A small flame shot from the fist of the Human Golem.
“Rocket punch?!”
An unexpected blow. My eyes widened at such a romantic technique, but unfortunately, I couldn’t stare at it for long.
That’s because it was coming at me faster than I thought. If it hit, it would probably pack quite a punch.
Of course. Even if that fist had no special function, a metal chunk thrown with full force by a Third Floor monster would deliver a fair amount of shock.
Sure, it wasn’t a critical hit, and the armor made from the newly acquired Minotaur leather would probably hold up well against it… but letting myself get hit without putting up a fight seemed a bit disappointing.
Above all, it didn’t sit well with me to just take a hit while that guy was throwing a rocket punch. It would break the flow of battle.
Thus, instead of defending, I focused my mind on the emblem on my chest. And…
Bam!
Kicking off the air, I heard something burst and my view distorted.
I kicked out with all my might, and to my surprise, I moved much faster than when I run on the ground, thanks to some strange elasticity.
Or more accurately, I was reaching my top speed, having built up real acceleration.
I hadn’t noticed it when using it lightly indoors, but this was how it worked?
If it wasn’t just adding speed, but actively assisting with rapid acceleration, then I wouldn’t need to worry about controlling my strength too much.
Smiling mischievously, I twisted my body mid-air. And jumped a second time.
Bam!
The first jump was to avoid the rocket punch, and the second was to charge at the Human Golem who had lost one of its arms.
“Huff!”
I zigzagged through the air. The Human Golem seemed to have been caught off guard and paused for a moment. It raised its other arm late, but… it was already too late.
Crunch!
The dagger lodged itself in its nape. Overwhelmed by the shock from my speed, it toppled backward.
It looked as if it had been ambushed by a beast, with the neck bitten.
However, the Human Golem wasn’t made of flesh and blood. Cold metal and lubricants made up most of its body.
The Unicorn Dagger, as it had before, couldn’t tear its neck apart in one swift move.
But the intricate gears and the cylinder spewing steam could not withstand the dagger’s cut.
Little parts were actually sliced off, and even some of the thicker ones were bent or had deep gashes that rendered them useless.
Sizzle…
The Human Golem, instead of blood, let out vapor from its nape and flopped down, finally ceasing movement.
“…Should I call this dead?”
I had aimed for the neck out of habit, but isn’t it weird that a golem would even fall from a beheading?
I tilted my head, pulling out the dagger. Another Human Golem charged in a frenzy after seeing its fallen comrade, but I had to confirm something first. Was the nape truly their weakness?
It didn’t take long for me to judge. Thankfully, comparing the last Human Golem’s appearance with the cross-section I could easily deduce the answer.
“Cylinders.”
The Third Floor was practically steampunk in theme. Surely, hydraulic cylinders were key components for them.
One couldn’t help but wonder why they’d display such an important part, but… well, they probably had their reasons. After all, when you looked purely at their specs, they seemed too solid for mere minions.
Understanding why these strong creatures were placed at the entrance where the weakest monsters appeared made a lot of sense, given their clear weaknesses.
…Not that I had the luxury to think deeply!
The first thing that caught my eye was the hydraulic cylinder, and now I had to aim to break it.
I had spent all my power on the emblem. For a brief moment, I wouldn’t be able to jump in midair.
But the Human Golems that were attacking me didn’t know that. Plus, I had just performed quite the flashy move, so they had to be wary of my aerial jumps.
So, I ran low and fast, almost hugging the ground.
I hunched my waist down. My already small stature became even smaller, seemingly vanishing in an instant.
The ones at a distance, who were looking my way, seemed startled, and their punches wavered.
With their arms inadvertently raised awkwardly as they hastily pulled them down, they had given me the chance I needed.
Taking advantage of that brief moment, I activated the Transparent Cloak and Haste Boots. My mana was running low, but I could manage for a short while.
The nearest Human Golem. Had it been a beast in its former life… no, it might be strange to say it’s dead now. Anyway, its brain was still functioning.
Whatever the case, I slipped behind the golem, which sported seemingly unnecessary ears and tails that might’ve belonged to a beast race.
What I saw was three hydraulic cylinders embedded along its spine.
Indeed. While one had cylinders near the shoulder, this guy had them on its back.
I had no idea why their positions differed, but spotting a gap like that meant it was time to go for it.
“…!”
I bit my lip tight and precisely severed the connection between the cylinder and the body with my dagger.
Thud. Clunk!
A deflated sound. At the same time, steam burst out like crazy.
The hot steam felt as though it might burn if I hit it wrong, but… thanks to my moist skin ability, perhaps?
It hurt a bit, but it wasn’t unbearable. No burns formed either.
Hiding my body within the steam, I activated Silence Steps.
Maybe because I had reached the first stage. I felt like I was concealed behind a thicker curtain that enveloped my entire being.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
The remaining three Human Golems quickly lost track of my presence. The ones that had just lost two comrades erupted with rage, releasing clouds of steam.
One even took a swing at the vapor.
Boom!
A punch landed a few steps away from me. But the force was not to be underestimated. It didn’t just impact the ground; it sank into it.
“Ahaha.”
Though their bodies were solid, they weren’t particularly fast, and their weaknesses were glaring—why exactly were they a Third Floor monster?
It turns out their power was no joke. And they move in packs when something happens.
I could probably endure one hit, but I wouldn’t be able to maintain my stance. What awaited afterward would be countless steel fists. I’d be turned into a mush in no time.
They were the type of monsters that wouldn’t allow me to get hit without preparation… which makes them the easiest type for me.
In any case, if I don’t get hit, that’s all that matters.
I squeezed out the remaining mana, activating the Transparent Cloak and Haste Boots again. The mana I had restored with potions was nearly all spent. Pushing it further would put me on the verge of exhaustion again.
So, I had to take down at least two.
I kicked away the remains of the Human Golem that lay on the ground.
Breaking through the steam, I dashed forward as their focus was momentarily drawn.
With the Haste from my boots and the speed increase from the first stage of Silence Steps, the acceleration was beyond my imagination.
The speed made it hard for my consciousness to keep up. Until I got used to it, it would be tough to do anything else while moving.
But that was acceleration to a degree that I didn’t need to worry a bit.
With pointed ears like an elf, I approached the Human Golem, plunging my dagger into the gaps between its joints, tearing it apart like it was a puppet.
Squelch. Crack.
It wasn’t spewing steam like the first two, but the more it tried to move, the more its own weight crushed down on it.
Eventually, it became half incapacitated, rolling on the ground. Leaving the flailing Human Golem behind, I turned my gaze to the remaining two.
By this point, they realized they had been deceived and were scanning their surroundings for me.
Seemingly noticing there must be some sort of stealth mechanism at play, they started throwing punches out of desperation.
Boom!
A rocket punch was aimed at me. These guys were indeed intelligent.
But high intelligence also means it can be tricked. Making a note of that in my mind.
Smirking quietly, I channeled mana into my emblem as its cooldown had reset.
Pop!
I jumped up from the ground, and then, soaring high once more.
My mana was low, so the invisibility dropped. I made quite a noisy ascent, which meant even though I had silenced my presence, they would have sensed my position.
Of course, the bonus of speed increase from being in stealth was also gone.
But I could at least manage to take down two.
I activated my second aerial jump aimed at the closest one.
Swoosh!
My body felt like an arrow being shot. Maybe to intercept me, it raised its arm that had no wrist, while the opposite fist was aimed at me.
Then came the final rocket punch. There was no way to dodge this one.
Not that I had any intention to.
I shoved my dagger in and quickly pulled out the greatsword I had just recently refined.
This crude weapon, made from the very horns of a Minotaur, might feel light to me, but it was heavy enough to use with full force against the opponent.
Whoosh!
As the greatsword swept through the air, it collided with the rocket punch with a bang.
Crunch!
The alloy crumbled. It seemed the Minotaur’s horn had the upper hand in weight and density.
After all, regardless of whether we’re talking Second or Third Floor, the gulf between minions and floor guardians was absolute.
The impact sent the Human Golem’s head rattling, staring dumbfounded at me.
Boom!
The main body being made of metal, I couldn’t slice it apart completely, but it had nearly crumpled beyond recognition.
Blood trickled out from the dented metal plate and damaged gears.
It was likely the brain, which could be considered the core, had taken a hit.
Now only one remained. This one was likely the same one that had thrown a rocket punch when I hid among the steam, now rushing at me barehanded.
It had a typical human frame, possibly human in origin, yet its metal body thudded loudly as it charged.
If it collided with me, I’d be sure to be crushed flat. Calmly, I aimed my wrist crossbow at it.
Three arrows soared in rapid succession. The Human Golem, overly confident in its solid form, let out a short puff of steam before charging forward.
And that was its signal.
When the arrows flew toward it, they merely ricocheted off its hard armor.
The fallen arrows triggered small explosions upon hitting the ground.
Boom!
The ground was dented, causing the Golem to stumble. I smiled at it as it desperately tried to regain its balance to prevent falling outright.
“Expensive equipment really lives up to its price.”
I then swung my greatsword in a full arc.
Whack!
The metal on its chest shattered, scattering gears everywhere.
Much steam erupted afterward, along with a bit of blood. That was the end of it.
Looking over the motionless remains, I wiped the sweat from my forehead.
“Really solid indeed…”
It was truly fortunate that I had just procured that greatsword.
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