Yagami clucked his tongue in frustration at the high ogre that loomed before the party. A boss room should only exist on the last floor. That was common sense for any dungeon. That was why he’d use Enemy Detection so often to sense how close they were to the bottom.
How could this happen? Why would a boss room exist in the mid-levels? Especially one with an enemy that seemed less like a normal boss and more like a powerful extra boss?
No one was there to answer, but deep down, Yagami knew it: This was the dungeon’s trap, plain and simple. The monster swarm and the conveniently empty tunnels were part of a plan. And he fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. Thanks to his lack of foresight, the party was stuck at the mercy of a level 40,000 monster—a beast more powerful than any of them.
Can we beat this monster by ourselves?
Yagami was the strongest adventurer in the group, but there was still a 26,000-level difference. Victory would be difficult to achieve, even with everyone working in lockstep, but they had to win if they wanted to escape.
“Leader!” shouted one of the members. They looked to Yagami expectantly, waiting for orders.
“Take battle formations!” he commanded. “Vanguard, don’t focus on damage. Draw its attention. All sorcerers, provide cover while I deal the major blow! Healer, cast buff magic on everyone!”
“Sir, yes, sir!”
They were well-trained. Everyone nodded and assumed their positions around the high ogre. Yagami then remembered Amane Rin, standing behind him.
Based on his movement earlier, he could be useful in battle…but no. I can’t.
He shook the idea out of his head. There was no way a kid had the power to take on a level 40,000 monster, let alone with a short sword at close range. It was plain to see Rin was no tank. Acting on the front line, where one mistake could cost him his life, was too much for the kid. Not to mention, he was brand new to the party, so he didn’t know the formations like the others did.
That settled it. He had no business relying on some kid in a critical situation like this one.
Steadily, the heat of the battle rose. The tanks used their defensive skills to their utmost potential, not a single MP wasted, to stave off blows from the high ogre. They had to, or the monster’s immense greatsword would wipe them out.
The knight and spearman searched for openings to slice the high ogre’s ankles. The idea was to relieve the tanks of some of the pressure and limit the monster’s movements.
A strangely tinny clang sounded when they stole a chance to strike.
“B-blades don’t hurt it?!”
“Dammit! This monster’s hard as a rock!”
A clangor rang out as they hit it again and again, even as their blades started to wear down and crack. Yagami wracked his brain, wondering how that could be when it wouldn’t normally happen against any monster, even one this strong.
“It’s using Harden!” he cried as he realized.
Harden was a skill that strengthened the body’s durability. Tanks used it to defend the frontline. The high ogre must have the same power.
This was why high-level monsters were so nasty.
The higher their level, the more intricate and vexing their abilities became. He’d seen enough monsters to fill a zoo: snakes that spit acid, lizards rippling with fire, tortoises that could shake the earth…and a giant ogre that could harden its body, apparently. Defeating a monster with a specialty in defense wouldn’t be easy, but that was no reason to lay down his weapon.
Yagami concentrated on conducting the chorus of battle. The vanguard’s attacks bounced off the high ogre’s skin, but they still dealt light injuries. No matter how tough a monster was, it was never invincible. If he could find an opening to attack with all his strength, that should be enough to defeat it.
Seconds later, the rhythm of the battle shifted, and the moment for attack arrived.
“Leader, now!” yelled the knight and spearman. After creating Yagami’s opening with their brave attacks, they put some ground between themselves and the ogre.
Yagami gathered the mana inside his body and shouted, “Prominence Burst!”
Prominence Burst was a type of Advanced Magic, a fire spell that first spiraled into a ball, then blasted in a beam with enough strength to penetrate an iron wall. If it pierced the enemy’s insides, it would spark a devastating explosion that destroyed the monster from the inside out.
Yagami held that ball of fire in his hands. He unleashed the spell, confident that not even the high ogre’s hide could withstand it.
The high ogre snarled in anger when it noticed the spell flying its way, but it was too late. It couldn’t evade in time. The stream of fire struck it dead center and sent debris flying through the room. The battle fell into a hush as everyone anticipated victory, but once the dust cleared—the high ogre stood unscathed.
“There’s…no way…!” Yagami whispered.
It received a massive blow. How did the beast withstand that?
Did Prominence Burst not make contact? No, it did. It left slight scorch marks. But I landed a direct hit! So why did it only deal minimal damage?!
While he panicked internally, he held on to the expression of a leader, calm and collected. His eyes searched the high ogre’s body until he spotted something.
Oh? There’s a spot on its body, where the spell landed, but it’s not a burn. It’s like the ogre’s skin changed to a darker shade of red. Everywhere else is lighter…
“It couldn’t be,” he hissed to himself, but he could only think one thing.
Can it actually change the strength of Harden on different sections of its body?!
If his hypothesis was correct, that would explain how it defended against even Prominence Burst. If it could concentrate the Harden effect on its body to one location, its defensive capability would expand exponentially.
Adventurers couldn’t use Harden like this. This was a monster-exclusive ability, and it was enough to render all of their attacks ineffective.
The situation only worsened from there. Like the monsters they encountered during their getaway, the high ogre appeared to have regenerative abilities. The scorch marks faded as he watched.
Dammit, this is trouble! It can defend with Harden and regenerate any scratch we inflict. Our only option is to inflict wounds faster than it can use Harden!
It was a plan, at least, but one he had no idea how to implement. All he knew was, if they didn’t act now, they would die.
“Everyone, buy me more—”
The ogre’s enraged roar cut him off as it prepared to charge them.
A tornado of turmoil, hopelessness, and terror tore a path through them. For the first time in a long time, the A-rankers remembered what it felt like to be an adventurer—no, a person—helpless in the face of danger.
Yagami pushed through the emotions buffeting him and shouted at his frightened, crumbling allies. “What are you doing?! Move! Get away from it!”
His voice didn’t reach them. Their minds had submitted to the threat of the high orc. The monster swung its weapon down with a force powerful enough to obliterate everyone here, including the room itself.
Thud.
Desperate to buy the others time, the tanks moved forward to take the brunt of the attack, despite the threat of death. Uselessly, Yagami reached his hand toward them, but he was incapable of saving them from danger.
Then, time seemed to slow to the languid drip of molasses as Yagami witnessed something he couldn’t believe:
A single young man gallantly dashed forward while the rest of them stood paralyzed.
What?!
Amane Rin, barely more than a boy and definitely not yet a man, launched himself at the high ogre with a silver longsword in hand.
“Wait, Amane!” Yagami blurted. “Don’t throw your life away!”
He had no idea how Amane Rin could bring himself to move in this situation, but his body was far too small and insignificant to go against a level 40,000 monster.
The high ogre’s unstoppable greatsword raced toward him.