Chapter 8: Dungeon Practicum, Despair Edition
Translated and Proofread by Vine
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The dungeon raid was proceeding smoothly.
Kill, loot, repeat.
And so, we arrived at the final boss room.
No stray monsters accosted us on the way.
In the game, this was called a safe room.
A place to rest, recover, and prepare.
But…
“It’s like territorial marking.”
“The boss, a super-strong monster, has claimed this area, so other monsters can’t approach.”
“That makes a surprising amount of sense.”
The safe room represented a territorial intrusion.
Each monster had its own territory, and they couldn’t encroach on the boss’s, making it a safe zone by default.
We, as players, disregarded territorial boundaries, hence the lack of encounters.
“Now that we’re rested, let’s go!”
“We just sat down…?”
“We didn’t really do anything anyway.”
The monsters we’d encountered so far had been weaklings.
So the boss should be a pushover, too.
“Let’s finish this quickly and go eat!”
“Okay… wait, eat together?”
Why would I eat with them?
I gave Mars a questioning look.
She tilted her head, equally puzzled.
“Is it weird for teammates to eat together?”
“No… well… never mind.”
It wasn’t worth arguing over.
Mars wasn’t a heroine who significantly impacted the story, so a slight deviation from the script shouldn’t be a problem.
“Me too, me too!
I want to eat with you guys!”
“Huh?
You said you were eating with your boyfriend.”
“Tsk… whatever.
He hasn’t been paying attention to me lately.”
“Really?
Well, the more the merrier!”
Meals were always more enjoyable with company!
Mars laughed heartily, slapping her chest.
Going by her logic, she must have had some truly dismal meals lately.
I chuckled inwardly, then my eyes met Juno’s.
“Let’s do our best, okay?”
“…Oh.”
I was in no position to laugh at anyone.
I sighed and stood up.
‘First—we need a plan.’
The tutorial boss was notorious for its tricky patterns, a guaranteed defeat on the first playthrough.
Since Chronos had instructed me to clear the dungeon, I addressed Juno and Mars.
“Strategy time.”
“………??”
“………??”
They both looked at me with bewilderment.
Just listen, I thought. It’ll be helpful.
“Heave-ho!”
Creeeaaak—
The three of us entered the boss room.
Mars, as the vanguard, took the lead, hefting her greatsword.
“Where’s the enemy?!” she yelled, brimming with enthusiasm.
The tutorial boss—the Goblin Champion—rose from its crude throne.
“Groooooar!”
“A Champion…!
I can’t believe it actually appeared…!”
But it wasn’t alone.
“Kishit, hehehe!”
“Kikruk… kik!”
“A Goblin Warrior and an Archer, too…”
Even though there was only one of each, with only one vanguard on our team, the pressure was doubled.
The Goblin Champion’s heavy attacks came from the front, and any attempts to create an opening were thwarted by the Goblin Warrior, while the Goblin Archer exploited any weaknesses.
“Mars, I’ll provide support!”
We needed to divide their forces somehow.
Juno raised her bow, aiming an arrow at the Goblin Archer.
The arrow flew true.
“Groooooowl…!”
“As expected…
it won’t be that easy, huh?”
The Goblin Champion intercepted the arrow before it could reach the Archer.
At first glance, it seemed we were at a disadvantage.
“Now, Mars!”
“Hyaaaaaah!!!”
However, the Champion’s movement to intercept the arrow left the Goblin Warrior exposed.
I seized the opportunity, attacking the Goblin Warrior alongside Mars.
“Kit, kikruk?!”
“Were they too shallow…?”
The attack barely grazed its skin.
The Goblin Warrior smirked, preparing to counter—
Bang!
“—Kit?!…Keuk…”
“Got it.”
I hadn’t missed.
The bullet lodged between the Goblin Warrior’s eyes.
It collapsed without a sound.
The Goblin Champion roared in rage and lunged at me, but—
Clang!
“Get back…!
You’re playing with me!”
Mars’s greatsword blocked its path.
The two warriors faced each other once more, but the dynamic had shifted.
“Kisheeeeek?!”
“Focus fire on the Archer!”
“Okay!
Like this?”
Two against one.
The Goblin Archer desperately dodged the hail of arrows and bullets.
Sensing its imminent demise, the Champion tried to turn, but—
Clang!
Clang!
“Don’t look away!
Do I look like a joke to you?!”
“Kruk… gr…oa… Groooooar!!!”
Blocked.
Blocked again and again.
Frustrating. It must have been incredibly frustrating.
But the moment it faltered, the blade came again, forcing it to sacrifice itself to protect its ally.
Could the Goblin Champion do that?
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The answer was—yes.
“Groooooar!!!”
“Uh…?”
Ignoring the sting of the greatsword, the Goblin Champion leaped towards the back line.
“Groooooar!!!”
“Chrono!”
“I know!”
The distance closed in an instant.
I grabbed Juno and braced for impact.
‘One second—into two.’
Squeezing time within time, I dodged the Champion’s attack while carrying Juno, moving at what seemed like double speed.
“Juno, now!”
The missed attack was our opportunity.
Juno notched an arrow and released, aiming for the Goblin Archer.
The arrow flew.
In the same situation as before, the Goblin Champion could have easily deflected it, but…
“Kishit?!
Ki… kieeeeek…”
“Yes!”
The Goblin Champion, having just missed its attack after leaping to the Archer’s defense, was a moment too slow.
The Archer, its vision obscured by the Champion, was struck by the arrow and died instantly, without even a chance to react.
“Gro…oa… Groooooar!!”
The Warrior and the Archer.
The Champion roared, having lost its loyal companions.
As if having nothing left to lose, it charged recklessly.
Mars stepped forward, intercepting its attack.
“Ugh…!
Now this feels like a fight!”
“Oh, ohhh!!”
Thump, thump, crack, crackle!
The ground cracked under the force of their blows, the sound of shattering weapons echoing through the chamber.
This was a battle of attrition now.
“Juno, no holy magic!
Normal attacks!
Only normal attacks!”
“O-okay!”
While Mars tanked the attacks from the front, Juno and I rained arrows and bullets upon the Champion.
“Oh… ohh…!”
“You… damn bastard…!!”
The Goblin Champion was becoming increasingly bloodied.
But despite its fatigue, its attacks remained sharp, relentless, giving Mars no respite.
‘When… when will it die…!’
I had told her.
Before entering the boss room, I’d laid out the strategy.
[You endure.
We focus fire.
Eventually, it’ll lose its cool, right?]
“…Cough!… Grooa…”
The Goblin Champion coughed up blood.
Now?
Was this the moment?
Mars watched the Champion warily.
[Endure its rage, and you’ll win.]
“Groaaaaaaaaar!!!!”
“Ugh… this is it…!”
The Goblin Champion’s body flushed crimson.
Its attacks intensified, as if everything before had been mere child’s play.
A barrage of blows, too fast, too strong to fully block.
Boom!
Boom!
Crack!
“Ugh… ah… Aaaaagh!!!”
Endure.
Endure.
Endure.
Mars gritted her teeth, straining against the onslaught.
“Now, Juno!
Use everything you’ve got!”
“Haaaaah…!!”
Because there are two people attacking diligently from behind.
If I can just hold out until they finish it… we win.
If not… we lose.
Mars braced herself, enduring blow after blow—
Crack.
“Huh?”
A sound that shouldn’t have been there.
The sound of something breaking.
Crack!
“───Cough….!”
My body floated in the air.
I was airborne, then suddenly fell to the ground.
My lungs constricted. My vision turned red. Pain wracked my entire body, along with a burning heat.
“Th-this…..!”
I was hit. I was down, rolling on the ground.
The pathetic image of defeat.
Mars couldn’t accept it.
Refusing to acknowledge her own weakness—
“──Gulp…. *Spit!*”
She downed the remaining potions in her pouch. Her health partially restored.
Then, she charged towards the Champion, which was now turning its attention to Juno and me.
With a roar, she brought her greatsword down with all her might.
“Don’t touch my friends!
You bastard!”
“Gr…ooooar!”
The attack was blocked.
But she didn’t care.
‘Kill.’
Kill this bastard.
Kill the monster in front of her.
That was her only thought.
Crack, crack, snap!
“Gah!
Ugh…
guh,
Aaaaagh!!!”
She didn’t care if her bones broke.
She didn’t care if something snapped.
Forward. Attack. Like a tank, relentlessly pushing forward.
“Mars…”
I called out to her, watching as she recklessly threw herself at the Champion to protect us.
“You… you idiot!”
How many times had I warned her?!
If you charge recklessly, you’ll just die!
I told you to just endure, and we’d win…!
“Cough… ugh, ugh…!”
“Holy shit.”
Mars was coughing up blood while fighting.
Some might have been moved by her selflessness, her willingness to sacrifice herself in a bloody last stand.
But I was just furious.
Who told her to fight like that?
I told you to just endure.
Why is the tank acting like a DPS?!
‘That damn trait!’
Mars’s Berserker trait had activated.
I’d been expecting it, but seeing it happen was still infuriating.
“Chrono… what do we do…?”
“…We have to deal as much damage as possible.”
Does Berserk trigger when the Champion’s health is around 30%?
It wasn’t a good sign.
The Champion’s attack power more than doubled during Berserk.
A single hit could take out half the health of a low-HP character. A direct hit during Berserk?
Instant death, or close enough.
That’s why the tank needed to hold the line, to buy time, but… the situation was critical because of her triggered trait.
What could we do?
“If it comes to it, I’ll cover you,”
It’s okay.
We won’t die.
It’s a tutorial. The teachers will save us if we wipe.
‘Let’s do our best.’
I tightened my grip on the pistol and fired.
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How was an archer dodging bullets?
He scored a C in accuracy