Its body was a darker shade of green than a regular Goblin.
Unlike the bony build of Goblins, the Goblin General’s body was covered in muscle.
In terms of physique, it might have been closer to an Ogre than a Goblin.
“――――――”
Keiichiro quietly faced off against the Boss.
The Goblin General was a C-Rank Boss Monster.
Its rank alone was lower than an Ogre’s.
However, Keiichiro didn’t let his guard down.
“Gugu…”
The Goblin General began to rise.
Its body length was just under 10 meters.
The Boss Room was a huge chamber.
The Goblin General had been sitting on a stone dais.
Around him, numerous stone pillars stretched out like in a limestone cave.
—A Boss Room is, quite literally, a room for the Boss.
For Monsters that wielded fire, a room like a crater.
For flying Monsters, a room with few footholds.
The room is set up so the Boss can fight advantageously.
A C+ Rank outside the Dungeon.
A C-Rank inside a Boss Room.
If asked which was the more formidable enemy, it was undoubtedly the latter.
Monsters benefiting from a Boss Room demonstrate abilities exceeding their rank.
“Gu, Oooooooh!”
The Goblin General roared.
It then reached out to a stone pillar—and snapped it off.
Then, he leaned back, hoisting the stone pillar onto his shoulder.
“…So that’s how it is.”
Keiichiro understood the purpose of this room.
At the same moment, the Goblin General hurled the stone pillar.
Like a javelin throw, the stone pillar aimed straight for Keiichiro.
“Whoa…”
Keiichiro dodged the stone pillar with a side step.
Its control seemed good enough to aim accurately at an enemy.
Keiichiro thought this as he watched the stone pillar shatter from the impact of landing.
“Another one?”
Before Keiichiro could close the distance, two stone pillars came flying this time.
—It seems intent on fighting while maintaining distance using projectiles.
(No need to rush. Anyway, there’s no way both could hit me.)
The stone pillars were larger than Keiichiro.
It was physically impossible for both to hit him.
(In that case, I just need to focus on the one aimed to pierce me.)
Keiichiro focused his attention only on the stone pillar on a trajectory to hit him.
There was no need to worry about an attack that wouldn’t hit him.
“Trap Set—[Arrow].”
An Arrow appeared in Keiichiro’s palm.
Confirming this, he dashed towards the stone pillar.
“Hup…”
Keiichiro dodged the stone pillar at the very last moment.
An evasion so close he could have touched it by reaching out his hand.
That’s why he—touched the stone pillar with the hand the Arrow was stuck to.
The Arrow’s forced movement activated.
Ignoring both gravity and the law of inertia, the stone pillar’s direction of travel reversed 180 degrees.
“Gah!?”
The redirected stone pillar exploded against the Goblin General’s face.
However, what hit wasn’t the pointed tip, but the flat, broken end.
That’s why the Goblin General staggered but didn’t fall.
“Sorry, but I’d rather not lose to a Goblin when it comes to brains.”
Racking up damage with projectiles from outside striking range.
Keiichiro wouldn’t allow such an easy tactic.
Instead, he used the stone pillar to attack the Goblin General.
The Goblin General’s response to that was—
“Gu, Ooooh!”
—The Goblin General crushed the stone pillar it held aloft.
“I see. That cunning is just what you’d expect from an evolved Goblin species.”
Keiichiro instantly saw through the enemy’s intention.
The throwing tactic the Goblin General employed had two weaknesses.
First, it wouldn’t hit Keiichiro.
Second, it could be reflected by Keiichiro’s [Arrow].
However, by crushing the stone pillar into a large amount of small stones, the situation changed.
The fine rock fragments spread out like buckshot, not allowing the enemy to evade.
Even if reflected by [Arrow], mere crushed pebbles wouldn’t deal damage to the Goblin General.
A clever move that turned even the decrease in power due to the projectiles becoming smaller into an advantage.
It was cunning typical of the Goblin species.
“Can’t dodge this.”
As the Goblin General swung its arm, rock fragments assaulted Keiichiro like rain.
Front, back, left, right.
No matter where he tried to flee, he couldn’t get out of the impact area.
So, what should he do—
“Trap Set—[Duet].”
Keiichiro touched the remnants of a stone pillar stuck in the ground nearby.
The direction indicated by the Arrow attached to the pillar was—up.
“This should do it—”
How does one dodge the rain?
It’s simple.
Just go above the rain clouds.
Keiichiro leaped even higher than the parabolic arc drawn by the projectiles.
The power of the stacked Arrows was tremendous, and his body instantly landed on the ceiling.
Keiichiro thrust his Dual Swords into the ceiling, fixing his body in place.
“Alright, sending it back.”
Keiichiro smiled.
Then, he released his left hand from one of his swords.
“Trap Set—[Arrow] + [Slash].”
An [Arrow] in his left palm, and a [Slash] trap sigil just in front of him.
When Keiichiro pressed his left hand against the [Slash] trap, the two traps fused, transforming into something even more powerful.
A raging storm of slashes blew fiercely.
They—reaped the rock protrusions extending from the ceiling.
The severed rock spikes—rained down upon the Goblin General.
“Gu, O…?”
The Goblin General protected its face with its arm.
But a large amount of debris fell onto its broad back.
Unable to bear it, the Goblin General lowered its head.
Its posture was like that of a criminal awaiting execution at the guillotine.
“――――Trap Set.”
“――――[Quartet].”
Keiichiro attached an Arrow to one of the ceiling protrusions he had intentionally left untouched.
There was no need for posture control.
Thus, the number of stacked Arrows was a lavish four.
“It’s over.”
Riding the Arrow, Keiichiro was launched towards the ground.
His body rapidly accelerated, heading for the ground like a black lightning bolt.
Keiichiro landed, grazing past the Goblin General’s neck.
“Gi… Ga?”
The Goblin General let out a puzzled voice.
He hadn’t noticed.
That when Keiichiro passed by, its head had been cut off.
A few seconds later, as if suddenly remembering, the Goblin General’s head shifted.
The head began to fall.
However, before it could reach the ground, the Goblin General vanished.
☆
“Level 79, huh.”
Keiichiro murmured, looking down at his Adventurer Card.
Yesterday, when he was expelled from 【Holy Sword】, his level was 75.
One level in the forest on the outskirts of Mato.
One level from the fight with the Ogre.
And two levels in this Dungeon.
In just a few days, Keiichiro’s level had risen by 4.
From his experience up until now, this was an unthinkable situation.
“Little by little, I’m getting stronger.”
Keiichiro clenched his fist.
A smile naturally formed on his face.
He could visibly see himself getting stronger.
It was a nostalgic, long-awaited feeling.
“Is this the drop?”
Keiichiro crouched down and picked up a shining object.
It was a ring.
A simple ring, adorned with a red gem.
—In Dungeons, Monsters that die vanish like mist.
And sometimes, items are left behind where the corpse should have been.
Adventurers call these dropped items.
They are the main source of income for Adventurers.
“This looks kind of familiar… Does it enhance Fire-attribute attacks…?”
Keiichiro himself was once on the front lines.
He had seen his fair share of valuable items.
He felt like there was equipment like this ring among them.
Its market price was a little over 100,000.
It had a decent effect, but it wasn’t what you’d call a top-tier item.
It was mid-to-high middle rank equipment.
“I do have the [Flame] Trap, so it probably won’t go to waste, but—”
Keiichiro thought for a moment.
A second-rate item.
An item with more sentimental value than monetary worth.
In that case—
“Might as well give it to Reizei as a present.”
He was able to explore this Dungeon thanks to Reizei Akino.
As promised, she was helping him grow stronger.
He’d said he’d pay her back for her support, but it probably wouldn’t hurt to return the favor a little.
“—Time to head back.”
And so, Keiichiro’s Dungeon conquest ended in success.
Next time, the second heroine (?) will appear.