Mistaken as the Dungeon Boss Monster - Chapter 8

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Mordor

◈ Mistaken as the Dungeon Boss Monster ◈

Chapter 8: The World Is Glazing Me

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Monks valued faith in themselves over piety, meditation filled with conviction, and self-cultivation through meditation.

What happened when they applied a mindset thicker than a giant tree and tougher than steel sinew to martial arts?

They became living proof that humans could surpass their limits without weapons.

The bodies of monks honed to their limits stood at the pinnacle of martial combat, and Balm Monk was an elder among them.

Physical strength was directly tied to mental strength.

People said no one could break Elder Balm Monk in body or spirit.

Balm Monk was both an elder and the Hero of Faith.

He was one of the Four Heroes who had helped conquer Shadow of Pangu, one of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss.

When the entire Empire raised a toast to celebrate the conquest, Balm Monk did not get carried away. Instead, he immersed himself in training, determined to return to his original resolve.

As part of his self-cultivation, Balm Monk went on a pilgrimage and stayed the night in a village.

The whole village made a fuss over the Hero's visit, but he declined their lavish hospitality.

The villagers had been worried sick, but his hearty personality soon put them at ease, and they enjoyed their time together.

"If it's you, Hero, couldn't you crush a Death Knight's skull like cheese?"

"Tsk! What are you saying? How dare you be so disrespectful to the Hero!"

"But it's true, isn't it? He's one of the Four Heroes!"

Why were they suddenly talking about a Death Knight in the middle of drinking?

When he asked, they answered as if they had been waiting for him to do so.

The men at the tavern had only heard rumors about a Death Knight. They had not heard anything about the Seven Palaces of the Abyss.

After saying that a Death Knight had appeared on the mountain behind the village, the men looked at Balm Monk with expectant eyes.

"You must all be terribly worried."

"Don't even get me started, Hero. The women in the village are all trembling because of that Death Knight."

"Hmph! If it crosses my path, it won't be allowed a peaceful passing."

He had not said he would personally step in.

He was grateful for the village's hospitality, but not enough to take action himself. Unless the Death Knight happened to cross his path, that was.

...Ten minutes later.

"Trying to run away? How pathetic, Death Knight!"

The Death Knight happened to cross his path, and Balm Monk pursued him to the end.

He finally arrived at a cave halfway up the mountain.

So it really was a dungeon monster.

"This is an obvious lure."

If he entered, countless traps and monsters might be waiting for him.

Even so, Balm Monk did not care. What could a Hero who had conquered one of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss alongside his companions possibly fear?

Even alone, a small dungeon like this was no more than a trivial diversion.

Balm Monk followed the Death Knight into the cave.

* * *

If you think it's a lure, then don't come!

Along with the presence chasing after me, I heard something approaching from ahead as well.

Charlotte was slowly walking toward me from a distance.

I never thought I'd be this glad to see that crazy bitch's face.

'This is insane. What the hell are those things?'

Behind Charlotte stood massive figures that drew the eye through their mere presence. Even at a glance, they had to be at least seven meters tall.

[Lv. 61]

[Lv. 62]

[Lv. 68]

Minotaurs and a Basilisk. There were more unfamiliar faces while I was gone.

It seemed Charlotte had acquired monsters after becoming my adjutant.

I wanted to ask what kind of crazy bullshit she had pulled, but there was no time to hear an explanation.

'No, maybe...?'

There was Witch Charlotte and three enormous monsters.

With that much firepower, we might be able to take on the Hero who had chased me here alone.

Was it just my imagination, or did Charlotte suddenly look pretty?

She had always been pretty, but at this moment, she was beautiful enough to make me overlook her personality.

"You've returned, Boss. Though it seems you've brought something with you."

She seemed to understand without me saying a word.

In my heart, I wanted to grab her by the pant leg and beg her to save me. Only in my heart, though.

Pretending it was nothing, pretending I was the boss of one of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss, I spoke calmly.

"A guest has arrived. Prepare to receive the Empire's Hero."

"A Hero?"

For the first time, an expression appeared on Charlotte's previously impassive face.

The slight widening of her pupils revealed her shock. At the same time, an unspoken question reached me.

She seemed to be asking why I had brought a Hero here like a leech, but I remained silent.

"I see. So driving back a Hero is my first test. And I must deal with it on the spot, without advance notice. ...You mean I must be able to resolve something like this to qualify as an adjutant."

It was convenient that she misunderstood on her own.

You can kill him if you want. Just save me somehow.

Thud!

I calmly tilted my chin toward the echoing footsteps.

The Hero of Faith, Balm Monk, stood there, watching us warily.

"Hmm..."

He clearly hesitated.

That made sense. Even if he was a Hero, he was alone and unarmed right now.

Facing Witch Charlotte, Minotaurs, a Basilisk, and a group of Vampires that included a True-Blood Vampire would force even a Hero to wager his life.

There were always countless variables in a one-against-many battle.

Balm Monk should have known that. It would have been nice if he just left.

Whoosh!

Balm Monk suddenly sprang upward like a coiled spring.

The moment his feet touched the ground, the ground shook with a thunderous boom as though a tremor had struck.

His superhuman leg strength was enough to inspire awe and leave me speechless. Humans like that existed, yet they called me a monster? What kind of logic was that?

"I am Balm Monk. As the Hero of Faith, I will never turn my back on evil."

Fuck, couldn't he just leave?

What did I need to say to make him go away?

"Are you not afraid of death? Leave now, and you may yet preserve your life."

"Hah! Death Knight, I've seen through your wicked tricks. I'll make sure you, at least, die in the most painful way possible."

I worried about his life, and a death threat came back in return.

What a fucking terrible trade, but I couldn't let my poker face crack. I didn't have facial expressions in the first place because I was a skeleton, but still.

"Charlotte. Deal with him."

"Yes."

The ominous mana Charlotte had been holding back rose like a heat haze.

The ground stirred beneath it, and pale white hands suddenly burst from the earth.

Balm Monk, who had been watching, gritted his teeth.

"So you're not just a Black Mage...!"

A dozen or so skeleton soldiers and ghouls emerged.

A Black Mage who advanced to Necromancer could command corpses like subordinates.

The number of undead one could control reflected the caster's ability. A Witch of Charlotte's caliber could control dozens of undead as though they were her own limbs.

Balm Monk glared at Charlotte as if he wanted to tear her apart.

Knowing his backstory, I had expected that reaction.

"My sister was killed by a Witch. Do you know what that means?"

"Good. That woman won't be lonely. She'll soon be reunited with her little brother."

"No! You're the one who's going to die!"

At Charlotte's gesture, the undead swarm rushed Balm Monk. He sprang upward as if to meet them.

The Vampires immediately joined in, and the large monsters began moving their heavy bodies with thunderous footsteps.

I simply watched from afar.

When people concentrated on fighting, openings were bound to appear. If I could exploit one and escape, I'd run.

"Greetings. It is an honor to meet the new boss of one of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss."

I turned reflexively at the unfamiliar voice.

A demon in a tailcoat stood there, bowing sharply with the edge of one hand pressed to their chest.

"Who are you?"

"My introduction is late. I am but a humble Demon Merchant of the Dungeon Association. It is an immense honor to meet the new master of one of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss."

Even this one called it one of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss. Charlotte had obviously summoned them to fulfill her duties as adjutant.

"Will the Boss Lord not be joining the battle?"

After considering how to brush that off, I tossed out an answer.

"If I step in, it will no longer be a test."

"You intend to judge her qualifications by her ability. As expected, you possess all the qualities of a ruler."

Dungeon bosses generally did not step forward unless necessary. If the boss died, the dungeon disappeared.

At that moment, pitch-black portals opened on either side of the demon.

I had seen those portals so often in the game that I was sick of them. If a portal appeared during a conquest, it meant reinforcements nine times out of ten.

As expected, Beastfolk and demonkin armed with weapons poured out of the portals.

"From now on, we will not charge a monster employment fee. This is a unilateral decision by the Merchant Association. We too had been eager to deal with a Hero. Of course, we also wish to make a good impression on you, my lord. I hope this serves as a proper display of our sincerity."

The fact that they wanted to curry favor with me this much...

The reality of being mistaken for the boss of one of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss sent a chill down my spine.

I had never even said it myself, yet I had suddenly become the boss of one of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss.

The punishment for impersonating a boss of one of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss went beyond execution. But what if I denied it now?

'That would be asking for an early death.'

The monsters summoned by the Merchant Association were already clashing with the Hero.

The water had already been spilled.

Even water spilled by mistake would help if it could put out the immediate fire.

For now, we had to deal with Balm Monk.

Boom!

Roars and explosions erupted from every direction.

Parts of the ground and ceiling collapsed, and rock fragments rained down like dust.

The relentless numbers forced Balm Monk onto the defensive.

Mana projectiles streaking through the darkness relentlessly harassed him.

Charlotte stood far away, bombarding him with Black Magic.

Balm Monk might have had a chance in close combat, but Charlotte's ranged magic was troublesome.

Every spell was threatening, skillfully avoiding allies while striking only Balm Monk.

-Roar!

"You cow-headed bastard!"

Whenever he tried to target Charlotte, a Minotaur harder than steel blocked his path.

Whether it was intentional or not, the passage was narrow enough for the Minotaur to fill it completely. Just slipping through the gaps would have been an ordeal.

'It's perfect?'

The Basilisk's poison had left no place to step around Balm Monk.

Of course, Balm Monk was still putting up a strong fight, as befitted a Hero. Pools of monster blood all around proved that.

Yet even that strengthened our forces.

Woooong-!

The blood scattered everywhere aided the Vampires' Blood Arts, becoming bladed weapons that once again targeted Balm Monk.

Isabella was performing remarkably even among all these high-level fighters. Evolving her into a True-Blood Vampire had definitely been worth it.

They had numbers, the advantage of terrain, and reinforcements continuing to join them through the portals.

At this rate, Balm Monk's defeat was all but certain.

We could take him.

"Do you think I'll lose!"

Then, at some point, Balm Monk turned the tide.

One punch sent three enemies flying, and the monsters who sensed the shift in momentum could no longer rush in so readily.

Balm Monk, who had only been on the defensive, was now slaughtering his way through them with relentless attacks.

Corpses lay everywhere he stepped. As if setbacks were piling up, Charlotte's mana also seemed to be running dry.

"It seems even further measures won't change the outcome."

The demon's voice was tense.

That was true. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before we were all slaughtered.

'What the hell did he do?'

Had he been holding back until now and finally begun fighting seriously?

No. That couldn't be it. Balm Monk, at Level 82, wouldn't have had that much leeway.

[Lv. 90]

His level had abruptly changed without any warning.

I stared at Balm Monk in shock.

[Heavenly Elixir (S)]

[Enhancement Success Rate: 3%]

[※Warning! If enhancement fails, it will be automatically destroyed!]

[If enhancement fails, the cooldown will be reset.]

[Would you like to enhance Heavenly Elixir (S)?]

[YES/NO]

A notification message had appeared over Balm Monk.

What was that? Had he taken some kind of drug?

That explained why his level had risen by eight, but it raised a new question.

'Isn't the Heavenly Elixir an elixir?'

It was a consumable item that exponentially increased all stats the moment it was taken.

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't understand. How could he enhance an elixir that had already been consumed and disappeared?

Balm Monk had clearly grown stronger after consuming the elixir. It was also unlikely that he possessed two S-rank items.

Yet the notification window clearly identified it as the Heavenly Elixir.

'Could it be?'

Would it be possible if it had not been digested inside his body even after being consumed?

Assuming that was true, what would happen in this case if the Enhancement failed?

'...Right. That was it.'

I suddenly remembered an Enhancement bug from the game. It had become reality now.

There had been a bug where players could enhance an elixir even after their character consumed it. If it succeeded, its effects increased several times over.

But if it failed...

"Dogs of the Demon Realm! Struggle harder! This Balm Monk will kill every last one of you!"

"Screeech!"

There was no time to think any further.

I walked toward Balm Monk.

Perhaps he had been watching me from the corner of his eye, because our gazes immediately met.

"Hah! Right! I had forgotten about you."

With a sharp rush of air, Balm Monk's body arrived right in front of me. My vision filled with a callused fist.

In another 0.1 seconds, my skull would be separated from my body.

[Enhancing Heavenly Elixir (S).]

[Enhancement failed. Heavenly Elixir (S) has been destroyed.]

Splat!