Evil Avalon

Chapter 30-Golem's heartbeat

{SPONSORED CHAPTER-2}

(Sponsor-Krazey)

(TL: Cicle means they are whispering)

We went deeper into the side hole that was at the bottom of the pit. As we proceeded a little further, we could see that this was not just a side hole, as the rocky surface was replaced by a stone wall passage.

　

　It was pitch black, so I turned on the flashlight I had brought with me. A cool breeze was blowing slowly from the back of the cave, so it must be connected to somewhere else.

　

　Within a few more minutes, the passage became a five-meter-high corridor. There were several coffins on the walls. It was like a catacomb-like underground cemetery. Each time we proceeded a little further, the corridor bent several times, and if we were not careful, we would lose our bearings. The auto-map function on my arm device came in handy at times like this.

　

　The air was getting colder. I put on my parka and walked carefully, trying not to make my footsteps echo, when I heard a rattling sound from a few dozen meters ahead. My sister drew in her breath and sneaked out of the shadows to see what was there.

"(The bones are moving.)"

"(Oh, it's a skeleton. I'll take care of it.)"

　

　Skeletons, as the name implies, are humanoid undead monsters with nothing but bones, and they're not uncommon since there are many undead on the eleventh level, but with the DLC "Golem's Heartbeat," a weakened version of the skeleton has appeared here on the seventh floor.

　

　Since it's only made of bones, the stabbing attack of a small sword is not very effective, so it would be better for me, who has a large sword, to attack it. He hadn't noticed me yet. I closed the distance to sink the skeleton with a single blow without even allowing it to counterattack.

　

　However, the skeleton also has the ability to sense a wide area, and even though it's right behind me, it instantly notices me and rushes towards me with a reaction and initial speed that exceeds my expectations.

　

　As the distance between me and the skeleton rapidly closes and I was  about to go head to head, I take the on skeleton's kesa zakage with my sword and aim to cut it back. ...... The attack was heavier than I expected and my hand was shocked.

"Gosh, ......!"

　

　I Kick a few ribs off with a toe kick. When he lost his balance, I  swung my sword down forcefully at the skull, and the skull fell apart. Some of the bones were vibrating with a rattling sound, but eventually they stopped moving and turned into magic stones..

　

An untamed toe kick from a adventurer shoe can be pretty powerful.

"Huh. ...... It had more speed and power than I thought. ...... I think it was level 8 monster."

"Skeletons are so fast. Even though they're only bones.

　

　The skeletons' initial movements are fast and powerful due to the fact that they are light and made up of only bones, so the kinetic energy they generate when they are hit by a weapon is more than you can imagine. Since they attack beyond the range of their joints, it is very difficult to read their attack patterns, unlike when dealing with people. They also have a wide range of magical sensing abilities, so it may be difficult to get ahead of them in the early stages when they don't have magical power blocking skills.

　

　In Dun-Ex, skeletons were not seen as mere small fish monsters, but when you actually face them, you will feel that they are much stronger than monster level 8. I was thinking of hunting skeletons while hunting golems, but it's going to be a pain in the ass to take on multiple of these things, so I think it's better to just focus on golems.

　

　If I'm going to fight a bunch of undead that can sense magic, I'll have to get a magic blocking skill or a weapon that works against undead.

　

　We slowly and surely made our way through the city by the light of our flashlights. A directional flashlight is useful for moving around in the dark, but it's better to have a lamp-type light that can illuminate a wide area during battle.

　

　While engaging several skeletons, I zigzagged my way through the corridors of the catacombs and finally found the stairs leading up. I walked up the stairs, making sure not to make any noise to avoid monsters, and came out in a chapel-like place.

　

　The inside was in pretty bad shape. Part of the ceiling had collapsed, some of the pillars were broken, and debris was scattered about. The walls were also overgrown with ivy on the inside. There was no deity enshrined on the altar-like structure, only a showcase like container. I wondered if it was a relic worship.

　

　There were also two other small rooms, but they didn't seem to have any monsters.

"Let's take a break then. Bring out the rush mat.

"Yes, sir."

　

　We had been walking for a long time, so we decided to take a break, although we were wary of the noise. While Hanano was laying out the rush mat, I took out my water bottle and snacks from my backpack. When I opened the bag of potato chips, I found half of them crushed. Maybe it was because of the battle with the skeleton. The next time I bring snacks, I'll make sure they don't break.

　

　I gulped down a sports drink and breathed a sigh of relief.

　

　This area has already been added in the DLC "Golem's Heartbeat". In other words, I've established that this world is at least the same as it was before the transition, up to the latest DLC.

　

　The best level to reach is 90, which means that it's better to grow stronger as an all-rounder rather than specializing in either physics or magic.

(It would also be better to collect the quest items and unique items that will be implemented as soon as possible.)

　

　As with the [Static Sword] that Akagi got, many of the quest items have powerful effects. I've been trying to get a static sword for a while now, but I've been unsuccessful. It turns out that the first one to get these unique items is the first one to get them, so you'll be fighting for them with other players.

(There's a lot to think about once you have the information. ......)

　

　My sister seemed to be very interested in the chapel, and she was looking around the altar and walls while chomping on a stick of candy. It's a great way to get a sense of what's going on in the world.

"Hey, hey. This weird, wavy pattern is a gate, isn't it?"

"...... Indeed, it is a gate."

　

　I cut off the ivy and took a look at the whole thing. It is unmistakably a gate magic circle.

　

　Usually, gate rooms are located on floors that are multiples of five, but sometimes they are also located on floors where quests and events are held. I guess this is one of those places.

　

　When the DLC "Golem's Heartbeat" was implemented, I was already an advanced player, and I had only dived into the deep part of the 60th floor and above to explore the additional MAP. That's why I'm not that familiar with the additional MAP on the 7th floor. It would take me almost two hours to get here, so I was lucky to have found it.

"I'm going to register my magic power then. If I register Hanano, you won't be able to get to the fifth floor, so it might be better to just register me."

"Yes, I also want to level up my mom's power..."

　

　I put my luggage in my backpack, finished registering at the gate, and went outside to find a deserted area with a number of decaying stone buildings around it. All of them were covered with green ivy and trees that looked like they would fall down after a while.

　

　The sky was dim, but there was enough light to walk around in.

"Is this where the golem will be?"

"The golem we're looking for should be inside a building a little further down the road. Be careful of the monsters in the area."

　

　This is an abandoned map, and I think the only monsters that pop up are skeletons, but my memory is fuzzy. In the event that you've got a lot more than one of these, you're going to need to have a lot more than one.

"I wonder if I'll ever be able to use magic.

"If you change jobs, yes. If you don't, you can get a weapon with magic on it and it will do some damage. ...... So here comes the skeleton. Let's do it together.

"We'll shoot them in half."

　

　This time, the skeleton had a sword and shield. When it spotted us, it made a mad dash for us without even looking aside. As soon as I catch the first blow, my sister goes behind me and attacks the elbow joint of the one with the shield with her other hand.

"It's so easy to get out of joint."

"Nice."

　

　The tip of the dislodged joint falls to the ground along with the shield. The skeleton loses his balance and turns around to face his sister, who he perceives as a threat, and tries to swing his sword down - but she sidesteps behind him and blows off his upper body, leaving him empty.

"It's still rattling around."

"Here we go."

　

　My sister kicked him in the head like a soccer ball, and he stopped moving and turned into a magic stone.

"Hanano-chan, ......?　　You look like you're used to fighting. Have you been to ......?"

"Really?　　Maybe it's because I've seen a lot of period dramas."

　

There is no such thing as ......, where you can improve your fighting skills by watching a period drama killing sequence. If you are a martial arts researcher who trains and studies martial arts on a daily basis, you may be able to improve your fighting skills. I don't know if they were secretly studying it behind my back. By the way, did I mention that I recently attended a martial arts school?

　

　I knew she was someone who liked to move around a lot, but she surprised me. I'm surprised that this athletic and pretty looking girl is actually a  sister to the unathletic and unattractive Butao.

　

　

　

　As we continued to move south through the desolate wilderness, fighting skeletons, we came upon a large wall on a gentle hill. The wall was more than 10 meters high and stretched more than 100 meters horizontally. From the bottom of the hill, we could only see part of the buildings inside the wall. That's the fortress of our destination.

　

　It seems that something happened to the owner of the castle, who was researching golems, and this area was destroyed and left untouched. If you want to become an armorer, you need to collect quest items related to this fortress, but I've never done it because I wasn't interested in armor when I played the game.

　

　So, what's going on inside?

"It's huge. A fort? Is it a castle?"

"A fortress. There's a golem popping up in there, but I'll tell you the plan."

　

　The golem that pops up in the citadel is a Wood Golem. The golem that pops in the citadel is a wood golem, a mid-boss of monster level 9. If you can monopolize it, it's a great monster for leveling up because it pops in five minutes after you defeat it.

　

　If you continue to attack it normally, it will eventually stop moving, but even though it is made of soft wood, it is incredibly durable. If you do that, it will take you a long time to defeat it and you won't have enough strength. If it had a fire attack, it could be defeated head-on, but that's out for now.

"Golem's core?

"It's a delicious monster that can be easily defeated by attacking and destroying it."

　

　The golem has a nucleus made of crystal buried in its back. In the event that you've got a lot of money, you'll be able to use it to buy a lot of things. There's no need to overdo it at this level, so I'll tell you to destroy it.

　

　The golem's movement speed itself is slow, but its turning ability is high. If you're a solo player, it's difficult to get behind the golem, making it an incomparably strong enemy, but if you're a two-man team, one of you can draw it away and the other can attack back, making it a sitting duck.

"If I get it, can I sell it?"

"At the store on the tenth floor. But don't overdo it, you can come back for it after your level is up."

　

　She has a bad habit of getting distracted by things that are worth money. ...... But I'm broke too. It's a good idea to start with a treasure hunt.

"Let's leave the golem for later and go look for the treasure chest first. If no one's been here, there should be one somewhere in the castle."

"Oh! What kind of things are in it?"

"You'll have to open it to find out."

　

　We walked up the slope to the front of the castle pavilion, singing a song about treasure. There was an entrance with a huge door in front, which was already open, so we entered without any problem. There is a golem in the middle of the open courtyard, so stay away from it and go inside the castle first.

　

　The inside of the castle, which is made of flat stones, is not in bad condition, although some of the walls are crumbling and the wooden floor is rotten and has holes in many places. The air was not stagnant due to the good ventilation. The empty windows were small and dimly lit, so I walked deeper into the corridor, watching my step.

"Are there any traps?"

"There are no traps, and treasure chests with traps only appear after the eleventh floor, so don't worry about opening them. Just be careful not to make any loud noises.

"Yes, sir."

　

　 I think there were skeletons in the castle hall as well, so I wanted to take them out by surprise if possible. I proceeded down the corridor while exploring the small rooms.

" (There they are. ......2 skeletons.)"

"(I'll take out the first one by surprise, and the second one normally.)"

　

　The skeletons seem to be the type that roam along a fixed patrol route. In the event that you've got a lot of time, you'll be able to take a look at the following tips.

　

　As I waited at the corner, I heard the sound of footprints approaching.

"Oraaah!"

"There's another one coming!"

　

　I crush the skeleton with my sword and shield with a single blow from the top of its head. The other skeleton noticed the sound and came running at me in a mad dash, swinging a hatchet.

　

　The skeleton attacked my sister, so I went behind her and tried to cut his back. ...... he caught  with his axe. Did he read me?.

　

　 When my sister saw that the target of the attack had shifted to me, she quickly launched an attack.

"V-slash!"

　

　While shouting out the name of the skill used by the main character of the special effects show, she swung down in a V shape with the small swords in both hands. The skeleton's ribs were blown off by the sound of the V-shaped slash. The two of them beat him up when he lost his balance, and he became a magic stone.

　

　At the far end of the corridor, there is an opulent - though decaying - door that must be the master's room.

"That's the lord's room up ahead. ...... There might be something in there."

"But isn't it full of treasure?"

　

　Let's just go there.

　

Without making a sound, I opened the door just a little and looked inside. Unlike the desolate room I had seen before, I could see an expensive looking red carpet and furniture. At the back of the room, I saw a skeleton sitting in a luxurious armchair.

"(That's a ...... rare monster, isn't it ...... a skeleton of the human species?)"

　

　The skeletons so far have been normal human skeletons, with no armor and only bare bones. It had a monster level of 8. This one, however, was wearing metal armor and had a single straight horn growing out of its forehead. It's not the demon or demon type that we're used to in Dun-Ex. I wonder what kind of race he is.

　

　The monster level is probably higher than 8. It's not a good idea to fight it.

"(Onii! The skeleton's feet!)"

　

　At his feet was a metal treasure chest with a relief pattern on it.

(*1) Unique item

An item that can only be found in one game world. If you get it through a quest, it will only occur once, so the sooner you get it, the better.

TL Note: once again we thank our sponsor Krazey for making this Chapter possible. I wasn't going to translate a Chapter today but I did it anyway (I passed a national level enternace exam today, it is JEE Mains you can Google it if you want)

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