Chapter 31 The Fourth Floor Guardian
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Descending the stairs, I emerged into a small plaza.
Twenty meters ahead stood a black gate. Guarding it were four standard Kobolds led by a single Kobold¹ wielding a sword.
The sword-wielding variant was, much like the larger Kobold types, a full head bigger than the typical breed and rippling with muscle. Furthermore, the creature was equipped with a leather breastplate for protection.
”Hoh…” I muttered.
My lips curled into a smirk at the sight of my first armed opponent. The Horn Rabbits² and the Kobolds I’d faced before were mere beasts. This one was different; it possessed the intelligence to utilize weaponry.
I’ll call it a Kobold Soldier³.
A surprise attack against the five was out of the question. Every single one of them had their eyes locked onto me as I stepped off the stairs. However, they made no move to close the distance. The Kobold Soldier’s mouth twisted into a sneer.
I see. It’s wary of me bolting back up the stairs.
”Heh. You’re looking down on me, aren’t you?” I said quietly.
If that’s how it wants to play it, fine by me.
’Physical Reinforcement’⁴—’Fireball’⁵—’Fireball’—’Fireball’.
I invoked my Physical Reinforcement magic and unleashed three Fireballs toward the Kobold Soldier in the center and the Kobolds flanking it. Simultaneously, I sprinted toward the left wall.
The moment the pack saw the flames, they scattered. As a result, the Fireballs struck the empty ground where they had been standing a second prior.
Both the Soldier and its subordinates were unscathed.
But I’d anticipated that from the start. The Fireballs were a feint, intended to disrupt their coordination and pull them apart.
”Ora!” I shouted.
Closing in from behind, I swiftly decapitated the two Kobolds on the left that were still fixated on the impact site of the magic. Using the lingering embers of the central Fireball as a smokescreen, I unleashed a follow-up spell at the Kobold Soldier on the opposite side.
’Wind Cutter’⁶—’Wind Cutter’.
Whimper!
”Yes!” I cheered.
One of the two Wind Cutters successfully carved deep into the Soldier’s thigh, forcing it to drop to one knee. Seizing the opening, I cast another Fireball, but the two remaining Kobolds on the right threw themselves in front of their leader, serving as living shields.
”How touching!” I replied mockingly.
Clicking my tongue at the two Kobolds now engulfed in flames, I circled around them to close in on the Kobold Soldier. However, despite the pain contorting its features, the creature had already forced itself back up.
”Drop dead, you mutt!” I barked.
Ignoring its resilience, I bridged the gap in an instant and brought my Machete down.
Clang!
The Kobold Soldier’s sword intercepted the strike. I immediately surged forward, using the small shield on my left arm to bash the creature back. Its mangled leg likely prevented it from bracing; the Soldier stumbled several steps backward.
I didn’t let the opportunity slip. Closing the distance instantly, I swung the Machete in a horizontal arc. The Kobold Soldier tried to block in a panic, but my blade reached its throat first.
”Phew…”
I let out a long breath as I watched the Kobold Soldier collapse, its head severed. I had won easily thanks to crippling its leg early on. It was a monster with troublesome strength and speed, so neutralizing its mobility was vital. It also helped that the Soldier was fixated on using its sword. It might have been more of a headache if it had just lunged and tried to tear my throat out regardless of form. In that sense, the larger Kobolds were actually more difficult to deal with.
Reflecting on the skirmish, I watched the Kobold Soldier dissolve into black particles. In its wake remained a Magic Stone⁷ of the same hue and size as the previous ones.
”Same E-rank, huh? Well, I guess that’s about right,” I muttered.
Dismissing it as just a regular Kobold with a sword, I turned toward the black gate. Sitting before it was a copper treasure chest.
”Let’s see what today’s second copper chest has in store,” I said, my heart thumping with anticipation as I flipped the lid.
”Leather armor?”
Inside was a set of gray leather armor. When I pulled it out, I realized it was quite large—or rather, long. The armor I’d been using only reached my waist, but this gray set extended down to the thighs. The design was sleek and quite cool, featuring three protective flaps known as kusazuri hanging down to shield the groin and thighs. The leather itself appeared exceptionally resilient.
”If this is the only thing in the chest, it must be worth around 30,000 DP⁸.”
Since my current gear cost 5,000 DP, I could expect defensive performance proportional to the price. Talk about perfect timing. My old armor was riddled with gouges from the previous Monster House. And now, I had this.
”Whatever. I’ll just do a quick scout of the fifth floor and then head home.”
I stuffed the gray armor into my backpack, even though it poked out slightly, then gathered the Magic Stones and opened the black gate.
Beyond the gate lay the familiar cave environment.
Yeah, yeah, I get it, I thought to myself as I stepped through.
”Hm?”
But I soon realized it wasn’t the usual cave. Normally, a Magic Circle would be situated about five meters to the side, but there was nothing. I panicked and tried to retreat through the gate, but even though it remained open, an invisible wall blocked me from returning to the Guardian’s room. While I struggled, the gate groaned shut.
”Hey, hey, hey, what the hell is this?” I asked aloud.
The sudden deviation from the norm threw me for a loop. However, I quickly reined in my emotions. It was thanks to my training since childhood—the lesson that panicking on the battlefield only accelerates one’s demise.
”The Magic Circle… it’s definitely not here,” I confirmed.
I checked the spot where it should have been just to be certain, but found only empty floor.
”Does this mean I’m stuck here until I slaughter this floor’s Guardian?”
But why was the teleportation Magic Circle absent only on the fifth floor? The fifth floor… wait, is this a boss floor? I recalled reading a manga in My Room¹¹ about dungeons where a ‘Floor Boss’ leading the sub-guardians appears every five floors. If that was the case, it made sense for this dungeon to lack a teleportation circle here. Looking closer, I noticed the absence of any side paths. It was a single, straight corridor.
”No point in overthinking it. Might as well see for myself,” I said.
I started down the main passage.
* * *
I moved with caution, yet I didn’t encounter a single monster. After about fifteen minutes of walking, I hit a dead end, and there it was.
”A door… yeah, no doubt about it, this is a boss room,” I muttered.
Before me stood a massive wooden door, roughly three meters tall and two meters wide.
”My Mana Capacity⁹ is… down to about three Physical Reinforcements. This is cutting it close.”
This boss was likely far more potent than any Guardian I’d faced. Charging in with my current reserves was high risk. I didn’t need to be at full strength, but I wanted at least half my pool back before challenging it… with a Grade 5 Mana Capacity Recovery Potion¹⁰, it would take six or seven hours to recover that much. I checked my watch; it was just past 15:00.
Waiting six hours in a place like this with nothing to do would be mind-numbing. More than anything, I was starving. I’d brought some calorie bars as emergency rations, at least.
”Should I just pop a Grade 4?”
A Grade 4 Mana Capacity Recovery Potion would boost my recovery speed fivefold. Combined with my remaining Mana, I should hit the halfway mark in about two hours.
”One hundred thousand yen per bottle is a steep price, but time is money, as they say.”
Well, the truth was I just wanted to eat a decent meal and go summon that wall-butt girl. When evening hits, I get restless and my groin starts aching with demand. Besides, the Guardian here seems unique, so the loot should more than cover the cost.
I pulled the Grade 4 potion from my bag and downed it in one go.
”Might as well suit up while I’m waiting.”
Since I had the time, I decided to equip the gray leather armor I’d been lugging around. It was my first time wearing it, and without a mirror, I struggled for about ten minutes, but I eventually got it fastened. The fit was a bit loose, but it didn’t seem to impede my movement.
”This is the stuff,” I said.
I tested a few swings with my Machete; it was surprisingly easy to move in. And it felt genuinely tough. Satisfied with the mobility check, I leaned my back against the rock wall and took a short breather while waiting for my Mana to replenish.
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Summary:
The protagonist clears the fourth floor by defeating a tactical Kobold Soldier and its pack. He finds an upgraded set of gray leather armor in a copper chest before proceeding. Upon reaching the fifth floor, he finds himself trapped without a teleportation circle, realizing he must defeat a ‘Floor Boss.’ He opts to use a high-grade potion to quickly recover his mana before entering the boss room.
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Character Insight:
In this chapter, the protagonist’s tactical depth is highlighted through his use of magic as a psychological and positioning tool rather than just brute force. His internal conflict over using a 100,000 yen potion showcases his transition from a survival-oriented mindset to one of an efficient ‘professional’ adventurer who values time over gold. His sexual frustration and desire for a ‘reward’ also keep his character grounded in his established, non-heroic motivations.
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Behind the Scene:
The ‘kusazuri’ mentioned are specifically the ‘grass aprons’ found in traditional Japanese samurai armor, indicating the dungeon’s loot table has a cultural blend. The protagonist’s mention of ‘childhood training’ suggests he comes from a background that prepared him for life-or-death combat, explaining his calm under pressure.
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T/L:
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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