Chapter 650: Conquering the 4th Layer
Chapter 650: Conquering the 4th Layer
Thanks to my brilliant performance, we arrived near the 4th Layer Boss’s habitat much earlier than expected.
And now, with the Layer Boss just ahead, we decided to have a quick briefing while we ate.
Of course, the one giving the briefing was Diana, the only one among us with experience fighting the 4th Layer Boss.
To be honest, I felt we could probably handle a boss of this level easily without all this.
When we first started this expedition, I wasn't confident that our current party could take on the 4th Layer Boss, but things were different now.
After perfecting our breathing for underwater combat back in town and fighting several large monsters on our way here, I was now certain.
At our current level, there was no way we would lose to the 4th Layer Boss.
The truth was, I’d only been scared because of the variable of underwater combat and the fact that we’d been fooling around on the surface for a while instead of descending into the dungeon. Looking at our current stats, there was never any reason to be afraid in the first place.
I wasn't the type to fight monsters based on the level of my combat jobs anyway.
My combat jobs were purely supplementary. My main skills were all from my Saint job.
And the fact that I hadn't been in the dungeon for a while could be rephrased to mean I had been focusing solely on raising my Saint level up on the surface.
This time, in particular, I’d had more opportunities to raise my Saint level than usual.
Normally, even when I went to the surface, I mostly had relations with Sara, Diana, and Leia, who were all around the same level as me. But this time was different.
First, there was Vanessa. For a butler who just stays cooped up at home, her level was on par with Silvia's and Matilda's. My relationship with her progressed rapidly, and we ended up sleeping together a lot.
On top of that, my relations with Silvia and Matilda were incredible.
In fact, Silvia and Matilda had the highest levels in our party by a wide margin, so if I put my mind to it, I could have raised my level immensely just by being with the two of them.
But for one reason or another, I had only been seeing them sporadically during my free time in the day. This time, however, I spent an entire night with them.
Spending the whole night with Silvia, in particular, was a huge boost.
Despite her high level, Silvia gets so overwhelmed when we’re together that it’s like she’s preparing for death every time.
Considering this world’s leveling system—where you gain experience the moment you make your partner climax, and the amount of EXP increases with the intensity of their pleasure and their level—there was no better partner for leveling up than Silvia.
Of course, Matilda was also a great help for leveling up, since she remained in her 'pink mode' the entire time we were together.
And as a bonus, there were my regular sessions with Felicia every time I went to the surface.
This might have been the first time my level had jumped so much at once since I broke the level 100 limit.
Name: Guwon
Race: Human 24
Job: Saint 176 / Adventurer 80 / Moon Shadow Warrior 127 / Elementalist 24
Level: 176
Health: 46400/46400
Essence: 17600/17600
Strength: 368
Durability: 447
Agility: 413
Stamina: 337
Intelligence: 209
Spirit: 341
Charm: 430
Bonus Stats: 328
Status: Normal
I had always ventured into lower layers unsuited for my level by relying on my high stats, but now, my level itself was high enough to be called a 4th Layer adventurer.
And my combat job, Moon Shadow Warrior, wasn't at such a low level either.
It was still embarrassingly low for a 4th Layer adventurer, but ever since I realized I could funnel job experience into one job by using a mix of Saint skills and skills from other jobs, my Moon Shadow Warrior level had been growing rapidly.
With things as they were, I didn't feel particularly nervous, even though we were about to fight the 4th Layer Boss.
But as if she had read my mind, Diana gently pinched my cheek to get my attention.
“Hmph! Pay attention. This Layer Boss is a particularly disadvantageous opponent for you!”
Judging by her expression, it seemed she wasn't just trying to get my attention but was also still pouting because I hadn't saved her when Sara was telling her off earlier.
No. In the first place, Sara and I were just joking around… no, we were arguing, and the fire spread to you. Or maybe you jumped into the fire yourself. Either way, it wouldn't have helped even if I had stepped in.
“Sorry, sorry. So? What do you mean, it’s particularly disadvantageous for me?”
Of course, instead of saying that, I gently took Diana’s hand as it pinched my cheek.
Diana’s face flushed slightly as she pulled her hand away, cleared her throat, and began her explanation.
“A-ahem! You were particularly weak against plant-type monsters on this layer, were you not?”
“Well, yeah.”
As my Moon Shadow Warrior level had risen, my dagger skills weren't completely useless, but I still wanted to avoid fighting plant-type monsters, which were resistant to blunt attacks, all by myself.
I had bought a new dagger after being shipwrecked, but it was just a random one I’d picked up at the blacksmith. I couldn't expect it to do as much damage as my current gauntlets.
More importantly, since I rarely used a dagger, my skill proficiency in things like Dagger Mastery had barely increased.
I wish I had a broken skill like Sara’s All Weapon Mastery.
No, really. I noticed Sara was quite adept with a dagger, so I took a good look at her skill window and saw it there.
The Hero job really is broken, the more I see it.
All Weapon Mastery? What the hell is that? Her dagger proficiency goes up even when she only uses a bow. Is it like an enhanced version of Manyu Gwijong from martial arts novels?
The principle of Manyu Gwijong states that all paths lead to the same destination once you reach the pinnacle.
In other words, if you master one martial art, you can achieve the same effect as someone who has mastered another.
So, if Manyu Gwijong were a skill, it would probably have the effect of maxing out all weapon proficiencies the moment you master one.
But with All Weapon Mastery, your proficiency with other weapons increases even if you haven't maxed out one, so you could say it's literally a more broken, enhanced version of Manyu Gwijong.
I know Sara handles mana as freely as a martial arts master handles ki, but did her skills also have to be as broken as something out of a martial arts novel?
Besides, Manyu Gwijong only really applies to similar weapons. A bow and a dagger are way too different.
Even in an overpowered martial arts novel, I don't think I've ever read about someone mastering swordsmanship by perfecting their archery… now that I say it, maybe I have.
S-still, that doesn't change the fact that Sara's skill is broken!
No, of course, it's good for me if Sara is strong!
I'm serious! I've never once thought that her pinching has been getting stronger by the day even though she only uses a bow! Not once!
“You can assume that this Layer Boss is resistant to almost all blunt attacks. No, not just blunt attacks. It’s safe to say it’s resistant to all physical attacks except for slashing.”
As I was lost in thought, Diana delivered some rather shocking news.
“What?! Seriously? Then Sara’s arrows too?!”
Sara’s bow was an item modified with materials dropped by the Wyvern, the 5th Layer Boss.
Thanks to that, she could now fire attacks similar to the Wyvern’s energy waves instead of arrows, but in exchange, her attacks had lost their characteristic sharpness.
Of course, given Sara’s outstanding attack power, I figured she could produce a similar effect by imbuing her shots with mana, so it probably wasn't a huge problem.
“Mm. Considering Sara’s attack power, I don’t think her attacks will be completely ineffective, but the damage she can inflict will be significantly lower compared to other monsters.”
“What kind of monster is the boss… is it some giant seaweed? Does it attack by stretching out its leaves like tentacles?”
“Hmm. It’s not a plant-type monster. It is large, and it does attack with tentacle-like appendages, however. On top of that, it moves freely through the water just like a fish-type monster, making it quite tricky. You should also be especially careful when using your Saint skills. If you get caught once, you’ll be tied up completely, and your quick movements will be useless.”
“What kind of monster is that? Is it weak to magic or something?”
“Hmm. It’s not that it isn’t a weakness, but…”
If the only effective physical attacks were slashing, then magic should at least work well.
That’s what I meant by my question, but Diana’s expression remained ambiguous.
“You look conflicted.”
“Mm. This Layer Boss’s weakness is the fire attribute.”
Hearing her answer, I understood why she had made that face.
This was the 4th Layer, completely submerged in water. Naturally, fire magic was impossible to use.
Well, it wouldn't be impossible if one were to create a space with wind magic and then cast fire magic inside it, but that would be far too much work.
An average mage wouldn't even be able to pull it off.
Moreover, the opponent was the 4th Layer Boss. According to Diana, it was a massive creature.
Creating an air pocket large enough to envelop its body and then casting fire magic inside it was not something a mage who frequents this layer could do.
Of course, our Diana could probably manage it.
“There is the simpler method of zapping it with lightning magic, but…”
“That would damage our side as well. So, in the end, we have to take the hard way. What a troublesome foe.”
“It wouldn’t be the 4th Layer Boss for nothing. But don’t worry too much. If things get dangerous, I shall use fire magic myself.”
Seeing my distress, Diana spoke reassuringly.
It seemed Diana really could use fire magic here.
She hadn't used any magic on the way here, aside from maintaining the air for us to talk, so she should have plenty of mana.
As expected of our Archmage. She’s so reliable.
“In any case, for this battle, Silvia will have to take on the role of the main tank instead of you. Fortunately, Silvia uses a sword, so even if she gets caught by one of its limbs, she should be able to break free on her own.”
After patting my head reassuringly, Diana turned to Silvia and said as much.
“Yes, ma’am!”
Silvia, who had been listening diligently to Diana’s briefing, nodded without a hint of hesitation.
Silvia is so dependable in battle.
She’s dependable, but… to think I’d become useless again right at the final stage. It was hard not to feel a little strange about it.
“Don’t make that face. It’s just a bad matchup for you this time. And if the situation becomes dangerous, you’ll have to buy time until I can prepare my fire magic. The fact that your role is important remains unchanged.”
Noticing my mood, Diana comforted me once more.
“Yeah, I know, but…”
“What Lady Diana says is true. Or what? Are you saying my role of preparing for contingencies from the rear is useless?”
“No, of course not.”
“Then stop making that face and focus on fulfilling your assigned role properly.”
With Matilda chiming in like that, I couldn't hold onto this strange feeling any longer.
When she wasn't in her pink mode, her tone was still rather haughty, like that of a noble lady, but I could clearly feel that she was saying it out of concern for me.
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“Th-that’s… no. I should be the one thanking you. Because you are always by my side, I…”
And, in the end, she always ended up in her pink mode anyway.
Unlike Silvia, Matilda can’t control herself even in the dungeon, which makes her more dangerous.
Although, there was that one time she managed to snap out of her pink mode during a serious conversation, so I guess she’s not completely incapable of restraining herself.
In any case, after finishing the briefing and our meal, we started moving again toward the 4th Layer Boss’s location.
We traveled for about thirty minutes.
After a few more battles with monsters that were significantly stronger than those near the town—like great white sharks, bull sharks, and pods of orcas—we finally arrived at the lair of the 4th Layer Boss.
But the 4th Layer Boss was nowhere to be seen.
“…Guwon, are you sure this is the right place? Could other adventurers have already killed it and moved on?”
It was natural for Sara to have such doubts.
According to Diana, the monster was supposed to be quite large, yet even Sara, with her excellent eyesight, couldn't spot it.
“No. It’s here, Sara. Look over there.”
But Diana cautiously pointed toward the seafloor, where a giant mass of seaweed was swaying.
“Huh? Diana, you said it wasn’t a plant-type monster… Aah!”
The moment Sara looked in the direction Diana pointed and cried out, a part of the giant seaweed suddenly began to move.
Ah… yeah. I had a feeling this would be the case while listening to Diana’s briefing.
As expected, when it comes to the final boss of the sea, it had to be this guy.
As the giant octopus—a Kraken—dropped its camouflage and revealed itself before my eyes, I couldn't help but have that thought.