Chapter 127
Several days had passed since the meeting with His Grace the Duke.
"Are you really sure about going alone?"
"Yes. This time, I don’t have the leeway to support a party, and Lady Claudia needs to focus on training the soldiers who will actually face the wind dragon."
At dawn, just as the sun was beginning to rise, I had Lotus bring me to the dungeon entrance.
This dungeon was currently under joint control by the ducal house and the adventurer’s guild—off-limits to anyone not involved in the operation.
If a child like me were to wander in, they’d probably stop me by force if necessary.
To conceal my identity, I wore a mask resembling traditional ethnic garb and a deep green robe.
Slung across my back was an oversized greatbow and a matching quiver, while my magic bag was stuffed with as many arrows as it could hold.
I carried my spear in hand—the plan was to clear the first half of the Dullahan dungeon with the spear, then switch to the greatbow for the latter half against the wyverns.
Perhaps the soldiers and adventurers passing by saw me as either an old gentleman or a masked dwarf, but regardless, I could feel their sidelong glances. Though I might have looked suspicious, no one stopped me since I was with someone affiliated with the ducal house.
This dungeon wasn’t open to the public—only those with permission could enter.
True to Duke Edelgard’s command, a tent manned by the ducal knights stood at the entrance, strictly monitoring all who came and went.
Lotus had already arranged for my entry.
"But that means you’ll be descending alone to the deepest layer of the Dullahan dungeon before even attempting the wyvern dungeon."
"With time this tight, it’s the only way. No choice."
As Lotus worried, the real issue was that this dungeon’s difficulty far exceeded my current level—there was no safety margin to speak of.
A high-difficulty dungeon overflowing with danger.
One wrong move, and death was certain.
On top of that, there was the added restriction of not defeating the dungeon boss, the Dullahan.
A gauntlet of undead enemies in overwhelming numbers, then sneaking past the Dullahan’s gaze to infiltrate the wyvern dungeon—only to face over two hundred dragonkin.
"Just make sure the supply and rest points are ready for me."
What I was about to attempt was an RTA (Real-Time Attack) even I considered risky.
Honestly, I had no obligation—or even need—to do this.
But as an FBO player, this was a path I couldn’t avoid.
I wouldn’t do something like this if it wasn’t for my favorite character.
I could’ve asked Nel, Amina, or Ingrid to come along—they probably would’ve agreed.
But I didn’t.
Partly because of my selfish reasons, but also because this RTA prioritized speed, ignoring all drops except the essentials. Without teammates who could keep up and coordinate, it’d only increase the danger.
Nel, Amina, and Ingrid were still growing—this was too much for them.
"...Understood."
And so, a solo real-time dungeon attack it was.
Lotus, likely torn between gratitude and guilt over me risking myself for Iris, bowed deeply as I stretched to warm up.
"Don’t worry. I won’t die before collecting on this favor."
"...That’s going to cost quite a bit, isn’t it?"
"I’ll have plenty to ask of His Grace, so I’ll make sure to study the pricing carefully."
"Ho ho ho, I look forward to it."
To maintain a good relationship moving forward, I’d push my luck a little while setting clear boundaries.
With Esmeralda alive and the Duke embracing his doting father role, the happy ending I couldn’t achieve in FBO was within reach.
Just the thought of that bastard Jackaran interfering with Iris’ happiness was enough to fuel my anger—or rather, my motivation.
"Alright, time to go."
My first RTA in a while—my gamer blood was stirring.
The time limit? Until that idiot makes a move on Iris.
I could feel my excitement rising. Ah, this feels good.
"Good luck."
"Oh, and I’d love a lavish dinner when I get back."
"Rest assured, I’ll prepare it with the utmost care."
"Looking forward to it. Later."
I was fired up.
With Lotus seeing me off, I dashed into the dungeon.
The map was already burned into my mind.
Cross-referencing the maps provided by the knights and adventurers, I calculated the shortest route based on this dungeon’s pattern.
Maintaining speed while silencing footsteps, reading monster spawn patterns—avoiding combat was a must.
Making sure the goblin zombies didn’t notice me, steering clear of groups whenever possible.
"Dead end this way, so left, then right..."
The key to RTA was eliminating waste to the extreme.
Avoid fighting unless absolutely necessary, stick to the fastest route.
"Hmm, they’re clustered here. Bad luck."
But rigidly following a set path was a mistake.
The planned route had more monsters than expected—goblin zombies and hobgoblin zombies.
I could fight them, but conserving stamina for the wyverns was smarter.
Before being spotted, I hid behind cover, checked alternate paths.
"This way too, huh."
Two of three routes were swarmed.
"The detour’s longer, but better safe than sorry."
Zombie-type monsters had high HP and could call reinforcements.
Solo runs usually required undead-specific weapons, but since I wasn’t forcing fights, I stuck to my normal gear. A little detour for safety.
"Ggyuh!?"
"Sorry ‘bout this."
A goblin zombie rounding the corner got its neck sliced—one less obstacle.
Good thing I brushed up on my assassin moves.
"Hghk!?"
"My bad!"
Solo hobgoblin zombies? Decapitation meant no alarm raised, and necks were critical weak points—bypassing defense.
"Next, right."
First floor cleared in about ten minutes.
At this rate, I could afford to pick up the pace.
I’d been grinding only safe dungeons lately, so I was worried about being rusty—but muscle memory kicked in surprisingly well.
Dead-end paths, monster-heavy areas, troublesome combat zones.
Second floor—only three unavoidable fights, cleared in just over five minutes.
"Hmm, the adventurers and knights are putting in work, so this pace is manageable. The real problem starts past floor fifteen."
Along the way, I’d seen adventurers and knights fighting. Their efforts were the only reason I’d made it this smoothly.
So I had to make the most of that advantage while saving as much time as possible.
Deeper floors meant more, stronger monsters.
"■■■■■■■■!!!"
But my smooth progress halted at floor twelve.
A familiar roar in the distance—a dragon zombie.
And the shouts of adventurers and knights nearby.
"...Can’t progress without passing through here."
From the dungeon’s perspective, this was a chokepoint.
Branching paths converged into a single, slightly wider plaza.
At its center rampaged a mid-boss dragon zombie. Given that the dungeon had been cleared up to floor fifteen, it should’ve been regularly culled—bad respawn timing this time.
I observed the battle from a distance.
A mixed party of knights and adventurers.
Though technically, it was two separate parties—one knight, one adventurer—working together.
"Knights have one greatshield tank, two spearmen, one healer. Adventurers have two swordsmen, one dagger user—scout, probably—and one archer."
Their levels were decent—barely meeting the standard.
They’d win eventually if they played it safe, but time was a luxury I didn’t have.
"Hey! Need a hand?"
Besides, a dragon zombie was perfect for stacking Dragon Slayer kills on my Flame Demon Greatbow.
"! We’ll take it! If you’ve got a bow, provide covering fire from there!"
No friendly fire this time—I’d learned my lesson.
The reply came from one of the knights. I’d half-expected a "Stay out of this!", so this was a relief.
They probably thought I was a dwarf—no one would expect a kid here.
Mask and hood might’ve looked suspicious, but plenty of adventurers dressed like that.
"Got it. Providing support."
Permission secured.
Time to hunt some dragons.
Against a dragon zombie, this greatbow’s special effects were diminished.
Since it was grounded, the anti-air bonus didn’t apply.
Dragon zombies were dark-attribute—no double damage from fire.
"Well, I’ll just have to make up for it with skill."
I slung my spear across my back and readied the greatbow.
I had no bow-related skills, so no skill bonuses.
But I could repurpose other skills.
"Glad I brought Magic Edge."
Nocking an arrow, I infused the arrowhead with magical energy.
Honestly, this skill’s versatility is insane.
No aim assist, but I’d used this weapon enough.
Like riding a bike, muscle memory took over—my fingers naturally found their mark.
"Hah—release."
A controlled breath, then the arrow flew—slightly off course, embedding itself in the dragon zombie’s right shoulder.
"■■■■■!?"
The combined fire and magic attributes, plus the greatbow’s raw power, drew a pained screech from the creature.
"Hmm, rusty."
I’d aimed for a headshot—timing was slightly off.
"Good a time as any to shake off the rust."
If I missed like this against flying wyverns, I’d waste too many arrows.
This fight was perfect for recalibrating.
Standing still as a turret was a bad idea—if I drew aggro, I’d eat a breath attack.
I repositioned for better angles while avoiding attention.
"Aggro’s still not on me."
Thanks to the other party holding the dragon zombie’s focus, I had clean shots.
Second shot—another attempted headshot.
"■■■■!?"
"Still off."
The arrow pierced its cheek, tearing through rotten flesh.
Third shot.
"Too high."
It whizzed just over its head.
Fourth—aim lower.
This time, the arrow skewered its nose sideways.
"A bit higher next time."
Minor adjustments, shot after shot.
"There. That’s the feeling."
A clean headshot between the eyes—I nodded in satisfaction.
Most zombies would’ve died instantly, but dragon zombies were notoriously tanky.
Even with its skull pierced and brain impaled multiple times, it stubbornly clung to life.
Now fixated on me, it strained against the encircling fighters—unable to reach me, but leaving itself open to their attacks.
"Hang in there a little longer."
It thrashed wildly, but the experienced party handled it calmly.
Another shot—this time, taking out its right eye.
Still, it flailed desperately.
Perfect for practice.
"Hit."
Another headshot sent its neck snapping back.
One more arrow nocked.
"Let’s see how many more you can take."
I took aim again.