Ossan Saikyō Chapter 10 Part 11
The following day, we finally challenged our first C-Rank dungeon.
We chose the 10-floored dungeon first, as it was considered the easiest among the C-Rank dungeons.
Naturally, we planned to clear it over two days with one overnight stay.
About 30 minutes' run from Bartlan lay a stone platform resembling ancient ruins in a hilly area. At its center was a staircase leading underground.
After checking our equipment, we descended.
We had the guidebook's information, and both Sphenia and Mariane had already experienced C-Rank dungeons before, so none of us felt particularly anxious.
As we advanced through the stone corridors, the first monsters to appear were Possessed Goblins.
They were goblins wearing masks, but they moved with violent, beast-like ferocity and launched savage attacks. Thanks to Rani's【Jinx】, nearly 20 of them appeared at once.
Still, with Rani's and Mariane's exceptional mobility, none of the goblins ever reached our rear line.
And of course, any that came near me exploded into pieces.
The material they dropped was the masks they wore, which apparently served as monster repellents if buried in the ground.
From the 3rd floor onward, large wolf-type monsters called Lunatic Wolves began to appear.
Like the goblins, they moved with completely unpredictable patterns, as though possessed by something.
Their fangs and claws were said to inflict mental confusion on their victims.
If anyone in our party became confused, it could be extremely dangerous, so we made sure to strike first with ranged attacks.
I still had my ultimate weapon, repeated volleys of【Shockwave】, but using it continuously was exhausting, so I didn't want to rely on it unless necessary.
Their drops were luxurious looking pelts.
On the 5th floor appeared the amorphous magic-type monster, Elemental Soul.
Physical attacks were virtually ineffective against it, so I devoted myself entirely to protecting the party while leaving the offense to Freynil's and Sphenia's magic, along with Rani's magic sword.
It was another reminder of how valuable having companions really was.
The material it dropped was a crystal used in crafting magical tools.
The 5th floor mid-Boss was supposed to be the two-headed wolf, Twin Head Wolf.
Instead...
“It has three heads, so it's a Rare Boss. Lucky~”
...we found ourselves facing a Tri Head Wolf.
Despite having a body as massive as an elephant, it apparently possessed the【Whiplash】skill.
Its seamless footwork led into relentless biting attacks, and it could even launch fireballs from a distance.
It was an exceptionally troublesome opponent.
I acted as the shield while everyone else steadily accumulated damage.
After about 10 minutes of exchanging attacks, the movements of the Tri Head Wolf visibly slowed.
It seemed Mariane's【Affliction】had finally built up enough probability to take effect.
Seizing the opening, Rani severed one of its forelegs, forcing all three heads down to the ground.
I swept my mace sideways.
All three heads exploded simultaneously, bringing the battle to an end.
“Everyone's abilities worked together perfectly. Mariane, your skill is incredibly powerful as well.”
When I said that, Mariane narrowed her eyes happily.
“Yes. I believe so as well. I can't thank all of you enough. I never imagined I'd obtain such a remarkable skill at this point in my life.”
“Hehe... But this is still nothing yet.”
Rani chuckled knowingly.
“Soushi-san... the treasure chest... It looks like another silver one.”
At Sphenia's words, everyone gathered around it.
“A Rare Boss... and a rare treasure chest...” Marianne murmured.
At this point, they almost seemed to come as a set.
Since Rani was eager to open it, we let her.
Inside was a one handed sword that gleamed with a bluish-silver sheen.
Though elaborately decorated, its broad blade made it clear that it was built for practical use.
Mariane appraised it.
“It's a《Mithril Sword》『+2』.”
The “+2” sounded exactly like something out of a game.
Apparently, it simply meant that this mithril sword was two grades higher than an ordinary one.
Personally, I was quietly thrilled just to see fantasy metal like mithril with my own eyes, though I wisely kept that to myself.
“Soushi... this is...”
“Of course it's yours, Rani. I'm glad you finally got what you wanted.”
The moment I said that, Rani's tail wagged furiously.
“Thank you!”
She leaped into the air, hugging the sword tightly to her chest.
“Now I've got proof your feelings for me are genuine!”
She beamed happily while clutching the sword.
Beside her, however, Freynil looked rather downcast, so I gently stroked her head.
“Mithril swords are already extremely rare. A weapon with an additional enhancement like this is worth an enormous amount. We should probably avoid telling anyone it's a +2.”
Mariane's advice was subtle but important.
Since I was leading the party despite knowing relatively little about this world's customs, her Guild knowledge was unquestionably valuable.
Perhaps we really should make sure she became a permanent member of the party.
◇◆◇
The following morning, we descended to the 6th floor as soon as the dungeon opened.
The first monsters we encountered were Possessed Orcs.
These orcs also wore masks and swung enormous axes wildly while shrieking madly.
As long as you weren't overwhelmed by their bizarre appearance, however, they were purely physical attackers and posed little threat.
Their drops were, unsurprisingly, pork-like meat.
From the 8th floor onward appeared Moon Wolves.
These were the same white wolves we'd fought in the field long ago.
Apparently, they had been C-Rank monsters all along.
They tried to confuse us with movements enhanced by【Whiplash】, but Freynil's『Halo』immediately dulled their movements, making them easy opponents.
Their drops were white pelts, though the quality was somewhat inferior to those obtained from the field.
On the 10th floor appeared the giant cobra-type monster, Death Poison.
Rather than venom, it spat a liquid closer to a highly corrosive acid.
It was a fearsome opponent.
Anyone who fought it head on would quickly find their armor reduced to rags.
Its basic combat ability was also extremely high, and its scales were so hard that ordinary ranged attacks barely scratched it.
Fortunately,〈Saul's Guidance's〉rearguard was anything but ordinary.
Even its streams of acid were harmless once I deflected them with【Shockwave】.
Its drop was high quality snakeskin.
“Even though it's the easiest C-Rank dungeon, our pace hasn't slowed much at all.”
Sphenia stood before the Boss room door as she spoke.
“Ever since Soushi-sama acquired【Marshal's Bearing】, I feel like our magic has become stronger. I think that skill has contributed quite a bit.”
As Freynil nodded in agreement, Rani suddenly blinked.
“Oh... right. You did say it increased the party's abilities. Now that you mention it, I do feel like I've been moving better.”
“【Marshal's Bearing】... It's said to have belonged to an adventurer who performed heroic deeds long ago. They say that simply by leading an army, he could increase the abilities of every soldier under his command.”
Mariane's explanation caught me completely off guard.
An adventurer leading an army was surprising enough.
I certainly hadn't expected my skill to affect an entire military force.
“Is it really that incredible a skill?”
“According to old records, yes. In those days, many dungeons had yet to be discovered, and monsters frequently overflowed onto the surface.
…
There was an adventurer who repeatedly repelled those hordes. It is said that whenever he led an army, even ordinary soldiers became remarkably powerful.”
“If that's true... then it's a rather dangerous skill.”
“The records are closer to legend than history, so their reliability is questionable. Still, if all of you can feel the effects, then it must at least work on party members.
…
Now that I think about it, I'd been wondering why my body moved so well despite spending so much time away from active adventuring. This explains it.”
Standing before the boss room, we'd suddenly stumbled onto talk of monsters overflowing from dungeons, legendary adventurers, and all sorts of important sounding information.
If【Marshal's Bearing】 truly possessed such an ability, I couldn't imagine those in power simply ignoring it.
“In any case, let's keep【Marshal's Bearing】a secret. If people learn about it, it'll probably bring nothing but trouble.”
“I agree. I'll pretend I never heard any of this.”
Part of me wondered whether a Guild employee should really be saying that...
Then again, Mariane probably had her own reasons.
Besides, our party already had more than enough secrets.
One more wouldn't make much difference.
“Alright. If everyone's ready, let's challenge the Boss.”
Now wasn't the time to dwell on my new skill.
After confirming everyone was prepared, I pushed open the door to the boss chamber.
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E/N:
The doses of testosterone that I get in chapters like this keeps me motivated to build muscle and strength. I mean, how does one obliterate 3 heads in one swing? Gahdayum!
Stay tuned!
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