Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Troll (1)
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Humphrey shook off the surrounding subordinates and guided me deeper into the boss room.
"Mr. Rain. What I mentioned last time is still valid. If you wish even now, you can participate in tomorrow's second-floor raid as a mercenary for the Dawn Guild."
"I'm fine."
As a mage, with a tank to block up front, accumulating damage on the boss is relatively easy.
Even without joining a guild and forming ranks, I can just flee while casting spells.
On lower floors, so many challenge the boss that there's no need to form a party.
Of course... if they don't let me into the boss room, that's a different story.
"Do I need an affiliation to challenge the boss?"
"...There's no such rule in Labyrinth City. If you don't go down to the third floor and just wait here like you, Mr. Rain, you could participate in the boss fight."
Humphrey gave a sly smile.
He seemed concerned that I'd hold out in the second-floor boss room until the boss respawned tomorrow and join the hunt.
"That won't happen. I'm heading to the third floor right now."
"I see."
Humphrey nodded lightly.
We walked deeper into the boss room.
"Boss fights are always full of variables. That's why there are so many casualties."
"So that's why you're blocking the path."
"...I don't think this method is justified. But I see it as the lesser evil to prepare for the worst."
Humphrey turned his gaze to those blocking the wall.
The human barricade pressed tightly together without a single gap, holding back those trying to enter.
"We're compensating them appropriately. Most borrowed large sums of money and blew it on gambling. Others have lost the will to fight. Or..."
The conversation was turning heavy, so I quickly raised my hand to cut off Humphrey.
Everyone has their backstory.
But looking after people with sob stories like that isn't the Dawn Guild's job.
Paying those in tough spots doesn't make blocking the boss room right.
"Ah, in the end, this is just rationalization. Sorry. I'm not tactful enough."
Humphrey smiled bitterly.
Did he get an earful from somewhere?
He looked like he had a position of his own, but apparently came with his share of headaches.
"...If I may ask, would it be all right to hear your reason for refusing?"
Humphrey, who had been walking in silence for a while, asked me cautiously.
The reason for turning down the mercenary offer.
Obviously, there's no gain in it for me.
[Participating as a Dawn Guild mercenary means splitting the rewards.]
[Why bother?]
Of course, if I don't land the killing blow, it ends up meaningless anyway.
But if I'm going for it, I aim for the big score—that suits my style.
And... I don't see joining the boss fight as a Dawn Guild mercenary as truly free.
Even if they say unaffiliated mercenaries are fine... it never works out that smoothly.
Keep forming parties, running treasure chest hunts together.
Syncing up for boss fights, and before you know it, your heart tilts toward the Dawn Guild.
Humphrey must have proposed the mercenary deal factoring that in too.
He called himself tactless, but he was clearly thinking on multiple levels.
"I have no plans to join a guild."
"You don't need to feel burdened... No, I understand."
Humphrey trailed off as if in acceptance.
My firm stance could've offended him, but he just flashed that affable smile.
...At this point, it's making me curious instead.
I get that he's trying to mark me... but why go this far?
That's when it happened.
"You've arrived."
Humphrey greeted two people who looked like they'd just come down from the third floor.
A knight and a priest, by their classes?
No guild marks on their clothes...
Unaffiliated like me?
Catching my gaze, Humphrey spoke up again.
"Ah, those two are unaffiliated like you, Mr. Rain. Guilds are always short on people, so we offer benefits to anyone with real skill."
As expected.
The pair passing us already looked thick as thieves with the other Dawn members.
They'd probably join the guild soon.
"Mr. Rain. You're not joining the second-floor boss fight?"
"I am."
Even with the path blocked, I've got ways in.
Blink can't pass through walls, but it can slip past people.
There's the artifact for going stealth too.
Failing that, I can snipe from range with the legendary second-circle Satellite magic.
"Ah... so you are interested in boss raids?"
"I just don't want the affiliation."
"In that case..."
Humphrey pulled something from his bosom and handed it over.
A paper stamped with the Dawn Guild's seal.
"Show this to the Dawn members blocking the boss room path, and they'll clear the way for you. Ah, this is purely a pass—nothing more."
Purely a pass.
In other words, even unaffiliated, they'd let me through for the boss raid.
"Thanks."
I snatched the pass Humphrey offered without hesitation.
Now we're talking. --- Once our talk wrapped up, Humphrey escorted me all the way to the gate heading to the third floor. I stepped through, and the third floor's landscape unfolded before me—thick with trees and grass. First things first, I found a secluded spot. Then I drew my staff and cast the legendary second-circle magic: Absorption Barrier.
"Huu."
A soft mana enveloped my body like a thin tent pitched over it. No discomfort at all. Next.
A ping-pong-ball-sized orb of light floated into the air.
The legendary second-circle magic: Satellite.
The light orb rose above my head and began slowly orbiting me.
"Finally..."
I focused my mana at the tip of my staff.
Then.
Craaaack! The mana began freezing in midair, gradually shaping into a sharp spear. Legendary second-circle magic: Frozen Spear+. A creeping chill leaked from the Frozen Spear hovering in the air. It packed serious power, and it froze enemies on hit—making it especially useful in one-on-one fights. That said, it had a problem. Frozen Spear took quite a while to cast. Ten seconds from start to launch-ready. No mindless spamming possible. But it wasn't impossible. I raised my staff and pointed it at the hovering Satellite. I fired the Frozen Spear— Shk! The Satellite, pierced by the Frozen Spear, swallowed it whole in an instant.
The Satellite that successfully devoured the Frozen Spear slowly iced over, sprouting sharp ice spines.
I channeled mana once more and cast Frozen Spear on the Satellite again.
Clang! But it bounced right off when it hit. Seemed like it could only store one Frozen Spear for now. As my mana grew, more spells would fit naturally.
"Alright then."
I set off deeper into the dungeon. First up, I wanted to test second-circle magic on some orcs. Beyond that... there was still one more treasure chest left on the third floor. I planned to head there first, but no guarantees it'd go smoothly. Clearing the thing guarding it was straight-up impossible without enough firepower. - Chwik. Lost in thought, an orc appeared before I knew it. Spotting me, it huffed out a breath and charged.
"Hu."
I cast Frozen Spear on reflex. Mana gathered at my staff tip and flash-froze into spear form at tremendous speed. At the same time, I sent the Satellite after the orc. A Frozen Spear's first hit froze the target. A second hit on the frozen spot triggered a critical. My plan: land my own Frozen Spear, then follow up with the Satellite's stored one. - Chwiiiik! The orc closed in and swung its club in its right hand with full force. I Blink-ed behind it in a flash. Whoosh! The orc's club sliced through empty air. At the same moment. Craaack! The Frozen Spear finished at my staff tip pierced the orc's head. The struck area froze over rapidly...
"Eh?"
[Defeated Orc.]
—Acquired experience points.
No chance to even use the stored Satellite Frozen Spear.
The orc dropped in one hit.
...This strong?
There's no big mystery why orcs—those with no special skills beyond swinging clubs—were shunned monsters.
Just freakish vitality and raw power that shreds tank armor on a clean hit.
And yet... this orc died in one shot?
"...Insane."
Soulstone forever!
---
Clang! The Frozen Spear struck the orc, freezing its entire body solid. With the staff's 50% mana amplification plus the soulstone's 50% magic boost, the power was beyond imagination. And I'd awakened second-circle magic on top of that—the firepower wasn't just overflowing; it was exploding.
[Level up.]
—Level 26 → 27
"Hm."
Slaughtering orcs indiscriminately had shot my level up crazy fast.
It jumped two whole levels just moving to the treasure chest spot.
Orcs might be avoided, but with the firepower, no better prey around.
"About here."
I pushed through the dungeon paths choked with grass and trees.
Grass taller than me and thick tree cover meant I couldn't see an inch ahead.
Made navigating a pain.
[Map]
[Underground Labyrinth Dungeon 3rd Floor]
Without the dungeon map in my status window, I might've quit ages ago.
I ignored what was ahead and navigated using the status map, pressing on.
How far did I go like that?
Drip. Drip. From within the dense grass ahead, the faint sound of water droplets falling. It grew louder the closer I got. Finally reaching the end. A massive cave jutted out amid the grass. Staring at the huge cave, the sense that this was inside a dungeon started fading. ...Not a good sign. Swish. Before entering, I parted the grass to the side and double-checked the dungeon wall. This was definitely the inside of an underground dungeon. Whenever stray thoughts like that crept in, caution was key. Dungeon madness triggered all sorts of status ailments. Among them was the delusion that this wasn't a dungeon at all. Catch the wrong one, and you might mistake it for your bedroom. Unless you wanted to live in the dungeon forever, handle precursor symptoms immediately.
"Alright then."
I slowly stepped into the cave.