Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Piercing Gaze #5
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I remembered the time when I turned twenty and finally gained my independence.
If someone asked what was the best part about having my own space after moving out, I’d say it was being able to hog my computer all to myself.
At the orphanage, there were only a few computers, so we had to share them among several people.
“Hey, get out now. It’s my turn.”
“You played for four hours yesterday, bro! And can’t you see I’m studying right now?”
“Watching YouTube is studying?”
“Teacher! He’s bullying me!”
That’s why, once I started living alone, I binged on all the games I hadn’t been able to play. Before enlisting in the military, I played a ton as a reward to myself.
Thanks to that, I got pretty good at figuring out game mechanics. If I had to pick one thing, it’s that every device or feature in a game has a reason for being there.
Take horror games as an example.
If there’s a ‘run’ button or a ‘hide’ button, nine times out of ten, you’ll run into a situation where you have to run or hide.
The same goes for rest areas or maintenance zones in RPGs. They exist because there’ll be a reason to rest and regroup.
Like before a boss room.
And that’s exactly what this rest area in the demon cave was.
The boss room for the 3rd layer. It had just appeared right in front of me.
But Mirna Draco, who didn’t seem to grasp this, panicked like a chick doused in cold water, making a huge fuss.
“What’s happening right now? This has never happened before! Theo Gospel, what the hell did you touch…!?”
Mirna was practically losing her mind over this unfamiliar corridor.
It wasn’t strange for her to be shocked and confused—a variable had appeared in a space she’d controlled perfectly for the past thirty years.
“To think there was a space like this. Theo Gospel, answer me! Are you ignoring me, you commoner?”
“Hmm.”
I wondered how to explain this.
If I honestly said I’d read Angmar Demon King’s secret script and found the hidden boss room, she’d naturally ask, “How can you read Angmar Demon King’s writing?”
That could lead to her uncovering my secrets with a “What’s your true identity—!” So, I quickly brainstormed an excuse.
Just then, Mirna shouted as if she’d figured it out.
“It’s fairy intuition, right? Nymphs have mysterious senses, so they’re excellent at finding hidden rooms or treasures! That’s it, isn’t it!?”
Did nymphs have such senses?
For some reason, I thought of Goldnoy, the nymph who’d sold me treasure.
In a world where treasure-hunting nymphs who intuitively sense treasures actually existed, Mirna’s guess was probably spot on.
“That’s right. As expected of Lady Mirna, so knowledgeable. I actually discovered the hidden room with my half-fairy keen senses.”
“As I thought…!”
As I thought, my ass.
A smart girl like Mirna could probably tell my story was a convenient lie, but she was too flustered to think straight.
“So, what is this room? A hidden treasure chamber?”
Staring at the darkness far ahead in response to Mirna’s question, I figured we’d have to go in to find out if it was a treasure room or not.
Rustle, rustle.
My body’s instinctive rejection told me that heading forward would bring danger.
Boss room.
There was probably a boss called the Gazer.
Gazer (注視者).
「3rd Layer. Leader. Gazer. Intense gaze. Vulnerable to physical weaknesses.」
According to Solomon’s notes, the 3rd layer leader, the Gazer, was vulnerable to physical weaknesses.
I didn’t have much info on what the intense gaze meant, but I guessed it might shoot lasers from its eyes or something.
That’s when my mind pictured eyeballs floating in the air, shooting lasers.
“My father and grandfather never found this room, but I, Mirna Draco, discovered it! This is a discovery of the century! To think there was a place like this in the demon cave!”
Mirna Draco shouted in extreme excitement. Because of that, I couldn’t maintain calm thoughts.
“Don’t get too excited. We don’t know what’s inside.”
“Let’s go in!”
Mirna Draco showed more pluck than I expected. She seemed thrilled at the thought of raising the Draco family’s prestige.
“Then lead the way, commoner.”
Personally, I wanted to retreat, prepare thoroughly, and come back later. I didn’t want to charge into an unknown boss room and wipe out.
But my body, having reached 4th circle mage level, was at its peak from repeated battles.
And beside me was the powerful black mage, Lady Draco. There’d never be a better time to enter the boss room.
Not wanting to miss this stroke of luck and momentum, I decided to push forward.
“Then, I’ll go first.”
Gripping my tail wand tightly, I stepped into the dark, narrow corridor.
As I advanced, the torches lining both sides flared up brighter, illuminating the surroundings.
“The corridor ends here. Be careful.”
Finally, I entered the room at the corridor’s end. As Mirna and I stepped in, the door slammed shut with a bang.
I tried to open it again, but it wouldn’t budge. Probably needed certain conditions to unlock.
In the end, I had no choice but to examine the room.
About the size of a tennis court. Thick pillars stretched from all sides to the ceiling, giving it a grand feel.
But the most striking feature was the platform in the room’s center and the box atop it.
The wooden box, painted red and adorned with gold, looked extremely luxurious and exquisite at a glance.
So, what magnificent item might be inside that box?
However, I couldn’t approach rashly because of the bizarre entity floating above the box.
—Whirr, whirrr.
It was a massive stone head statue.
Like someone had lopped off the head from the Statue of Liberty.
About four times the size of a normal human head, with a bald, crudely sculpted head wearing a shabby bronze crown.
That’s the Gazer?
Not quite what I’d imagined.
Still, not knowing how dangerous it was, caution was wise.
“It seems to be sleeping.”
At my quiet warning, Mirna Draco nodded.
“Attacking it will wake it up. To open that box, we’ll have to wake and defeat it.”
Just as Mirna said.
Guardian leader and reward.
Simple structure.
Sss.
Calming my breath, I aimed my tail wand at the floating stone statue.
If it was asleep, best to hit it with my strongest attack first.
Hoo.
With a small exhale, the mana coiled in my body surged through my veins, boiling fiercely.
Tingle, tingle.
The mana coursing through my bloodstream made me vividly feel every capillary in my fingertips—something I’d never noticed before—fully aware of my existence.
Ruuuumble.
Rising exhilaration.
I’d unleash my most powerful strike.
With that resolve, I chanted vigorously.
—Paimon—!
Fwoooosh—!
A mass of 4th circle mana shot like a bullet toward the statue.
KABOOM—!
It smashed into the defenseless leader Gazer, shattering things left and right.
—Groooaaargh—!
With a grotesque scream, the stone head crashed into the wall.
Crack, crunch.
Unable to withstand the intense mana’s destructive power, cracks spiderwebbed across the statue’s surface, crumbling like breadcrumbs.
But it didn’t fully shatter. The stone head floated back up into the air, seemingly regaining its senses.
Swoosh.
At the same time, stone eyelids opened, revealing eyeballs just like a living creature’s, staring at me.
Roll, roll.
The pitch-black pupils brimmed with eerie vitality, sending chills down my spine. A stone statue with living eyes.
—Exterminate.
A thick, dull voice emanated from the statue. My keen ears barely caught just those two words.
Yet I knew exactly what it meant. Strange clusters of light gathered around the statue’s eye.
Ziiiiing.
“It’s charging mana in its eye. Something big’s coming!”
At Mirna Draco’s words, I quickly ducked behind a nearby thick pillar. At the same time, I felt a scorching heat whoosh—past my nape.
The statue’s eye had fired a beam at me.
So that’s the intense gaze.
Fortunately, its physical destructive power wasn’t that strong—it hadn’t shattered or melted the pillar I was hiding behind.
Once its attack ended and the beam cut off, I thrust out my wand and unleashed spells in rapid succession.
—Paimon!
Crack, crack, crunch.
—Groooargh…!
The stone head let out a heavy bellow like a bear hit by three air bullets. It shattered completely, scattering everywhere.
「Total extermination!
Acquired job experience for ‘Mage’. +100」
As expected of a boss mob, generous EXP. I hadn’t leveled up since just reaching 4th circle, but it was satisfying.
“Worthy of the 3rd layer leader, but not too troublesome. I thought it’d be harder.”
Mirna Draco rubbed the statue crumbs on the floor with her shoe. But her attention slowly shifted to the box in the center.
“Then let’s open it.”
At Mirna’s suggestion, I stood before the box. Eager to see what was inside, I opened it to reveal a neatly folded square of white cloth.
Lifting it, it unfurled with a rustle. Now I saw it was a robe-like garment, white with red embroidery.
Mirna explained.
“It’s a robe imbued with magic. Mages’ robes are like that. Looks quite fine.”
Even without her saying, I could see the description.
「Angmar Robe: High-grade relic. Protects wearer from flames, magic, and curses. Effects strengthen based on wearer’s circle. Masterpiece embodying Solomon’s philosophy of attire.」
“Oh.”
Angmar Robe. Such a cool name. Masterpiece of Solomon’s attire philosophy. Made by the Demon King himself?
No wonder the effects were great. Fire resistance, plus magic and curse defense.
I didn’t know the exact level of protection, but the fact that it strengthened with circle level was especially appealing.
“Can I have this robe?”
What if Mirna said no?
But surprisingly, she readily agreed.
“It’s already bound to you the moment you touched it. That’s how magic items work.”
Bound, huh. Just like game items.
I draped the robe over myself and fastened the buttons and sash.
It fit perfectly, as if tailored for me—no need to adjust size. It clung comfortably to my body.
Seeing this, Mirna nodded.
“Perfect fit. Like it was made for you. Not bad, I suppose.”
I felt immensely satisfied at acquiring such fine garb. Now to leave this dreary room and head to the 4th layer tomorrow.
Maybe the 4th layer had a boss room too, with even better rewards in a box. Exciting thought.
But there was one problem.
The door wouldn’t open.
Mirna and I were completely trapped in this sudden boss room.
“Ha… You’re kidding, right—?”
Mirna fiddled irritably with the sealed space, not hiding her frustration.