Vol. 5 - Ch. 287 - I wasn't defeated! Zephyr's convoluted feelings.

"Geez Zephyr, you're so pathetic to be done like that!""Where did you even learn that line!? And for god's sake, I wasn't done just so you know, I was just under the down effect!"

That was the first thing Lana said after seeing me getting up without any problem after the battle was over. I retorted, screaming at the top of my lungs.

It was the question about my dignity, like hell I could be sent out of the battle with the likes of an aint-low boss! In fact, I was even more surprised when she learned that line.

Such a line said to a hero by the Princess, it reminded me of a famous scene from a certain game!

I know it's impossible to happen again but Lana isn't going to follow the same line each time I get down like this, right? Kuh, and one part of me kind of wants to be told that. Damn, this gamer disposition of mine.

"You're alright, Zephyr. I'm glad."

"Ah, sorry to make you worry, Karua. There's no way anyone can take me down so remember not to get caught up in Lana's words next time, okay?"

"Hn."

"Stop, what do you mean by that , Zephyr!?"

I felt like my heart was cleaned looking at Karua's genuinely relieved look.

Lana asked for the explanation but I didn't have anything to say in regards to that.

"Calm down Lana-dono, I think all that matters is Zephyr is unharmed, no? Even so, I really can't believe that we defeated it so easily...... Wandering boss was a wall many would break into sweat and yet not be able to cross it in the stories I had heard, and that meeting one such entity spells higher chance of party wipeout......"

"You haven't heard wrong. Wandering bosses' forte lie in their ability to make surprise attacks, to the point they're called to be the wall. It is a trial set-up to test the challengers and to stop them from reaching the boss room easily. The encounter mostly involved uncertainty where you never know when the wandering boss is going to make a surprise attack or when it might appear, thus increasing the chance of party wipeout."

The battle just now was strayed from the norm, where the party members had ignored the role they had been assigned to and instead mounted a frontal assault with full power and won.

A single mistake and It wouldn't have been strange for all of them to be eliminated...... Well, the girls in our guild are really something. As expected of ‹Dungeon Activity›.

The boss battle just now was completely out of the norm. They fought following the pattern that was completely alien to me where I would usually formulate a plan first.

Even after setting its target on me, ‹Spooky Bear-cum-Armadillo› was just defeated without giving it a chance to do anything. The whole situation must have been incomprehensible to it.

After all, it neither had the chance to run away nor the time to activate rage mode.

"Just take this battle, everyone would have been shoved to take on the sudden battle without getting any chance to be prepared if I hadn't jumped out and taken the target. Insufficient preparation could have even led to the wipeout. The boss just now was by no means a pushover."

It was especially so for Ester. Had the boss focused totally on attacking the carriage, the first one who would have lost her complete HP would have been Ester. In the end, ‹Thunder Javelin› is no different than a normal carriage without the HP blessing.

It could have been destroyed without any resistance, boarding members too would have been attacked and faced the complete party wipeout.

In the ‹Dungeon Activity› game when the member operating the ‹Vehicle› was pushed to zero HP, the members boarding the said ‹Vehicle› would be then ejected out on that spot. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ NøᴠᴇlFire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Of course I don't know what will happen in reality without experiencing it but for sure, it would be anything but fortunate.

"I see. Zephyr's first response was to secure our back huh. Thank you."

"Of course I will. ‹Brave› is the one who will rush to help out people in a pinch."

Though it's another matter, I was only several seconds of the ‹Brave›. I still feel sad.

"Zephyr-dono, I have done collecting all the materials."

Ester entered our conversation then.

It seemed like she was the only calm one and was gathering the materials dropped by the boss. Well of course she knows I was just under the down effect.

"Ah, thank you. And sorry, you had to handle everything by yourself."

All I did was save the members from taking in by surprise and then remained lying on the ground for the rest of time.

I was feeling a bit guilty that everything was left on her. But even those feelings were blown away by her following words.

"Boss has dropped ‹Silver› chest. Shall we open them, Zephyr-dono?"

"Of course!"

I replied in a heartbeat reflexively.

Other things can be left for later when it's the question of treasure chests.

Opening the treasure chest was the foremost priority above anything else! Excluding ‹Wooden Chest› of course.

The earlier two silver chests were taken in by Karua and Lana but it's my turn this time!

Lana and Karua turned to look at us with an expression asking what Ester just said now but I turned away my head. I, I'm not going to hand it over to them.

I ignored their quizzical gazes and swiftly dashed towards the chest. I'm sure there's going to be something good this time.

The rewards for wandering bosses was silver chest and above given their strength compared to guardian bosses and the drops inside them too were on the level of rare bosses. What might it have dropped I wonder.

"Alright, I'm going to take upon your gracious words and open it. Please give me something good, ‹Sachineko-sama›! Alright, prayer done!"

I clapped my hand to pray and then with click, opened the chest.

"......... Inhale."

And then slowly closed the chest.

"Hurry up and open it!"

"Woah!?"

I didn't even realise that Lana was standing behind me.

I guess she must have rushed up while my attention was on the treasure chest. I once again opened the treasure chest.

"What's that? A shell?"

"...... A cloth type equipment ‹Dilo Shell›."

I replied to Lana with a distant gaze.

In the chest was the armadillo's shell that ‹Spooky Bear-cum-Armadillo› was wearing on its back(?). Thou shalt become one of its comrades by equipping it!

What am I even going to do with it?