Area Boss (Part Two)

Area boss—

That was exactly what it sounded like, the boss of a specific area.

When an area boss appeared, that space was separated from the adjacent spaces by a translucent mist.

When someone entered the mist, the mist solidified, and they became unable to leave.

Unless they defeated the area boss inside.

What made area bosses troublesome was that they were far stronger than the ordinary monsters in that territory.

If a party within the proper level range challenged one compared to ordinary monsters, they would certainly be wiped out.

That was why even the Adventurers’ Guild paid considerable attention to them.

When the appearance of an area boss was confirmed, the surrounding area was closed off, and high-level adventurers who could definitely win were dispatched to exterminate it.

Fortunately, area bosses appeared in the same places at fixed intervals.

In other words, if one paid attention, it was possible to avoid them.

Therefore, when the probability of an area boss appearing grew higher, the Adventurers’ Guild had a system for issuing warnings to adventurers.

However—

There had been no such warning this time.

…Had the cycle been disrupted for some reason, or was this a newly appearing area boss?

Either way—

“I’m unlucky…”

I gave a bittersweet smile.

I had suddenly rushed right into an area boss that had just appeared. If I had arrived even one minute later, I probably could have avoided it easily.

“…I guess I should be glad Misha wasn’t dragged in…”

I glanced behind me.

Misha, her face deathly pale, was pressed against the transparent wall and calling my name.

“It’s all right. I’ll come back alive.”

That was not bravado. I had not given up. I had the powerful equipment Misha had arranged for me.

An E-layer area boss—I did not know how strong it would be, but I could not say for certain that I could not reach it.

I turned my gaze forward.

From the dense miasma, it completely revealed itself.

It was a bipedal lizard with green scales—a lizardman. But its size was abnormal.

Was it over three meters tall? Normally, they should have been a little under two meters.

It had swollen muscles densely covered in scales, and arms and legs like logs that were stuffed awkwardly into leather armor.

Raising the large club it held in its hand, the lizardman roared.

“Ooooooooooooooooooooo!”

My skin trembled and tingled.

A giant lizardman. It was no half-hearted opponent.

By coincidence, I knew its average stats.

A C-rank equivalent enemy.

It was quite strong. About 1.5 times stronger than a hunter lizard.

…Of course, stronger than me.

I had to prepare myself quite seriously. This stat difference was simply a threat.

The saving grace was that my attack power exceeded the opponent’s defense power.

At the very least, my blade could get through.

The tension from long ago—before I had gathered strong equipment—awoke from deep within me.

It became fear and began to seize my heart—

“Ooooooooooooooooooooo!”

I shouted.

As if to shake off the fear.

No, in order to shake it off.

Do not be swallowed by it. Do not tremble.

There was no time to be afraid!

As if responding to my voice, the giant lizardman came toward me.

It carelessly raised its massive club—and swung it down.

Thud!

With a loud sound, however, the club only struck the floor.

I dodged. Dodged, stepped in, and then.

I swept the Magic Wolf Broadsword at the unprotected area around its feet!

“Gah!?”

A voice slipped out of my mouth without thinking.

A numbing pain burst through my right arm. The blade that had easily cut through everything these past three months had been repelled.

Hard—!

What hardness. Of course, the Magic Wolf Broadsword was not repelled for nothing. It broke through those hard scales and delivered the slash.

However, it was shallow.

Those scales were absurdly hard. Scales like this covered its whole body? Did it even need to wear leather armor?

“Ooooooooooooo!”

The lizardman let out a furious roar and kicked me away.

I slid the large shield in and guarded.

My field of vision shifted with a jerk.

A hunter lizard’s tackle could not compare. A powerful “pressure” mercilessly pushed me back from beyond the shield.

I was knocked back several steps before I regained my posture.

…Strong.

…Too strong…

Could I really win as I was now? The overwhelming stat difference nearly broke my spirit.

Were we still evenly matched right now?

Could I really say that? Against an opponent my blade could barely pass through? Against an opponent who sent me flying this far with only the impact even when I fully blocked?

…No, that was no good.

“Ios! Do your best! Do your best! Don’t die!”

I heard Misha’s voice cheering me on from beyond the door.

If I fell, she would—

“I can’t just let myself lose so easily!”

I mustered my courage and attacked the lizardman.

Slash!

If one slash was shallow, then stack up two, three more! Make it take a hundred slashes and cut it down!

If one hit was fatal, keep dodging!

Use every last bit of concentration and stamina!

With those thoughts, I challenged the lizardman. Countless slashes were carved into the lizardman’s body.

I could do this!

I even thought that.

But in the end, that was not enough to overturn the overwhelming stat difference.

After all, neither my stamina nor my concentration was infinite.

The existence of stats was not so light—

That it could be overturned by a gutsy theory like that.

“Hah, hah, hah… Gwoooooo!”

As I gasped for breath and still tried to attack, the lizardman’s club came at me.

I had to dodge—!

My head gave the order. Retreat backward. But my body, now heavy, could not respond immediately.

That delay was—fatal.

The club struck my abdomen hard. The Blue Firebird Chainmail protected my body well. If it had been ordinary chainmail, that blow would surely have turned my body into chunks of flesh.

My body was blown away spectacularly.

Like a dead leaf dancing in the wind.

I rolled across the ground just like that and slammed into the wall. The impact shook my organs, and my head swayed.

“Iooooos!”

I heard Misha’s scream-like voice.

Did I hear it?

I was not sure. It might have been my imagination. My head felt hazy.

That was the first clean hit I had taken—but I had taken plenty of attacks that were not clean hits. Places all over my body hurt. …I was already at my limit.

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

The lizardman roared. As if announcing its own victory.

Then, with slow steps, it approached me.

…Was this as far as I went…?

Sorry, Misha…

But, at the very end… there was something I had left undone…

I removed the shoulder belts of my backpack. I thrust my hand into the backpack that had dropped with a thud and took out the bag.

“Nyankoromochi… I can’t just leave you like this…”

If I died, what would happen to Nyankoromochi, who had disappeared through Schrödinger’s Cat?

Of course, I did not know.

Normally, one would think it would automatically be canceled—but there was also a possibility that it would not.

Since I did not know, I should cancel it with my own hands before dying.

—Schrödinger’s Cat.

Along with the activation of the skill, the bag swelled up.

…Now it was all right.

If I died, leave this room, Nyankoromochi.

…The problem was whether this room recognized Nyankoromochi. When it closed, only I had been here. So if I died, the space should return to normal.

Probably.

It was possible that it might react to Nyankoromochi’s presence and not return to normal.

But I could not take responsibility that far.

All I could do was pray that things would turn out that way.

The giant lizardman’s massive body was already right there.

“Uoooooooooooo!”

Using my sword as support, I stood up.

I’ll land one last blow on you!

The giant lizardman raised its club.

At that moment.

There was a rustling sound—

And Nyankoromochi came out of the bag.

“—Wh!”

Too soon!

At Nyankoromochi’s sudden action, I froze.

The club swung down toward me as I stood unable to move.

Crap—!?

“Meow!”

Nyankoromochi hopped.

Toward the swinging club.

Immediately after—

As if it had struck an invisible wall, the giant lizardman’s club was repelled backward.