Chapter 90

Real Boss Battle (2)

Although fighting the Golden Golem or the Blacksmith wasn’t part of the original plan, I had prepared contingencies for unexpected situations.

What I acquired with 2nd-tier magic.

“Static Coat.”

Chijijijik, sparks fly over Aimus’s armor.

I summon one Cumulonimbus cloud and activate the hourglass.

***

[It is your turn. Time remaining: 60 seconds]

[Action Points: ■■■■■■]

Actually, Static Coat wasn’t that efficient a spell in the game.

It makes you immune to lightning attacks, provides a barrier that absorbs 300 magical damage, and increases status abnormality resistance by 1 point.

All of these are modest values, making it not very useful. Even when I cast Static Coat on the Orc Fighter, didn’t it break in one hit from the Blacksmith’s Magic Mountain hammer?

And even if status abnormality resistance increases by 1 point, it can’t block the Golden Golem’s gilding. Because there’s too much of a level difference.

But why did I include Static Coat in my Memory Book build-up?

Because of the trait below.

[Static Coat]

▶The target becomes immune to lightning attacks, gains a protective barrier that absorbs 300 magical damage, and status abnormality resistance increases by 1 point.

▶The target gains Lightning Charge +1 each time they are hit by lightning magic.

▶For each Lightning Charge count, the magical barrier value increases by 80, and status abnormality resistance increases by 1 point.

Lightning Charge.

The more it accumulates, the more the effects of Static Coat multiply.

Originally in the game, a single character rarely gets hit by lightning attacks five or six times in one battle.

Moreover, Lightning Charge stacks decrease by 1 each turn, so they can’t be accumulated long-term.

You need to concentrate lightning magic explosively in one moment, but that was nearly impossible in the game.

But for a real-world hourglass user, the story is different.

“Cumulonimbus.”

I cast the spell again now that the cooldown has reset.

I had put Static Coat on Aimus, and within my turn, I’ll summon a large number of Cumulonimbus clouds.

After that, a light Superconductivity touch will finish it.

Now that the hourglass modification has made one turn’s action points 6, the maximum number of Cumulonimbus clouds I can summon is seven. Including the one summoned before flipping the hourglass.

Superconductivity is also lightning magic, so with this and seven lightning strikes, I gain 8 points of resistance and a magical damage barrier of 640.

Combined with the base values, that’s 9 points of resistance and a barrier of 940.

Considering that 4th floor adventurers have at most 2-3 points of resistance, this resistance level is absurd.

Therefore, our team’s monster monk won’t be affected by gilding.

Even if hit by Magic Mountain, he’ll easily withstand it. The magical barrier will absorb all the damage.

With the combination of Static Coat and Cumulonimbus clouds, Aimus becomes an impregnable fortress.

I’ll position him at the front to wrestle with the Golden Golem or Blacksmith.

A super tank that’s immune to physical attacks due to Steel Bloodline and immune to magical attacks due to the Cumulonimbus Coat.

He’ll establish a control zone with his iron rod and block enemy entry, while I steadily deal damage from behind with Yernil.

Then we can easily take down either the Golden Golem or the Blacksmith.

However, there’s a slight flaw in this design – the cooldown of Cumulonimbus clouds.

’15 seconds.’

Due to this cooldown, within the 60 seconds provided after flipping the hourglass, I can only deploy a maximum of four Cumulonimbus clouds. So.

‘I’ll use Time Trader.’

It’s a new hourglass skill I obtained from the fountain.

[Time Trader]

▶Consume 1 second of hourglass time to remove 1 minute of a specific spell’s cooldown, or 1 minute of negative status effect duration.

▶Target spell: Cumulonimbus

“Cumulonimbus.”

According to simple arithmetic calculations, I could deploy all spells in 7 seconds, but the 60 seconds of tactical judgment time is a precious resource in itself.

I can’t waste it carelessly, so I’ll use it carefully.

“Cumulonimbus.”

“Cumulonimbus.”

I finish the cooldown trading by consuming exactly 3 seconds and check the remaining time.

[It is your turn. Time remaining: 42 seconds]

[Action Points: ■■□□□□]

The remaining two casts need a maximum of 30 seconds, so let’s let the 12 seconds of spare time flow by.

During that time, I need to think about what could unfold ahead.

When Yernil, who’s now mumbling ‘I’ll be back’ next to me and then stops, leaves her position, the situation will develop urgently from then on.

I’ve been imagining tactics to face the Blacksmith and Golden Golem simultaneously.

Of course, the current situation differs from what I imagined in many ways.

For example, encountering the Blacksmith when the hourglass is on cooldown, or the Golden Golem reviving before joining with Aimus, or the Assembly Core reactivating to produce Brass Golems one by one.

“Cumulonimbus.”

[It is your turn. Time remaining: 27 seconds]

[Action Points: ■□□□□□]

Let’s examine them one by one.

First, the three types of Brass Golems.

The Sword & Shield Golem, Spear Golem, and Crossbow Golem weren’t much of a threat when we met them in the field, but now it’s different.

Either way, we’ll end up wasting skills or magic because of these guys.

For instance, for a squishy mage like me, whether I get hit by the Blacksmith’s Magic Mountain hammer or pierced by a Brass Golem’s spear, both are life-threatening fatal wounds, aren’t they?

If the number of Brass Golems exceeds our side’s numbers, it would be best to consider our chances of victory slim from that point.

What if we destroy the Assembly Core itself?

Just like how golem creation stops when Ingelram steals the Assembly Core, destroying the Assembly Core itself is worth considering.

But let’s keep it in mind as a secondary option for now and observe.

If Yernil can arrive at the Production Control Room on time, I can give her turn-based commands to reverse-utilize the Assembly Core.

[It is your turn. Time remaining: 16 seconds]

[Action Points: ■□□□□□]

Let’s think about the combo of the Blacksmith and Golden Golem.

Those two have synergy effects beyond simply having two special bosses attack together.

It seems the Blacksmith’s foundry repair ability also applies to the Golden Golem.

The fact that it’s an unknown variable I’ve never encountered in the game is an anxiety factor. Since I don’t know how much the Golden Golem’s recovery improves, it also disrupts damage calculations.

Therefore, it would be good to separate those two if possible.

‘Will it work well?’

Actually, this was also one of the reasons I sent Yernil to the Production Control Room.

To separate the two special bosses.

The Blacksmith is a smart monster obsessed with golem creation.

Since I openly instructed Yernil to go to the Production Control Room and remove the dolls, that monster must have noticed too.

So what will the Blacksmith do?

1.Directly chase after Yernil.

This is impossible. The Blacksmith’s running can’t catch up to our elf’s agility. Similarly, the Brass Golems can’t catch up to Yernil either.

2.Use foundry structure transformation to chase after Yernil.

This is also impossible. Because it already used small-scale structure transformation when blocking the Lightning Shock and lightning strikes. That magic has quite a long cooldown.

3.Have the Golden Golem track Yernil.

Hmm…

I don’t know if there’s a hierarchy in their command system, but I think this is possible.

While the Golden Golem chasing Yernil by running is unrealistic, it does have one movement method like foundry structure transformation.

If the Golden Golem chases after Yernil, I should also distribute the party.

I’ve roughly planned a strategy for this too.

[It is your turn. Time remaining: 4 seconds]

[Action Points: ■□□□□□]

Now time is almost up.

I check the cooldowns of the remaining spells. All spells including Static Coat have completely recovered their cooldowns.

[It is your turn. Time remaining: 2 seconds]

[Action Points: ■□□□□□]

I aim my wand at the last scheduled point among the clouds filling the sky.

1 second remaining.

“Cumulonimbus.”

I finish the efficiently used turn.

[All action points have been consumed.]

[Ending turn.]

***

Kururururung!

Seven massive storm clouds spread out. Precisely covering the entire map while avoiding only above the adventurers’ heads.

Shwaaaaa!

Torrential rain pours down.

The foundry has good drainage facilities, so the rainwater doesn’t accumulate on the floor but all drains to one side.

Above the molds, the Assembly Core and piping are tangled messily, acting as a roof.

Thanks to this, not much rainwater poured over the lava inside, but steam still rose vigorously.

However, the golems remain motionless. The Blacksmith is the same.

The standoff continues between the last adventurers remaining in the foundry and the last monsters guarding the foundry.

The tension between them is sharp.

Both our party and the security officer party held their breath with nerves on edge.

“I’ll be back!”

Yernil greeted us solemnly.

“If you happen to encounter monsters, don’t fight and avoid them.”

I leave advice out of concern that the Golden Golem might chase after her.

“Yes! Don’t worry!”

Yernil’s slender legs thump thump bounced off the floor as she ran solemnly toward the Production Control Room.

Among the people here now, only Backstab could catch up to Yernil’s running.

Now, Blacksmith.

‘What will you do now?’

I watch that monster intently.

Will this guy really give commands to the Golden Golem?

“……”

Unfortunately, it’s being well-behaved.

It’s not the best scenario from my perspective, but there’s nothing I can do. For now, I can only wait for Yernil to remove the dolls as quickly as possible and return…

“Look at that! Caleb!”

Neko pointed toward the Assembly Core and shouted.

“The Golden Golem is moving!”

Perfect.

That monster suddenly strode forward and jumped into the lava filling the molds.

Splash! While scattering lava in all directions.

Backstab’s eyes went round.

“What, that guy’s jumping into lava?”

He looks like he thinks it’s committing suicide.

Of course not.

The Golden Golem doesn’t melt. Because the main component of lava is ‘brass‘.

Brass melts at about 920 degrees, and gold melts at 1,064 degrees. According to the game setting, the 4th floor lava temperature is somewhere between those, so the Golden Golem doesn’t melt in lava.

So it doesn’t take damage in lava either.

The only time that monster becomes liquid here is when it liquefies itself.

To reconstruct a body whose physical form has been damaged or crushed.

Or to travel through pipes.

“Look over there!”

The priest shouted.

“It’s entering the pipes!”

The Golden Golem rides the pipes!

It’s going to go directly to the Production Control Room. To pop out with a surprise when Yernil arrives.

Yernil has Sound Mapping and Guard Repositioning, and is much faster and more agile than the Golden Golem.

She won’t be easily caught, but given her personality, she won’t abandon the mission I gave her either. She’ll struggle and hold out against the Golden Golem in the Production Control Room.

“Superconductivity.”

Now I need to move immediately.

First, I cast magic on Aimus to make current flow.

Bang! Kwagwang! Bang!

In an instant, seven lightning strikes hit his Static Coat in succession.

Neko, the priest, and others seemed a bit surprised, but Aimus was calm. We had even practiced this before entering the 4th floor.

But he was a bit surprised by the following instruction.

“Aimus! Chase after Yernil!”

“What?”

“The Golden Golem is now riding pipes to stop Yernil! Go help Yernil! And……”

This time the priest and Backstab were startled.

“Priest and Backstab, go together too!”

“What did you say!”

“Are you serious, brother?”

“Hurry! You need at least that much of a party to fight the Golden Golem. Aimus will take the front line. And Priest, cast Deferred Repayment!”

“……!”

The priest’s eyes doubled in size.

Now he seems to understand why I’m sending him.

“Nataniel’s Deferred Repayment!”

The priest’s 3rd-tier magic fell on Aimus.

It seals the duration of beneficial magic on the target with Nataniel’s divine power.

In other words, it’s like putting a lock on the Lightning Charge affecting Aimus so it won’t dissipate.

“Let’s go.”

Aimus didn’t say another word. He just picked up the slow-running priest.

“Take care of yourself.”

Aimus greeted me and immediately started running toward the Production Control Room.

“Is it really okay for me to go too, brother?”

Backstab asked worriedly.

“Hurry up and go!”

Another Brass Golem emerges from the lava molds. This time it’s a Spear Golem.

“Tch. Don’t die.”

The moment Backstab ran after Aimus, the Blacksmith also moves.

He probably thinks it worked out well. The Golden Golem left, but instead our main force has been reduced to less than half.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The two Brass Golems that emerged position themselves to guard the molds.

The Assembly Core glows again over the massive amount of lava pouring into the molds.

“Another golem is being made!”

Neko shouted.

The Blacksmith drew out Magic Mountain.

I also cast magic on the remaining Orc Fighter.

“Static Coat.”

Pajijik, pajijik, current sparked on the Orc Fighter’s body, and simultaneously a vial flew in a parabolic arc from the Blacksmith’s fingertips.

“Superconductivity.”

And I also hit his armor with one lightning strike.

Pueong!

Intense lightning scattered in all directions, blocking Magic Mountain.

It’s quite different from when we first clashed with the Blacksmith at this location.

Back then, Static Coat burst in one hit, but this time it didn’t budge at all.

At this moment, what he’s wearing is treasure-grade defensive equipment that the poor Security Headquarters couldn’t even imagine. Something none of the 4th floor adventurers could have imagined – a coat with 9 points of resistance and a 940 magical barrier.

“I… I blocked it!”

The Orc Fighter himself looks bewildered.

“How……”

“Don’t be scared! Magic Mountain won’t work anymore.”

Because if the magical barrier seems like it might break, I’ll feed him Superconductivity again to recharge it.

“Neko!”

When I looked to the side, Neko was in a daze.

From her perspective, having come with something like a raincoat due to Security Headquarters’ budget shortage, it probably feels like a bit of a culture shock.

‘To think such monstrous performance could be extracted from such a minor defensive magic!’

That kind of expression.

“Snap out of it!”

“Y… Yes!”

Now’s not the time for that. The Brass Golems are starting to move.

“Take the golem on the right!”

“Telekinetic Fist!”

Neko crushed the Spear Golem with a green Telekinetic Fist. A Crossbow Golem is being created and rising from the molds.

And the Blacksmith charges.

One of the greatest advantages of the Cumulonimbus Coat strategy is that the lightning cooldown of Cumulonimbus clouds is only 5 seconds.

Cumulonimbus clouds can recharge Static Coat, but when there are enough Lightning Charge stacks.

“Lightning Shock.”

They can also be used offensively.

Kwagwagwang!

Seven lightning strikes hit the Blacksmith.