Chapter 20: The Flute’s Call. Rematch with the <Emperor Goblin>!!
"<Emperor Goblin>! The time for our rematch has come!"
I shouted boldly from the safe zone on the bottom floor of the <Wild Grasslands Dungeon>.
"Waa, waa~. Good luck, Zephyrus-kun."
Hanna clapped from behind, already settling down to rest.
I struck a pose, raised my hand in response, and stepped up to the gate.
This time Hanna was staying behind. What I wanted—what I’d been waiting for—was another fight with the <Emperor Goblin>.
Honestly, coming to the <Grasslands> today was half for this.
The other half, gathering <Mana Grass>, was already a huge success this morning—568 pieces in total.
Way more than last time. That’s because I handled the harvesting while Hanna focused on extermination.
Her AGI is low. Well, you know what that means.
Turns out I can gather way more than her, so I’ll have to look for even more efficient methods next time.
Anyway, that’s enough harvesting for today.
The closer you get to the bottom floor, the more <Mana Grass> there is. Which means using the teleport circle there is the fastest way back. And if you’re already on the bottom floor… why not fight the rare boss while you’re at it? Simple logic.
And I’m sure even Marie-senpai won’t complain if it’s just one fight.
So I pulled out my trump card: the <Rare Monster Flute (Boss Type)>—a.k.a. the <Flute>.
Brand new, still had five uses left. One won’t hurt. Especially since it’s just me.
The flute’s side had five glowing dots; each use snuffs one out. Pretty neat design. Makes me wonder—how does this thing even work? Would be nice if I could mass-produce them… Not that I can.
"Alright, here goes! Piiiii~♪~♪"
Strangely, despite looking like a recorder, it sounded more like a whistle. And no matter how I covered the holes, the pitch never changed. What are these holes even for? Decoration? (Nah, I’m sure they mean something.)
But sure enough, one of the glowing dots went out. That meant it worked.
The annoying part about Beginner Mid-tier dungeons is that you can’t see what’s inside the boss room beforehand.
So… success? Or failure?
In the game, the flute’s success rate was a shaky 70%. One out of three times, it flopped.
But this time—it worked.
The gate opened to an empty room. Then came the rare boss spawn effect.
And from the light, a hulking silhouette emerged.
The opponent I’d longed to face again: the <Emperor Goblin>.
"Yo. I’m back for another round."
"Gobb."
Did it just smirk at me? Almost looked like the <Emperor Goblin> was glad to see me too.
We both walked forward, step for step, until we met at the center of the room.
Huh? That’s new.
Normally, from this distance, it’d either charge with a swing or launch magic.
Walking calmly? That never happened in the game.
Heh. Nice. I’m getting pumped!
The gap between us shrank—now within 『Sonic Sword』 range.
In that instant, both our expressions sharpened into the look of predators about to strike.
I dashed forward without using a skill.
The <Emperor Goblin> stood its ground, flaring with a crimson effect.
The <Goblin Style: Deadly Shatter Blade>. It was waiting for me!
"Good! That’s what I like! 『Brave Slash』!!"
"Goooohhh!!"
The rematch began with an all-out clash of ultimate moves.
My blade, glowing blue with 『Brave Slash』, crashed against its crimson-lit 『Deadly Shatter Blade』.
The result—cancellation.
"Guah!?"
When two attack skills collide and their power levels are close, sometimes they just nullify each other.
Both attacks are negated, and the fighters get blown back.
It was my first time getting knocked back since starting my <DanKatsu>, and I staggered hard.
I barely managed to keep my footing and avoided slipping into a full Slip Down, but I was wide open.
"Gooooobuuuu!"
Because the knockback happened up close, the distance between us was still tight.
Recovering from the recoil quicker than me, the <Emperor Goblin> swung its massive rod downward.
"Argh, ow! Damn it, you bastard!"
The blow landed solidly, dealing heavy damage. But no way was I backing down—I countered with my <Sky Sword>.
"Gobbaa!"
My blade struck its chest cleanly, but it retaliated immediately, slamming back with sword and rod.
I blocked the sword with my shield, but the rod smashed into me head-on.
"Guoh! Not done yet!"
I slashed right back, carving into it again.
Wait a sec… isn’t this unfolding exactly like last time!?
The exchange turned into a furious flurry of blows. Last fight, my HP had dropped into the danger zone mid-way, and when I pulled back, I almost ate its <Goblin Style: Deadly Shatter Blade>.
Screw that. If I retreat here, I lose!
"『Sonic Sword』!!"
That impact from before… I can still feel it in my hands!
Timing my skill with its strike, I slipped past and flashed behind it with a clean slash!
"Gwahh!?"
Yes! Nailed it! That same sweet hit I’d replayed in my dreams!
"Gobun!"
But this time, it wasn’t locked in post–Unique Skill recovery, so no crit, no knockdown.
It instantly whipped around, sword swinging in a wide arc.
Doesn’t matter. I was ready.
"『Defense』!!"
The same defensive counter stance I used against the <Battle Wolf (Second Form)>.
But then—something unexpected.
The moment its sword connected, the <Emperor Goblin> itself was blasted back.
"Guh-ah!?"
A parry. In other words, a defense victory. My timing had matched perfectly.
Having struck recklessly into my defense skill, the <Emperor Goblin> was hurled backward, reeling hard.
This was my chance. Couldn’t let it slip.
"『Brave Slassshhh』!!"
Landing a high-power strike during knockback forces a knockdown!
My blade, blazing with blue energy, bit deep—dropping the <Emperor Goblin> flat.
That’s the combo: defense wins into counter! Pulled it off perfectly, for real this time!
"This ends now!!"
I closed the distance before it could get back up.
Normal attacks rained down, racking up heavy damage—
And then, the finisher.
"『Sonic Sword』!!"
Leveled to 5, 『Sonic Sword』 was more than just a movement skill. Time to prove it!
"Ghh… guuuhhh…"
My strike cleaved through, dropping the <Emperor Goblin>’s HP straight to zero. Once again, it dissolved into a torrent of dazzling effects.
What remained… two shining <Golden Chests>.
"I wooooooon!!"
I threw aside my <Sky Sword> and shield, struck a guts pose, and roared with triumph.
"Ahh… damn. That fight with the <Emperor Goblin>… I think I’m hooked."
That rush again—just like last time.
Why is it so thrilling? I guess it’s because I’m fighting tough opponents solo.
The sense of fulfillment is absolutely incredible!
It feels amazing.
Thinking back on the fight… yeah, it was that flow starting from my defensive win.
I didn’t miss the short knockback window, and I nailed the 『Brave Slash』 perfectly.
The thrill of seizing that one huge chance to finish it—the excitement, the satisfaction, the sense of achievement.
And the solid impact is still lingering in my hands.
Right now, I feel completely alive!
"Real <DanKatsu> is freaking amazing…!!"
Still riding the high, I just flopped over onto the floor.
"Good work, Zephyrus-kun~"
"Yeah! I nailed it again this time!"
After a while, the gate opened and Hanna walked in.
She had two mugs in her hands—it looked like she’d prepared drinks.
I sat up and took one.
"Here you go. It’s nice and cold."
"Thanks. …Mm, yeah. Nothing beats a drink after a rare boss fight!"
Just plain cold barley tea! And for some reason, it tasted ridiculously good.
I could feel my overheated body cooling down.
Once I had settled a little, I felt a gaze on me.
Hanna kept glancing at me, like she was waiting for something.
Yep. I knew it.
Actually, the moment Hanna stepped through the gate, I caught her eyes darting quickly to me… and then straight to the golden chest sitting behind me. She's been dying for this. <Gold Chests>.
"Go on, you can open one."
"I love you, Zephyrus-kun!"
Yep. Got an I love you!
Wait, don't tell me word's gotten around that Kalua once told me the same thing?
Not that I mind, though! Honestly, I want her to say it more.
This is dangerous though… I feel like I might end up bribing her with treasure chests.
If that whole <Perfect Beauti-Four Phenomenon> thing had triggered, no doubt I would've let her open three of them already.
…Ahem. Anyway.
"Now then, what do we get this time? Please bless us, <Lucky Cat-sama>."
Hanna popped open the chest first, remembering to say her little prayer.
And from inside came—a sword I recognized.
"Whoa! The <Emperor Goblin's Cursed Sword>!"
That was the very sword that <Emperor Goblin> had wielded in its right hand.
He swung it around one-handed, but it's clearly a two-hander.
A weapon drop from a rare boss is a huge jackpot. Gear from those guys is almost always top-tier for its level bracket.
And sure enough, among the Beginner Mid-tier gear range, the <Emperor Goblin's Cursed Sword> stood at the very top.
…Shame no one can use it.
Either Ester or I could equip it, but I want to carry a shield, and Ester's build is focused on thrusting skills.
Oh well. We'll stash it away. Maybe a future member can use it. At the very least, it's solid enough to carry us through Intermediate low-tier dungeons.
"Alright, guess it's my turn. Let's see what I get…"
Still riding the high from the battle, I opened the <Gold Chest>, full of anticipation.
And what popped out was… something I'd seen before. A flute.
"Wait—<Rare Monster Summoning Flute (Boss)>—againnnnn?!"
Yup. Another <Rare Monster Flute (Boss)>. A duplicate!
Just how badly does that <Emperor Goblin> want a rematch with me!?
I swear I could almost see the illusion of the <Emperor Goblin>, flexing his bulging muscles, flashing a blinding grin. (Maybe it wasn't just my imagination.)
God, he's so obnoxiously intense!
"You wanna fight again, huh?"
Fine by me. I'll take you on anytime.
And so I promised myself I'd go back and challenge the <Emperor Goblin> again when I had the time.
"But not today—we're out of time."
The clock was close to midnight.
Time to head home.
I thought I saw the phantom <Emperor Goblin> widen his eyes in shock, but that had to be my imagination. We grabbed the loot and returned via the teleportation circle.
See you next time, buddy~.
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