Chapter 74

We have moved to a new location, now inside a dungeon. I and Patrick follow behind Remun, who is leading the way with excitement.

To prepare for confronting my parallel world self, we have come here to obtain an elixir. The dungeon is located just outside the capital of the Balshain Kingdom. It is one of two dungeons in the vicinity, and the more difficult one, often referred to as the back dungeon. During my time at the academy, I occasionally used it.

Soldiers of the national army, adventurers, and academy students usually go to the easier dungeon, so this one is always available and convenient to use.

Patrick also leveled up here during his time at the academy and is now just shy of level 99. It's quite efficient... hmm? When he first entered the academy, he was below level 10. Now, he's around level 90, mainly from leveling up in this dungeon? How much experience is needed to reach level 99? Considering Patrick's growth rate... could I have reached the level cap long before entering the academy? My efforts in childhood were not in vain... no, I should stop thinking about it. It's not good for my mental health.

A few hours ago, we decided to go and obtain the elixir and immediately moved to the capital with Ryu. And now we are here. Remun, walking in front, grumbles about Sannon but remains in good spirits.

"Man, Sannon is so stingy. Since he can move anywhere as long as the sun is out, he could have transported us."

"Instant teleportation is convenient, isn't it? Can I learn to do it too?"

"Why does an older sister want to obtain the powers of a god?"

"I think it's a desire that all humans have, not just a personal one."

We continue walking deeper and deeper while talking. Remun seems to know the shortest path to the deepest part and moves forward without hesitation. The only trouble is the monsters along the way. They treat Remun as if he isn't there and pass by him, heading straight for me and Patrick. Since the monsters only attack humans, it reinforces the idea that Remun is a god.

We are almost at the deepest part when Patrick whispers to me.

"Yumiera, I heard that the boss here is dangerous. What exactly is it?"

"Did I say that?"

"I clearly heard that we must never fight the boss of this dungeon."

If my game memory serves me right, the boss here is a giant golem. It has top-tier physical and magical defense but lacks in attack power and speed. It takes a lot of time to defeat, making it inefficient for leveling up, and the drop items are not very good. ...Ah, I remember. That's why I warned him not to engage it.

"I did say that. But the reason you shouldn't fight it isn't because it's strong, but because it's tough. It's inefficient for leveling up."

"That's... so like Yumiera."

"You say that sometimes, but is it a compliment?"

"......It's a compliment."

There was a mysterious pause, but since it seemed like a compliment, I'll take it as such. I thought this while roundhouse kicking a monster that jumped out from a corner.

We progressed smoothly without any trouble and reached the boss room on the 50th floor in less than an hour. Before we entered, I confirmed with Remun.

"Can we obtain the elixir by defeating the boss ahead?"

"The drop rate in the dungeon can be manipulated, so we will definitely get it."

"That's good. I don't want to do multiple runs."

"Please defeat the boss. You two should be fine up to this point."

In the game, the elixir was a random drop from the boss. After learning this information after clearing the main story, I ran this dungeon to prepare for the battle with Yumiera. I got frustrated by the overly tough boss and finally obtained the elixir. The item restores one party member's HP and MP fully and can revive a member with 0 HP in one turn, making it very valuable.

I must not misuse it against an unreasonably strong back boss. I ended up defeating Yumiera without using the elixir, being too frugal to use such a valuable recovery item.

"Let's go, then."

The door to the boss room opens. Inside, a giant golem sits, made of some kind of metal, clearly designed for maximum defense. As the golem detects our presence, its single eye lights up, and Patrick sighs.

"Indeed, that will be tough."

"Leave it to me. I have a plan."

I have a secret strategy for dealing with the golem. This world is like a game but not a game. Combat is not just a matter of reducing HP but a real fight to the death. Targeting weaknesses is effective, and strategy is crucial. I don't need to chip away at the dull, glowing armor plates. My target is the joints, which are structurally weaker. The neck joint connecting the head and body is the weakest point. If I can sever the head, the golem should stop functioning. If it still moves, it will be severely limited. After all, the eyes are on the head. It's just the main camera, but it's the main camera.

I slowly walk towards the metal giant and hear a voice from behind.

"Do you want to use my sword?"

"I'm fine with my bare hands. I need precise movements."

I left my sword at home. Using a sword might not allow me to accurately target the weak points, so I prefer using my bare hands. As I am looked down upon by the towering golem, I consider how to reach its neck. I need to work with my partner. We can even perform combo moves on the fly.

"Patrick! Let's do a combo move!"

"...What?"

It didn't work. I turn around to see the golem's arm swinging down to crush me. I hold it back with one hand and discuss the plan with him.

"Patrick, use your earth magic to raise the ground, and I'll do a big jump."

"You should have said that clearly."

"Okay, sorry."

Let's start over. I push back the golem and call out again.

"Patrick!"

"Got it."

Patrick's earth magic activates. The stone floor beneath me rises higher and higher, surpassing the golem's height. As the custom jump platform stops, I launch myself high into the air. My head hits the ceiling.

"...Bro, what are you trying to do?"

"I don't know either."

I hear Remun and Patrick's exasperated voices. As I try to pull my head out of the ceiling, I realize this wasn't a move for the dungeon. I'll save it for when I face a floating enemy in the sky. It's part of my strategy. I rotate my body and kick the ceiling.

Straight towards the golem's head. The slow-moving golem can't react in time. My strongest hand strike, enhanced by the falling speed, pierces the golem's neck!

"...Oops, I missed a bit."

My extended fingers are deeply embedded in the golem's chest, the thickest part of its armor. I pull my hand out and land on the ground. The golem's massive body falls backward.

"Brilliant."

"It's... well, this is my skill."

I feel embarrassed for thinking the joints were the weak point. I intended to use my intellect, but it turned into a brute force move. The golem's side also has issues. Dying to a human's bare hands is pitiful. The top-tier defense is laughable. Is he weak, or am I too strong? Ah, it's disheartening.

"Let's go back."

"Huh? Just one?"

"Are there multiple elixirs!?"

I thought it was a unique item. Maybe it's just a matter of a very low drop rate, and there are multiple in the game.

Remun uses both hands and holds up seven fingers.

"There are seven elixirs in total. With my powers, I can ensure they drop, so let's do six more runs. Your strength will make it quick, right?"

"Really, there are only seven in total?"

"......I don't lie. Really, I don't."

There must be more. Even if there are multiple elixirs, they are valuable and limited. I don't believe this suspicious god will release all of them. However, seven is more than enough. Let's not press the issue and move on to the next run.