Published at 15th of July 2022 8:12 am

Chapter 137: Stone Statue

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Thanks to petrifaction and critical, the battles became easier.

Especially petrifaction. If it proc’s, the battle is like half done.

Still, I must not drop my guard.

Having a few numbers to begin with and to have one suddenly lose the ability to fight.

It can heavily affect the battle.

Adding critical into the mix will be like an Ogre with an iron club.

Roxanne, Miria and the others are coordinating well. Once Miria takes care of her monster, she moves to help the others out.

However, petrifaction does not proc that much.

It is even less than the critical rate of my magic attacks after activating Increase in Critical Rate.

There is still some hope for when Miria reaches Warrior Lv30 and acquires Assassin.

Both of them depend on luck, that is the only problem.

When 5 monsters, which is the maximum number of monsters per group on this floor, appear; what will happen if neither petrifaction nor critical proc’s?

While it may not be problem here on 20th floor, but if I depend on petrifaction or critical after 20th floor, I may be in a pinch if they don’t proc.

With that thought, I remove 5% Increase in Critical Rate.

As it uses bonus points, it means Increase in Critical Rate can’t be in use all the time.

I can afford to increase it further, but it will be better for the gap to be smaller when I remove it.

“Master, there is a message from Mr. Luke. He seems to have successfully acquired a Kobold Monster Card.”

“Kobold? Would tomorrow do?”

Evening. When we return home after the exploration, there was a note from Luke.

For next enchantment, should I wait for Goat Monster Card?

The sooner his bid succeeds, the better.

It is not like battles are getting particularly harder, though.

Since I will not be able to use the Kobold Monster Card immediately, I will go get it tomorrow morning.

We start preparing dinner.

It’s gonna be pork cutlet tonight.

I have Vesta cut the meat and make breadcrumbs.

“I have finished making breadcrumbs.”

“Thank you. Things got easier thanks to Vesta’s help. I am glad that Vesta came to our home.”

“It is me who should be glad that I came here. What are you going to make?”

I had spare time since Vesta was helping me, so I decided to make crepe during that time.

I mix milk, wheat flour, sugar and eggs.

I didn’t have any prior plan of making crepe, but I thought that something soft will be nice with the little milk we have left.

“It is a little test. Just stay there and watch.”

“Okay.”

I pour the mixture, it spreads out inside the frying pan.

I only made one since it was only a test.

I used the whole dough.

It flows on the frying pan like syrup.

Was it too diluted?

It would be better if milk were a little less.

Still, I can’t say it is a failure yet.

Since the frying pan is well heated, it will harden soon.

I think the crepe made in the stalls had somewhat similar feeling.

It is probably good enough for something made the first time.

After a while, I fold it……

Ah, it is a failure, indeed.

When I tried to fold the crepe, it had burned inside the frying pan. It didn’t come off well, it had crumpled.

Should I have been more careful?

Or should I have taken it out of the frying pan before folding it?

It is fine since today was just a test.

I cut the crepe into 5 pieces.

I put the first piece in my mouth.

Oh, it tastes just like crepe.

It looks like I managed to make a normal crepe.

Baking Isobe was impossible, but I was able to make crepe.

The softness, however, is probably not the same.

“It is something I made as a test. Each of you gets to eat one piece.”

I offer it to the four of them.

“If it is something made by Master, I will enjoy it.”

Roxanne takes a piece first.

It seems like the order is important.

Because I cut it roughly, however, the size seems different.

It is hard to cut it into 5 equal pieces.

“Because this one was a test, it will be the real deal next time.”

It’s troublesome, though, as I have raised a hurdle for me because of their anticipation.

“This is Amazing. As expected of Master.”

“It’s soft, sweet and delicious.”

“Amazing, desu.”

“It’s delicious. I didn’t know there was something in this world that could be so fluffy, so puffy and so delicious.”

Sherry, Miria and Vesta take a piece in order and eat it.

All four of them seem to be rejoiced.

I probably made a normal crepe.

Vesta especially seemed to like it.

“You never ate something like this before, Vesta?”

“Yes. I never imagined a day would ever come when I could eat delicious food. Thank you very much for the food everyday. No matter how much appreciation and gratitude I have toward Master, it will not be enough.”

The stimulus apparently was too strong for Vesta.

But she still has some pork cutlet remaining.

Vesta was deeply impressed with the pork cutlet but it probably wasn’t at the same level as crepe.

She could have the same deep impression but I couldn’t feel it since it was the same.

I could have missed that feeling because she had the same level of gratitude for both.

I ask her to express her gratitude through actions.

Vesta has been active from the beginning, but lately, she has gradually become more sticky in addition to that.

It is a good tendency.

Next Morning. I go and receive the Kobold Monster Card.

Since it is a spare and it has no use for now, we enter the labyrinth.

Immediately after entering, we arrive at the boss room of Haruba’s 20th floor.

The exploration advanced smoothly.

Appearing before us is a Hat Bat and the boss, Pat Bat.

After smoke gathered, two monsters appeared.

I immediately rush to the small fry to get rid of it.

Vesta faces the Hat Bat from the front.

‘Why are you blocking my way?’ — is what I thought but I was the one who told her to do that during the boss battles.

I totally forgot about it.

I’m in a dilemma, though, whether I should be grateful or not.

Hat Bat flies around briskly, so it is difficult to hit it from the side when someone else is keeping it company from the front.

If both of us attacked it from the front, we would probably be able to finish it off quickly.

And because I have Durandal, I will recover the damage with HP Absorption.

Well, it can’t be helped.

If I issued instructions after the monster came out, it would be too late.

Because I won’t be attacked if I hit from the side, it will be easy.

So I mustn’t complain.

The Hat Bat attacks Vesta.

The monster is switching between between left and right, eluding Vesta’s swords.

I approach it, making a big detour from the side.

I somehow manage to reach the Hat Bat before it fixes its posture in the air, and unleash [Slash].

The monster attacks Vesta again, it eludes again and moves opposite of me to the left.

It was an unpleasant move.

I’m sure it was not intentional.

Or was that its natural movement, perhaps?

I chase it in a hurry, but I wasn’t able to arrive in time to perform [Slash].

Next, I attack one step ahead. I strike the place, where Vesta warded it off to, with Durandal.

Oops

The sound was good this time. Maybe this one was critical?

I land another blow on the Hat Bat that was trying to regain its balance.

The monster attacks Vesta.

I hit the place, where Vesta repelled it to, with Durandal and unleash another [Slash].

The Hat Bat drops down.

Finally dead?

I was danced around by the Hat Bat. It wasted a lot of time.

Without taking a breather, I join in the encirclement of the boss.

As for the boss bat, Roxanne warded off all its attacks using her shield without moving around too much. She took care of it.

As expected of Roxanne.

“There was a big blow midway. As expected of Master.”

After knocking the boss down, Roxanne compliments me.

“Thank you.”

“As expected, desu.”

“Mine seems to be a characteristic of Dragon Knight job, but you are amazing, being able to do the same.”

And just like that, Roxanne coaxed everyone.

Actually, two critical strikes hit the Pat Bat.

Vesta, as well, landed a critical hit.

But why didn’t Miria manage to inflict petrifaction?

“Sherry, can abnormal status be inflicted to the boss?”

“There are some reports. The chance, however, is quite low.”

“Is that so?”

I ask the sole person who Roxanne didn’t manage to coax, Sherry, and the answer to the question satisfactorily returns to me.

Is it difficult for the boss to receive abnormal status?

It is to be expected since it is the boss, I guess.

Rather, isn’t it the situation where you are supposed to use Abnormal Status Resistance Down?

Currently, since I have Sixth Job selected, I’m using both Gambler and Swordsman simultaneously.

That’s why critical proc’d.

I will try it next time.

“The monster native to 21st floor is Rtoll troll.”

After Sherry briefs, we move to 21st floor.

Rtoll troll, huh?

That means Ma Bream will be on the next, 22nd, floor.

“Let’s explore 21st floor since it is still morning. After the noon break, we will move to Quratar’s labyrinth. After clearing 20th floor, we will go to 17th floor. Agreed, Miria?”

“Yes, desu.”

Even though Ma Bream has been pushed to the last, Miria doesn’t seem disappointed.

Probably because she knows we will be going there in any case.

What if we encounter problem in clearing 22nd floor?

Maybe I should not proceed to the next floor after 22nd floor.

Nah, should I stay on 22nd floor and hunt the boss until I get fatty tuna?

And Ma Bream will appear on 23rd floor, too.

That’s a clever cover up.

When I have enough to put on my table is the time when I break through to 23rd floor.

“We will go for two whole fish and have them for tomorrow’s dinner. I will leave the cooking to Miria.”

“Yes, desu.”

I motivate Miria and continue with exploring the labyrinth.

Motivation will not increase the chance of petrifaction, though, most likely.

While advancing at good pace, we come across a group of 3 Rtoll Trolls and 1 Rub Shrub.

I welcome them with a [Firestorm].

Rtoll Trolls are weak against fire magic like Fly Traps from 18th floor and Rub Shrubs from 19th floor.

I appreciate having Rtoll Trolls appear on 21st floor rather than getting sandwiched by Ma Breams.

After casting the spell, I wait for the monsters.

Rtoll Troll is relatively large, but the three of them along with a Rub Shrub are all lined up in front.

You can feel the intensity from their standing side by side like this.

When the vanguards hit them, they hit back.

Their punches are powerful.

Roxanne lightly dodges it, Miria avoids it, and Vesta parries it with her sword.

Roxanne skillfully maneuvers her upper body and dodges the attack of the Fly Trap next. (TN: I think the author is confused between Fly Trap and Rub Shrub)

During the exchange with Fly Trap, Miria was keeping the Rtoll Troll company.

Even though Fly Trap’s poison attack is troublesome, Rtoll Troll’s attack is intense.

I would appreciate it if any of them got petrified.

In the end, without anyone getting petrified, all four monsters were killed at the same time by a fire spell.

Since the number of spells I cast increased, I don’t think critical proc’d.

But there is also a possibility that critical proc’d within that number.

The problem is how to accurately calculate the number of times critical proc’s.

Should I start off by removing Gambler first?

Do I really need to go that far?

After all, there is a chance of inflicting petrifaction, too, without critical proc’ing.

And it is not like critical proc’s that much anyway.

The duration of battle will extend by 10% at worst. It is not that bad if you think about it.

The next group we encounter comprises one Rtoll Troll and two Hat Bats.

I shower them with [Waterstorm].

It was easy for me to decide this time because they were two-to-one, but which one would I defeat first if they were one each?

Should it be Rtoll Troll first due to paralysis attack?

Vesta wards off the Hat Bat’s charge.

Vesta is growing quickly. She has now gotten used to dealing with Hat Bats’ attacks.

As I thought, dealing with Rtoll Troll should be priority.

The Rtoll Troll raises his arms.

This heavy blow seems to be especially heavy.

However, before he could smack his arms down, the Rtoll Troll’s suddenly stops moving.

“Did it, desu.”

It seems to have been petrified.

With its arms up, it was petrified.

It looks kinda like a two-meter long stone statue.

Those raised arms look terrifying.

Like they will come crashing any moment.

Well, it was attacking after all.

If people were to see this sculpture, they would probably get terrified by it.

It looks more realistic than Laocoon.

The scene of a troll trying to attack Goliath.

The Troll of Samothrace.

The thinking old-man.

Isn’t it thinking too much?

Rather, it is closer to the work Unkei and Kaikei?

Vajra Troll Statue.

If it were the statue of Buddha, would it be called Troll’s Penance Statue?

And it won’t even get old with time.

After finishing the Hat Bats with a water spell, I clear the stone statue with a Fireball.

The Rtoll Troll turns into smoke right away.

Even after becoming stone, it’s weak against fire — pitiful.

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