Chapter 344 Reward

Airi stared at the golem currently in combat. Even from this considerable distance, its size was such that she had to look far up.

The golem was in the middle of a fierce struggle with Rin and Lia, who had stepped out to the front.

The golem’s movements looked sluggish from afar, but because it was so massive, a single swing of its fist swept across a significant area.

Every time the golem’s fist collided with the ground, a loud roar echoed and dust billowed into the air.

Rin and Lia, who were drawing the golem’s attention at the front, quickly circled the area to dodge its attacks.

Occasionally, when things got precarious, Mika’s barriers would deploy to block the golem’s strikes, but the barriers could only withstand a single hit.

And the golem’s head was, naturally, at a dizzying height right in the middle of that dangerous combat.

She could, by a huge stretch of the imagination, understand having to use neutralization magic, but to have to use it on the golem’s head...

Airi asked Ellen with a panicked expression.

’You don’t mean... directly on that?’

The golem’s head was not only high up but was also shaking incessantly due to the battle. If she were to climb up there, it was obvious she would become the golem’s primary target.

To go up there and use neutralization magic.

Setting aside whether she could properly concentrate on magic in such a place, perhaps only someone like Rin would be capable of climbing up that swaying golem body.

Airi shook her head, her face turning deathly pale.

Ellen understood what Airi was worried about and added to her explanation.

’There is a way without having to climb up yourself. You can imbue it into an arrow and fire it.’

’Into an arrow?’

’Yes. You know how to imbue mana, right? You just need to apply that a little differently.’

She felt like she had heard such stories before. Hadn’t someone said that if you learn magic, you can imbue it into swords or arrows?

She also recalled seeing such sights occasionally during monster invasions—swords that froze monsters or arrows that exploded.

Recalling that, Airi could roughly understand what method Ellen was talking about.

Since time was short, Ellen explained the method to Airi as simply as possible.

If she had to learn it completely from scratch it would have taken time, but thanks to Airi already knowing how to imbue mana into arrows, it didn’t take very long. It was just an application of a similar method.

’Th-then, perhaps this magic too...?’

Airi asked Ellen about one more spell, wondering if it might be possible.

While reading through the black magic books on her own until now, there was one spell she had happened to notice and study.

’Target Tracking? Why this one?’

’I... I’m not confident... in hitting it...’

Ellen turned her gaze to watch the golem in combat.

Since it was in a high place and shaking considerably, it didn’t seem like it would be easy to hit accurately with an arrow.

I suppose so...

Ellen nodded and explained how to use a [Homing Arrow] imbued with the tracking magic along with the other spell.

Fortunately, they were spells that could be used together without conflicting.

It would be difficult for a beginner to use two at once, but it didn’t matter right now since Ellen would be helping from the side.

In the meantime, Ian also overheard the conversation and relayed the same information to the members.

Rin and Lia replied while quickly dodging the golem’s fists.

’So... we have to aim for the head?’

Having confirmed the task for their side, Ian nodded and replied.

’They say there’s magic resistance on the outside, so we have to break through that and expose the internal circuits.’

’On the head part?’

It probably didn’t mean they should jump onto the golem and break it with a sword.

Naturally, everyone’s eyes moved toward Tanya. Tanya was the only one capable of doing such a thing from this distance.

’Tanya. Can you do it?’

’I-I’ll try!’

Tanya nodded and picked up an explosive shell from a nearby crate.

It was an item brought by the exploration team for the purpose of breaking rocks that blocked their path.

It was a somewhat dangerous item to use for offense like this, but since attack magic wouldn’t work well due to the dungeon’s defensive magic placed on the sentry, there was no other choice.

After checking with the fairies flying nearby and receiving a nod, Tanya raised the explosive shell.

The explosive shell activated and immediately vanished from Tanya’s hand.

The vanished shell reappeared in mid-air a moment later and fell toward the golem.

Soon, a small explosion occurred with a thunderous roar.

’Did it hit?’

Flames and smoke billowed from the golem’s body.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the spot, but because of the thick black smoke rising, they couldn’t confirm the result immediately.

A moment later, as the smoke cleared, the golem’s head appeared perfectly intact without a scratch.

’Looks like it missed completely?’

’I-it’s hard to hit... Can’t you hold it a bit more still?’

’How am I supposed to do that in such a narrow place!’

Since it was an item with a time delay until detonation, it wasn’t easy to hit it accurately at the right timing.

Even so, it was difficult to grant Tanya’s request to hold the golem still.

The combat area wasn’t a very large space, and it was a precarious situation just trying to find room to dodge against the rampaging golem.

Finally, after several attempts and making full use of Mika’s barriers to tank the golem’s attacks and minimize its movement, they managed to hit the head with an explosive shell.

The explosive shell detonated right next to the golem’s head, and rock fragments flew everywhere.

’Is this enough?’

’It’s done!’

Mika watched the scene and shouted upon confirming that the golem’s internal mana circuits had been exposed.

With that shout, Airi, who had been preparing in the back all this time, cautiously raised her bow.

’Now!’

’Ye, yes!’

At Ellen’s signal, the arrow left Airi’s hand.

It was her first time directly imbuing a completed spell into an arrow, but with Ellen assisting the magic’s completion from the side, it had been successfully finished.

The arrow flew through the dark dungeon, emitting a flickering, dark light.

The arrow imbued with tracking magic drew a curve and flew accurately toward the spot Airi had aimed for.

Just before the golem’s restoration could begin, the arrow flew into the crack and struck home.

Upon reaching the target location, the arrow emitted light. The neutralization magic contained within the arrow activated, halting the golem’s circuits.

The golem’s movements, which had been rampaging here and there, stopped immediately, and the rock masses that composed its body disassembled and collapsed to the floor.

The golem became ordinary lumps of rock again, rolling across the ground.

’Phew, is it down... That was easier than I thought.’

Rin, who had quickly moved away from the falling golem, muttered.

’It’s done! Now!’

Ellen, who was watching the golem’s state, immediately signaled toward the exploration team in the back.

The exploration team members, who had come running out quickly, took their positions in front of the golem’s wreckage and the magic circles on the wall.

Right now, its movements were only temporarily stopped because it wasn’t receiving mana due to the neutralization; as time passed and power was restored, the golem would start moving again.

’Connection severed!’

’Finished on this end too!’

Since golems were often used to guard a mage’s workshop, everyone knew well how to shut down the golem’s facilities.

After a few shouts from the exploration team as they worked hurriedly, the magic circle on the wall glowed faintly before vanishing.

Ellen, having confirmed that the operation of the defensive facility connected to the golem had been completely blocked, finally stood up with a weary face.

’Phew. I’ve severed the connection between the dungeon and the golem. It won’t be able to move now.’

The members gathered around Ellen along with Ian.

Rin, who had been frightened by the suddenly appearing golem, glanced at the golem’s wreckage strewn on the floor and asked with a look of concern.

’Do you think there are more inside?’

’Sometimes there are places like that... but it should be fine here. Looking at the dungeon’s structure, they couldn’t have installed that many sentries. Even if there are more, they won’t be able to move properly due to a lack of power.’

Only after hearing Ellen’s explanation did everyone let go of their worries a bit.

’Thanks to you, we saved a lot of time. We would have had to prepare quite a bit to deal with that golem.’

’I’m glad the makeshift method worked so well.’

Ellen expressed her gratitude and offered her greetings to each of the members.

Having finished her talk, Ellen moved her steps to check the interior of the storehouse that had just opened.

Perhaps because they had engaged in battle with a golem so unexpectedly, everyone looked slightly exhausted. Ian looked over the members to see if there were any injuries and said,

’Good job, everyone.’

Ian also said a word toward Airi, who was slipping away into a corner while being cautious of her surroundings.

’Airi too. Well done.’

’Hic!’

Airi recoiled in slight surprise, but the members surrounding her were faster.

Since the storehouse had opened, the exploration was effectively over.

It was a situation where the exploration could have dragged on if things went wrong, but thanks to Airi’s presence, the period they had to stay in the dungeon was reduced by nearly half.

The members decided to give a reward to Airi, who had allowed them to escape this tedious dungeon quickly.

’Should we have a party when we get back?’

’Let’s buy Airi a present and go shopping at the stores.’

’Oh, then let’s also visit that new shop that opened near the plaza.’

How is that a reward...?

Airi was caught and dragged away by the members with an uncomprehending look on her face.