WeTried Translations

Translator: Goku

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ I Became a Villain Perfect for Leveling Up

Chapter 034

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34. Rusty Clock Tower (2)

I arrived at the underground waterway, where the humid air settled, and a foul stench was noticeable with every breath.

"......"

In the back alleys, there were occasional signs of people, but in the underground waterway, there was no sign of anyone at all.

Only the occasional squeaks of sewer rats scurrying around could be heard.

Bearing in mind that touching the shallow flowing filth would inflict a poison status effect, I walked through the labyrinthine waterway.

Each time my footsteps echoed in rhythm, the entire waterway trembled ever so slightly, and small pebbles fell from the ceiling.

It seemed severely dilapidated from a long time without maintenance.

It felt as though a strong impact on the wall would cause a chain collapse of the waterway.

Along with the sewer rats that began to follow, as if sensing the smell of death from me, I headed towards a place with an even gloomier atmosphere.

"......"

I saw a Golem, larger than ten adult men combined, dragging a gigantic hammer and traversing the same area back and forth.

Just then, I caught a small sewer rat crawling at my feet and threw it at the creature.

With a squeak! the rat hit the Golem’s broad back and stopped moving shortly after.

After letting it know of my presence, I fed Freud’s Fang blood and prepared for battle.

Thump-thump!

The ground rumbled as the Golem’s massive form approached.

Death was unavoidable the moment I was hit by the swinging hammer.

To move with such caution, I explored the space of the waterway.

It was a not-so-bad space for agile combat, with many pillars.

I grappled a pillar close to the left wall with Freud’s Fang and quickly flew.

While flying, the hammer swung at close range, creating a dizzying wind pressure.

In my 1st Playthrough, I would have confronted such attacks without caring.

The most important thing in facing it was how to pierce through its thick skin.

Since all living creatures have a heart, the conclusion was that I had to pierce the heart beating inside that stony skin.

Still, it was good news that its skin didn’t seem all that hard for a Golem.

Convinced that even the cheap dagger in my left hand could make a hole, I swiftly shot the blade at the Golem’s neck to fix it.

Thwack!

I immediately lunged and stabbed the dagger into its back.

A resistance slightly harder than wood planks arose, stopping the dagger’s tip after it barely pushed in.

It seemed like a hole would open if I repeated it about five more times, so I kicked my foot, rolled backward, and widened the distance.

It couldn’t attack me while I was on its back, but the moment I landed on the ground, the hammer immediately swung horizontally.

As I narrowly shot the blade at the wall to dodge, the attack that grazed my hair caused my life to flash before my eyes.

"...Ha, haha...!"

My heart pounded.

Adrenaline began to dominate my entire body, and I felt acutely aware that I was still alive here, not dead.

This fight, which would end if I showed even a single opening, seemed to overlap with the first time I sparred in kendo in my life.

As that moment flashed before my eyes like a passing lantern, the Golem felt like a high-level sparring partner.

As if I were doing kendo again after quitting it in high school.

Every time an opening appeared in the Golem, I plunged the cheap dagger into its back.

Even if one’s balance is good, if the body is slow, it will eventually be caught by a faster opponent.

As I quickly widened the distance using Freud’s Fang like a grappling hook.

The hammer crashed down on the spot where I had just been standing.

A wind pressure that echoed through the cavern made it seem as though the waterway would collapse at any moment, so I increased my moving speed even more.

I wrapped Freud’s Fang around its arm or leg. Then, I flew directly to its back and stabbed it with the cheap dagger as if digging.

Soon, as fresh crimson blood seeped out from the excavated hole.

"Kwooooaah!!!!"

"Ugh?!"

It began to thrash violently, twisting its body, so I hastily widened the distance.

As the ear-splitting roar soon subsided.

"......Beast?"

The Beast’s Golem’s waist bent, its posture changing like a wild beast.

It threw down its hammer as if discarding it, and began to move on all fours.

"Damn it...! I didn't know it would be like this!"

Since I had killed it in a single blow in the 1st Playthrough, I had no idea there was a 2nd phase.

The moment I swiftly shot Freud’s Fang to widen the distance and flew, it leaped into the air and performed a body slam.

"Kuh-hok...!!"

Shot down mid-air, I rolled several times on the floor and dropped the cheap dagger.

My left hand trembled uncontrollably and lost all strength, and I realized my shoulder was completely shattered.

"Not... yet...!"

This much pain wouldn't kill me, so I staggered to my feet and quickly ran.

With my left hand now unusable. I had to subdue it using only Freud’s Fang.

Still, I had already opened a hole in its back, so all I needed was to deliver a finishing blow there.

...I could.

"Cough!!"

"Grrr......"

The Beast’s Golem, with its changed posture, showed absolutely no openings.

Even when I moved swiftly using Freud’s Fang, it displayed a speed one step ahead of me.

Though I had grown significantly to Level 64, the wall of the 2nd Playthrough elite monster was high.

If I died like this, when I returned, I would have to face a creature even... much stronger than this.

"I will absolutely not die..."

I wouldn't die so meaninglessly.

Because this was the first time I had thought about achieving something entirely with my own strength.

I no longer wanted to see or experience screwing up the first button.

Since I chose to charge forward, turning my back and fleeing was now erased from my options.

"Running away... what I did before was enough..."

I aimed Freud’s Fang with a trembling hand at the Beast’s Golem, which was growling and gauging the distance.

My pathetic attacks would no longer reach it.

Then how should I attack?

Thump-thump.

As it stomped its hind leg, the waterway vibrated, and dust could be seen falling from the ceiling.

"...There's a way."

"Kwooooh!!!!"

The Beast’s Golem finally charged menacingly for its last attack.

I, who had been watching it as if I were a bullfighter. Soon shot Freud’s Fang into the center of the ceiling.

With a thwack! the blade accurately lodged into the ceiling.

"Kwooaah!!!"

The Golem, perhaps expecting me to dodge again, leaped with a running start towards where the blade was shot.

"...Checkmate."

Contrary to its expectation, I didn’t move an inch. Seizing that moment, I pulled the whip-sword’s blade from its position.

If Freud’s Fang could be applied as a means of movement.

Naturally, it could also be used to pull specific objects.

Rumble-rumble-rumble!

The ceiling, pulled by my strength, collapsed all at once, and countless fragments rained down on the Beast’s Golem.

It was crushed like a sewer rat by the heavy fragments pouring from above. Dust emanating from the fragments covered me.

"...Cough."

Roughly brushing off the dust with my hand, I climbed the small hill of piled-up rubble.

At the top of the hill, the Golem’s heart was exposed.

"Die."

I plunged Freud’s Fang into it.

The moment its heart was pierced, the Beast’s Golem’s life was extinguished on the spot, unable to do anything.

"........."

First victory.

Even though my left arm was completely useless. It was definitively my victory.

"...."

Having lost much emotion, only the corners of my lips slightly rose.

Still, I was immensely happy and joyful.

Because I had gained the conviction that I was no longer my powerless self.

I wanted to savor the afterglow of victory more. But the underground waterway seemed like it would collapse at any moment due to the accumulated shock from the battle, so I headed towards the Beast’s Hammer, which lay isolated.

"Hup...!"

Not much different from wondering if it was even possible to carry this huge thing, the hammer lay on the floor, not budging at all.

To say my Strength stat was too low to lift it, this was a weight that would be impossible even if Carmen came.

"...Ha."

Annoyed by the futility of having made a wasted effort, I kicked the Beast’s Hammer.

"......Oh dear."

The precarious underground waterway completely collapsed and covered me.

-Boom!!!

《 Resurrecting at checkpoint. LOADING… 》

I resurrected dejectedly at the Rusty Clock Tower.

In the end, I didn't even get the Beast’s Hammer and only suffered all that hardship....

"...Huh?"

Seeing the fearsome weapon lying before my eyes, an exclamation of futility escaped my lips.

Though its size was slightly reduced, that form was definitely the Beast’s Hammer.

"........."

In a situation where it was hard to readily understand what was happening. Freud’s Fang, which was in my possession, suddenly bothered me as well.

"...No way."

Even though it had become reality, this world was fundamentally based on a game system.

If there was a system where players automatically acquired certain equipment upon defeating an enemy.

"Maeve... killed Freud?"

The fact that Maeve alone had subdued the Giant Serpent Freud was established.

That's why Freud's Fang had come to me and was bound to me....

If this prediction was correct, I could say that I had overcome many crises thanks to her.

"...No. Don't think strange thoughts."

If I wasn't going to meet Maeve, there was no reason to ask or be curious about the reason.

...Anyway, the important thing was that I had to get past those guarding the Clock Tower entrance and reach the top floor.

So, I stowed Freud’s Fang and took the Beast’s Hammer.

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