Chapter 78: The Vanished Sword Saint - Part 3
The golem remained stationary, not moving from its previous location.
Alright, it hasn't noticed us yet.
"Chloe, do you know the location of the core from here?"
"...I need to get closer to pinpoint it. It's harder to discern than a regular golem due to its rough surface."
"I see... So, we have no choice but to proceed according to the plan."
Saying that, I first strengthened my body with [Body Enhancement] and then ran towards the golem, taking a deep breath. With a candy in my mouth and a mithril bracelet on my arm, I knew that firing magic from up close would deal a significant blow.
Thinking this, I circled behind the golem and cast my magic.
"Tsk, it's too tough..."
It wasn't at maximum firepower, but the magic was still powerful enough to obliterate an ordinary monster. The golem, however, with its sturdy body, merely had some of its ore chipped away.
"Gogogogo!"
"Gah!"
The golem noticed my presence and, increasing its magical power, attacked with its massive hands. Unable to evade its faster movements compared to a regular golem, I chose to parry with my sword, only to be sent flying into a wall by the golem's force.
"Jin, are you okay!?"
"I'm fine! Chloe, focus on your job!"
As I was sent flying, Chloe rushed towards me in concern. I shouted at her and turned to attack the golem again. I knew that if I let my guard down in this battle, I would lose.
With a continued focus, I battled the golem.
"Jin, I've found it! The core is located diagonally down from the back of its neck!"
After enduring the battle for several minutes, I heard Chloe's words. Down from the neck... there it was! I had been searching while fighting, but I couldn't find it at all.
"If we know the location, it's ours! Pierce it!"
Confirming the core's position, I cast my magic. The golem realized its core was being targeted and tried to defend it. However, before it could protect it, my magic hit the core, and we succeeded in defeating the "Discarded Ore Golem."
"Phew... This battle was nerve-wracking."
"Jin, when you were sent flying, I was really worried... Are you truly okay?"
"Yeah, when I hit the wall, I made my back tougher to withstand the impact, so I'm not injured. It's just that my sword..."
Saying that, I showed Chloe my broken sword. I had been using it since I started as an adventurer, and I was quite attached to it. I knew that items had a lifespan, and weapons and armor would eventually break, but even when you understand that, it's still a bit heartbreaking to part with them.
"When we get back, should I ask Leesa for a new sword?"
To distract myself from the sadness, I started thinking about what kind of sword I should buy at Leesa's shop. I equipped a sword I had received at the castle since going unarmed would be challenging.
"We can't underestimate the 'Discarded Ore Golem.' Let's stay cautious and move forward. We were lucky to notice it before it did, but we can't count on the same luck next time."
"You're right. Even though we got lucky this time, we might not be able to keep our distance if it happens again... Yeah, I'll stay more focused and keep an eye on our surroundings."
"Yeah, Chloe, you're better suited for this task than me. If you spot any strange monsters, let me know immediately."
As we discussed our strategy, we continued forward, battling several more "Discarded Ore Golems" along the way.
Finally, we reached the 29th floor, just one floor above the dungeon's deepest point. If the target isn't here, they must either be in the boss room or higher than the 20th floor.
"Jin! I sense Julius-san's magical presence over there!"
"What, really!?"
Chloe's words reached my ears, and we hurried towards the direction where Julius-san's magic could be felt.
A few minutes later, we arrived at the spot where we had detected Julius-san's magical presence. There, we found Julius-san lying atop a pile of ore.
"Julius-san!"
"Julius-san, are you alright!?"
Upon discovering Julius-san collapsed, we rushed to his side, shouting and checking his condition. When we approached, we heard faint breathing, confirming that he was alive.
However, his magic had been depleted, and he was in a terrible state with his limbs badly damaged, unconscious.
"Julius-san, how did you end up like this?"
"...Jin, could it be because of that?"
"Huh?"
While examining Julius-san's condition, I followed Chloe's pointed finger. There, embedded in the wall, was the mithril we had miraculously found last week.
"No way, right? We just found it the other day! It shouldn't appear this frequently..."
At that moment, I recalled the setting of this world's dungeons. The closer you are to the mining points in a dungeon, the higher the rarity of the ores you find.
"So, that's why there were piles of ore near the mining points until we reached here... Julius-san had been persistently mining mithril between the 20th and 30th floors."
I explained this setting to Chloe and, with half of the ore still unmined, I dug it up completely. I carried the unconscious Julius-san on my back and headed for the 30th floor.
There, in the safe zone on the 30th floor, we used the teleportation circle to return to the 1st floor.
"Jin-san, Chloe-san!"
As we emerged from the 1st floor, a large group of soldiers awaited us. Among them, a soldier who recognized us rushed over.
When he noticed Julius-san on my back, he exclaimed, "Lord Julius!" This gathered the attention of many soldiers.
After finding Julius, we were thanked by the soldiers and returned to the capital together.