Chapter 15: The Tyrant's Fatal Weak Spot
Thud!
The tyrant squirrel's charge grazed past Carpe once more.
Its massive front teeth smashed into the cave wall, sending rock fragments flying amid a deafening roar.
"Chweeuk!"
Frustrated, perhaps? The squirrel stomped its feet, letting out an incomprehensible cry.
Blood trickled from the numerous small scratches etched across its body—all Carpe's handiwork, of course.
"This thing's ferocious. What kind of squirrel is this? It's like a wild boar."
-You're grumbling, but you're dodging just fine.
"Humans are animals of adaptation, after all."
His initial bewilderment at facing a beast-type monster for the first time faded in an instant as Carpe adapted.
To be honest, the attack patterns were so straightforward there wasn't much to adapt to.
Carpe was confident he could fight like this for over an hour without taking a single hit.
"Dodging's no issue... but the damage output's lacking. I swear I stabbed deep, but it barely flinched."
-It's a Legendary dungeon, remember? It's not just attack power and speed that's enhanced.
Defense and health were on another level compared to normal-grade dungeon mobs.
If even one of these dungeon squirrels escaped to the field, the beginner city would turn into a city of death in no time.
Bang!
The squirrel charged past Carpe again. In the same motion, his sword sliced across its body, drawing a thin red line as blood sprayed lightly into the air.
"Hit-and-run like this, and I could take it down safely."
-But it'd take forever. At this rate, you won't make it in time for the guerrilla quest.
"Can't miss that. It's got a week-long cooldown minimum."
No matter what, he couldn't skip a guerrilla quest—even if it meant abandoning the dungeon. Carpe furrowed his brow.
"Hmm. No choice, then."
-Hah. You think I dragged you here without thinking of that? Don't worry. Damage not sticking? These rodents all share a common weak point...
"Hyung, hold up."
-Yeah?
"I'll give it my all first. If it doesn't work, then I'll ask for your help."
-Huh?
Cheonma raised an eyebrow, as if wondering what nonsense this was. The Carpe he knew wouldn't say something like that.
"Cheat keys are fun in moderation. Can't solve everything the easy way. Trials make us grow."
-...That's sound advice, but hearing it from you? It's just ridiculous.
"Your mindset's twisted, hyung. What did you take me for?"
-I thought you were...
A shameless freeloader ghost, or RaSe's most conscientious leech player.
Those words rose to his throat, but Cheonma swallowed them and forced a smile. Fine, it was rare for the kid to say something praiseworthy—no need to ruin it.
-Good attitude. Let's see what the rank-2 transfer has got.
"Time to fix that image you have of me. Here I go!"
Thwack!
Carpe kicked off the ground powerfully, charging straight at the tyrant squirrel.
"Chwee?"
The squirrel yelped in surprise as the human who'd been dodging and irritating it suddenly rushed in.
But only for a moment.
"Chweee!"
Roaring in fury, it swung its enormous front paw.
Carpe ducked his head as if he'd been waiting for it.
Whoosh!
The claws whistled through the air, grazing his hair and sending a few strands fluttering.
-Oh?
Carpe's conclusion was simple.
Back and legs won't take damage? Then hit where it will!
With minimal motion to evade, he dove into the squirrel's guard. Its massive face loomed right in front of him.
That's right—the face. The vital spot for most creatures, humans included.
Carpe thrust his sword full-force at the squirrel's eye!
"Chweet!"
But this Legendary squirrel was no pushover. It somehow dodged the perfectly timed strike.
Slash!
His sword tore a deep gash around its eye. The squirrel screamed, nearly losing it.
Tyrant Squirrel uses Berserk.
Attack and Agility rise. Defense falls.
Sensing mortal danger, the beast-type monster triggered its signature skill. The tyrant squirrel lunged with steel-like incisors to crush Carpe's head.
"Hmph!"
But Carpe didn't flinch, as if he'd anticipated it.
Instead of pulling back his thrusting right hand, he shoved his left into the squirrel's maw. In it was the short sword he'd gotten from defeating the One-Eyed Bandit.
Stab.
"Kieeeek!!"
Carpe timed it perfectly with the bite, holding the blade vertically. It plunged deep into the squirrel's upper palate.
Tyrant Squirrel is Stunned for 3 seconds!
That was it. Carpe drove his sword precisely into the thrashing squirrel's neck.
Tyrant Squirrel defeated.
"Hoo. That was close."
Carpe slumped to the floor with a sigh of relief. What kind of game was this on day one?
"Beginner city, my ass. What's with the difficulty? Trying to make all noobs quit?"
-RaSe is infamous for being tough, but this is on you.
To enter the "Great King Squirrel Nest" dungeon the proper way, two conditions were required.
First, level 5 or below. Second, max affinity with the ranch owner NPC in Starting City.
Max affinity gave a quest revealing the entrance method and squirrel weaknesses.
-This dungeon isn't meant to be brute-forced. You ignore the proper route and go head-on, so of course it's insane.
Cheonma stared at Carpe in disbelief.
This was no level 5 fight. It was a bloodbath.
"Phew. Still..."
-Yeah?
"This is fun. Should've started sooner. Wasted half my life."
-...Cut the crap. Anyway, keep going like this? You look beat.
"I'm good. Got the hang of it now. Should go way faster from here."
-Hmm. If you say so.
If grasping the trick after one kill made it easy, no one would suffer...
Cheonma eyed him skeptically. But it turned out to be needless worry.
Thud!
After the first kill, Carpe took down three more tyrant squirrels.
-Unbelievable. This make sense?
Carpe's claim wasn't bluffing. Next one: 5 minutes. Then 3. The last: under 2, plus a level up.
"Most things in life come down to know-how."
-...Sure.
Cheonma gave up understanding. After regression and soul-taxidermy, a gaming genius was tame by comparison.
"By the way, drop rate buff active? All acorns, no gear... Huh?"
That's when it happened.
As Carpe rounded a corner after another kill, he spotted something new.
A rectangular box about a meter wide. The staple of any RPG-dungeon combo.
"Treasure chest?"
-A chest? What color?
"Color?"
Perplexed by Cheonma's question, Carpe examined it.
Unmistakably a treasure chest, emanating a faint yellow aura.
"This, I guess? Yellow."
-Yellow's Rare. Chests have grades like items.
"Ah."
Cheonma explained: Dungeons had graded chests by color.
Normal: colorless. Magic: blue. Rare: yellow. Hero: purple. Unique: magenta. Legendary: deep orange.
"Epic and Mythic?"
-None. Legendary's the max for dungeon chests. Maybe exist, but I've never seen.
"Got it."
If even the ultimate vet didn't know, they probably didn't. Carpe approached.
"Sweet! Rare item get..."
-If only. Chest grade's the ceiling. Rare chest means Rare or lower.
"Odds of matching the chest grade?"
-Feels like 10%?
"10%? No way."
-Yeah. Garbage gacha game incarnate...
"That's generous."
-...What?
Cheonma—and even Carpe—doubted their ears. Did "generous" change meaning while he was NPC'd?
-Meant trash, right? 10%!
"What're you talking about? Never played other gachas? This is insane."
-Nope.
"Tsk tsk."
Carpe nodded smugly, as if to say figures.
SSR at 10%? Generous didn't cover it.
"Gamers think 3% enchant success is 'worth a shot'."
-Gacha fry your brain or what?
"I'm perfectly normal. You sound like a noob who never saw 0.01%."
-Let's not talk. Hope your paycheck's 10% RNG later. Please.
Over 10 years in RaSe, how many tears over 10%? Cheonma couldn't agree.
Ignoring him, Carpe hummed and gripped the lid.
Thud! Thud!
"What the—?"
-No way...
The ground shook. A heavier rumble than any tyrant squirrel so far, approaching Carpe.
-Got a hunch... Hide and observe first.
"Got it."
Carpe ducked behind a rock. Soon, the source emerged from the tunnel depths.
Thud!
"Grooo?"
Another squirrel—but enormous.
If tyrants were calf-sized, this was adult bull—or hippo—scale.
-Tch, as expected. Mutant specimen.
Hidden monster, rare in Legendary dungeons. Stronger than bosses, appearing now of all times.
"Good, right? Hidden mob means fat rewards."
-Maybe other games. In RaSe, no drops—it's trap-like. But EXP guarantees level up, and 1v1 win gives title. Fight it?
"Obviously. Title's worth it, drops or not."
-Knew it. Weak point incoming, check inventory...
"Hold on."
-Yeah?
"We said no hints till I try. Frontal assault again. Sounds fun."
-...What.
Cheonma was speechless. This guy...
-This ain't like the others. Mutant's boss-tier. Head-on, you die 9/10 times.
"9 out of 10..."
Carpe grinned.
"Generous game. 10% win chance."
-Dude, seriously...
"Safe growth via weak points is fine. But hyung, I play for fun."
The strongest foe yet, 10% odds even all-out. Bound to be a blast!
Death penalty? Whatever.
-...Fun?
Max gains, peak efficiency—that was Cheonma's way to the top. The pinnacle was the fun.
-Sigh. Do you.
Couldn't understand, but he'd step back. Sooner or later, hidden piece cravings would break him!
"Hey, hyung."
-What? I'm sulking, don't talk.
"What's that?"
-Told you. Mutant... Huh?
Carpe pointed—not at the mutant, but the box dangling from its neck.
"..."
-...
A chest. Dungeon chests only meant one thing: treasure.
This one gleamed with deep orange aura!
"Hyung."
-Yeah?
"Squirrel weak point again?"
-Frontal fun, right?
"Legendary chest beats that."
-Wanna crack your skull open.
Cheonma sighed deeply.
-Simple: acorns from the tyrants.
"Yeah. No gear, just acorns."
-Pull 'em out.
Carpe complied. Acorns matched the squirrels' absurd size—bigger than his fist.
"Bigger than my fist. Plant 'em?"
-Heard of eat-mobs?
"Eat-mobs? Oh!"
Rare now, but old RPG staple: mobs that snatch and eat dropped items.
Blood-pressure raisers when they yoinked rares.
"Usually slimes."
-Yep. These squirrels too—but only for specific items.
"Acorns?"
-Bingo.
Carpe nodded. Squirrels and acorns? Obvious.
-Toss all above its head. Weak point reveals.
"What even is it..."
Curious but compliant, Carpe hurled them over the mutant's head.
"Kkuee?"
Thud! Thud!
Aggro pulled, the mutant lumbered away, back exposed.
"Attack the back?"
-Nah. Toughest part. Your damage won't dent.
"True."
Back attacks flopped before.
-Funny thing: they bipedal usually. Front paws as weapons, I guess.
But two cases forced quadrupedal: charges, and eating acorns.
"Chweet!"
Spotting acorns, it squealed joyfully, burying its face to munch.
"Huh?"
Head down, quadrupedal—ass up. Tail curled skyward.
And there it was.
The *-shaped weak spot!!!
-No need to say where. Charge!
"..."
-What? Stab it!
"No... that's too much."
-Nonsense. Your strength? One shove's a kill-shot.
"You human?! Too cruel!"
-Cruel? Efficient! Drag it out, it eats and vanishes. Legendary chest too.
"Urk!"
Final conscience tugged, but Legendary's allure won. Carpe bolted.
"Chwee?"
Mutant sensed something, starting to lift its head—but Carpe was faster.
Full power, both hands on sword, aimed true. He yelled:
"Truly... sorry to this pathetic squirrel foe!!!"
Squelch!
Less stab, more sucked in.
"?!?!?!"
Perfect weak spot strike!
One-shot kill!Mutant Tyrant Squirrel defeated.
The squirrel convulsed silently and went limp. Carpe bowed his head.
"Sorry. So sorry. Human's sorry."
-You psycho. Enough!
"You're a demon! Not Cheonma—Demon Lord! Ding! Acquired 0-star Patron Spirit Demon Lord Supreme!"
-Sigh. Nutjob. Don't get attached to pixels—open the chest.
"Right, yeah."
Carpe dashed to it, grief forgotten. Cheonma gawked—what a guy—but Carpe ignored him.
"Huh?"
-What now.
"It's... locked?"
Unlike the Rare chest, this Legendary had a padlock.
-Damn. Unlucky.
"No key, no open?"
-Pretty much.
Some chests locked, some not—locked ones had better rewards.
-Needs matching-grade key.
"...Legendary chest needs Legendary key?"
-Correct. Beginner shop sells up to Magic keys.
No big city sales either. Legendary keys dropped rarely from bosses/elites.
"Where?!"
Clang!
Carpe swung full-force at the lock. Not a scratch.
"Impossible. No other way?"
-Tsk. Give up. Rogues/thieves have pick skills, but you don't...
Cheonma trailed off. Carpe too.
"..."
-...
"Same thought?"
-...No way. Too broken.
"Only one way to know."
Carpe placed his hand on the lock. Whispered:
"Unlock."