arc03 · 049-ep43

Episode 43: Being Solo Really Is Tough

With the rock golem down, I push on up the path.

No monster presence nearby. Even so, one could be lying low, so I walk on with my guard well up.

Even I wasn't about to dash full-tilt through an unknown floor.

It doesn't vary much, no, but I'd like to take in the scenery as I go.

But there sure are a lot of forks.

Up ahead, alley-like side passages keep branching off the main thoroughfare. A glance at the simple map shows it's already taking on a maze-like shape.

"This really is going to take some time..."

Also, narrow passages are awkward places for me to fight, so I want to be careful never to get surrounded.

Sure, I can walk the walls and ceiling, but getting pinched front and back is exactly what I want to avoid.

"Oh—small room spotted."

At the end of the first narrow passage lay a dead-end space, opened up just slightly wider.

This is what they call a small room.

"Ain't a thing here. No monsters either. Materials sprouting all over, though... Well, guess I'll bring Aizawa back a little something."

I pack mushrooms, flowers, and stones of unclear nature into a jar and stow it in my backpack.

The ones giving off light and poison I skip—no real desire to touch those. What even is that thing, anyway? Is that a mushroom too? Or a rock? I'll just take a photo.

Click.

Hmmm...

I hardly ever took photos in my past life either, so it didn't come out well.

Eh, whatever. Photography is not a skill the world's strongest has any need of. ...That is absolutely not sour grapes.

"...Time to head back."

Nothing else in particular to do here, so I retrace my steps back to the wide passage.

"Ohh, new monster spotted."

A huge lizard crawling along the wall.

It's so big it almost looks like a crocodile...

No, wait—looking at the face, it might actually be one. Huh? Do crocodiles walk on walls now?

Anyway, all jokes aside. This one's a salamander.

I do know it carries fire magic, technically. What kind of attack it actually throws out, though—no idea.

Also, it's hard to punch.

It's low to the ground, so I'd feel like I'm punching the wall along with it. And dungeon walls are hard...

No, wait.

Just thought of something good.

"...Reaaady... go!"

WHOOOSH!

I snatch its tail in both hands, peel it off the wall, and fling it into the air.

The salamander flails at the sudden turn of events, but its struggling is wasted—tossed out into midair with no way to move.

I circle around to its landing point and pool mana into my right hand.

"————HAH!"

WHUMP!

The salamander rockets away, slams into the wall, and turns into motes of light.

"Alriiight—perfect!"

In the end I never learned what a salamander's attack actually looks like, but this method shuts them out completely, so from now on, whenever there's just one of them—this is the play.

There's still plenty of time, so I scoop up the magic stone and move on.

◇

Around three hours in.

In one of the umpteen small rooms, I finally spot a treasure chest. Finding one in a spot this easy to search probably means I got lucky and caught a chest right at its respawn.

I passed a few adventurers along the way, so best to collect it fast.

"Hm?"

The instant I step into the small room, something feels wrong.

As if the air itself had shifted.

And that feeling wasn't wrong—the entrance sealed itself off behind something like a barrier.

"Geh—it's a monster house!"

I knew they existed. Fell for it hook, line, and sinker anyway.

Come on. You find a wild treasure chest, of course you walk right up to it.

Out of a smoky little flourish, monsters appear in front of the chest.

"—Goblin Swordsmen?!"

Three of the things that were the Floor 10 boss. Seriously? Demoted to mob characters, just like that?

I don't see a problem here, but first—let's relieve one of them of a weapon.

Positioning is everything—don't get surrounded.

Target the one on the end.

Putting my prized legs to work, I whip around to their flank at top speed.

Perhaps because the Swordsmen hadn't settled into combat stance yet, they seem to lose sight of me right away. Perception interference is working.

In that case.

(Plunder!)

Left palm flat against the end Swordman—

mana gathering into my right.

The touch alerts one of them to me, but by the time it turns, it's already too late.

The plunder must have landed—the sword appears right there in my left hand.

I set that aside for a beat and finish off the panicked Swordman.

(——Ssh!)

POW!

A small, sharp impact rings in my ears, and the Swordman's face blasts clean off.

That one turns straight into motes of light.

Without missing a beat, I hurl the sword in my left hand at another one.

Don't care if it doesn't stick.

I just want attention pointed that way.

And in that gap, I sprint for the last one————

(Plunder!)

Strip the weapon.

One of their number down, weapons flying in and vanishing—with the pair in disarray, I gather mana into my fist once more.

(——Sei!)

BAM!

Another Swordman's head blasts off.

And then there was one.

"A proper one-on-one like this—I'll fight it head-on, see how it goes."

On a whim I raise the plundered sword into a stance, and the Swordman levels its own in answer—we've got ourselves something like a match.

For a goblin, it's kinda cool, honestly.

But—sorry.

I close in slow, hoist the sword overhead—and throw it.

The Swordman swats the incoming blade aside with one sharp slash—but in that instant, its body is wide open.

"——Hngh!"

WHUMP!

My fist punches through the Swordman's chest, leaving a hole.

It fades into light, shocked expression and all.

"Alriiight! Total victory!"

Fists. Fists win, every time.

Swords are throwing weapons now, plain and simple.

No basking in the afterglow—I collect the magic stone and both swords and head for the treasure chest.

Still, the magic stones really are smaller than a boss's. Didn't feel any weaker than the boss, though.

"Now, now—what's inside, I wonder?"

Could it be 【Star Spirit Silver】 again? Yeah, no such luck. But if I get a wish—something useful, please...!

I peek inside: a simple silver ring.

"Hmmm~? An accessory, huh. Honestly, I've got no idea what it does, and it might be cursed for all I know—can't just put it on."

Nothing for it but to have the guild appraise it.

Grrr—and now I want 【Item Appraisal】 too. The cap on usable skill slots is brutal. Though, well, it isn't even on my learnable list to begin with.

There's got to be a way around that.

A dungeon that assumes co-op play is rough on a loner.

Haah. Let's give it our all and refuse to lose, shall we?