Tamer 22
BGM: Punishing Grey Raven - Endless Path
===
Chapter 22: Another Glitch
TL : Cnine
ED/PF :
Part 1
「Greetings, miss receptionist. I am Haruno, monster tamer and beautiful maiden.」
「Haruno? Uh, can I get a second— wait, seriously?! You’re that Haruno from Brave Saint Sword Demon?!」
「Yep. That’s me. Here, explorer card.」
「The real thing...」
I’d totally seen her on SNS.
The 『Brave Saint Sword Demon』 was famous nationwide. Even among top parties, they were basically top five material.
Every member was rumoured to be level 70, young prodigies wielding rare skills and rare classes.
「If you don’t mind me asking, why is Haruno from 『Brave Saint Sword Demon』, usually based in the Ueno Dungeon, exploring this kind of deserted dungeon ?」
「I've got some business here.」
Some business?
「Receptionist, have you heard of a monster tamer who recently ate miso curry milk ramen?」
「No, I can’t say I have...」
Miso curry milk ramen?
What kind of food crime is that?
「Right. Then can you tell me the names of any monster tamers who are active right now?」
Monster tamer… There was only one, Kikyo.
Rather was she gunning for Kikyo?!
How did she even come into contact with Kikyo… No, that didn’t matter right now.
Even if the two of them shared some bittersweet romance, childhood promises shattered by a parent’s transfer, it meant nothing to me.
What matters is this: I cannot, absolutely cannot, let this beautiful monster tamer meet Kikyo. I refuse to let my Kikyo be taken by some random girl who popped out of nowhere!
※ Author Note: Kikyo isn't yours too.
「I’m sorry. Providing personal information would violate our rules.」
「So it’s because I asked his name? Then not his name. How about his features…」
「I’m afraid I can’t disclose that either.」
「…I see. Then could you at least tell me roughly when he usually explores?」
「It’s also personal information.」
「What? That’s troublesome. I’ve got something I have to do…」
S-Someone you want to do!?(*She misunderstood the meaning of Haruno's speech)
Did that means you wanted to do something indecent with Kikyo?
You shameless woman. I’ll never forgive you for trying to lay a hand on my Kikyo.
He was meant to score a perfect hole-in-one on Sana’s course. I’m not letting him wander around like it’s a golf tournament.
This isn’t some casual round of golf! I will stop any contact with Kikyou-kun, no matter what it takes.
「Then I suppose I’ll have to wait here, shall I?」
Absolutely not. I’ll block this. Completely block it.
Kikyo belongs to Sana alone. Even if you’re famous, I’m not telling you anything.
「Huh? Hey. Are you listening to me? Well, whatever. I’ll be waiting here, then.」
Haruno the Brave Sacred Sword Demon or whatever your title is, slandering people online is dangerous… No, Sana, calm down. They’re famous party. If they file a disclosure request, that’d be the end of me.
As I stood at reception, I kept going round and round in the same thoughts, taking out my phone, then deciding not to use it, over and over again…
◇◇◇
「Oh no.」
I’ve completely messed up.
Up to the 14th floor, every monster went down in one hit, so I got cocky. Still riding the same carefree energy from messing with a Skeleton General during my lunch break, I casually stepped into the 15th floor. Turns out it was a big mistake.
I mean, George Kennedy, the world’s top explorer, literally wrote in his autobiography that boss rooms show up on the 20th floor. So why would I ever expect one on the 15th?The whole floor screamed “boss room”.
I just assumed bosses showed up every ten floors. The 10th floor was just a field. Floors 11 to 14 were also fields. So obviously the Aomori Dungeon’s boss would be on the 20th floor. Or so I thought.
The moment I stepped onto the 15th floor, a wall rose in front of the stairs, trapping me inside. Only then did the truth sink in.
「Seriously… the 15th floor is the boss room?」
The monster chilling in the middle was probably the boss. Strong. I think. Maybe. Hopefully not too strong.
A big, beefy demon was parked right there, looking all dignified and terrifying. I had no clue what its real name was, so yeah, I dubbed it Demon Lord.
My level was high. My monsters were strong. But none of that changed the truth. This thing was a boss.
George Kennedy had once said, “BOSSes are strong. I wish the only BOSS was canned coffee, ZE. HAHAHA!” Words that now echoed ominously in my mind.
This would not be another effortless victory. A fierce battle awaited, and if I fought poorly, defeat was not just possible, it was likely.
「Oi, goblin. You’re on. Go poke the Demon Boss by yourself.」
Gotta test the waters. Me charging in first would be peak stupidity for a monster tamer. Sorry, goblin, but today you’re the disposable scout.
The goblin sprang forward at my command, slamming its fist into the Demon Boss’s towering frame.
And yet… nothing. The Demon Boss just reeled a bit, barely losing his balance, and did not strike back.
The goblin kept swinging, landing hit after hit, but the Demon Boss just kind of… Swayed, like a drunk uncle on a bus, never even bothering to look our way.
"Why Thought?" I asked myself.
Nah, this is not a case of “no damage.” He was wobbling all over the place. That means the attacks were definitely working.
And yep, there are bruises all over Lord Demon’s skin.
「Oi, stop attacking for a sec.」
「Gyan」
The Demon Boss staggers like he has had one drink too many thanks to the goblins. Honestly, I reckon a few good smacks with the 20-PixWhip would finish him off.
No clue why he is just standing there taking it, but hey, I am not about to complain.
「ORAORAORAORAAAA!!!」
Not wanting to risk him turning the tables, I lashed out with the 20-PixWhip in rapid succession.
The instant the fifth strike of my flawless combo connected, the Demon Boss burst into smoke and left behind a glittering magic stone.
「46500EXP huh...」
In other words, if he were defeated normally, Demon Boss would be worth a mere 1500 EXP.
That was still far above than any monster I had fought so far, but considering the risks involved, grinding weaker enemies that could be killed in one hit felt like the smarter choice.
「What the?!」
As I mulled it over, the Demon BOSS suddenly materialised again, standing exactly where he had been before.
The Demon Boss stood there, massive and imposing, yet utterly indifferent to my presence, as though I did not exist at all.
「He’s still not... Reacting?」
Just like before, the Demon Boss who had returned showed no awareness of me whatsoever.
That said, he did not seem unconscious either. Perhaps thinking no one was watching, this time Demon Boss was picking his nose and flicking it away.
Hey! Stop that! You’re supposed to be scary!
Yeah… no. This totally smells like another glitch.
Well, if there was such a thing as an EXP bug, then a boss-room bug existing too was hardly shocking. The real mystery was why it activated now of all times.
「Could this be the same mechanism as the traps?」
I never triggered any traps.
Most likely, that was because I am equipped with the Quintuple Gob Legs and am not actually touching the floor. Apply that same reasoning here, and the answer practically reveals itself.
When I entered the boss room, I was being carried by goblins. Naturally, the boss failed to recognise me. From the system’s point of view, no human ever entered the room.
Seen that way, the wall appearing before the stairs was not a standard trap at all, but something operating under a different rule.
As for Lord Demon’s reappearance, that must have been a side effect of the boss being removed in an unintended manner.
「This could be some sweet EXP farming spot.」
Tempting, but if it takes more than five hits with the 20-pixwhip, it might actually be faster to grind another monster on the 6th floor using the magic-circle resummon combo.
If I want to bring down Demon Boss in fewer hits, raw power was the answer.
Luckily, he was a completely stationary target. Which means one thing... Upgrade the 20-pixwhip to a 35-pixwhip....
「That’s it!」
Attach two goblins to the tip of the whip, holding them together, and I get an improvised morning star.
As for the name… Let’s call it the Morning Gob-Gob 35-pix.
I immediately issued orders to the monsters and completed the Morning Gob-Gob 35-pix.
This single weapon alone multiplied EXP gains by 37 times. Add my own bonus and the Quintuple Gob legs, and the total climbed to 48 times.
「For safety’s sake, I’ll enhance them.」
I did not want them dying on me, so I reinforced the two goblins at the tip. When I tested the Morning Gob-Gob 35-pix, it slammed down with a thunderous impact, and Demon Boss vanished into smoke in a single hit.
The power was ridiculous. And honestly kind of scary.
The two goblins forming the weapon’s head had lost nearly half their HP.
Even level 152 goblins, bolstered by monster enhancement, lost nearly half of their HP in one strike.
The destructive power was evident enough for anyone to understand.
「Oh? Back so soon, are you?」
The Demon Boss materialised again in the exact same spot, standing tall with a commanding thud, ignoring me entirely.
Perhaps this bug meant infinite respawns.
If so… this could be the pinnacle of EXP farming.