Even I think what I’m about to do is absolute nonsense.
I’m planning to kill them all at once using dot damage, even without the information that would normally be available through the monitor.
In a community that’s so old and stale that even the instigators have disappeared, if I said I was going to do something like this, they’d call me a crazy bitch—no, a crazy bastard.
But, I’ve always been called a crazy person.
Even if I add one or two more outrageous acts, it won’t make much of a difference.
When I first decided I would kill your boss in one go, the first thing I did was measure the damage of my attacks.
I needed to know how much damage my mace was dealing so I could estimate how much HP the boss had.
The monsters in the Academy Dungeon were a huge help with this.
Even though the dungeon looked different, not all of the monsters inside had changed, so I tested my attack power by smashing them around.
After that, I faced the boss and back-calculated its HP. Then, I went to the back alley to get poison and bombs. I made a plan based on theory and put it into practice.
Unlike in games, where I can see the numbers, there were a lot of trial-and-error here, but now, it’s different.
I’ve corrected my mistakes perfectly, so there won’t be any more problems.
<Isn't it when you're this confident that you fall flat on your face?>
“Do you think I’m a fool? I’m nothing like Joy!”
After snapping at the old man, I took a deep breath and strengthened my body with divine power.
If I think about how much time I've wasted so far, my friends are probably already on the 100th floor.
The fact that I’m stuck here should have been a clue, so it’s almost impossible for them to be blocked here.
But that doesn't mean I've lost yet.
Even if I waste time, as long as I clear the 100th floor first, I'll still win.
I’m confident.
In the past thirty tries, I’ve optimized the route.
Theoretically, it should take just thirty minutes to defeat all your bosses.
In thirty minutes, I’ll move on to the next room, finish the boss off in one go, and claim victory!
I’ll make those professors who doubted me eat their words and repay my friends for the humiliation I endured!
With my preparations complete, I immediately set off toward the first checkpoint.
My running, which surpassed the limits of the human body, was so fast that it could be described as flying through the air.
Because of this, the monsters in the first dungeon couldn’t even touch the edge of my clothes.
I arrived at the first boss room in just five minutes and observed the movements of the giant with eight arms.
When it raised its top two arms, I smiled and dashed forward.
You probably don’t remember, but I’ve already faced you so many times.
I know exactly how you’ll move.
And the first move you’ve chosen is the one that will make it easiest for me to crush you.
I take one step back to dodge its two arms.
Then, I step forward, avoid the following combo, and strike its torso with my mace.
I can’t let emotions get in the way. I have to be calm. Like a machine. I must hit with the force I’ve predetermined.
When I saw the boss’s body dented, just like the meat before making a cutlet, I forced its mouth open and poured poison into it before heading to the second boss.
Defeating the second boss was far easier than the first.
As long as I didn’t kill it, it didn’t matter.
After smashing the golem's limbs, I kindly placed a bomb on its head and moved on to the next boss.
The third dungeon's specter didn’t even require strategy.
I confirmed that if I slammed divine power into it, it would immediately fall into a death state.
As the specter screamed while being burned by the divine power, I created a divine area above it and immediately moved to the next boss.
So far, everything’s perfect.
There hasn’t been a single mistake so far.
Now, all I need to do is time the killing of the last boss.
“Grandfather! How many minutes have passed?!”
<It’s been about ten minutes since you poisoned the first boss. It’s been five minutes since you set the bomb.>
As I ran toward the fourth boss, I asked the question, and the old man immediately replied.
“Let me know when the time is up!”
Dealing with the last boss wasn’t that difficult.
After all, I’m a paladin.
If I want, I could even keep my opponent alive for a while.
Upon facing it, I smashed the boss’s head and brought it to the brink of death, then used a weak healing spell to keep it alive for a little while longer.
<Now.>
When the old man gave me the signal, I immediately ended its life.
With the room’s guardian gone, the silence settled in, and I sharpened my senses.
The portal to the beginning of the dungeon hadn't appeared. That means I haven't failed yet.
But there’s no reason to rejoice yet. After all, errors can arise at any moment.
Having been disappointed by premature joy in the past, I held my breath and waited for something to change.
After a few seconds, I heard the sound of a mechanical device moving.
It was a sound I had never heard before.
Hearing that, I immediately left the dungeon and headed to the crossroads where four paths met.
There, a fifth path had appeared—one that never existed before.
“I did it!!!”
It’s exhilarating to succeed at something that seems impossible at first glance.
This was no different.
Even if I told someone about this, they’d probably call it ridiculous, but I managed to pull it off. I jumped up and down, expressing my joy.
This is why I challenge myself!
It’s about banging my head against something that seems impossible!
The more impossible it looks, the sweeter the success feels!
“See! Grandpa! I told you I could do it!”
<Hah. To think something like this was possible.>
“That’s the dignity of a true... Apostle of the Holy God! Do you get it?!”
After a long while of flailing my limbs, I finally calmed down, and I covered my face with both hands.
After so many tries, the joy of success made me act like a fool.
Grandfather said it was cute because I was like a child of my age, but that’s the problem!
Being called cute is a disgrace to me!
<Hahaha. You wouldn’t have to act so tough if you knew what I know.>
The old man seemed to enjoy teasing me as he kept saying things like this.
“Stop being so ridiculous, okay?!”
This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
<What’s wrong with calling something cute if it’s cute?»
“I’m scared you’ll end up just like that fool!”
<...Even I can't tolerate such an insult! There’s a limit to this!>
I changed the topic by bickering with the old man and then took another deep breath as I made my way toward the 100th floor.
What’s waiting at the end of this dungeon?
Having put so much effort into the lower floors, the final boss must be no light opponent.
As I thought about what kind of boss would make the most sense, I finally understood that the academy had put its all into the 100th-floor encounter.
There, waiting for me, was a small girl.
With flawless white skin, her red hair tied in twin braids, her jewel-like sparkling eyes, and an annoying smile that seemed to belong to a doll, she looked like a child.
Lucy Allen.
The one waiting for me on the 100th floor was me—well, more precisely, a golem mimicking me.
Wow. After clearing the whole story of the Soul Academy, I’m facing one of the hidden bosses in the dungeon.
It seems like the academy professors really got their motivation up with the dungeon I created.
I chuckled as I felt lighter.
The academy’s special doppelganger is definitely a tough opponent.
Mimicking the user’s specs means that the efforts the user has made to grow will weigh down on them.
However, there’s a clear weakness in this.
Unlike doppelgangers in other games, the academy dungeon’s doppelganger has limitations.
For example, it can’t perfectly replicate the power of the apostle.
It can mimic it, but it’s nothing more than a shoddy imitation.
Also, it can’t replicate stronger foes beyond the dungeon’s output.
It breaks down from overloading and becomes useless, unable to mimic anything.
There are many other weaknesses with the academy’s doppelganger, which is why it’s been getting worse reviews since it was first discovered.
I was partly responsible for giving the academy doppelganger the nickname "the weakest hidden boss."
Looking at the laughing little girl now, I can’t feel any burden facing her, even though it’s me in front of me.
No. There’s some pressure—just not on the difficulty side.
My conscience pricks at me.
Looking at that cute girl, I’m reminded of my old self.
I have to attack this cute little girl with my mace!
This isn’t just about moral corruption, it’s about basic human decency!
Wow. How bad were the monsters I’ve faced until now?
I know I’ve been a bit snarky, but to try to harm a girl like this without hesitation—seriously, what kind of person am I?
I’m not human yet.
“Wow. Hi, cute sis!”
“Huh?”
“You’re sooooo cute, but why are you holding such a rough weapon? Are you a fool who doesn’t even know how cute you are?”
...
“If you don’t take care of yourself, you’ll age overnight. You’ll become a wrinkled old lady!”
Oh. Hmm.
“You’re already small, but if you start hunching over, you’ll look just like a baby! Heehee, a pathetic, wrinkled baby. Do you think that kind of thing is worth living for?”
Looking at the giggling little girl, I felt my conscience clear up, and I tightened my grip on the mace.
Right now, I feel like I could teach this cheeky little girl a lesson without hesitation.