Volume 5 Chapter 4-2 Dungeon of the Puppeteer
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The mithril hatchet was a prototype made from scrap mithril by Mr. Zenom. It’s too light, so it’s not suitable for the intended use of smashing things with a hatchet.
The sharpness is decent, but unlike real mithril, it doesn’t have the cheat ability where the blade self-repairs. Still, knives are meant to be used a certain way. It’s just the right weight for swinging fast, and since it’s mithril, it won’t easily break.
The Indra Gun modification is Mr. Zenom’s latest creation. It looks like a slim rifle. The frame is mithril, sandwiched between walnut wood, making it incredibly light. It’s better to carry something light, but I think a bit more weight would make it easier to aim.
It’s designed to set a metal plate with 3 crossbow bolts loaded, allowing for 3-shot bursts. I had explained a 30-round magazine that could fire continuously, but Mr. Zenom seemed to think that rapid fire like that wasn’t necessary.
The bolts are launched using magnetic force magic, reaching a speed comparable to a heavy crossbow, but the trajectory isn’t stable, and the range is short. Well, there’s no problem as long as it’s shot at close range.
We already know the strategy for this boss, so it should be pretty easy to beat.
* * *
”I’ll go down first, so Ms. Nina, take your time and follow slowly. If you fall, I’ll catch you.”
The hatch is narrow, so we can only go in one by one. This isn’t really a time for lady first.
Ms. Nina is light, so even if she falls from above, I can catch her with one hand with my current muscle strength. This is why I keep training. Unlike skills, muscles need regular maintenance with luck to stay strong, or they’ll quickly decline. In this world, having muscles is pretty useful.
I hurry to the bottom and look up to see Ms. Nina descending the rope ladder gracefully. Her deerskin leggings sway from side to side. Since those leggings are like pants, they’re not underwear, so there’s no problem with looking. However, if she notices me staring, things will get awkward. Still, as a man, I can’t help but keep my eyes on her. I have to catch her when she falls, so it can’t be helped.
Watching this, I can’t believe that under Ms. Nina’s clothes is a wooden doll. There are unnatural parts because there’s no muscle movement, but every action is so refined and graceful.
Shea-Shea is probably getting a lesson in manners from Miss Floria right now. I used to think etiquette and stuff like that was silly, but after watching Ms. Nina, my perspective has changed. Even if it’s just a little, I want to learn some elegance, even if it’s just for show.
Ms. Nina jumps off the rope ladder in the last few meters and lands lightly next to me. She’s so calm, but her luck and reflexes are surprisingly good.
”Is this… the door?”
When Ms. Nina touches the large scale, the seam starts to glow just as expected.
”Once we go in, the boss should appear right away, so when I give the signal, Ms. Nina, you need to retreat immediately.”
According to the information, the boss that appears is just one, slow-moving but extremely tough.
Magic attacks are useless, and physical attacks barely work. On top of that, its HP is incredibly high and naturally regenerates over time. Apparently, only one adventurer has ever defeated this boss. I’ve thought it over, but this isn’t an opponent I can handle.
But there’s a trick to defeating the boss here. Sometimes, a rare boss with only 1 HP appears. It’s supposedly faster than the normal boss, but it can be defeated in one hit, so it seems doable. Many golem users have left records of defeating the rare boss. It’s rare that the rare boss is easier to defeat, right?
It seems that the reward is the same no matter which boss you defeat. The golem that accompanies you becomes immortal.
There’s even a legend where a golem, strengthened after clearing a puppet master dungeon, stood alone against an army of demon kings to protect a bridge. The idea of an immortal Ms. Nina is a little scary, but if she’s alive, I don’t mind.
”If it’s the wrong boss, retreat immediately and keep restarting until the rare boss appears.”
”That kind of fighting… it feels a bit cowardly, doesn’t it?”
”It’s fine. That’s the strategy for this dungeon.”
In games, rare bosses are there to keep players from getting bored. They increase the difficulty, drop special items, and make sure even advanced players have fun.
In this dungeon, I wonder what the rare boss is for? Naturally, the Dungeon Master has its own reasons. The Valley of Trials dungeon was created to help the spirits gain experience. But here… who’s even in charge of this place?
”I see. You’ve gone out of your way to provide an easy way to clear it, testing the challenger’s wisdom, huh?”
Well, it’s definitely some sort of qualification test. Having a golem companion is probably one of the criteria. The fact that we’re immediately in the boss room means they aren’t testing our strength by fighting trash monsters… Hmm, it’s like an entrance exam with only interviews.
”Ready? Let’s go for the first round.”
Ms. Nina and I pressed our hands against the door, pushing with all our strength. The door didn’t budge, but then it suddenly started glowing brightly, and we were unexpectedly teleported.
Ms. Nina seems surprised since this is her first time being teleported. It’s a fresh reaction──once you get used to it, it’s like taking an elevator.
The space in front of us is probably the boss room. It’s about the size of a gymnasium, and there’s a round stage set up.
In the center of the ceiling is a large hole, reminding me of the mouth of a sea anemone, and from it, a large crystal slowly descends, glowing blue. When it hits the floor, it shatters in a beautiful effect, leaving behind a stocky golem.
It’s a typical game-like effect, yet Ms. Nina is staring in awe, holding her breath.
The golem, about 3 meters tall, slowly starts moving. According to the info, this one’s a normal boss. Guess it wasn’t going to be that easy to get a rare boss right off the bat.
Its body is shaped like an egg, just like that famous Humpty Dumpty. All over it’s a reddish-brown like a hen’s egg, no unnecessary decorations, just plain simple. Where a face should be, there are only 3 single eyes, and it sort of looks like a squishy honeybee. It could pass for a minor enemy robot in a sci-fi anime, or even a mid-boss in a fantasy RPG; it’s that versatile a design. At a glance, it seems sturdy enough, but it doesn’t look all that strong.
”Seems like it’s a dud. Let’s make sure we can retreat properly.”
If we can’t get out of the boss room, we’re in big trouble. If we can’t beat him, this place will become our grave, mine and Ms. Nina’s. Well, I might be able to come back from the dead if my luck’s good enough.
But it’s alright. Right behind us, there’s a big round hole in the wall that looks like an exit. It’s glowing white, and you can’t see the other side, but everything’s as the info said. Let’s jump in with Ms. Nina.
Feels like we’ve been teleported or something.
The sunlight is blinding, and right in front of us is a familiar slanted silver tower. Our tent is there, too. Ms. Joa, who was on watch, looks surprised to see us suddenly appear.
”I’m shocked. We’re coming out?”
Ms. Nina is right beside me. Looks like retreating from the boss room won’t be a problem.
If I had my way, I’d have set the teleportation point a bit closer to the entrance. It’s nearly a kilometer from here to the hatch. We’re gonna have to run a marathon before the rare boss shows up.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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