[AWWWWWOOOOOO!!!]
As expected, the [Evil Spirit Wolf] has shifted to its final phase. Red aura aside, its appearance has completely changed to reflect this with wisps of shadows leaking more from its fur and the eyes were glowing a more intense red than before. However, there is one important change that may give us some trouble and that is a flowing scarf-like mane growing out around its neck. That's where its weak point is and getting through it may prove more difficult than before. While you can still hit the wolf at any part to damage it, its weak point is the main key to our victory.
"FIRE!!!"
I turn around and notice Savior commanding some mages and archers firing their attacks and spells at the wolf. I won't complain, attacking from afar is not a bad move at the start of the boss's final phase. You need to gain distance first to avoid getting caught at its potential OTK attack. Sure enough, the wolf took a deep breath and let out a black flame that incinerated half of the tanks protecting the back row. Two of them seemed to survive while the remaining tanks and three more DPS disappeared as they died. We're already losing more party members and we're running on borrowed time right now. I have to figure out how to bypass its weak point's shield while avoiding its powerful attacks.
"[Aura Sight]!"
I scan the wolf once more since it seems to be preoccupied with the other players. Looking at it closely, its mane has a large brown [Mana] enveloping the blue one on its neck. If I recall, brown Mana represents a shield protecting the boss monster's weak point and from its size, it may take a while to break through it before trying to do another critical hit. However, I also notice some mana at another part. How odd that it's there, but there seems to be a connection to all of this.
"Lowry!"
Oh, crap. I almost forgot about its breath attack! I quickly roll away and run before the wolf spews the flames onto me. With my current strength, there's a high chance I will be OTK if I don't get out of here. Thankfully, I'm not the type to rely too much on my [Masteries]. Before the dungeon run, I pick up a few tools along with some potions.
[Grappling Hook]
[A hook made for climbing and grabbing objects.]
[Rope]
[A simple rope.]
With the hook already tied by a rope beforehand, I toss the former at one of the trees above and I swing away from the flames as I land at the top of it. I can see a bit of singe on the rope afterward, but I sigh in relief that I barely escaped from its wrath.
M3GAN... Guess she managed to access her whisper chat just like I taught her.
She's right. This can't go on any longer. We need to end the fight right here and now.
I smile, knowing she sounds extra worried about me.
After that, there's silence. I thought she hung up because of my recklessness again. But then, I hear another voice in the chat.
I hear nothing but silence for a few seconds. There's a high chance he might reject my proposal out of pride and arrogance against me. However, with more party members dropping like flies, I have a feeling he will accept it regardless.
<...Fine. Give me the laydown.>
Just what I want to hear.
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After I explained everything, we executed our plan immediately.
"[Flurry of Blades]!"
I watch the [Viper Fangs] leader swing his blade several times at the wolf, creating small cuts and bruises around its body. As predicted, Savior charged in with a full-on offense with the role of gaining its aggro focusing only on him. After that, he starts running away from the wolf, diverting it around the field long enough for M3GAN and I to spread the remaining rope I have. I can only afford about 7 cm. It's not long enough to tie it down. But it's long enough to make a trip wire for a large wolf. However, there is a problem...
"Uh, teacher Lowry... I don't think it's long enough."
Crap. That's not what I want right now. But M3GAN is right. If this rope is too short, then we can't trip that big a** dog without risking our virtual lives. But this is the only rope I have. How can I...
Wait, we're in the forest. While it's not a jungle, maybe...
"M3GAN, give me a few more seconds!" I quickly rush up on one of the trees again.
"Teach, where are you going?!"
"Where do you think? To get some rope," I said this while grabbing a few vines I managed to find on the branches. I jumped down and quickly tied the vine onto my rope before Savior started complaining.
I have to jinx it. But thankfully, the vine is enough to finalize our plan. It's fragile, but it gets the job done.
"Get ready, M3GAN! Pull the rope as your life depends on it!"
"Like you have to tell me twice! I am not getting another debuff penalty!"
We pull the trip wire as hard as we can just as Savior arrives. I see him jump away from it and as soon as the wolf arrives, it trips on the rope and falls onto him. We would have screamed in horror at this mistake along with the surviving party members nearby, but that's what we're expecting.
I see him raise his blade and shout, "[Aftershock]!"
With a swing of his broadsword, it gives off a big wave of energy passing through the wolf as it cuts down the mane's fur bit by bit.
"[Flurry of Blades]!"
As expected, Savior follows it up with another [Flurry of Blades] and just seeing him cutting the annoying mane eight times is enough to make my jaw drop. And with the final slash, the wolf howls as its mane disappears to reveal its exposed neck.
"Alright! We got rid of it's mane!" M3GAN exclaimed. "We might have a chance to beat this thing!"
That's true. But as I learned from my many battles, it's not that easy to put down an enraged boss. Once again, the wolf howls, causing everyone including us to be pushed back. It doesn't want us to finish this battle like this. Too bad for the wolf, it's already over the moment its shield is down.
“Spirits of life, hear my call. Give me the strength from your power. [Gift of Strength]!”
After I cast one last buff, I run towards the wolf and ready my dagger. As I get closer, I can see it's preparing for another breath attack. But not this time!
"[Knife Toss]!"
I throw my dagger at the back of its chin. As soon it makes its mark, the wolf howls again.
> [CRITICAL HIT]!
[NOTICE] [You have disrupted its attack with a critical.]
That's what I want. I use its panic to climb up via fur and vines again. As it rampages once more, I struggle to grab my dagger that is still stuck on its chin. It only took a while since the monsters kept on rampaging in their ill attempt to get rid of me. But I quickly recover my dagger and stab its blade on its nape once more.
> [CRITICAL HIT]
And I didn't stop stabbing even as it continued to shake me out of its back.
> [CRITICAL HIT]
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> [CRITICAL HIT]
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> The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
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> [CRITICAL HIT]
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> [CRITICAL HIT]
As I continue, I see most of the surviving members kept on attacking from the distance until its [HP] is almost at zero. Even as the wolf attacks them with its claws, that's the last thing it can ever do as I make my own coup de grace.
"[Backstab]!"
With one last yell, I stab the wolf with most of the strength I have. It howled in pain before collapsing on the ground and its eyes stopped glowing once it closed them for the last time.
[CONGRATULATIONS!] [You have defeated the [Evil Spirit Wolf]!]
I finally sigh in relief upon seeing the notice. It only took a few stabs and half of my [HP] loss from its attacks. But we finally defeated the unknown [Dungeon Guardian]. I barely kept my eyes open after that exhausting struggle, yet I heard the guild cheering for our victory.
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"So, is that all of us?"
His right-hand man nods his head while I'm trying to get up from the ground.
"H-Here..." I turn around to see M3GAN offering me a bottle of [Healing Potion]. "You might have already used up most of your potions."
I smile as I accept her bottle. "Thanks."
But just as I can drink it, I turn to see Savior starting to mumble by himself. "Dammit, most of the newbies are killed and half of the guild are already kicked out by that wolf, huh? Man, this makes the reward split a bit too awkward now that there's only one newbie, the nav, and most of us here."
"Should we redo the run then?" One of his goons asked.
Savior hummed in thought. "Nah. I already told them that we'll give them the rewards once we're out of this rusty forest. Besides, we still need to check out the [Treasure Room] to complete this run and we only have a few minutes until the [Dungeon] closes."
"Sounds good," I said while drinking my potion. "I rather be out of this [Boss Room] than be trapped here."
"You heard the navigator! Let's go!"
With that, we head inside the last room of the dungeon.
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Once we're inside, my eyes widen to see what's inside. Honestly. I was expecting a treasure chest or a pile of treasure waiting for us to grab. Instead, we're met with a wooden wolf statue along with a wooden chest sitting in some sort of an offering shrine.
"Huh. I'm expecting a golden welcome, but it will have to do." Save then turns to me next. "Okay, Lowry. You're up! Open up the treasure and let's get out of this musty forest."
Of course, they have to rely upon a weak player like me to open it. It might make sense for them since most of the treasures we encounter tend to have some kind of trap hidden within the treasure chest. So I step forward to check the chest...
And I see a notification that confirms my suspicions from the start.
"Hey, Save."
"Huh? What is it? Aren't you going to open that chest already?!"
I roll my eyes while ignoring his stupid demands. "Where did you get this [Dungeon Quest] in the first place?"
As if I said a taboo word, Savior flinches while his goons take out their weapons. However, he stops them as he regains his composure. "What do you mean, Lowry? I thought we agreed that you don't ask questions while working as our dungeon navigator."
I sigh. "You know, I didn't agree to some conditions. You only said you'll leave me alone as long as I participate in your crazy dungeon runs."
And that's not a lie. He said that word for word during our first meeting in [Isekai].
"Have you heard of an "unwritten rule"? Besides, you have no right to question the [Viper Fangs'] right as a guild! Besides, you didn't even bother joining it, so it's guild classified information."
"Not even sharing every lore detail as well?" I raise my eyebrow. "That isn't like you, Save."
"Do I even care about those worldbuilding mumbo jumbo you rambling with your friends?! We're only a few minutes until kick-out time, Lowry! So get your ass on that chest and open it already!"
So we're playing that game, huh? I chuckle upon hearing his answers.
"Huh? What the hell are you laughing about?!" Savior shouted with a hint of rage in his voice.
"The fact that your greed and recklessness is all I need to confirm."
I reveal the notification that I got to him and his cronies.
[DUNGEON GOAL]
[You have successfully cleared a dungeon!
Open the treasure chest to get your rewards!]
And I let the effects of my true [Quest] change the wording of the text.
[DUNGEON GOAL]
[You have successfully broken into the sacred shrine of the forest!
Break through the offering chest to steal the valuables from the people who offered to the spirit.]
"N-No way!" I can see M3GAN covering her mouth upon seeing the real [Dungeon Goal].
"So? What's the whole point of showing us that notification?!" Savior asked.
"You're trying to ransack a sacred landmark, Savior. A landmark that has been protected from intruders for centuries!" I shouted. "Do you expect me to ignore the consequences for treasure?!"
"...Well, yeah. Isn't that the point of a [Dungeon]? I mean, we're in one, remember?"
I grit my teeth at his stupidity. "You mean we're in a landmark disguised as a [Dungeon]. My guess is that you got it from a [Hidden Quest] that involved some bandits and you made a deal on getting through this forest and defeating the guardian in exchange for rewards, right?"
Savior flinches again. "What you're saying is bulls**t, Lowry. What are you trying to prove here? That the rewards are less important than the game's silly excuse plot?"
This a**hole. He's not thinking about the consequences that will affect the game at all!
"I'm saying I'm not going to be an accessory for robbery." I quickly take out my dagger and aim it at Savior. "And I will not let you desecrate this shrine for your greedy ignorance!"
Yeah, aiming my dagger at a high-level player like Savior might be stupid on my end. But I said my piece and I made my stand.
"You have got to be joking. I've been nice to you and even put up your crazy schemes against those dungeon bosses and [Chaos Rooms] and this is the "thanks" you're going to give me? In the end, you care more about the dumb [Isekai] plot than being part of the crew." Savior starts to chuckle as he flashes a smirk on his face. "Then again, we were planning to kick you down and abandon you here in case the boss is too troublesome to deal with. Just so you know, the rules from
I narrow my eyes. "Try as you might. But if you do that, you will be labeled as a
To my surprise, Savior simply backs away and silently gestures to his goons, but not before gritting his teeth in anger. I guess his reputation is more important than giving me a penalty.
"Wow, you're amazing, teach!" M3GAN approaches me with a bright-eyed smile. "You said you're low-leveled and yet, you managed to make the strongest player to back off like that."
"I'm just stating the fact, that's all," I said as I put down my dagger. "Now come on. Let's get out o- URGH!!!"
Just as I make one step away from the shrine, I feel a strange pain in my chest. I can't breathe to the point of collapsing on my knees. And I look up to see what is happening.
"P-Poisoned?! B-But how?!"
I hear another chuckle. Not from Savior or his goons.
But from M3GAN...
"Wow, you are more gullible than Save told me." I see her face morph from her innocent smile to a devious smirk glaring above me. "It's no wonder why you stuck on single-digits for months now."
I grit my teeth. "M-M3GAN... W-What is the meaning of all this?!"
"Haha! Don't you get it? It's called an "act", teach. I just need to drop your guard enough for me to get in a kill. And the moment you accepted my "gift", I knew I got you hook, line, and sinker!" She walks over to Savior who is also smirking and hugs him. "In other words, you've been had, kid! And since I'm also in single digits, that means my dear Savey won't get that terrible title. Right, honey?"
"That's right, snuckums."
Before I know it, they start kissing each other while I'm on the ground struggling to move from my [Poisoned] state.
"You always said you have to take one step before your opponent. So I did so and hired her to get close to you like the cliche underdog you were. In the end, you're nothing more than know-it-all dumba** who will never escape my shadow, both in real life or
Both he, M3GAN, and his goons start laughing while I'm suffering from the poison. Just hearing them laughing at my misery makes me sick to the bones as my [HP] continues to drop.
Well, at least that's what they believe.
"Wow, I have to admit. That's a fine play. If you play your cards right."
[NOTICE] [Your [SPD] has been increased to 10% for 1 minute.]
Just in time.
"Huh? What are you babbling about again? Don't you realize y-"
"[Backstab]."
I quickly rush behind them. But not on Savior, but the girl that I saw as an "equal".
"Ack... ARGGGGGHHHH!!!"
I remove the blade of my dagger from M3GAN's back and aim it at Savior once more.
"Let me make things clear, Save. I'm not interested in getting out of your shadow or becoming the top player. However..." I narrow my eyes and flash my own grin at my tormentor. "I have a short temper when it comes to idiots like you."
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Current Quest: Defend the Village Shrine! ***
Type: [Hidden]
Description: You have learned that you unknowingly participated in a robbery of a sacred shrine near Fenrir's village. You must defend it by any means without damaging the shrine itself.
Condition: The [Quest] will fail if the shrine is over 50% damage or the intruders successfully take all of the offerings from the shrine.
Status: In Progress
Party Member(s):
[Lowry]
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[Lowry's Masteries]
[Dagger] Level 7
[Fire] Level 5
[Life] Level 6
[Magical Affinity] Level 5
[Alchemy] Level 8
[Scribe] Level 7
[Magecrafting] Level 1