Gryphon Vs Bird Strike

――A-Rank Dungeon 【Black Wing Hall】, 10th floor.

――In front of the innermost chamber.

About three hours have passed since I started leveling Rin.

Before I knew it, we had arrived at the boss room on the lowest floor.

Rin’s stats rose to 18 in just half a day.

The reason is probably that two of us cleared an A-rank dungeon that would normally require a party of four to six adventurers.

She’s now at the stats of an adventurer who’s finally out of the beginner phase.

In terms of adventurer rank, she’d be around D-rank (the lowest being E-rank).

Those numbers are enough to handle an adult man who’s not an adventurer without issue.

But that level of stats isn’t enough.

Even if she can’t hope to defend herself against the monstrous group that makes adventurers flee barefoot—the Knights of the Stigmata—I’d like her to be at a level where she could at least defeat low-ranking royal palace knights.

Specifically, around Level 30.

If that’s the case… we need a big haul of Experience right about now.

I turned my eyes to the door leading to the innermost part where the boss was likely waiting.

“Rin, there’s the Dungeon Boss ahead. I can turn back if you’re scared, but what do you want to do?”

“I’m fine! Because Master will protect me, right?!”

“Well, it’s Windine who’s actually going to put up the barrier and guard you directly…”

Rin clasped her fists in front of her chest, full of enthusiasm.

Because I dispatched monsters so easily, I’m worried she might have lost a sense of danger regarding monsters.

I hope that doesn’t lead to her getting hurt someday…

I’m also worried that she trusts me far too much.

Mainly, her constant flattery makes me feel good and risks getting me cocky.

“(Well—actually, it’s more convenient to raise her level while her sense of danger toward monsters is still weak.)”

She can learn how terrifying monsters are later, during actual combat training to build raw physical ability after leveling up.

For now, raising Rin’s stats is the priority.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Yes!”

Before opening the door, I had Rin cast Fire Enchant and then placed my hand on the Boss room door.

＊＊＊

“Kyeeeee――――!!”

A piercing, high-pitched scream echoed through the chamber.

“The Boss is a raptor-type, huh.”

The Dungeon Boss of A-Rank Dungeon 【Black Wing Hall】 was a gigantic bird-like monster.

From the neck down it was a lion, the head and forelegs were those of an eagle, and it had wings on its back—one of those large monsters.

“That’s a Gryphon. With a lion’s legs and an eagle’s wings—it moves quickly both on land and in the air, and even uses Wind-element magic. It’s a high-tier monster.”

“As expected of an A-rank dungeon. It’s no small opponent—just about what you’d expect.”

“Kyeeeee――――!!”

The Gryphon let out a greeting-like roar at the intruders, flapped its huge wings, and rose into the air.

“Windine, protect Rin no matter what.”

“――――♪”

After confirming that Windine had surrounded Rin with a barrier, I also took up Dullahan’s sword imbued with Fire magic.

“Kyeeeee――――!!”

The hovering Gryphon flapped its wings especially hard—and a fierce gust of wind came rushing in!

The area is huge! Can’t dodge it all!

“――Minotaur’s axe!”

I dispelled Dullahan’s sword and summoned a Minotaur axe to use as a shield against the Gryphon’s gust.

As expected, the gust carried Wind-element magic; taken barehanded it would have sliced me like countless blades.

“Now it’s our turn!”

I hurled the battle-axe at the Gryphon.

But the Gryphon avoided it by flying even higher.

This chamber isn’t very wide, but the ceiling is unusually high.

It’s become an extremely favorable field for the Gryphon.

“Kyeeeee――――!!”

The Gryphon flapped its wings again.

Countless feathers fell from its wings, raining down onto the ground like knives.

――Zaku zaku zaku zaku!

I sidestepped repeatedly to avoid every one of them.

The feathers were deeply embedded in the ground.

There’s no way you’d want to make a comforter out of these feathers—their hardness is shocking.

It must have judged that the earlier gust couldn’t damage me and switched to a narrower but more powerful attack.

“Kyeeeee――――!!”

Again—the Gryphon’s feather barrage came.

“Attacking us one-sidedly from the sky—Windine!”

“――――!”

I gave Windine an order.

Compressed, pressurized Water magic collided with the feathers and washed them away.

I see… I roughly understand this thing’s combat style now.

“Sorry, but we’ve seen enough fights too—time to let us attack!”

Squish—the shadow warped.

“Pyeeeee――――!!”

What leapt out of the shadows was not merely a swarm of countless Shadow Garuda—but an army of shadows.

When we cleared 【Black Wing Hall】, we had defeated and turned Garuda into Shadows as companions—now I released all fifty of them at once.

The army of Shadows, unafraid of death, launched a desperate charge—a bird strike.

Up until now, I had a personal rule of fighting boss monsters alone.

But my fight with Kaine taught me that such half-measures wouldn’t stand against the Knights of the Stigmata.

I’ve already honed my combat skills enough.

What I need now is the coordination ability to master Shadows and take down tough foes.

Therefore, I’ll use Shadows without reserve.

“Kyeeeee――――!!”

The Gryphon greeted the charging swarm of Garuda with a gust imbued with wind magic.

The Garuda flying at the front vanished one after another before the wind blades.

But the following ones, using the front Garuda as shields to escape the gust, plunged into the Gryphon’s torso one after another!

“Kyoe――!?”

The Gryphon recoiled in midair—but it was only staggered, taking little damage.

“Too naive—those Garuda were all decoys.”