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Volume 10 Chapter 3 Part 1

Chapter 48: Gateway to Success

『Sherry』
Current Levels & Equipment:
Master Smith Lv.38

Equipment:
Powerful Steel Spear
Chainmail
Hardened Leather Helmet
Hardened Leather Gloves
Hardened Leather Boots
Sacrificial Misanga

The next day, we challenged the thirty-first floor’s Floor Boss, defeating normal monsters without any resistance.

Who will stop Roxanne?

「Sherry, what’s the Boss here?」

「The Floor Boss of the thirty-first floor of Quratar’s Labyrinth is REM Golem. It is a formidable opponent for Mages because it doesn’t have any weak points. Like Non-REM Golems, it is resistant to Earth Magic, but parts of their bodies are also made of metal and it has more attack power and durability than Non-REM Golems. On higher floors it also shoots Earth Magic, but the main method of its attack is simply hitting its opponents with its arms. It seems that it’s pretty powerful, so be careful.」

Sherry briefed us about the Boss while we were in the Waiting Room.

The monsters on the thirty-first floor of Quratar’s Labyrinth are Non-REM Golems. The REM Golemis probably an enhanced version of the Non-REM Golem, just like it was with every other Floor Boss.

Or rather, what was the difference between REM and non-REM again?

「REM Golem, huh?」
「When they appear in the Boss room, Non-REM Golems and REM Golems are sometimes asleep. It seems that the strategy of trying to defeat them while they are sleeping is also effective.」

It made sense. So they are sleeping, huh? As expected of a REM Golem.

I don’t know if REM means that they sleep or not though.

「If they’ll be sleeping, attacking them will wake them up. Now that you understand that, the best course of action would be to attack them with area of effect magic.」

When we enter the Boss Room, smoke gathers in the middle of it and monsters appear. Two Non-REM Golems and one REM Golem. Both look like dolls made out of rock, to the point where they don’t look much different from one another. My guess is that the REM Golem is going to be the one size bigger one?

Even so, as long as only one of them comes at me instead of both of them doing that at once, I think I should be able to make a clear distinction. That being said, I don’t think you could tell them apart without having a Skill like my 「Identify」.

One of the Non-REM Golems and the REM Golem lowered their heads and dropped their shoulders. Are they asleep? Yes, I think they are sleeping. These guys are definitely sleeping.

「Vesta and I are going to be on standby.」

「Miria and I will take care of the awakened one then.」

「Let’s do it, desu.」

Miria and I went to fight the Non-REM Golem that was looking at us with its head raised.

This rock doll had eyes, nose and mouth that looked as if they were painted on its head, even though they were nothing more but simple lines. The sleeping one has his head down, so I can’t tell if its line-like eyes are moving or not.

There are two types of sleep. REM sleep is when the eyeballs move while sleeping, and non-REM sleep is when the eyeballs do not move. REM sleep or non-REM sleep is determined by the presence or absence of rapid eye movement. Going by this definition, Non-REM Golems are in non-rem sleep, and Rem golems are in REM sleep. Perhaps. No doubt about it.

However, since the eyes of both these golems are nothing but drawn lines, I can’t even begin to differentiate between the two.

「It’s getting up.」

The Floor Boss woke up when we were halfway through to it, and Roxanne gleefully responded.

「Did it, desu!」

「This one is getting up as well.」

Miria managed to petrify one smaller enemy about at the same time as the other woke up from its nap. The success rate of Petrification has increased since I became an Assassin after all. Judging by yesterday evening and today, it has become clear that right now it is much easier for her to trigger petrification than when she just became an Assassin. It’s probably because her Assassin’s level has risen.

In that case, it should also be reasonable to think that the effectiveness of 「Status Ailment Probability Up」is also level-dependent. It might also depend on the level difference, since monsters also have levels.

Depending on the Assassin’s level and the monster’s level, the probability of inflicting status ailments might be increasing proportionally.

Since all the monsters have awakened, everyone moved to attack the REM Golem while I moved to the Non-REM Golem that Vesta was currently dealing with and supported her by launching a 「Fire Storm」at it from behind.

Miria reaches the Floor Boss first.

「I did it, desu!」

And she soon manages to petrify the Boss. So the probability is still increasing.

After that, everyone surrounds and beats the Floor Boss after its supporting monsters have all been dealt with, giving us yet another rather easy victory.

「Roxanne, how was the Boss?」

I asked Roxanne about her opinion after shooting my last Spell at the Floor Boss that has now collapsed.

「Let me think… . It seems that the attack its attacks were powerful, but the motions for them were rather slow, so it didn’t even manage to hit me once. As long as you carefully observe it, you won’t get hit as well, master. When it’s about to launch an attack the air trembles around it, so you should be good as long as you remember that.」

Stop saying such terrible things, Roxanne.

Certainly, there was a feeling that the air was trembling right before the REM Golem launched one of its punches, but if an attack that is powerful enough to shake even the air itself hits me, I will be in big trouble. That much I can understand.

I also cannot understand why would such attacks be easier to avoid and predict.

Sometimes I cannot help it but to look at Roxanne and wonder what is going on inside that head of hers.

I met Sherry’s eyes, but neither of us could say anything to what we just heard. I don’t have any words, so I calmly clean up the items that were left behind by the monsters.

「It’s a rock.」

Now when all the monsters disappeared, three rocks remained behind. Rocks are a Drop Items from Non-REM Golems and REM Golem seems to be leaving the same item. Either way, we have no use of them.

「REM Golems leave behind rocks and Damascus Steel. The Drop Items this time are disappointing.」

Sherry told that to me while picking up rocks. So they can leave Damascus Steel behind as well.

「……」

Certainly, the fact that the REM Golem didn’t drop it this time was indeed disappointing. Does that mean that if we want it, we have to target that part of the REM-Golem’s body that is made of metal?

「Damascus Steel, huh? Would you be able to forge anything with it, Sherry?」

「I could, but I need more experience with it.」

Are we in need of Damascus Steel right now?
In order for Master Smiths to make equipment, they have to work in order from simple materials. That’s why Sherry insists that she cannot make anything with it right now. Personally, I think it’s another matter that’s level-dependent, but I’m not against what she said just now. When it comes to those things, it’s better to leave them for Sherry herself to figure out.

I didn’t even ask her to buy materials to make equipment. You need to have the luck to find the equipment with Empty Skill Slots in the shops, because without them, we would only end up wasting precious resources.

「It’s quite a long way to go. Let’s take it slow for now.」

「Yes, thank you very much.」

Well, it’s not good to put too much pressure on Sherry right now, especially since she continues to be so helpful to me at the current moment. That is why we should take it easy for her sake.

「There’s a monster with a scent I’ve never smelled before nearby.」

After defeating the Floor Boss and passing through to the thirty-second floor, Roxanne discovered a new prey.

「Sherry, what are the monsters on the thirty-second floor?」

「The monsters on the thirty second floor of Quratar’s Labyrinth are Rock Birds. Sometimes they tend to attack by throwing rocks at their opponents. They also use Earth Magic, and are resistant to Earth Magic as a result. They have no elemental weaknesses.」

Is it going to be a bird made out of rock, just as the name suggests?