Ossan Saikyō Chapter 15 Part 3
This was the second C-Rank dungeon for〈Saul's Guidance〉. Since it was the type located in the middle of a grassland, the monsters that appeared seemed to be mainly beasts and insects.
On underground floors 1 through 5, we encountered the acid-spitting spiders, Acid Spider, the grasshoppers, Flame Locust, which had heat-emitting horns, and the giant bees, Killer Bee General.
Rani’s【Jinx】skill was working at full force, and the Flame Locusts in particular appeared in groups of as many as 30 at a time.
However, Freynil, strengthened by her new staff, was the one who really shone here. Her shower of light using【Radiate】,【Crucible】, and «Sacred Ray» was incredibly powerful, puncturing the large grasshoppers full of holes and wiping them out in groups.
Sphenia watched her and said,
“Fray’s offensive magic is more powerful than that of high-ranking mages. I can’t afford to lose to her.”
She looked frustrated as she said that. All I could do was hope that a powerful staff for her would appear in this dungeon.
The Boss was the normal Boss, Giant Worm.
It was a worm-type monster over 20 meters long, with an incredibly thick hide and apparently high resistance to both physical and magical attacks.
However, its only attacks were body slams and bites with a ring of teeth around its mouth, so while I held its head down, I let everyone use their skills on it.
What really caught my attention was Rani’s slashing attack. With the level of her【Flare Strike】skill having increased, she was cleanly slicing through its body, which was about a meter and a half thick, cutting it into sections.
The treasure chest contained a《Argent Necklace》. Since it had the effect【Flash Arrow】『+1』, it naturally went to Sphenia without hesitation.
On underground floors 6 through 10, we encountered Sword Deer, large deers with curved, blade-like antlers, Twin-Headed Eagle, giant two-headed eagles, and Paralysis Tiger, large tigers with paralyzing venom.
The Sword Deer had the【Haste】skill, while the Paralysis Tiger had【Fliplash】, making them particularly troublesome. Fighting them normally would probably have been quite difficult.
However, when I used【Taunt】, their movements became predictable, allowing us to eliminate them almost like an assembly line from that point onward. But after I had been doing that for a while,
“It feels like I’m getting careless about how I move and fight whenever Soushi’s around. Isn’t that kind of a problem?”
Rani pointed that out rather sharply, so I decided to use【Taunt】in moderation.
The Boss was supposed to be the giant fire lizard, Salamander, that I had encountered out in the wild before, but what emerged was a large lizard covered entirely in ice.
“It seems to be a Rare Boss. I believe it was called a Freezing Lizard. In addition to firing numerous ice spears, it apparently breathes blasts of cold air from its mouth.”
Based on Mariane’s information, it was decided that I would use my usual【Shockwave】defense.
After Freynil weakened it with『Halo』, Sphenia used【Fire Magic】and the others to chip away at the ice covering its surface. Then Mariane inflicted『Paralysis』with her【Affliction】, deciding the battle.
The final blow was Rani’s『Fire Attribute』magic sword attack, but just before that, I had a sudden hunch and used【Plunder】. I plundered a shortsword called《Freezing Edge》.
It was a B-Rank weapon with the effects【Water Damage】『+1』and【Wind Damage】『+1』, allowing us to replace Mariane’s weapon.
The silver treasure chest contained a long, slender baton called《Fey Baton》, resembling the baton held by a conductor of an orchestra.
Appraisal revealed that it was a short-staff with the effects【Magic Power】『+1』and【Radiate】『+1』, making it quite powerful. Naturally, it became Sphenia’s equipment.
It almost seemed like we were obtaining weapons too easily, but that was hardly a bad thing, so I decided not to look into it any further. In any case, that was enough for today, so we decided to camp in the safe zone.
“I’d forgotten, but I did get a《Skill Orb》.”
After we finished dinner sitting in a circle, I suddenly remembered and took the Skill Orb out of my【Item Box】. Rani reacted immediately and leaned forward.
“Oh, it feels like it’s been a while. What skill is it?”
“Apparently, it’s【Arcane Ward】. It seems to be a fairly high-level skill.”
“Where did you get it?”
“The Lich Legion dropped it. It was a powerful mage-type monster, so I suppose it’s an appropriate skill.”
“【Arcane Ward】is a skill obtained in A-Rank Dungeons, but it is extremely rare. If you sold it, it might fetch around 300 million Rom.”
At Mariane’s words, Rani and Shizuna widened their eyes.
“Whoa, seriously?!”
“I have never seen a《Skill Orb》before, but they can be worth that much?”
“So, as for who should use it…”
“I think Soushi-sama should use it. You obtained it, after all, and more importantly, you are the one protecting us with your body.”
Everyone nodded at Freynil’s words.
“Agreed.”
“I think so too.”
“That seems appropriate.”
“Of course.”
“Thanks. Then I’ll use it.”
When I gripped the orb, I felt the sensation of acquiring a skill. I see. This really was an incredibly powerful skill.
As I put away the empty orb, Mariane drew the《Freezing Edge》from her waist and began examining it. A cool chill drifted from its beautiful blade, which looked like ice from a glacier.
“I have heard that【Plunder】can steal items from monsters, but I have never heard of anyone being able to steal one from a Rare Boss in a C-Rank Dungeon. Is this also possible because of your power, Soushi-san?”
“Probably. There’s some resistance when I put my hand into another's【Item Box】, and the stronger the monster, the stronger that resistance becomes.”
“You say that so casually, Soushi-san, but I imagine the resistance must be tremendous.”
As Mariane said that while sheathing the sword, Rani leaned forward.
“It’s amazing that you can get weapons from places other than treasure chests. And they come with magical effects, right? If you collect enough of them, you could probably get rich just by selling the extras.”
“True. Oh, right. I got a new ring in Mekalinan, so the【Agility】『+1』ring I was wearing is now spare. Does anyone want it?”
I took it out while thinking that surely no one would want a ring that some middle-aged guy had been wearing…
But the atmosphere immediately became tense. The 5 of them exchanged glances, and I wanted to believe they weren’t trying to push it off on one another.
(E/N: Ossan's so perceptive on some things but at a few others, he's as dense as a jello. 😂)
Ignoring my concern, Rani reached for the ring.
“If it’s【Agility】『+1』, it would be better for someone on the front line to wear it, right? Maybe I’ll wear it.”
“No. Backline members are also required to move quickly when necessary, so it isn’t as though they have no need for it.”
Sphenia stopped Rani’s hand. It was unusual for her, and there was a strong emotion in her voice.
“Eh? But I still want it.”
“I want it too.”
The two refused to give way, but when I looked closely, Freynil, Mariane, and Shizuna all looked like they wanted it as well.
Apparently, even if it was a ring worn by some middle-aged man, everyone wanted it as long as it had a magical effect.
“In that case, let’s decide by drawing lots. It should be useful no matter who wears it.”
In the end, we followed my suggestion and held a lottery, and for some reason, the drawing of lots was more tense than an actual battle.
Mariane drew the winning lot, and the usually carefree expression on her face softened into a smile. She must have been very happy about it.
Meanwhile, the other 4 looked thoroughly dejected, so perhaps I really needed to get some more accessories for everyone as soon as possible.
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E/N:
A ladies' battle… should never be underestimated. Just like the wives' and concubines' inside the castle of a warlord!
Stay tuned!
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