Chapter 11: Chapter 11

[Translator - Night][Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 11: Kang Shia (2)

“Goodness. What’s this, ‘I contacted you regarding your relationship with the young lady...’? If I hadn’t hung up quickly, I swear my limbs would have disappeared. Are we still in the 21st century?”

“Stop it! Please, stop. Ugh, so embarrassing. Dad, seriously!”

Haha.

Teasing her is so much fun.

I never promised the butler I wouldn’t spill the beans.

When else will I get the chance to tease the great Kang Shia like this?

“Young lady! Young lady!”

After teasing her a few more times, she glared at me fiercely.

Even with her helmet on, her piercing gaze shone through.

“If you say one more word about this, I won’t give you the two-handed sword.”

“Understood. I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

Now that monsters were starting to appear, I decided to focus.

The upcoming monsters were the black orcs we encountered a week ago.

For Kang Shia, this was a chance for revenge.

“Alright, you bastards!”

She dashed forward excitedly.

Come to think of it, a few days ago, she admitted she was shocked when I initially declined to join the party.

Is this her revenge match to regain her pride?

“Ice Arrow.”

I alternated between using Ice Arrow and Shield to support Kang Shia.

While my Ice Arrow landed critical hits, her rapier also proved quite effective, unlike her two-handed sword.

She targeted the unarmored legs and feet to immobilize enemies or held off those coming for me.

Compared to her earlier performances, the improvement was night and day.

We cleared three rooms in no time.

In F-rank dungeons, the monster distribution was typically one, two, three, or four rooms.

But in E-rank dungeons, it shifted to patterns like two-three-four-five-six or three-four-five-six-seven.

This time, we started with three monsters, then five, quickly taking them down.

After swiftly clearing the room with six monsters, we agreed to rest before tackling the next room, filled with orcs ready for slaughter.

After a week of working together, we had developed decent teamwork.

Before entering the final room, we decided to rest and prepare thoroughly.

“By the way.”

“Stop teasing me.”

“No, not that. I have a friend stationed on an island. He says the government and corporations are taking this monster crisis very seriously. Do you know anything about it? Feels like information is being suppressed.”

“Hmm... I’m not entirely sure.”

She began to explain.

The current state of the world could be considered a “tutorial mode.”

Thanks to the help of elves and dwarves, humanity hadn’t suffered severe damage, and only D-rank dungeons had appeared so far.

But in about a year, these helpers would have to leave, marking the beginning of true dungeon portal hell.

“Couldn’t we just shoot the monsters with guns?”

“Not all high-ranking monsters are physical entities.”

Apparently, many high-level monsters can become incorporeal, with the worst of them being a boss monster called the ‘Lord of the Abyss.’

Defeating this creature would require hunters of B or C rank.

However, the mechanical civilization we currently live in struggles to produce hunters of C rank or higher.

The Lord of the Abyss has already destroyed three mechanical civilizations.

With no significant progress in advancing hunters beyond D rank, the current situation remains stagnant.

“Do the elves absolutely have to leave?”

“They say if they stay, Earth’s danger level will rise, potentially spawning A-rank monsters. That would mean certain doom.”

“Hmm…”

“That’s probably why my dad didn’t oppose me becoming a hunter so strongly. He figured raising my hunter abilities would increase my chances of survival.”

“Does the Lord of the Abyss always appear?”

“Not always, so don’t worry too much. But the odds are higher in mechanical civilizations. That’s why they’re brainstorming ways to improve D-rank hunters…”

So the world isn’t as peaceful as it seems... It’s the calm before the storm.

I suddenly recalled the message I received when I got the strategy guide.

‘Don’t fail. Do better. - By KJH’

Was it sent because they couldn’t stop the Lord of the Abyss?

Ugh.

Might as well reveal everything in the guide.

Since reaching E rank, there haven’t even been any updates.

Tsk.

“Don’t tell anyone about this. It’s spreading quietly, but still.”

“Understood. Too bad the elves are leaving in a year.”

“Ugh. Men liking elves so much is the real problem.”

Kang Shia shot me a glare.

“Hey, women also praise male elves.”

“Hmph. Men are worse.”

“Compare idol fans. Are female idol fans crazier, or are male idol fans?”

“Ugh. Whatever. Men are definitely crazier. I can tell because I’m an actress.”

“Oh, did you lose a commercial deal?”

“I didn’t lose it, okay?! Besides, I only do no-fee ads for our company’s products!”

Pretty sure I saw an elf in one of Daehyun’s commercials…

I’ve teased her enough for today.

Time to stop before I lose my two-handed sword.

Instead, I asked something I’d been curious about.

“Why do elves even appear in commercials?”

“Right? They say it’s to cover their living expenses, but the government supports them entirely… it’s ridiculous.”

Kang Shia flared up again.

It seems elf-related topics are a sore spot for her.

Maybe the entire entertainment industry is on high alert...

If someone as stunning as Kang Shia is reacting this way, those below her must be having a tough time.

After some light chatter, we finished preparing and entered the next room.

That’s when we saw it.

A 3-meter-tall orc stood in front of the dungeon core.

The sheer size and aura were intimidating.

“Uh… is that a boss monster?”

“Seems like it. I’m engaging. Ice Arrow. Shield.”

The key to victory is striking first.

Before the orc boss could move, I fired an Ice Arrow and simultaneously cast a shield spell on Kang Shia.

Two ice arrows flew toward the giant orc's head and chest.

Fortunately, its equipment was shabby.

Rags for clothes and a wooden club.

If the ice arrows hit well, they should pierce it in one shot.

“Graaaahhhh!!”

The orc let out a roar so loud it seemed the entire cave would shake.

At the same time, the flying ice arrows exploded mid-air with a pop. S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

What the…?

Wasn't the orc's weakness supposed to be ice arrows?

How does it destroy magic with just a roar?!

“Human. Die!”

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

Its footsteps made the ground tremble.

Despite its massive size, it wasn't even running, yet it closed the distance in an instant.

“Ugh!”

Momentarily frozen by the orc's roar, Kang Shia dashed forward.

She dodged its club and stabbed her rapier at its foot, but it simply bounced off with a clink.

“Why is it so tough…?!”

“That tickles, human!”

“Ice Arrow!”

I fired two more ice spells.

The club that was about to smash Kang Shia paused for a moment.

The orc turned to look at me.

“Graaaahhh!!”

The ice arrows exploded as they got close to its body.

Seriously?

How can it destroy magic just by shouting?

This is ridiculous…

Still, it seems like it has to detect the magic and roar in that direction to cancel it out.

Would it still work if I fired up close?

I charged toward the giant orc.

“It’s dangerous!”

“There’s no point in using magic from a distance anyway!”

“Crazy mage!”

Whoosh!

The club swung down, slicing through the air.

Clang!

I dodged while deploying a shield spell, but the club's speed didn’t slow at all.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Normally, shields reduce the momentum, but…

This one-circle shield spell is useless.

At least I avoided the hit.

“Ice Arrow!”

I cast magic right before it could roar up close.

As expected, the two ice arrows pierced its chest.

“Grrrkkk…!”

But the power was lacking.

Before the arrows could burrow deep, they melted away.

Ice magic might work on regular black orcs, but not this boss monster.

“Die! Die!”

Whoosh! Whoosh!

I dodged the orc’s attacks left and right.

Luckily, my stats were high enough to keep up.

But blocking with a shield was out of the question.

One hit would be a guaranteed home run.

Kang Shia kept trying to stab it, but the orc didn’t even glance her way.

Her attacks weren’t landing at all… At this rate, it’ll just be one-on-one between me and the boss.

“Fire Bolt!”

If ice doesn’t work, try fire!

But the fire bolt barely scorched its skin before dissipating.

Wow!

This is bad.

I can dodge its attacks, but mine aren’t doing any damage either.

Should I try attacking with my sword?

Ah! But I’m already recognized as a mage… If a sword attack works, it’ll be a problem too.

“Graaaaahhhh!!”

Frustrated by my evasive maneuvers, the orc’s attacks grew faster and more ferocious.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

Its club smashed craters into the ground, changing my mind.

If I save my strength too much, I’m dead meat.

One wrong move, and I’m done for.

“Ugh… Jiho, can you hold it off for a moment? I need to shoot an arrow.”

Kang Shia, after futile attempts with her rapier, said grimly.

I’m all for it.

But…

“You don’t even have a bow!”

“It’s inside my armor! Just hold on for a bit longer!”

What kind of bow fits inside armor?

I heard some metallic sounds—ching, cheak, clang—like something falling off, but I couldn’t check because I was busy dodging the massive orc’s attacks.

[Pollux admires Kang Shia’s figure, saying her chest is remarkable.]

What the hell?

Instead of protecting me, this damn guardian diety is ogling women’s bodies?

Ugh.

I glanced over briefly.

Oh, come on, she’s fully clothed!

You can see stuff like that in advertisements!

“Where are you looking?!”

Suddenly, my vision turned red, and my head throbbed.

Boom!

A club smashed into the ground right next to me.

That was way too close.

Damn guardian diety almost got me killed.

[Aurelia looks at the user with an utterly disdainful expression.]

Ah, this is unfair.

Unfair, but…

I’ll focus on the fight.

“Fire Bolt. Ice Arrow.”

I keep casting attack spells, but they’re not very effective.

The chest is too hard, so I aimed for the head, but even when it gets hit a few times, it recovers quickly.

Out of frustration, I even cast magic at the groin, and every time, the orc screamed faster than lightning.

This bastard knows how to protect the family jewels.

“It tickles, human!”

A Fire Bolt hit its head directly, but instead of being affected, the orc shook its head and roared.

I swear, I’ll go into debt if I must to learn 2nd Circle spells.

This isn’t working.

Normal monsters are easy, but bosses are tough.

As I get more accustomed to its speed, I start targeting its legs, thighs, and groin with my sword.

With the shield hand casting magic and the sword hand striking, I keep at it.

“Grrk!”

It’s not like my sword strikes are completely ineffective; a dark red line of blood appears on the orc’s skin.

But it quickly seals up and heals over.

Ha.

This is exhausting.

Unlike with the spider earlier, my attacks have terrible synergy here.

Am I supposed to just outlast it?

Then, it happened.

“Poison Arrow!”

Whoosh!

The sound of something slicing through the air.

An arrow pierced the orc’s eye.

The first effective hit so far!

“Graaaahhh!!”

The orc clutches its eye in pain.

I immediately aimed for the area it was so desperately protecting and launched two Ice Arrows into its groin.

“Arrghhh!! Aghhh! Aghhhhhh!!”

The orc went berserk, swinging its club wildly as if intent on destroying the cave.

Bam! Bam!

It’s about to bring the whole place down.

I quickly retreated out of its attack range.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Arrows continued to fly.

One struck its other, uninjured eye.

Another hit its mouth, which it had left open in agony.

And one more embedded itself in its chest, all within moments.

“Grr… GRAAAAHHH!”

The speed and precision were incredible.

Wow.

So this is what being a true archer class is like?

Impressive skill.

The orc pulled out the arrows lodged in its eyes, but it tugged too hard on one, causing its eyeball to dangle out.

A greenish hue spread over its face, probably due to the poison.

Now we just need to stall until Kang Shia finishes it with more arrows.

“Jiho! You have to finish it now!”

“What?”

“I’m out of arrows!”

You only had four?!

I charged at the orc again and aimed a Fire Bolt at the arrow embedded in its chest.

The flames spread along the arrow, catching fire.

This time, it worked.

“Grr… Grrrk…”

The orc’s movements slowed, and one leg buckled under its weight.

I relentlessly shoved Ice Arrows into its gaping mouth.

As my mana was nearly drained and my chest felt like it was being squeezed dry…

The giant orc finally stopped moving and collapsed.

Its body vanished, leaving behind a D-rank mana stone.

“Wow… That one was rough.”

As I picked up the mana stone left behind by its disappearing corpse, my energy was completely sapped.

I really need to master 2nd Circle magic soon.

Fighting high-defense enemies like this is just too hard.

“Jiho! Are you okay?”

Kang Shia came running over with a worried look.

She was wearing a tight elf uniform, the one I couldn’t afford because it was so expensive.

It was different from her usual appearance.

Without the steel armor, her figure was clearly visible.

A perfectly balanced S-line, with a more developed bust.

As I absentmindedly watched her run toward me, my gaze was drawn to her chest, which bounced significantly with each step.

Pollux, I kind of understand your admiration now.

[Pollux’s infinite libido…]

Ah, can we please just stop there, old man?

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]