Chapter 122: Clash of Titans
"Who could possibly resist big boobs?"
"Even guys who like small boobs don't actually hate big boobs."
"Maybe there's someone with a phobia of big boobs."
"Does that even exist?"
"Who knows?"
"...Can we stop guessing weird stuff about my preferences just because we're bored?"
Apparently, I've been labeled as someone who likes big boobs, and honestly, it's hard to deny it outright. Come on, I was a normal high school boy until just a month ago. Of course I like them. I'm an otaku introvert, after all.
: How long is this going to take?
: What if Skull Dragons don't even exist, and Kisaragi's just making it up?
: He said it's a rare monster, didn't he?
: How rare are we talking?
: Like pulling an SSR in a gacha game, maybe?
: Gacha game odds vary, though.
: It's probably like rare crafting materials in games.
: That depends on the game too, man.
"The odds are probably about the same as pulling an SSR in a typical mobile gacha game."
I don't know the exact rates, but let's say 1-2%. At 1%, you have about a 60% chance of pulling one if you roll 100 times. But then again, I'm not pulling a monster out like in a gacha; I'm just waiting around for one.
: But haven't you moved down like three floors already?
: Are you close to the bottom now?
"Well, I'm not really sure how many floors are in this dungeon. But right now, I'm on the 75th floor. I think the furthest anyone's gone is around the 80th floor, so there's probably more beyond that."
By the way, the highest anyone has gotten was back when my grandma was young. What the hell, seriously... This is why they call her Japan's strongest. Back in her day, the top explorers were only around D-rank. I mean, the lower layers were considered hell back then, much like how the deep layers are treated now. And she went solo down to the 80th floor? That's insane.
Even now, she says she's past her prime and doesn't actively dive into dungeons anymore, but stories like these make me wonder—was she even stronger back then? Or is she still just as strong and is downplaying it?
"
Sigh
... I'm getting sleepy."
: If you fall asleep, you're dead.
: What is this, the mountains?
: Same thing happens in Antarctica, though.
: We're near lava, guys, not freezing weather.
: Isn't it like 50 degrees Celsius there?
: How is it only 50 degrees with lava around?
: Lol
: Maybe it's dungeon magic keeping it cool.
"It's not that hot, honestly. Sure, you shouldn't touch the lava, but I'd say the temperature in the dungeon is around 40 degrees Celsius, give or take."
: Wait, can explorers control how much heat they feel?
: No way.
: What do you think explorers are, superheroes?
: They're superhuman.
: Freaks.
: Only Kisaragi is a freak, though.
: You're spreading unfair rumors about explorers now, lol.
There are hot dungeons and cold dungeons in the world. Still, there's no way dungeon explorers can adjust their body's temperature perception. Let's be real, if someone could do that, they'd basically be invincible... though I don't actually know what would happen if someone could.
"Oh, is that it?"
: Oh?
: Is it happening?
: Did you hook it?
: Stop describing it like fishing.
: LOL
: This really is like fishing for lava monsters, huh?
: Lava fishing, now there's a new sport.
The lava surged upward, splashing around as a massive black skeleton dragon emerged from the depths. Yup, that's the Skull Dragon I was after!
As soon as it spotted me, it lifted its front leg and slammed it down onto the ground, causing magma to erupt around me, but I dodged it easily.
"...Is it just me, or is this Skull Dragon way bigger than what's described in the records?"
: How should we know?
: Are there even records of this thing?
: Yeah, they exist.
: You can actually buy basic info on them.
: Does it include monsters from deep layers like this?
: I doubt it.
: It's probably one of those guides that say, "See it for yourself from here."
: Old-school game strategy guide vibes.
: Dungeon strategy guidebook, lol.
If I remember right, the Skull Dragon was supposed to be about 10 meters long from head to tail. But this one's at least 15 meters. It even has wings made of bones. Is this a different species?
"Well, whatever."
It's still a dragon. The bones should be hard enough. Let's test it out with a lightning beam.
"...Huh?"
: Didn't work, did it?
: Wait, what?
: Is it immune to magic?
"No, it looked like it absorbed the magic."
Can that even happen? I can wrap my head around the idea of absorbing magic, but this thing just sucked up the spell with its entire body. That means the bones themselves have a magic-absorbing property. If that's the case, a weapon made from this thing would have some pretty extreme characteristics. But if you could master it, it'd be insanely powerful.
"Alright, let's take it down."
There are probably two ways to deal with something like this. One is to smash it to bits with pure physical force. That's the easiest and most straightforward method. The other way is to overload it by making it absorb so much magic that it explodes from the inside. I don't think it can absorb magic infinitely, so that's an option. But let's just go with the simple method for now.
"'Gyuuki.'"
For raw power, this guy's the best.
In terms of brute strength, it's probably stronger than even the Twelve Heavenly Generals. Since the Skull Dragon absorbs magic, it's better to use a straightforward powerhouse like Gyuuki rather than a multi-magic wielder like the generals.
With a roar, Gyuuki charged straight toward the Skull Dragon.
"Alright."
: Kisaragi's unsheathed his sword.
: He's going to fight for real this time.
: Magic didn't work, after all.
Let's see how much I can crush those bones using just physical power. If I can cleave through its exposed spine, that should be enough to kill it. Though if it's one of those monsters that can still move even if its spine is destroyed, I'll just have to chop it up into smaller pieces until it stops. Not much changes in the plan, either way!