop.
[Give me your body.]
The soul emerged.
Not lizardman—a skeletal monster.
I swung straight at it.
Not the lizard—at its soul.
Craaaack!
[How... you, the soul...!]
It recoiled in shock.
Seeing souls ain't rocket science.
As I killed it, its soul essence seeped into me.
Massive amount—starlike specks swirled around my body.
'......Level up.'
✨ LEVEL UP! ✨ Lv 3 → Lv 4
*
I wore a sullen expression.
Level up achieved, no casualties in the party—should've been great.
'These bastards.'
I ground my teeth thinking of the Bone Horse Demon and this one.
These bastards.
'......All they give is experience!'
I stared sadly at the rewards from the gray lizardman.
Give me my loot back.