Chapter 143 The Baptism Awaiting Beyond the Turnaround Point
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Ultimately, what was sustaining this thing’s life, I wonder?” Yohira mused, her voice low as she looked toward the spot where the creature they’d called Janus had vanished.
I didn’t have the precise answer, but I could hazard a guess. Leaning against Ethelena for support as I slowly pushed myself upright, I offered my theory. “It was probably those crystallized bodies (kesshōtai) growing on its back. They seemed to be packed with a huge quantity of Spirits (seirei). I think it was using them to replenish its life and Mana—magical energy.”
I wouldn’t know the exact details unless I asked an Archangel—high-ranking celestial being—or something equally omniscient, but it felt like Janus had been attempting something similar to what they called an “Immortal King.”
”But why would it appear in that form?” Tatia asked, puzzled. “Even Tatara-dono didn’t know about it, did you?”
”No, that was a complete first for me,” I confirmed.
I could accept it if they told me a certain number of the Spirit Kings (Seireiō) on the upper floors had been defeated, which somehow triggered this boss. But would that alone really summon something this outrageous? I’d be more convinced if they said the world itself had prepared it just to eliminate us Transmigrators (tensekisha).
* * *
”Now then, about this treasure chest—loot container…” I started, gesturing to the prize.
”Hmph, I propose Tatara, who destroyed the crystallized bodies, should open it,” Yohira stated firmly.
”I agree,” Tatia chimed in. “I didn’t contribute directly to the defeat.”
Frankly, all I felt like I’d done was smash a lot of glowing rock.
”In that case, I’d like to concede the right to Ethelena, who delivered the finishing blow,” I said.
”…No,” she whispered, her voice tearful.
Ethelena had been glued to my side since she witnessed my near-death moment, and she hadn’t let go. That tearful voice, that single word—it was all it took to refuse my offer. Besides, with her clinging to me, I couldn’t actually open the treasure chest anyway.
”Sorry, but I need to comfort Ethelena right now, so I can’t open it myself. I’ll leave it to you, Box-Pushing Demon.”
”Oh, well, it can’t be helped, noja! Thank you for the meal!”
”Seriously, Yohira-dono, that habit of yours is quite… something, isn’t it?” Tatia commented dryly.
I handed the treasure chest over to the excited Yohira, who immediately displayed her “Box-Pushing Demon” antics, causing Tatia to visibly recoil in disgust. Well, your masochistic routine was pretty out there too, you know?
Yohira opened the chest, and inside, we found a dagger.
”…This doesn’t seem to be a weapon, noja?” she asked.
I immediately cast Appraisal—a skill for identifying items/enemies—on the dagger.
Ornament: “Sword Symbol”
Physical Attack +10
Physical Defense +10
Magic Attack +10
Magic Defense +10
It was a powerful piece of jewelry (sōshokuhin). It functioned as a charm, not a usable weapon, but a +10 boost to all four core attributes was incredibly strong.
”Yohira, you should equip—wear or use—that,” I advised.
”Hmph… yes, indeed. It does feel appropriate for my current state,” she agreed.
She accepted my suggestion and equipped the dagger in an empty accessory slot. Though the stat increase was small for someone of her level, it was a net positive for Yohira’s overall combat power.
”Well, we’ve all met the conditions for Sublimation of Existence—ultimate promotion/job change—now, haven’t we?” I noted, looking at the others.
”As I said earlier, I intend to wait until we clear the 60th floor (kaisō) before proceeding,” Yohira confirmed.
”Yes, I’m with Yohira-dono. Besides, I can still raise my status more,” Tatia added.
”…Me too, not yet,” Ethelena mumbled softly, still clutching me.
I had their agreement to hold off on their promotions for a while. Good. Now, we could get back to the exploration. Before moving on, we checked our post-combat skills—abilities—and found that Ethelena’s Sword Aptitude had leveled up to rank V. Seriously, how is she advancing so fast?
After preparing, we descended to the next floor, and the dungeon—labyrinthine domain—changed completely again. It was a forest zone, similar to the 11th through 14th floors where Orc—green-skinned monster—species were common in the upper layers, but this was more like a humid tropical rainforest with terrible visibility.
‘A major change again, noja?’ Yohira transmitted via telepathy.
‘The humidity is awful. If I’d known, I could have prepared a cooling Magic Device—enchanted tool,’ I replied, frustrated.
I knew the visual theme of this floor from the days of the game, but this was my first time experiencing it in this life. The heat was oppressive enough to make me really wish I had a comfy Magic Device.
‘For now, I’m going ahead,’ Ethelena sent.
‘Please be careful. This is uncharted territory,’ I warned.
‘I know,’ she replied.
Ethelena took the lead, putting her scouting abilities to full use. Her Eavesdropping skill seemed to be working overtime; she would pause and listen intently near every corner to confirm the presence of enemies. It might seem wrong that Ethelena, who excelled as a swordswoman, was so effective as a scout. But this power was the result of her own hard work and practical experience. I wouldn’t let anyone criticize that.
‘Enemy spotted… I can’t quite tell what it is. Come closer,’ Ethelena’s thought-message suddenly reached me, and I hurried to catch up.
Peeking around the corner, we saw a cluster of enemies. It was a sight we certainly hadn’t seen on the upper floors.
‘Are those Goblin—small, monstrous creature—trying to defeat that Golem—animated construct—noja?’ Yohira wondered.
‘I’d say it’s either a disagreement between companions—allies—or a territorial fight,’ I suggested.
A group of Goblin species was surrounding and attacking a Mithril Golem—durable construct type. But judging by the lack of effect, the Mithril Golem’s defense was too high for their attacks to penetrate. Why they wouldn’t just give up and retreat, I didn’t know. Perhaps territory was that important to them.
‘What should we do?’ Tatia asked.
‘Alright, I’ll take out the Mithril Golem. Ethelena and Tatia, I need you two to focus on eliminating the Goblin species,’ I instructed. ‘Yohira, use Appraisal on the enemies to find their elemental weaknesses and share the info.’
‘Understood. Leave it to me,’ Yohira confirmed.
We decided on our course of action and were about to spring into motion when we all completely forgot about the unique skill effect of Tatia’s job class.
A shriek or roar that was neither a cry nor a shout reverberated through the humid air, followed by a sudden spike in the Mana signatures of the Goblins.
‘What is that, the Commander—Goblin leader type—from the upper floors?’ Yohira asked urgently.
‘No, it’s different… There’s someone much stronger!’
She was right. I’d been fighting the upper-floor bosses so much that I’d forgotten. The Rare species of Goblin that appeared past Floor 51 were completely different from the earlier versions. Something beyond a Commander—a General, or maybe even a—
‘It appears already? The Goblin King!’ I realized.
An ‘King’ who ruled a kingdom, apparently. Flanking the King were two large, armored figures: one with the physique of a seasoned fighter and the other wearing robes, with eyes that held an intelligence far beyond that of a normal Goblin.
‘Not the Warrior—melee class—and Wizard—magic class—from the upper levels?’ Tatia questioned.
‘Exactly, Tatia,’ I confirmed. ‘Those are a Paladin—holy knight class—and a Wiseman—elite magic class. They are the top-tier versions of the upper-floor Warrior and Wizard types.’
Normally, the higher-tier Warrior was a Knight, but even beyond that stood the Holy Knight, or Paladin. In contrast, the top-tier Sorcerer was the Wiseman. But the Wiseman was far more dangerous than the Paladin. Having them as a royal guardknight—King’s protector—and a tactician, both led by the King himself, was a major problem.
‘Yohira, I need you to do something reckless,’ I sent.
‘I just need to slice that King down, noja?’
‘Yes. Use Concept Appraisal—advanced identification skill—and take it out, no questions asked,’ I ordered.
‘Consider it done. We certainly can’t leave the one giving orders alive,’ Yohira replied, intuiting my meaning.
Grateful for Yohira’s quick understanding, I turned my attention to Tatia.
‘Tatia, I need you to handle the Wiseman. After Yohira gives you the weakness, you need to use charge—aggressive attack skill—on him, too.’
‘Is he that serious of a threat? Very well, I understand,’ she responded, her voice suddenly focused.”
{
”Title”: “Chapter 143 – The Baptism Awaiting Beyond the Turnaround Point”,
”Content”: “The presence of the Wiseman wasn’t scary due to the magic itself, but because it boosted the King’s Command Ability—his leadership skills. They could formulate tactics just like us, and frankly, that was a huge headache. Since they greatly outnumbered us, a well-executed strategy on their part could easily grind us down.
”Ethelena, take out the Paladin from behind first. After that, focus on the cluster of Goblins.”
”Understood, but… what about Tatara?” she asked.
”I’ll deal with the Mithril Golem and the creatures surrounding it.”
As far as I could tell, the ones surrounding the Golem were Goblin Soldiers—foot soldier monsters. These rank-and-file troops had their fighting power dramatically amplified when the King gave the order. If we didn’t whittle them down right at the start, things would become unnecessarily complicated. In a sense, they were perfect targets for me.
”First, I’ll hit the group around the Mithril Golem with artillery—ranged projectile attack. I’ll charge in right after, so the moment the King’s attention is focused on me, the three of you should move against him and his two attendants.”
Everyone nodded, confirming the strategy, and I immediately activated the Kōkoku‘s artillery sequence—attack preparation system. The maximum lock-on count of thirty-six wasn’t enough to cover everything on the field. It seemed there were easily over forty enemies, even some I couldn’t see. My plan, then, was to use the concussive force of an airburst explosion above their heads to crush them. I finished setting the shell and fired, starting the operation.
The fired projectile—the fired shell—was based on data I’d optimized during jet engine experiments, specifically maximizing the combustion efficiency of liquefied Mana Stone—Mana-rich mineral. The projectile was set to Explosion—blast—at the exact point just before combustion efficiency decayed, maximizing its chemical reaction with the air. This meant the blast power was boosted by 50 percent over the standard shell. This immensely powerful projectile detonated directly over the Goblins clustered around the Golem.
A colossal volume of information streamed into my mind. Despite the Goblins having been strengthened since we passed the 51st floor, their HP must not have exceeded 250, because they instantly vanished.
The Mithril Golem at the center was still standing, though some of its armor had melted. I immediately closed the distance and attached myself to its head, scratching the single character etched into its forehead. The Mithril Golem instantly collapsed, registering an instant-death penalty. I hadn’t used Appraisal, but I figured its base stats must have all jumped by at least thirty. Seriously, have some restraint! I wanted to yell. Even Yohira would have had her damage halved against that thing; it was ridiculous.
* * *
The King roared in rage upon seeing me standing right where the fallen Mithril Golem had been. The Paladin and Wiseman reacted, but in the next instant, the Wiseman was pierced by Tatia, who had used charge at maximum speed, and then engulfed in flames. She even added a fire-attributed Burst Edge to ensure the kill—a high level of intent, but I was grateful for it.
With his tactician dead, the King was distracted for a fleeting moment, and Yohira shredded him into pieces. The way she sliced through the shining armor (āmua) that encased his body, weaving her blade between the plates, was jaw-dropping. I didn’t use Appraisal, but that might have been Orichalcum Equipment (ekipu).
Finally, the enraged Paladin, having lost its King, lunged for Yohira, only to have its vital points severed by Ethelena, who had silently crept up behind it. It died instantly.
Wait, is the lawlessness of those three a bit much?
”Good job… but you made that look easy,” I admitted.
That sounded strange coming from me, the guy who just wiped out half the enemy force with artillery, but they certainly seemed determined to kill. Tatia had shown off her kill on the Wiseman to distract the King. Yohira had used the moment to cut down the King, robbing the Paladin of its reason. And Ethelena had slipped in behind the distracted Paladin for the instant kill. It was a fluid, perfect combination.
”The surprise attack went well, so we managed. Honestly, the Burst Edge might have been unnecessary, but since I have recovery methods, I wasn’t going to hold back,” Tatia replied calmly. Her composure was reassuring, though I couldn’t help but think she probably could have finished the Wiseman with just a two-hit combo of Tsubame-gaeshi (Swallow Strike Technique).
”Mine was a gift of Concept Appraisal, noja. The armor was hard, but since it wasn’t wearing chainmail, weaving through the gaps works just like this,” Yohira explained.
Killing a powerful enemy without even using a specialized technique (waza) seemed abnormal, but then again, this was Yohira—the most powerful fighter in the Torakuma (female) clan.
”Tatara, here.”
As usual, Ethelena, after slaying the Paladin, handed me the item she’d taken from it using her ability. It was a Goblin’s Decoration (Koblin no Kunshō), a Rare item (Rea aitemu) that was only for cash exchange and couldn’t be used for Crafting (Kuraftingu). In the game era, it sold for about 100,000 to the Merchant Guild or hobbyists. I wondered how much it was worth in this world.
”We should remember that from this floor onward, territorial disputes between different races (rēsu) can happen,” Yohira observed.
”And conversely, we might also encounter creatures like the Orc Slayer or Ogre Grapple acting as bodyguards for a King’s unit,” I added.
In the game, the Slayer and Grapple that appeared on the lower floors were much stronger than the Paladin or Wiseman. Their base abilities (Abiritī) were different, and some of their special skills were enhanced, boosting their combat power significantly. While they weren’t affected by the King’s buffs, if the Goblin Soldiers held us down and distracted us, they could close the distance, which would be dangerous. I almost wished for a mass outbreak of Muumin—fairy species—or the Undead King just to thin the crowds, but even Tatia’s skill probably wouldn’t make something that convenient happen.
”By the way, Yohira, were you able to see the King’s status?”
”You already know the answer, Tatara. Since I looked deeply using Appraisal, of course I checked it, noja. It’s basically the stats of the upper-floor Commander with fifty added to all base Abilities and two hundred more HP.”
”We probably couldn’t have killed it if I hadn’t left it to Yohira…”
That was a value that would make things difficult without an attack that ignored defense and guaranteed a critical hit. Of course, the Paladin had superior physical specs, but still.
”Let’s stick to the current plan: if we find them grouped up, I’ll weaken them with artillery.”
”If possible, Tatara-dono should be the one to defeat them. You need to raise your level,” Tatia pointed out.
Tatia’s critique was met with gazes from the other two. She was right. I had to raise my level. Since the requirement for Sublimation of Existence was reaching the maximum level cap, I needed to get to Level 60. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to achieve Sublimation of Existence right away, even after defeating the 60th-floor boss. It was slightly lower than optimal, but I should definitely try to defeat more enemies.
Well, this last fight alone increased my level by one. Defeating forty-nine monsters, combined with my accumulated experience points, was certainly enough for one level gain.
”Oh, that reminds me, Tatara. There seems to be a mineral vein at the edge of this room,” Ethelena chimed in.
”Huh, seriously? How can you tell?”
Since the 51st floor was dense jungle, mining spots were usually difficult to find. Being able to easily tell even their mere presence was amazing.
”How did you know?” I asked.
”Hmm, was it the echo of the sound?”
”Wow, your Eavesdropping skill has that kind of ability?”
Pinpointing a location from sound echoes—was she a human sonar? I asked Ethelena for the general area, and sure enough, I found the mineral vein. Ethelena’s scouting ability was truly incredible. I took out my pickaxe from my Inventory (inbentorī) and began mining while using Concept Appraisal. I was slightly startled to extract 700g of Orichalcum and 200g of Adamantite. Just then, the announcement “Complete” echoed in my mind. Checking my status, sure enough, my Mining skill had been completed. Now, what should I acquire next?
”Tatara, what’s wrong?”
”Nothing, my Mining skill just completed.”
”Oh, congratulations!”
Having heard the exchange between Ethelena and me, Yohira and Tatia also came closer.
”Tatara’s Mining skill has reached its maximum, noja. What will you acquire next?” Yohira asked.
”If you want to raise your attack power, Tatara-dono, acquiring charge might be a good idea. Or perhaps choosing an aptitude for another weapon (buki) type,” Tatia suggested.
I considered Tatia’s advice. Getting an offensive skill was definitely one option. I didn’t have any combat techniques of my own, so taking a simple attack skill like charge would be useful. However, I decided to acquire a different skill, keeping the future exploration in mind.
”No, I’m going to take Mobility Boost—movement acceleration skill—this time. Honestly, even with the Equipment I have, it’s hard to keep up.”
Ethelena and Tatia both had Movement (Mūbumento) stats over thirty thanks to their skills, so I just couldn’t keep pace. Besides, increasing my Movement would also increase the experience value for my Stealth Step—silent movement skill.
”Hmph, it is necessary for Tatara’s Movement to increase, I suppose,” Yohira conceded.
”I think it’s a good idea too,” Ethelena said.
”If you’ve decided, I respect your choice,” Tatia added.
With the approval of the three of them, I acquired the Mobility Boost skill. This would make me a little faster.
* * *
The exploration continued after that, and we kept encountering and exterminating Goblin Kings, Paladins, Wisemen, and Soldiers in other rooms. Because I was using artillery on the groups, my level reached 55. The target level was within reach. I hoped nothing would go wrong.
It was then that Ethelena, who was scouting ahead, urgently alerted us to the presence of an enemy. I quickly approached and peered into the room. Two Muumin were being attacked by a King’s unit. One was the familiar blue color, but the other was cream-colored with golden bangs. This unfamiliar color, which I presumed was a female Muumin (Sunūku no Ojōsan—Snus-ku’s Young Lady), had apparently tripped and twisted her leg. She lay on the ground, wearing a frightened expression, right in front of a Paladin.
”Tatara!”
”Agh, fine! It can’t be helped!”
I leaped forward just as the Paladin was raising its sword toward the fallen, presumed female Muumin. Since I was shielding her, dodging was impossible. I braced for the hit, preparing to counterattack by absorbing the Paladin’s blow with my defense.
The Paladin’s sword slammed against the armor (sōkō) of my Kōkoku, but only left a slight scratch on the surface.
”Sorry, but this armor is my pride and joy,” I said.
I used Appraisal on the stiffened Paladin. It possessed the Wind Attribute (Kaze Zokusei), meaning its weakness was Fire. I activated the Magic Bombardment (Majikku Bonbādomento) on my right hand, coating it with Fire Mana. Then, I grabbed the Paladin’s head.
Unable to evade, the Paladin was seized by the head and crushed as the Fire Mana, its weakness, burned his skull. A modified version of the Fire-attributed Burst Knuckle… I suppose I’ll call it Burning Claw; Burning Finger would be a bit much. Just then, I noticed a mass of water flying toward me.
Since I couldn’t dodge due to the presumed female Muumin behind me, I took the Water Ball hit, but the attack didn’t even penetrate my defense. When I looked up, I saw the Wiseman frozen after casting magic in the distance. Since I couldn’t move from this spot, I prepared the Magic Bombardment and used Appraisal.
Its weakness was Earth. I immediately put the Magic Bombardment on my left arm into maximum operation. Targeting the Wiseman fifty meters away, I slammed my left fist into the ground.
The Magic Bombardment traveled from my left arm through the floor, causing the ground beneath the Wiseman to violently rise, hitting the ceiling and crushing him.
The Wiseman was successfully annihilated, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Glancing over, I saw that Tatia had pierced the King. Ethelena and Yohira had apparently finished off all the Goblin Soldiers surrounding the familiar blue Muumin, and Ethelena was now hugging the hippo. Yes, that hippopotamus bastard definitely needs to be exterminated.
I turned my attention to the second hippo creature, the one I had just shielded and who was still lying on the ground. Compared to the blue one, its eyes seemed wider and its eyelashes longer… was it a female? Since she was immobile due to her leg injury, and with Ethelena right there, I couldn’t just leave her. I took out healing ointment (hīringu ointomento) from my Inventory. I knelt and applied the ointment to her leg injury, and the wound instantly healed. The second hippo creature looked surprised, then happy that the pain was gone.
”Here, you should go to your companions,” I said as gently as possible, hiding my irritation toward the first hippo creature. It wasn’t fair to direct my annoyance at this second one yet, as she hadn’t been hugged by Ethelena. If she gets hugged, I’ll kill her, though.
I gestured toward where Ethelena and the others were. The second hippo creature looked at the first one, who was being hugged by Ethelena… and its entire body turned crimson.
”…Eh?”
I was startled by the sudden change. The second hippo creature suddenly ran over to the first one at an amazing speed and punched it hard in the cheek. Wait, did I just witness a spouse catching their partner cheating?
The presumed female Muumin made the teary-eyed first hippo creature sit seiza (seiza—kneeling style) and began lecturing it via some form of thought-message that didn’t reach us. Ethelena and the others stared in a daze. I approached them and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with them.
”…He deserves that.”
”He was drowning in breasts; it is a fitting punishment,” Yohira agreed.
Yohira and my resentment overflowed, and smug smiles spread across our faces. Ethelena tried to intervene, but I stopped her. While part of it was my own pleasure, I also understood that the second Muumin, who was turning purple and then blue after turning red, was simply expressing her emotions out of worry. It might be unfair, but a man deserves punishment if he worries the woman he loves. Get thoroughly scolded, boy.
After the presumed female Muumin had cried for about ten minutes, she calmed down and the two of them turned toward us and bowed deeply. They were probably thanking us for the rescue.
”I’m glad we helped them!” Ethelena said, sounding genuinely happy.
I gave her a wry smile. The second Muumin, who had returned to her cream color, came up to me. She seemed to want to tell me something, pulling on my clothing. Wondering what was up, I knelt down to meet her eye level. She placed something on my head.
A light, floral scent wafted up—a flower crown (hanakanmuri).
”Hmph, that would be the reward for saving the princess,” Yohira remarked.
”Yes, it suits you well, Tatara-dono,” Tatia added in a gentle tone.
I felt it was silly for a rugged man like me to wear a flower crown, but I decided to accept the gratitude sincerely.
”This is the greatest reward, Your Highness,” I said, injecting a bit of playful charm into my thanks. I took her hand and, like a prince in a fairy tale, brought my lips close to the back of her hand. The presumed female Muumin instantly turned pink… was it anger earlier, and shame this time?
The first hippo creature hastily grabbed his partner’s hand and rushed away. That’s what you get for flirting with big breasts when you have a partner, you hippo.
”Muuu, Tatara?” Ethelena whined.
”Ethelena, you hug that hippo fairy, so I can have a nice moment once in a while. Besides, that jealousy you’re feeling right now? I feel that all the time,” I replied, standing up to face her protest.
She pouted, puffing out her cheeks—a very cute sight.
”Well, Tatara, what will you do with that flower crown, noja?” Yohira asked.
”What will I do with it? Let’s see…”
I carefully took it off my head and held it up. On a whim, I used Appraisal on it.
Head Equipment: “Flower Crown of Blessing”
Luck +100
Special Ability: Growth Promotion
Tatara Julon Only
”…Huh?!”
I somehow got my hands on something completely outrageous!”
Notes:
• Yohira – Torakuma’s first name. Oni warrior.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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