Our group pressed further into the dungeon.
Soon, a massive door radiating an icy aura, unlike anything we'd encountered so far, came into view.
The reason this dungeon is referred to as a 'Ghost-Type' likely lies behind this door—the boss monster.
"Something feels chilly here."
"Yeah, why did it suddenly get cold?"
Travis and Monica said uneasily as they eyed the door.
I looked steadily at the team members.
"Everyone, get ready for battle. The boss monster is likely behind that door."
"O-Okay."
Piel answered, looking somewhat drained.
"Okay, Theo. I'm ready."
Andrew declared, his face uneasy.
'Piel is understandable, but what's up with Andrew?'
Anyway, we need to defeat the boss monster quickly and leave this dungeon.
The damp and stuffy air here makes it very uncomfortable.
Our team stepped through the door and entered the Boss Room.
About 30 meters ahead stood a ghostly figure, roughly the size of an adult man.
This was the dungeon's boss, the 'Ghost'.
Most physical attacks don’t affect it, so one needs mana or holy power to effectively confront it.
Travis and Monica stared at the Ghost, their eyes widening in shock.
"What... What is that?"
"It looks like a ghost, but why isn't it moving?"
However, nothing happened.
This was due to the boss's nature.
The 'Ghost' doesn't attack unless someone approaches within a certain range.
However, dealing with it using only magic from afar can be tricky.
The greater the distance, the weaker the magic becomes.
So, we need to get closer.
But that's easier said than done.
As soon as you approach, you're hit by the [Blind] spell.
Even Piel, as skilled as she is, can't fight with her eyes closed.
We need a way to counter that.
'It's the perfect monster for rookies who rush in without a strategy.'
Luckily, I'm an experienced player who knows the original game 'Kyren Zena Chronicles' like the back of my hand.
I know the tactics for such a low-level dungeon boss.
...But there's the factor of increased difficulty.
First, I need to see if its behavior has changed.
"Andrew."
"What is it, Theo?"
"Shoot a fireball at it."
"To reach that distance, I'd need to use quite a bit of mana."
Of course, I knew of that.
To strike a target 30m away, it's natural to need a substantial amount of mana.
A fireball cast with less mana would dissipate before it even reached the target.
I met Andrew's gaze steadily.
"Trust me, and fire."
"Alright."
With a nod, Andrew focused mana into his palm and released a large fireball.
The massive fireball soared towards the Ghost.
'Hmm, with that much power...’
He probably used around 30% of his total mana.
I had gauged Andrew's mana pool earlier when he was fighting the zombies.
Fwoosh!
The fireball, flying straight, hit the Ghost squarely.
The Ghost let out a silent shriek.
For a boss, the Ghost was considered lower-tier among all bosses, lacking the ability to talk.
Its tormented cries sounded almost melodious to my ears.
'Good, its behavior haven’t changed.'
Despite my calm exterior, I rapidly analyzed the situation in my mind.
Until someone approaches it, the ghost won't fight back, even when attacked.
That hasn't changed.
The challenge is Andrew's mana pool.
It's unlikely that we can bring down the ghost through him alone, even if he expended all of his remaining mana.
The dungeon's difficulty has increased and so has the ghost's vitality.
'······I guess I'll have to use that after all.'
With that in mind, I ordered Andrew to launch another fireball.
After launching another fireball into the ghost, Andrew spoke.
"I can only fire a fireball of this size one more time."
"Go ahead."
"······Have you thought about what's next, Theo? Against ethereal monsters like this one, there are virtually no effective means of attack besides mana."
"When have I ever let you guys down?"
I looked at my team members, including Andrew, with an unwavering gaze.
"······I'll fire."
With those words, Andrew fired his last Fireball.
Struck by the fireball, the ghost glared at us ferociously and let out an enraged scream.
So what?
All it can do is scream.
Although we've dealt a considerable amount of damage to the ghost, it’s not enough to finish it.
We need to inflict more damage.
However, the ghost's health regeneration matched Andrew's mana recovery.
There's no time to hesitate.
We need to attack before it recovers anymore of its health.
'I feel a bit sorry for the kids.'
With that thought in mind, I spoke up.
"Let's move in. We'll engage it at close range... Piel."
"Y-Yes?"
"Approach it, coat your weapon in mana, and attack. I'm counting on you."
"...Okay."
Piel's nervous face quickly transformed into a serious one, filled with determination.
It was a face I could trust.
However, my 'I'm counting on you' was a lie.
It's up to me to bring that creature down.
I fiddled with [Romeo & Juliet] and shouted.
"Let's go, charge!"
"Alright!"
As I sprinted towards the ghost, the rest of the team followed suit.
And then—
"Uh, uh! I can't see anything!"
"......I can't see either."
One by one, team members stopped and began to rub their eyes.
We had stepped into the radius of the ghost's [Blind] magic.
I, too, was rendered sightless.
This [Blind] spell was incredibly strong, far more so than in the original game.
Still, I quickly assessed the situation.
If it lasted 10 minutes in the game, it would at least last that long now.
'Then, I'll end this within 10 minutes.'
I used the remaining mana in my [Magic Cartridge] to cast [Cure] on myself, dispelling the [Blind] effect.
Next, I pulled out an item I had prepared beforehand from my bag.
●Low-Grade Holy Water [Grade: Rare]
: A liquid filled with divine energy.
Can inflict significant damage to unholy beings. [Details]
Inside the glass bottle was a murky gray liquid - Holy Water.
In this story, all sacred items and artifacts boast exceptional powers.
Naturally, even the low-grade ones are quite expensive.
But even a low-life like Theo had an advantage: wealth.
After all, he's the direct descendant of a prestigious family.
He had enough money to buy low-grade Holy Water.
Without hesitation, I uncapped the bottle and sprinkled the Holy Water on Romeo.
The sticky, gooey Holy Water clung to Romeo's sharp blade.
I looked ahead.
The Ghost screaming malevolently, was advancing on us.
'Yes, come closer.'
When the Ghost was about 10 meters away,
Whoosh—
I swiftly hurled Romeo at the ghost.
The short distance ensured Romeo struck the ghost directly.
The ghost's scream was incomparable to the one it let out when hit by Andrew's fireball.
I immediately commanded Romeo to return.
Romeo flew back to my side, nestling next to his companion in my arms, Juliet.
There was no time to rest.
I quickly sprinkled more Holy Water on Romeo and threw it at the Ghost again.
I repeated this four more times.
By the time the holy water was almost depleted...
Swoosh─
The Ghost's form vanished.
Leaving no trace behind, as if it had never existed.
[Hidden Quest Cleared. You have obtained 1 shop gold coin as a reward.]
: Dungeon Boss Subjugation (Repeatable)
[You have defeated the Dungeon Boss for the first time. You have received 3 Shop Gold Coins as a reward.]
[You have defeated the Dungeon Boss, whose difficulty had increased. You have received an additional 2 Shop Gold Coins as a reward.]
[Total reward: 6 Shop Gold Coins]
'That's more like it.'
I smirked with satisfaction.
There was an additional reward for defeating the higher difficulty boss.
Now, I had a total of 22 gold coins and 40 silver coins in my possession from the shop.
I had enough to purchase an 'Expert' level trait—worth 20 gold coins—and still have some leftover.
But there's no urgent need to buy the 'Expert' level trait right now.
I'm confident we'll rank first in this practical evaluation.
Naturally, that's because I was the one who defeated the Boss 'Ghost'.
It will take several days for it to respawn.
So, there's no hurry.
Lately, it feels like the shop has been quite generous with its rewards.
At this rate, I might even be able to afford a 'Master' level trait.
With these thoughts in mind, I led my somewhat disoriented team members out of the area.
After a little while...
Having recovered from the [Blind] status, my teammates spoke.
"That was terrifying. But the boss... disappeared? I heard screams though."
"Exactly. Theo, did you... take it down by yourself?"
"Yeah. Luckily, the item I brought worked well."
I said, shaking the empty bottle of holy water.
Andrew looked at me with a mixture of frustration and admiration.
"...Sorry for doubting you, Theo. As always, you've got everything figured out."
Piel looked at me with a complex expression and muttered,
"…You’re incredible."
Then she quickly turned away.
'Why is she acting like that again?'
It's really hard to understand.
Wasn't the misunderstanding all cleared up?
Anyway, with the boss defeated...
It's time to look for the divine beast.
I wanted to rest a bit.
Using Overload, even for a short time, was exhausting, and with all the unexpected events, I was worn out.
But I had to keep moving.
Resting now means my future might be much harder.
