Vol 3 Chapter 17: Golem Subjugation

The rumbling of the earth echoed around us.

“──Oh, come on…! Are you kidding me…?”

“This one’s… a bit big, isn’t it?”

“…Looks like it’ll take some effort.”

“With our strength, it’s… n-not a problem!”

“Indeed, that is the case.”

Nina, the thief, stared wide-eyed, her face pale.

Lena, the mage, tilted her head with a troubled expression.

Fana, the sage, looked ahead with a fatigued gaze.

Alice, the summoning magician, crossed her arms, trying to act confident.

Kaguya, the ninja, maintained her polite, mask-like smile as she nodded.

“──Is everyone ready?”

I checked everyone’s reactions as I cast support magic on the group.

For Nina and Kaguya, I enhanced their physical abilities.

For Lena, Fana, and Alice, I provided magical energy support.

I also strengthened each of their individual skills.

Unlike before, I could now assess the balance of magic more effectively, ensuring the appropriate amount for each spell. This efficiency even allowed me to enhance myself without overextending.

Power surged through me, and I was confident everyone else felt the same.

I exchanged a glance with Fana, and she gave a small nod. That was the signal to begin.

“…Alright, let’s go!”

Today, our party, White Lightning, had accepted an S-Rank dungeon quest. The task was to delve into a dungeon that no one had ever entered before. Now, we stood in a vast chamber deep within its depths.

The room was surrounded by sturdy stone walls and a ceiling that looked impenetrable. The floor was packed dirt, hardened by time and pressure.

And there, waiting for us, was:

“Grooooaaarrr!”

A massive golem, far larger than a building or even a dragon, its entire body gleaming with the brilliance of mithril.

“──Guess we’ve got no choice!”

With a sigh of annoyance, Nina darted forward, her fiery red hair rippling in the air. She leapt into position in front of the golem and threw a knife aimed at its head.

The blade clanged against the metallic surface and fell to the ground.

The attack wasn’t meant to damage the creature but to draw its attention—and it worked perfectly. The golem turned its massive head toward Nina, raising its colossal, stone-like fist and bringing it down in a powerful strike.

“Heh, too slow!”

She dodged the ground-shaking attack with ease, throwing another knife as she moved.

While the golem remained focused on Nina, a figure suddenly appeared on its massive shoulder.

“Fufu…”

It was Kaguya, her maid outfit fluttering as she moved with precision.

While Nina distracted the golem on the ground, Kaguya silently searched for the location of its core, skillfully moving across the giant’s body without drawing attention.

“Alice! Are you ready?”

“I’m fine. Summoning Magic: Summon Melt Slime!”

In response, Alice summoned a creature with the ability to melt the golem’s mithril exterior, directing its power toward Lena.

Lena focused her magic, readying to launch her spell at the colossal opponent.

“──Protect Barrier! …Lena, are you alright?”

The shards of rock shattered by the golem’s attack on Nina were stopped by Fana-san’s transparent shield with a solid, resonant sound.

Fana-san smiled gently as she watched Lena, who trusted her companions and remained focused, undistracted by her surroundings, her eyes closed in concentration. It was teamwork without gaps—a testament to the strength of our party.

And as Nina continued to evade the golem’s attacks, the moment we had been waiting for arrived.

“I’ve located it. Lady Lena, the core is inside the abdomen, just behind the navel.”

Kaguya’s whisper reached us as she returned from the golem’s shoulder.

Lena’s eyes widened immediately.

“Wind Storm, the Howling Tempest!”

A powerful gust of wind imbued with magical energy and the corrosive slime summoned earlier burst from Lena’s staff, hurtling toward the golem’s abdomen.

The attack struck with such force that the enormous creature staggered, the mithril surface of its “skin” melting away as if it were ice.

“Shin… it’s your turn!”

“──Leave it to me!”

I launched myself forward without hesitation. My enhanced legs bent like springs, propelling me into a jump that cleared my own height several times over. I surged toward the exposed core of the golem’s abdomen like a human projectile.

“Uooohhh!”

My sword, poised to pierce, drove straight into the center of the golem’s spherical core. A moment later, fractures spiderwebbed across the surface.

Cracks spread like a deteriorating wall, and I kicked off the golem’s body to return to the ground.

As I landed, the gem-like orb above burst into fragments, and the golem fell silent.

“Alright… we did it!”

I exhaled deeply, clenching my fist in triumph. Thanks to our seamless coordination, we managed to defeat the formidable foe without encountering any significant danger.

“Shin!”

Lena ran toward me, waving energetically.

Behind her, Nina collapsed onto the ground, stretching her legs out dramatically as if to emphasize her exhaustion.

“Ah, yeah. But Nina had the toughest job, right?”

Mugyuri!

“Mm… Shin, great job. You were so cool out there!”

Lena hugged me tightly, pressing herself against my chest. Her soft warmth made my body, tense from the battle, relax involuntarily.

“Hey, Lena, I get it—now let go… please…”

Perhaps it was the thrill of defeating such a powerful opponent, but Lena was clinging to me like an affectionate puppy, rubbing her cheek against mine.

Though I protested verbally, her display of affection warmed my heart. I reached out and gently patted her head.

The others watched us with smiles, their gazes warm and full of camaraderie.

Maybe we were too caught up in the moment, too distracted by our assured victory.

“Hey, how was my magic? Combined with Alice’s summoning, it was amazing, wasn’t it──”

In that instant, an ominous chill rose from beneath our feet.

“Hey! First, get──!”

Nina, quick to notice the change, shouted toward us.

The ground disappeared from under us.

“──Huh?”

Lena’s expression was one of stunned confusion, her usual cool demeanor replaced by wide, childlike eyes. It was almost adorable—an oddly misplaced thought to have as we fell.

“Kyahhh!”

“Shin! Lena──!”

Her scream filled my ears as I instinctively pulled her into my arms. Faintly, I could hear Nina’s voice calling out to us, growing more distant with every second.