Chapter 16: A Real Ghost Appears, the Muscle-Killer <Debubu>!
The day after Rika joined—Wednesday.
Today’s destination was the Beginner Mid-tier Dungeon, the <Ghosts Cave>.
Just as the name suggests, it’s a dungeon where <Ghosts> wander about.
Inside the dim cave, I could hear giggling voices echoing faintly from deeper within.
Classic horror-style dungeon stuff you’d see in RPGs.
The <Ghosts> here have insanely high resistance to non-elemental physical attacks, but in return, their magic resistance is practically paper-thin. This is commonly known as the <Ghost Trait>.
The proper way to deal with them is, of course, magic. Or, since they’re only absurdly resistant to non-elemental attacks, you can also use elemental weapons.
By the way, <Ghosts> are also the first regular monsters in <DanKatsu> that actually use magic against you—they’ll fling 『Fireballs』.
Combined with the <Ghost Trait>, this dungeon earned the nickname: <The First Muscle-Killer Dungeon>.
After all, 【Muscle Warriors】 don’t wear equipment, so their attacks are all non-elemental. Plus, they’re weak to magic.
There’s even a saying: "Muscles are powerless against Ghosts."
I wonder if that party of 【Muscle Warriors】 ever managed to get through here? (They’ve already been wiped out.)
The reason we came today is that Lana and the others hit Job Level 20, unlocking their second-tier Skills and Magic trees.
Lana finally got the offensive magic she’d been dreaming of, and Ester picked up the elemental attack skill 『Precious Thrust』.
I’ve got 『Shine Lightning』, plus the holy-element <Sky Sword>.
Hanna’s got 『Fireball』. With this, our attack lineup was solid.
So, we prepped and challenged the dungeon… but the very concern I’d had ended up coming true.
"Kh!"
"Kekekeke!"
"『Sonic Sword』!"
"『Fireball』!"
Two <Ghosts> slipped past Sierra’s 『Provoke』 and rushed on Lana.
I cut in with 『Sonic Sword』, staggering one and finishing it, while Hanna’s 『Fireball』 slammed into the other, taking it down, and the crisis was averted.
It was the same kind of slip-up we’d already run into several times since starting this dungeon.
When the fight ended, Sierra came back looking a little downcast.
"Sorry… I let them slip through again."
Failing to grab aggro, leaving the backline exposed.
For Sierra—who takes real pride in being our shield—that hit her pretty hard.
"It’s fine. They’re your weak spot, aren’t they? Ghosts."
Even in games, some people can’t stand ghosts or spooky stuff.
And this is the real deal. Real ghosts. Honestly, I was scared stiff at first, too. If a kid came in here, they’d bawl and probably wet themselves. Yet Sierra still stands at the front without complaint. That alone is amazing. A few mistakes don’t mean anything.
Strangely enough, though, Hanna, Lana, and Ester were totally fine with the real ghosts.
When I asked Hanna quietly, she said, "The forest in the <Nameless Beginner’s Village> was scarier." Ahh… maybe thanks to all those slimes we thrashed, she built up resistance.
As I half expected from yesterday’s stat distribution, Sierra’s a little weak against ghost-type monsters.
We’d been diving the <Ghost Cave> since morning, and while Sierra could still stand in front of the <Ghosts>, she kept messing up her skills afterwards.
Like just now—missing the aggro grab with 『Provoke』. And when she switched to 『Guard Stance』 to cover everyone, she just ended up taking a ton of hits. Thanks to her high RES stat, it wasn’t an actual problem, but mentally, Sierra looked pretty shaken.
I even suggested swapping roles, me tanking instead, but then Sierra wouldn’t be able to attack in my place—she’d just be tagging along. She absolutely refused that.
She even told me straight: "Let me keep doing it. I want to overcome this weakness." How could I say no to that?
"Well, let’s just take it easy. Even if you mess up, we’ll cover for you. No rush."
"That’s right. Sierra, you’re always helping us. This time it’s our turn to help you!"
"I’ll do what I can to support as well."
"And of course, so will I. No need to worry—there’s no way we’ll fall behind to Beginner Mid-tier monsters."
"…Thanks. I’ll take you up on that."
Everyone’s got their weak points and dislikes. Nothing wrong with that.
Realistically, our party’s RES is sky-high and our gear’s excellent. Even if we take hits, Lana just heals us. Not a problem at all.
<DanKatsu> really tests compatibility like this.
Honestly, it makes things feel fresh. Kind of fun, in its own way.
And, well… seeing the usually cool Sierra fumbling and sulking over her mistakes? I’ll admit, it was kinda moe. But that’s a secret I’m keeping to myself.
Normally, by lunchtime, we’d already be at the safe zone before the boss's room, but today we were moving slowly.
Right now, we are taking a lunch break near the entrance to the 11th floor. Floor entrances rarely spawn monsters, so we basically didn’t get any encounters here. Only wandering field bosses pass through, and since those don’t appear in Beginner Mid-tier dungeons, this spot was practically a safe zone.
"Your cooking is as delicious as ever, Hanna."
"There are a lot of dishes I’ve never seen before. It feels so fresh."
"Princess Lana, that’s because it’s a bento. It’s completely different from palace food, you know?"
"Ahhh, this is so good. Exploring dungeons is fun, but the most healing moment is definitely this right here."
"Hehe, I’m glad everyone’s enjoying it."
It was a blissful time in the dungeon—Hanna’s bento time.
We spread out a picnic sheet on the ground, set up a small table, and all sat together to eat lunch.
Ahh, this is wonderful. Back in the game days, there wasn’t even such a thing as a meal break.
At first, in the real world, I found it a bit troublesome that I’d get hungry. But now, I actually look forward to this—being able to eat Hanna’s cooking.
And with four beautiful girls around me, who wouldn’t be happy in this situation? Real-life <DanKatsu> is seriously the best! The food’s amazing too!
Eating a homemade lunch made by a beautiful girl, while surrounded by beautiful girls—it’s pure bliss.
Feeling refreshed, I was ready to enjoy the afternoon’s adventure.
By 4 PM, we finally reached the 15th floor, taking much more time than usual.
Sierra still wasn’t at her best, but she seemed to be getting used to it. Her hit rate while using 『Guard Stance』 had improved a lot, and she was starting to find her own way of handling fights against ghosts.
"Think you can handle the boss?"
"I’d love to say ‘of course,’ but… this time I’ll have to rely on you."
"Got it. Leave it to me."
The boss of the <Ghost Cave Dungeon> was the <Debubu Ghost>, commonly called <Debubu>.
It was a fat ghost that used 『Split』 and 『Merge』. Its belly had three rolls.
Despite its silly appearance, it was surprisingly strong, earning the nickname <Muscle Killer>.
The bloated Debubu spat out <Mini Ghosts> from its mouth, swarming the party with sheer numbers.
But the more <Minis> it produced, the smaller its body became, and its HP dropped accordingly. It could split into as many as 32 Minis.
The tricky part was that Minis couldn’t be permanently killed. If left alive too long, they’d gather power and then get eaten back by <Debubu>, restoring its body and HP through 『Merge』.
That’s why 【Muscle Warriors】 struggled here. Because of the <Ghost Trait>, it took them too long to kill the <Minis>, and they couldn’t stop the 『Merge』. Hence why <Debubu> was called the <Muscle Killer>.
Since this fight was all about handling swarms, it was too heavy a burden for Sierra, who still wasn’t back in top form.
Surrounded by hordes of ghosts, she could lose her composure and end up helplessly pummeled.
This time, I’d fight alongside her—we’d already agreed on that.
The basic strategy for <Debubu> was simple: clear the <Minis>, then strike the main body.
But the catch was, if you hit the main body, you’d instantly draw huge aggro from all the <Minis>. A fragile long-range caster could get swarmed and wiped out in an instant. A textbook "gotcha" boss.
So timing your attacks was everything. You had to strike the main body only after clearing the <Minis>.
I briefed everyone beforehand.
"Don’t attack the main body until I give the signal. Especially you, Lana and Hanna—your HP is paper-thin."
"Got it, I’ll be careful."
"I know! Until you give the signal, I’ll just focus on cutting down the <Minis>!"
"Ester, your RES and HP are high, so once the <Minis> are thinned out, it’s fine if you go after the main body. At that point—Lana."
"Healing, right? Leave it to me!"
"Understood. If more <Minis> appear, we just fall back for now, correct?"
"Exactly. Looks like everyone’s got it."
With the strategy set, it was time for the boss fight.
"Alright, let’s do this."
"Keheheheheheheh!!"
As we passed through the gate, laughter erupted from a massive purple balloon-like shape sitting in the back of the chamber.
That was the dungeon’s boss—the <Debubu Ghost>.
"Alright, let’s get some hits in before it starts spawning <Minis>. Hanna, Lana!"
"『Fireball』!"
"『Blade of Light』! 『Pillar of Light』!"
This was our rare chance to attack the main body safely.
Our opening salvo.
Hanna’s and Lana’s ranged attacks flew true, thanks to all their practice, landing cleanly on the boss and shaving down its HP.
『Pillar of Light』 was an area attack that rose from the ground. It wasn’t as strong as 『Blade of Light』, but it covered a wide area.
"Gukekekekeke!! Bobobobobobobo!!"
The laughter stopped, and at last the <Mini Ghosts> were released—eight of them to start.
Every time they were spat out of its mouth, the main body, <Debubu>, shrank a little.
"『Guard Stance』!"
Sierra’s full-area taunt spread out.
With that, the aggro Hanna and Lana had built up on the main body was overridden by Sierra.
"『Shine Lightning』!"
"『Precious Thrust』!"
I cut in front of the <Mini Ghosts> swarming Sierra and unleashed an area attack.
<Minis> had low HP, so they were easy to wipe out.
With a single strike, I took down six.
Ester followed up, skewering the remaining two in a neat line and finishing them off.
Whoa, not bad. She deliberately lined them up and pierced them all with one thrust—a high-level technique. It’s not easy to pull that off mid-battle.
Looks like Ester’s really getting the hang of that spear.
"『Fireball』!"
"『Blessing of Lion』! 『Blessing of Holy Magic』! 『Blade of Light』! 『Pillar of Light』!"
With the <Minis> gone, it was time to go for the main body again.
Hanna and Lana’s ranged attacks blasted <Debubu>, while Lana spread buffs that boosted our attack and magic power.
"Ge—!? Keheheheheheh!! Bobobobobobobo!!"
This time, sixteen <Minis> spawned.
They always came in multiples of eight, increasing each wave, up to a maximum of thirty-two at once.
"『Guard Stance』!"
"『Shine Lightning』!"
"『Precious Thrust』!"
Same loop as before—taunt, area, thrust. But with more enemies this time, five <Minis> were left. With skills on cooldown, another AoE wasn’t ready yet.
"Keheheheheheh!!"
All the <Minis> rushed Sierra, some firing off 『Fireballs』.
"Guh—!"
"『Sonic Sword』!"
Sure enough, facing ghosts dulled Sierra’s reactions a bit. One fireball slipped past her shield and hit her directly.
I instantly jumped between her and the swarm, throwing them into confusion.
My <Sky Sword> carried holy power, so even regular slashes cut through the <Minis> with ease.
"『Prayer of Healing』!"
Lana’s recovery spell enveloped Sierra, refilling her HP in an instant.
She was tough, so she hadn’t taken that much damage anyway, but stacking a regen buff whenever possible was the smart play.
The <Minis> were cleared again, and then came step three.
This time, twenty-four. Things were starting to get rough.
If we missed even one, <Debubu> could absorb them and heal back.
But my worries turned out to be unnecessary. Most of our party was already geared for Intermediate-Level dungeons, and their firepower was plenty. The swarm melted quickly.
Lana, in particular, was mowing down <Minis> like crazy. With both 『Blade of Light』 and 『Pillar of Light』 at her disposal, her clear speed was on another level. And since 『Pillar of Light』 lingered on the field, she could drop it in front of Sierra, and all the taunted <Minis> would just walk into it and get erased.
So strong!!
"Gegehh!? Boboboboboboooo!!"
Before I knew it, we were at step four—thirty-two <Minis>, the maximum spawn. <Debubu>’s HP was already close to half. Now the real fight began.
I stepped in to tank.
"『Appeal』!"
"『Provoke』!"
Sierra switched from 『Guard Stance』 to 『Provoke』. No way she could handle thirty-two in her condition.
I went up front, while Sierra covered the rear guard.
"『Shine Lightning』!"
An AoE wiped out the <Minis> charging at me.
Since they were all rushing my position, it was easy to scoop them up. That single strike alone wiped out thirteen! Damn, AoEs feel so good!
"『Pillar of Light』!"
"『Fireball』!"
The ones that slipped past me toward Sierra, I left it to Lana and Hanna.
Ester and I went straight for the main body.
Before it could summon more <Minis>, we struck while their numbers were low.
"『Brave Slash』!"
"『Precious Thrust』!"
"Guggeeeeehhhhh!?"
Our combined blows—mine and Ester’s, each with STR over 150—landed hard. That had to have dealt massive damage.
My <Sky Sword> carried a holy attribute. That must’ve hurt like hell—<Debubu> was weak against holy, after all.
The <Minis> that had been heading toward Sierra’s group suddenly panicked and turned back.
"『Legion Thrust』!"
"『Shine Lightning』!"
"『Pillar of Light』!"
"Gegeeehhhhh!?"
The swarming <Mini Ghosts> were annihilated in a wave of area attacks.
I slipped around to the boss’s flank, slipping in a little trick to catch both <Debubu> and the <Minis> in my strike radius, racking up even more damage.
"Gegegegehhhhh!! B-b-b-b-bboooooooohhhhhh!!"
As its final act of defiance, the <Mini Ghosts> were replenished to their max limit.
But <Debubu> itself had wasted away, its once proud triple belly-rolls completely gone.
A few more hits and this would be over.
"Sierra! I’m counting on you—use 『Guard Stance』!"
"『Guard Stance』!"
Sierra’s AoE taunt spread across the boss room.
The <Minis> rushed toward her, leaving the boss wide open.
"Now! Hit the boss with everything! 『Sonic Sword』!"
"『Precious Thrust』! 『Long Thrust』!"
"『Blade of Light』!"
"『Fireball』!"
Not to mention, 『Brave Slash』 carried a defense-down debuff. Sure enough, the <Debubu> had a defense-down icon, letting Ester’s physical skills carve into it too. The plan was clear—end it with an all-out assault before the <Mini Ghosts> could regroup.
The <Minis> charging Sierra panicked and turned back as the main body was battered by our relentless assault—but it was far too late. Checkmate.
"Gegegehh… ke…"
Like a balloon deflating with a hiss, <Debubu> shrank and vanished in a massive burst of effects.
The <Minis>, being part of it, scattered into shimmering particles and disappeared as well.
All that remained was a mountain of loot—and a golden, radiant treasure chest.
Previous Chapter - TOC - Next Chapter
Comments
Post a Comment