nashuaworldcup Chapter 196: A Pedicure Master? What the Hell Is This Guy Even Doing?!
Chapter 196: A Pedicure Master? What the Hell Is This Guy Even Doing?!
"Why the hell is this guy flying?!"
"..."
Tiona had imagined many ways to dodge.
For example—blasting open a path with magic, or using that greatsword to forcibly block the Fire Giant's attack.
But the one thing she had never imagined…
…was Ron evading it in such an effortless, almost casual manner.
Even before entering the Dungeon, the black-haired girl had noticed the armguard covering Ron's left hand, assuming it was purely defensive.
She had never expected…
…that this thing could display such an effect in a life-or-death situation!
"So cool!"
"I wonder if I can get one too?"
That was just how simple her personality was.
However—what needed to be dealt with right now was still the Fire Giant in front of them. After witnessing Ron's performance, the tan-skinned Amazoness temporarily set those thoughts aside.
What she wanted to know more was—just how far this guy could go without her and Lefiya's help?
...
At first encounter, the Fire Giant would most likely use its massive pan-like shield for a surprise opening attack. Compared to the mud-and-snow mixture from Elden Ring, the Floor Boss here—had already made Ron feel the sheer beauty of raw stats from just a brief exchange.
"Damn it…"
"This thing can even rip up the stone ground with brute force alone… if that pan slams into me, I'd be bruised black and blue in an instant."
Relying on the Shinobi Prosthetic from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Ron had already prepared his countermeasure—using the grappling hook and rope to anchor onto the rocky ceiling above, retracting and extending it in advance whenever an attack came.
In terms of mobility—as he swung himself toward the Fire Giant, Ron couldn't help but narrow his eyes at the devastated terrain beneath his feet.
Stronger than expected.
But thinking about how the black Goliath encountered by Bell Cranel in the original DanMachi could rival Level 5—in this Soulslike-enhanced Dungeon, it was only natural for the Fire Giant to be even more absurd.
Good.
Ron had every reason to kill the Fire Giant, no matter what.
After roughly gauging the gap in strength, he felt no fear.
If anything—he could clearly feel the battle intent flowing through his blood, gradually boiling over!
Relying on the high mobility of the Shinobi Prosthetic, Ron swiftly moved to the Floor Boss's front, decisively retracting the grappling rope completely.
He raised his head—and was met with the towering body of the Fire Giant, along with a foul stench hitting him head-on.
"Damn it…"
Only at close range did Ron truly grasp the difference in size.
Even just one of its feet was larger than his entire body.
Facing the Fire Giant directly—he hadn't felt nauseated before, but now that he was this close, a kind of indescribable discomfort rose from within.
Without hesitation, he swung the greatsword Great Fortune in his hands.
A sharp arc of blade-light flashed past in an instant.
The good news:
The Fire Giant wasn't an all-around stat monster—at least in terms of defense, he could break through it with this second-tier weapon.
The bad news:
He felt like a damn pedicure master scraping calluses.
"..."
Even with the extreme sharpness of Great Fortune, when he put his full strength into slashing the Fire Giant's foot, it only left behind a shallow wound—like a scratch from a kitten.
As if annoyed by the provocation of an ant—the giant simply lifted its foot and stomped down heavily.
The impact sent shattered rocks flying toward Ron, forcing him to leap backward to dodge.
"Are these stats even for real?!"
Dodging the chunks of rock splashing toward him, Ron quickly adjusted his posture, his mind racing as he searched for the correct way to deal with this Floor Boss.
Queen's Black Flame!
Use the Godslayer's Greatsword and burn this thing to death with its weapon skill?
Yeah right—don't make the Fire Giant laugh!
Just the HP drain from the weapon skill alone meant this fight couldn't last long—he'd end up getting remade inside the skill's effect for sure!
"Could it be…"
"Do I have to use Great Fortune to commit seppuku and throw myself into the arms of the Lord of Blood?"
Ron felt a headache coming on.
The Fire Giant's defense was right there for all to see—even Tiona probably wouldn't be able to deal any lethal damage.
But with bleed status…
Even if it was just chip damage… sooner or later, there'd be a chance to make this Floor Boss explode from it, right?
As that thought crossed his mind—seeing the Fire Giant clench its fist and smash down toward him, Ron held his breath and quickly pulled back to a safe distance.
After regrouping with Tiona and Lefiya again—he spoke concisely: "This Floor Boss has extremely high defense. Even with a second-tier weapon, a full-force attack can only leave a very slight wound."
"The key point…"
"The Fire Giant's regeneration is also very strong!"
"..."
From Ron's tone alone, Tiona could clearly sense how serious the situation was.
That meant in the battle ahead, the only one who could deal effective damage… was herself.
Looking at the Floor Boss closing in step by step—the trembling of the ground grew more intense with every step the Fire Giant took.
The tan-skinned Amazoness had a strong premonition—this thing was definitely stronger than Udaeus.
Ais could handle it—but if it were her… could she really do the same?
"..."
Fortunately, the passage behind them hadn't closed.
Even if they couldn't defeat the Fire Giant in front of them, they could still retreat from the Floor Boss room.
And if her sister and the others noticed something was wrong—maybe—they could make their way through the Dungeon floors to provide support!
Tiona took a deep breath, then said seriously: "If it really comes down to it, we should retreat."
"..."
However, Tiona didn't receive a reply from Ron.
Just as she assumed that meant agreement, she turned her head to look at the boy beside her—only to see him let go of the greatsword in his hand.
He drew the two short blades strapped to his thighs from their sheaths.
For some reason… at that moment, the Amazoness girl from the Country of Blood and Fighting—a land famed for its fierce, fearless warriors—felt an inexplicable chill run down her spine.
This scene felt familiar.
But as she watched Ron's next action, the words she wanted to say came a beat too late: "Ron!"
"What the hell are you trying to do?!"
"..."
The boy, whose face was usually clean and pleasant—now had veins bulging across his forehead, his expression twisted and ferocious as he gritted his teeth.
The two short blades he held in reverse grip—weren't aimed at the enemy.
Instead, he pointed their sharp edges at his own abdomen.
Pfft!
Without any armor, the sharp blades pierced through his clothes and stabbed into his body with a dull, heavy sound.
Yet from the two wounds in his abdomen—not a single drop of blood flowed out.
Instead—those two short blades became enveloped in a crimson, sinister glow—and at the same time, Ron's face gradually turned pale from blood loss, while eerie patterns spread from his neck across his cheeks, radiating an indescribable sense of wickedness.
Ash of War: Seppuku!
Feeling the tearing pain, he sucked in a sharp breath, his clenched teeth trembling—until the two blades had absorbed enough blood, at which point he pulled them out from his abdomen.
"Hiss…"
Relying on the healing effect of the Healing Gourd, Ron finally managed to straighten his back.
Facing Tiona and Lefiya—who stood there in silence, looking as if they had just seen a ghost—he bared his teeth in a grin and said: "Obviously…"
"I'm getting ready to fight this Fire Giant!!"
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