Only I’m the solo player

Chapter 6 – Boss Battle

—–CROW—– 

With a ‘creak’, the heavy iron doors opened, revealing the view inside the boss room.

At first glance, it wasn’t much different from the labyrinth areas I had passed through so far, but there was one difference: it was ‘spacious’.

I didn’t realize it was this big when I saw it in the information posts on the open community, but it seems to be larger than the parade ground of the unit where I completed my military service.

-Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh.

As I took a step inside, torches on the left and right walls of the darkened boss room flared up, and a system message appeared.

[Even among the dull-witted goblins, lacking everything but cruelty, a monarch with the appearance of a ruler is bound to be born.]

The message soon disappeared, and in the center of the now brighter boss room, it rose from its throne.

“Graaaaaaaaaaaah-!!”

A height easily exceeding 2 meters, a physique full of rugged muscles, and huge, protruding fangs.

If I describe it like this, it might seem like an orc has appeared, but that muscular monster is also a goblin.

[BOSS – Goblin Lord Grax’ar]

The console and nameplate that appeared above the boss monster’s head said so too.

But it’s three times bigger than the goblins I’ve been catching so far. If they were side by side, it would probably be like the difference between a local elementary school student and Choi Hong-man.

Other features besides its size are that it wears bone shoulder armor and a black cloak, and it’s wielding a bone greatsword that resembles a Chinese cleaver as a weapon.

According to the strategy guide that I briefly skimmed before entering the boss room, it initially fights with that bone greatsword and later switches to a bone ax.

It looks like a very formidable weapon, but considering my high defense, I should probably be able to block it.

-Thump! Thump! Thump!

The Goblin Lord slammed the bone greatsword on the ground. Then, armored goblins popped out from the small passages on either side of the boss room.

They were the elite monsters summoned by the Lord, the Goblin Royal Guard.

I heard that their patterns are similar to the goblin centurion, but their basic stats and equipment are superior. The number that appears is fixed at three.

I heard that the weapons they carry are completely random, and this time it’s a combination of two spearmen and one crossbowman.

According to the strategy, the standard method is to first defeat the interfering Royal Guard and then focus fire on the boss.

“Here I go!”

I shouted vigorously and rushed towards the nearest crossbowman first.

Thanks to my agility stat of 22, my running speed was so fast that it would make Usain Bolt look slow.

The distance closed in an instant, and my sword swung faster than the crossbowman could fire its first arrow.

-Clang!

Ugh, my hand is numb from hitting the armor directly. I thought I could break it with my attack power.

It seems that no matter how high my stats are, it was impossible to destroy armor with a slashing weapon.

I quickly swung my other hand vigorously. I struck the goblin’s head with the shield strapped to my arm, the [World’s Rabbit Index].

The goblin hit in the head fell to the ground. I thrust my sword vigorously into the gap in the armor.

-Thud!

Something feels different. Normally, a red critical effect should appear, but it seems that the sword didn’t go all the way in.

It seems that it has high defense, as befitting an elite mob. I heard that its stats are higher than a goblin centurion, and it seems to be true.

I raised my sword again and struck the same spot again.

-Thud!

A large red effect burst, this time the critical hit landed properly.

But at that moment, the fallen goblin grabbed my ankle tightly. It’s still alive even after a critical hit.

I raised my sword again to finish it off, but two other goblins rushed in with clanking footsteps.

I’m always forced to solo, so I’m used to this kind of situation. I swung my sword at the goblin running in front with a spear.

-Clang!

My strength stat was overwhelmingly superior, and the goblin with the spear fell to the side.

And another goblin rushed in with a spear. This time, I simply held out my shield to block the attack.

But it felt a little different from when I usually blocked goblin attacks.

“Huh?”

My body was pushed back with the sensation of being hit by something the size of a basketball.

I tried to correct my leaning posture, but because another goblin was holding my ankle tightly, I lost my balance.

I fell to the stone floor. It didn’t hurt because of my high defense, but I couldn’t stop the goblin from quickly mounting me.

-Stab! Stab!

The goblin that had mounted me held its spear short and tried to stab my face.

I could easily block it with my shield, but my arm kept getting impacted. I realized why I fell earlier.

This bastard was stronger than I thought. Even though it’s just a goblin.

“Get off!”

I swung my shield from a lying position to push off the mounted goblin and kicked it away as I got up.

Then I realized that I was surrounded by three goblins. The crossbowman from before was still alive, bleeding.

How much health does it have to still be alive? That bastard.

-Thump! Thump! Thump!

At that moment, I heard an unusually powerful and heavy footstep.

Beyond the three goblins, the huge Goblin Lord was running towards me with its greatsword.

But, its speed, it’s so fast- I thought, and at that moment.

-Crack!

“Ugh.”

The huge greatsword struck my upper body.

**

My vision is facing the ceiling. Both of my feet are off the ground.

I was flying, albeit briefly. It wasn’t long before the hard ground welcomed me.

-Thump!

A ringing sound echoed in my ears. What happened? Did I get hit and fly off?

The boss is a boss after all, its strength is no joke. I felt like I flew at least a few meters.

I don’t have a party member, so the boss aggro is drawn to me. Why didn’t I think of that?

Anyway, get up. I’ll get surrounded again like this.

“Ugh, haah…!”

Huh, what? I can’t breathe, what is it, what’s wrong.

The ceiling is shimmering like a heat haze. I’m dizzy. What is it, really, what is it.

I was confused about what was going on. What woke me up was a large shadow that entered my vision.

With a sensation of sparks popping in my head, I immediately realized what the shadow was.

It was the Goblin Lord, who had jumped high with its greatsword.

It, it jumped?

-Crack!

“Guh!”

My mind cleared with the terrible impact. With a crunching sound, my chest felt tight.

It was the sound of the breastplate of my armor being crushed. It was the effect of being hit directly by the large bone greatsword twice.

And a stabbing sensation inside my body, did I break a rib or something? It hurts just to breathe, it hurts, it’s crazy.

“Graaaaaaaah!!”

My chest, shoulder, from my shoulder to my elbow, the sensation is strange. It’s numb. And, what’s this, blood?

I turned my head and saw blood, but I didn’t know where it was coming from. It’s not the goblin’s. Then it’s mine.

I half-raised my body without knowing how I was moving. Now I can see the situation properly.

“Grrr!”

The Goblin Lord grinning with its hideous fangs exposed, and two goblins following behind it.

The [+5 Steel Plate Armor], smashed by the greatsword, and hot blood flowing through the gaps.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh…”

HP: 145/340

In the midst of the pain in my chest, I opened the status window, and more than half of my HP was gone.

My defense is much lower than the Goblin Lord’s attack power. After thinking that far, my mind started working surprisingly quickly.

This is bad. I underestimated the boss too much. I have to run away.

“Huf, huuf.”

I held the shattered breastplate area and backed away. Then the Goblin Lord, which had been grinning hideously, started running again.

Thump thump thump, the heavy footsteps that brought back the terrible pain from a moment ago.

“Aaaaaaaah!”

I screamed and started running backward. The entrance to the boss room, now the exit, fuck, why is it so far.

I cursed the unnecessarily large boss room in my mind and ran. My agility stat is high. So, I can definitely.

-Thud!

Fuck, I tripped. I fell. It doesn’t hurt, but, no, I’m going to die. Fuck, fuck!

I quickly got up, following my survival instinct, and instinctively looked back.

I saw the Goblin Lord pulling back its greatsword and taking a strange posture. It’s a posture I remember.

I think I saw it in the strategy guide in the open community. What was it, ah, that.

The horizontal slash pattern.

-Whoosh!

The bone greatsword swung widely to the side, and I hurriedly raised my shield and arm. It was the wrong decision.

Because I didn’t immediately recall that the Goblin Lord’s horizontal slash was a pattern that ‘should not be hit’.

-Bang!

A long time ago, when was it, around middle school… yeah, around the second year of middle school. I was hit by a car on the way to a PC bang.

I had forgotten about it because it was a long time ago, but it felt exactly like this. So, breaking, and cracking.

“Ugh, guh, kuh!”

I was hit by the horizontal slash on my shield and flew like a skipping stone, bouncing twice on the ground. Several pieces of my armor broke and fell off.

It hurts. It hurts like hell. I heard that when people are seriously injured, adrenaline or something makes them not feel pain, but it fucking hurts.

Where did I hear that from, Shorts, fuck, those fucking Shorts, they were all lies.

“Ugh, huuk…huuk…”

I held my dizzy head and got up again. My body is moving strangely even though I’m so injured.

Ah, I remember that you don’t receive a fatal injury until your HP is depleted. So that’s why I can move.

Wait, does that mean this isn’t a fatal injury? No, it’s fucking fatal. What are you talking about.

-Thump! Thump! Thump!

As I was moving towards the exit, I heard the footsteps again. I didn’t think long and rolled on the ground.

“F! U! ck!”

The Goblin Lord’s greatsword struck the spot where I was just a second ago.

My legs are losing strength. If I had been hit by that directly, then.

No, this isn’t the time for that. Run!

I ran towards the exit at full speed. I ran with all my might. I was almost at the exit.

-Thud!

“Aaaah!”

Something pierced my ankle, which was exposed because the armor was broken. An arrow, it was an arrow.

There were five Goblin Royal Guards in the distance. Five? Why five, and I definitely defeated the crossbowman, no, it came out again.

The cooldown for the Royal Guard summoning pattern had come around. And there was a crossbowman among them.

“Aaaargh…urgh!”

I pushed open the door of the boss room entrance, which I had entered, with all my might, even with the arrow stuck in me.

As I fell outside the boss room, the Goblin Lord and the Royal Guards who were chasing me turned around and went back.

HP: 22/340

Only the minimum amount of HP remained.

I was on the verge of death.

“Ugh, ugh, uuugh…”

Lying on the ground like a worm, transparent tears flowed down my cheeks.

—–CROW—–