Episode 18.9

After selling the Octocular Great Spider's legs, Lecan took a bath and went to <Jade's Restaurat>. He felt like having a drink.

The other three will join him after they cleaned themselves up.

<Vega> wasn't present that night.

Lecan took a seat and ordered today's special and some ale.

Jade, the restaurant's owner, came by.

"Lecan. Come with me for a bit."

The restaurant doesn't have private rooms, but it's got a small meeting room-like room. He was led there.

"Rumor of a man carrying mid-variant of Octocular Great Spider's legs on his shoulder is a hot topic in this town right now."

"Really."

"I've never seen anyone bringing all eight legs back before."

"I could only carry four at a time."

"Don't tell me, all eight legs were intact?"

"No. Three of those were cut at the joints."

"And you managed to beat it like that huh. Unbelievable."

"Really."

"Things' gotten a bit messy."

"Hou."

"The townlord agreed to exiling <Jaira>, but now he's got a newfound interest in the party that turned the table hard on <Jaira>."

"I'm not interested."

"I don't think I have to tell you this, but townlords of dungeon cities are a position that can easily brings you ire from the surroundings."

"Don't care."

"If a dispute occurs with another fiefdom, chances are high that townlord will hire high-ranking adventurers. No townlord's willing to go up against that kind of townlord."

"I heard town lords are prohibited from fighting against one another."

"No. They won't publicly go to war. They simply won't. But small skirmishes are daily occurrences. Of course, the lords would insist they have nothing to do with it. Anyway, you just gotta keep this fact in mind, townlords with might backing them are powerful."

"Well, no surprise there."

"Hence these townlords give preferential treatments to strong adventurers, and make a big deal out of the littlest things. And they sometimes invite those adventurers to their mansion. You'd sometimes get invited to banquets when some bigwigs from other territories visit. To flaunt, 'look the force we have here'."

"Nothing to do with me."

"How'd you even get by all this time anyway."

"What's your business."

"The townlord said he wanted to meet you guys."

"Have you told this townlord we're leaving this town on the 25th?"

"No. I haven't."

"All good then. Tell him we're currently busy trying to conquer the dungeon."

"Got it. But they might formally summon you."

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"I'll deal with that when that time comes."

"You're really free, aren't you."

"Well yeah, that's how adventurers roll."

"Haha. That's what I believed in my youth as well."

"Giving up your freedom to be bound by something is a form of freedom also."

"I see. That might be true. That's all I need. I'll get in touch if anything else comes up."

"Thanks."

"But, damn. You're chipping at the dungeon at some crazy pace. Won't you get to the last floor at this rate?"

"That's the plan."

Jade fell silent for a while. Then he abruptly spoke.

"The boss on the last floor is the Queen variant of Octocular Great Spiders."

"Hou."

"It's got <Morph>, <Magic Eye>, <Freeze>, <Charm>, <Float>, <Warp>, <Instant Death Venom>, and <Summon> as its abilities."

"Fumu."

"It assumes the form of a human girl at first, with its lower half buried in rocks. This is a mimicry by <Morph>. It's awfully sturdy despite looking so soft, but it's still on the softer side than its true form. You gotta shoot all paralyze, curse and the likes you can shoot when it's in that form. Otherwise, you won't stand a chance."

"Got it."

"This spider will read your abilities with <Magic Eye>. It's gonna shoot <Freeze> at the one it deems most dangerous to freeze them to death. Since <Freeze> is a magic attack, anti-curse equipment don't work against it."

"It can read abilities?"

"Yeah. It's gonna come at the one it deems a toughie. <Freeze> only reaches about 20 steps away at most, so you can simply attack it from a distance, but unfortunately, it's immune to magic when it's in girl form."

"What."

"Once it's received enough damage past a certain threshold, it will morph back into its true form. The size is about as big as the lesser variant. A wee bit bigger than you, I reckon."

"Fumu."

"It's real sturdy. As is the abdomen. It also moves around blindingly fast. Its <Float> ability enables it to moves around by floating. It only makes its body float a bit above the ground, but in this state it can use all eight legs to attack you by lifting its body up. This one's quite tricky as well."

"How come."

"It's fast, hard and clever."

"Clever in what way."

"It persistently goes after your vital and weak points."

"I see."

"But its back is wide open in this state."

"Hou."

"And the Queen possesses a predisposition to persistently go after the one who deals it the biggest damage."

"Sounds exploitable."

"Indeed. So you put about three people with high offensive and defensive power on the front line, make them attack the Queen till they get its attention, and then someone else aim for its heart with a highly penetrating weapon from behind. That's the general strategy."

"Got it. Is that all."

"And also, oh yeah. It can use <Charm> in either form. Apparently it's got a relatively short range. Getting hit by one would end up in infighting between yourselves."

"Must be a curse."

"It's a curse. So you absolutely want to have anti-curse equipped. And also <Warp>. The Queen uses this often, it'll abruptly show up in a different spot in the middle of battle. A literal instantaneous movement. It can't warp away too far apparently. Ten steps at most. But it could still mean the Queen you've been fighting head-on all this time suddenly showing up behind you. It's downright cheap. Most peeps dying in the Queen War fell prey to this ability."

"I see."

"<Instant Death Venom> instantly kills you if it touches your bare skin. It can reach 50 steps away, so take caution."

"Green potion won't make it in time then."

"You just gotta make sure to never let it touch yer' skin. This venom sells for awfully lots of money. Probs only great nobles could afford it. It's called Queen Venom."

"So you'll make a killing if you can get its Venom Sac."

"Exactly. But this Venom Sac is located right below its heart, so it rarely ever comes out intact. When it gets torn as you aim for its heart, the content spill out and get mixed in its blood and bodily liquid, see."

"What about <Summon>."

"This one's been put as part of its ability, but supposedly no surviving adventurers have ever witnessed it for real. I never seen one myself."

"What does it do."

"Apparently a swarm of ten thousand Spotted Spiders will emerge out."

"What?"

"The condition to trigger it is unknown. Many people even believe this ability doesn't actually exist. Well, you probably won't come across it anyway."

"What if I did."

"Who knows. Nothing you can do about it. Run away. If you can that is."

"Thanks for telling me. I owe you a huge one."

"That's my line for the matter with <Jaira>. It's being handled as we speak. The mansion ends up getting bought by a certain party."

"I see."

Lecan stood up as he said that.

Then he recalled something and asked.

"Jade."

"Ou. What's up."

"Is there some sort of proof for defeating a dungeon boss?"

"Ah. In case of this dungeon, the guild will issue a Proof of Conquest. They'd give you one if you bring them the boss's magic stone or part of its body right after you beat it."

"I see."