Chapter 10: Twilight’s Kin – 03
The next day begins on the 11th floor.
By the third day in the Dungeon, the longing for sunlight becomes palpable. Back in Japan, I hardly ever thought about the sun, but it’s strange how things change.
The first foe to appear is the Hobgoblin Leader, an advanced variant of the Hobgoblin encountered on the upper floors. It’s noticeably larger, and its weapon has upgraded from a club to a metal Mace.
That said, since it’s purely physical in nature, I have no problem facing up to ten of them at once. They drop the same Mace as material, which I assume will be melted down for reuse.
From the 13th floor onward, the smaller version of the Gigant Viper starts to appear. Even though it’s called “small,” it measures about 7 to 8 meters in length and is thicker than an ordinary snake. It seems that even the strongest adventurers would struggle to escape if ensnared, but all I need to do is crush its head first. Out of curiosity, I once let myself get wrapped up in one, but I managed to break free and tear its neck apart with my bare hands. At this point, I might as well be the monster.
On the 15th floor, we encounter the Poison Roots, a plant-type monster that releases troublesome pollen with poison, paralysis, and hallucination effects. It’s a tough enemy if you haven’t acquired resistance skills in lower-class dungeons, but since everyone has some level of resistance, and with Freinir’s Purification to nullify its effects, it wasn’t a threat. Sfenia’s Fire Magic turned it into a pitiful sight as it burned.
The material it drops is a massive piece of wood that can only be carried by someone with an Item Box. It resembles ebony from my previous life and is said to be used for high-end furniture.
Finally, we arrive at the boss room on the lowest floor.
The boss room on the 15th floor is terrifyingly spacious, about twice the size of the usual rooms. The amount of black mist gathering in the center is also quite substantial.
However, this isn’t a sign of multiple foes appearing; it’s because the boss here is the Small Dragon. Despite being called “small,” it’s one of the bosses that serves as a gateway to C-Rank. According to Sfenia, it’s considerably large.
What emerges is a dragon with jet-black scales, looking quite formidable. It resembles a massive dinosaur with wings, and the structure of its head, adorned with impressive horns, exudes a divine aura. From its head to the tip of its tail, it must be around 30 meters long. With its head nearly 10 meters above, I’ll need some ingenuity to strike it with my Mace.
“So this is a Small Dragon? If this is what a small one looks like, how big is a real dragon? Truly the king of monsters,” I remark.
Sfenia shakes her head in a flustered manner.
“No, that’s likely a normal dragon. Given the color of its scales, it might even be an advanced variant.”
“Wait, does that mean it’s a rare boss? How lucky!”
Standing before a dragon and calling it “lucky” seems to indicate that Larni’s sense of danger is quite dulled, but either way, we have no choice but to fight. It’s better than being paralyzed with fear.
“Let’s proceed as usual. I’ll handle its breath with my Shockwave, but be cautious. We also need to watch out for its bites, tail, and claws. We should start by taking out its wings; it’ll be troublesome if it takes to the air.”
“Understood!”
“Got it!”
“I’ll cast Divine Light. After that, I’ll aim for its wings with Holy Light.”
Divine Light shines brightly. However, Freinir quickly adds, “It feels weak. It seems to have resistance.” As expected of the king of monsters.
“GRRRRAAAAHHHH!!”
The dragon roars with a volume that shakes the surroundings, as if it has deemed us a threat. Without the support of mental skills, I would have been immobilized by that alone.
“Flame Bolt!“
Sfenia’s magic pierces one of its wings. It seems the Penetration skill applies to magic as well, as several holes appear in the membrane of the dragon’s wing.
“GRRRROOOOAAAHHH!!”
The dragon, filled with rage, half-turns its body. It intends to sweep its massive tail across us. But I brace myself and absorb the impact with my large shield. My skills in Stability, Immovable, Steel Core, Steel Body, and Strength allow me to withstand the force equivalent to a dump truck’s charge.
I retaliate by smashing my Mace into the tail covered in armor-like scales. Some parts of it turn to mush and scatter, but it doesn’t quite reach the point of severing.
“GRRRROOOOAAAHHH!?”
The dragon hastily retracts its tail to regain its stance. In that moment, Larni leaps up using Jump and slashes through the middle of its wing. It doesn’t sever it in one blow, but when Freinir’s Holy Light sweeps through the same spot, the wing falls apart halfway.
“GRRRROOOOAAAHHH! GRAAAAHHH!”
The dragon raises its head, its mouth glowing red.
“It’s about to breathe fire!”
Sfenia shouts. I step forward, preparing to take the brunt of the attack head-on.
The dragon thrusts its neck forward, unleashing a torrent of crimson-black flames.
“Hmph!”
At the same time, I unleash my Shockwave at maximum power. Of course, it’s not just a single blast. I activate my Honshin skill to generate multiple layers of Shockwaves in rapid succession.
The two forces collide between me and the dragon. As flames scatter, the temperature in the room rises, indicating the power of the attack. The continuous use of skills drains my stamina, but the dragon’s breath fails to break through my Shockwave defense, and finally, the flames from its mouth cease.
“Advance! Cover me!”
“Yes!”
Holy Light strikes the dragon’s head, followed by a barrage of arrows piercing it. The dragon momentarily halts its movements. Seizing the opportunity, I rush in close to its feet and deliver a powerful blow with my Mace against its thick, scaled leg.
The leg explodes, and the massive body tilts dangerously. The dragon attempts to maintain its balance by flapping its wings, but Larni leaps up and slices through them.
Finally, the dragon’s body crashes to the ground. Even as it falls, it desperately swings its neck around, trying to bite me.
The approaching jaws of the dragon are, paradoxically, the moment I’ve been waiting for. I raise my Mace high and bring it down upon the head of the king of monsters.
“What a magnificent battle. I can hardly believe we defeated a dragon so easily.”
Sfenia exclaims, her voice tinged with excitement as she gazes at the dragon’s corpse, its head now missing.
“It wasn’t easy at all. We only won because everyone’s strengths aligned perfectly; it was a razor-thin victory,” I respond, trying to sound like a leader as I tighten my helmet’s strap. Freinir praises, “As expected of you, Soushi,” while Larni rolls her eyes, saying, “I don’t think taking a breath attack head-on counts as a razor-thin victory.”
“But defeating such a big foe means we’re bound to get some amazing skills, right?”
As soon as Larni says this, a skill slips into my mind.
Freinir receives Range Expansion, a skill that broadens the effective range of her magic. While it may seem modest, the ability for her various support spells to cover a wider area could hold significant importance, especially in the field.
Larni acquires Blade Extension, a skill that allows her to extend the tip of her sword at will during a slash. In essence, it increases her attack range, likely a skill used by Anatoria the Crimson. Combined with Larni’s rapid strikes, its utility is self-evident.
Sfenia gains First Strike, an incredible skill that allows her to cast magic without the need for mental concentration. However, using this skill to cast magic requires a considerable amount of time before she can cast again. Still, since she can perform other actions, this skill is exceptionally compatible for Sfenia, who can also use a bow.
“This means we can assist you even more, Soushi.”
“If Anatoria used this skill, does that mean it’s equivalent to A-Rank? Isn’t that insane!?”
“To think we would gain such powerful skills… We must express our gratitude for meeting you, Soushi.”
The three of them are satisfied with their new skills, but…
“So, what did you get, Soushi?”
“Well, I received something called Vessel of the Commander, which, to put it simply, is a skill that slightly enhances the abilities of party members. That’s fine, but it seems I can also increase the number of troops I can lead at once. However, I don’t quite understand what it means to increase troops.”
Yes, the skill I obtained sounds impressive, but part of its effect is rather perplexing.
“Increasing troops… As you said, Soushi, it certainly doesn’t make much sense. If the troops represent us, then it seems obvious that you could increase them…”
As I ponder Freinir’s words, Sfenia speaks up, “Perhaps…”
“Typically, an adventurer party consists of a maximum of five members. Do you know why that is, Soushi?”
“No, I just thought it was a customary limit.”
“Actually, during battles with dungeon bosses, no more than six people can enter at the same time. Over time, this has naturally led to the belief that parties should consist of five members. It’s become an unspoken rule, so it’s not even mentioned in guild guides.”
“I see… So does that mean the Vessel of the Commander skill allows for an increase in the number of people who can enter the boss room at once?”
“I believe that’s a possibility. If so, it could be a very interesting skill. There are still some bosses in high-difficulty dungeons that have yet to be defeated. If this skill helps in overcoming such bosses, it could be incredibly useful.”
Hmm, so this skill is subtly suggesting that I should gather more allies. It seems that the number of additional members I can bring increases with my level, but for now, it appears I can only add one. Either way, to test this skill’s effect, I’ll need two more companions. Honestly, that feels like a higher difficulty than defeating a dragon… Well, I’ll just keep it in mind for when the opportunity arises.