Whenever I didn't use Asceticism, the Metaslas fled of their own accord.
Consequently, there was no need for Mayurin-san and the others to fight at all. We made steady progress toward the boss room at the far end of Floor 10.
"What is the meaning of this...?"
"Just what is going on...?"
"Did the monsters' behavior change again...?"
"This is bad, man. Really bad."
Ikegami-san and Oishi-san muttered with deeply serious expressions.
"..."
I felt Hinata-san’s silent gaze lingering on my cheek, but I couldn't bring myself to turn around. The atmosphere had grown so heavy that I missed my chance to come clean—to admit that I was the reason for all of this.
As we walked in silence, Ikegami-san and Oishi-san began to deduce the cause of the Metaslas' behavioral shift on their own.
"Come to think of it, Oishi-san, why were you guys being chased by a swarm of Metaslas? You said the ones you encountered along the way pursued you... didn't those ones run away?"
"Ah, that was likely because we were running from them, and there were more Metaslas chasing us than there were people in our group. Besides, we did encounter some individuals that fled the moment they saw us."
"I see... So they flee immediately when they're outnumbered, but they don't run as much when they have the numerical advantage. They really are cowardly monsters, aren't they?"
"It would seem so."
"Wait, so did the Metasla from before run away because there were so many of us?"
"Hm?...Ah, that makes sense. Leveling Junkie Bro is in a two-person party, but he’s the only one stepping to the front."
"Could it be that if only a few people fight at once, the Metaslas won't run...?"
This was convenient. I decided to hop on board their train of thought.
"That might be it...!"
"In that case, should I try stepping forward alone next time? Then once I've pinned it down, Teruya and the others can move in."
"No, wait, Mayurin-san."
Whoops, that was dangerous. I hurriedly put a stop to Mayurin-san's plan.
"If the Metaslas won't come near us, that's actually for the best. For now, let’s hurry to the boss room...!"
I could always clean up the surviving Metaslas after I took down Metakin. In fact, if Mayurin-san and the others didn't thin out their numbers, there would be more left for me. I shifted my secret goal from hunting Metaslas along the way to prioritizing the boss.
"Right. That's true. Leveling Junkie Bro-kun, you're smart!"
"Is that so? Well, it's true that even in high school, I only failed a few subjects...!"
Heheh, I was starting to blush.
"I might not look the part, but I actually studied pretty hard back in high school. My old man threatened to kick me out of the house if I ever repeated a grade...!"
"Eh, ah... y-yeah. T-That's amazing...!"
Mayurin-san's praise felt good!
In any case.
We avoided further combat with the Metaslas and continued our rapid advance. Before long, we arrived at the threshold of the boss room.
To be precise, we were at the entrance of the long, straight corridor leading to it. There was still about a hundred meters to the room itself, but for an explorer, that was practically point-blank range.
Sure enough, we could see it with our own eyes—the giant Metasla quietly occupying the center of the boss room at the end of the hall. The Metakin.
We stopped a considerable distance away rather than charging down the hall. Since Metakin wasn't the official Floor 10 boss but a Special Variant, we didn't know if it might leave the room, so the plan was to observe it from afar first.
"So that's... the giant Metasla...!"
Ikegami-san muttered, his voice thick with tension.
The handsome swordsman had every right to be tense. Metakin was gargantuan. It was hard to judge its exact size since it was far away and there were no objects nearby for scale, but its height was easily four... no, it might have even exceeded five meters.
Its shape was like a water droplet rounded by surface tension. With an estimated height of five meters, its mass was staggering. Given its sheer volume, it certainly seemed plausible that it could split into over a thousand Metaslas, just as Oishi-san had feared.
"So... what's the plan, Takeo-kun?"
Hinata-san asked, and everyone's gaze shifted to me.
"Let's see..."
I thought for a moment before answering.
"I'll fight it alone. Hinata-san, could you provide support magic?"
"Okay, I understand, but..."
"Hey now, Takeo-kun... do you really intend to fight that thing by yourself?"
"Surely it would be better if we all took it on together. Soloing that monster is reckless, Leveling Junkie Bro."
Ikegami-san and Oishi-san both objected. The others didn't speak up, but their expressions made it clear they agreed. Mayurin-san, for some reason, just had a sparkle in her eyes.
However, fighting alone—or rather, keeping the battle limited to me and Hinata-san—was a non-negotiable condition.
Because if other parties joined the fray, my experience points would be drastically divided!
Every single drop of Metakin’s experience belongs to me!
...Not that they would accept that reasoning. I needed to fabricate a plausible-sounding excuse.
"I'm sorry, but against a foe like Metakin, I won't be able to hold back."
"Takeo-kun, what does that mean...?"
"...Are you saying we would only be a hindrance?"
Whoops, I'd offended them. I hurriedly corrected Oishi-san.
"No, it's not that....Do you remember the massive explosion I caused when I fought the swarm of Metaslas?"
"Yeah, that incredible skill."
"I have no idea what it was, but it was certainly devastating..."
"That wasn't even my full power. I can push the output much higher."
"Are you serious...?"
"...I see. In other words, it's a technique you can't use with other people nearby?"
Oishi-san seemed to buy it. My total fabrication had worked.
Well, it was true that I could produce a higher output now. If I didn't use Seeker, my stats would be higher, and the destructive force would increase accordingly.
"Exactly. That’s why I'm going all out from the very start. However, if I can't win that way, I intend to retreat immediately... and when that happens, Mayurin-san."
"Yeah, it'll be my turn!"
"Yes. I don't know if it will pursue me, but could you stall it?"
"Holding back a Metasla that size might be impossible, but—luckily, this is a narrow, straight path. I should be able to keep it at bay for a while! Leave it to me!"
"Thank you. I'll be counting on you if things go south."
And so, just as I’d planned, I was going to fight solo. I immediately began my final preparations.
"Takeo-kun, what about your HP?"
"I'll be unleashing a big move first, so could you fully heal me for now?"
"Got it. For support, are Holy Bless, Holy Protection, and High Regeneration enough?"
"Yes, that’ll be perfect."
"What about healing during the fight? Will you stay below half?"
She was asking whether I intended to trigger the second stage of Blood Vengeance.
"I might, depending on how it goes... but for now, you don't need to heal me during the engagement. Hinata-san, please stay back with Mayurin-san and the others. If I can't finish this with a blitz, I'm running."
Before I’d seen Metakin in person, I’d been prepared for a war of attrition involving Hinata-san’s healing. That was why I’d been conserving MP. But now that I was looking at the monster, I’d changed my mind.
That thing was likely the type of enemy you couldn't beat if you didn't finish it quickly. Our MP would probably bottom out first. Plus, if the fight dragged on, Hinata-san would be in danger.
"Okay... I understand."
Even if I had to run today, I didn't intend to give up on the XP forever.
Furthermore, I wouldn't be using Seeker or Asceticism for the start of this fight. This wasn't the kind of opponent I could afford to mess around with while handicapped.
After Hinata-san topped off my HP and applied the support spells, I was ready.
"Well then... I'm off."
"Yeah, Takeo-kun, be careful!"
"If it gets hairy, run immediately, Takeo-kun."
"Leveling Junkie Bro-kun, if anything happens, leave it to me! Fight without any worries!"
"Leveling Junkie Bro, good luck."
With their words of encouragement at my back, I drew my sword and charged.
I had already activated Fighting Spirit, Berserk, and Sword Aura. Relying on my massive Agility stat, I crossed the long corridor in a blur.
The moment my foot touched the floor of the boss room, I activated Indomitable Spirit.
Metakin had already noticed me. It had likely targeted me the moment I entered the corridor, as the skill recognized me as being in a combat state and activated perfectly.
Without the Seeker handicap, I was currently Level 50. Even so, my Spirit and Dexterity—stats unaffected by Fighting Spirit or Berserk—shot up by 36 points instantly. That meant Metakin's level was a staggering 80!
Given its physical scale, it was likely even more powerful than a standard Level 80 monster.
Can I win this?
For a fleeting second, I hesitated.
My current Status, bolstered by various skills and Hinata-san's Holy Bless, was:
―――――――――――――――― Strength: 180 → 792 Constitution: 170 → 700 Intelligence: 6 → 149 Spirit: 126 → 306 Agility: 175 → 710 Dexterity: 185 → 365 ――――――――――――――――
Even without Blood Vengeance active, these were my numbers.
The values on the left included the status points I’d allocated upon reaching Level 50. The values on the right were the final totals after buffs.
Yeah, I can probably win this! Maybe!!
I ended my hesitation and poured a massive amount of HP into the longsword I gripped with both hands.
At the same time, I triggered Mighty Blade. A heartbeat before swinging, I also activated Asceticism and imbued the blade with Blue Sky Beyond the Clouds.
I struck first.
As I closed in on the still-stationary Metakin, I swung the blade in a massive horizontal arc while still well out of physical range, putting the full momentum of my sprint into the blow.
"You're mineeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!"
The gap between my Agility and Dexterity was a bit too wide, making my movements feel clumsy, and I couldn't quite bring my full strength to bear—but if I was just unleashing a Flying Blade from a distance, it wouldn't be a problem!
A blade of massive aura roared through the air toward Metakin!
At that exact moment, Metakin reacted with startling speed.
"————"
A part of its massive body writhed and shifted, manifesting a thick, enormous metal shield in front of it.
A faint light enveloped the shield. It was some kind of defense skill, likely similar to the one the Legion Slime had used on Floor 9.
Natural high defense, a physical shield, and a defense skill. Would my attack even make a dent?
The massive shield and the aura blade collided. Immediately after, with a roar that seemed to vibrate through the entire boss room, the Great Flying Blade erupted into a massive aura-fueled explosion.
Explosive Blade.
A strike that consumed 30 HP on top of Mighty Blade—undoubtedly one of the most powerful attacks in my arsenal. And yet...
"—!?"
A giant hole had been blasted through the center of Metakin's shield, and cracks spiderwebbed across its entire surface. But the main body behind the shield remained almost entirely unscathed.
"————"
Metakin detached the ruined shield. The battered hunk of metal fell to the floor and shattered into countless fragments.
In the same breath, a section of Metakin's surface began to writhe.
"Tch!"
A barrage of small metal spheres was unleashed, raining down on me with the terrifying velocity of a machine gun.