Volume 2 Chapter 3
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Entering a cave really makes it feel like I’ve finally arrived at a dungeon, doesn’t it…?”
After trekking across the meadow, I stepped into the dungeon nestled at the mountain’s base.
Since I was inside a cavern, it was naturally dimmer than the outside, but it wasn’t so dark that I had any trouble seeing.
I marched steadily deeper into the gloom.
”Ah, the good old Goblins…”
A trio of standard Goblins was heading my way.
It was a textbook party: one unarmed, one with a sword, and one carrying a staff.
Back when I first set foot in Phase One¹, a sight like this might have seemed hopeless, but now…
”Shall we…?”
I waited for the moment their guard was down and closed the distance in a single, explosive burst.
”Hmph! Ha! Hah!”
I sent them flying one after another, starting with the mage, then the swordsman, and finally the unarmed one.
As the staff-user was still reeling through the air, I closed the gap and let him have it with a few well-placed soccer-ball kicks.
The mage-type evaporated into smoke instantly.
The other two managed to scramble back to their feet and glare at me, but a duo like that was hardly a challenge.
”There… hup!”
I slipped past a swing of the Goblin Sword and hammered a counter-kick into the wielder’s side.
”I don’t even need to dodge this one! Hah! Hmph!”
The unarmed Goblin wasn’t even worth waiting for.
I didn’t bother dodging; I just went on the offensive, treating him to a couple of heavy kicks until he, too, turned into smoke and vanished.
The swordsman was the last one left, but in a one-on-one, he was nothing but small fry.
I made sure to stay clear of his blade as I systematically took him apart.
”I’ve really come a long way, haven’t I…?”
I pushed forward, reminiscing about the days when a single Goblin would take me thirty minutes to kill.
As I neared the boss floor, the enemies scaled up.
Goblins became Hobgoblins, then evolved into Warriors and Magicians.
The resistance was getting stiffer.
”It’s going to take too long if I fight these guys the old-fashioned way… (Adversarial Pressure Point)²!”
I targeted the ‘Instant Death’ Pressure Points on the high-ranking Goblins, triggering the skill and turning them into smoke with a single touch.
(Humanoid monsters are so easy to use (Adversarial Pressure Point) on; it’s almost a joke.) Without breaking a sweat, I finally reached the boss floor of the Phase Two Dungeon.
As I stepped into the chamber, a creature much larger than a Warrior Goblin turned to snarl at me.
A High Goblin—a superior species that usually doesn’t show up until the Phase Three dungeons.
It brandished a High Goblin Sword, a weapon significantly longer and sharper than the crude blades I was used to.
”SKREEEE-A-A-A!”
The High Goblin roared, and a massive, cone-shaped rock materialized in the air before it.
The projectile hurtled toward me at a terrifying speed.
”Oh, right. I forgot High Goblins could use Earth Magic³ too…”
I stayed cool, weaving through a barrage of Earth Needles as I gradually shortened the distance between us.
I wasn’t panicked, but the High Goblin seemed to be getting frustrated that its magic couldn’t land a hit.
I finally lunged into its personal space, ducking under a heavy, whistling swing of its greatsword.
”Boss drops are too rare to pass up… (Adversarial Pressure Point)!”
I struck the Pressure Point on the High Goblin’s chest and immediately leaped back to create some breathing room.
”Gugigi…!”
The High Goblin let out a raspy chuckle.
It seemed to realize its physical capabilities had suddenly improved, and it flashed me a smug, superior grin.
It unleashed another Earth Needle—but this time, the rock was twice as large and moving twice as fast.
”Whoa! Too close! I guess at my current level, this is still cutting it thin!”
I threw myself into a roll to dodge the massive spike, but now I couldn’t get close enough to strike again.
(Winning head-on in this state is still a tall order… Guess I have no choice. Time to break this out.)
Determined to crush the buffed High Goblin in a fair fight, I decided to activate my ultimate trump card.
—
Summary:
The narrator enters a dungeon to test their growth, easily dispatching groups of Goblins that once posed a major threat. Upon reaching the boss floor, they encounter a High Goblin capable of Earth Magic. After testing the enemy by buffing it via a pressure point strike, the narrator realizes the fight is still dangerous and prepares to use a final trump card.
—
Trivia:
- The ‘Phase’ system indicates dungeon difficulty tiers.
- Monsters in this world dissipate into smoke upon death.
- The protagonist used to take 30 minutes to kill a single normal Goblin.
- Pressure points can be used to buff an enemy’s physical stats, not just for instant death.
- High Goblins are usually found in Phase Three dungeons, making this boss an over-tier encounter for Phase Two
—
Character Insight:
The narrator shows a mix of nostalgia and arrogance, intentionally making the boss fight harder by buffing the High Goblin just to test their own limits.
—
Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The author uses ‘soccer-ball kicks’ to emphasize the power gap between the protagonist and the monsters.
—
Glossary:
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply