Chapter 711: Proposal of Alliance
Chapter 711: Proposal of Alliance
“Guwon! To the side—!”
Just as Silvia and I managed to stop the Emperor Penguin, Sara quickly tried to fire an arrow.
It was a natural reaction.
The penguins in the ice cave generally had low defense but ridiculously high attack power.
And if it wasn't just a regular monster but a boss-level one, you can imagine how strong its attacks would be without me having to spell it out.
Even when Silvia braced herself and blocked with her shield, she couldn't withstand the force and was pushed back.
Before, we had hunted by dodging or deflecting all its attacks, but in this narrow passage, even that was impossible.
So, trying to finish it off quickly while it was stopped was a perfectly reasonable response.
“Wait! Don’t shoot!”
But despite that, I stopped Sara.
If we killed this thing here and now, we wouldn't be able to create the passage to the 4.5th Floor.
Even if it was a fake boss, it was still a boss-class monster, meaning it would take a significant amount of time to respawn.
Of course, Diana might be able to alter the terrain for a short while with her magic, but that would draw too much attention.
Right now, this ice cave had become a hotspot for mid-level adventurers looking to level up quickly. It wouldn't be strange if someone spotted us.
Therefore, to create a path to the 4.5th Floor as discreetly as possible, the best way was to use this Emperor Penguin to naturally punch holes all over the place.
Following my command, our party hesitated, unable to attack. In that brief moment, the Emperor Penguin must have decided a standoff was pointless, because it tilted its head down and drilled through the floor.
It was probably planning to launch another surprise attack from a wall, but I wasn't going to let that happen.
Before it completely disappeared through the wall, I quickly brushed my hand, enveloped in the Saint’s Touch, against its body.
With that, its target was now narrowed down to just me, eliminating the risk of my party members being ambushed.
“I’ll go on ahead to make the passage and keep it busy. You guys get properly geared up and follow me.”
But even I wasn't confident I could dodge all of the Emperor Penguin’s brutish charges in such a narrow tunnel.
So, I decided to head down to the boss room quickly by myself.
“But…!”
“It’s fine. Did you forget I handled the male penguin alone? I’m not bluffing, the male was genuinely stronger than this one. So don’t worry. Don’t rush, prepare properly, and then come down.”
Of course, my party tried to object to me going down alone, but I played it cool, tossed them some crampons from my inventory, and quickly ran ahead.
I made sure to tell them, again and again, not to hurry.
Even if it was just a monster from the ice cave, its attack power was immense and its movements were swift. If they got careless and took even a single hit, it could be fatal.
That was another reason I was running ahead alone to draw its aggro.
If it was me, I probably wouldn't die from taking a hit or two in the heat of the moment.
And just as I took a few steps, the Emperor Penguin burst through the floor right where I had been standing a moment ago.
What a mindless beast. I could understand it drilling through ice, but this was still a stone cave. How could it even think of attacking through solid rock? Doesn't its beak hurt?
Well, thanks to that, I could feel strong vibrations and hear a loud noise every time it approached, which was why I was able to react to its first surprise attack without much panic.
In any case, while hastily fleeing from the Emperor Penguin’s self-sacrificing missile attacks, I scrambled toward the original boss room.
And finally, I arrived at that place.
The boss room, you ask?
No. That’s still a little further ahead.
What I’m talking about is the boundary where the stone floor turns into an ice floor.
Until a moment ago, I had been running on stone. And I had taken out the crampons and given them to my party.
You see what that means, right?
Yep. That’s right. It means I haven't put on my own crampons yet.
But I had no time to think.
CRASH!
“Oh, damn it!”
I dodged the Emperor Penguin’s beak as it came flying toward my head through the ceiling by a hair's breadth and hastily stepped forward.
But perhaps I had been too hasty?
My foot landed on the slippery ice and shot forward, causing me to lose my balance and start rolling head over heels.
“Gah! Ack! Dammit!”
My body slammed into the walls of the narrow passage over and over, and I couldn't regain control at all.
No, it didn't hurt. It really didn't. I may have changed my job to an evasion-based class, but that didn't mean my ridiculously high stats had gone anywhere.
Bumping into a few walls was nothing.
It was just the disgusting feeling of tumbling around against my will that was pissing me off.
But this was no time to be getting angry about my mood.
In a way, tumbling like this might have been a good thing.
I was naturally heading downward without even having to consciously try to move.
I should use this chance to put on my crampons… oh, for fuck’s sake! I gave mine away with the others back there!
In that case, I’ll have to improvise with my daggers!
I equipped a dagger in each hand and stabbed them into the walls, finally managing to stabilize myself.
“Hoo. Now that I’ve regained my footing, you have no more chances. I’ll show you just how terrifying an assassin class is with daggers in both hands…”
CRASH!
“Hey! Let me finish my sentence before you attack! Always charging in like you’re in heat!”
I was trying to strike a cool pose for a moment, but the merciless Emperor Penguin forced me to scramble down the passage again.
Using a principle similar to skiing, I balanced with my feet while using the daggers to push off the walls on either side.
Thanks to my much more stable posture and the added acceleration, the Emperor Penguin couldn't quite keep up with my speed anymore.
Good. At this rate, I’ll have no problem getting to the boss room.
There was just one problem… how do I stop? Now I’m going too fast.
I tried to slow down by digging my daggers into the walls, but this time my speed was too great, and I couldn't get a proper hold.
Look, even if I’m an assassin, I’m still a beginner who just recently changed jobs to a Moon Shadow Warrior.
I’d barely even used daggers before becoming a Moon Shadow Warrior.
So my dagger proficiency is a little… heheh.
As I was thinking that with a cold sweat, the boss room was getting closer and closer.
And as luck would have it, there was already an adventurer party waiting in the boss room.
“So it’s finally here. I was getting worried when the Layer Boss suddenly vanished. This damn sub-layer is full of mysteries… huh? That guy is…”
“Aaaah! Move, move, move!”
My speed had become almost uncontrollable, so I yelled frantically without even getting a good look at the adventurer in the distance.
If I keep going like this, I’m going to crash!
“Keuk! Ack! Ack!”
But the adventurer standing directly in my path simply sidestepped me and then grabbed me by the scruff of my neck, bringing me to a halt.
To stop me at that speed without even budging an inch. That was monstrous strength, far beyond what you’d expect from an adventurer exploring a mere ice cave.
As I thought that, I lifted my head to say something to the adventurer who had grabbed me.
I mean, thanks for stopping me, but couldn't you have grabbed me somewhere other than my neck?!
But the moment I saw the person’s face, I couldn't utter a single word of complaint.
“…A-Alicia?”
“…Hey.”
I never imagined we’d run into each other like this. Awkward. This is so damn awkward.
Alicia seemed to be in perfect agreement, as she gave me a short greeting with an incredibly awkward smile.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was about to ask you the same thing. Didn’t you guys graduate from this place a long time ago?”
“Well, graduate is…”
“Instructor! Above you!”
As Alicia and I were exchanging awkward greetings, completely ignoring the time and place, a warning suddenly came from a short distance away.
At the same time, the Emperor Penguin burst through the ice ceiling.
But no matter how much of a surprise attack it was, there was no way it would work on Alicia, a person who had no business being in a place like this.
The only problem was that we couldn't kill it right now.
“Hmph!”
“No! Stop!”
“What…?!”
Alicia swung her greatsword, intending to slice the falling Emperor Penguin in two.
But before her sword could connect, I tackled her around the waist.
I hadn't intended to hurt her, so I didn't use much force. And since Alicia had just effortlessly stopped me when I was moving at an incredible speed, my tackle normally wouldn't have been enough to break her stance.
But despite that, the moment I wrapped my arms around her waist, her strength seemed to drain away, and her posture crumbled.
CRACK!
Fortunately, my tackle moved us to the side, and the penguin missed its attack, disappearing through the floor once again.
“Wh-what the hell do you think you’re doing, you bastard!”
Finally snapping back to her senses as she watched the penguin disappear, Alicia frantically pushed me off her waist.
“No, you see, the thing is…”
What should I do? What kind of excuse can I make?
Unless I revealed the important information about the connection between sub-layers, my actions just now were an act of trolling that no words could justify.
But I couldn't just casually reveal information about the sub-layers either.
“L-look at that thing! What do you think!”
I had no choice but to sacrifice myself.
“What? What are you talking about all of a sudden…”
“It reminds me of a missile! A bird that body-slams things like a missile. It’s a Bird Missile!”
“…Huh?”
“I’ve always wanted to fire a Bird Missile!”
“……”
“So don’t kill it yet, Alicia. Just one shot. All I need is one shot. Please. Just let me fire it once.”
The more I spoke, the more Alicia’s expression seemed to curdle with anger.
“…Are you doing this because of what happened before?”
“Wh-what?”
“If you think I still have feelings for you and you’re deliberately acting like an idiot to make me lose them…!”
“Whoa! Here it comes! The Bird Missile!”
Alicia shouted at me with resentful eyes, but unfortunately, this wasn't the time for a calm conversation.
The Emperor Penguin was charging at us again—or more accurately, at me, since I had used a Saint skill.
At this point, my only option was to keep playing the part of a Bird Missile enthusiast and lure it to my target.
Let’s see. On the map, for this thing to break through to the male penguin’s room… damn it! I have to throw it toward Alicia!
“Look out, Alicia!”
“What…?!”
I decided to give up on breaking through with this attack and threw myself at Alicia, pretending to save her from the Emperor Penguin.
Alicia, who had been furious just a moment ago, instantly lost her anger and looked flustered.
Despite what she’d just said, it seemed she still had some feelings for me after all.
I’m so sorry for using you like this. I’ll buy you a meal later. Please, just let this one slide.
I apologized to Alicia in my head as I grabbed her and shifted our position slightly.
Good. Now there’s nothing in the line of fire between me and the male penguin’s room.
And right on cue, the Emperor Penguin charged at me again.
I probably couldn't deflect it skillfully like Silvia. I didn't even have a shield, to begin with.
But since I had deliberately positioned myself with my back to the male penguin’s room, I didn't need to change its direction by much.
Just a little. A tiny nudge to its trajectory would be enough to break through to the male penguin’s room.
At the last possible second before it hit me, I dodged and simultaneously threw a punch, slightly altering its course.
“Go! Bird Missile!”
Of course, I didn't forget to keep up my act as a Bird Missile aficionado until the very end.
My plan worked perfectly. The Emperor Penguin smashed a hole right through the wall in the direction of the male penguin’s room.
However, since I still wasn't wearing crampons, the moment my fist made contact with the Emperor Penguin, Newton's third law sent my body flying in the opposite direction.
To be precise, right to the spot where I had just let go of Alicia.
“Kuh!”
As a result, I ended up hugging Alicia again.
This time, it wasn't me clinging to her waist, but a full-on, frontal embrace.
“Wh-wh-wh-hey! Guwon! What are you doing!”
And at that exact moment, my party members finally appeared from the passage connecting to the 4th Floor.