Chapter 26: Boss Room 2

Pretty simple and easy to understand, nice.

"This fight might be too much for the current you, so don't be disappointed if I step in," she continues to which I simply nod. There was a reason why I wanted to buy a strong person to help me get established in this world. I don't have any issues with being overshadowed by an experienced warrior.

We walk through the labyrinth, the atmosphere growing more intense with each step as we approach the boss room. As we turn a corner, we see a small queue of explorers waiting in front of two large, ornate doors. The doors are impressive, standing about twenty feet tall and ten feet wide, made of a dark metal intricately carved with scenes of epic battles. Golden inlays highlight the carvings, making the scenes almost come to life. Large iron handles, shaped like intertwined dragons, complete the formidable look.

Ayame explains, "Here is the queue I mentioned. Clear your mind of useless thoughts and get ready to fight to the best of your ability."

We wait our turn, and soon, it's our time to enter. The doors creak open, revealing a massive chamber. At the center stands our opponent: a Brutal Carapace Beetle according to my cute and reliable Monster Wikipedia, an upgraded version of the Steel Carapace Beetle. Its exoskeleton glistens with a dark, menacing sheen, its size nearly twice that of the regular monster. The mandibles are larger, more jagged, and emit a clicking sound that echoes throughout the chamber. Its multiple legs, tipped with sharp claws, seem to dig into the stone floor as it prepares to charge.

I grip my iron spear tightly, determination coursing through me. Instead of charging, I plant my feet and wait for the beetle to make the first move, remembering Ayame's advice on patience and defense. The beetle's eyes lock onto mine, and in an instant, it lunges forward with surprising speed for its size.

"Stay light on your feet and watch its movements carefully."

As the beetle charges, I sidestep quickly, barely avoiding the deadly mandibles. The beetle crashes into the spot where I am standing with stone chips flying from the impact.

"Good dodge. Now, just like you did for the regular beetles, aim for its joints when it's recovering from an attack. You can do this."

I do my best to listen to her instructions as I thrust forward with the aim of my strike being the vulnerable joints where the beetle's exoskeleton is thinner. My spear connects, but only grazes the surface. The beetle recovers quickly, turning to face me again with a screech of rage.

"Your stance is wrong! Remember to keep your elbows in and pivot on your back foot!" Ayame calls out, reminding me of her earlier lessons.

I adjust my posture and prepare for the beetle's next move. It lunges again, and this time, I'm ready. I dodge to the side and thrust my spear into its exposed side, feeling a satisfying crunch as the tip penetrates the softer part of its armor.

The beetle screeches, thrashing in pain. I try to press the advantage, but it swings a clawed leg at me, forcing me to retreat.

"Good strike! Keep the pressure on," Ayame encourages. "But don't get reckless."

The beetle lunges at me once more, and I dodge, but my foot slips on the uneven floor. I lose my balance, and the beetle's claw grazes my arm, drawing a thin line of blood. I grit my teeth, ignoring the pain.

Seeing my struggle, Ayame steps in, her movements swift and precise. She blocks the beetle's follow-up attack with her sword and swiftly counters, slashing at its exposed joints.

"Watch closely," she says, her voice calm and focused. "You did aim for the weak points but you were sluggish and overeager. Attacking too soon can be just as wrong as being slow.

She moves gracefully, exploiting the beetle's vulnerabilities with each strike. Within moments, the beetle collapses, defeated. Ayame turns to me, offering a reassuring smile.

"You did pretty well. Normally low level explorers like you form big teams of similarly beginner individuals and tackle the first floor using numbers, this method often incurs quite a few deaths and career-ending injuries, so you really shouldn't be ashamed due to my heavy interference."

She seems perturbed for some reason, we already established that I have no such issues. I have to think for a few moments before it clicks, "ah, are you worried that a woman helping me is hurting my masculinity?"

Ayame examines my expression for a few seconds before nodding.

I can only chuckle wryly. "I really don't care. Anyhow, aren't you women pretty much equal to men power-wise on this continent? Or do you get less attributes?"

She shakes her head, "No. Everyone gets 1 to each attribute upon leveling up and 5 points you are free to spend however you see fit. The disadvantage we women face is at level 1, because most decently fit adult males will have on average 10 starting attribute points in Strength, Agility and Vitality, but us females have on average 8 in those. By the time one reaches my level, this initial disadvantage basically disappears entirely."

I nod repeatedly while receiving the new information. That means I'm a completely average healthy male because I have 10 in each attribute.

She then continues, "however, there's still an ugly and quite annoying stigma of women combatants being below men, despite there being a lot of strong and well-known women, such as Sword Saintess Rose, who I looked up to quite a lot while growing up. a lot of males would've felt insulted by me saving them, especially because I don't have a physically imposing figure or personal fame."

I can't help but laugh at their stupidity. "Ayame, please erase such useless thoughts from your mind. If I get killed because you are afraid of hurting my ego then I will cry in the afterlife and come back to haunt you. Instead of feeling ashamed, I'm proud to have such an awesome teammate. You want to be the strongest sword user in the world, right? You can't accomplish such a lofty goal if you worry about nonsensical stuff."

A happy smile creeps up onto her face. "Okay."

CREATORS' THOUGHTS
NecroBin

A more thorough combat oriented mini-arc is on the horizon where the situation won't be so easily controlled by Ayame. This labyrinth clearing session was just a small appetizer for what's to come...