Chapter 15: Lana Shows Off Her Princessly Authority in the Most Pointless Way. Come Forth, Rare Boss!
The boss of the <Isolated Island Flower Garden Dungeon>> was the <Sabottender>.
A long-range–specialized type.
Among Beginner Upper-tier dungeon bosses, it was on the weaker side—so long as you had proper countermeasures against ranged attacks and poison. Its actual attack power wasn’t high, and it hardly moved, making it a perfect boss for farming runs.
The catch was that it didn’t pair well with tanks like Rika, who relied heavily on defensive skills.
So this time, Sierra would take the role of main tank.
When it came to bosses at the Beginner Upper-tier, leaving it all to Kalua and Rika was a bit much, so the rest of us would be jumping into the fray as well.
Rika might be a tank, but she could also handle the attacker role, so she was shifted into DPS for this fight.
Kalua stayed as a straight-up attacker.
With the formation decided, we charged in against the <Sabottender>.
And honestly—
"Ahh~, this is a cakewalk."
"Fuuh!? Fuuh!?"
By the midpoint of the fight, we were in such a ridiculously favorable position that I couldn’t even imagine us struggling.
"Sierra’s 『Induction Cover』 is just too damn precise."
The <Sabottender> relied on AoEs, party-wide attacks, and <Poison> as its main offense. But poison didn’t work on Sierra, and if you simply kept away from the monster, you’d avoid the range of its area attacks.
That meant it had no way to actually bring Sierra down, leaving it only with full-party attacks—and every time it tried one, Sierra’s 『Induction Cover』 completely nullified it. The thing was locked down hard.
Sierra’s tanking was absurdly solid.
For farming, this was the dream setup—but maybe, just maybe, I wanted a little more thrill than this.
Ah—looks like it just summoned some <Mini-Sabottenders>.
"『Guard Stance』!"
Once again, Sierra took on all nine of them herself. Last time, she’d gotten surrounded and taken quite a beating… but this time, that didn’t happen.
"『Counter Burst』! 『Impact Bash』!"
"""Fuhfuhfuh!?"""
With Sierra’s brutal counters and high-power strikes, the <Mini-Sabottenders> were knocked flying, unable to keep her pinned.
And while they were stunned and reeling, the rest of our attackers picked them off. Sierra barely broke a sweat handling the whole pack.
With its trump card defeated, the <Sabottender> was left wide open, and we swarmed it while it was "slacking off." Swallowed up by our barrage of effects, the cactus boss evaporated—and Rika’s team claimed victory with ease.
"Zephyrus. You know, I just don’t feel satisfied."
The one voicing complaints about the fight was none other than Princess Lana herself.
Well, she had a point. A boss battle that was too easy felt hollow. Poor <Sabottender>—if you laze around too much, this is the kind of thing people say about you.
…Anyway.
"I mean, yeah, I get what you’re saying… but what exactly do you want me to do about it?"
"Fufu, you already know. Use the flute."
"…Oh boy."
All of a sudden, I felt some kind of aura radiating from Lana. Was that… the authority of a princess? Did it really have to show up here of all places?
Was the last fight really that disappointing for her?
"Don’t you see? Today’s the last day! And on the last day, you have to fight a massive boss worthy of the finale!"
Today was the final day of our class exemption. Tomorrow, regular school life resumes.
…Damn it. She had a point. Even I wanted something worthy of a "final day."
Of course, a single use of the flute costs 500,000 mirus.
"Alright, fine—let’s do it!"
Swept up by Lana’s energy, I found myself agreeing.
At that moment, a shadow glided in—Sierra, giving me a very flat look.
"And just what are you two plotting? I think I’d like to hear the details."
Oh no. That was the look of someone who’d heard everything.
And now her gaze was locked firmly on me. Why me?
"If you don’t stop this, who will? Do you realize every single use of that flute burns through 500,000 mirus? Who’s supposed to pay for that?"
…Yeah. Fair point.
I understood exactly what Sierra was getting at.
Technically, the flute was my personal item. But if we used it in guild runs, then the cost came out of guild funds—same as arrows or ammunition.
I’d only just learned this myself when Celestan explained it to me the other day.
The budget was shared guild property. Naturally, blowing money recklessly for selfish reasons was a big no-no. After all, it was everyone’s money.
If we spent 500,000 mirus from guild funds, then we had to earn back more than that to make it worthwhile.
Since we were required to contribute half our income to the guild, that meant we’d need to rake in at least 1,000,000 mirus bare minimum. On top of that, since guild members received salaries and allowances based on contribution, we’d have to cover that too—or else the guild budget would dip into the red.
Realistically, we’d want at least 1.2 million mirus, and if we were aiming for actual profit, 1.5 million would be ideal.
In other words, using the flute once means we’d need to earn 1.5 million mirus. Eight uses? That’s 12 million mirus we’d have to make back.
The materials from a Beginner Upper-tier rare boss and the loot from a <Silver Chest> would sell for about 2 to 2.5 million mirus per battle.
On paper, the numbers work out. But the flute doesn’t guarantee a rare boss spawn every time.
If we miss four out of eight attempts, we’ll be bleeding money. Even missing three times would leave us breaking even at best. Sure, if we happen to land a <Gold Chest>, we’d rake in a fortune—but that’s wishful thinking.
Ugh. The more I think about it, the more it feels like a terrible idea.
Getting six rare bosses out of eight? Yeah, I’m not that confident.
"Sorry, Lana. Forget what I just said."
"I won’t allow that."
"…Huh?"
Apparently, I’m not allowed to.
"If it’s about money, I’ll pay for it. Wouldn’t that solve the problem? I haven’t really been using mine, so I’ve got quite a bit left."
"Not quite. Guild rules clearly state that anything used by the guild must be purchased with guild funds. If we’re using the flute, it has to come from the guild budget."
Yeah, that was one of those guild regulations Celestan stayed up late drafting. No way Lana could talk her way out of this one.
Or so I thought.
Lana’s eyes sharpened.
"Hmm. I see. Interesting. But I’ll use it anyway! If there’s a rule like that, then I’ll just break it!"
"…Ah."
That’s our princess. Bold and reckless. An idea so outrageous only royalty could say it with a straight face. I couldn’t help but admire her absurd logic. Still… there’s no way that’s allowed.
Or so I thought again.
"Fair enough. Let’s go with that."
"Wha—Sierra, you’re agreeing to this!?"
Someone please explain this to me in simple terms! Wait… is this actually okay!?
"The point is, we just count it as wasteful spending. The guild budget works like a vote. If it’s declared unjustified, it gets rejected, and you’ll have to cover it personally."
"Eh? That works? You can even do that?"
So even if we buy it, if it’s deemed wasteful, the guild won’t cover it. Meaning the one who bought it pays out of pocket.
Normally, that’s meant as a penalty to teach restraint. But by twisting the system, it’s basically allowing personal purchases under the guild’s nose.
Wait, that’s actually legal? Isn’t that… full of loopholes?
"You and I hold the highest voting rights. If we say it’s wasteful, then it counts as wasteful."
"I get to decide that too!? I mean, sure, I am the guild master, but still!"
And just like that, Lana’s reckless royal logic actually went through. Authority really is something else.
"Alright then! I’ll pitch in my mirus too! Let’s use the flute!"
A rare boss festival, here we come!
"Don’t forget, moderation is key."
"Y-yeah, I know…"
I answered Sierra’s sharp glare with a shaky voice.
"So we’re fighting rare bosses, then. My blood’s pumping already."
"Mhm. Sounds fun."
When we shared the news with Rika and Kalua, that was their response.
They’d already fallen head over heels for dungeon crawling, and seeing that honestly made me really happy.
"So, Zephyrus, what rare boss awaits in the <Isolated Island Flower Garden Dungeon>? Surely it’s stronger than that <Debubu Special>, yes?"
"Ah, right. You two were there for that fight, weren’t you?"
Back then, Sierra wasn’t with us—it was Hanna in the party instead. Funny how just a few days ago already feels nostalgic.
Meaning, this wouldn’t be their first rare boss fight. They’d know just how big the power gap is. After all, rare bosses tend to be about ten levels recommended higher than their normal counterparts.
"The rare boss here is the <Cactus Cowboy>. A green cactus cowboy (?)—riding a green cactus horse, no less. Basically… a walking cactus with a cowboy hat. It fights mainly at range, but that horse of his can charge too. And the nasty part is his lasso attack."
Just picture a cowboy from some old western movie—then turn him into a cactus. (Don’t ask me how that works.)
I couldn’t quite explain it well, but since no one interrupted with questions, I kept going.
"If you get caught in the lasso, you won’t be able to move, and you can’t block either. You’ll be wide open and in serious danger. Even tanks can go down from it, so if you see the lasso flying your way, use a defensive skill to knock it away or focus entirely on dodging. Whatever you do, don’t let it catch you."
"And if someone does get caught, what should we do?"
"Good question, Rika. In that case… just struggle. A lot."
The good old button-mash escape technique. Wiggle the joystick like crazy, mash every input you’ve got. You’ll break free eventually. While that happens, everyone else just has to cover you until you’re loose again.
Still, even after I explained how to deal with it, Rika looked… unconvinced. A quick glance showed Sierra and Lana wearing the same kind of expression. Their faces practically screamed: You expect a proper lady to thrash about like that? Absolutely not.
I tried picturing it.
Lana, bound by a lasso, flailing and struggling desperately—only to be dragged across the ground toward the cowboy. Well, cactus cowboy, but still.
Nope. Can’t have that. The game’s rating would get bumped up for sure!
※ <DanKatsu> is rated B (12+).
"W-well, look at it this way. A great man once said, ‘If it doesn’t hit you, it doesn’t matter.’ So if the lasso’s coming, just focus on dodging it."
"Got it."
"I’ll never get caught!"
"I refuse outright."
Their firm responses came right after my… encouragement, I guess. Though honestly, it felt less like motivation and more like I’d ignited some kind of murderous resolve. Maybe I was imagining things.
For the record, Kalua was the only one tilting her head in confusion.
When I blew the Flute and entered the boss chamber, the very first roll gave us a rare boss.
Nice pull.
The back of the empty chamber glowed—the effect of a rare boss spawn.
What appeared was a horse-sized cactus shaped like, well, a horse. And riding it was a humanoid cactus dressed like a cowboy straight out of a western movie. Both had those silly clay-doll eyes and mouths. The cactus horse’s expression was hilariously surreal.
That was the rare boss of the <Isolated Island Flower Garden Dungeon>—the <Cactus Cowboy>. Hardworking fellow, that one.
"I’ll pull the aggro! 『Aura Point』!"
"Buffing! 『Blessing of the Lion』! 『Blessing of Protection』!"
Sierra was first to act, drawing the enemy’s aggro. Lana followed up, boosting our attack and defense with party buffs.
The <Cactus Cowboy>’s gaze locked onto Sierra.
"Fuh-hahaha! Ha-ha-ha-ha!!"
Laughing, the cactus cowboy pointed his free arm at her.
I knew that move.
"Gatling’s coming! Don’t bunch up near the tank—spread out!"
"Understood!"
"Mhm, dodging."
Following my call, everyone broke away from Sierra. A moment later, spikes burst from the cowboy’s arm in a relentless spray—dododododo! Sparks even flew from his arm like a machine gun. How the heck did that even work?
Accuracy was terrible, but it was still a nasty area attack. Spikes rained down in a wide circle centered on Sierra.
Sierra raised her massive kite shield and weathered the assault without flinching. For her, that level of firepower was nothing.
Next came the lasso attack!
"Sierra, evade!"
"『Cover Shield』!"
With a defensive maneuver, Sierra dodged cleanly.
Now it was our turn to counterattack.
The first to close the distance was Kalua—<Eden>’s number-one speedster, no contest.
"『Scale Strip』! 『Twinblade Lynx Slash』!"
She opened with the defense-down debuff, followed by a twin strike skill, carving into the cactus cowboy hard.
The rare boss staggered, then crossed his arms, building up power.
──That’s the AoE wind-up!
"Fuh-ha-ha!"
"Kalua, emergency dodge!"
"! 『Evade Dash』!"
Kalua bolted at full speed, just as the <Cactus Cowboy> spread both arms and unleashed a gatling barrage. The horse beneath him spun slowly in place, turning it into a rolling gatling sweep. Gotta admit, it looked kind of cool… for a cactus cowboy.
Kalua barely made it out of the attack radius. Safe.
"Fu-haha, fu-hahaha!"
This time, he turned both arms on Sierra for a double gatling. But her shield held firm without a crack.
"Alright, we’re in position. From here on, hit him hard until I call for a stop!"
"Roger! 『Double Horizontal Slash』! 『Cross Slash』!"
"『Brave Slash』! 『Lightning Slash』!"
"I’ll join too—『Force Sonic』!"
"Fu-huh!? Fu-hahaha!!"
Our combined strikes from Rika, me, and Kalua tore into the <Cactus Cowboy>, forcing him to cross his arms once more.
"Spread out!"
"Roger!"
"Yaahh!"
And once again, the rolling gatling came. A direct hit meant not just decent damage, but also a chance of getting Poisoned. For someone with low defense like Kalua, a single spray could chew through nearly half her HP. The moment I saw he made the preparations, I shouted orders.
Just as the spin ended, the cactus horse launched into a full charge—just like <Takewari Taro> on his Segway, the cactus steed dashed madly around the arena.
But this time, that reckless charge was our chance.
"I’ll stop it! 『Shining Blade of Holy Light』!"
"『Cover Shield』!"
"『Blade of Light』!"
"Fwah!?"
The horse galloped forward, only for Lana to unleash her ultimate move.
With a thunderous crack, the 『Shining Blade of Holy Light』 pierced the cactus horse, making it stagger.
Sierra immediately cut it off, blocking its path. A flawless tag-team—clearly the fruits of all those runs against <Takewari Taro>.
Staggered by Lana’s strike, the cowboy was thrown right into Sierra’s 『Flowing Shield Technique』, further breaking his balance. Then Lana’s 『Blade of Light』 plunged into the horse’s leg, toppling the pair completely.
Slip Down!
"Nice! This is it—full assault! 『Sonic Sword』! 『Falcon Strike』!"
"『Gust Dash』! 『Through Slash』! 『Scale Strip』! 『Twinblade Lynx Slash』!"
"『Sacred Tree of Holy Light』! 『Pillar of Light』!"
"Fwawawa!?"
Though I was a little out of range, I barely reached with 『Sonic Sword』, landing a solid strike during the down. That must’ve hurt.
Rika couldn’t close the distance in time, but Kalua darted in with her mid-range dash skill 『Gust Dash』—and from there unleashed a relentless chain of attacks.
"Fuhahahahaha!!"
"『Induction Cover』!"
The <Cactus Cowboy> roared back to his feet, unleashing a massive AoE. But Sierra had already braced with 『Induction Cover』, nullifying it perfectly.
"I’ll heal! 『Wish for Healing』!"
"Thank you, Princess Lana. 『Provoke』! 『Guard Stance』!"
The <Cactus Cowboy>’s attention turned to Lana, but Sierra immediately tried to pull aggro back. However—
"Fuhaha, hah!"
"No, wait! The aggro didn’t switch! He's charging his Unique Skill!"
Bad luck. Before Sierra could grab his focus, the <Cactus Cowboy> entered his Unique Skill motion, red light enveloping his entire body. Once that happened, there was no interrupting it.
His Unique Skill: 『Cactus Style – Full Barrage Volley』. A devastating, straight-line AoE!
"Not good! Lana, run toward Sierra—he’s aiming at you! Sierra, Cover!"
"『Cover Shield』!"
"Rika, Kalua—focus on offense! Hit it with everything you’ve got!"
"Understood!"
The timing couldn’t have been worse.
Lana had her 『Barrier』 skill—the same one from the <Debubu Special> fight—but that only blocked magic. This was physical. The only way to protect her was Sierra’s cover. If it hit Lana head-on, she’d be down for sure.
Sierra slid between them, shield raised high.
"『Iron Wall』! 『Fortress Shield』!"
"Lana, give Sierra everything you’ve got in support!"
"『Celestial Rain』! 『Blessing of Protection』!"
"Fuhahahahahahahaha!!!"
"Kyaa!"
With her defense at maximum, Sierra braced against the onslaught while Lana poured heals and buffs into her from behind.
Then the <Cactus Cowboy>’s 『Full Barrage Volley』 fired.
The <Cactus Cowboy> body spewed spikes from head to toe, while the horse followed up by launching thorn-missiles straight from its silly clay-doll eyes and mouth. Who in the world designed this thing?
Ridiculous visuals aside, the power was terrifying—easily on par with an intermediate low-tier dungeon boss. And it was a Unique Skill on top of that. Sierra should be able to endure it, but her scream made me wince. All I could do was trust Lana’s healing.
We closed in on the <Cactus Cowboy>, now locked in place after his big move, preparing our strongest finishers.
And right after the stiff downtime from his Unique Skill, we launched an all-out assault.
"『Brave Heart』! Hrahh! 『Brave Slash』! 『Lightning Slash』! 『Shine Lightning』! 『Lightning Burst!』!"
"Haaah! 『Double Horizontal Slash』! 『Cross Slash』! 『Swallow Reversal』! 『Blade Strike』!"
"『Scale Strip』! 『Twinblade Lynx Slash』! 『Vital Stab』! 『Force Sonic』!"
"Hahahaha—fwahhh!?"
Still laughing from his barrage, the <Cactus Cowboy> took a string of criticals and collapsed to the ground.
Another opening! That’s the risk of a Unique Skill—it leaves you wide open afterward.
After that, we poured everything into a second wave of all-out attacks. Under the relentless assault, the <Cactus Cowboy> never rose again. His body dissolved into shimmering light and vanished.
Previous Chapter - TOC - Next Chapter
Comments
Post a Comment