Chapter 97 The 10th Floor Area Guardian Battle ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Day 41 of the Tester Life. 10th Floor Area Guardian Room. Sanada Yakumo.
With the Hobgoblins dead at my feet, I finally stood before the Goblin King. He sat unmoving on his throne, watching me.
”Gya-gya-gya-gya-gya!”
His grating, mocking laughter filled the room.
”You’re pretty relaxed for someone whose men were just wiped out,” I said.
The Goblin King gave me a dangerous smirk. He stood up, grabbed a massive greatsword leaning against the throne, and started walking down the stairs, one step at a time.
He was about 180 centimeters tall. He was a bit shorter than me, but he was as wide as Rock. His muscles were even bigger than the dog’s. This muscular goblin was covered in full-body armor, walking straight for me.
I thought about using magic, but he’d likely dodge a Fireball, and a Wind Cutter wouldn’t do a thing against that plate mail. A Fire Bullet¹ wouldn’t hurt him unless I hit his face or throat, and since he saw me using them earlier, he was probably ready to dodge.
Sayaka-chan could use Ice Arrow to freeze him in place, but I’d already told her to stay back once the King moved. She stayed put.
The King stopped about five meters away. He took a deep breath, and then-
”GYUOOOOOOOOH!”
He let out a roar that made the entire room shake.
”Ah!”
I heard Sayaka-chan give a small cry behind me. Even Sheena-san and I stiffened up from the sheer pressure.
The King saw us freeze and grinned. He took a few steps, raised his greatsword with both hands, and swung it straight at my head.
Clang!
I caught the blade with my small shield. Even with my Bracelet of Power² and Physical Reinforcement³, the impact was heavy. My arm went numb under the weight.
The King looked shocked. He didn’t think I could block it-or maybe he didn’t think I could move at all.
King’s Roar⁴.
That was one of his special abilities. It paralyzes any lower-ranked enemies for a short time. The Goblin King is D-Rank. The bigger the rank difference, the longer the stun. An E-Rank would be stuck for a while. Even an E+ like Sayaka-chan would be frozen for a few seconds. Saizou-kun was likely stuck right next to her.
But that skill doesn’t work on people at the same rank or higher. Sheena-san and I are C-Rank. Rock is D-Rank. We were fine.
”Did you think I was just going to stand here and let you kill me?” I asked.
”GYUOOOO!” the King roared.
He realized I was faking and got angry, putting more weight into his sword. My arm was starting to give out.
I kept smiling. “Should you really be focusing only on me?”
The King looked confused for a second, then his head snapped to the side. Sheena-san had stabbed her rapier right into his side, piercing through his ribs and into his lung.
The pain made his grip on the greatsword slip. This was my chance. I poured double my Mana Capacity⁵ into a new spell.
”Impact!⁶“
A massive shockwave hit the sword, knocking it upward. I lunged at his throat with my machete, but he was fast. He jumped back just in time, and the blade only grazed his chin.
But he was off balance, floating in the air with his arms out.
”Checkmate,” I muttered.
I let go of the machete handle with my index finger and pointed it right at his jaw.
”Fire Bullet.”
The fire shot from my finger, boosted by double mana. It hit him under the chin and went straight into his brain. The helmet trapped the heat, cooking his head instantly.
The King’s eyes rolled back, and he fell over, dead.
”Whew. He was stronger than he looked,” I said, sheathing my blade. Black mist started to rise from his body.
He was a group-fighter. His skills were made for buffing grunts and stunning weaklings. If he’d used that roar while the Wizards and Assassins were still alive, Sheena-san and I would have been in trouble trying to protect the others.
We’d planned for this. That’s why we brought Rock. Since he’s D-Rank, he wouldn’t freeze. He was the insurance.
”You were amazing, Master,” Sheena-san said.
”I had help. Your opening made it easy,” I replied.
I could have won a fair fight, but fighting fair is for idiots. You minimize risk if you want to stay alive.
”No, using a new spell like that in a split second… your instincts are incredible. You really are the only man for me,” Sheena-san said.
”Right,” I muttered, feeling a cold sweat. She never stops trying to talk me into marriage.
”Master! Are you okay!?” Sayaka-chan asked as the stun wore off. She ran over, looking worried.
”I’m fine. Not a scratch,” I told her.
”I’m so glad. Sheena-san told me what to expect, but I still couldn’t move. I was so scared something would happen to you,” Sayaka-chan said.
”I’m not that easy to kill. You did great, Sayaka-chan. You took out the Wizards and covered Saizou-kun,” I said.
She was the core of our rear-guard. I couldn’t do my job as a vanguard without her.
”I just sat behind Rock-chan,” she said.
”Rock did his job too. Thanks to him, I didn’t have to look back,” I said.
”Wafun!” Rock barked, wagging his tail.
”And Saizou-kun… wait. Did you get bigger?” I asked.
Saizou-kun was standing behind the dog. He was about ten centimeters taller now, around 160cm. He looked much more muscular. His ninja clothes were tight on him.
”He evolved when he killed that Assassin,” Sayaka-chan explained. “His face looks much sharper now, doesn’t it?”
”Yeah, he looks like a different person,” I said. He’d hit D-Rank. If he grew another foot, he’d look just like a certain demon king from a manga.
”Is he a higher-tier Assassin?” I asked.
”I don’t know,” Sheena-san replied. “Monsters evolve differently depending on the dungeon.”
I figured the dungeon just optimized him. He was D-Rank now, which made sense given how many enemies he’d killed.
”Congrats on the rank up, Saizou-kun. Keep it up,” I said.
”Gyoi,” he replied.
”His voice got deeper too,” I noted.
”He’s a real ninja now!” Sayaka-chan said, laughing.
He certainly had the body for it. I’d have to check his stats later.
Anyway, let’s go get the loot, I said.
”Yes!” Sayaka-chan replied.
I walked toward the two chests behind the throne-one silver, one pearl. Sayaka-chan followed me, looking happy. She was probably thinking about saving her friend.
Me? I was just looking forward to breaking that stubborn woman’s spirit.
—
Summary:
Yakumo defeats the Goblin King using a combination of psychological warfare and a high-mana Fire Bullet. The team celebrates the victory, noting Saizou’s evolution into a more powerful, ninja-like form. The chapter concludes with the group approaching the reward chests, with Yakumo focused on his personal goals regarding the captured ‘stubborn woman’.
—
Trivia:
- The Goblin King’s roar only paralyzes lower-rank targets.
- Rock being D-Rank is why he was able to act when the King moved.
- Yakumo is a C-Rank tester, putting him above the floor’s average difficulty.
- Saizou’s evolution happened mid-battle during the Assassin kill.
- The ‘Piccolo’ reference refers to Saizou’s green skin and facial changes
—
Character Insight:
Yakumo shows tactical maturity by utilizing his teammates’ ranks as tactical counters. Sheena continues to pressure him for marriage, showing her singular focus. Saizou exhibits increased intelligence/dignity post-evolution.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The Goblin King is noted as being optimized for group buffing, explaining why he was dangerous despite being D-Rank.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Yakumo – A 25-year-old human male. He has facial scars, stab wounds, and gunshot scars from his time in a war zone. He works as a school guard.
• Sana – Black ponytail, hooded/sharp eyes, kyudo practitioner, average height.
• Rock – A male Kobold summoned from a Magic Sealing Crystal. He has grey fur, round eyes, and a face resembling a Shiba Inu. He wears a leather jacket and a pilot’s cap
• Sayaka – The academy’s premier beauty and a member of the swimming club. Currently classified as a Rank 1 Slave. She is seventeen years old and a virgin. E-cup. She has blue, short, boyish hair. Her best friend is Sanae.
• Sheena – Beastman Soul-less Doll with rabbit ears and a large chest. Flawless face, approx 165cm height, F or G cup, narrow waist, large hips, and a fluffy tail longer than a rabbit’s. Now, her ego is back.
• Saizou – A newly summoned Goblin. Intelligent with a small horn on his forehead and jagged teeth. Wears ninja-style clothing (shinobifuku) and uses poison daggers/knives.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply