Day 161-170/Day 162

Day 162
Hmph, we ended up being attacked by monsters at least 8 times throughout the night. Well, since I quickly eradicated them even though I was half asleep, the rest of the group along with the Tomboy Princess were able to get a good night's sleep.
We had some of the monsters that I killed throughout the night for breakfast before rapidly descending into the lower levels under my spartan drive. Thanks to this, we managed to reach the last level just before the break of noon.
The final level opened up into a dome-shaped room. The space was roughly 40 meters in diameter with slightly uneven floors and huge stalactites that hung from the ceiling like icicles. From the looks of things, the battle would probably take place in the center of the room where a circle of stones was formed. These stones were apparently called brimstones, stones that looked like the ridges of terraced rice fields. The relatively level floor of the room seemed like, it would be easy to fight in.
There was a shining water plant growing naturally within the clear blue brimstone pool as a mysterious light was pouring out from its roots underwater. The light that shone through produced a scene similar to that of stars floating in the night sky as the light reflected on the ceiling.
Despite it being the lowest level of the dungeon, where the boss monster appears, it surely was a mysterious place worthy of admiration.
The Tomboy Princess, Kanami-chan and the others were quietly muttering their own thoughts as they carelessly gazed at the scene. Well, as for me, I think I'll come and see this dungeon again with Auro and Argento since we didn't go into the same dungeons this time.
However, just as everyone knew it would, the quiet moments of tranquility ended as the boss monster arrived onto the scene. Even if there is no helping it appearing, I think all of us honestly wanted to say, "Just wait a little longer!"
At any rate, the boss monster of the【Vesper Cave】is the【High Octorp】. It's a monster that is very similar to a chimera made out of aquatic creatures, giving it a very grotesque appearance. It's a humanoid that's roughly 4 meters tall with its entire body covered in a dark red shell made out of some material that is akin to chitin.
On its abdomen is a huge circular mouth with a shape similar to a large drum, in which were 3 rows of sharp fangs that moved subtly, as if searching for prey on their own. Its left forearm had greatly expanded, transforming the 4 strange claws on its hand in such a way they could be used as a shield, all the while its right hand was made of a huge claw similar to that of a Red King Crab.
The lower half of its body is shaped like an octopus and has roughly 10 wriggling jellyfish-like tentacles growing out of its back. The head was similar to a shark's in some respects, with 4 large eyes that were strangely similar to a deep-sea fish moving around wildly as they surveyed the surroundings.
It spoke the human language in a strange voice that you simply couldn't bear hearing, which was being emitted from the part of its body that was similar to a mouth. Aaaah... well despite its weird and highly unpleasant appearance, it certainly displays a considerable strength that you would come to expect from a boss monster.
Naturally, its legs and right claw have supernatural strength. The mouth-like part contains a red liquid with a powerful dissolving ability, as well as octopus ink, that it can release, which can cause several annoying negative effects that include【Blindness】,【Confusion】, and【Petrification】, among other effects. Beyond that, I'd have to say the tentacles are the most troublesome out of all of them though.
A powerful paralytic poison is secreted from the tentacles on its back. Most people are taken out immediately from just a single sting from its tentacles. After that, they are either quickly crushed by its 8 legs, or finely chopped up by its claw before they're eaten by the mouth on its abdomen. This is the standard pattern that it uses to kill adventurers.
In addition to all of that, it is able to manipulate the surrounding water, making it necessary to develop countermeasures before challenging it. By the way, it appears by either jumping out from within the brimstone pool or falling out from a hole in the center of the ceiling. It varies from time to time. The way it showed up this time was by jumping out of the brimstone pool.
I ended up challenging the【High Octorp】on my own. The abilities I would be able to use were pretty limited because the Tomboy Princess's group was with us. However, since I was able to use the type of abilities that strengthened my body without them being able to understand what I had done just by watching me, the【High Octorp】was dead in less than 3 minutes.
Even though I was able to smash its shell into pieces relatively easily, I ended up having a small amount of trouble because of its very soft body that probably had【Physical Attack Resistance】. Mmm, perhaps it was something even better.
I ended up having to use my halberd to cut off its legs several times, but the legs kept growing back instantly. Simply put, all of those resistances and its resilience was not to be taken lightly.
When the 【High Octorp】 received a large amount of damage that exceeded its great defensive capabilities, it would prey on the creatures within the brimstone pool in order to recover. This ended up prolonging the fight to some extent.
I had to deal with it recovering, so I didn't let it eat any more of the fish or crabs in the pool. However, I didn't expect it to eat its own legs, that I had cut off, in order to recover.
I couldn't complain though since I was snacking on them as I was fighting as well.
【"Frontier Psalms," Conditions to Clear【Vesper Octorp】Achieved:【Solo Kill】【Time Limit】【Parts Destruction】】
【Achiever Yatendouji is Assigned Rare Skill:【One Who Captures and Devours】】
【Achiever Yatendouji is Assigned Rare Skill:【Vesper Slayer】】
【Achiever Yatendouji is Awarded【Ancient】Class Magical Item:【Vesper's Outer Shell: Octorp】】
【Achiever Yatendouji is Awarded:【Ordeal Breakthrough Celebratory Item [First Attempt Restriction Deluxe Edition]】】
Well, it would seem that I cleared another part of the Frontier Psalms as well. When I checked it, I determined that there are around 6 or 7 clear conditions for each of the Frontier Psalms. It would appear that they can be completed if at least 3 conditions have been cleared.
The conditions usually contain 【Solo Kill】, so the probability of those who challenge dungeons solo have a higher chance of completing it than those that do it in a party. Comparatively, only the unusual conditions appear to change from Psalm to Psalm.
Well, I guess it's a pretty quick way to increase your own strength.
A single person fighting and killing a boss monster species that's been enhanced by the dungeon's power is quite difficult and is almost never accomplished. I've done it twice now, though. Well, even if you have the ability to do so, just meeting the other conditions seems to simply be a matter of luck. Hmm, I should probably let Kanami-chan and the others do this as well.
Afterward, I casually went and collected the High Octorp's corpse in order to eat it and let Kanami-chan do the boss fight again. My prediction was spot on.
It took approximately 10 minutes for the dungeon to create a new 【High Octorp】, but it was quickly slain all the same. Because she fought with the purpose of fulfilling the previously stated conditions, Kanami-chan cleared the Frontier Psalm for the【Vesper Octorp】and gained the same abilities I did.
It was as I expected up to this point. However, what caught my attention was the fact that she wasn't given the【Vesper's Outer Shell: Octorp】 but rather received【Vesper's Strange Blade: Octorp】, which was a magical item of the same rank.
It appears that the magic item you get varies, with both the shape and the abilities that you possess being different. The only thing they have in common is that the item's names will include the boss monster's name in them.
When I experimented with using the Vesper's Outer Shell, an exoskeleton in the shape of the 【High Octorp】 was instantly created. It was similar to the other 2 exoskeletons that I can equip with the 【Equip Exoskeleton】, which are the【Red Bear Beast King's Prestige】 and the 【Jade Eagle King's Flight】 exoskeletons. When I tested it out, I felt no obstruction to my movements.
As for the tentacles on the back and the octopus legs, it looks like you can move them with your thoughts, though some practice is necessary to do so. The exoskeleton type of magical items is apparently a type of shape-shifting item I believe. To note, according to the Boy Knight who's currently guarding the Tomboy Princess, the Vesper's Outer Shell is an【Ancient】class item that is among the most expensive in its class.
I'd say that the price for it is justified, since, in addition to the acquired item having the passive-abilities of the boss monster, it's also the kind of item that you won't get if you don't clear the Frontier Psalm for the boss.
Now, as for the Vesper's Strange Blade that Kanami-chan obtained, the weapon's blade was formed from the jellyfish-like tentacles of the boss. A powerful paralytic poison similar to the 【High Octorp】's is released from its edge. On top of that, it seems to have regenerative abilities and tentacles, which there are roughly 10 of, that can be freely moved based on the owner's intentions.
It can be turned into something similar to a thrusting sword by bundling the tentacles together. It seems that it can also be made into something similar to a multi-knotted whip by allowing the tentacles to bend. It appears to have a fairly high number of applications.
This might be dangerous, Kanami-chan is now really following a path similar to a queen. There's usually no problem, since, she normally has a bright, gentle and graceful personality. However, she becomes brutal once her switch has been flipped, like that time when the goblins tried to attack me in my sleep and she tried to tear that one goblin's head off. It worries me a little.
...Well, it'll be fine. I guess Kanami-chan's enemies will suffer greatly. That's how I've decided to think, anyway.
Once I pulled myself together, I secretly collected the second 【High Octorp】's body, which had been transformed into a huge ice sculpture. We then collected various materials from the dome-shaped boss room.
These materials included the shining water plants and the huge fish that the 【High Octorp】 ate, among other things. The shining water plant is rare because it only grows in not too many places, while the huge fish can be used as materials for high priced drugs. The huge crabs are expensive high-class ingredients that can be sold to the nobles, as well.
Since these bonus items can only be obtained by the parties that can safely kill the 【High Octorp】, I took them without reservation. By the way, I didn't gather them after the first kill because they aren't reproduced very fast, so I thought that it'd be a good idea to gather them once we finished.
Afterward, we took the shortest route out of the dungeon. I had the Tomboy Princess ride on my shoulder because she was exhausted and moving slowly, while I acted as the vanguard and mowed down every monster we encountered on our trip back. It took us less than 2 hours to return.
The Tomboy Princess was excited like a kid getting on a roller-coaster, so I had to calm her down a little. At the same time, I felt obligated to admonish her, like a good parent would to their own children. Not just to discipline them, but to teach them other things, as well.
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Category:Novel
Category:Re:Monster Volume 4