The Homeless Camper Wants to Live Leisurely in a Dungeon ~Even Dangerous Deep-Layer Monsters Are Just Ingredients to Me~
I finished observing the boss monster and turned off the comment notification feature for the public stream. Just like in the battle with the 40th floor boss, when fighting a boss alone there’s no time to read comments.
By this level of dungeon floors, not even a second of carelessness is allowed.
“………………”
I took one step forward toward the grand hall. At the same moment, the door to the small room containing the retreat gate closed shut, and the Dullahan, which had been motionless until now, began moving silently and slowly drew its sword with its right hand.
Although that sword might be of normal size for the Dullahan, since it stands over three meters tall, it was larger than my Whitefang Ichimonji. Since it was holding its head in its left hand, it wielded the longsword using only its right arm.
“Well then, let’s go!”
First, I needed to carefully observe the boss monster’s movements. Although time was limited, I would have to fight this boss repeatedly many times from now on, so learning the Dullahan’s patterns should take priority, even if it cost me a little extra time.
“………………”
The silent Dullahan advanced towards me, but as soon as I approached within a certain distance, it suddenly swung its massive longsword high and charged at me.
“…It’s strong, but I can still block it. It suddenly increased speed compared to before—it accelerated quickly—but I can still track it.”
The Dullahan slashed downward vertically with its longsword, so I shifted my body sideways while blocking the attack with my Whitefang Ichimonji.
Its movement was faster and stronger than any monster I’d encountered in this dungeon so far. The power behind the strike, considering it came from just one arm of such a huge creature, was considerable. Even with all my experience gained in this dungeon, taking a hit like that unprotected would definitely result in major damage.
Its longsword also seemed quite durable. Most weapons would shatter upon impact against Whitefang Ichimonji, yet this blade held firm.
“………………”
This time, the Dullahan swept its longsword sideways in a horizontal slash, which I again blocked directly with Whitefang Ichimonji. Although the strike felt surprisingly powerful for being delivered one-handed, it didn’t seem to involve any strange special abilities—so far, I could handle it without too much trouble.
Now it was my turn to launch an attack. I struck cautiously, wary of potential counters from the Dullahan, but managed to slip through its defenses and landed a blow on its left leg where armor protected it.
“It doesn’t look like it did much damage. But our greatsword is fine, and the armor seems dented, so some damage probably got through.”
Not out of streaming habit, but because I always talk aloud during fights to confirm things in my mind:
Boss monsters in this dungeon don’t show health bars like in games, so relentlessly attacking limbs won’t defeat them. Conversely, landing a heavy blow on weak points like the neck could kill them instantly.
Gradually whittling them down was the usual way to beat bosses, but I couldn’t afford to waste time doing that. What stood out suspiciously was the head cradled in the Dullahan’s left arm.
Though it wore a helmet, the eye sockets were exposed. Landing a single decisive strike there—or smashing its head outright along with the helmet—was what I aimed for.
“…Certainly guarding that spot heavily suggests it must be a weak point.”
Judging from how speed was apparently my advantage, I dashed rapidly across the large hall, weaving feints into my attacks as I targeted the head held in the Dullahan’s left arm.
However, although the Dullahan couldn’t match my speed, it still reacted well enough—barely deflecting my attacks aimed at its head.
Even trying to circle behind it and strike from its blind spot failed—the Dullahan could adjust the direction of its detached head without turning its body like a human would, letting it see behind itself. That felt slightly unfair.
Of course, keeping its left arm occupied holding the head was also a weakness. If it had full vision without needing a head and dual-wielded swords, that really would’ve been overpowered cheating.
“The torso and limbs aren’t taking significant damage… This greatsword isn’t having much effect, so both the weapon and its armor must be extremely tough.”
Since earlier, my Whitefang Ichimonji had landed several hits but hadn’t appeared to do serious damage. Though part of that was due to the monster’s naturally stoic expression, I still felt like I wasn’t hurting it effectively.
While its armor showed slight dents, I suspected the damage penetrating deeper inside was minimal.
So far, my Whitefang Ichimonji seemed undamaged, but continuing to hack away at unbreakable armor seemed pointless.
“…Still, I’ve spotted some potentially effective techniques. Alright then, time to seriously start!”