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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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There is a scene that always appears in movies or comics whenever masters face off.
A staring contest, commonly known as a confrontation structure.
It’s not just about striking a pose and glaring at the opponent, but also gauging the opponent’s skill and momentum while keeping a distance from each other.
It was also the structure I hated the most.
Once my abilities are detected, it becomes easier for the opponent to deal with them.
In the first place, it was not a combat-oriented skill but a skill purely used to create objects and structures that I could actually make, so it was an unavoidable limitation.
I also wanted to have at least one skill simply specialized for combat.
Something simple like controlling fire or ice.
It would have been nice to use it appropriately for survival as well.
“…Forget it. That’s not something to think about now.”
The priority is to figure out how to deal with the hobgoblin and goblins watching me from almost 100 meters away.
“T-Try using that magic that creates walls from the ground or something…”
“It’s not magic, it’s a skill.”
“Were you a skill spoon? The world is really unfair…”
It seems that skills are indeed recognized in this world as well.
After all, in the end, the presence or absence of skills is treated as the presence or absence of talent, whether it’s a saint, a knight, or a mage.
So I couldn’t refute being called a skill spoon even though I had quite a luxurious skill.
…That’s the problem, it’s difficult to proceed to the true ending or whatever with this.
“Don’t you have a skill too?”
“…How did you know?”
Don’t make that suspicious expression now.
Before I throw you as goblin food.
When I blatantly looked down on her, Sif avoided my gaze and lowered her tail.
Still, concealment is quite a good skill.
I don’t know if it will be helpful in the current situation though.
“!)@$#*&)!!”
“S-Should we run away? How can the two of us catch something like that?!”
“Don’t be afraid. It’s just a goblin after all.”
If we only consider pure strength, it would be around the level of a troll.
If I could approach within a distance where my skill would work, I could easily deal with it from then on.
The problem was the object the hobgoblin was holding.
“If we get hit by that, our bodies will be split in half.”
Where did it get such a huge axe?
Ah, since it was born in this dungeon, maybe the dungeon made it for it.
Seeing the axe that was even larger than me, who was quite tall, I doubted that earthen walls could block that axe swing.
If I relied on earthen walls and acted recklessly, it seemed like it would split my head along with the axe.
Still, I had to try.
I took out a pouch containing poison powder from my bag and handed it to Sif.
Sif received the pouch from me with a puzzled expression and asked,
“What is this?”
“A lifeline. Quietly approach and sprinkle it on the hobgoblin.”
“…It’s something like poison, right?”
“You better not think of sprinkling it on me. I’ll make you my companion before you die.”
“…I wasn’t thinking that!”
She wasn’t?
She was the one who perked up her ears at the word poison just now.
“Hide those ears and tail before you say that. Anyway, I’ll draw their attention, so leave quickly.”
“…Got it. Lunar blessing.”
Sif’s body started to fade.
That was Sif’s skill that had harassed players, the Lunar Blessing.
The name sounded grandiose, but it was nothing more than a skill that made the body blurry.
It wouldn’t be of much use unless you were an assassin or a thief.
It was quite useful in the current situation though.
I gripped the shovel and slowly narrowed the distance.
I could hear the goblins gathered around the hobgoblin saying something to it.
Of course, I couldn’t understand what they were saying since I couldn’t comprehend their language.
“It would be easier if I could understand their words.”
Still, it was clear what kind of conversation had taken place.
The goblins were all glaring at me with eyes full of vigilance.
Anyway, their words were obvious.
Kill that bastard.
I clicked my tongue as I watched the goblins each grasp their weapons.
There were only four holding staffs.
Would the footsoldiers be able to endure this?
I could clearly see the future where 4 fireballs would fly towards me, so curses naturally flew out of my mouth.
They were the only ones playing a fun shooting game, what a bunch of heartless bastards.
Those fireballs were really annoying.
If there were 4 fireballs, it would be difficult to block them with this soft ground.
It would be easier to dodge them instead.
The problem was the hobgoblin.
If I dodged the fireballs, that bastard would obviously rush to kill me.
There was no guarantee that I wouldn’t get hurt while being attacked by the hobgoblin with my posture collapsing from dodging the fireballs.
Of course, if it were Renny, she could simply swat away the fireballs with Mach level speed and poke holes in the hobgoblin’s body with her fingers… But I couldn’t do that.
Striking the fireballs with the shovel was literally a suicidal act, so of course, I couldn’t do it.
Still, I had to draw their attention as much as possible.
I stuck the shovel into the ground and used my skill.
“Crafting.”
I covered my body with walls.
The fragile earthen walls were destined to be annihilated by the fireballs soon, but that was enough.
“Crafting. Crafting. Crafting. Crafting.”
I deliberately erected walls in a large circle.
It was a trick to make it difficult for them to easily aim the magic flying towards me.
They couldn’t see through the wall and know where I was unless they had clairvoyance.
“!*@(&(!#$!!”
Was it because the long line of walls wasn’t to its liking?
Or was it because the fireballs shot by the goblin sorcerers only shattered the wrong walls?
The hobgoblin contorted its unsightly face and struck the ground with its axe as if venting its anger.
Seeing the ground being dug up, it seemed like I would be sent straight to the afterlife if I got hit even once.
I hid behind the wall again, looking at the staffs aimed at me.
The roughly dozen walls I had erected perfectly concealed my figure.
I couldn’t narrow the distance, but they would be quite concerned about me too.
Still, it would be better to have definite insurance since it could draw Sif’s attention.
“Crafting.”
I created footholds.
I precariously rode on top of the wall and jumped from wall to wall as if provoking them.
Naturally, their gazes were fixed on me rather than the invisible Sif.
One mistake and I would die.
But I had no intention of dying.
I smiled confidently as I watched the fireball flying towards me.
I kicked off the wall and leaped over the fireball.
The heat that seemed to burn the soles of my feet brushed past me.
I could hear the sound of the wall exploding behind me.
The sorcerers were shouting something and aiming their staffs at me again.
It was a repetition of familiar events.
But there was information I had learned while having a battle of nerves with them.
It took at least close to 10 seconds to shoot the fireballs again.
10 seconds.
A long time if long, a short time if short.
I narrowed the distance and looked for an opportunity.
The fact that it didn’t recklessly charge past the goblins but made them surround itself meant that it had some level of intelligence.
If I approached, it would try to gain distance somehow.
“Crafting. Crafting. Crafting. Crafting.”
I erected numerous walls haphazardly.
That alone was enough to protect my body from the fireballs.
“Repair. Repair. Repair. Repair.”
Explosions and regenerations were repeated.
The walls were recreated and were shattered again.
The battle between spear and shield showed no signs of ending.
Still, if I endured like this while openly drawing aggro, Sif would strike from behind.
Let’s wait a little longer.
Just a little more.
…When will this girl arrive?
I know it’s a skill where she’ll be detected if she makes intense movements, so it can’t be helped that it’s slow, but it’s too slo-
“Speak of the devil.”
“Take this!”
I looked at Sif, who appeared behind the hobgoblin and threw the pouch.
As the yellow powder sprinkled on the hobgoblin’s head spread all over its body, the hobgoblin made a perplexed sound and staggered.
Naturally, the nearby goblins also sat down on the ground.
It’s a relief that the paralysis poison worked.
If that hadn’t worked, I was going to use Sif as bait and run away.
“Then let’s finish this.”
I escaped from the forest of rampant walls and charged at the hobgoblin.
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“Good work.”
“Oh, y-yeah. You worked hard too!”
I picked up the key that had fallen into the pool of blood of the hobgoblin, which had holes pierced all over its body.
It was sticky with blood all over it, making me feel unpleasant.
I just needed to open the chest anyway, so I endured it.
As I walked past the hobgoblin’s corpse and approached the treasure chest, Sif timidly followed behind me.
I opened the chest first without paying attention to her.
Inside the chest were a few silver ingots and one gold ingot.
It was quite a substantial reward.
Couldn’t I get a lot of money just by selling these?
While immersed in that expectation, I heard a voice from behind.
“Um, hey! I helped you, so you can release this now, right?”
“Why should I?”
“Ah, no, haven’t I paid off my debt with this?”
“Even if you pile up gold like a mountain, you can’t repay a life debt.”
Where are you trying to bluff?
Should I smash your head with the shovel?
When I slightly raised the shovel, Sif covered her head with both arms and cowered.
From her motion that seemed like she had been hit a lot, I stuck the shovel back into the ground.
“Ah, no… that’s… okay. Phew. But at least spare my life. If I’m gone, my siblings will starve to death…”
Sif’s ears drooped.
I silently stared at her for a moment while fiddling with the shovel handle, then opened my mouth.
“Do you remember what I said earlier?”
“Oh. Oh… X girl?”
“Not that.”
“Oh… an offer you can’t refuse?”
“Yeah.”
“D-Don’t tell me…”
Why are you covering your chest with your arms?
What the hell is in this girl’s head?
I flicked Sif’s forehead and said,
“It’s not like that. I just want to make a contract. If you make a contract, I’ll give you this.”
I waved a silver ingot in front of her eyes.
A silver ingot the size of a palm.
With just this, she could live comfortably for about a month.
Sif turned her head, following the swaying silver ingot as if hypnotized.
“C-Contract? What kind of contract?”
“Participate as a porter when I explore dungeons. I’ll give you a reward every time we clear a dungeon. And if you pick up any interesting information, tell me.”
“Interesting information?”
“Things like rumors about new dungeons, dirty rumors about nobles, stories about gangs controlling the back alleys. Anything is fine, so tell me everything you know whenever we meet.”
It was a really important part for me, who roughly remembered the future developments.
Judging the timing through external information and using that to my advantage.
I was in a situation where I needed an external informant, and since I had the option of hiring Sif, who could be easily handled, there was no reason not to utilize her.
“Okay! I’ll do it!”
Her mind was already captivated by the silver ingot, so she had no intention of listening to the proper contract terms.
I gently placed the silver ingot on the palm of Sif’s hand as she stared at it in a trance-like state.
Just with that, Sif smiled a pure smile I had never seen before and wagged her tail.
She seemed quite happy.
“Hehehe… hehe… silver ingot, silver ingot…”
The look on her face when she heard the sound of money hadn’t disappeared.
I chuckled as I watched her.
“Then let’s slowly leave the dungeon.”
“Let’s go! Boss!”
“Boss?”
“Then what should I call you?”
“…Just call me that.”
I don’t care what you call me.
I left the boss room with my newly acquired subordinate.
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so how long till he wins heart of the catgirl waifu?