Chapter: 42
[Turn right at the alley. Slow down.]
‘Again?’
[Yeah. Again.]
It’s strange.
The frequency of encountering Argos is increasing.
Even though I’m walking along the route that avoids meeting Argos as much as possible, it still happens.
This isn’t a normal situation.
It feels as if those Argos are pinpointing my location and then moving accordingly.
I want to think it’s just my imagination, but having lived in this wretched world so far, I know better.
The chance that this is a mere illusion is slimmer than the likelihood that things are spiraling out of control.
In times like this, it’s far better to assume the worst rather than the best.
Even if this is just me being overly dramatic.
I quickly concocted a new route in my head.
I had originally planned to just meander around Area A of this laboratory, dodging Argos.
In terms of biding time safely, this was the best strategy after all.
Without the need for any battles, I could ensure my safety by moving along with the right timing – where’s a strategy better than that?
However, since I can’t tell whether I’m walking on asphalt or precarious ice, I can’t stick to the same strategy.
It’s time to change my plan.
‘I’ll move a bit faster.’
“Foolish ones. I’ll pick up the pace, so keep up.”
I do have a plan in mind.
In the Soul Academy’s dungeon, there exists a safe zone.
Commonly referred to as the save area.
In addition to monsters not respawning, it’s a place where you can recover health and mana.
Of course, since this world isn’t a game, there’s no such thing as save points.
Moreover, there’s no mechanism for complete recovery of health or mana.
But there’s one thing.
As long as there are no monsters respawning and as long as I’m not attacking inside there, they won’t come near.
I’m sure of this, having heard it from Posel during our last raid on Evans’ dungeon.
If we can reach that place, we wouldn’t have to worry about monster threats anymore.
Even knowing this, the reason I didn’t head towards the safe zone was that to get there, I would have to face an enemy.
There’s a monster blocking the path to the safe zone.
At that time, I thought it was just a gimmick to prevent us from bypassing it without a fight, but now it’s turned into a rather annoying issue.
What kind of monster is it, you ask? I have no idea.
It’s completely random.
Of course, it won’t be a boss or named monster.
It could just be any normal monster that exists in the ‘place where the alchemist stays.’ Nothing is predetermined.
Among those monsters, there are certainly some that would be extremely dangerous if I were to encounter them, so I set my plan to head for the safe zone aside.
But now I’m convinced that a variable is starting to emerge, so it’s time to elevate Plan B to Plan A.
First, let’s confirm what kind of guardian monster is waiting for us.
Once I determine it’s manageable, I can either take it down or think of another way – simple as that.
Heading towards the spot the guardian is waiting at isn’t particularly difficult.
We’ve been circling the same area repeatedly while dodging battles before.
Advancing without encountering any enemies isn’t that challenging.
Finally reaching the narrow path directly before the safe zone, I could see the monster guarding it.
Its arms were thin enough to snap off with a touch, and its legs were cartoonishly thin and stubby.
With abnormally large red eyes and a giant pointed hat that hid its head.
The chimera “Witch,” one of the monsters that appear in the ‘place where the alchemist stays.’
That creature is among the more finicky of the regular monsters.
First off, range attacks are annoying as hell,
And true to its name, it torments users with various curses and magic, which is frustrating,
But what enrages me the most is how it’s designed to target the rear rather than the front.
In its defense, or perhaps in a weird twist of fate,
This creature that focuses on debuffs and rear attacks comes with the penalty of having weak magical damage.
If this were a game, I’d probably be grumbling, “Oh great, that little bastard showed up again,” but this time it’s different.
All its strengths are predicated on the assumption that it can tear through the party members in the back.
In other words, if it can’t attack the rear, it’s basically just a piece of scrap with specs lower than the various monsters present here.
Yet somehow, I possess a taunt skill so ridiculously powerful that it could draw aggro even from Knights much higher than my level.
‘Hey, everyone…’
“Fools. We’re going to take that down now.”
“…Are we really going for that?”
Upon my words, Joy hesitated, and Jacob didn’t voice anything, but fear was written all over his face.
Despite that, I stood firm on my opinion.
A near-optimal situation unfolded just as I had imagined.
If we can just get past this hurdle, we’ll secure our safety, so why would I back down?
‘Yes. We have to.’
“What? Are you scared? What a bunch of cowards.”
“However…”
‘Don’t worry…’
“Don’t worry. You fools will be just fine. Like the cowards you are, just stay back and support me.”
The two of them ended up nodding.
At that moment, they acknowledged my leadership to this party.
Surely, results are what build trust.
After giving the two of them a rough direction for the fight, I tightened my grip on my shield and stepped out into the alley.
The witch and I locked eyes, her enormous eyes curving like a crescent moon.
[Girl. He’s strong.]
‘I know.’
Even though I referred to her as garbage before, that only applied when considering this dungeon.
In comparison to me right now, her specs are likely much higher.
[This could be dangerous.]
‘I get that?’
Maybe it would have been right to just keep dodging monsters as I was before.
Perhaps I was just overthinking and recklessly stepping into danger instead.
But there’s no turning back now.
The enemy stands before me.
[Aren’t you scared?]
‘I’m fine.’
The fear building in my heart is suppressed by my skill.
The weak desire to flee is blocked by my skill.
And so, I can muster up my courage.
[If you don’t regret it, I’ll do my best to assist.]
‘I’d appreciate it.’
The witch looked at me mischievously and, with a flick of her long arm, giggled.
Is she thinking of me as some weak little toy?
It’s annoying how, despite having previously done only the prescribed actions in the game, now she appears to have a personality.
With a deep breath,
I didn’t plan the words I was about to say.
Setting anything in stone just isn’t my style, you know?
“Funny-looking piece of trash?♡ Your arms are creepy, your legs like a doll, and your face is disgusting!♡ I don’t know who made you, but they must’ve hated you! There’s just no other explanation!♡”
At my provocation, the witch’s eyes transformed from crescent moons into full moons before shifting to straight lines.
Her formerly animated arms and legs stiffened, and I could see the mana swirling around her.
At the same time, the exhilaration of my skill enveloped me.
[Girl. It’s coming.]
Without a moment’s pause, a magic circle appeared right in front of the witch as I lifted my feet from the ground.
[Shadow Hand! This is…]
‘I don’t need the explanation!’
While I didn’t know what the Shadow Hand magic was, I could guess what kind of spell it was.
Since I had memorized the patterns the witch used.
Most likely, countless hands would spring from behind her and try to capture me.
Freezing for a moment, I turned my gaze to the witch’s back.
Countless black, shadowy hands popped out.
Just as expected.
The counter for that technique is simple.
I mentally counted to one and then rolled forward.
I heard the sound of the stone floor shattering from the spot I was just standing.
Then, as soon as I got back up, I jumped sideways again.
The grasping hands that had sought to ensnare me clawed at the empty air.
Finally, regaining my stance, I dashed forward and the hands began to tangle with each other, losing their chase on me.
[Here comes the next one!]
As the witch realized her magic had failed, she rushed to cast the next spell, but at that moment, a fireball landed directly on her face.
Boom!
Although the power of it wasn’t that strong, that was irrelevant here.
What mattered was that I had interrupted the witch’s casting.
That was all.
Nice one, Joy!
I run.
Without thinking about anything else, I sprint forward.
Running is something I’ve done endlessly over the past week, past months.
So, running faster was an easy task for me.
The moment the smoke that had been obscuring the witch’s sight cleared, I had already arrived right in front of her.
As my mace lifted high, the witch nervously began preparing a new spell.
There was no need to heed the old man’s words.
In close quarters, there’s only one spell she tends to cast.
The attack reflection magic.
If you mindlessly attack, this nasty creature will counter your own strike with its own!
But if you can anticipate this in advance, it’s not hard to deal with.
This magic carries a strong effect, but the duration isn’t long.
I froze in place, mace still held aloft.
The witch’s bewildered eyes met mine.
“Pathetic trash♡ Just die already!♡”
As her magic finished, I brought my mace down on the witch’s head.
The witch staggered back, dazed by the blow.
I didn’t take her out in a single hit, but I could feel the damage land.
I can take her down. It’s possible!
[Don’t give her an inch. Push the attack!]
‘Do you think I don’t know that?!’
I charged forward once more.
To take down the monster who was preparing her magic with that bewildered expression.
The deepest reaches of the dungeon.
In a room darkened only by the blood spilled by living beings, the alchemist, as if playing with a child’s toy, twisted together the limbs of an unknown creature and lifted his head.
“I can sense the cursed power of Armadi.”
Armadi.
A being that oppresses the world in the name of Order.
Why can I sense its power within my laboratory?
The alchemist took out a staff he had fashioned from the bones and flesh of some creature from the air and struck it against the ground.
Thereupon, his authority spread throughout the entire lab and soon the alchemist located the source of that power.
An intruder has entered.
Someone blessed by Armadi has come into my laboratory.
The alchemist, using his magic eye to inspect the intruder, licked his decaying tongue in delight.
What a fine test subject.
Though small in stature, it seems to have various blessings engraved within, which should be fun to play with.
Above all, there is no more beautiful melody than the scream of a disciple of Armadi.
The alchemist discarded the toy in his hand and moved his heavy body.
In pursuit of prey that was unaware it was caught in a trap.
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