Chapter 20
The next morning.
After breakfast at the Silver Wheat Inn, Felicia and I headed to the Adventurers' Guild.
Today, we were going to the tenth floor.
It was the deepest floor D-Rank adventurers were permitted to explore.
When we looked at the request board, we saw a sheet of paper posted separately from the usual requests.
【Emergency Subjugation Request】
【Subjugate the Iron Golem】
【Target: Belgrant Western Dungeon, Tenth Floor】
【Reward: 300,000 Jenny】
"This is it."
"The floor boss you mentioned yesterday."
I took the request form and headed to reception.
Our usual receptionist furrowed her brow as soon as she saw the paper.
"You're taking it after all."
"Yes."
"I didn't explain this yesterday, but the floor boss isn't always on the tenth floor."
"Is that so?"
"Once it's defeated, it disappears. We don't know when it'll appear again."
"Sometimes it's just a few days, but other times it won't show up again for much longer."
The receptionist pointed to the request form.
"Yesterday, an adventurer exploring the tenth floor reported that an Iron Golem had appeared."
"So the subjugation request went up this morning."
"I see."
"When it isn't there, exploring the tenth floor itself is much safer. But today, it's definitely there."
"We'll turn back if it seems too difficult."
"Please make sure you do. A floor boss is in a different league from ordinary monsters."
"Understood."
We accepted the request and headed to the dungeon.
◇
We passed through the first six floors without stopping much.
A Grand Lizard appeared on the seventh floor, but we defeated it in two strikes.
【You acquired 500P】
【Total P Acquired: 15,200P】
【Your points: 5,490P】
We didn't encounter any monsters on the eighth floor.
A Death Horn appeared on the ninth floor.
"Bwooo!"
It charged at us with its long horn pointed forward.
I dodged to the side, then slashed its hind leg as it passed me.
I caught up to the off-balance Death Horn and drove my sword into its neck.
【You acquired 700P】
【Total P Acquired: 15,900P】
【Your points: 6,190P】
"You were faster than yesterday."
"I'm getting used to it."
The stairs leading to the tenth floor lay before us.
Felicia looked at me.
"Shall we go?"
"Yes."
The two of us descended the stairs.
◇
The tenth floor was quiet.
Its passages were wider than those on the ninth floor, and the ceiling was higher, too.
The walls were marked as if something had struck them with tremendous force.
Large cracks ran across the stone floor as well.
"Do you think the floor boss did this?"
"Maybe."
We proceeded cautiously.
We didn't encounter any monsters along the way.
Before long, a large chamber appeared at the end of the passage.
A gigantic figure stood in its center.
"...There it is."
Felicia stopped.
It stood nearly three meters tall.
Its dull gray body looked as if it were made entirely of metal.
Its arms were far thicker than a human's.
Two red eyes glowed.
An Iron Golem.
When we entered the chamber, its eyes turned toward us.
"Goooo..."
A low rumble echoed through the chamber.
"I'll shoot first."
"Please do."
Felicia pointed her staff at it.
"Magic Bullet!"
The glowing projectile struck its chest.
Bang!
The Iron Golem barely moved.
"It's hard..."
"A normal Magic Bullet probably won't do much."
"Then I'll try this."
Felicia backed away and began gathering magic at her fingertips.
The Iron Golem moved.
"Goh!"
It approached with heavy footsteps.
It wasn't fast.
"Magic Bullet!"
Boom!
The high-powered shot hit its right shoulder directly.
The metal surface dented slightly.
"It's working!"
"That's enough."
I stepped forward.
A gigantic fist came crashing down.
I dodged to the side.
Boom!
The stone floor shattered.
Its attacks were powerful.
But I could see its movements clearly enough.
I closed in and swung my steel sword.
Clang!
A powerful shock ran through my arm.
I had cut a shallow gash into the Iron Golem's side.
"I cut it!"
"Then we can do this."
I dodged another punch, then slashed its right leg.
Clang!
It was hard.
I struck the same spot again.
Then again.
The wound gradually deepened.
"Felicia-san, can you aim for its right leg?"
"Yes!"
Felicia gathered magic.
"Magic Bullet!"
The high-powered Magic Bullet struck the spot I'd been attacking.
"Goooo!"
Its right leg shook violently.
I immediately rushed in.
I swung my sword with all my strength at the same wound.
Clang!
The blade sank deep into it.
Its right leg buckled, and the Iron Golem dropped to one knee.
"Now!"
I circled around to its chest.
There was a spot in the center that was a different color from the rest.
I thrust my sword into it.
It was hard.
The Iron Golem swung its arm.
I backed away.
"Gooooo!"
As it tried to get back up, Felicia's Magic Bullet struck it in the face.
Its movements stopped.
I rushed in again.
I was aiming for the same spot.
I thrust my sword into the wound in its chest.
I put all my strength into it.
A sickening resistance traveled up the blade.
Even so, I didn't let up.
"Haaah!"
The blade sank deeper.
Crack!
Something shattered deep inside its chest.
The light faded from the Iron Golem's red eyes.
Its huge body slowly tilted over.
Thud!
The floor of the chamber shook.
【You defeated the Floor Boss】
【You acquired 2,000P】
【Total P Acquired: 17,900P】
【Your points: 8,190P】
"...We did it."
Felicia slowly let out a breath.
"That's the floor boss of the tenth floor, you know?"
"We beat it."
I still had strength to spare.
The problem lay elsewhere.
"Allen-san, your sword..."
I looked at it in my hand.
"This is..."
The blade of my steel sword was badly chipped.
The sword itself was slightly bent, with a thin crack near the hilt.
"You shouldn't use it anymore, right?"
"Right."
It had cost nearly 100,000 Jenny.
When I bought it, I thought it was a good enough weapon, but apparently it couldn't withstand my strength or the monsters on the tenth floor.
"It held out until the end."
"I'm so glad it didn't break halfway through."
"I think so, too."
I wrapped the steel sword in cloth.
Just then,
Rumble, rumble...
"Allen-san."
Felicia looked toward the back of the chamber.
Beyond the spot where the Iron Golem had stood,
the bare stone wall slowly slid apart.
A small room appeared behind it.
A large, pale blue stone glowed in the center.
"What is that?"
I went closer.
Felicia tilted her head as she looked at the stone.
"Could this be a teleportation stone?"
"A teleportation stone?"
"I've never seen one in person before, either."
Short words were carved into the pedestal.
――The path opens to those who have conquered the tenth floor.
"Shall we touch it?"
"Let's."
I touched the teleportation stone.
Its pale blue light grew brighter.
A moment later, it returned to its original brightness.
Felicia touched it the same way.
The teleportation stone glowed again.
"Did something happen?"
"Let's ask the guild."
We collected the Iron Golem's large magic stone and some metal fragments we could carry back.
◇
A Black Ogre appeared when we reached the ninth floor again.
"Rooaaar!"
"I'll draw its attention."
"Please do!"
I wouldn't use my damaged sword.
I stepped forward empty-handed.
The Black Ogre swung its club down.
I dodged.
When it chased after me, I moved to the side and made it turn.
"Magic Bullet!"
Felicia's glowing projectile hit its leg.
"Ooh!"
The Black Ogre looked at Felicia.
I quickly approached it.
"Over here!"
The club swung toward me again.
I dodged.
Felicia had plenty of time to get to a safe distance.
"Magic Bullet!"
Two shots.
Three shots.
She focused them on its leg.
Its movements slowed.
"Now!"
Felicia gathered magic at the tip of her staff.
"Magic Bullet!"
The high-powered shot hit its chest directly.
Its huge body rocked violently.
Then she fired more regular Magic Bullets into it.
Before long, the Black Ogre fell to the ground.
"We beat it!"
"We did it."
Nothing appeared in my field of vision.
A monster appeared on the eighth floor, too, but we handled it the same way: I drew its attention, and Felicia finished it off.
After that, we made it back to the surface without any major problems.
◇
Evening.
We entered the guild.
Our usual receptionist noticed us right away.
"Welcome back! How was the tenth floor?"
"We defeated the floor boss."
"...Pardon?"
"The Iron Golem."
I placed the large magic stone on the reception counter.
The receptionist's eyes widened.
"This..."
She checked it several times.
"There's no doubt. This is an Iron Golem's magic stone."
Even the employees nearby looked over at us.
"The tenth-floor boss?"
"The request only went up this morning!"
The receptionist looked at us again.
"Are you really uninjured?"
"Yes."
"I'm fine, too."
"...That's amazing."
The request was processed.
A display appeared in my field of vision.
【Request completion confirmed】
【You acquired 100P】
【P Acquired Today: 3,300P】
【Total P Acquired: 18,000P】
【Your points: 8,290P】
Only 1,710P to go until I could buy Imbuement.
"The reward for the subjugation request is 300,000 Jenny."
Next, we had our materials appraised.
The Iron Golem's magic stone and metal fragments.
The Grand Lizard and Death Horn we'd defeated on the way there.
The materials from the monsters Felicia had defeated on the way back.
The purchase price came to 880,000 Jenny.
"With the request reward, that's 1,180,000 Jenny."
"1,180,000..."
Felicia's eyes widened.
Split between us, that was 590,000 Jenny each.
Once you reached the tenth floor, the earnings were substantial.
"By the way, after we defeated the Iron Golem, a teleportation stone appeared."
When I told her, the receptionist nodded.
"Did you touch it?"
"Both of us did."
"Then you're registered."
"Registered?"
"Next time, you can use the teleportation stone on the first floor to travel directly to the tenth. You can also return from the tenth floor to the first."
Felicia looked at me.
"We should have used it."
"We really should have."
"It's understandable if you didn't know how it worked the first time."
The receptionist smiled.
"From now on, you won't have to walk all the way from the first floor to the ninth."
"That'll help."
"And then... there's that sword."
I placed the steel sword, still wrapped in cloth, on the reception counter.
I opened the cloth.
"...It's in terrible shape."
"It ended up like this after I defeated the Iron Golem."
"You should replace it."
"That's what I plan to do."
"Then you'll be going to the weapon shop tomorrow."
"Yes."
I thought that would be the end of today's business.
But the receptionist checked the records in front of her once more, then suddenly changed her expression.
"...Please wait a moment."
"Yes?"
"I'll be right back."
The receptionist stood up and disappeared into the back.
"I wonder what that was about."
"No idea..."
Felicia and I looked at each other.
A little while later, the receptionist returned with a man.
He looked to be in his forties.
A silver insignia was pinned to his chest.
"This is the deputy guildmaster of the Belgrant Branch."
The receptionist introduced him.
The deputy guildmaster stood in front of us.
"Allen Valdis-san and Felicia Roth-san, correct?"
"Yes."
"I've reviewed your accomplishments to date."
The deputy guildmaster looked over the documents in his hand.
"The number of requests you've completed since your promotion to D-Rank. Your progress from the seventh through ninth floors. Your rescue of other adventurers on the ninth floor. And today's defeat of the tenth-floor boss, the Iron Golem."
He closed the documents.
"There's no reason to keep you at D-Rank any longer."
The receptionist handed us two adventurer cards.
"It has been decided that you'll both be promoted to C-Rank as of today."
"...C-Rank?"
Felicia's eyes widened.
"Already?"
I asked.
The receptionist gave a wry smile.
"That's what I'd like to ask you."
We accepted our new adventurer cards.
The rank was clearly engraved on them.
【C-Rank】
Total P Acquired: 18,000P