Chapter 34 The Oni Who Grasped the Blacksmith’s Logic
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Once again, the scenery changed.
This time, it looked like an iron factory—closer to a kōshō (T/N: factory complex).
I could see parts being carried deep into the walls, almost as if this floor itself was producing the “Golem” species.
”…So this is the 26th floor.”
”My first time here too… well, that’s true for most things past the 23rd.”
”Same here. Never set foot here before.”
”It’s been a while for me. I came alone once.”
From this floor onward, Golems appear.
They drop massive amounts of raw materials, ingots included—everything from the lowest “Rock Golem” to “Iron Golem” and “Steel Golem.” Their lineup covers a wide range.
What I want here is iron from the Iron Golems. But if this “rare monster festival” keeps going and a Mithril Golem spawns, it’s going to be trouble.
Probability should settle down by now… I hope.
If I had to describe the Golem race in one word: a wall.
Even the lowest Rock Golem has Physical Defense around 50. Iron Golems are 60, Steel Golems 70. All absurdly high.
Their weak points? Speed and Movement. Because of that, most of their attacks can be dodged. Low-tier Golems also have relatively low Magic Defense—but even then, at least 20—and their HP pool is huge. Any fight against them risks running out of stamina.
But that’s only for normal types.
The rare “Mithril Golem” carries both Physical and Magic Defense at 80. Enough to make both vanguard and mage cry.
And the boss “Orichalcum Golem”? Both defenses locked at 100. Whoever designed this, I’d like to scream, “Dial it back, idiot!”
Even worse, their attack power is just as cruel.
The lowest Rock Golem hits above 50. If you take a blow unguarded, even a shield specialist has a good chance of going down.
Strong enough that you wonder, “Should something like this even spawn so early?” But there were built-in lifelines.
One was the anti-material Arcane Guns, which always had the skill Pierce. With that, you could bypass their ridiculous defenses.
I had prepared a prototype “Magic Acceleration Launcher” for Ethelena, but it was unfinished.
Firing it in these narrow halls would cause a kamaitachi (T/N: slicing wind phenomenon) behind the bullet’s path, endangering even the shooter. So it’s sealed away.
Another was a hammer made from Golem parts: the “Core Breaker.”
It carried two effects—Golem Slayer and Pierce III—doubling damage against Golems and piercing their walls. If you could craft it, you gained the upper hand.
Problem was, you needed rare Golem materials to forge it.
Killing Golems efficiently requires… killing more Golems. Feels like missing the point.
And then there was a method impossible in the game days: erasing the “first character” inscribed on their forehead.
Probably based on old folklore, where wiping one character changed “life” into “death,” ending the Golem’s function.
If applied here, a strike strong enough to exceed its defenses on the head would shut it down. Right now, only Torakuma’s 125 Attack, or my defense-ignoring strikes, could do it.
Problem is their sheer size.
Even the lowest Rock Golem stands over 4 meters. Mithril Golem? Six. Orichalcum? Nine.
The first time I saw one, I got excited, thinking of robots from shows like Gasara, Aura Battler, or Arm Slay…
Then it punched me and snapped me back to reality.
When I explained this to the party—leaving out the anime references—the ending still earned me weary looks from Torakuma and Tatia.
Ethelena, on the other hand, seemed to think it was… cute?
”Hm. I see one problem for me,” Torakuma muttered.
”Ah… the katana? I’ve heard they’re delicate weapons.”
She nodded, then handed me her beloved blade. I appraised it.
Katana “Oni Katana Chizakura”
Physical Attack: 40
Speed: 15
Range: 1
Special Abilities: Torakuma Family Exclusive, High Hardness Inept
Never seen that trait before. Judging by the name, it’s unsuited for cutting hard metals.
If that applies to katanas in general, that’s a big headache.
”As you can see, my katana isn’t fit for slicing iron,” Torakuma said.
”In that case, maybe use another weapon for a while…”
I searched my inventory and pulled out a greatsword of demonsteel. The tip spread out like a ginkgo leaf—pure mass weapon, zero thrusting intent.
Torakuma swung it a few times, testing the feel.
”…Weight’s all at the tip. A nasty balance.”
”Yeah. It’s meant to crush, not cut.”
She nodded, then hefted it onto her shoulder.
”For now, I’ll borrow this until the hard ones are gone.”
”Fine. If you like it, I’ll adjust it later. Could even make it your backup inside Whirlwind.”
”That would help a lot!”
Compared to using a weapon unsuited for maintenance, this was far better.
And as an oni, Torakuma probably wanted something she could smash with all her strength.
”Tatara-dono, how should I act this time?” Tatia asked.
”Right… you lack firepower. Pair with Torakuma—help stop enemy attacks.”
”And you, Tatara-dono? Will you be fine?”
”I’ll manage. I’m used to fighting Golems.”
Golems were basically slow.
With Appraisal guiding me to their weak points, dodging their swings was simple enough. Even if I reacted after they moved, I could still avoid the strike.
The problem was Ethelena.
Her boosted Magic Attack from the recent Class Up had no skills to channel it into. And the skills she did have were practically useless against Golems. The only slim chance was using her Steal to rip out the rare “Golem Core,” the nucleus that powered them. But the odds were abysmal—hardly a reliable tactic.
”Ethelena, you’ll keep your role as scout and bait. Golems are painfully slow, but that works against us in pacing. Also, when you spot an Iron Golem, go all-in on Steal. High chance of nabbing an ingot.”
”Got it.”
With our plan set, we began exploring.
Led by Ethelena, we advanced steadily until she finally spotted the first Golem.
This time luck held—no rare spawn. Just a lone Rock Golem standing still.
”All right, I’ll handle the first one alone. You all can watch.”
”Muu, I was hoping to show Tatia and my coordination.”
”That’ll be next.”
The fight would be good experience for Ethelena and Tatia, who were lower-leveled than me. But at floor 26, even I still gained proper experience. I wanted some level growth myself.
”Then… time for a practical demo of the ‘Tatara Theory’ of Appraisal.”
I told them that, then stepped forward toward the Rock Golem.
Sixty meters out. Two breaths to close the gap.
First breath: I cut forty meters. The Rock Golem hadn’t even noticed me yet—its perception range was poor.
Second breath: hammering distance. At the same time, the Rock Golem noticed me and began to turn. That was when I triggered Appraisal.
Kairai Tribe – Rock Golem
HP: 150/150
Mana: 0
Skill Power: 0
Physical Attack: 50
Physical Defense: 50
Magic Attack: 0
Magic Defense: 20
Speed: 10
Luck: 10
Movement: 2
Status Ailments: None
Special Ability: Earth Reconstruction
Equipment: None
I scanned its stats. But true combat Appraisal started here.
I focused deeper—and the world drained of color.
Only black and white remained.
The Rock Golem’s sluggish movements became even slower. Its form blurred slightly, while Appraisal projected faint hints of its next actions from each joint.
And within that monochrome world… one place alone still shone in color: the thigh, just above its closer knee.
I drove my warhammer into that spot.
Hit roll: Weapon Accuracy 15 + 40 = 55 → vs Dodge 10 → success.
Damage: Attack 55 − Defense 50 = 5. Critical multiplier ×2 = 10 → localized destruction.
The hammer landed with a shrill crack, like shattering glass.
The Golem’s leg severed completely, sending its hulking body crashing backward.
While it struggled on its back, I carved out the first character etched on its forehead. The Rock Golem stopped moving and crumbled away.
What remained was a pile of stone, plus a Golem Core.
Mixed among the rubble were iron ores—useful for Tatia’s armor. The rest was just construction-grade stone; I’d sell it through the merchant guild to be routed to builders.
The real issue: if we didn’t run into Iron or Steel Golems, we’d need to smelt iron or steel from raw ore. Meaning we had to stockpile plenty of it.
”…So that’s what your ‘Tatara Theory’ Appraisal can do?”
Torakuma approached from behind, her expression serious. She’d said she wanted to learn this version of Appraisal, and now she was staring at the results intently.
”Yeah. I think it works by reading where the structure’s most strained and applying external force there to break it… or something like that. Honestly, I don’t even fully get it myself.”
This method drained concentration, leaving me fatigued afterward. But since battles ended faster, the total burden was lighter.
”So? Worth learning?”
Torakuma nodded without hesitation.
”Yes. This is a skill I need. I’ll master it.”
Her eyes were unwavering—pure determination.
First, though, she’d need Appraisal itself. Which meant raising her level. On this floor, even I earned solid experience, so she’d gain plenty too.
”By the way, Torakuma, how many levels until your next Skill Slot?”
”Hmm? Just one more. At that point I’ll finally hit level 30.”
”…I see.”
I’d suspected she was close, but to think she hadn’t even reached 30, and her raw Physical Attack was already over 80. Tatia too—some of these people were born absurd.
”Then I’ll leave the Rock Golems to you. With that weapon and your strength, you can pierce their defenses easily.”
Truth be told, Torakuma could probably kill even a Mithril Golem if given enough time.
But considering the Mithril Golem’s colossal HP, the fight would drag too long, leaving Tatia to tank an unbearable number of hits.
So realistically, Iron Golems were her limit. Anything more and it risked breaking Tatia.
With that plan set, we pressed on.
Up ahead, two Golems blocked the corridor. One Rock Golem, same as before. And beside it, a red-brown Iron Golem, its surface tarnished like rusted copper.
”Ethelena. Move ahead and use Steal on the Iron Golem.”
”Understood.”
Ethelena’s wings flared, and in a single beat she closed fifty meters.
Her hand flashed out—Steal—and she was already retreating with what looked like an iron ingot clenched tight.
The Iron Golem finally noticed her, but its speed was nothing compared to hers. It lumbered forward twenty meters, chasing her shadow. That was my cue.
I rushed in, closing the gap as Ethelena disengaged. The Golem raised its fist.
I triggered Appraisal.
Kairai Tribe – Iron Golem
HP: 250/250
Mana: 0
Skill Power: 0
Physical Attack: 60
Physical Defense: 60
Magic Attack: 0
Magic Defense: 20
Speed: 20
Luck: 10
Status Ailments: None
Special Ability: None
Equipment: None
I pressed deeper, pushing Appraisal further.
The projection showed distortion when its arm was fully extended after a punch. That was the break point.
I drew the strike in, sidestepped—
Accuracy check: 20 − 30 → miss.
—and slammed my warhammer into its exposed upper arm.
Hit roll: 15 + 40 = 55 − 20 → success.
Damage: 55 − 60 → critical 55 × 2 = 110. Limb destroyed.
The Iron Golem’s arm shattered away, leaving it stunned, unable to process the sudden loss.
Appraisal still ran. Next weak point: the waist, on the same side as the destroyed arm.
Another swing.
Another crash.
The waist cracked apart, and the Golem toppled.
I carved off the initial character etched into its forehead. The light drained from its eyes, body collapsing into rubble. The yield was generous—iron ingots in abundance. Tatia’s armor project was finally beginning to feel real.
I turned toward the others.
Tatia held the Rock Golem’s focus, her shield ringing under each blow, while Torakuma used the gap to batter it with the massive greatsword I had loaned her. Despite the change from her katana, she wielded it with frightening adaptability.
A final smash took the legs, sending it down. Torakuma brought her weapon down on the head—not just erasing the forehead rune but obliterating the entire skull.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.
Torakuma caught my laugh and pouted faintly, almost sulking. Maybe embarrassed she had copied my method but done it in her own overkill way.
We gathered the spoils. Some iron ore turned up among the stone chunks, but it wasn’t enough. Not yet.
”Feels like… two or three more Rock Golems, and I’ll hit the next level,” Torakuma mused.
”Good. We’ll press on for both exp and materials. We’re still short on iron anyway.”
At that, Tatia frowned.
”I thought one Iron Golem would be enough to forge a full suit. Was I wrong?”
”I get the thought. But you can’t just haul an entire Golem corpse back. If we could, one would be plenty.”
”…The world does not bend so easily, then.”
I knew the feeling.
First time I farmed Golem parts, I too had dreamed of hauling an intact Mithril Golem—hundreds of kilos of rare metal in one shot. I even tried carrying a broken arm once. Never worked. Harsh truth: the Dungeon didn’t allow it.
By the time we cleared floor 26, I had crushed eight Iron Golems.
Torakuma had taken down four Rocks and hit her level-up, unlocking a new slot.
We scraped together just enough iron for Tatia’s armor. Next step was steel. Either hunt Steel Golems or, worst case, smelt iron with carbon ourselves.
For me, continuous use pushed Appraisal IV to its limit—finally ranking up to Appraisal V. A skill evolving in combat rather than daily life… the more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
”Tatara. Teach me now—how to wield Appraisal like you.”
At the staircase landing, Torakuma’s request was firm.
I decided to use the same method I’d once used for my juniors.
I pointed at the greatsword she carried. She tilted her head, then raised it and focused.
”First step—use Appraisal on that sword.”
”Very well. Appraisal.”
Her expression shifted to surprise almost immediately.
”So this is… how the world looks through Appraisal.”
”For me, it’s less ‘looking’ and more ‘knowing.’ Fun, isn’t it?”
”…Heh. No wonder you used it everywhere as a child, Tatara.”
She recalled the story I’d once told the city mayor, and nodded, as if finally understanding.
”Next—this time, don’t just look. Push deeper. Focus. Try to use what you’re sensing.”
”…Hmm?”
She obeyed, eyes narrowing in concentration.
Everyone’s experience of a skill was different, but the key was to sharpen the awareness beyond surface-level inspection.
Back when I taught the others, I hadn’t phrased it well. Now I could.
But as Torakuma focused harder, I noticed a change. Her eyes seemed to shift in hue.
Her focus was razor-sharp, but her face contorted—pain creeping in.
Headache. The first wall.
In my own case, the next step came with blood—tears, nosebleeds, worse. But if I said that, they’d probably call me insane again.
Torakuma’s focus finally snapped. She dropped the greatsword with a heavy clang, shoulders heaving as sweat dripped freely. Her breath rasped in short, raw bursts.
”Yeah, that’s how it starts. Take a break, then we’ll move on.”
”Haa… haa… no! Wait, Tatara, I can still do this!”
”I’m not doubting your HP. But strain the brain too hard, and you’ll pay for it later.”
”But… eh?”
She froze mid-protest, staring at me. Something was wrong—seriously wrong.
”Torakuma. Hold steady. Focus on what you’re seeing, keep calm.”
”Tatara… what is this…?”
”Likely, what you perceive through Appraisal differs from me.”
”But this… this is blasphemy against life itself…”
Her face crumpled as if about to cry. I pulled her into an embrace. Her whole body shuddered at first, then she clung weakly in return. I stroked the back of her head, murmuring steadily.
”Breathe. Slow, steady. It’ll pass. The world will go back soon enough.”
”…nn… I’m sorry, Tatara. Sorry, Ethelena…”
Tears finally spilled. I held her tight, meeting Ethelena’s eyes over Torakuma’s shoulder. Ethelena’s face was conflicted, unreadable. Meanwhile, Torakuma kept whispering apologies—about me, about Ethelena, about how she was the cause.
She had once called herself a box oshi, a “whole cast” fan. Now she looked like one who had betrayed her own creed.
Ten minutes later, she calmed. She pulled back, eyes normal again. That was it—the key. When she forced my way of Appraisal, her eyes had shifted. Just like mine once had.
I’d long since accepted my own eye color change—from amber to gold. I thought it was just fate. But now the cause was clear.
The first to point it out had been Ethelena, back when I first took her in:
”Tatara’s golden eyes… I love them. They’re like the moon.”
At the time I hadn’t understood. But watching Torakuma, I finally did.
”Torakuma. There’s something I need to tell you.”
”…Some flaw in this Tatara-style Appraisal, isn’t it?”
”The headaches, nosebleeds—those your body will adapt to. What I mean is different. Something I only realized just now.”
”Something only a bystander could see.”
”Right. This style affects the eyes. Over long use, the color changes.”
”…What?”
Her gaze sharpened. I explained.
”My eyes used to be amber, like my parents’. But sometime after I took Ethelena in, they turned gold. Just now, I saw your eyes shift when you forced deeper focus. Keep using it, and yours may change too.”
”That…”
Torakuma’s natural eye color was already golden. Subtle differences would be harder to notice. But it was her body—her inheritance from her parents. Even small changes mattered.
”…It’s fine. Even if my eyes change shade, I’ll always be their daughter. That truth won’t fade.”
She said it slowly, like tasting each word. The look she gave me then was gentle, almost maternal. Maybe it was just my own guilt projecting.
”Alright. Then tell me—what did you see, Torakuma?”
Her face darkened.
”…Distortion of life itself. In short—death.”
”…That’s grim.”
I’d expected our perspectives would differ. I was a crafter—my vision bent toward objects, structures. She was a warrior—hers bent toward life, and the ending of it.
Unfortunate. She had hoped for inorganic analysis like mine, but instead she had drawn out something far harsher.
”For now, I can’t fight Golems the same way as you. I’ll have to rely on you, Tatara.”
”That’s fine. We’re a party.”
Her answering smile was thin, but it was a smile nonetheless.
When I looked to Tatia, she was glancing between us, worry plain on her face. She really had grown.
”Yohira-dono… are you truly alright?”
”I am. Sorry to worry you.”
”As long as no harm lingers. Should we stop for the day?”
”No need. I can’t use Appraisal like Tatara, but my sword will still crush a Golem. Let’s keep pushing, for your armor’s sake.”
Torakuma hefted the greatsword onto her shoulder with ease. Her Physical Attack had jumped again after the level-up—of course it had.
”…Think you can predict Golem movements?” I asked.
”Not Golems. Their workings differ from flesh. But against living foes, I could trace muscle tension.”
”That’s terrifying in its own right.”
The split was clear enough: Object Appraisal for me, Person Appraisal for her. A useful note for later, and probably worth reporting to the city mayor.
”Alright. Next target—Steel Golem or more Iron.”
”If this turns into a Mithril festival, it’ll be a joke worth retelling,” Ethelena said lightly.
Why would you say that? Words carry weight, girl.
Torakuma and Tatia chuckled anyway.
”…And there it is.”
”…Sorry.”
Ahead of us stood a slender silver giant. Beautiful, almost regal.
A rare spawn—Mithril Golem.
Figures.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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