I had to destroy all of the stone statues first, or I would certainly face them during the boss fight. Dungeons can be really sh!tty that way.
[The Man Who Overcame Adversity Remaining Time: 0 hours 9 minutes 30 seconds]
Sparks crackled from my hand because I could not control Odin’s Wrath that well yet, but this was the best I could do for now. I rushed forward and punched a statue, with my E rank Strength boosted to D by the Man Who Overcame Adversity and further boosted by Odin’s Wrath. Cracks radiated from the spot I had punched and spread all over the statue. The stone shell entombing the Middle Graf shattered, and the massive insect emerged. However, it had no space to move, as each statue was stuck in a cramped space. Each statue on either side of the wide corridor leading to the boss were stuck in their own little alcoves. The monster has to crawl out of its starting space before it could move and attack freely. As there were dozens of these medium-sized Graf statues, they would swarm the poor Awakened by sheer numbers if the party had no way to attack the Grafs in statue form. This was why so many parties retreated in this situation, or died for the lack of Escape Insignias.
However, this Graf could not maneuver and it could only move its head and whipped at me with its antennae from inside its alcove. The Graf was too tall and wide to move freely and it was stuck and could only writhe in protest as I climbed upon its back. I tore off the armor protecting the “nape”, then punched its neck and felt the hit go in. The Graf was stunned for a few seconds, enough for me to thrust my dagger in at the same place, the central nerve cluster.
[The effect of the Fool’s Knife has been activated.]
While the message did not show the effect in detail, I could see that the Graf’s head had frozen. I felt the cold with the followup stab.
[You have killed a Middle Graf.]
[You have gained 6 points.]
Its head burst to pieces, and the body stopped moving.
[The Man Who Overcame Adversity Remaining Time: 0 hours 9 minutes 17 seconds]
It had taken me 13 seconds to take out a Middle Graf. There were dozens of them, and as I would need to fight the boss monster, the timing would be tight. I managed to do this twenty six times, which meant twenty six alcoves were filled with dead Grafs. Those who had woken up were hobbled like the first one, as the alcove blocked them from moving. It was easy for me to kill them, as I just needed to climb up, shatter the stone encasing them, slice off their antennae, and pull off the shell protecting their main nerve cluster, and stab. Yeonhee was following the trail of corpses I was making, and after about the seventh one, I struck using both fists in a hammer strike for maximum damage, breaking off their heads, killing them instantly while they were still entombed in stone. Had I not figured out this fast and easy way to kill the Medium Grafs, I could not have made it in time. I had just taken care of the last one, number twenty six, when I felt a terrifying presence below me.
A loud screech filled the room, and it felt like my eardrums had been ruptured. I was thrown off from the corpse, and while I tried to hold on to something, I was unable to arrest my fall. I tumbled off the Graf’s carapace, falling hard on the stone floor. I could see the boss monster distantly, who stood like a king at the end of the room.
It was not as big as a Middle Graf, and actually resembled a human being in form from afar. However, it had six eyes and sharp predator’s teeth up close, and hunters who had seen it for the first time had suffered nightmares.
“Yeonhee!”
[Yeonhee Woo used Healing.]
However, my balance did not come back as Healing only negated my fall damage. It seemed that the boss monster did not want to approach me as it continued to shriek from far away. However, no Graf child answered it. The Graf Patriarch should have arrived sooner. (EN: ^_^ )
[Devi’s Knife has changed to Shiva’s Knife.]
[You have activated Shiva’s Knife.]
Shiva’s Knife, more destructive than Devi’s, shot out. However, the trajectory was off, maybe due to my loss of balance. The attack veered sharply and hit above the monster’s head. I heard the report of the rock shattering from far away, and the monster came running at me like that had been a signal. I could see from here that it was livid. I felt fear for a moment as the monster grew additional legs with each step. Sticky liquid oozed out from each one and threads of adhesive liquid trailed behind it like a net. I rolled away and smelled something melt and burn. The monster was now right in front of me, and I saw six eyes looking down.
The monster seemed to think it could kill me and thus came near, but that had been its mistake. It stopped and poised itself to jump at me, but I used Earthquake. Not a leg touched me. Its sonic attack destroyed my sense of balance, I merely returned the favor.
The area rumbled, and I saw dirt falling from the ceiling. I managed to stand up to walk toward the monster despite how the world shook. The monster also quickly stood up to charge me again.
[You have used the Ring of Flames.]
The monster covered its face with its arms to block the flames when I rushed at him. I saw its face realizing it would die. I had already thrust my dagger in its forehead and slammed its thorax with a spinning back kick. The monster flew far away, but the message saying I had finished the job did not appear.
It still looked up at me while lying down as I stumbled toward it. I kicked its face but controlled my power so I would not kill it. Lucky, since now it was Yeonhee’s turn to get the reward.
I dragged it towards Yeonhee, who was crawling among the corpses, hiding as she should, after coming as near as she could to support me, despite her stab wound. I spoke as I threw the monster in front of her. (EN: STAB WOUND?! ^_^ Read chapter 102.)
“Finish him.” (EN: Fatality! ^_^)
Yeonhee seemed to have also lost her sense of balance and could not get up. Nor should she with her injury. She crawled up to the monster’s head and grasped her dagger with both hands to stab it until the Graf Patriarch died.
[You have met the conditions to complete the quest ‘Final Area.’ Please decide who is first place.]
We answered as we had always done.
[You have completed the quest ‘Final Area.’]
[You have gained 1500 points.]
[You have gained a Gold Box as your first completion reward.]
[You have completed all the quests.]
[You have gained 1500 points.]
[You have gained a Gold Box as your first completion reward.]
[The Gold Box will now be opened.]
**
[You have gained 37 Perception points.]
Since I needed 37 more to raise a class, that was the maximum I could get. While I could have gotten the same from a Silver Box, the result itself was satisfactory.
[Your Perception class increased by 1. F -> E]
[You have completed the achievement ‘the Five Senses.’]
[You have gained the Trait ‘Keenness’ as your achievement reward.]
That was my eighth Trait, and I got another message.
[You have completed the achievement ‘Explosive Potential.’]
[You have gained a Trait you already have, so the reward will be canceled.]
The other Gold Box opened, and I wished for Stamina stats.
[You have gained 50 Stamina Points.]
[You Stamina class increased by 1. F -> E]
[You have completed the achievement ‘Untiring.’]
[You have gained the Trait ‘Regeneration’ as your second place reward.]
[You already have maximum Traits. Will you remove ‘Regeneration?’] (EN: This was originally “Regenerator” instead of “Regeneration”. However, a reader pointed out my mistake, and I’ve corrected it. Thanks ShipTeaser! This was confirmed by checking chapter 96, when Yeonhee gets “Regeneration”.)
“Yes.”
I was hoping to get the first place reward for getting all my stats to E classes first. I was waiting for that.
[Congratulations! You are the first one to reach all of your stats to E classes for the first time.]
[You have received a Master Box as your reward.]
That was amazing, as the system had given me a reward worth 472,000 points.
[The Master Box will be opened.]
[You have gained the item ‘The Deva King’s Protective Gauntlets.’]