Chapter 100

"Kekekekeke!"

The Grim Reaper swung its scythe.

It was a critical hit aimed <Dragon Slayer Slash>.

I dodged it surely, then quickly approached and swung my sword.

But he used his skill <Spirit Body Penetration> to phase through me.

The Grim Reaper then moved away from me and tried to head towards Luuce.

"I won't let you... <Shadow Step>!"

I stomped on the Grim Reaper's shadow.

Luuce, a Jester class, has weaknesses in HP and defense.

I didn't want her to end up in a situation where she had to fight the Grim Reaper, who has a high critical hit rate and attack power, head-on.

Moreover, by limiting the Grim Reaper's movement, Luuce could take advantage of his blind spots and continue the battle in a favorable position while avoiding his attacks.

"Kekekekeke!"

The Grim Reaper turned around and swung his scythe at me.

Apparently, he chose to quickly take me down once he was caught.

I deflected the first swing with <Parry> and blocked the second with my large shield.

"You're getting impatient... Grim Reaper. Your attacks lack power."

My provocation made the face on the mask distort.

The Grim Reaper pulled back his scythe.

He seemed intent on crushing me and my shield with <Dragon Slayer Slash>.

"Take this!"

Naturally, Luuce, who had taken a blind spot, didn't miss the opportunity.

She quickly landed a series of attacks on the Grim Reaper.

"Ogah...!"

The already weakened Grim Reaper was finished off by this.

His spirit body tore and shrank.

His mask and scythe fell to the ground.

[You have gained 2609 experience points.]

[Your level has increased from 71 to 72.]

[You have gained 1 skill point.]

It seems I leveled up.

I let out a sigh of relief.

"Still, it's tough when the Grim Reaper uses <Spirit Body Penetration> as the main skill... Maybe we should have hired a Mage class, even if they were a lower level."

Luuce said this.

Indeed, <Spirit Body Penetration> only phases through physical attacks.

Magic attacks can't be avoided.

"However, the Grim Reaper moves fast and has a small hitbox... Relying on magic would be tough too. It would use a lot of MP to take him down with magic alone."

"I see... So we have to keep wearing him down like this..."

"Still, Luuce, you're getting used to hunting Grim Reapers, right? After all, this is the third one."

"...Yeah. I've started to understand the timing, so I can attack more confidently while managing the risk of critical hits."

...Yes, this was the third Grim Reaper.

The second one also dropped a <Soul Reaper Scythe>.

It's quite valuable, so the weapon drops are appreciated.

...They are appreciated, but I really want the item I'm aiming for.

Running around the tower to find Grim Reapers isn't easy either.

We've been at it for a while, and we're starting to feel the fatigue.

"I hope the <Skill Book> drops soon..."

The Grim Reaper's mask cracked and turned to sand before our eyes.

And there, still remaining, was the <Soul Reaper Scythe>.

"...It didn't drop."

Well... I kind of had a feeling it wouldn't.

Luuce approached the <Soul Reaper Scythe> with unsteady steps and collapsed on the spot.

"Why... Why do I keep getting the wrong drops!?"

"Stay calm, Luuce. Those misses are worth fifteen million gold...?"

Still... If we handed over three rare <Soul Reaper Scythes> to a shop at once, their value would likely plummet.

There aren't that many scythe users, after all.

However, with Luuce's <Lucky> ability, the <Skill Book> should drop eventually...

The harder you want something, the harder it is to get.

Is this what they call a greed sensor?

"Well, even with <Lucky>, getting three drops in a row is definitely a good sign... Still, it's a bit disappointing."

Without attracting the attention of troublesome monsters... and finding the Grim Reapers efficiently... if we're lucky, we might be able to hunt three more.

After that, we'll have to retreat from the <Phantom Beast Tower> due to MP and fatigue.

But if we retreat to a nearby village and rest, the <Phantom Hole> will likely disappear.

"Ugh... We had a chance to get the <Death Dealer>..."

"...No, there's still a chance. We just need to conserve MP and fight more efficiently."

I said this to the dejected Luuce.

"We won't fight anything other than the Grim Reaper, as I said before. But... we need to find ways to avoid using skills in future battles..."

Otherwise, it might just make the battles drag on and become counterproductive.

And then... at that moment.

From a distance, heavy footsteps echoed.

"Gege, gegoh."

The fat, golden Larna was walking down a distant corridor.

The golden Larna stopped and puffed out her cheeks.

"U... Ve, ve... gegoh."

I naturally froze, trying not to make a sound, my eyes fixed on the golden Larna.

That color, that build... no doubt about it.

It's the merchant Larna.

The monsters that appear are random, but I didn't expect her to be in this <Phantom Beast Tower>.

"Luuce, we're going to hunt that one! Approach without provoking her and look for an opportunity...!"

"What you're saying hasn't changed from before...!"

Luuce gave a wry smile at my reaction.