Chapter 44
Chapter 44
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Floor 7: Named for the Living Bandit
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Flash!
A blinding light, bright enough to scorch the optic nerves, drove away the darkness and brought the brilliance of morning for a fleeting moment.
Then, as if it had finished its job, the fading glow gathered around the faintly shimmering blue slime blob at the center.
"Kieeeeeek!!! My, my eyes!!! I can't see!!!"
"How do you like the taste of a Flying Slime Flashbang!"
Even with my eyes squeezed shut, the light pierced through my eyelids, leaving my vision hazy all the same.
Still, it was better than the Bandit Goblin, who had taken the blast head-on and was now clutching his face in agony, hands pressed desperately over his eyes.
"Grraaaaaah!!! The sun!!! The sun has come down!!!"
"We have to tell the shaman!!! But where's the way outttt!!!"
Shouts erupted from behind as the orcs, seemingly caught in the eye-blinding flash too, screeched like madmen, but I ignored them. Killing the Bandit Goblin right here was far more important.
Without hesitation, I summoned the Wanderer and charged forward, swinging my axe down.
Crunch!
Foul blood sprayed from where the blade sank into the bastard's shoulder, the sensation of tearing cloth and muscle rippling through my hands.
It felt awkward after days of hacking at nothing but plants—like cutting into meat again for the first time.
The thing let out a shrill, grating scream, so I yanked the axe blade free.
Its arm now dangled by a thread, and it clutched its shoulder, staggering backward with wails of pain.
Then, from behind it, the flat side of the Wanderer's massive, blunt greatsword smashed into the goblin's back, sending it flying like a water balloon smacked by a baseball bat.
Splat!
"Kiiiiiee...!"
The Bandit Goblin rolled across the floor, drenched in blood.
'Good thing I saw it coming.'
At the start of the sub-quest, the player gets ambushed by the Bandit Goblin. It steals the items from your backpack, and all you can do is stand there dumbfounded as it flees—an unavoidable event.
But now, with no such restrictions, I could bash it without a second thought.
Squelch!
The slime, having expended all its divine light, flopped onto the fallen goblin's face and stuck fast.
The goblin's head sank into the squishy mass, bubbles of air burbling up as it thrashed in agony.
Its claws were sharp enough to shred thick cloth, but they passed harmlessly through the slime's surface, scorching only its own face in vain.
'Both their Fuel levels are borderline, but I think I can finish them off.'
I raised my axe high, determined to kill it right then and there.
This would smash its skull, pulverize its brain, and end its miserable life. For a quasi-boss representing an entire floor, it was a pathetically undignified end.
But the bastard stood up.
Bubble bubble bubble bubble—
Bubbles spewed wildly from its mouth, but that feral glare didn't dim.
To give it no quarter, Half-Moon Slash shot out alongside a full-force axe swing, both aimed dead at the goblin.
Krunch!
A tremendous shock jolted through my arms. Sparks flew as my axe bounced off, and unable to overcome the greatsword's momentum, I threw myself backward to dodge the slash.
The massive blade grazed past, nicking my armor by a paper's width.
No time to nurse my throbbing arms from absorbing the impact—I scanned for the goblin.
"Son of a...!"
In the midst of the attack, the bastard had pulled out a scroll.
A teleportation scroll, no less.
Not the most useful spell, swapping the target's and user's positions, but handy in a pinch.
The scroll tore, and our positions swapped.
"Urgh... insane. Not even eating anything, but how's it this strong... Oh, wait, you do eat, don't you."
"..."
It guzzles that white, viscous stuff called mana. Though really, it's just the Wanderer's superior Strength stat. But more importantly...
I whipped my head around. The goblin had barely peeled off the slime and was hacking up a lung, but it wasn't done yet—not by a long shot. It was already digging a potion from its backpack.
The hardest part about this guy wasn't its specs or weird magic effects.
It was that it used items.
Potions and scrolls that players hoard and hesitate to use? This Bandit Goblin exploited them to the fullest. Depending on the player, it could feel more vicious than other quasi-bosses.
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.
The healing potion vanished down its gullet.
As its wounds began to knit closed, I could only grimace in frustration.
Now it would run.
"Keeek...! Prepare yourself, human!"
I hurled my axe at the furious goblin declaring war. It spun through the air, handle-first, smacking right into its forehead.
Thwack!
"Kek!"
"Ah, won't stick, huh."
Had to hope that would stop it from fleeing, but no such luck. Another scroll was already in its grasp.
The familiar rune-marked parchment.
"Delete that teleportation scroll!"
Riiip—
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Thankfully, I'd anticipated it and stashed my bag between my legs, so it didn't get stolen. Unfortunately, the orc search party's losses were devastating.
"Escaped again! And it stole our weapons too!"
The orcs, robbed of what was basically their pride and joy, stamped the ground in rage, snorting furiously.
I turned away from their bonding over shared goblin hatred—it wasn't a pretty sight.
The Wanderer stood there blankly.
As my gaze landed on her, she seemed to sense it despite the blindfold, sidling up and gently grasping my arm that had clashed with her greatsword, rubbing the throbbing spot.
Squeeze.
"Ack...! What're you doing all of a sudden?"
"..."
Her iron grip furrowed my brow. A glance at the pulsing pain suggested a crack, maybe.
She paused at my reaction, released, then resumed kneading—gauging just the right pressure, lighter now but not too light.
Watching her, I wondered if she just wanted to hold hands.
"..."
I laced my fingers with hers. She wiggled them contentedly, then held still, gazing at me as if awaiting the next order—blindfold and all.
"Anyway, you said you'd help, but if you're gonna throw a tantrum over getting pickpocketed, how exactly are you helping? Might be easier solo."
"You mock our warriors, human?!"
"...Sigh."
Leaving the pride-wounded orcs to rage, I pondered how to catch the bastard next.
In D.D., its items were random.
Plus, it could pick up or steal items from the floor and use them, so players had to kill it fast—before it geared up—to avoid strengthening it for the floor.
The problem? Consumables often included perfect escape tools, and bad luck could counter you right back to floor 1.
That's why I'd piled on attacks from the start...
'Pinned it with the slime and sandwiched it front and back, and it still slips away...'
Even if weak, a quasi-boss is a quasi-boss, huh.
It had burned two scrolls and a potion in that brief clash, but if time passed without catching it, it'd be for nothing.
"Anyway, know any safe spots on this floor? I need a break today."
"Hmph. We camp here! No night watch."
The search party orcs declared camping as if it were obvious. Fair enough—rotating watches was standard for groups, while solo me was the odd one out.
I could bunk with the orcs, but facing the Bandit Goblin meant prepping my onaholes.
And I wasn't thick-skinned enough to use them next to those musclehead macho orcs.
"No choice... Meet back here in the morning."
"Safer together, human. Even our kin warriors risk it solo here!"
Ignoring the orcs boasting about the danger, I lit a torch and set off to find a spot for the night.
Not far away, I found an empty clearing. I checked thoroughly for ambush predators masquerading as plants before setting down my pack and building a campfire.
Crackle.
After warming up by the fire that pushed back the dark a bit, I eyed the entrance I'd come through.
The passage wasn't narrow enough to miss but not so wide it screamed "hidden." I stroked my chin.
"Trouble if that goblin finds it... Can I block it?"
The sewers had doors; floor 6 was unsecured but lucky no ambush. No guarantees here.
Especially with the Bandit Goblin making things riskier.
"It's already overgrown anyway—camouflage might fool it... Better than nothing."
I sliced a long vine from the wall. It was about 30 meters, like the rope from old tug-of-war games.
Hang it from branches, snap some to weave in—could make decent camouflage.
Decision made, action followed.
Like decorating for a birthday party, I wove vines and stuffed snapped branches into gaps until nothing showed through.
About 30 minutes later, I stepped back. From outside, it was invisible unless you looked close—a convincingly disguised wall.
I grinned in satisfaction.
Do I have a talent for this?
A proud smile bloomed unbidden as I admired my handiwork, basking in the glow.
"Let's see... All Fuel at zero..."
Tonight's gonna be a long one.