Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Dungeon Boss "Is this the deepest part, I wonder?" "Probably. This room is large enough that it's certainly the boss chamber, I think." Standing before the stone-brick expanse as vast as a gymnasium, we exchanged such conversation. It was common knowledge that in the deepest part of a dungeon, a powerful monster protecting the Dungeon Core resided. And this powerful monster, known as the Dungeon Boss, occupied the so-called boss chamber. Likely, the grand hall we now found ourselves in was just that, but... the crucial Dungeon Boss was nowhere to be seen. "Have you ever heard of a dungeon without a boss, Demeter? Do you know something, Istos?" "There are two possibilities. One is that someone else came before us and defeated the Dungeon Boss. The other is that the Dungeon Boss is hiding somewhere." The moment Istos spoke these words, something began to stir before our eyes. Grains of sand nestled in the crevices of the stone bricks began to squirm, slowly clustering into a single mass. This mass of sand gradually took on a humanoid shape, eventually standing before us—a giant about three meters in height. If one had to name this creature, Sand Golem might be apt. "It seems we're dealing with the latter scenario." "Do you recognize this creature, Istos?" "No, it's the first time I've seen it. I'll engage it for now, but let's see how it goes." So saying, Istos quickly closed in on the Sand Golem to attack. In response, the Golem swung its massive arm in a sweeping motion to counterattack, but its movements were sluggish. Istos leaped with ease, effortlessly dodging the retaliation, and decapitated the Golem's head. Nevertheless, the Sand Golem did not cease its movements. In essence, the mass of sand merely fell to the ground. "I thought this might happen. Likely, the core is hidden somewhere inside its body—this type of magical creature." "What should we do?" "Let's fight a bit more. The matchup isn't great, but if we're lucky, we might strike the core. Sister, try attacking it from all angles too." "Understood." While Istos continued to lead the front line, I began my assault on the Sand Golem as instructed. Transforming ground bricks into stone spikes, I pierced the Golem, though the feedback was inconsequential. Istos seemed to be faring similarly—dodging the plodding attacks of the Sand Golem, she relentlessly unleashed slashes, ending with sand scattering around us. Moreover, I noticed that the Golem's head, which should have been severed, had regenerated. As expected, unless the core was destroyed, it seemed capable of self-healing by gathering sand. To make matters worse, the sand scattered by Istos's slashes began to move independently from the main body. Pieces of sand that had split off formed arm-like shapes and started to strike at Istos from behind. "Istos, behind you!" "Ah! Dangerous, dangerous. I thought this would be a breeze, but it might be bad if this drags on. Should we retreat?" Dodging the attack thanks to my warning, Istos suggested we withdraw. However, an idea dawned upon me. "...I have a plan. Istos, can you cut its head or limbs like before?" "Of course! I can slice them off any number of times." Hearing my plan, Istos briskly entered the Sand Golem's embrace and once again sliced off its head. The moment she did, I activated a spell to envelope the falling sand lumps in the transformed stone bricks on the ground. This should prevent the sand from moving on its own and the Sand Golem from autonomously regenerating. By repeating this process and eroding the Golem's sand, we should be able to unearth the core buried within its sandy body. "If we repeat this, I believe we can eventually defeat that creature. It'll be a drawn-out battle, though." "If there's hope of defeating it, then that's no problem. Shall we continue?" Following suit, we repeatedly severed the Golem's head and limbs and captured the grains of sand within the stone. Gradually, the Sand Golem, while maintaining its humanoid form, visibly shrank. Simultaneously, the Golem, formerly slow, began to grow more agile. Nonetheless, Istos remained the quicker of the two. Our battle continued smoothly, and we successfully reduced the size of the Sand Golem to about one meter. "Now that it's this small, that's enough. I'll handle the rest." With that, Istos cleaved the Sand Golem in two, right down the middle. Inside, a red, glowing orb could be seen embedded—a likely candidate for the core. Without a moment's delay, Istos swung her blade and shattered the core now exposed. Consequently, the Sand Golem collapsed, its body becoming mere sand that danced in the air. "Phew, I didn't expect such a tough fight." "Really. Let's hope the spoils make it all worthwhile." While having this chat, Istos and I walked towards the back of the boss chamber hall. And there, embedded in the wall opposite the entrance, was something resembling a purple gemstone—the Dungeon Core we sought. Aside from that, there was a treasure chest that we opened, revealing a magical tome inside. "This looks like a tome for a fire-generating spell." "A hit by some standards, but the magic's a bit mundane. Do you need it, Sister?" "Indeed, it could be useful for starting a fire while cooking. I'll take it." "Alright, then. Our business here is finished. Let's destroy the Dungeon Core and get out of here." After making sure the tome was collected, Istos swung her sword to shatter the Dungeon Core. In a moment, we were enveloped in blinding light and transported to where the dungeon entrance had been. With that, our conquest of the dungeon was complete. The dungeon we had navigated just moments before reverted to a mere underground storage. The stone-brick labyrinth that once menaced people was now nowhere to be found. "...Thinking about it, it all just ended with regular work." "Was there something else you wanted to do?" "No, I just wished I could have spent a little more time getting cozy with Sister, that's all." Walking back from the dungeon, Istos suddenly confessed, prompting me to step in front of her and gently embrace her. After a moment, I released her and said: "Are you satisfied now?" To my words, Istos blushed and wordlessly nodded emphatically.