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CHAPTER 231: TESTS AND TRIALS ④

CHAPTER 231: TESTS AND TRIALS ④

~ Cururalio’s Point of View ~

The deepest part of the 19th floor. If I go up these stairs, I will step into the 20th floor where the Boss room was located.

I tried out new Skills on this floor many times, and my “Transformation” Skill level rose to 3. My HP and MP had been consumed accordingly, but they were now fully restored. I checked the number of potions I had left on me, and my armor was not yet in a state where it could be considered to be badly damaged.

As for my weapons, I had hardly used them since the middle of this new test. Now that my fighting method has changed so drastically, I would like to ask my Master for advice on what kind of weapons to use when it would be time to buy a new one, but…… I guess that will be the reward I will get when I defeat the Boss here solo and truly become Master Aun’s disciple.

「Okay! I’m ready!!」

I simulated the battle many times over in my head, but honestly, the chances of me winning were still fifty-fifty at best. My fighting style required me to pay close attention not only to my opponent’s movements, but also to my own HP and MP, so I would often have to split my attention. Especially at the very beginning of the Boss battle, many Black Wolves being led by the Great Silver Wolf would appear, so I would always have to deal with all of the enemy’s movements.

One mistake could make this battle even worse for me, and there was a high risk of my strategy collapsing all at once in case of emergency.

「Phew…… If I think too much before fighting, my movements will slow down. Now I will just think about giving it my all!」

And so I climbed the stairs and, with determination, I opened the door to the Boss room.

The torchlights slowly lit up on the walls of the dimly lit room.

Next, a shadow that I could see at the back of the room rose up and swayed, emanating a flame-like aura.

「W-What the!? This is not the Great Silver Wolf at all! And there are no Black Wolves around it, either…… No way!!」

Here in the Wislo Dungeon, very rarely, another monster could appear in the Boss room instead of the regular one. However, it was said that this is once in five hundred or even once in one thousand kind of a chance, which was an extremely low probability.

Monsters that would appear with this low probability were called “Rare bosses” and were often higher rank than Bosses that would normally appear.

And here in the Intermediate Level “Tower of the Wolf”, the Rare Boss that could appear would be…… a low Rank A monster called the “Flame Wolf”.

「You’ve got to be kidding me…… Why!? At a time like this!?」

If it weren’t for the test from Master Aun, it would be a dangerous monster that would immediately result in me teleporting back to the entrance with the use of the Labyrinth Escape Stone. And it was practically impossible to make a Rare Boss appear just by wishing for it, so I wanted to curse my bad luck for drawing it at this particular timing.

「But if I defeat it and return safely, I will definitely pass the test! Plus, Master will be sure to praise me!!」

As I was trying to regain my composure, the Flame Wolf got up and charged at me with incredible speed. Even a simple body slam from it would be fatal to a mid-level Adventurer such as myself if the Fire Wolf’s bristling fur was engulfed in flames.

Though I have gotten quite strong myself, I had still to be considered a mid-level Adventurer.

In a panic, I rolled sideways to avoid the incoming attack, detached my tail from my body, and activated the skill “Misidentify Existence”.

Then, before moving it with “Remote Control”, the Fire Wolf thrust its sharp claws into my tail, causing my flapping tail to burst into flames at once.

「That’s an insane attack speed……」

Surprised, I revived my tail with “High-Speed ​​Regeneration”, this time hardening it with the use of “Poison Attack” and “Transformation”, and then I cut it off again.

The process of preparing for the attack, which I had done countless times over the past few days, plus the Skill “Transformation”, went surprisingly smoothly, even for me, and I sent my tail spinning at high speed towards the Fire Wolf, who was looking around for me.

The wolf quickly back stepped to avoid my attack, but a small amount of blood was now flowing from its left hind leg where the attack had grazed it.

「I have to say that the first blood goes for me! And that attack just now was not too shabby, huh? W-Whoa!?」

Looking at the state of the Wolf’s wound, I probably managed to inflict the Poison status effect onto it, but the Wolf did not seem to care about that and turned around to fire a fireball from its mouth right at me.

I hardened my whole body with “Transformation” and guarded with both of my hands, then quickly took out a potion from my magic bag and put it over my head, simultaneously putting out the fire over my burning clothes and recovering my HP.

If my opponent did not have a long-range attack, I thought I could attack unilaterally from mid-range, but it seems this one would not go down so easily and without putting up a proper fight.

The damage I received from the fireball was about 30% of my total HP. Even if I was guarding against it, it was still not an amount of damage that could be ignored. Also, I could recover with potions, but the time I was recovering left me wide open and with gaps to explore, so I probably could not use those things too many times.

However, being able to inflict the Poison status effect was a huge deal on my end. No matter how strong the enemy was, if the Poison damage was now being continuously inflicted onto it, so in the long run, I could see my chances of winning actually increasing.

「Now then, who will fall first? Let’s have ourselves a chicken race, shall we!!」

◇　　◇　　◇　　◇

I wonder how much time has passed since the battle began…… My sense of time was becoming very blurred as the time would go on.

Despite concentrating so hard, most of my attacks were being dodged and I was unable to deal any effective damage on the Boss. However, the Poison I inflicted it with the Skill level 5 “Poison Attack” was gradually eating away at the Flame Wolf’s body, steadily reducing its HP.

On the other hand, I was narrowly dodging the Flame Wolf’s attacks or defending myself with the hardened body that I had used “Transformation” skill on, but as time would pass, my HP was decreasing and the potions I had brought with me finally ran out.

It was fair to say that I was in a difficult situation, but I still chose not to use the Labyrinth Escape Stone. To be honest, I knew I was at my limit. But if I could not get through this and run away from here, I would just revert back to my old self.

「Haa, haa, haa……」

「GYURURURU…… GRR……!!!」

The flames covering the Wolf’s whole body have gotten much smaller, and the bruises all over its body that have turned purple from the poison and were starting to stand out. But even so, I could clearly see from its gaze that it was determined to kill me.

「Are you on your last legs, too? But that means you have no intention of backing down, huh?」

「GRRR!!!」

The Wolf roared louder than it has ever roared before, and ran towards me at full speed as if using up the last dregs and pieces of its strength.

In response, I used “Remote Control” to control my tail, which I had sent flying behind me beforehand, while hardening my whole body hard with “Transformation” and taking a defensive stance.

(I won!)

This was my last trick, using myself as a decoy.

If it was a full-power attack at this timing going at me, there would be no way for me to avoid such an attack from a blind spot like this. But if I could block the approaching Flame Wolf’s body slam, then my —

This was a moment of my carelessness. That was the difference between success and failure in this battle.

I thought I had completely taken care of any of the blind spots, but my attack was dodged by a hair’s breadth, and I was hit head-on and easily blasted into the nearby wall by the Wolf’s body slam. The Flame Wolf then closed in and bit into my left shoulder.

「Gah! Gahah…..!」

A strong pain ran through my whole body along with the distinctive smell of burning flesh, and my HP decreased in an instant.

With my HP reduced this much, I could no longer use “High-Speed ​​Regeneration”, and I could not regenerate my tail.

At that point, the only way I had left to attack the Boss was……

(I……Is this all there is? I will have to use my Labyrinth Escape Stone……)

When I thought that far, I suddenly remembered my past self.

The “weak me” who kept running away, always coming up with excuses.

I was so used to relying on others, I was so spoiled, I blamed others for my failures, and I continued to make even more excuses……

— I have to help raise the children at the orphanage.

–I must not make everyone worry about me all the time.

— Collecting Labyrinth Escape Stones is an important role that keeps Adventurers alive.

— Because I don’t have parents of my own.

— I just have to do my best with what I can do.

— Ciel and Heil are so special…… They are clearly different from an ordinary person like me who has nothing.

Afraid to take a step forward, I used all sorts of excuses to avoid “changing”.

…… But the truth is, I was frustrated.

Frustrated, frustrated, and even more frustrated!!

I wanted to change the person who would run away so easily, the person who would give up!!

I wanted to stand next to Ciel and Heil…… Not behind them, but side by side!!

「Show me your resolve.」

I’m going to change!

I’m not going to change “someday”! I’m going to change “here and now”!!

『Show me your resolve』

If I do not show my resolve here, when will I show it?!

I won’t forgive myself for giving up and running away, even if I die!

『Show me your resolve』

If I don’t have any means of attack…… Then I am simply going to make one!

『Uh, oooohhh, ahhhhh!!』

— BRRRRRR!!!!!!

I narrowed the hardening range of my whole body to just the shoulder where I was bitten, and used “Transformation” to forcefully twist and cut off my left arm that I had given a “Poison Attack” skill to.

Then, I used “Remote Control” to rotate it at high speed and slammed it into the Fire Wolf’s eyeball.

『GAH……!!! RRRAAAGGGHHH!!!」 』

But the Fire Wolf still did not let go of its teeth, and instead increased its biting force even more.

Desperately trying to hold on to my flying consciousness, I poured all my thoughts into pushing my arm in even further.

「OOOOOOHHHHH!!!!!!」

My left arm was slowly sinking in as it rotated, and purple bruises were spreading around it.

I felt the pressure of teeth digging into my body and a burning pain as if the blood in my entire body was boiling.

Our wills and staminas were both competing to see whose was going to be drained faster.

It was a clash of wills.

After several tens of seconds that felt as if they lasted for an eternity…… The pressure that was trying to bite me suddenly disappeared.

Then, the Fire Wolf’s whole body convulsed violently and it collapsed to the ground, being absorbed into the dungeon’s floor.

「I…… I won……」

As I was convinced of this, the consciousness that I had been desperately trying to hold on to gradually faded away…… and my body fell forward onto the “Glowing Magic Circle” that had appeared at my feet.