Chapter 19

With the corrections now complete, the serialization is resuming.

I would be delighted if you continue to enjoy it!

I left the alchemy room and headed for the room at the very end of the corridor.

The boss monster waiting there is known as the "Phantom of Elngoa." It is said that he became a monster due to his resentment, having reached the end of his life without being able to unravel his beloved alchemy research.

Perhaps because it was a boss room, an iron door, different from the wooden ones before, stood there, exuding a heavy atmosphere. Unconsciously, I swallowed hard.

I slowly reached out and opened the door. As I heard the creaking sound of the rusted door, I looked straight ahead. The boss here doesn't attack immediately, so it should be fine. ...Probably.

The room was about the size of a basketball court, and in the center, slightly to the back, stood the "Phantom of Elngoa."

His quiet stance was quite imposing. His face was earth-colored, but his eyes were sharp and red. The circlet embedded in his forehead accentuated his presence. He wore a loose robe, but the attacks from the staff in his hand had easily slain many players.

"Phew..."

I exhaled softly and took a step forward. The "Phantom of Elngoa" twitched, apparently recognizing me as an enemy.

To win at level 12, I have to deal with all the gimmicks and attack for a long time. His HP is high, and my attack power is low, so there's no choice. Even so, I've done as much as possible to boost my stats.

"...<Body Strengthening> <Guardian of the Goddess>"

I cast support spells on myself and ran towards Elngoa.

—First, I need to deal some damage!

"<Holy Heal>!!"

"Ugh!"

"Good, it's working!"

I clenched my fist in relief, glad that the attack had landed. I knew it was possible, but it was still a bit nerve-wracking until I saw it in action.

"<Holy Heal>" is a skill that only works on undead monsters, the opposite effect of the healing "<Heal>" spell for allies.

However, Elngoa immediately glared at me and raised his staff, chanting an incomprehensible spell.

...Three, two, one, now!

I watched Elngoa's arm movement and dodged to the right. A path of flames appeared where I had been standing.

"The flames will disappear in five minutes. This attack comes once a minute, so I need to move around to avoid being cornered... or something."

The persistent area-of-effect attack spells are quite troublesome. If you stand in the wrong position, you can easily get cornered and die. Many first-time players died this way.

Elngoa's attacks are long-range magic, so with proper preparation, it's not easy to die. However, the locations of the normal attacks are random, so you need to dodge them as they come. The speed boost from "<Body Strengthening>" helps with this.

I dodged a fireball that flew at me and immediately attacked.

"<Holy Heal>!"

After attacking, Elngoa is immobilized for one second during normal attacks and two seconds during skill attacks. I need to take advantage of these openings to chip away at his HP.

After dodging a few normal attacks, another path of flames appeared. I recast "<Body Strengthening>" on myself and moved back to the wall.

The next skill attack was a strong wind from a high position, which I easily dodged by crouching.

However, I couldn't avoid the fireball that followed, and my "<Guardian of the Goddess>" barrier activated. My heart pounded uncomfortably.

...I didn't take any damage because the attack was blocked, but I need to recast the skill quickly.

I continued to dodge normal and skill attacks while casting "<Holy Heal>." When Elngoa raised his hand, I ran to the center of the room where the path of flames was. If I gather all the paths of flames here, I can move freely around the edges.

I dodged Elngoa's attack and recast the skills while attacking again.

—If I can defeat him in an hour, I'll be lucky.

As I was calculating the time, Elngoa thrust his staff into the ground.

"Oh, no! A big move is coming...!!"

I hurriedly moved to the wall to put as much distance between us as possible.

This move sends flames in all directions from his staff, leaving no place to run. It's hard to avoid, so I have to endure... but I'm not strong enough to endure it. I might be able to survive one hit, but that's it.

...I need to recast "<Guardian of the Goddess>" as soon as it wears off.

I took a deep breath and braced myself.

"I will crush those who defy me! <Inferno Tools>!!"

With Elngoa's powerful words, alchemy tools wrapped in flames scattered. I managed to dodge the first one by rolling, but the next one easily broke through my barrier.

"<Guardian of the Goddess>! ...It's okay, still within expectations."

I dodged the next attack by using the skill while watching the tools fly straight at me. However, I lost my balance and had to use "<Guardian of the Goddess>" again to avoid the next one.

—This is bad!

If I keep this up, I'll take a hit.

I tried to get up to dodge, but unfortunately, two tools in a row broke through my barrier, and the second one pierced my arm.

"Ow!"

The pain made me cry out, and I felt like crying. But if I take another hit, I'll definitely die. I gritted my teeth and used "<Guardian of the Goddess>" again. I ran while using "<Heal>" to recover.

I was panting, dodging attacks and using skills, and I felt a sense of despair. Is it even possible to fight for an hour like this!?

—If only there was a better strategy...

In the game, there wasn't.

"Ha, ha... But now, it's a game, but it's not a game."

It's reality.

Maybe there's a way out in this reality. I let my thoughts wander. There must be something, something.

While I was thinking, the "<Inferno Tools>" attack ended. I was relieved for a moment, but then Elngoa took out a bottle.

"Huh..."

I paled when I saw it. That's a potion. If he drinks it, he'll heal. I have to stop him.

...But how?

To break the bottle, I need to land a physical attack. I can attack with my "<Iron Blunt Weapon," but the range is too short.

"But if I don't, he'll heal! <Guardian of the Goddess> <Body Strengthening>"

I recast the skills and kicked off the ground. At that moment, an idea popped into my head. What if I use "<Holy Water>?" I have a little bit stored from my journey.

According to the description, it "has the power to eliminate evil, but can also deal damage to strong enemies." However, in the game, no one paid attention to this description because no one used items on enemies.

—Now that it's reality, can I use holy water on Elngoa?

I used my "<Adventurer's Bracelet>" to take out the holy water from my bag. The description read, "Holy water that eliminates evil. Purity: Low."

The description was almost the same as what I remembered, but the effect was unknown. ...But it's worth a try.

"But first, I need to break that bottle!"

I struck Elngoa as he was about to drink. It was a weak physical attack, but it was enough. The bottle in Elngoa's hand shattered with a "crack." Good!

"You...!"

However, immediately after I rejoiced, Elngoa raised his staff. I understood that the path of flames was coming, but my position was bad. If I jumped back, I would be hit directly, and even if I jumped to the sides... Elngoa would likely adjust the direction to hit me.

I gripped the holy water and tried to move as far away as possible, and suddenly my body felt light.

"Huh—?"

When I realized it, I was in the air above Elngoa.

"Right, it's the effect of the <Cat's Robe>!"

I had forgotten about the increased jumping ability mentioned in the equipment description, focusing only on the speed boost. Even a simple description can be a great help in reality.

I opened the cap of the holy water and splashed it on the "Phantom of Elngoa."

Thank you so much, the book has been decided for publication!

I've written an activity report!

This is all thanks to everyone who read it, thank you.