‘This is absurdly overpowered.’
The mole-dog’s attack landed on my stomach, yet I felt no impact whatsoever.
Not even a trace was left on my clothes.
Just to be sure, I checked my stomach, but there wasn’t a single scratch.
It had simply been blocked.
“Park Sohee! Are you alr—?”
Having finished off the mole-dog whose head I had shattered, Kim Dong-min surveyed my condition, a look of astonishment spreading across his face.
“What? You’re not hurt?”
[WheelchairBestDriver: Ah… it’s basic defensive gear.]
[Don’tCurse: How is that basic lololol]
[PulledOutAMountain: No, that’s totally broken.]
[WhyMyHometown: Its performance is insane?]
“…Right?”
I had definitely been hit, yet nothing had happened.
‘Is this even possible?’
While it might have been understandable if it were the armor Hanna Mi wore, the defensive gear I was currently clad in took the form of ordinary clothing.
It was even thin.
Though it looked like it would tear easily with just a touch from the mole-dog’s sharp claws, it had repelled the attack without any damage whatsoever.
‘WheelchairBestDriver. What the hell is this guy?’
The item description stated that they had crafted it themself.
If someone could create such defensive gear, they must be a remarkably powerful Constellation.
[NotAnOctopus: Your. Jewel-like skin. Was almost. Damaged.]
[PrimateGOAT: Don’t let your guard down, focus.]
“You’re right. I let my guard down. My apologies.”
Without this defensive gear, I would have been seriously hurt.
“I’ll focus now.”
“So, you weren’t focused until just now, then.”
“That’s not it, but I should focus more.”
“You should have done that from the beginning.”
‘This bastard has been getting on my nerves ever since.’
“Still, I’m glad you’re safe.”
‘Oh, what’s this?’
It seems he was genuinely concerned, in his own way.
“I thought it would take too long to clear it alone.”
‘Look at this bastard.’
“Let’s move a bit slower now. I’ll match your tempooooook!!!”
“……”
Once again, he appeared to be in agony, likely having received another sponsorship.
This time, I could even see an effect.
Lightning bolts seemed to strike above his head.
Of course, it wasn’t real lightning; if it were divine punishment, he would already be dead.
Seeing his prolonged suffering, it seemed he had received a rather substantial sponsorship.
Watching him writhe in pain somehow made me feel refreshed.
“Ugh… It feels good! To! The! Potion! Lord! Thank you! For! The sponsorship!!! Aaaagh!”
Wait. FeelGoodPotion?
That’s the name of the Constellation in my room.
[FeelGoodPotion: Their tone was a bit annoying, so I gave them some pain lol.]
Seeing Kim Dong-min suffer certainly felt refreshing.
It felt refreshing, but…
“This is foreign currency outflow.”
Why are you spending money that should be for my room in someone else’s room?
“Ahem, shall we move now, ooook! I! Don’t! Care! Constellation-nim! Sponsorship! Sponsorship!!!”
“……”
[FeelGoodPotion has been banned.]
[IDontCare has been banned.]
“Don’t use coins in someone else’s room; use them on me.”
Foreign currency outflow is a ban offense.
****
Having learned that the mole-dogs could ambush by burrowing through walls, we proceeded cautiously, mindful of this new threat.
[PrimateGOAT: Fights well, indeed.]
[BedIsEnglish: Seems to have a broad field of vision? Excellent judgment too.]
[NotCharcoalNotWitch: It must be their first time in a two-on-many fight, yet they fight well.]
[MomLooksLikeAWoman: It’s also impressive how boldly they charge when needed.]
[Can’tPullOutExcalibur: Most people try to play it safe, but it’s right to act when necessary.]
How much time had passed like that?
“A door.”
Kim Dong-min and I stood before a door.
It was clearly the entrance to a boss room, likely meaning that defeating the boss monster inside would complete the gate’s conquest.
“I see it too.”
“You don’t think I said that because I thought you couldn’t see it, do you?”
“…You weren’t?”
“Let’s beat that bastard up.”
“No, that’s wh— Kuoooaaghh!!!”
Kim Dong-min writhed and convulsed, his body twisting.
My conversations with Kim Dong-min had revealed one thing: the more I talked to him, the more I lost out.
His manner of speaking constantly irritated me.
‘Can’t you just say yes or no, please?’
‘It’s hard since we’re broadcasting, isn’t it? If it’s really bothering you, should I give you earplugs?’
‘Then how am I supposed to hear the guys coming out of the walls?’
‘Just take the hit, right?’
‘Are you insane?’
‘Even if I get hit, thanks to the defensive gear, it doesn’t hurt… Ohok! WheelchairBestDriver-nim…! Ohok!’
Such exchanges had occurred, and whenever I spoke, the Constellations would sponsor Kim Dong-min, inflicting pain upon him.
[PlantLoveSquad: That guy getting hit is so satisfying lololol.]
[IDontCare: He definitely has a tendency to provoke beatings, doesn’t he?]
[MillionaireOneSeason: I really do want to beat him up lol.]
Since even the Constellations seemed eager to inflict pain on Kim Dong-min, it was a win-win situation for everyone.
“Let’s go in now.”
Ending the idle chatter, we opened the door to confront the boss monster.
Given its considerable size, I had expected it to be difficult to open, but surprisingly, it swung open with ease.
The interior beyond the smoothly opening door, devoid of any hinge creaks, was shrouded in darkness.
It was, in a way, natural, as there was no light source within the room.
“……”
‘I’m scared to go in.’
No, only the floor was faintly visible; nothing else could be seen.
A veteran Hunter like Kim Dong-min should go in first for this kind of situation.
“You go first.”
“By any chance, are you familiar with ‘ladies first’?”
“……”
‘This bastard, he really is a veteran, isn’t he?’
His swordsmanship was certainly clean.
“…Ahem, just kidding. Let’s go in.”
Kim Dong-min, gripping his sword, stepped into the doorway.
He was visibly terrified.
‘Sigh.’
[WheelchairBestDriver: Beta male lololol.]
[GoParalympicBadukMaster: Truly pathetic lololol.]
[Can’tLiftMjolnir: Lololololol.]
Now it was my turn to enter.
“If I don’t go in there, I can’t leave, right?”
[NoBellyButton: Yep, seems that way.]
[Lalala: You can escape with a shop item, but it counts as a failed conquest.]
“Damn it.”
‘I’m incredibly scared to go in.’
[PulledOutAMountain: Cowardly woman’s trait: doesn’t do it if scared.]
[FeelGoodPotion: Lol scared?]
[NotAnOctopus: If needed. I. Shall. Protect. You.]
“Alright, I’m going. I said I’m going.”
Finally, urged on by the Constellations, I stepped into the darkness.
Kwooong—!
The moment I entered the darkness, the door slammed shut.
Naturally, the interior was dark, but Kim Dong-min illuminated it with his flashlight.
Now, a boss monster would emerge from somewhere, and defeating it would complete the conquest.
“…But why isn’t it coming out?”
“How would I know?”
“I wasn’t asking you.”
“I thought you were asking.”
Ignoring Kim Dong-min’s remark, I surveyed the interior.
It was a narrow space with a low ceiling, where all the walls, floor, and ceiling were made of earth.
Everything except the door we had entered through was soil.
Kim Dong-min adopted a combat stance and spoke.
“It must be a giant mole-dog.”
He had likely deduced this from the fact that only mole-dogs had appeared inside the gate, and the boss room was made of easily burrowed earth.
“We don’t know where it will pop out. Be caref—”
Kugugugugugu—
An ominous sound rumbled from beneath the floor, accompanied by vibrations.
“Dodge!”
Before Kim Dong-min could finish his warning, I threw myself aside, pressing against the wall.
Simultaneously, something massive erupted from the floor, then burrowed through the ceiling once more.
Its sheer size prevented me from seeing its entire body at once.
By the time its tail became visible, its head had already pierced through the ceiling.
The path it traversed was instantly filled with earth, leaving no trace behind.
“…Was that a mole just now?”
“It’s a giant mole-dog.”
[WheelchairBestDriver: Giant (truly giant)]
[GrassTypeOnePiece: But it seems too narrow, which looks disadvantageous.]
[WhatKindofPeopleAreWe: Since it fills the ground as soon as it digs, long-range interception seems difficult.]
[PrimateGOAT: There’s no choice but to attack the moment it emerges from the ground, it seems.]
As PrimateGOAT suggested, we had to attack the moment the creature revealed itself.
Long-range attacks were impossible; I didn’t even have the means to perform them.
“When it comes out, let’s attack it then. Get ready!”
Kim Dong-min, seemingly sharing my thoughts, prepared to thrust his sword in the direction of the vibrations.
Kwaaang—!
Bursting through the earth wall, the giant mole-dog charged directly at Kim Dong-min and me.
Its face met mine.
‘This one actually looks like a real mole.’
While the mole-dogs I had encountered until now possessed dog-like heads, this bastard’s head truly resembled that of a mole.
The only dog-like features it retained were its comparatively longer limbs and tail.
In simpler terms, its eyes were practically non-existent.
‘No wonder the room was so dark.’
Considering that moles’ eyes are typically little more than decorative, it made perfect sense.
To put it another way, it was ugly as sin. Moles, when viewed head-on, are genuinely hideous.
I was only just realizing this myself, now.
“Haaap!”
Kim Dong-min attempted to thrust his sword, but the creature’s speed repelled him.
The giant mole-dog, swinging its sharp claws, rushed towards me, meaning that standing still would spell certain death.
Trusting my clothes only went so far, and my head was unprotected by any defensive gear.
Throwing my body to evade the attack, I simultaneously brought my bludgeon down on the creature’s hind leg.
Although I wanted to swing with all my might, I feared I wouldn’t connect if I attacked while dodging.
My primary objective from the outset was simply to land a hit.
[Mythic Item – Hephaestus’ Bludgeon]
[Description: A bludgeon meticulously crafted by Hephaestus of Olympus.]
[It is a weapon precisely designed to subdue foes, unleashing formidable power.]
[Effect: Additional Damage +100%, 100% chance to inflict 69% Slow for 5 seconds upon hit, 100% chance to inflict Status Effect: Confusion upon hit, 100% chance to scream upon hit.]
As long as I landed an attack, the effects of this goddamn weapon would activate.
The slow effect was also excellent, as it would reduce the creature’s burrowing speed, attack speed, and movement speed.
However, the effect I truly desired wasn’t the slow.
“Kieeeeeeek—!”
Nor was it, obviously, the scream.
“Now! Attack!”
“I’m coming!”
The Confusion effect.
This effect caused one to lose their sense of direction and rendered proper judgment impossible.
Since it had a 100% chance of activation upon a successful hit, landing just one blow could keep the creature in a constant state of confusion.
The resulting slowdown in its movements was merely a bonus.
The creature flailed its limbs, attempting to burrow into the ground, but, having lost its sense of direction, it merely thrashed at empty air.
Even its flailing was slow enough to be easily evaded.
“I’ve severed a tendon!”
Having been swinging his sword at its hind legs for some time, he seemed to have finally cut a tendon.
He then proceeded to finish off the remaining hind leg, and even the front legs.
And what had I been doing all this time?
“Die! Die! Die!”
I had been relentlessly bludgeoning its head.
It seemed to be resisting, as if feeling the impact, but its movements were too slow, allowing me to easily dodge.
While I focused on pummeling its head, Kim Dong-min was slashing at its belly.
Presumably, because its underside was where its hide was thinnest.
We continued our assault until the creature ceased to move, at which point it dissolved into ash and vanished.
In its place, only a few magic stones and items remained.
“Hoo, hoo…”
“Haa…”
We had defeated the creature.
“Let’s leave now.”
“Indeed. I’d like to wash up.”
Unlike me, who had merely bludgeoned the creature’s head, Kim Dong-min, having moved all around to stab its belly, was covered in blood.
He was also caked in dust and dirt.
My clothes, equipped with purification and contamination immunity, hadn’t gotten particularly dirty.
They even exuded a pleasant fragrance.
A quick brush to shake off the dirt clinging to my hair, and I was done.
“After we leave and wash up, we can meet to write the repor— Oh, what the hell, why is this happening?”
Kim Dong-min, his voice weary, pulled on the door, but it wouldn’t open.
[WhyMyHometown: Huh, what’s this? Is the door still locked?]
[PulledOutAMountain: Are there more monsters?]
[IDontCare: There might be another gimmick or something.]
[Don’tCurse: I totally thought it would be over after catching that lololol.]
[FeelGoodPotion has sponsored 100 coins!]
[Sponsorship Message: A room you can’t leave unless you XX (conquer) lololol.]
[FeelGoodPotion has been banned.]
“Ah, for f*ck’s sake.”
Stop screwing around, please.
