Chapter 29

Three panels, each adorned with numbers from 0 to 7, whirled quickly before halting in sequence. Ding. Ding. Ding!

The numbers unveiled were… 1, 2, 1, respectively.

121 damage!

Crash!

The colossal rat that had been grazed by my fist was catapulted back in the opposite direction, accompanied by a thunderous noise.

"..."

I stood there, dumbfounded, with my fist still poised in mid-air.

'But ordinarily, the hundreds place doesn't show up often...'

It was a lousy item that typically didn't even hit the tens place, only ones.

But this time, it landed on the hundreds place, allowing me to defeat the giant rat in a single blow.

"Your, Your Majesty? Are you okay?"

"Oh, um. I'm fine..."

Lucas, startled, hastened over to me and sighed in relief upon finding me unscathed.

"But what just happened? How did you defeat that monster in one hit...?"

The giant rat that had been struck by my fist lay squashed at a distance.

Lucas, and not just him, but Damien, Jupiter, and Lilly too, were all gaping at me in disbelief.

I pondered over how to explain this anomaly, how I had obtained this item, and the mechanics behind it, and found myself at a loss.

'I can't reveal that I receive a box in my inventory from the system's compensation each time I clear a stage and that this item came from that box... Moreover, how do I explain that this weapon spins a roulette to determine damage every time I use it?'

So, I evaded the truth.

"It's the Prince Punch."

"Pardon me?"

"Prince Punch, it's the Prince Punch. Got it?"

"Uh...? Prince Punch...?"

"Royalty can occasionally... display superpowers when they're cornered. Sometimes. Yep!"

The circumstances differed, but the explanation was alike. They should drop it now.

The party members didn't seem entirely convinced, but given my reluctance to elaborate, they let it slide. It was pleasant that everyone caught on quickly.

We dispelled the confounded atmosphere and promptly moved on to the next chamber.

[The Dried Sewer - Room 2]

- This room is vacant.

The second room was utterly devoid of anything. No monsters, no events, no objects of any sort.

However, that didn't mean we should blindly assume it was empty. I instructed the party members.

"There might be something concealed. Search thoroughly!"

Despite looking doubtful, the party members dispersed and started scanning the room. Shortly after...

"Ah, there's something here?"

Damien discovered something.

"Woah, as expected of [Far-sight]! I knew I could count on you~!"

I dashed over to Damien's side, exclaiming boisterously.

A small camouflaged door was positioned on one side of the room. Unveiling the door revealed a petite treasure chest within.

Damien, who retrieved the chest, flashed a broad smile.

"It's a treasure chest, Your Highness!"

"You did well. But be cautious, it could be a trap disguised as a treasure chest..."

Before I could finish my sentence, Jupiter, who had rushed over, grabbed the treasure chest and hastily opened it.

"Curse you, you money-sniffing crone! What if it was a trap?!"

Clank!

Luckily, it wasn't a trap but a genuine treasure chest. It held a modest collection of gems and gold coins.

"Heh..."

Jupiter, who had been admiring the gems with a slight sigh of appreciation, scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

Her demeanor seemed a tad more subdued under our collective gaze.

"Oh dear, I apologize. I can't resist when I smell money."

Her 'Gold Fever' trait appeared to activate whenever she laid eyes on a chest.

I rubbed my forehead, sensing a headache brewing. How was I supposed to manage this elderly woman when traps were likely to be a common occurrence going forward?

"Now, let's return this treasure chest to you."

Jupiter handed me the gems and gold coins. Hold on a second, Granny, I saw you pocket a few!

I chose to ignore it, collected the gems and gold, and proceeded to the next room.

[The Dried Sewer - Room 3]

- Eliminate the enemies!

- Lv.5 Giant Sewer Rats: 12

The third room also spawned monsters.

Despite the monsters' levels escalating, we managed to slay them all without sustaining damage, thanks to our careful engagement in combat.

'I don't want to use the Prince Punch twice!'

While carefully counting the number of slain rat corpses, I made a mental note.

If it was up to me, I'd never use it again!

"Alright, the final boss room is next."

Before venturing into the boss room, we took a brief rest.

I smiled at my party members as they leisurely sat and consumed their preserved food.

"If we clear this, we'll return home, so everyone, hang in there."

Everyone nodded. Especially Lilly, who was exceptionally enthusiastic, nodding her head vigorously with a determined expression.

She really must be eager to get home...

After exiting the third room and advancing a bit further down the sewer, a large door emerged. It was undoubtedly the boss room.

Exchanging glances with the party members, I patted the shoulder of Lucas, who was at the forefront. Lucas forcefully opened the door.

Creeeeak-

With a screech that seemed to scrape against my eardrums, the boss room's door slowly creaked open.

***

We filed into the room one by one.

It was significantly more spacious than the previous rooms.

The sewer pipes crisscrossing the walls were larger and sturdier, and the darkness and foreboding atmosphere enveloping the room were considerably more profound.

Above all, the smell of blood.

Upon entering the room, a potent stench of blood permeated the air. I instinctively covered my nose. Ugh, what is that?

"...!"

When I raised a lantern to survey the surroundings, I finally grasped the source of the bloody stench.

The room was strewn with heaps of rat corpses.

They were the giant sewer rats that we had exterminated in the prior rooms.

Despite being rats, they were undoubtedly monsters, and hundreds of them lay lifeless.

And amidst those numerous rat corpse piles...

"A rat...."

There stood a rat, back turned towards us, considerably larger than any we had faced before.

"Rats... they're unending..."

In each enormous hand, the gigantic rat grasped a blood-soaked sewer rat.

With a forceful swing of its arms, the colossal rat hurled the sewer rats clutched in its grasp like projectiles into the distance.

Thud! Thud!

Fresh rat corpses augmented the existing heaps of bodies.

This colossal rat was undoubtedly the culprit behind the sewer rat massacre in this vicinity.

"Must exterminate rats. Must annihilate rats. Must purge rats. Purify the Lakeside Kingdom. Clean! Clean! Clean!"

The frenzied voice was undeniably emanating from the giant rat.

Shaken by the scene, Damien stammered.

"The monster... it's articulating human language...?"

Hearing Damien's voice, the colossal rat's ears twitched.

"What's that...?"

It then slowly swiveled around.

"There were rats still alive...?"

My party members drew in a breath as they locked eyes with the blazing stare of the colossal rat.

Its size was genuinely daunting. Its stature seemed to exceed 3 meters, and its fur, drenched in the blood of its brethren, exhibited a dark, red tint.

Its menacing teeth and claws were as sharp as blades.

"I believe this chatty rat may be the boss monster of this locale...."

As I murmured...

"There are rats everywhere! Regardless of how many I slaughter, they keep multiplying! Damn rat bastards!"

The colossal rat exploded in fury.

Its already monstrous claws extended grotesquely, and its tail, adorned with spikes, scraped the ground.

Its blazing stare was nearly radiating light.

"I'll annihilate you alllllllll!"

With a petrifying roar, the boss monster lunged at us.

It charged like a biped, aggressively flailing its arms around.

Ding!

The system update flashed on cue. I hastily inspected it.

[The Dried Sewer - Boss Room]

- Vanquish the boss!

- Lv.15 Giant Ratman

Sewer Manager Paleig.

That seemed to be the Ratman's designation.

'I wonder why a Ratman bears a human name.'

There was no time to muse over such trivial matters.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

The boss battle was in full swing, and the giant rat was swiftly encroaching upon us.

'I must issue a command...'

I rapidly formulated a strategy in my mind, prepared to deliver instructions to my party members.

But before I could issue a command,

"AHHHH! RATTTT!"

In a tearful frenzy, Lilly unleashed a monumental flame faster than I could issue any instructions.

Whoosh!

It was the most substantial flame spell I had ever seen Lilly produce.

The flame was so intense that it made the skin on my slightly distant body prickle. Oh, it's hot!

"EEK!"

The Ratman, charging towards us, was directly hit by the pillar of flame and instantly rolled on the ground wailing.

"Don't come any closer!"

In the face of such a ratman, Lilly persisted in spewing out fire. Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh...

"..."

"..."

Amid the horrific pillar of fire, the rest of the party members stood in awkward silence.

"Hah, hah, hah!"

Moments later, Lilly, gasping for breath, ceased the fire, revealing a colossal rat that had been charred to a crisp.

Crick, creak...

Despite enduring significant damage, the boss ratman was still alive. The brute was still attempting to rise, his eyes radiating a deep red.

However, Jupiter was already pointing her fingers at the ratman.

"That's enough, time for a rest."

A bright yellow magical energy congregated at the tips of Jupiter's fingers.

"Sweet dreams."

Kuwooong!

A bolt of lightning from the sky penetrated the body of the boss ratman.

"The rats... must be... cleansed..."

As he mumbled his last words, the boss ratman's face collapsed weakly onto the ground.

I murmured in a hollow voice.

"...That was easy."

The boss monster was taken down disappointingly easily by the combined magical onslaught of the two wizards.

Like a typical early-game monster, it had virtually no resistance to magic. Had we tried to defeat it using our standard physical attacks, it would have been a much tougher battle.

Lilly, having confirmed the boss's demise, clung to my sleeve.

"We're going home now, right, your Majesty?!"

"Eh, shortly... But you're kind of terrifying..."

"There are rat corpses everywhere, isn't that scarier?!"

However, to exit this place, we had to traverse through the heap of rat corpses.

We ventured toward the inner part of the room, beyond the mountain of rat corpses and the boss ratman.

Lilly simply shut her eyes tightly as Jupiter pulled her wheelchair. Yes, that would be easier for both of them.

At the very end of the room stood a large treasure chest.

When Jupiter, with her single sparkling eye, tried to rush toward it, I issued a succinct command.

"Lucas, restrain Jupiter."

"Yes, your Majesty."

"No! I haven't done anything yet, your Majesty! Hey, let me go! You should respect your elders, Knight Lucas!"

As Lucas held Jupiter back, I quickly opened the chest.

Boss treasure chests never hold traps. They always contain reward items.

'What's inside!'

As I opened the box, a dazzling blue light erupted.

And what emerged was...

"Oh!"

A longsword housed in a rugged sheath.

As I peeked inside the sheath, I saw a saw-toothed blade.

I scrutinized the detailed specifications. It would be great if it was a valuable item!