The hidden passage led me to an open chamber that looked empty at first glance.
A heavy grinding sound echoed behind me. I spun around just in time to see the entrance I had just walked through sealing shut.
It seemed I was trapped.
『Master, here they come!』
Kugutsumawashi’s voice rang out.
In an instant, multiple teleportation circles glowed on the floor.
「「Kugooooooooh!!」」
「Master, these are the Golden Living Armors! This is where you earn the real skill points!」
As I watched, the room filled with the hulking figures of the Golden Living Armors. A quick scan suggested there were at least twenty of them.
Standard Living Armors were A-Rank monsters, already considered a step above the Bugbears I had struggled so much against in the past. Given their appearance, it was a safe bet that these golden variants were even more powerful than the common type.
Each one gripped a one-handed sword that shimmered with a golden light. I would have to be extremely cautious.
「[Black Blade].」
With that command, I gripped Kugutsumawashi as it transformed into its longsword form.
Then, I dove headlong into the mass of golden steel.
I twisted my body, narrowly dodging a slash from the nearest Golden Living Armor.
「Hey, watch your aim.」
I activated [Provocation].
The Golden Living Armors reacted instantly, lunging at me with renewed aggression. I danced between their blades, leading them into each other's paths.
With a heavy metallic clank, one Golden Living Armor’s strike slammed into another. Friendly fire.
『Not bad, Master!』 Kugutsumawashi cheered.
「I’m actually quite confident when it comes to fighting groups.」
I hadn't expected my experience fighting those packs of Bugbears to pay off in a place like this, but here we were.
「Come on, you trash. Give me everything you’ve got.」
I unleashed [Provocation] on the entire group again.
「Now then, let’s begin the cull.」
Only seconds after psyching myself up, a blade pierced my back. I was dead before I hit the floor.
Well, I hadn't exactly expected to succeed on my first attempt, so it wasn't a big deal.
◆
After being killed by the Golden Living Armors, the timing of my Return by Death remained unchanged: I woke up just after the battle with the Bugbears had concluded.
At this point in the timeline, I hadn't obtained the Parasitic Sword yet, so I had to go through the motions of retrieving it once more.
『Fine by me. I’ll follow your lead, Master.』
Kugutsumawashi was obedient every time we replayed this sequence, which made this part of the loop painless.
Next, I headed for the treasure chest containing the Crystal of Wisdom to reacquire the [Swordsmanship] skill. I also made sure to grind enough to raise the skill from Level 1 to Level 2.
I knew from experience that defeating three monsters would provide exactly enough skill points for the upgrade. It only took a few hours to track them down and finish the job.
That completed the bare minimum preparation required before tackling the hidden room.
『Hey now, you’re quite the font of knowledge to know about a hidden passage like this, Master.』
「You could say that.」
I nodded as Kugutsumawashi spoke up the moment I triggered the hidden entrance.
「Kugutsumawashi, I’m counting on you.」
『Yeah, leave it to me!』
We challenged the room full of Golden Living Armors again. And once again, I died.