Chapter 158 Boss Battle Hell Tour
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The real hurdle in taking down that absolute nightmare of a boss was my team’s damage output. Thankfully, I’d powered up since our last run, so we were in a good position to move in.
”Ichika, what’s your level?” I asked.
”It is 47-degozaru. As for stats, Physical went up by 2, and Magic-related and Speed went up by 5 each-degozaru, right?” Ichika replied.
Was she serious? That was terrifyingly high. A quick mental calculation based on her last known stats suggested she’d hit her caps across the board. Between her gear and her skill set, she was practically a second Dahlia.
”If that’s the case, we shouldn’t have any trouble,” I said.
”Just in case, I’ve also kept the level of ‘Swallow’s Reversal’¹ at its maximum-degozaru,” Ichika added.
”Right. That ‘Early Bloomer’² trait really pays off.”
I wasn’t sure what her base level had been, but the synergy was insane. Between the four-hit combo of ‘Swallow’s Reversal IV’ and the sixty-percent experience buff from ‘Early Bloomer III,’ she was effectively pulling in 240% experience. No wonder she’d capped out so fast. I started wondering if I should put Yohira and Tatia through Soul Ascension³ too. If we hit the 51st floor and kept grinding, the increased skill usage would level their offensive abilities in no time.
”Tatia, where are you with ‘Swallow’s Reversal’?” I asked.
”Yes, I managed to get it up to 5, so I’ve restored the damage to 70%,” Tatia said.
”Good. We can work with that.”
”Mu, are you not going to ask me-noja?” Yohira chimed in, her voice tinged with a pout.
”You? Yohira, you could probably kill it even with your stats halved,” I said with a shrug.
I didn’t need to check her status. Yohira had always been our heavy hitter. Even with a damage penalty, her techniques alone allowed her to match Ichika’s current output. Honestly, when she chained her three-hit combos, most enemies didn’t survive long enough for a second look.
Yohira’s expression shifted-a strange mix of pride and a poorly suppressed grin. She was clearly trying to keep a straight face, but failing.
”W-well then! What about you, Tatara?” she asked.
”My stats are better than our last attempt. We’re fine.”
The only catch was that I was already eligible for Soul Ascension. If I triggered it now, my stats would tank. I’d be left with about sixty percent of my current power-basically the level of a mediocre mid-tier Explorer. I’d picked up ‘Charge I’ specifically for this fight, though I really wanted ‘Burst Edge’ for that high-intensity mana burn. To get it, I needed ‘Knight Swordsmanship,’ but since I couldn’t learn basic ‘Swordsmanship,’ the advanced tree was locked off.
Maybe I should just focus on making Magic Devices instead of learning spells, I thought. Am I just sitting on all this mana for nothing?
I pushed the annoying thought aside and took a deep breath, looking at my team.
”It’s been a while since we faced this thing. Are you two ready for the rematch?”
”Of course,” Yohira and Tatia replied in unison. Their eyes were sharp, filled with a confidence that hadn’t been there during our last encounter.
”Ichika, you with us?”
”Naturally-degozaru, Master,” she said. Her gaze was steady, radiating an unwavering resolve that settled my nerves.
”Then let’s go.”
I turned to push open the heavy doors, but Yohira called out. “Wait, Tatara.”
I looked back. Her face was deadly serious. “The Ability-boosting items gathered until just now-you should use them.”
I blinked, caught off guard. “If I do that, we’ll burn through the stash I was saving for Tatia’s next rank.”
”No,” I argued. “That would deplete our reserves for HP, Mana, and Skill Power. Tatia’s going through Soul Ascension next. She needs that HP buffer so she can actually take a hit.”
As our primary tank, Tatia’s health growth was non-negotiable. The fact that her HP only increased by one point per level was a joke; she’d likely see a massive spike after her Ascension. She seemed to have high base stats but terrible growth-almost as if the world’s laws were trying to force her into a specific destiny. Soul Ascension was her way of breaking those chains.
The problem was the immediate aftermath. She’d be even weaker than her starting stats for a while. Her defense skills might keep her level, but her HP would crater. I wanted her as reinforced as possible.
”Tatara-dono, in that case, my Sublimation of Existence can wait until after the student movement,” Tatia said, stepping forward.
I looked at her, surprised by the intensity in her eyes. “But Tatia-“
”I know you have your reasons for wanting me to ascend,” she interrupted, “but I’ll be fine. I have you, after all.”
It was pure, blind faith-something I didn’t feel I’d earned. Yet, Yohira and Ichika were nodding along. When did the vibe in this party change?
”Fine,” I sighed. “But be ready. We’re going to be diving for stat-boosters until you’re sick of them.”
Tatia beamed at me. “Yes, I look forward to it!”
I checked our haul from the Muumin and the Undead King one last time:
HP 134
Mana 83
Skill Power 99
Phys Attack 286
Phys Def 250
Mag Attack 150
Mag Def 192
Speed 258
Luck 477
Movement 411
It was almost laughable. My magic defense, which had been nonexistent, was nearly at 200. My luck was absolutely skewed. I pulled up my own status window:
Level 70/70
HP 585 (720)
Mana 348 (440) + 100
Skill Power 348 (440) + 9
Physical Attack 117 (160) + 50
Physical Defense 117 (160) + 21
Magic Attack 117 (160) + 50
Magic Defense 117 (160) + 21
Speed 117 (160) + 50
Luck 100 (100)
Movement 20 (99) + 7
Even with max growth, I wasn’t hitting my caps. It was frustrating. I capped out what I could and braced myself.
”…I’m not very satisfied, but preparations are complete,” I muttered.
”Don’t worry,” Yohira said brightly. “Once we crush this boss, we’ll make up for it in no time. It’ll be nothing but a stepping stone soon enough-noja.”
”You’re being way too optimistic,” I said with a wry smile.
”Am I? I have full confidence in us. We are the best party there is, Tatara. There’s nothing we can’t do.”
I didn’t bring up Ethelena. Now wasn’t the time. I knew they both believed we’d be a foursome again one day. I wasn’t sure if I could ever forgive her, or if she’d ever truly change, but for now, I had to focus on the people who were actually here. I had to focus on surviving.
”Alright. Let’s do this.”
They all nodded. I turned back to the doors and shoved them open. Light flooded the massive chamber, illuminating the ‘shitty boss’ sitting right where it had been last time. In the four corners of the room, the elemental energies coalesced into the four Spirit Kings.
But something was different this time.
’No teleportation this time, huh. Ichika, take the Wind! Tatia, hit the Earth!’ I shouted.
’Understood-degozaru!’ Ichika cried.
’Understood!’ Tatia replied.
I sent Ichika toward the Wind Spirit-her Foxfire enchantment would be most effective there-and Tatia took to the air toward the Earth Spirit. Yohira didn’t wait for orders; she bolted toward the Fire Spirit. I knew why. She still remembered the time I’d been blasted by Explosion, and she wasn’t about to let it happen again. I let her take it.
I charged the remaining Water Spirit, activating ‘Charge’ as I ran. The fifty-meter dash added a massive fifty-point kick to my damage. I’d have to remember to use this more often.
I moved with a speed that felt like skipped frames, appearing before the Water Spirit in an instant. I swapped my hammer to the Earth attribute and swung.
Weapon Accuracy 20 + 290 – 30 = 280. Hit Check.
Earth Attribute Attack 2 x (315 + ‘charge I’ 50 + Travel Distance 5 x 10) – 40 = 790.
The Water Spirit shattered into a thousand shards. Maybe the ‘Charge’ was overkill, but I needed the skill experience.
Across the room, Tatia was the next to strike. Her upgraded ‘Charge’ more than made up for her damage penalty, and she pulverized the Earth Spirit with a single blow. Then came Ichika, a whirlwind of steel. She’d slotted ‘Physical Attack Boost II’ after her level-up, and her five-hit ‘Swallow’s Reversal’ shredded the Wind Spirit before it could even react. It was a complete slaughter based on raw stat superiority.
Finally, Yohira cut down the Fire Spirit. Even without skills, her swordsmanship was on another level. Her raw power was honestly nonsensical.
With the elemental seals destroyed, the main boss was vulnerable. I sprinted the sixty meters toward it, ‘Charge’ humming through my limbs. I triggered ‘Appraisal’ as I closed the gap.
Spirit Race ‘Janus’
HP 400/400
Mana 500/500
Skill Power 100/100
Physical Attack 50
Physical Defense 25
Magic Attack 80
Magic Defense 25
Speed 40
Movement 3
No Abnormal Statuses
Special Ability ‘Attribute Nullification: Physical, Mana, Fire, Wind, Water’ ‘Attribute Resistance: Earth’
No Equipment
The thing’s speed had dropped by forty points since our last fight. I didn’t know why, but it explained why it hadn’t opened with magic this time. In fact, all its base stats seemed lower. Was this thing actually weaker than the version in the game I remembered?
I didn’t have time to ponder. I slammed my hammer into the boss.
Weapon Accuracy 20 + 290 – 40 = 270. Hit Check.
Earth Attribute Attack 0.5 x (315 + ‘charge I’ 50 + Travel Distance 6 x 10) – 25 = 187. Fatal Hit Check x 2.
It wasn’t an instant kill, even with the crit. I should have gone for the back. The boss wound up for a counterattack, but our stat gap was a canyon. It didn’t even graze me. Yohira followed up immediately, her blade flashing as she shattered the boss’s first elemental layer. Janus tried to retaliate with magic, but Yohira’s gear simply drank the spell, turning the boss’s own mana into a healing pulse that rippled through her.
Tatia closed the distance from the rear, channeling her maximum speed into a single, devastating charge. Bolstered by a Burst Edge⁴, she absolutely shredded the trash boss. Even with the damage scaling down, the sheer weight of a three-hit combo – powered by her full momentum and entire mana pool – was more than even a high-tier jank mob like this could tank.
As Tatia banked away to dodge the boss’s dying counter-swing, Ichika was already on top of it. Boasting attack power that rivaled even Yohira’s, her five-hit combo – complete with backstab bonuses – finished the job with ease.
Finally, Yohira unleashed a move she’d likely saved for the ‘Undead King.’ A web of silver lines etched the air, and in an instant, the boss simply ceased to exist. Man, that’s even more brutal than turning it into mincemeat.
We stayed alert, expecting the usual resurrection, but one minute passed, then two, with no sign of life. Instead, a treasure chest spawned in the boss’s wake. I finally let my guard down. It was weaker than last time, and it didn’t even trigger a dragon form. If that transformation was a one-time gimmick, it’s weird that it didn’t happen during the run with ‘Archangel.’ Seriously, what was that thing’s deal?
”Alright, who’s opening the loot?” Tatara asked, looking at the chest.
Back on the 40th Floor, Ichika had been forced to open the chest after losing at rock-paper-scissors. She’d looked like she was on the verge of tears, but she’d actually pulled some Dragon Barbels. While not as rare as Dragon Orbs or Reverse Scales – which only drop if you land the killing blow yourself – they were still elite materials, way beyond standard scales. You don’t usually see that kind of drop on the 40th. I was so relieved it wasn’t more ‘Skebail Armor’ that I’d actually patted her on the head. She’d really lucked out.
So, what about the 50th Floor? Last time, Yohira opened it and got exactly what she wanted – an accessory that buffed all her stats. Maybe it’s Tatia’s turn?
”Tatia, you want to open it?” Tatara asked.
”…No,” Tatia replied after a moment’s thought. “My current equipment is already optimized. If a different weapon or armor drops now, I wouldn’t even know what to do with it. Better someone else handles it.”
I couldn’t argue with that. Honestly, I’d hate to think the custom gear I tailored specifically for her could be outclassed by a random 50th-floor drop anyway.
”Yohira?” I asked.
”I opened the last one, didn’t I? noja. I shall yield this turn to another,” Yohira replied.
Fair enough. Her logic was airtight.
”How about you, Ichika?” I asked.
”Mumu… This one, I presume? degozaru,” Ichika asked, looking hesitant.
”Yeah. I can do it if you’re really against it, but what do you think?” I said.
Ichika hesitated, then gave a firm nod. “Very well. This one shall do the honors. degozaru.”
She stepped up to the chest and pulled the contents out – only to freeze.
”…Did this one do something to deserve this? degozaru,” Ichika whimpered.
In her hands was a piece of cloth equipment that looked suspiciously like Skebail Armor, though unlike the mail, this had clearly never been designed for protection.
> **Full Set: Erotic Lingerie**
> Physical Defense: 50
> Magic Defense: 75
> Special Ability: [Sex Sorcery Enhancement] [Seduction Enhancement] [Female Only]
This was bad. What made it truly “bad” was that the stats were actually god-tier. The enhancements probably meant a massive boost to Charm-based effects. And since it was a “Full Set,” it likely blocked you from wearing any other armor. The devs of this world were seriously sick in the head. I mean, how does a literal thong and bra set give over 50 points of defense?
”Ichika, just… put it away for now,” I said. “The stats are nonsensically high, for some reason.”
”…Indeed, the performance alone is staggering. The pervert who designed this must be the same one responsible for that armor, noja,” Yohira muttered, having clearly used Appraisal as well.
I nodded in grim agreement. If anyone in this party actually wore that, my sanity would be toast. We’d be a one-way ticket to a degenerate harem disaster in no time. Ichika reluctantly shoved the loot into her inventory. I’d probably have to comfort her later once we got back to the house.
I checked the group’s condition. Everyone looked fine, so I decided to see if we were pushing on to the 51st Floor.
”I’m down to keep going, but what do you guys think?” I asked.
”I have no objections… actually, let me handle my Sublimation of Existence⁵ here,” Yohira said.
Yohira didn’t waste a second, triggering the evolution before I could even blink. It was a snap decision, but floors 51 through 60 are packed with physical-heavy mobs where she usually thrives. Once she finished picking her skills and opened her eyes, I chimed in.
”What’d you pick?” I asked.
”Umu. I’ve temporarily dropped Dance and Singing to focus on pure combat,” Yohira explained. “I’ve got Skill Power Boost, White-Blade Flow, Ambush, and Steal nearly capped out. I also picked up Swallow’s Reversal and that Early Bloomer skill you recommended, Tatara.”
Knowing her, she’d max those out in no time. Once she did, she could just prioritize getting her social skills back so her parents wouldn’t kill her. Or she could just grind twenty more levels and open up some new slots.
”Tatia?” I turned to her.
”I’m fine to proceed. Regarding Sublimation – ” Tatia started.
”I’ve told you before, hold off on that,” I interrupted. “Your debuffs are too brutal until your HP is topped off.”
”Yes, yes. If Tatara-dono says so, I shall obey,” Tatia said with a smirk.
She said she’d obey, but she’s the one who pressured me into using all those stat-up items on myself. She was smiling like she’d just pulled off a successful prank. I’ll never understand her.
”Ichika?” I asked.
”Of course. This one can proceed without issue, degozaru,” Ichika replied.
I figured as much. Between her base stats and her accelerated growth, she could probably carry us all the way to the 80th Floor.
”Alright, let’s move,” I said.
The party headed down the stairs. It had been days since we’d seen the 51st Floor. And that’s when our luck took a bizarre turn. By the time we hit the 54th Floor – the last floor before the upper-tier mobs start appearing – we were just standing there, baffled.
”…Okay, what the hell? Why was every single monster on these floors a Muumin⁶?” I asked.
Previously, even with Tatia’s probability-inversion skill, Muumins – those hippo-looking bastards – were rare spawns. Now, they had completely taken over. Thanks to the Flower Crown, we were drowning in loot, but we hadn’t gained a single point of XP. I couldn’t exactly bring myself to butcher those things, so we just took the items and moved on. That said, getting a mountain of stat-up items in just a few floors was an insane haul.
”…Want to distribute these now?” I suggested.
It seemed like as good a time as any to power up. I did another inventory check.
HP: 235
Mana: 162
Luck: 772
Speed: 388
My head started to hurt seeing the HP and Mana items back in the triple digits. I gave enough to Tatia and myself to max out our HP. I took the nine Mana items I needed and tried to give the rest to Tatia.
”No, you should keep those,” Tatia insisted. “We can’t assume we’ll hit a windfall like that again.”
”…Actually, I don’t think we need to worry about that,” I replied.
Honestly, I suspect the “normal” spawn rates were the actual fluke. Tatia’s probability inversion is a broken ability. Maximizing her stats was definitely the right play.
”…Fine. I’ll take exactly 150. That’ll put my Mana at 405,” Tatia conceded.
”Man, that is a terrifying number,” I muttered.
That’s enough Mana for Tatia to personally maintain a Teleportation Gate. The fact that she hasn’t even hit Sublimation yet makes her feel like a literal game bug. Our Luck stat was also closing in on 1000. In the game, these items almost never dropped; now we had so many we don’t know what to do with them.
Regardless, I had Yohira top off her Luck. I gave her 21 items. Once she hits max level, her Luck will be at 100. Luck helps dodge enemy crits, after all.
Suitably buffed, we pushed on. We were into Ancient Dryad territory now, so we could finally start killing things again. Ichika was going ham with her area-of-effect attacks, and Yohira was aggressively picking off the stragglers. Especially Yohira – she needed to hit level 20 or max her skills ASAP to get her social abilities back.
Turns out, I didn’t need to worry.
Since we were fighting high-level mobs, she was gaining a level with every kill. She didn’t hold back, baiting attacks to proc White-Blade Flow over and over. Once her Mana was high enough, she started chaining Ambush, and both skills hit Max Rank almost instantly. She swapped them for Mobility Boost and Agility Boost. Now that she’s over level 40, she’s running Charge and Mana Boost. Her physical stats are already rivaling her pre-Sublimation peaks. It’s scary how strong Ogres are in this world.
And thanks to that blitz, we’re now standing in front of the 60th Floor boss room.
”Isn’t this… a little too fast?” Tatia asked with a wry smile.
”I was thinking the same thing, but Ichika and Yohira have been on a tear,” I said.
”You say that, but trying to find leftovers when Ichika is nuking the whole map is hard work! noja,” Yohira huffed.
”Yohira-dono, the fact that you can keep up with this one from level 1 is what’s abnormal, degozaru,” Ichika countered.
From a human perspective, they were both monsters. But hey, I wasn’t complaining about the backup.
”Well, this boss is way weaker than the one on the 50th. Want to just go for it?” I asked.
”I agree. We should proceed,” Tatia said, glancing at the other two with a chuckle.
”What about you two?” I asked.
”This one is ready to fight! degozaru,” Ichika declared.
”I’m ready as well,” Yohira-san said, her tone carrying an ancient, regal weight. “If anything, I’d like to push on to the 70th floor. I want to clear the requirements for ‘Sublimation of Existence’⁷-ja.”
”Indeed. If it is Yohira-san, there should be no issue-degozaru. I concur with the move to the 70th floor-degozaru,” Ichika-kun added, her voice stiff and formal.
The moment I spoke up, the two of them stopped bickering. Ichika-kun even seemed to be looking out for Yohira-san by suggesting the extra floors. I glanced at Tatia-san; our eyes met, and she gave me a firm nod. 70th floor it was.
”Alright. Let me brief you on the boss for this area,” I said. “It’s the second time for Yohira-san and Tatia-san, but Ichika-kun, this is your first run.”
Once I had their attention, I started the briefing. I covered the elemental weaknesses, the defensive biases, and the attack patterns. Afterward, Yohira-san double-checked the defensive specifics while Tatia-san confirmed the offensive openings. Ichika-kun remained composed; she didn’t need special tactics, so she stayed quiet.
”Any other questions?” I asked.
They all nodded in unison. Satisfied, I stepped forward and shoved open the heavy doors to the Boss Room. Last time I was here, I was so blinded by rage that I barely looked at the place. Now, I took it all in.
True to the floor’s theme, the interior looked like a deep forest. “Looked like” was the operative phrase – the ‘Jewel Tree’⁸ sitting in the center gave the whole place an eerie, opulent shimmer. Its leaves and trunk glowed with a jewel-like luster, making the room feel less like a dungeon and more like a high-end boutique.
Tatia-san moved first. She lunged forward, pouring everything into a ‘Charge’ attack. Even with the damage penalty from ‘Swallow’s Reversal’ – since it wasn’t maxed out yet – her triple-thrust was devastating. I watched the boss’s health bar vanish.
Fairy Tree ‘Jewel Tree’
HP 36 / 600
Mana 300 / 300
Skill Power 300 / 300
Physical Attack 95
Physical Defense 100
Magic Attack 105
Magic Defense 110
Speed 50
Luck 15
Movement 1
Special Ability: ‘Four Great Attributes Enhancement’, ‘Fairy Magic’, ‘Wind Attribute’
Equipment: None
As I idly ran an Appraisal on the thing, it was already on its last legs. Honestly, if I’d just enchanted Tatia-san’s ‘Andrea’ with Fire or used ‘Burst Edge,’ she probably would have soloed it. Yohira-san followed up immediately. Given her momentum, she was definitely going for a ‘Charge.’ Even if her ‘Concept Appraisal’ failed, the raw power of her four-hit combo would have been enough to one-shot the boss twice over.
Sure enough, the ‘Jewel Tree’ – the boss of the damn floor – simply evaporated. I didn’t even want to check how much overkill damage she’d dealt. It was terrifying.
”A literal blink of an eye-degozaru na,” Ichika-kun remarked.
”I could’ve handled it myself,” I shrugged. “With those two working together, this was a foregone conclusion.”
Yohira-san was a given, but ever since Tatia-san started focusing purely on DPS, the party’s total attack power had become… well, excessive. It balanced out since Ethelena’s output was lower, I suppose – though if Ethelena ever swapped to a Magic Sword that scaled with her magic stats, her damage would skyrocket too.
As if signaling the end of the fight, the lush trees withered away, revealing bare stone walls. In the center, right where the boss had stood, sat a lone treasure chest.
”Alright, Yohira-san,” I said. “You got the kill, you open the loot.”
”…Is that how we’re doing this?” Yohira-san sighed, her shoulders slumping. She looked reluctant, but she stepped up and cracked the chest open. She pulled out a gemstone that refracted a different color every time it caught the light.
”Is this just vendor trash item-kanou?” she wondered aloud.
I leaned in and triggered ‘Appraisal’ over her shoulder.
Material ‘Fairy Egg’⁹
”A Fairy Egg…?” Yohira-san murmured. She must have appraised it at the same time.
My mind immediately jumped to the hidden sub-event from the original game. It was one of those branching quests where your choices actually changed the ending. In the game, two clients want this egg: a male Alchemist for research, and a noblewoman who wants to turn it into an accessory. The rewards are night and day. Finishing the Alchemist’s questline is a brutal grind involving ten of every status-up item, but the payoff is worth it. He eventually starts selling those items. I remember breaking my back to fund that research. I didn’t want to hijack his work, but I had a feeling that if I researched this myself, I’d either be exiled or the Mayor’s stomach would explosion-scatter from the stress.
I wasn’t interested in the noblewoman anyway. To be honest, the girls in my party were way more attractive.
”Tatara-kun, is this useful-kanou?” Yohira-san asked.
”I think there’s a researcher who needs this. I’d rather see him make use of it than me.”
”You mean you can’t use it, Tatara-dono?” Tatia-san asked.
”I could, but… I don’t like the idea of stealing someone’s thunder…”
I kept it vague. Yohira-san nodded and held the ‘Fairy Egg’ out to me.
”In that case, you keep it-ja. If this researcher shows up, give it to him.”
”Got it. I’ll hold onto it.”
I stashed the egg in my Inventory. Moving the egg to the Alchemist would boost the city’s power in the long run. I’d keep it safe until then.
”Alright, let’s keep moving.”
Everyone agreed. Yohira-san and Ichika-kun were still far from their level caps, and Tatia-san needed to grind her skills. As for me, now that I’d triggered ‘Sublimation of Existence’ and reset to Level 1, I needed to start the climb again.
We descended to the 61st floor – the ‘Angel’ floor. Yohira-san and Tatia-san were first-timers; Ichika-kun and I had been here a few days ago.
”The enemies from here on are the ‘Angel’ race,” I warned. “The ‘Ninth Rank’ are the weakest and can’t fly, so they’re easy. But anything higher will have ‘Flight’ ability. If you can’t fly, you’re stuck with long-range attacks, so stay sharp.”
Yohira-san and Tatia-san nodded. Yohira-san’s sword could slash through the air, and Tatia-san had Angel blood, giving her ‘Flight’ naturally. Ichika-kun’s gear also had a flight function. My only issue was being Level 1, but with ‘Perfect Body’ giving me a +10 bonus to all stats, I was still superhuman by normal standards.
While I was lost in thought, a group of Rare-type ‘Sixth Rank Virtue Angel’¹⁰ appeared. They were just like the ones we saw last time – identical, uniform, like something off an assembly line.
’I need to circle around and hit them from behind. Mind if I take point?’
’I wish you wouldn’t take such risks… but are you sure you’ll be okay-kanou?’ Yohira-san replied via telepathy.
’I did the same thing last time and it worked out. If I mess up, just jump in and save me.’
’Leave it to me-degozaru.’
’I’ll be your shield if anything goes wrong. Don’t worry,’ Tatia-san added.
Feeling their support gave me a surge of confidence. I wasn’t planning on dying – not until my child with Ichika-kun was old enough to stand on their own. I ghosted behind the Angels, raising my pneumatic 6-barrel needle launcher.
Weapon Accuracy 10 + 236 – 100 = 146 Accuracy Check.
Physical Attack 60 x [Sneak Attack] 1.79 x [Ambush] 1.79 – 120 = 72 Critical Hit Check x 2. Continuous Attack x 6.
The ‘Sixth Rank’ took the volley directly in the back. It was skewered instantly – a clean kill. Thanks to my stealth perks, the other Angels didn’t even register that their buddy was dead. I ignored the level-up fanfare in my head and locked onto the next target.
By the time I took down the second one, the rest of the party had swarmed in. After that, it wasn’t a fight. It was a slaughter.
Yohira’s ‘Temari-bana’¹¹ mercilessly slaughters a ‘Sixth Rank’ attempting to flee into the sky. It’s likely the result of stacking ‘Concept Appraisal’¹² to ignore defenses and trigger a guaranteed critical, but it’s still not something a normal Level 1 should be able to pull off.
Tatia is brilliantly smashing through the rest, interchangeably using her signature ‘Charge’ and ‘Burst Edge’¹³ to hammer them down. “Can you believe it?” I muttered. Even with that kind of performance, Tatia hasn’t even undergone ‘Sublimation of Existence’¹⁴ yet.
Then there’s Ichika, who disintegrated her target the instant she captured them with ‘Impact Wing.’¹⁵ I expected her to be good, but even if she’s personally grown stronger, what’s the deal with getting instant kills using a weapon she used to use just to drag enemies down to the ground?
We annihilated the ten ‘Sixth Ranks’ that were guarding the entrance. I’m personally quite satisfied, having reaped the full benefits of ‘Early Bloomer Ⅲ’¹⁶ by taking down four of them myself and jumping six levels. On top of that, my ‘Sneak Attack’ and ‘Ambush’ skills have both leveled up twice. I figure this is the EXP boost from ‘Early Bloomer’ at work. By attacking from the rear with a 6-barrel launcher, I essentially got the credit for using the skill six times, plus a 60% bonus. That’s over triple the usual experience points, which explains the massive level jumps. At this rate, I might actually be able to pull off a Rank Up during this exploration.
And so, we continue our push toward the 70th floor. Because we’re wiping out every single enemy on a floor before moving on, our levels are skyrocketing at a terrifying speed. Yohira has been in constant combat with enemies ten or more levels above her, so she’s already hit her level cap and is ready for ‘Sublimation of Existence.’ Her raw Physical Attack and Defense are already on par with Dahlia’s, which is just insane. I guess that’s an Ogre for you, but seeing her physical stats exceed Ichika’s-even when Ichika has her skills active-honestly gave me the chills. Yohira says she won’t undergo ‘Sublimation’ yet because her HP is still nowhere near its maximum potential, but with her current abilities, she could probably hold her own on a dive to the deepest floors right now.
Since Ichika is close to the recommended level for this area, her growth has started to taper off. Plus, because she’s been yielding kills to me and Yohira, her level has stalled at 66. Well, all her stats except for HP, Mana, and Skill Power have hit their caps anyway, so it’s not a problem.
And so, here we are, standing before our seventh boss room of the day.
—
Summary:
Tatara and his party prepare for a rematch against the boss ‘Janus’ by checking their enhanced stats and skills. They blitz the elemental Spirit Kings using superior firepower and ‘Charge’ tactics. Upon engaging the main boss, Tatara notices it is significantly weaker than his memories of the game version.
The party defeats the 50th-floor boss and encounters a ‘treasure chest’ containing high-stat but socially embarrassing ‘Erotic Lingerie.’ They proceed through the 51st-54th floors, which are inexplicably filled with ‘Muumin’ monsters, allowing them to farm massive amounts of stat-up items. Yohira undergoes ‘Sublimation of Existence’ and rapidly levels up, leading the party to the 60th-floor boss room.
The party reaches the 70th floor boss, the ‘Jewel Tree,’ which Tatia and Yohira swiftly overkill with coordinated attacks. After looting a rare ‘Fairy Egg’ from a treasure chest, Tatara decides to save it for a specific game-event NPC rather than using it himself. The group then moves to the 61st floor to face Angel-type enemies, where Tatara successfully executes a stealthy assassination to begin the floor’s grind.
The party clears a group of ‘Sixth Rank’ enemies with overwhelming efficiency before heading to the 70th floor. The narrator experiences a massive level spike due to a synergistic ‘Early Bloomer’ skill and specialized launcher attacks. Meanwhile, Yohira reaches her level cap, revealing monstrous raw stats that rival established powerhouses.
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Trivia:
- Ichika is gaining 240% EXP due to her skill synergy.
- Tatia’s HP growth is abnormally low (1 per level) until Soul Ascension.
- Tatara is intentionally delaying his own Soul Ascension to maintain immediate combat power.
- Yohira’s equipment allows her to absorb magic and heal herself.
- The boss Janus has specific attribute nullifications, making Earth the primary weakness.
- The ‘Muumin’ floors provided items but zero experience points.
- Tatia’s probability-inversion skill is likely the cause of the rare monster infestation.
- Yohira temporarily gave up her ‘Dance’ and ‘Singing’ skills for combat efficiency.
- The ‘Erotic Lingerie’ is a full-set item that replaces all other armor.
- Luck stats are nearing 1000, which is extremely high compared to game standards.
- Tatara is currently Level 1 again due to Ascension/Sublimation.
- The ‘Fairy Egg’ triggers a multi-ending sub-event known to the MC from his ‘past life.’
- Ichika is the only one the MC explicitly mentions having a future child with in this chapter.
- The ‘Sixth Rank’ Angels look uniform and ‘industrial,’ which the MC finds creepy.
- Ethelena is mentioned as being weaker but potentially powerful with a Magic Sword.
- Yohira is only Level 1 at the start but hits her cap in one floor.
- Tatia is performing at a high level without having ‘evolved’ yet.
- The narrator’s level jump isn’t just luck; it’s a specific calculation involving skill use counts and percentage bonuses.
- Ichika is intentionally holding back her own leveling to let her teammates catch up
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Character Insight:
Tatia demonstrates profound trust in Tatara, choosing to delay her own growth (Soul Ascension) to prioritize the party’s immediate goals. Tatara continues to show a min-maxer mindset, obsessing over stat caps and efficient experience gain.
Tatara shows a protective side toward Tatia, preventing her from resetting while her HP is low. Yohira demonstrates extreme growth potential after her evolution, and Ichika remains the ‘bad luck charm’ of the group despite her immense power.
Tatara shows a protective streak and a desire to see other NPCs succeed by choosing not to ‘steal’ the Alchemist’s research event. His focus is shifting from simple survival to long-term city growth and family security.
Yohira demonstrates a perfectionist streak, refusing to undergo ‘Sublimation’ until her HP is fully optimized, showing she values long-term potential over immediate power-ups.
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Behind the Scenes:
The chapter title ‘Boss Battle Hell Tour’ references the overwhelming speed and efficiency with which the party now handles a boss that once gave them trouble.
The ‘Erotic Lingerie’ drop is a running gag referencing ‘Skebail Armor’ from previous chapters. The ‘Muumin’ appearance is a nod to meta-fictional elements where probability manipulation breaks game balance.
The ‘Prestige’ mechanic (Ascension) is a common trope in LitRPGs, allowing for infinite growth at the cost of temporary weakness.
The ‘Early Bloomer’ skill is a common trope in Narou-style novels used to justify rapid protagonist growth without breaking the internal logic of the world’s ‘system’.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Ichika – The fox girl. Kunoichi. Virgincest⚠️, becomes pregnant immediately.
• Dahlia – The automaton.
• Yohira – Torakuma’s first name. Oni warrior.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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