Chapter 32 Wings Beat
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”What are the odds of this happening, really?”
We stood before the boss chamber doors on the tenth floor. From the fifth to the ninth, every single floor had spawned a Goblin Commander—and we had defeated them all.
That lucky streak had drained us somewhat. Ethelena and Tatia both managed to level up, but I was probably the most worn down. I had been taking hits and using skills to secure firepower. Torakuma barely broke a sweat—her raw physical attack let her cut down almost everything instantly. Tatia’s absurd defense, both against physical and magic, meant the goblins barely scratched her. On top of that, Tatia’s low level made leveling easy, which healed her stamina each time.
”Still, even if it’s just coincidence, doesn’t it feel too perfect? As if someone willed it,” Torakuma muttered.
”In other words, whether lucky or unlucky, it’s extreme,” I sighed, holding my head.
Back when it was only a game, the spawn rate of Goblin Commander was about five percent. And we’d pulled them four times in a row. What kind of rigged dice was that? To make things worse, iron ore and ingots refused to drop. The chests spat out steel instead. It was as if the world itself didn’t want Tatia to get her equipment made. Seriously, why does the world hold such a grudge against Tatia?
”So, Tatara. How’s our material stock?”
”You noticed too… Not a single piece of iron. At this rate, we’ll probably need to push all the way to the twenty-sixth floor.”
”Past the twenty-second floor we reached last time, then. Why twenty-six?”
”Because that’s when the Golem family appears. If we can meet an Iron Golem, we’ll finally have iron.”
The Golem family showed up from the twenty-sixth floor onward—lumbering, near-impenetrable monsters with sky-high defenses and strong attacks. Not being living beings, they resisted almost all status effects. Honestly, they were nastier than ogres.
We could technically ignore them and press on, but the floor boss there was a Golem as well, so either way, we’d need countermeasures. That was why I’d been planning to finish my magic-accelerated rifle. But since I wasn’t supposed to challenge that floor yet, the prototype wasn’t done.
I did have other tricks, but each one risked being called insane again. Still, with pitfall traps and liquefied mana stones for heat, I could melt their outer shells easily enough. Materials weren’t an issue.
”So, what about the boss here?” Ethelena asked, pulling me back from my thoughts.
The simplest strategy was clear.
”Tatia charges straight in. Once all the enemies focus on her, Ethelena snipes the Warrior, I close in on the Wizard and finish it. While Tatia keeps the Lord busy, Torakuma moves in for the kill. That’s probably the fastest route.”
With her new level, Tatia’s toughness outclassed mine. She wasn’t hitting as hard as me yet, but if she surpassed me now, I’d have to wonder if she was half-golem.
Torakuma’s attack power was unknown, but definitely above one hundred. The strongest shield paired with the strongest blade would hold the boss down. Ethelena could pick off her target quickly, and then support us. If her [Charm skill] activated, the fight would be even easier.
As for me—whether I could kill the Wizard in one blow. I really should consider upgrading my warhammer after this.
”I agree with that plan,” Torakuma said after a pause of thought.
”I’ve got no problem with it,” Ethelena added.
Both nodded—Torakuma after careful weighing, Ethelena probably just because I was the one who proposed it.
”…Tatara-dono, may I ask something?” Tatia’s voice cut in, hesitant.
”What is it?”
”I don’t know much about this boss. Could you tell me in detail?”
”…Sure. Got it.”
For her to ask for information herself—finally, a sign of growth.
”First off, the boss here is a Goblin Lord.”
”A goblin, then.”
”Yeah. Dungeon bosses are always of the same race as the mobs from the floor before. Since this floor has goblins, the boss is their higher rank—the Lord.”
”The Lord above the Commander, hm? As a knight-in-training, I almost feel rude pointing my blade at him.”
She said it half-jokingly, and I couldn’t help but grin.
”The biggest difference from the Commander is its command ability. The Lord can boost all goblin attack power.”
”Oh? Then the Commanders didn’t have that effect?”
”Exactly. Commanders could only issue tactics. The kamikaze types or weapon-throwers wouldn’t act at all without one. That’s why we didn’t see leaping goblins this time.”
I had explained all this before we entered the dungeon, but only now did she seem to really listen. Maybe leveling up through those Commander battles had sharpened her.
”The Lord is basically an upgraded Commander. Its base stats are boosted, HP too.”
”My defense will still hold?”
”It will. A Goblin Lord isn’t enough to break you.”
”…I see.”
”But, there’s one thing to watch out for.”
”What’s that?”
”Goblins don’t use it much in the field, but once their HP drops below half, they have a trump card. It’s called [Soul of the Gob]. For one strike only, their attack power becomes five times stronger.”
”A trump card…”
”Yeah. The boss can’t run, so if it gets cornered, it’ll almost always use it.”
”…I understand.”
She fell quiet, brows furrowed in thought.
”Do you know the damage it caused?”
”When I faced it, the hit landed for two hundred damage after armor. Without my guard, it would’ve been two-forty.”
”…That much.”
Her expression hardened.
”Back then, my armor wasn’t nearly as tough as now. If it’s you, Tatia, you can reduce it even more as long as you meet it head-on.”
”…Truly? You think so?”
”Yes. You can do it, future Guardian Knight.”
”Guardian Knight… fufu, I like that. Guardian Knight.”
The lines eased from her brow, her lips curving into a gentle smile. The tension bled away.
”…That way of standing beside someone—that’s what I love about you, Tatara. And what I hate.”
”Ethelena, you must feel it too. Even I get a little… prickly about it,” Torakuma said.
”Right? I mean, I told Father not to steal my friends, and here you are being kind to every other girl you see.”
”Nonsense. I am what you call your hako-oshi (T/N: fan who only supports one favorite). For me, Tatara with anyone else is… a betrayal of my interpretation.”
”…Problematic fan.”
I caught fragments of their weird back-and-forth behind me. Somehow, I felt like Torakuma and Ethelena were stamping an unflattering label on me.
”Alright, everyone ready?”
”Yeah.”
”Aye.”
”I’m good.”
Each answered with measured tension on their faces.
”Then let’s go.”
The doors opened, revealing a wide chamber with three figures inside: the tenth-floor boss, a Goblin Lord, flanked by its familiar attendants—a Warrior and a Wizard.
”Tatia!”
”Understood!”
I called, and she surged forward. Torakuma shadowed her steps, glancing my way. I met her eyes with a silent I’m counting on you, and her lips curved into a grin.
I veered right, targeting the Wizard.
Ethelena shifted back, keeping the Warrior in her rifle’s range.
The Lord roared, mana swirling around all three.
The Warrior lifted its club at Tatia, but three sharp reports echoed.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Ethelena’s mana bullets ripped through its knee, wrist, and temple in that order. The first shot ruined its stance, the second spoiled its swing, and the third erased half its head.
It collapsed with a crash, and Tatia sprinted past without slowing.
Her support had grown sharper than before. I closed the gap to the Wizard.
Sixty meters. Two breaths.
A fireball streaked toward me. I raised my arm and charged through.
Magic Attack 20 + [Demi-Fiend’s Command] 15 + [Fire Arrow] = 35 vs 108. Result: zero.
The Black Iron Armor’s boosted magic defense turned it into nothing but a warm splash. The sight alone rattled the Wizard, costing it a beat.
Twenty meters. One more breath.
I swung full force.
Weapon Accuracy 54 vs 16. Hit
Physical Attack 54 vs 10. Fatal.
The hammer’s sideways arc obliterated its skull. The armor’s synergy let me kill without skills, and exploration would only get easier.
I turned. Tatia was holding off the Lord head-on.
She deflected slashes with the back of her hand, turned thrusts with her elbow. That wasn’t just toughness—that was her father’s Arrow-Evasion Method. The family resemblance tugged a stray thought through my head at the worst moment.
Judging from her movements, she couldn’t pierce its defense. Instead, she stalled, waiting for an opening to hand it over.
Then—she batted its strike upward, slipped aside, and switched places with Torakuma.
Three swift combos later, Torakuma carved the Lord down.
”…Not bad, Tatia. You’ve improved,” she said. Her tone wasn’t full praise, but warmer than the frozen air before.
”…Really?” Tatia sounded unsure, shadowed by past scoldings. But here, this was where she needed confidence. Failures get corrected. Successes must be recognized. That was how she’d grow straight instead of twisted.
”That move—you judged your attacks couldn’t beat the Lord, right? Hold your head up.”
”Y-yeah… but as a knight, is that alright?”
”To challenge foes you can’t beat alone is the duty of a hero, not a knight. When stronger allies stand beside you, lean on them.”
”…I see. Yes, that makes sense.”
Her expression brightened again. She still had that reckless streak, but compared to the start, this was progress.
”Then, Tatia,” Ethelena chimed in, pointing, “to celebrate your first boss kill, open the drop chest.”
Tatia hesitated.
”Boss chests never have traps or locks. It’s fine,” I reassured.
She glanced at me. I nodded firmly. Finally, she stepped up.
”Then… here goes!”
With a determined shout, she threw the chest open, peered inside, and tilted her head.
”…A stone? No, a crystal?”
She lifted out a blue object. Its glassy surface caught the light like a jewel. Familiar, but what was it?
”Tatia, what did you get?”
”I… I don’t know. I’m no good with such things. Tatara-dono, could you Appraise it?”
”Leave it to me.”
Good—learning when to lean on others. That was the point.
I cast Appraisal on the crystal in her hands.
Accessory: Floating Stone
Speed +5
Movement +1
Special Ability: Flight
My lips twitched upward. Of all things—it was exactly what I’d wanted for her armor.
The Floating Stone gave its wearer the ability to fly. I didn’t know the mechanism, but even the heaviest armor users could soar. With this, I could build Tatia something far stronger than her current lightened armor with artificial muscle.
Of course, the redesign would deviate so far from the submitted schematics that the City Mayor would never approve.
”Appraisal shows it’s called a Floating Stone. An accessory.”
”Never heard of it,” Ethelena said.
”Rare. With it equipped, you can float in the air.”
”I see. Then it’s wasted on me—I can already fly.” Tatia folded her arms matter-of-factly.
Torakuma mused, “I suppose it sounds fun, but if my feet aren’t on solid ground, who knows how it’ll twist my swordplay. I don’t need it.”
”Me neither,” Ethelena added.
One by one—Tatia, Torakuma, then Ethelena—they all refused. That left me. Maybe I could take it… at least for research.
”Then, mind if I keep it?”
Torakuma arched a brow. “What, Tatara, dreaming of flight?”
”Not exactly. I was thinking I could study its principles and maybe apply it to lighten heavy gear. I probably won’t use it right away, but if I put it into Tatia’s armor, we could thicken her plating without weighing down her wings.”
”What! Such a use is possible!?”
”Well… I won’t know until I test it. But doesn’t it sound like a dream worth chasing?”
”Yes! A dream full of wonder and romance!”
Eyes shining, Tatia pressed the Floating Stone into my hands. If it worked, I could even quintuple the weight of my warhammer without feeling it. Or lighten an anti-material Arcane Gun for Ethelena. The possibilities spread wide.
”Then… I’ll hold onto it.”
I stowed the Floating Stone into my inventory.
”Still,” Torakuma remarked, “not a trace of iron even now.”
Tatia flinched, realizing she’d let the stone distract her from our real goal. Not her fault—my enthusiasm probably fed it.
”Yeah. Sorry, Tatia, but—”
”Wait! I can still—”
”Eh? Oh—no, I didn’t mean we’re stopping here.”
She’d panicked, thinking I wanted to turn back. I meant the opposite. With her defense, we could push deeper without worry.
”Then… what did you mean?”
”I want us to keep going. All the way down to floor twenty-six.”
”Twenty-six!?” Tatia gasped.
”My highest floor… beyond it,” Ethelena whispered.
”Is this reckless… or simply madness?” Torakuma tilted her head.
Each reacted in their own way. But I’d thought it through—if Tatia leveled steadily, she’d soon be sturdy enough to shrug off even a Golem’s strikes. They were tough, yes, but not without weaknesses.
”It’s not madness. Tatia’s growth will make her our strongest shield. If she commits to defense, no blow will pierce.”
”Then what of offense?” Torakuma pressed. “You said Golems were our next foes. Can we hurt them at all?”
”We can. Or rather… if I use my Appraisal for combat, Golems are easy.”
Torakuma sighed. “…Another Tatara Theory.”
”Tatara-dono,” Tatia said carefully, “may I hear the details?”
I hesitated, weighing whether knight order might misuse the knowledge. But with City Mayor and Torakuma both here, the risk felt low.
”My Appraisal—when I focus—it gives me fine details about materials.”
”Isn’t that what it’s supposed to do anyway?” Tatia tilted her head.
”Ah—Tatia doesn’t know,” Torakuma cut in. “His Appraisal is special. You won’t grasp it even if he explains.”
”So that is the Tatara Theory you spoke of?”
”Exactly. Only two people in all of Whirlwind have had it explained, and neither even knew if they could replicate it.”
”…So one cannot be Chief Crafter without standing far beyond the norm,” Tatia murmured.
”Seems that way,” Torakuma agreed.
They’d turned the topic into something about me, but I pushed on.
”In short, I can spot flaws—stress points, fractures, weak spots. For inorganic things only, but that includes Golems. It’s like…” I thought of another world, another tale, “…the Eye That Sees the Death of Things, except limited to minerals. Being a Crafter must be why it doesn’t work on living beings.”
”A strange way to wield a skill indeed,” Tatia admitted.
She’d once called my crafting abnormal, yet here she looked subdued. Torakuma, meanwhile, stroked her chin in thought.
”Tatara,” she said at last.
”…What is it?”
”Will you teach me to use Appraisal that way?”
”What.”
Her request floored me.
”You, wanting to dive into the same Tatara Theory you mocked?”
She chuckled. “At last I admit it myself. I don’t know if I can, but if I could—why, I could even cut iron itself.”
”…Aren’t you already cutting through everything?”
”I don’t wish to strain my beloved katana. The smith who forged her isn’t here to repair her.”
A fair point. Katana are delicate. I still had no mithril recipes, but if we got some this run, maybe I could offer her a new blade.
”…Fine. If you unlock Appraisal, I’ll teach you the trick.”
”Good. I’ll hold you to it.”
If another non-Crafter pulled it off, City Mayor would be thrilled.
”Now then, Tatia,” I turned back, locking eyes with her, “your level’s still low. Can you keep up?”
She smirked, full of confidence. “Not me keeping up with you. It’s you who’ll walk under my protection. Remember, Tatara-dono—you named me your future Guardian Knight.”
Pride flared in her voice. I’d need to watch she didn’t grow arrogant, but seeing her stand tall like this was satisfying.
”Alright. Before we move on, everyone check your skills. We prepare now, or we fall later.”
Each opened their status.
Ethelena tapped at her screen—probably ranking up Gun Aptitude. Tatia fiddled with hers too, though I couldn’t guess at her choices. Torakuma only skimmed hers; she swung that sword so sparingly, her skills rose slow.
I checked mine. At some point, Hammer Mastery IV had maxed. With one tap, I advanced it to Hammer Mastery V.
At last, Master-level lay within reach. Now the question—what next?
We moved on once everyone finished their preparations. Tatia’s eyes went wide at the sight of lush greenery covering the dungeon walls.
”Unbelievable… a Dungeon can change this much?”
”It changes the monsters too,” I explained. “From here on, it’s Orcs. Stronger than Goblins.”
While she marveled, I glanced at Ethelena. She gave a crisp nod and advanced. Tatia hurried to follow without breaking formation—progress already. Torakuma and I brought up the rear. Soon, Ethelena signaled a halt. She’d spotted something. A reminder of the trauma she carried.
”…A pig?” Tatia whispered, peeking past the wall.
Cute at first glance, really. If you didn’t know, you’d never link those creatures to Orcs.
”That’s an Orc. They look harmless now, but once they spot prey, it gets ugly fast.”
”They don’t look like fighters at all…” Torakuma murmured.
”Not right now, no.”
Ethelena raised Lonisera. A single distinct shot cracked the air. The Orc’s skull burst apart before it ever noticed us. No hesitation, no chance of transformation.
”You didn’t get to see it this time,” I told Tatia, “but their main attack is a charging rush.”
”A pig that fights like a boar… how fitting.”
”Not that odd. Pigs were bred down from boars, after all.”
”That reasoning is stretched thin…”
We pressed forward, weaving through forks until we found a treasure chest. No trap, just a lock—Ethelena’s job. Tatia no longer lunged recklessly, which was a relief.
Inside: a single board of Orc Material. Ethelena handed it over with a dead-eyed stare.
”Why does she look so lifeless at that?” Torakuma asked.
”…Because it’s Orc Material,” I said flatly.
”….”
Even Torakuma and Tatia couldn’t find words for how stupid that sounded. At least Ethelena didn’t scream like last time.
Deeper in, an Orc appeared ahead. Upright, twin flamberges strapped to its back—an Orc Slayer. Rare spawn, yet here it was again. Our luck was bizarre today.
”A rare Orc Slayer,” I muttered.
”…Sounds like it slays Orcs, not that it is one,” Tatia said.
”Ha. Thought the same myself.”
I broke down the numbers for her: “Defense’s only one, but it attacks twice thanks to dual weapons. Last time, its raw power was sixty. With dual wield halved to eighty percent, that’s forty-eight. Unless it lands a perfect strike on your throat, your defense will hold.”
”True. My physical defense already exceeds fifty.”
”Level ten or less, starter gear, and already fifty-plus… what the hell.”
With no defensive-boost skills, that was absurd. Still, she’d benefit most from Physical Defense Boost, Magic Defense Boost, and Mobility Boost. Perfect for a front-line decoy.
”What else should I watch for?” Tatia asked.
”It uses a skill called Shirahadashi, giving it absurd evasion. And its stamina regenerates with species traits. Makes for a tough endurance fight.”
”Sounds troublesome…”
She frowned, digesting the intel. I hadn’t even told her the easiest option yet.
”Actually,” I added, “our party has a simple kill method.”
”Oh?”
”Ethelena uses Charm. Once it’s frozen, we cut it down.”
Tatia fell silent, her carefully constructed tactics crumbling in an instant.
”…Would it be wrong to conserve energy and move on quickly?” she asked at last.
”No issue. In fact, Orc Slayers may appear often until floor fifteen. Better to save strength.”
If Goblin Commanders could flood us, so could this.
”Torakuma should finish it fast,” I said, “but if you can strike, Tatia, you should.”
”…Would it be wrong if I struck until it dies—cycling Charm and my blade?”
”…Ethelena?” I asked.
”My mana will last. Fine by me.”
”Then it’s settled. Go earn that experience, Tatia.”
”My thanks.”
A Slayer kill would net her serious gains. Repeated, she’d rise in power fast, cutting future fights short. Even Ogres, few though they were, would fall quicker with her stronger. For the long run, it was worth Ethelena’s strain.
”Alright then. Let’s begin.”
”Wait—how much HP do they have?”
”Eighty last time.”
”Then four solid strikes should end it.”
She advanced, and the Slayer twisted, shedding bulk into a lean, muscled form. Torakuma blinked in surprise at the grotesque change.
Its charge faltered immediately—Ethelena’s Charm ensnared it. Tatia lunged, rapier flashing, stabbing once, twice, thrice. A critical blow landed, and the Slayer collapsed into mist.
”…So Orcs can shift that much,” Torakuma breathed.
”Ethelena froze the first one we saw. She was a mess. Afterwards, she insisted killing them before transformation was a mercy.”
”…Really?”
”That was your line, Tatara!” Ethelena snapped.
”And you’re the one who followed through without blinking,” I shot back.
Their squabble trailed behind me as I stepped up to Tatia.
”How do you feel? Can you continue?”
”Yes. That leveled me up—next fight, I’ll hit ten.”
”Then we stick to this method whenever a Slayer appears.”
Everyone agreed. Our course was set.
And then—I let my guard slip.
”…Why does this keep happening,” I groaned.
The next floor opened into a wide chamber. Ethelena’s hand signal warned of danger. I peeked past the wall.
Three Orc Slayers waited.
…Yeah. This run was cursed.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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