Chapter 53:

Chapter 53:

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The damage slot began to whirl with a vengeance.

A wave of unease swept over me as I observed the frenziedly spinning numbers.

I surely wouldnt falter here... right? I wont be greeted by any unsavoury figures, will I?

"I intervened because Jupiter and Damien cannot risk injury!"

Better for me to shoulder potential harm than them. Even if I ended up a little worse for wear, I could still issue commands.

On the other hand, Jupiter and Damien had to engage in the upcoming defense stage immediately. They absolutely could not endure any harm!

...so went my logic for stepping in, but in all honesty, the sight of the golems colossal face thrusting toward me was rather unnerving.

Surely, Im not about to roll a zero, am I? Youve got my back, God of Dice, right?!

Chrrr...

Thank heavens.

Ding!

1, 2, 5!

Decent figures.

"125 damage!"

That was not merely sufficient; it was a surplus!

A robust wind enveloped my fist. I swung my fist upward from a lower position.

Boom-!

With a wind explosion, the golems head, which had been barreling towards me, joyously reeled backward.

Thud, Thud-THUD!

The sound of something shattering echoed as its neck contorted in an impossible direction for a human.

"Huh."

The golems head, momentarily airborne, soon nosedived onto the ground. Koo-goo-gung!

"Hoo!"

I dusted off my hands.

The game should ideally be played by eliminating uncertainties and not depending on such gambles.

Yet, circumstances keep thrusting me into such predicaments.

As the residual dust dissipated, the broken golems head was revealed, its mana core in plain sight.

The golem remained stationary. The solitary light, resembling a lighthouse beacon at the center of its head, flickered weakly.

"The rain... is falling."

Lucas, having approached me, extended his hand.

"Boss, finish it."

"Uh-huh."

Defeating the boss entailed a significant experience bonus.

As my level was currently the lowest, I willingly embraced this guaranteed kill opportunity.

"Lucas, lend me your sword."

"Yes, here you go."

Lucas promptly handed me his sword.

The Lucky Strikes damage was unpredictable, and you never knew when some absurd figure might surface.

Therefore, I chose to borrow a sword, just to play it safe.

I lifted the sword high towards the golems face.

The singular light in the golems face dimmed gradually.

"The rain, its pouring heavily."

What on earth was this creature babbling about?

With all my strength, I drove the sword downward.

***

Following the bosss defeat, while the other party members gathered items from the bosss remains,

I was examining the clear status on the system window.

[Hidden Alleyway - Boss Room]

- Defeat the boss! (Achieved)

- Lv.20 Giant Steam Golem <Warehouse Janitor Banyan Bullock>

- You have achieved complete destruction of all parts of this boss. Perfect Defeat!

I even bagged the perfect defeat bonus.

With a gentle whistle, I rallied my forces.

In reality, these golems could be effortlessly toppled by demolishing the Magic Power cores nestled in their heads. Once destroyed, the remaining cores would trigger a chain of explosions.

Yet, I refrained from disclosing this fact to my comrades. I chose to dismantle each golem independently.

Besides, there are extra points to be won for obliterating each part separately. Of course, I have to pulverize them all.

Moreover, I secured the last-hit experience points. A level advancement was within reach.

This quest is turning out to be quite a goldmine.

I successfully harvested all the rewards inside the dungeon. To add to my fortune, I bumped into a merchant NPC and secured a pair of SSR-ranked items.

Naturally, I had to promptly bestow them upon Evangeline under the guise of compensation...

I was ready for this expense. Quite a bargain, really.

Things were progressing too seamlessly, almost suspiciously so. But a blessing is a blessing.

At that moment, as I was rummaging through the boss room, Damien hailed me.

"Prince! Weve found a treasure chest and a path here!"

"On my way. And Lucas?"

A teleportation gate.

"Hurrah! Lets head back quickly. If not, I fear this old body will develop arthritis!"

Jupiter, who seemed to have regained her vigor, leaped to her feet and bolted towards the teleportation gate. Got a sudden burst of energy there? What happened to the imminent heart failure?

"The moment we return, Ill draw a hot bath to soak in, a glass of whiskey with ice in one hand, and a cigar in the other..."

Jupiters heartfelt wish was abruptly interrupted.

Jupiter, positioned at the brink of the watchtower, was rigidly gazing at something afar.

Intrigued, the rest of the party members trailed behind Jupiter to catch a glimpse of what had transfixed her. And then, each one of them was rooted to the spot.

"This is...."

I too gradually trailed behind.

A vast fortress wall unfurled in front of us.

Twice as thick as Crossroads, its scale was nothing short of monumental.

And within those fortress walls was the Lake Kingdom.

What we had seen from the backstreets before was merely a tiny portion.

The staggering scope of the Lake Kingdom truly sank in as we surveyed it from the towering fortress walls.

Its so expansive it wont fit in a single view.

It brought back memories of the time I scaled a skyscrapers observation deck in Seoul and looked down upon the city.

The Lake Kingdom was as vast as Seoul. The problem was, it was completely lifeless.

Under normal circumstances, the entire city would be shrouded in darkness, rendering everything invisible. But there was one reason why we could vaguely discern the citys layout.

"Light...."

Damien whispered, his voice shaking.

"Light can be seen throughout the city."

Like stars peppering a cloudy night sky, the points lights sprinkled around the city shone brightly.

Someone had stationed permanent magic stones and undying fires at intersections and hubs across the city.

Thanks to this, a few surviving humans could find their way here.

And, that wasnt the sole source of light.

"Whats that? A lighthouse...?"

Evangeline pointed towards the citys heart.

A faint flame flickered from the spire jutting out of the citys center.

Despite being weak amidst the dense darkness, it was unmistakably a light.

That light was illuminating the tallest and most resplendent tower situated smack in the middle of this city.

Lake Kingdoms Royal Castle.

I fixed my gaze on the castle, shimmering like a mirage in the remote darkness.

That place was destined to be our final exploration zone.

And it would be the battleground where the ultimate boss confrontation would unfold.

Theres a long~way~to go to get there....

As I overlooked the entire city, I silently swallowed.

Given the sheer distance from here to there, it was enough to make one feel faint.

The city was designed so that the center was the highest point, and the outskirts were the lowest.

And our current position was precisely.

[Zone 3: Outer Northern Fortress]

Here.

The most distant and northernmost section of the city.

"We entered through the sewers, meandered through the back alleys, and wound up near the citys northern gate."

After recapping our journey so far, I turned to face the party members with a small grin.

"Well, well ponder over our next move later."

I started to massage my aching lower back.

"Lets hurry home...."

It appears Ive inherited the princes backache. Ugh.

***

[Free Exploration Concluded!]

[Characters That Leveled Up]

- Ash(EX) Lv.15 (4)

- Lucas(SSR) Lv.33 (2)

- Jupiter(SR) Lv.38 (1)

- Damien(N) Lv.27 (3)

- Evangeline(SSR) Lv.36 (1) <Guest Character>

[Acquired Equipment]

- <Cavalry Lance> Demons Spear (SSR) <Guest Transfer>

- <Shield> Giants Shield(SSR) <Guest Transfer>

- <Magic Orb> Scream Orb(SR)

[Acquired Items]

- Standard Highest Grade Magic Core(SR): 2

- Golem Legion Magic Stones: 120

- Golem Legion Gauntlet Fragments: 32

- Blue Flame Torch

- Summon Scroll: Massive Steam Golem <Player Skill> <Complete Destruction Bonus>