Chapter 16: Underground Waterway #5

Chapter 16: Underground Waterway #5

The spoils of war from hunting Ratmen.

Two bottles of Healing Potion.

Three bottles of Poison Potion.

And three types of scrolls.

Scroll of Protection.

Temporarily increases the party’s defense and magic resistance.

Scroll of Fear.

Causes enemies with low fear resistance to flee in terror.

And finally, the one I desperately searched for, the Random Teleport Scroll.

‘I’ve been waiting for you.’

The Teleport Scroll is a key item for conquering the underground waterway.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the reason we scoured every nook and cranny of the waterway hunting Ratmen was to obtain this single scroll.

Now, the preparations are complete.

Flora and I headed to the last remaining empty area on the map.

“Senior, we just need to follow the plan we discussed.”

I reiterated the caution.

The dungeon boss hidden in the deepest part of the underground waterway, the “Ratman Shaman.”

According to my calculations, our party’s current strength has an over 80% chance of defeating it.

However, that’s only if the plan unfolds without a hitch.

If we’re incredibly unlucky, or if unexpected variables arise…

‘We’ll be wiped out.’

It’s okay if I die. I can come back to life.

But I’m not the only one who will die.

Flora will die.

If this kind, gentle girl’s life ends due to my misjudgment…

Can I really bear it?

Can I just brush it off, like when I used to click my mouse back and forth behind the monitor screen?

I can’t “start over” anymore.

The burden weighs heavily on my chest.

‘Hey, are you scared? Why are you acting so unlike yourself.’

I shook my head vigorously.

Let’s not shrink back now that we’ve come this far.

If you get bogged down by negative thoughts, your vision narrows and your reactions slow down.

Suddenly, my hand felt warm.

Flora placed her hand over mine.

“Estel.”

Flora nodded firmly, as if to reassure me.

“Everything will be fine. I’m quite strong now, you know?”

“⋯Right. You’re right, senior.”

I deliberately flashed a smile.

I was once the strongest player in “Nine Stars.”

There’s no way I’d be defeated in such an early-game dungeon.

Taking a deep breath, I started walking again.

***

 「Entered the deepest part of the Underground Waterway, the Final Waterway.」

 「Warning: The Ratman Shaman awaits the adventurers.」

A single path stretches out before me.

On both sides of the path, murky water cascades like a waterfall into the depths below.

At the end of the path, a room from which a faint light emanates is visible.

It’s like the temptation of a small light that lures moths to a flame.

The boss of the underground waterway, the Ratman Shaman, is inside.

The biggest difficulty in tackling the Shaman is probably this.

The treacherous structure of the boss room.

‘This is damn tricky.’

If you enter without prior information, you’ll taste hell.

A narrow path built to the Ratmen’s physique, where humans can barely walk with their shoulders squared.

The moment adventurers pass through that path and enter the room, the first thing they encounter is…

Ten Ratmen, fully prepared for battle.

A swarm attack from the Ratmen before you can even grasp the situation.

And on top of that, attacks from the Ratman Shaman standing behind them, making it impossible to withstand.

‘It’s designed to kill beginners outright.’

Of course, it’s only designed to mess with beginners.

If you don’t know, you’ll be defeated, but if you know in advance, countermeasures will naturally emerge.

I grabbed Flora’s hand, and in my other hand, I held the Teleport Scroll.

“Shall we go, senior?”

“Okay-“

Flora seems less nervous than me. Is she surprisingly strong in actual combat?

I tore the scroll with its intricate patterns.

「Used Scroll of Spatial Teleportation.」

Shwoosh-

The mana stored in the scroll spread out in a circle, releasing smoke.

And then, nothing happens.

But from now on, we need to hurry.

The Random Teleport Scroll takes effect after a certain period of time after use.

I counted down in my head.

5, 4, 3, ⋯.

“Now!”

We entered the boss room without hesitation.

-Squeak squeak!

-Humans, how dare you…

The eleven pairs of red eyes of the Ratmen glared at us simultaneously.

Sharp claws rained down from all directions, and the Shaman behind the Ratmen began chanting spells.

At that very moment.

The scroll’s effect activated at the precisely calculated timing.

「Random Teleport Scroll

-Scroll Item

-Transports the caster and all nearby living beings to a random location.」

Shwoosh shwoosh.

Space warped violently, and I, the Ratmen, and Flora lost our solid forms and were sucked into a dimensional rift.

“Senior, don’t ever let go!”

I shouted with all my might.

But my voice was distorted and stretched, so I don’t know if it was properly conveyed.

“%@@#4…”

Flora’s mouth moved, but it was difficult to understand what she was saying.

I gave up on communication and instead tightened my grip on her hand.

And a moment later.

Suddenly, the scenery before my eyes changed, and I was thrown onto the floor of the waterway.

“Senior!”

I immediately looked for Flora.

“⋯Ah, my head hurts. Where is this…”

Flora clutched her forehead and looked around.

‘Fortunately, we landed in the same place as planned.’

The mechanism of the Teleport Scroll.

If our bodies are touching at the moment of teleportation, it’s treated as a ‘companion’ status, and we are moved to the same location.

‘The location is good too.’

While Flora was bewildered, I quickly checked the surrounding terrain.

Looking at the map, we weren’t far from the boss room.

Fortune favors us.

“Can you move?”

“Ah, yes! I’m fine now.”

“Let’s move. It’s a race against time now.”

We started running towards the boss room.

The random teleportation effect of the Teleport Scroll can be easily resisted with even a little magic resistance.

So, what’s the distinction between enemies with resistance and those without in the underground waterway?

The answer is this.

The Ratman Shaman has resistance, but…

Its subordinate Ratmen do not.

In other words, this means the Ratman Shaman is left alone in the boss room right now.

This precise timing is the key point of this dungeon raid.

The Ratmen, who were scattered throughout the underground waterway, are probably returning to the boss room now, bewildered…

 「Entered the deepest part of the Underground Waterway, the Final Waterway.」

Sorry, but I’m faster.

I ran along the shortest path using the map, and I was near the boss room from the beginning.

-Squeak squeak…!

The Ratman Shaman’s whiskers twitched with rage.

We’ve met before, so there’s no need for introductions.

“Senior, as planned!”

Combat begins.

Bang!

Flora calmly opened the attack by firing a Magic Arrow.

-Squeak, clumsy, human…!

The Ratman Shaman flicked its hand as if swatting a fly, deflecting the magic.

Not even a speck of damage landed.

Well, as expected.

I didn’t expect it anyway.

However, my only goal was to disrupt its spellcasting.

Even if Flora’s attack is insignificant, it certainly serves to distract it.

In this gap, I took out my Reliquary from within my cloak.

「-Ability Release: Summon stored abilities from the Reliquary to temporarily enhance your body.」

「⋯Health increases by 4.

⋯Mana increases by 12.

⋯Physical abilities increase by 3.

⋯Magical abilities increase by 6.」

My combat power nearly doubled instantly.

I don’t have time to savor it. The effect of Ability Release doesn’t last long.

I immediately concentrated mana into my finger.

「Magic Arrow: Estel Style」

「Magic Arrow: Attribute Infusion (Frost)」

Fzzt-

The target is between its eyebrows.

The laser, amplified by the power of the Reliquary, struck the Ratman Shaman’s forehead.

-Kyaak!

The Ratman Shaman’s eyes rolled back white.

However, even though the Magic Arrow hit directly, it didn’t fall in one hit.

‘As expected, it’s tough.’

Dungeon bosses are not to be underestimated.

In the game, they had significant stat bonuses for toughness, magic resistance, etc.

If you hit a vital point but can’t penetrate it…

Fzzt-

Fzzt fzzt-

I kept firing multiple Magic Arrows into its body.

「Critical Hit! Magic Arrow pierced the enemy’s abdomen.」

Thump.

The Ratman Shaman knelt on one knee.

Even as a boss, it seems it couldn’t withstand the critical damage; a large hole was created in its stomach.

‘If that had hit its head, it would have been instantly fatal-‘

It’s a bit disappointing, but I’m satisfied that a critical hit occurred.

-Kshyak… I will kill you… I will definitely…

The Ratman Shaman’s eyes glinted with pain and hatred.

However, one of its blood-soaked hands was subtly twitching…

‘Wait.’

It wasn’t just trembling from pain.

The Ratman Shaman, hidden from our sight, completed a strange hand seal.

As expected of a rat, its cunning is top-notch.

“Senior, keep attacking!”

I shouted to Flora and prepared to attack again…

But it was already too late.

-Kishish- Blood and flesh, return to this body…

Shamanic “Regeneration.”

The gaping wound began to close again.

It’s a unique skill of shamans that maximizes natural healing until all health is restored.

In addition, the Ratman Shaman used another shamanic art.

-Kshaa… Shaa- Krrr… Grrralk!

Shamanic “Wild Release.”

The face of the Ratman Shaman, which had been in the form of a cunning rat, contorted grotesquely.

Its body, which had only reached about the waist of an adult male, instantly swelled, transforming into a massive physique with muscles stretched taut.

“You idiot, are you just going to stand there and watch?”

As the Ratman Shaman underwent its ferocious transformation, I gripped my dagger and approached.

「Frost Sword」.

With my sword coated in white frost, I thrust it with all my might at its head…

Kaka-gak-

A displeasing grinding sound of bone followed.

The blade, which had torn through its skin, was blocked by its skull without penetrating.

The Ratman Shaman’s pupils, with my dagger lodged in its forehead, trembled for a moment, then slowly stopped twitching.

Then, it glared at me and slowly began to rise.

It had grown so large that I had to stand on tiptoe and crane my neck to look at its face.

Damn it. It’s gotten way too big.

“Estel, the Ratmen outside…!”

Flora shouted urgently.

-Squeak-! Help the boss…!

-Tear them apart, gouge out their eyes, Kyat-

The subordinates, who had scattered in all directions, were slowly returning to the boss room.

“D-don’t come in-! We’re not open for business right now…!”

Flora immediately put up a Magic Shield without being told.

It might hold for a while, but not for long.

“Senior, forget that and attack the Shaman first.”

“But Magic Arrow isn’t working at all-“

“It’s okay. It doesn’t matter, just do something.”

The muscular Ratman Shaman flexed its shoulders with a crackle.

In a moment, its wounds will all heal,

and if its full counterattack begins, we won’t be able to withstand it.

We have to finish this now.

I straightened my hand and covered it with mana.

「Frost Sword」.

My hand sensations disappeared as if I had plunged it into ice-cold water in midwinter.

I don’t have a dagger now, but Frost Sword can be used with bare hands.

However, if I delay too long, my body will die from necrosis.

And, going one step further,

If I pour everything out without thinking about the consequences.

「Frost Sword: Estel Style Modification」

「-The magic’s destructive power is enhanced.

-The blade length is dramatically increased.

-Consumes all remaining mana. For the first strike, the destructive power is doubled.」

A white ice blade extended, as long as my body.

How about that?

This should work.

-Kyaat…! What is that… Insolent human…!

The Ratman Shaman’s gaze changed.

Did it instinctively feel the danger?

It seemed to realize that it would be screwed if it allowed this attack.

Even with its body not fully healed, the Ratman Shaman moved with effort.

Shyak-

With a whistling sound that cut through the wind, it swung its claws roughly.

Shit.

Just a little more, just 1 second, and I’ll be ready.

As I was about to counter with Frost Sword out of necessity…

Whoosh.

A glass bottle flew from behind me.

-Kshyak?

Both I and the Ratman Shaman stared blankly at the glass bottle for a moment.

Then, a mana projectile flew and skillfully hit the glass bottle in mid-air.

CRASH!

A blue liquid poured down onto the Ratman Shaman’s head.

The Shaman blinked, its face blank for a moment.

Then its eyes slowly narrowed.

-Kuaaaak! Kkua…! 

The Ratman Shaman clutched its eyes and groaned in pain.

Poison Potion.

And the Magic Arrow combo.

Also known as “Eyeball Terror.”

I had taught Flora this combo, but I didn’t expect much, thinking, “Will it really work in practice?”

“Senior, you’re the best. That was really cool!”

“Now’s the time, Estel! Finish it!”

I was already planning to do so.

As I charged forward, Flora’s Magic Shield appeared perfectly in front of me.

Nice assist.

I used the shield as a springboard and leaped with all my might.

My vision suddenly shot upwards.

Below me, the Ratman Shaman’s massive body was visible.

Raising Frost Sword high.

Swoosh-

I descended like a streak of lightning.