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Race: Thunder Triceratops Lv49
Job: Lord of the Wilderness Lv9
Skills:
- [Supernatural Strength]
- [Sharp Fangs]
- [Lightning Horns]
- [Shield Mastery]
- [Health Enhancement]
- [Strength Enhancement]
- [Defense Enhancement]
- [Spirit Enhancement]
- [Lightning Magic]
- [Charge]
- [Tenacity]
- [Dull Senses]
- [Roar]
- [Intimidation]
- [Lightning Scales]
- [Lightning Resistance]
- [Dragon Force]
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The boss of the “Wilderness of Dinosaurs” turned out to be the Thunder Triceratops. It looked majestic with its green-tinged golden scales, magnificent trio of horns, and the purple lightning bursting from its entire body. Just like the other dinosaurs in this dungeon, it seemed carnivorous and it stood there drooling at the sight of Eiji and Wool.
Above all, what required utmost caution was the [Dragon Force] skill it had. It was a trump card that would be activated when the monster was pushed to the brink of death. Players would hesitate to use it, considering the consequences, but the opponent was a Random Dungeon boss who would likely use it without hesitation.
“Its skill composition is that of a tank. As you can see, it has [Lightning Resistance]. In terms of attack, watch out for the horns.”
“Understood!”
Eiji stepped forward after saying that. But then someone called to stop us.
“I’m sorry, may I be a bit selfish?”
“What’s up, Hanna?”
“I’d like to take it on with just my husband and me.”
It seemed they wanted to defeat it as a pair. Given their combined skills and teamwork, it shouldn’t be a problem, but why did she suddenly make such a request?
“When we had a mock battle with Jigoro-kun recently, it made us realize how much we still have to learn. I just want to improve our skills a bit.”
“Is that okay?”
The other members exchanged glances. Under normal circumstances, leaving the boss fight to just two people would be absurd. Since we were tackling the boss as a party, the game’s mechanics would distribute rewards to everyone. This could give the impression that the rest of the players were merely freeloading.
After all, boss monsters are designed with boosted stats due to in-game adjustments. Even if there were a creature of the same level and type in a different field, a boss would be significantly stronger. So, even if they were higher in level, it was better to consider their stats as being on par with the boss.
Despite understanding these risks, the two still insisted on taking the challenge alone. Personally, I found it easier this way. Besides, without those two, we wouldn’t have even been able to venture into this dungeon. So, I thought it was okay to indulge their whim this time. The next step was to hear what the other members thought.
“I’m okay with it… but what does everyone else think?”
“Aah~, I’m fine with it. Actually, watching the Triceratops fight from a distance seems more exciting.” Eiji said.
“Me too! It’s a bit scary with all the lightning stuff going on…” Shishu said.
“I’m~okay~with whatever~ really~.” Wool added.
Eiji who loved dinosaurs didn’t seem particularly interested in fighting them himself. Shishu who had to battle with her own fangs and blade-like legs apparently didn’t want to get close to the Thunder Triceratops, which was always enveloped in lightning. And Wool was… well, the usual Wool.
“That’s the situation. One piece of advice though: when it’s near death, the creature becomes extremely strong. If you’re on the verge of death, we’ll help you guys, so feel free to go wild.”
“Thank you…Let’s go, dear!” Hanna said.
“Let’s do our best,” Roja added.
“BUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”
At the same time as Hanna and Roja dashed forward, the Thunder Triceratops also began its charge. The battle between the cavalry and the dinosaur was about to begin.
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Facing the three horns charging straight at them, Hanna and Roja continued to race without slowing down. Where most would be struck by fear, the two couldn’t help but smile slightly.
“Fufufu, now!”
“Aaah, I know.”
Just as the horns were about to strike, Roja veered to the right. Dodging the horns, Hanna, who had been winding up her halberd on horseback, swung it fiercely from the left.
“Oh? It’s quite hard and a bit numbing, isn’t it?”
She attempted to sever the head of the Thunder Triceratops but then found her blade producing only a shallow scratch, despite its grating sound against the hard scales. Frustrated by this unexpected resistance, she readied her weapon again. She was annoyed that her strike hadn’t penetrated deeper to reach the flesh as she had anticipated.
Moreover, Hanna was suffering from the effects of lightning damage. Grimacing from the unpleasant tingling sensation, she realized that the Thunder Triceratops’ [Lightning Scales] were inflicting damage on anyone who touched them, either directly or indirectly. This skill could also cause paralysis at a low probability, but Hanna who had [Status Immunity] remained unaffected.
“Well, well. You do know that a boss isn’t going to be an easy opponent, right? Besides, you haven’t used any martial techniques yet.”
“That’s true.”
Cheered up by her husband’s words, Hanna took up her halberd again. In her line of sight was the Thunder Triceratops which had just freed its horn from the Stone Shield created by Isam and was now turning back to face them. It seemed intent on dealing with Hanna and Roja who were set on fighting it before the non-aggressive Isam and the others.
“Yes, it’s definitely focused on us now.”
“Let’s face it head-on!”
As soon as she said that, Hanna kicked Roja’s belly. Responding immediately, Roja charged forward. At the moment of their crossing paths, Hanna unleashed a thrusting martial technique.
“Swift Wind Thrust!”
“Boboooooo!”
The blade and the horns collided, with each strike neutralizing the other. Hanna had employed a martial technique this time and it seemed the Thunder Triceratops had done the same.
Once again, her attack was repelled but Hanna couldn’t help but smile. She had felt a solid response.
“Booo!?”
“Fufu. It looks like your horn can’t beat my true steel halberd.”
There was a large gash on the horn of the Thunder Triceratops she had clashed with. It appeared that in their mutual thrusting, Hanna had gained the upper hand.
“Baooooooh!”
“Don’t feel like backing down, do you?”
“It’s the same thing for us as well.”
Perhaps enraged at having its proud horn damaged, the Thunder Triceratops charged again, not out of hunger this time but with the intent to battle an enemy.
“Here! Fierce Blade Slash!”
“Booo!”
In their third fierce clash, Hanna’s slashing attack ripped off the surface of the Thunder Triceratops’ well-developed shield-like head. However, the impact that rebounded back to Hanna was greater than she had anticipated, causing her posture on horseback to falter slightly, though only a little.
“Whoa, are you okay?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
But Roja quickly helped his wife with this, ensuring they did not expose any fatal openings in the clash. The synchronized movements between the two of them almost seemed to embody the concept of rider and horse as one.
“The impact was greater than I expected. What’s going on?”
“Perhaps it’s a combination of [Shield Mastery] and [Charge] skills.”
Roja, having made this hypothesis based on the results of Isam’s [Appraisal], was indeed correct. The monster’s attack had combined the power of [Shield Mastery] with the momentum of a [Charge].
“How versatile.”
“As expected of the boss. But we can win this, I’m sure.”
“Of course.”
As they exchanged light banter, the pair began their run-up for the fourth charge. The Thunder Triceratops too tucked in its jaw and charged. It seemed as though it would be another mere scraping of forces.
“Now!”
“Got it, here we go!”
“Booh!?”
But just before the fourth collision happened, the pair made their move. Roja abruptly changed course to the left, then executed a drift to turn around. In doing so, he completed about a 270-degree turn.
With the rotation on the spot, they were able to attack the side of the Thunder Triceratops. This was an opportunity Hanna would not miss. Furthermore, she thrust her halberd with the momentum of the rotation and she attacked, of all places, the right eye of the Thunder Triceratops.
“Baah!? Boaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?”
Hanna’s halberd deeply gouged and crushed the monster’s eye. Whether from pain or shock, the Thunder Triceratops let out a loud scream. It was a disgraceful sight for a dungeon boss, and the onlookers including Isam, even felt pity for the dinosaur.
“We won’t let it escape!”
“Of course not!”
The fact that the audience felt sorry did not mean the pair would hold back their assault. On the contrary, their attack intensified. Roja helped to thrust in his wife’s weapon with his momentum while running alongside the Thunder Triceratops, and Hanna twisted the blade deeper.
The eyeball, a vital spot for any creature, and the damage inflicted deep within it caused the Thunder Triceratops’s health bar to decrease at an alarming rate. The Thunder Triceratops tried to run away from the tormenting blade, but it couldn’t escape. No matter how it zigzagged or changed its pace, it couldn’t evade Roja’s skillful footwork.
Realizing the danger to its life, the Thunder Triceratops abruptly stopped and thrashed wildly in desperation. This allowed it to finally create some distance from Roja. However, this act proved to be of little significance.
“It stopped, huh?”
“Stopping with that huge body is dangerous, isn’t it?”
Horses are considerably larger than humans, and Roja was no exception to this rule. However, the body length of the Thunder Triceratops was about three times that of a horse, so it was incapable of making quick turns. Its massive size also meant that it took time to accelerate. This made it slow to respond to attacks from behind and difficult to create distance quickly.
Seizing this weakness, the pair specifically targeted the Triceratops’s blinded right side in their attack. Despite taking damage from the Thunder Scales, Hanna inflicted more wounds on the Thunder Triceratops. Also, now that Roja began using magic, the tide of the battle was tipping in their favor.
“Barrrrr… Booooooo!”
“It seems like it activated its skill. What was it called again?”
“It’s the [Dragon’s Force].”
But the Thunder Triceratops possessed the [Dragon Force] skill which enhanced its stats when activated, intensifying the lightning discharge from its horns and scales. Using its boosted stats, the Triceratops forcefully shook off Roja and made a U-turn for another charge; it seemed to be determined to crush them with brute force this time.
“Then, let’s use our ultimate techniques.”
“Are we going to face it head-on? Then let’s do it. ‘Warhorse’s Pride’.”
In response to the Thunder Triceratops, the pair decided to use their own ultimate techniques. First, Roja activated an ability called “Warhorse’s Pride” which enhanced both himself and the rider he was carrying. This was a technique truly befitting a warhorse as it not only strengthened him but also Hanna.
“Charging in now!”
“Anytime is fine with me!”
Echoing this, Hanna swung her halberd overhead while spinning it in the air. This was not just for show; it was the build-up to her own ultimate technique.
The distance between them and the Thunder Triceratops rapidly closed and its horns emitted increasingly intense bursts of lightning. When Hanna saw this, the corners of her lips curled up to form a sly smile as if her usual soft demeanor was all a lie.
“I’ll break those proud horns of yours. ‘Great Chariot・Armor Piercer’!”
“Great Chariot・Armor Piercer” was a halberd technique where the power increased with the number of rotations. Spinning the weapon left the user vulnerable, and if the rotation stopped, the power drastically decreased. Moreover, it rendered the user unable to run, which led to its reputation among players as a dud technique.
However, for Hanna who possessed the means to move while spinning her weapon thanks to Roja, this was considered the best ultimate technique. The more rotations she achieved, the more powerful the technique became and it was now capable of even piercing dragon scales. Her attack effortlessly shattered the horns of the Thunder Triceratops, and the blade, continuing its path, pierced right through its forehead into the brain.
“Bo… Boaaa…”
“Seems my skills have improved a bit.”
Regardless of whether it was a player or a monster, a severe head injury typically resulted in instant death. And like a puppet with its strings cut, the Thunder Triceratops collapsed to the ground.
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