Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: 8th Floor. One Strike, Two Kills
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I surveyed the battlefield.
Three orcs from the search party were facing off against the Phantom Thief Goblin, whose neck had been half-severed. The Warrior Chieftain, along with other orc shamans and warriors who had rushed out at the commotion, were holding back the fusion beast.
It was utter chaos, but that very pandemonium was what finally gave me the freedom to move.
Better yet, neither the Phantom Thief Goblin nor the fusion beast paid me any mind—they instinctively attacked only the enemies right in front of them. So slipping over to that scattered backpack wasn't a big deal at all.
"Ooh... now that's plump and juicy!"
Just touching it told me it was packed solid inside.
The overwhelming volume had drool pouring from my mouth as the blonde-dyed temp black guy slumbering in my chest awoke and hollered "Jackpot!"
I opened the backpack and peeked inside, only for an avalanche of scrolls, potions, random items, and rations to come spilling out.
I was dead certain the contents here were better than everything in the jungle region's chests and silver chests combined.
No gear, sure, but with this many consumables, I could bulldoze straight to the next area. Who cares!
That said, aside from a few exceptions, most of the items were unidentified.
'No problem.'
I pulled a scroll from my holster and unrolled it.
This scroll, covered in geometric patterns around a massive eye, was the Discernment Scroll I'd bought from that shady merchant on the 6th floor.
It combined the Identification Scroll—which appraises one held item—with the Detection Scroll—which reveals all traps on the current floor—then jacked up to fraudulent levels.
Its effect? Appraise every item on the floor. Detect every trap on the floor. Reveal every object on the floor. Scout every secret room on the floor. Insane performance.
I tore it without hesitation.
With this many scrolls, there had to be one Discernment Scroll, right? If not, oh well.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [You have appraised the Mind Potion.] [You have appraised the Slow Scroll.] [You have appraised the Protection Scroll.] [You have appraised the Poisoned Delicious Meat.] [You have appraised the Tough Skin Potion.] ... The endless stream of log windows made my head spin, but I started sorting the potions first and chugged them right away.
There were only two permanent stat boosters like the Mind Potion, but I had plenty of temporary buffs like Herculean Potion or Swiftness Potion.
Gulp gulp gulp gulp—
Like a test-prep student thirty days out from finals downing energy drinks, I slammed three bottles at a time. My stomach churned, but I forced it down.
In this situation, if I didn't dope up, a fragile little baby goat like me would end up as a meal for the fusion beast—or whatever that thing that wasn't even a goblin anymore had become.
Just like that, nine potions vanished into my gut.
At roughly 200-300ml per bottle, that was over 2 liters sloshing around in seconds.
"Urgh... damn...! Why do I gotta food-fight just to stay alive..."
I wanted to down a Healing Potion too, but there was no way it'd fit.
Better to save it for when I was on death's door than puke it up right now.
What remained were the magic-infused scrolls. I grinned wickedly at the pile.
"General Curtis LeMay... lend me your power!"
Aah—your desperate plea reaches me.
I'll send you back to the Stone Age.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The grotesque beast obeyed. Drawn by the call of its revered creator, it charged toward the source of that magic, driven to tear apart and kill everything in existence.
But its usual path was too slow.
So it smashed through every obstacle in between, shortening the distance.
Prey awaited there.
Green-skinned apes, smaller apes half their size, and somewhere... ominous apes.
The tiniest ape seemed like another of the creator's children, so it ignored it. The ominous one felt off-putting somehow, but not truly threatening.
So it attacked the green apes.
Sweet blood coated its fangs, lifting its mood.
As it turned for the next prey—Wham! A searing pain shot through its foot. Looking down, a massive ape even bigger than its last meal wielded a huge metal lump, bellowing something.
The pain fueled its rage.
How dare prey wound me! How dare it scar the creator's perfect form!
"Freak! Your opponent is me!!!"
Boom!
Fist met metal in a massive resonance, shoving the Warrior Chieftain back hard.
The overwhelming size difference couldn't be bridged, no matter how much power he poured into his muscles or leveraged centrifugal force.
Yet the chieftain couldn't retreat. This was their village. He was the warrior who protected his kin.
Clang—clang!
With the shamans' aid, he pushed his swordsmanship beyond limits, clashing against the beast's profane magic-fueled swipes that transcended mere animal ferocity, the impacts booming loud.
"You won't kill me easily—!"
His arms and legs trembled from blows like swatting high-speed boulders.
But to show no weakness, he roared until his ears rang, facing the beast.
"Ch-Chief! The mad ones are coming!"
"...Is this our end?"
Thud thud thud—
Footsteps from afar shook the ground. Not just one or two.
Each orc who had sold soul and mind to the wicked god rivaled or surpassed a warrior.
The chieftain gazed at the profane beast before him, despair sinking in.
They might hold now, but eventually he'd fall, the shamans would fall, and the rest of his kin would vanish.
He decided to think they'd lasted long.
"Come on, monster. Over here! Come get some—"
Kaboom! Kee-heeeek!!!
That instant.
A red beam from the sky smashed the profane beast.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Haha, look! They're all trash!!! Hahahahaha!!!"
Floating high above thanks to the Float Potion from the shady merchant, I overlooked the orcs and fusion beast like Muska gazing down from Laputa. I got it exactly.
I'm a god! I'm a Stone Age regressor! I'm Laputa's overlord!
Seeing the fusion beast writhe as advanced fire magic Flame Ray set it ablaze, I couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Jealous? Come hit me then!
Aerial superiority means I fly, you don't.
"Alright, Severa! Blast 'em with everything you've got!"
"What in the world is this..."
Severa looked dumbfounded, but she couldn't just stare at the fusion beast—she started unleashing spells from beside me.
Fireballs rained straight down, exploding and scorching it.
"General Curtis LeMay... arigato..."
Boom—bang—kaboom!
Exploding flame storms filled the 8th floor.
Obviously, its rolling ignited the underbrush, but that wasn't my problem anymore.
"Everything's burning... is this really okay..?"
"If we win, it's all good. Got permission too."
"Really?"
"Hah!"
Smack!
"Eek-!"
Prodded, she finally dumped all her remaining spells. With Fuel spent, she returned to her onahole.
"Kieeeek!!! Fire!!!"
"R-Run! Abandon the village!!!"
If the Flame Ray was a bonfire, this was now a full-on training camp blaze swallowing the village. Orcs tried dousing it before giving up and fleeing.
The Warrior Chieftain gawked incredulously at the rolling, burning fusion beast, glared at me, then fled with the rest, helpless.
Groooar!!!
"Whew, nice pipes!"
Roaring fiercely amid the flames, the fusion beast finally noticed me, glaring murderously—but heat had mangled it into something grotesque.
Whoosh—
Its massive parrot wings flapped wide, feeding fresh air to the flames that swelled. Somehow, its body lifted slightly.
But I wasn't about to let that slide.
Aerial dominance means no mercy, not even for a second!
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Thunderclap (Basic Lightning Magic) Paralysis effect triggers!
Boom!
Thunder roared as one wing bent backward. It wobbled, then crashed with a thunderous boom.
Thud—
"I spam scrolls, so I'm invincible! Felt good making your grand entrance, huh, you pathetic beast?!"
"Graaaah!!! This can't beeee!!!"
"Whoa, you're still kicking?"
I turned at the furious screech. The Phantom Thief Goblin—somehow patched together, its dangling neck restored—glared at me while sickly clawing its face skin.
Sharp nails ripped it—slash—blood flowed, but it ignored it, screeching my name. I flipped it the bird.
Great power needs great responsibility? That's why you're not handling two badass sub-bosses at once!
Tore another scroll.
What're you gonna do? Huh?
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Teleport Swap Positions swapped! Target in freefall.
Our positions swapped—my view flipped. Suddenly I was on the ground, and the goblin plummeted ahead.
"Keehiiiii!!! This can't beeee!!! I won't forgive youuuuu!!!!"
Crunch!
Flesh sprayed from the impact. I flinched, then eyed the fusion beast charging through flames. Tore a scroll and summoned the Wanderer.
And off it charged at the fusion beast without a word.
Like stepping in front of a speeding truck—but I didn't stop it.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Frost Ray Bone-chilling freeze incoming!
A blue ray spewing frigid air raced past the Wanderer, colliding with the charging fusion beast.
Crackle crackle crackle—
Flame-charred skin frosted white, slowing its charge. Muscles cracked ice that refroze in endless cycles—like living ice sculptures.
Then Kali's greatsword arced hugely into the fully halted fusion beast.
Kaboom!
Ice shards and blood sprayed.
But the onslaught didn't stop—sword strikes peeled frozen hide, carving deep wounds.
Shiver— Ice shattered off completely. As it stirred again, a slime awaited.
Flash—
Holy light seared its optic nerves.
"As expected from a pet-bred breed—it even does tricks. Tentacle eyes for the win!"
The village-engulfing flames prickled my skin.
Time to end this for good.
'Goblin still not dead, huh.'
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [You have defeated the Phantom Thief Goblin, Shylock.] 'Solid.'
Bad shape, time passed—it was sub-boss worthy, finally roasted to a crisp.
One left.
The fusion beast—body scorched, wounds bleeding—was somehow rising. I unsummoned Kali.
Fuel remained, but chatting with the chieftain later? Better save some.
Grk... grrrk...
"Yeah, ugly beastie. Come to papa. Hurry up."
Its hind leg muscles tore charred skin, bulging huge.
Power surged. One kick, and it'd teleport-smash me to bits.
Not my problem.
Right before it kicked—
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Excavate Ground support removed!
The ground propping it up vanished.
"Bye-bye."
Grk—?!
Kabooooom!!!
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [You have defeated the Fusion Beast.]