Chapter 54 - A Towering Figure
"Haru-san… I think a lot of things about this are just… wrong."
"What a coincidence, Sora-san. I was just thinking the same thing."
"A beginner area is supposed to mean an area for beginners, right? This isn't some kind of slang or special term for a different kind of beginner area, is it?"
"I'm not entirely sure what you're saying, but I get the sentiment."
"I could almost accept the fact that the Decaying Statues started showing up in groups of two or more along the way. I mean, it's not okay, and it was so hard I might have cried a little, but fine, whatever."
"By the end, they were ganging up on us in three-person teams. If the path hadn't widened enough for me to unleash my AGI, I'm confident I would've been crying for real."
"Right. And—what is that?"
"Yeah, well—it's probably the boss."
The path to get here took us a little over five hours. In real-world time, that's more than three hours of an ultra-voluminous dungeon—or rather, the [Buried Labyrinth of Forgetfulness] was just so ridiculously difficult it demanded a lengthy clear time.
I have a mountain of complaints, but my feelings about this area can be summed up in one phrase—so tough it's laughable.
What was that nonsense about "a few players working together to take down a single strong foe"? Give me a break. The enemies were coordinating against us. They flaunted the kind of masterful teamwork that seemed to scoff at the decent rapport we'd managed to build.
To be honest, once I was able to use my legs freely, I pretty much wiped them out single-handedly. When the enemy first appeared as a three-man squad, Sora-san's expression went blank as she cast [Spectate Yell] on me without a moment's hesitation.
And now, beyond a massive door that puts all previous so-called "boss rooms" to shame, a circular floor unfolds before us.
In the center of this solemn chamber, a figure awaits. Its imposing presence rivals, if not surpasses, that of the secret raid boss, [Bastide, Scion of Dust].
—Enemy name: [Angalta, God-Wedge Sword-King].
It's an armored figure, what you might call the king of the Decaying Statues, but its scale—towering over six meters tall—and every other component of its being are on a completely different level from the grunts.
The armor it wears—or rather, what constitutes its very body—is made of platinum that emits a majestic glow. The intricate carvings across its surface make it seem like a work of art, yet it radiates an overwhelming pressure that makes it impossible to look away.
Unlike the Decaying Statues, this one stands erect with its head and all four limbs intact. Its arms, each of which surely possesses more mass than my entire body, rest on the pommel of a greatsword whose tip is buried in the floor.
And that greatsword… what is that thing? Is that the legendary Excalibur or something?
If a player were to wield it, it would undoubtedly be categorized as a "Legendary Weapon" or something of that caliber. It's a two-handed sword that boasts an absolutely stunning presence.
It's the same platinum color as the armor, but its brilliance is so intense it makes the dazzling armor seem dull in comparison. The lines of gold and silver-blue running down the blade are simply mesmerizing—
"Huuuuuh… So, is that the final boss?"
"I know what a final boss is. I mean, it's the kind of boss that has no business being in a beginner area."
"Exactly…"
Seriously, what are we supposed to do? The pressure I feel just facing it is incomparable to any boss so far. Secret raid bosses and Colored Monsters are on another dimension, of course… but honestly, the boar, the scorpion, and the birds were nothing next to this.
Fortunately, it didn't attack the moment we set foot in the room, but if it activates, it'll surely make short work of us… There's this, I don't know, an overwhelming weight of information pressure.
"Would we have a better chance in a straight-up fight against the [Dusty Worm, Great Serpent of Dust]…?"
"I-I'm not so sure about that either…"
Can I be honest? We're probably not going to win this.
"Um… you mentioned that monsters like the 'White Throne' you saw, and the raid boss from yesterday that I didn't see, appear quite often even in beginner areas, right?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Well… I think, perhaps, this is also…"
"…Yeah, I think so too."
The fact that even Sora has reached that conclusion pretty much confirms it—this thing is likely the same kind of special monster as the other two we've encountered.
"But why here…"
We followed a path with no forks, and this is what we find… A fork in the road—a branching path?
"Wait, could it be this area…"
What if this isn't a beginner area at all?
Sora and I unlocked the [Buried Labyrinth of Forgetfulness] not by defeating the boss properly, but by summoning a secret boss and then choosing to flee. We did get the system log announcing we'd cleared the area, but there's no doubt it wasn't the intended route.
"A secret raid boss leading to a secret branching route…?"
It seems far-fetched. But I can't say it's impossible.
This is a game where I'm already constantly amazed by how much effort they've put into a mere beginner field. It wouldn't be surprising if, not content with just that, they threw in not just one but multiple high-level secret elements.
Could this be one of them? I have no evidence to the contrary.
"…Um, Haru-san."
"Yeah?"
I'm not quite sure what my own expression looks like right now. All I know is that Sora-san, who'd been looking at me with concern, has a very troubled look on her face.
"A-Are we… going to fight it?"
Her voice was a textbook example of trembling as she asked me the stilted question.
"Um, I can just sort of… tell… but I think…"
"Yeah, well… we probably can't win."
Probably? No, honestly, I'm sure we can't win.
If you play enough games, you develop a knack for gauging an enemy's strength just by looking at it. And this thing is definitely not an opponent for a rookie using store-bought gear.
"Hmm… What do you want to do? Personally, I'm fine with retreating."
When I said that with a thoughtful expression, Sora looked at me with surprise. I'm aware that I've only shown her my more aggressive side, so her reaction was expected.
"It's just that the odds are stacked way too high. If there were no death penalty, I'd be all for a glorious suicide charge, though."
And if I were solo, I'd add. If there was some chance of victory, it'd be one thing, but I'm reluctant to drag someone along into a fight against a monster where the odds aren't just bad—they don't exist.
I said the journey took over five hours, but that was just because the enemies were so troublesome that the battles dragged on. If I carried Sora and sprinted back the way we came, we should be able to get back to town in a few dozen minutes.
"…"
After staring at me for a few seconds, Sora turned her gaze back to the [Angalta, God-Wedge Sword-King] sitting enthroned in the center of the room. She was lost in thought for a moment, then…
"…Is it… absolutely impossible?"
she murmured.
I couldn't read the emotion in her quiet voice, but her profile—at least to my eyes—didn't look like she had lost the will to fight.
"…"
In that case… yeah, well—I'm not against it.
"Sora, I need your support."
"Huh?"
I summoned my [White-Flawed Straight Sword] and stepped forward.
"Its stats are off the charts, so I'll take it on alone at first. With my speed boosted by your skill, I should at least be able to test the waters… I think."
Of course, if it hits me with an unblockable area-of-effect attack, it's gg.
I can think of countless other ways I could be pulverized without being able to do a thing… but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
"…Are you sure?"
"Sure about what? If I were solo, I'd have charged in without a second thought. If you're up for it, Sora, so am I."
The death penalty in this game is harsh. Specifically, you lose all the experience you've gained since your last level-up, and after revival, you're hit with a status debuff for eight real-world hours—twelve hours in Arcadia time. That's how harsh.
It seems merciful that you don't lose items or currency, but for someone like me who's burning with endless motivation, the lengthy debuff is a pretty heavy shackle.
For Sora, who hasn't been power-leveling like a madman, the experience loss is nothing to scoff at. And since she can't log in all day like I can, her time must be precious too.
"So I'll leave it to you—what's it gonna be?"
"Uh, well…"
Still, at the end of the day, this is just entertainment. It's because there's something to lose that there's also a thrill. If we can both accept the risks—
"Let's… try it!"
"Alright, let's do this!"
To fight and be shattered is its own kind of fun.
"You can activate your observation skill at the same time, right?"
"Yes. As long as I don't attack, I won't be considered a participant in the battle."
"Okay, then I'll do everything in my power not to die… so watch its movements closely."
The [Angalta, God-Wedge Sword-King] remained motionless, but these types usually activate once you get within a certain range or smack them once. That's the template.
At that moment, the door behind us will slam shut. That's part of the package. Anyway, I'm grateful we have time for a pre-battle briefing and to steel our resolve—huh?
"D-… Do your best!"
Just as I was internally chuckling at my own legs, which were threatening to tremble in earnest, I felt a tug on the back of my jacket and received that encouragement.
…Could you not do such endearing things? Guys are simple creatures, you know.
"Ah, I'll do my absolute best to avoid getting one-shot."
That sudden cute gesture really gets to me.
Without turning back, I said that to hide my embarrassment and took a slow step toward the center of the floor.
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