Chapter 24

Chapter 24 : Cerulean Golem

At first, silence arrived.

No one except Malton and I understood what had happened.

But as shattered bones scattered against the trunks of ancient trees, and lumps of blood mixed with brain matter stretched wetly across the ground, a suppressed scream leaked from one Adventurer.

“A-Aaaaaaaaagh!!”

“D-Damn it, everyone run!!”

The Adventurers who had been wandering around the Golem, drawn by greed, screamed and fled.

Among them, there was even someone whose foot caught on a tree root. He flailed helplessly before being trampled by a Golem and bursting apart.

｢The Adventurers are extremely frightened!｣

｢Due to [Chaos], Strength and Agility temporarily increase by 2!｣

｢An unexpected situation has occurred! To complete the Sudden Quest, survive the Monsters’ aerial assault.｣

‘Unexpected situation, my ass.’

It had sent me here with this intention from the start.

I stared at the Adventurers being trampled by the Golems with a grim heart.

Whenever I saw people lose their lives so emptily like this, I was forced to painfully realize once again that this place was a Dark Fantasy.

I could understand why they were tempted, since materials from such rare Monsters could sometimes fetch dozens of Gold Coins apiece, but….

As I watched the Adventurers frantically trying to flee, each racing ahead of the others, Radi spoke in an uneasy tone.

“Sh-Shouldn’t we run away quickly too…? I do not think those are Monsters we can handle….”

“It is too late. Look over there.”

I pointed at the only path leading out of the gorge.

That place was already overflowing with Cerulean Golems that had awakened from deep sleep.

Watching the Golems mercilessly smash massive trees apart as they chased after fireflies, Malton groaned quietly.

“Hmm… Our retreat is blocked. What do you think we should do now, Doran?”

“We fight, of course. It is fine. Those things can be taken down if you know their weaknesses. I have fought them before, so trust me.”

The Cerulean Golem was such a powerful Monster that one needed to be at least Level 40 or 50 to face it alone, but if one knew the method, defeating it was not impossible.

Radi looked at me with wonder in his eyes, but soon quietly stared at the Golem and asked.

“What is that weakness?”

“Those Golems have different mineral hardness depending on the body part. Other places are hard, but the abdomen and joints should be vulnerable enough for a Crossbow to land effective hits.”

There were many types of hardness when it came to objects.

Just listing the ones that came to mind immediately, there were strength, stiffness, hardness, toughness, ductility, and so on.

Glass had higher stiffness and hardness than iron, but because its ductility was extremely low, it broke easily from even slight damage.

Also, even if something was made from the same iron, it could have entirely different properties depending on its carbon content.

That was the reason a cauldron shattered when struck, while a frying pan bent when struck.

And while the Cerulean Golem’s arms and legs, which bore the heaviest loads, as well as the chest protecting its core, were hard, the rest of its body was relatively fragile and low in ductility.

That was why Velheim was so maniacal, unlike other games that lumped everything together under a single stat called “defense.”

｢You have seen through the Cerulean Golem’s weakness!｣

“A Crossbow works on it? A Golem weak to physical force… How strange.”

“You saw it absorb the flames earlier, right? That is because they were originally designed for use against high-level mages.”

Cerulean Golems were artificial weapons created by ancient mages.

They were one of the mobs one could sometimes see when exploring ancient ruins.

Back when I had been raising a Magic Swordsman, they were also Monsters I had fought until I was sick of them when I infiltrated an ancient Magic Tower to steal rare Magic Scrolls.

Click─!

When Radi fired his Crossbow, a metal bolt lodged in the Golem’s abdomen.

“It worked! I did it! Uh… but this alone is nowhere near enough….”

“It is fine. A slight crack is enough. …Malton!”

Before I even finished calling his name, a golden radiance raced across my vision.

Malton, his blond hair streaming behind him, closed in on the Golem in an instant and slammed his Mace into it.

BANG─!!

“It is heavy…!”

“I will join in too!!”

When Malton drew its aggro, I immediately dug into the Golem from the side.

I dodged its large fist and swung my Cutlass, producing a clear sound, but only a small scratch appeared on the crystal surface.

‘Damn it, as expected, a sword will not work!’

I immediately changed strategies and struck the bolt embedded in its abdomen with my boot.

When I kicked it properly while even using the acceleration effect of my Greave, a cracking sound rang out, and fissures spread across the Golem’s abdomen.

As we clung to it as persistently as a pack of wild dogs and attacked its weakness, the Golem creaked and staggered.

Soon, driven onto the defensive, it raised both arms high and prepared a mighty blow, but─.

Click! Click! Click!

The bolts Radi fired struck the Golem’s shoulder joint with perfect precision and blocked its attack.

While its movements were restricted, I thrust my scabbard into the crack and delivered a roundhouse kick with all my strength. Cracks spread across its entire body, and its form collapsed.

CRASHHHHH─!

｢You have defeated a Cerulean Golem!｣

｢Remaining Golems: 136｣

｢You have defeated a Golem in hand-to-hand combat! Toughness and Pain Tolerance have slightly increased.｣

｢The gorge becomes very slightly brighter with starlight!｣

“Phew….”

With my exhausted body, I collapsed onto the ground.

As I exhaled in relief and clutched my throbbing foot, Malton approached and handed me a bandage.

“Are you all right? That was truly an ignorant method of fighting. To think you would suddenly kick that….”

“Ow, ow… If the battle dragged on any longer, I did not know what variables might appear. Next time, I should strike it with the sole of my shoe….”

Since slashes did not work against hard enemies, I had no choice if I wanted to land an effective hit with the methods I had.

‘It would be nice if I could later transform into a Monster with powerful striking force too….’

After wrapping my foot with the bandage, I extracted the shining core from the half-destroyed Golem’s chest and tossed it into my backpack.

Since this core was used as a rare alchemy material and magic catalyst, it would sell for a high price.

“Let’s go. We cannot miss this opportunity.”

I grinned broadly and moved toward the Golems wandering through the gorge.

***

Doran’s group sprinted through the gorge and hunted Golems.

Thanks to having already succeeded once, they were able to take them down without much difficulty after that.

They rushed in all at once, and while Doran drew their attention, Radi fired his Crossbow and Malton defeated them one by one.

It was a truly simple hunting method!

From the middle onward, no other words were necessary.

“Shoot!”

“Hit!”

“Break it!”

It was a tactic simple enough for even an Ogre to understand!

It was different from the orthodox method of identifying weaknesses through various elemental spells, steadily reducing the enemy’s strength with ranged attacks, and then safely suppressing it.

This was Doran’s hunting method: using the knowledge he possessed to its utmost limits, optimizing the process, and extracting the greatest efficiency.

As they swept rapidly through the gorge and hunted Golems, some among the Adventurers slowly began to take down Golems as well.

“W-We barely managed to kill one… Is anyone hurt?!”

“Damn it… Just how high is that magic armor party’s level if they can smash these Golems apart so easily? Judging by their equipment, they look to be at least Level 60….”

“W-Wait, that trio is also taking down Golems at an incredible speed! And they do not even seem to have very high levels… What is their secret?”

｢Many Adventurers are paying attention to your party!｣

｢By drawing attention, Strength increases by 3.｣

The surrounding Adventurers looked at them in disbelief, but Doran’s group paid them no mind and continued racing through the valley, killing the Golem pack.

“W-Wait…!”

“…What, did you sprain your foot?”

“N-No, it is not that… Urp!”

In the middle of hunting Golems, Radi suddenly stopped in a hurry, grabbed a rock, and began retching.

It was a typical symptom of level-up sickness.

It was a natural phenomenon that occurred when the mind failed to keep up after the body grew in an instant due to rapid leveling.

As Radi groaned and wiped the sour liquid from his mouth, Doran urged him on.

“If you are done resting, we are setting out again. Hurry and follow me, kid.”

“W-Wait a moment…! You do know we have been hunting without rest for almost an hour now, right?! I cannot move another step!”

“Complaining over this much… It cannot be helped. Get on my back.”

“What?”

“Do not make me say it twice. An opportunity like this will not come again.”

“…….”

When Doran offered his back, Radi looked deeply conflicted, but he reluctantly approached.

If he was going to be treated like luggage, it would be better to swallow a little pride and be carried.

But then….

‘Huh?’

When Radi put his weight on him, Doran felt a subtle sense of strangeness, but he tilted his head and, not thinking much of it, adjusted Radi on his back.

“W-Wait?! Your hand!! Watch your hand! That is my butt…!”

“Malton, what were the results of the scouting?”

“There are three gathered near the lower part of the valley around here. However, at this rate, other Adventurers will take them first.”

“We cannot let our competitors steal our prey… No, no. We cannot leave the Adventurers to be trampled by the Golems. Kid, can you hit that?”

“…Piercing the weak point accurately is impossible. A Crossbow’s accuracy drops sharply once the distance increases even a little.”

“That is enough. We only need to draw their attention.”

“Yes, but there are bushes growing in the line of fire, so I cannot guarantee that I will definitely hit….”

“It cannot be helped.”

When Doran sighed and gestured, Malton approached and grabbed Radi.

As the two men held him from both sides and began swinging him, Radi shouted in a panic.

“W-W-W-Wait!! What are you trying to do right now?!”

“What do you mean? We are going to throw you onto the tree, so hit them and come back.”

“L-Let’s talk first! I have a fear of heights!!”

“Overcome it!”

“I wish you fortune in battle!”

Doran and Malton hurled Radi onto the tree.

Radi, who desperately grabbed a branch and held on just before falling, spat curses and glared at Doran.

｢Radi is feeling considerable fear!｣

｢Radi harbors strong murderous intent toward you! Agility increases by 2.｣

‘Oh, it seems he was telling the truth about having a fear of heights.’

As I nodded while checking the Log Window, Radi soon took a deep breath and fired the Crossbow.

When the bolt struck a distant Golem accurately, they immediately came charging this way with heavy, thudding steps.

After cleanly completing his objective, Radi trembled as he climbed down from the tree.

‘I think I just saw a tail peek out from beneath his robe….’

Radi came over huffing and immediately kicked Doran in the shin.

“You trash! You pervert! Who suddenly throws someone without saying anything first?!”

“It worked out in the end, so it is fine. …More importantly, the Golems are coming. Three of them.”

“I shall take the two on the left.”

“Good. Kid, we are taking the one on the right. You know what to do.”

“Shut that mouth before I shoot you between the eyes.”

Radi pulled the trigger with a sigh.

However, separate from his boiling anger, the eyes that had been full of distrust when they first hunted a Golem were now mixed with a hint of excitement and Fighting Spirit.

Seeing that, Doran chuckled.

‘He said he had always worked alone….’

If so, this kind of chaotic slaughter battle must have been unfamiliar to him.

It was completely different from static combat, where he would remain hidden through traps and stealthy ambushes, hold his breath until the Monster approached, and then snipe it.

Even at this very moment, they were ceaselessly optimizing their combat methods and routes, shortening the time it took to defeat the enemy even further.

After taking down the three Golems and running in search of another enemy, Radi chased after Doran’s back and shouted.

“Huff, huff…! But how much longer do we have to keep doing this?”

“Hmm… With this number of Golems, probably….”

Doran spread two fingers.

‘Twenty minutes? No, probably two hours… Yes, if it is about two hours, I can somehow endure….’

“Two days.”

Radi’s legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground.

***

The massacre that had swept through like a runaway train unfortunately came to an end after half a day.

That was because Radi’s bolts ran out first.

Of course, there were other factors as well.

“Heave-ho!! We caught another one!!”

“Their abdomens and joints are weak points! The mineral hardness differs depending on the body part!!”

“You heard that, right?! Focus on their bellies! Warriors with Maces, step forward and repel them!! …It was a good thing we watched and learned from what that trio was doing.”

｢The Adventurers are imitating your party!｣

｢By drawing the attention of many people, Agility and Strength each increase by 2.｣

The surrounding Adventurers, who had watched and learned how we took down the Golems, also began succeeding in their attacks.

As the Adventurers joined forces one by one, the number of Golems wandering through the valley decreased noticeably.

But I was already satisfied enough.

‘This actually worked out well.’

I was just about reaching the limits of my stamina.

In Velheim, when one hunted the same Monster repeatedly, the amount of experience obtained decreased. Since I had reached Level 26, my growth had long since stagnated.

My backpack was also not just full of expensive Golem cores; it was overflowing with them. I had earned more than enough.

‘With this much, I can comfortably complete the Main Quest too, can I not?’

The only disappointing thing was that I had not yet fulfilled the conditions to transform into a Cerulean Golem.

Thanks to its unique Magic Resistance, learning how to transform into a Cerulean Golem would be a great help….

‘Since it is a Rare Monster, does it require some special condition? Something like defeating the boss….’

As I was pondering, I felt a gaze and lifted my head. Radi was sprawled on the ground, catching his ragged breath as he glared at me.

“…Are you some kind of Monster?”

“What do you mean?”

“You ran around like that and you are still fine. You were even lower level than me, so where did you sell off your level-up sickness?”

“You can handle it once you get used to it. Level-up sickness is something you endure with willpower.”

“…You say insane things so casually. This is the first time I have ever heard of overcoming level-up sickness with willpower.”

“Now you have heard it, so that is fine. …Still, was it not rather fun?”

“Well… I suppose….”

Radi reluctantly admitted it.

His hands, which had been abused from loading the Crossbow countless times, were trembling, but surely that trembling was mixed not only with pain but also with excitement.

This was probably his first time experiencing being driven so frantically to his limits.

As we rested with our backs against a rock and looked up at the night sky, Radi struggled to raise his upper body and asked.

“…Then have you always hunted like this?”

“Yes.”

“But if so, why is your level so low? Besides, earlier, you said you had defeated these Golems in the past too.”

“That is….”

Just as I was about to hurriedly make an excuse, Radi spoke first.

“Could it be… that you are cursed too?”

“A curse?”

“Yes. Sir Malton was also struck by a curse, and his body rapidly weakened, so he is rehabilitating now. He originally rose all the way to B-Rank… so I wondered whether you might be a similar case.”

“…….”

I quickly nodded.

“…That is right. My level was drastically reduced due to unavoidable circumstances, and now I am recovering again. The reason my Adventurer Rank is low is also because I moved to Verastin recently and have not been registered for long.”

“If your level was reduced that much, it must have been an extremely powerful curse… I know Sir Malton’s physical abilities declined greatly, but I do not think even his level decreased.”

“Well, you see, I once entered an ancient ruin and accidentally touched a funerary object.”

I quickly changed the topic, then replayed the conversation in my mind.

My level had become low because I was cursed….

‘…That is a decent excuse.’

I should make use of it from time to time when I was in trouble.

“Anyway… we should start moving again.”

“……!!”

When I rose from my seat, Radi’s shoulders flinched.

“You heard me, right? Do not dawdle. Get up.”

“I-I suddenly feel dizzy….”

“Stop making excuses and hurry. Before I carry you and run again.”

“…No, the bolts are all gone, so how are we supposed to keep hunting here? There is not even any room left in the backpack to put more materials.”

“It is fine. The Crossbow will not work against the next thing we are going to face anyway. …If you want to live, you should move quickly.”

“What…? What does that mean now…?”

Just as Radi was getting up in confusion, the dark night sky turned blue, and an especially enormous Golem crawled out from underground.

｢As the number of Cerulean Golems decreases, the comet’s energy grows stronger!｣

｢The energy of the Blue-Tailed Star is making the valley brighter and brighter!｣

｢The conditions have been fulfilled, and the valley’s guardian, [Ancient Cerulean Golem], awakens!｣

｢[Antagon’s Rune] is trembling quietly.｣

｢The Sacred Relic of the God of Thieves and Clowns, [Antagon’s Rune], feels greed! If you defeat that Golem, you will be able to learn how to disguise yourself as a Cerulean Golem.｣

“…It finally appeared.”