Chapter 222
Here's the cleaned-up version without any asterisks or bold markers:
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When it comes to a Class 4 dungeon, the boss Cyclops is a Class 5 entity, making it an enemy on par with the Marsh Dragon.
With Lady Esmeralda's magic mowing down trolls one after another, we advanced and, after a midday break, reached the depths of a cliff surrounded by walls where the Cyclops resided.
There, we found the Cyclops sleeping with its arm as a pillow and decided to launch a preemptive strike.
"Blizzard Wave!!"
Since our opponent was the physically specialized Cyclops, and the boss had to be defeated by Lady Esmeralda, I didn't go for a neck slash or heart strike. Instead, I started with a freezing spell to immobilize its body.
In an instant, the Cyclops' body froze solid, along with the surrounding walls. The cold woke it up, but its frost-covered body made movement difficult.
"Lightning Rain!"
Before it could fully rise, a downpour of lightning rained upon the Cyclops.
"■■■■■■■■!?"
As the Cyclops writhed in pain, trolls appeared atop the surrounding cliffs and leaped down to surround us. However—
"We anticipated this!! Magic Stock—release!! Now!! Let's freeze them all at once!!"
Since I had already explained the Cyclops' battle patterns, Lady Esmeralda didn't hesitate to unleash the spells she had stored in advance.
A blizzard engulfed the trolls charging toward us.
"And now, the second wave!!"
Since they were approaching from the entrance, we only had to focus on one direction. Another lightning storm struck the frozen trolls and Cyclops head-on.
"This is what you call a clean sweep!!"
The seamless combo wiped out the troll forces and dealt massive damage to the Cyclops.
"■■■■■■!!""Leave the rest to us!! Everyone, move in!!"
The Cyclops, its body scorched and slightly numbed, roared as it forced itself up. Its blue skin gradually turned red—its HP had dropped to about 30%.
We could finish it off with continuous magic, but Lady Esmeralda had exhausted her Magic Stock. Casting new spells would take time.
Shortening chant times really is a challenge.
If left unchecked, the enraged Cyclops would close in and attack Lady Esmeralda first.
Preventing that was the tank's role.
Three Angler golems, piloted by spirits, stepped forward.
But simply blocking wouldn't stop the Cyclops. Unlike trolls, its well-toned muscles allowed it to accelerate unnaturally fast despite its size.
"I'll take the center!!"
Amina's taunt skill activated, momentarily diverting the Cyclops' attention from Lady Esmeralda.
Though the light pillar surrounding Amina briefly distracted the Cyclops, the accumulated aggro wasn't fully negated—it continued its charge.
But a moment was enough.
A shadow, boosted by Amina's tailwind song, dashed toward the Cyclops' feet.
"So tough!!""The blade won't cut deep!"
Nell swung her halberd in a powerful strike, smashing the Cyclops' shin and knocking it down. Ingrid followed up, but neither attack seemed very effective.
The Cyclops' physical resistance allowed it to endure their strikes and counterattack.
Though knocked down, it swung its club in a sweeping motion, forcing Nell and Ingrid back.
Even as they hesitated, unsure how to fight a one-eyed giant that ignored pain and traded blows recklessly—
"Shock Bolt!!""■■■■■■■!?"
Lady Esmeralda's spell struck right after their attacks, shattering the Cyclops' composure and leaving it stunned.
"Neck Slash."
Seizing the opening, I drove my scythe into the wrist of the hand it used to push itself up.
Against my attacks, even its proud defense meant nothing when targeting the neck.
Like slicing through tofu, the blade severed its wrist. With no support, the Cyclops collapsed again.
"Nell! Smash its jaw! That's a weak point!""On it!!""Ingrid! Keep it down! Sweep its legs and disrupt its movements!""Understood."
Humanoid enemies were troublesome, but once locked into anti-personnel techniques, they were easier to handle than dragons.
With Amina's buffs boosting our attack power, our DPS skyrocketed. The more she sang, the more the Cyclops' attention shifted to her.
"Attack.""Won't let you disrupt Amina's song.""Beam—fire!"
The spirits' beams, though not overwhelmingly powerful, still affected the physically focused Cyclops.
Staggered and immobilized, the Cyclops could do nothing.
Normally, the trolls' presence would make handling the boss difficult, leading to players being overwhelmed.
True, the Cyclops was physically formidable and resistant to most magic. But with the trolls wiped out by area spells and its limbs locked down, it had no recourse.
"Everyone, ready!?""Fall back!"
Just as the Cyclops tried to rise, another blizzard and lightning storm struck.
Its vision froze, and its sluggish body was seared by lightning.
The Cyclops roared as its life was whittled away, but the battle was already decided.
The two-stage, wide-range magic combo from Magic Stock was a nightmare for the enemy.
The lightning pinned its massive body to the ground.
Even if it tried to counterattack after the storm passed, Nell's strikes could send it flying, and Ingrid's maneuvers kept it from rising.
Then, as its recast time ended, my Neck Slash severed its remaining wrist.
Though the Cyclops still had some HP left, it was on its last legs.
From here, it was just a matter of ensuring Lady Esmeralda landed the final blow while managing damage.
After spending more time marching through the dungeon than fighting, and having shouldered the burden of annihilation to earn her Job's second name, Lady Esmeralda—uncharacteristically—chugged another mana potion, carefully stored the empty bottle in her magic bag, and began preparing her next spell.
One more round, and the Cyclops would fall.
As long as we avoided complacency and stayed focused—
"W-we won! I never want to drink another potion for a while!!"
The final lightning bolt reduced the Cyclops to black ash, and Lady Esmeralda's triumphant pose marked the end of the battle.
Though we supported her, everyone understood that the hardest part of clearing the dungeon solo wasn't the fighting—it was the grueling process of restoring mana for spells.
So, her victory pose wasn't just celebration—it was relief at not having to drink more potions.
"Save the celebration until you've properly secured your Job.""Huh!? Right! Even if the divine message says I got a Job, it might not be the one I wanted!?"
But her relief was premature.
After clearing the dungeon with Lady Esmeralda as the main force and her undoubtedly being the MVP, we anxiously watched as she checked her status.
No one mentioned the silver treasure chest, focusing instead on her screen.
"I got it! The second name too!! Look, Liberta!!"
This time, the dungeon was truly conquered.
As she cheered, we all sighed in relief.
Rushing over, she showed us her status:
Esmeralda Edelgard – Class 3/Level 1Job: Elemental Demon KingTitle: SeekerBase Stats:Vitality 80 | Magic 324BP 0 | EXBP 0Skills: 6/9 SlotsDemon Magic – Class 10/Level 100Staff Arts – Class 10/Level 100Lightning Rain – Class 10/Level 100Blizzard Wave – Class 10/Level 100Shock Bolt – Class 10/Level 100Ice Wall – Class 10/Level 100Magic Stock – Class 5/Level 54
Her desired Job was there.
Tears in her eyes, she clung to me for confirmation.
"I'm so glad!!!"
Overwhelmed, she hugged me tightly.
But no lucky perverted moment followed.
My face met only hard armor and scales—better than a headbutt, but still, a reward would've been nice.
"Now, if Claudie's side succeeds too, we'll be set. That'll leave us one dungeon attempt for tomorrow—I'd like to go after a specific item."
Thinking such unholy thoughts, I smiled wryly as Lady Esmeralda, still hugging me, tilted her head.
"Something you want?""Yeah. But first, is everyone okay with caterpillars? Visually, I mean."
Discussing this while still embraced and ignoring the treasure chest might've been odd, but she wasn't letting go.
Nell and Amina gave me deadpan stares, while Ingrid beckoned with both hands, but I ignored that for now.
"Caterpillars? Fine by me.""Me too. I see them outside often.""No issue here.""Is there a problem?"
I expected at least some disgust from the girls, but the women of this world were tough. Nell and Amina made sense, but even noble-born Ingrid and Lady Esmeralda were unfazed.
"Just checking. The next monster I want to hunt is a caterpillar.""I'd refuse if you told me to eat one, but fighting's fine.""I've eaten them before.""Are they tasty?""Not really. With so many siblings, Mom sometimes served cheap ingredients like that.""I see."
Hearing about Amina's resilience and this world's dietary habits, I pondered whether eating bugs was normal.
"So, what's the monster?""A Class 5 monster—Stardust Caterpillar. I want materials for the next idol outfit too."
And so, I announced the name of our next target.
t/n Sorry for being late