Earth Dungeon 41.2

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Chapter 41.2. Insects

The dungeon is said to be an impossible place to conquer alone. I also believed that to be true, the ghostly Sakimori thought, floating in the air while gazing at the massive metal door in front of him.

Shizuku had arrived at the deepest part without even taking a nap. During the journey, she had only fought a few enemies. She defeated all of them with a single strike from her sword. It took her about 15 minutes to reach the very end. Unbelievably, she had arrived in just 15 short minutes.

There was an imposing metal door, similar to the one during the Goblin King encounter, featuring engravings of a skinny man resembling a scarecrow, with moth wings, a staff in hand, and a crown atop his head. The carvings around it depicted Mothmen and Worms.

Shizuku checked the condition of her assault rifle, ensuring the ammunition was loaded by removing and reinserting the magazine. She stretched her body and then confirmed it.

"Mothman King. 5 Mothman Fighters, 15 Acid Worms, and 15 Poison Warms. The boss relies heavily on status ailments. It'll cast a wind barrier on itself, but it won't be enough to divert the trajectory of a military rifle. A single magazine will suffice. The terrain is grassland. Even if they were hiding, their aura gives them away, so they're not much of a challenge."

Switching to semi-automatic mode, Shizuku smiled casually, displaying a carefree expression that showed no signs of tension. She could kill them with just a single magazine. She had 6 of them, each neatly stored in her handmade pockets.

"You can relax this time, Sakimori. I can handle it easily on my own."

"Alright then. Let me witness your gallant figure, Shizuku-san."

"Since I'll defeat the King instantly, you'll only get a glimpse of my adorable fighting style. Please keep it in your memory."

With a charming smile, Shizuku prepared herself by activating her combat arts.

[Aura Eye]

[Dynamic Vision Up]

[Physical Ability Up]]

[Attack Power Up]

[Attack Speed Up]

In preparation for Mothman King, Shizuku lightly pressed her hand against the door, surprised with how effortlessly she pushed it despite its imposing appearance.

With a screeching sound, the door began to open, revealing the boss room as her eyes narrowed. Shizuku knelt on one knee, gripping her assault rifle.

"Target in the center?!"

She was about to make a snarky remark but quickly grew serious. She had expected Mothman King to be waiting in the back, with Mothman Fighters positioned in front of it, armed with swords and shields. She also anticipated Acid and Poison Warms hiding in the grass. However...

The grassy area is just as expected, approximately one meter in length. However, the boss room is vast, measuring 500 meters on each side. It gets completely covered in green.

[Hey, that's not how the relief depicted it, that guy.]

Sakimori shows his confusion and questions. Shizuku also understands that.

Floating in the depths of the meadow with its wings fluttering, it is still a Mothman, but it is different from what she expected.

It's a creature with a 3 meter long body adorned with beautiful black and blue wings, resembling a butterfly. Its form is not humanoid but rather an enlarged butterfly. It possesses a long proboscis-like mouth and multiple compound eyes glaring intently at us.

"I messed up!"

Shizuku clicks her tongue, and instead of simply firing, she converts mana into aura. Shizuku quickly switches tactics, gathering her focus.

[Blitz Burst]

Shizuku pulls the trigger, then the bullet enveloped in aura leaves a red afterimage as it strikes Mothman with incredible speed, instantly crushing its body to pieces.

[Wow, nicely done.]

Although the Mothman looked different from what he had expected, Sakimori shouted with joy casually as Shizuku easily crushed Mothman into pieces. However, Shizuku checked her surroundings and said

"Grrr!"

Shizuku gets blown away by a strong vibration throughout her body. She almost falls over from the impact that seems to tear her body apart, but biting her lip, she steps hard and dives into the grass.

[What... what was that just now?]

The ground around her dents and dust clouds fill the air. Sakimori's gaze turns serious as he observes the scene, and shifts his attention to the spot where the attack came from.

It's not where the defeated Mothman was. Floating diagonally is the very Mothman I thought Shizuku had defeated.

"Mothman Queen. It's a rare monster even among bosses. The probability should be around one in a thousand. But, unfortunately, it seems luck was not on our side, and we drew the Joker."

[...How strong is the enemy?]

Sakimori asks earnestly, and she answers honestly.

"It's one level higher. I made a mistake. I triggered a flag, it seems."

Rare bosses are unusual. Shizuku hasn't encountered many of them.

"Well, that's lucky. We should be able to defeat it with our current abilities."

Wiping away the blood flowing from her lip, Shizujy reveals a fierce light deep in her eyes, like a wild beast, as she raises her assault rifle.

It's an unexpected turn of events, but that's fine. Shizuku looks forward to what she can exchange it for at the equivalent exchange store.