Chapter 196: Temporary Companion and Development 1
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Mon-Fri
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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The 40th floor, which I never thought of challenging due to the difficulties of the supply unit and the harsh environment in the past, turned out to be less remarkable than I expected.
It's a floor of undead, so I expected hordes of zombies, or annoying and grotesque infected creatures like the tumor trolls, or doppelgangers that imitate humans, or new monsters from breeding trees.
-40th floor is a breeze?"
-Another easy one, Han Se-ah? Another easy one, Han Se-ah? Another easy one, Han Se-ah? Another easy one, Han Se-ah? Another easy one, Han Se-ah?
-Nothing much on the 40th floor.. was destroying the 35th floor the wrong move?
-Someone who added 'likes raw food' and 'likes overcooked soup' to Han Se-ah's King Muwiki page, come forward
-I couldn't help but laugh at that. It hurts my pride.
If there's any change, it's that the number of Lizardman Skeletons, usually 13-15, has increased to 18-19, and they've become tougher, prolonging the battle duration.
Naturally, it's not a change that the viewers would like.
"In other floors, boss monsters openly roamed around, but on the 40th floor, is the boss monster hiding? Sure, it would be strange if something like a hatchery roamed around... So maybe the 40th floor's boss isn't a combat type but a non-combat breeding type."
The situation is interesting; mana stones pile up in the inventory, but the quest isn't progressing.
Han Se-ah's heart grows impatient, but since the search is done by Grace, the scout, even a genius mage like her can only quietly follow and endure the angry chat.
One change is that Katie, disheartened by encountering undead instead of doppelganger thieves, slowly starts gravitating towards Grace and me.
It's more like affection and camaraderie than love, but viewers on the other side of the camera interpret it differently.
If you read the chat, you'd think the game's name should be changed from Heroes Chronicle to Love and War Online.
"I thought there'd be something amazing on the 40th floor after our experience on the 30th..."
"Isn't it better to have nothing? A boss monster means the Demon King's power is immense."
"Isn't it good to think about hunting such boss monsters and gradually reducing the Demon King's power?"
While glancing at the chat, Grace, who has clung to my side, and Katie, who has sneakily closed the distance, have a conversation.
In this world where the word 'inventory' is understood as a spell, it's strange to see words like normal monsters, elite monsters, and boss monsters becoming normal adventuring terms.
It feels even more so when our party and Han Se-ah, as well as the guild, start using such words.
Grace seems to prefer a steady approach and is apprehensive about suddenly encountering powerful enemies.
Katie, who has a bit of a 'middle-schooler syndrome', seems to think it's better to fight against powerful enemies and gain glory.
Well, as an adventurer, Grace's opinion is the correct one, but as a stream assistant and an OP-level possessor, it's more comfortable for me to go with Katie's opinion.
"What do you think, Roland?"
"For me, facing powerful enemies is more comfortable. As a senior adventurer, I should agree with Grace, but personally, I'm inclined towards Katie's opinion."
"Well, that's expected from you. I even heard that a bard is planning to compose songs about your adventures."
Hearing my candid thoughts, Grace nods her head.
Irene, who was close by, also let out a small exclamation of disbelief, appalled by the story.
As we talked about bards and walked, something distinctly out of place finally appeared before us.
It was neither a Lizardman Skeleton, a Zombie Crocodile, nor an explosive Tumor Troll, but something dark and ominous.
"...What is that?"
"It has scales, could it be an undead subtype of a Lizardman?"
"It seems like an elite monster of the 40th floor that has mutated."
Its lower half resembled a long snake, while its upper half was a human male covered in dark scales.
With its large stature, broad shoulders, and muscular chest due to the snake's lower half, and wielding a long trident, it looked quite menacing.
It seems that instead of the Vine Snake, a typical boss monster of the 40th floor, a black Naga warrior has appeared.
I've heard that the Naga family resides deep in the jungles of the southern kingdom, but this is my first encounter with them.
If Lizardmen are agile swordsmen wielding scimitars, then Nagas are cavalry, using tridents and their snake lower halves to move through marshes.
I'm not sure how they've changed after becoming undead, but they dont seem to have weakened physically.
"Is it because it's a boss monster? It appeared alone."
The Naga, blocking our path like a knight challenging us to a duel, pointed its trident at us.
Originally, I heard that Naga were teal-colored snake people native to swamps, but this one, tainted by undeath, was black, almost feeling like a Death Knight.
After zombies, skeletons, explosive tumors, and tentacled infectors, now a Death Knight?
It's like a complete undead gift set.
Katie, who also seems to see it as a knight, confidently steps forward, drawing her sword, seemingly inspired by its open display of weapon skills.
"Roland! I'll take this one on. It's a new creature, and I want to scout it out."
"Alright, but I'll intervene immediately if it looks dangerous."
She doesn't show displeasure at my comment about intervening, even though she insists on fighting alone.
It's a boss monster and undead after all, so it's only natural to not expect fairness in such a fight, even if it looks like a knight.
Katie advances slowly, maintaining tension due to the imposing and dark figure of the creature.
"It can talk? Does it retain intelligence?"
Rather than a duel of knights, it felt more like a tense standoff in a Western, where anyone could suddenly jump in. Katie gauges the distance with the tension in the air.
If it's a boss monster of the 40th floor, it's at least at an intermediate level, and if we're unlucky, it might be an enhanced creature at the level of a senior adventurer, capable of unleashing mana.
Moreover, if it speaks with a slow, unsettling voice, unlike rotting undead, it must possess considerable intelligence.
As the black Naga exuded an aura befitting a high-level creature, Katie slowly aimed her sword, imagining various dangers.
The Naga might lay traps or wait in ambush, considering its retained intelligence.
She exhibited the perfect posture of a great adventurer and swordsman, showing no arrogance or underestimation of her opponent.
-Human, go back. I, do not, wish to, fight.
"What?"
Katie's caution seemed unnecessary as the Naga lowered its trident.
