Chapter 3: Nightmare, 1st Floor (2)

In the frozen stillness, I stared at the Goblin holding the bow.

Wait...

Could I even dodge that?

I had no frame of reference.

It wasn’t as though I had ever tried to dodge an arrow before.

Even imagining it, the task seemed nearly impossible.

With a bow, it was difficult to perceive the exact moment the shot was released.

A sword swung at close range was different. You could read the windup and react to some extent.

But predicting the precise instant someone loosened their fingers and released a drawn bowstring?

That was beyond human ability.

All the archer had to do was let go, and the arrow would already be in flight.

How was anyone supposed to time a dodge against that?

In the end, my only option was to begin Time Slicing the moment the bow was aimed at me, repeatedly stopping and releasing time until the arrow was fired.

...Still, maybe I could manage somehow if I really tried.

‘The one with the shield is a problem too.’

A Goblin armed with a wooden shield and a one-handed sword.

This formation looked twice as difficult as the previous group of two swordsmen and one spearman.

This time, I would have to fight two enemies at close range while keeping watch for incoming arrows.

There was nothing to do but face it.

If I failed, I died.

After steeling myself, I released Time Stop.

The sword Goblin and shield Goblin charged toward me.

Behind them, I saw the bow Goblin nocking an arrow.

Take out the sword Goblin first.

I ran at a diagonal, planning to use a strategy similar to the one from before.

I moved to increase the distance between myself and the archer while funneling the two charging Goblins into separate one-on-one encounters.

Before long, the bow Goblin drew the string back and aimed at me.

The other two still had some distance left to cover.

I began Time Slicing and braced myself for the incoming shot.

I needed to be ready to dodge the instant the arrow was released.

If the Goblin intended to fire, it would do so before its allies reached me. Once they entered melee range, they would obstruct its line of sight.

I focused every nerve in my body.

“...!”

It fired.

Fortunately, I didn’t miss the timing.

Coming straight toward me, the arrow looked like a tiny dot.

A dot that was growing larger by the instant.

...Wait.

It was even faster than I had imagined.

The realization struck me all at once.

Oh, this isn’t going to work.

Shit.

Even if I began dodging the very instant the arrow was released, the human body was simply too slow compared to a projectile moving at that speed.

By the time I read the arrow’s trajectory and realized something was wrong, I had already begun twisting my upper body to the left.

It was the best evasive motion I could manage.

‘Nggghhhh...!’

Screaming internally, I wrenched my body aside with every ounce of strength I had.

By the narrowest possible margin, the arrow grazed my right forearm.

Had I started moving even a fraction of a second later, I would never have avoided it.

I steadied myself.

All right.

I understood now.

This wasn’t something I could overcome by simply “getting good.”

I immediately regretted the arrogant thought I had entertained moments earlier.

Manage somehow, my ass.

How far had that arrow traveled?

Twenty meters?

Maybe thirty?

At that range, the slightest mistake meant there was no dodging it.

And there was another problem I had only just realized.

Until the arrow came reasonably close, it was difficult to tell exactly where it was headed.

But by the time it was close enough for me to read its path, it was already too late to evade.

There was no way around it.

Shit.

The sheer unfairness of ranged weapons hit me with overwhelming force.

For now, however, I had to deal with the enemy directly in front of me.

I released Time Stop and regained my balance from the awkward twist.

The sword Goblin had already closed the distance.

Fortunately, it attacked with the same reckless aggression as the others.

I activated Time Slicing and prepared for the strike.

A high horizontal slash.

I stepped backward and leaned away.

Compared to dodging an arrow, it was almost easy.

I avoided the blade and immediately countered, driving my sword into the Goblin’s neck.

Then I stopped time again to assess the situation.

The bow Goblin was only now nocking its second arrow, while the shield Goblin had completely closed the gap.

In terms of position, if I was facing twelve o’clock, the shield Goblin stood at one o’clock, while the archer was firing from roughly two o’clock.

I confirmed that the shield Goblin was preparing to thrust with its one-handed sword.

I quickly stepped clockwise and avoided the blade aimed at my abdomen.

Ghhk-!

My sword was still lodged in the neck of the other Goblin.

That meant the dying Goblin’s body was now wedged between me and the shield Goblin.

Better still, with two Goblins blocking the space in front of me, maintaining this angle greatly reduced the threat posed by the archer.

I had a moment to breathe.

Things had gone well so far.

Now I needed to freeze time and think.

‘How do I deal with this one?’

The shield Goblin.

Its shield covered nearly its entire upper body and presented a serious obstacle.

No matter how many scenarios I ran through in my head, a quick kill seemed unlikely.

Instead of aiming for the neck or torso, I decided to attack low.

The instant I released time, I kicked the dying Goblin away and tore my sword free.

The shield Goblin behind it staggered from the impact, then thrust its sword at me again.

I had to get the timing exactly right.

Using Time Slicing, I dodged the attack and seized the Goblin’s sword wrist.

At the same time, I drove my own blade downward.

The Goblin let out a piercing screech as the sword bit into the top of its foot.

I kept a death grip on both my weapon and its wrist.

Then the shield swung toward my face.

Uh.

I can’t dodge this one.

Thwack!

Clenching my teeth, I took the blow directly on the forehead.

My skull rang from the impact.

We grappled, and the shield Goblin toppled backward.

I lost my balance as well and fell on top of it.

I jerked my head up just in time to see an arrow whistle past overhead.

Holy sh—

That almost killed me.

I scrambled for my sword and moved to finish the shield Goblin.

Pinned beneath me, its upper body had been completely exposed by the fall.

Before it could recover, I drove the blade upward through its lower jaw.

Urk-!

Something warm suddenly trickled down my face and stung my eyes.

Blood?

The blow must have split my forehead open.

I hurriedly snatched up the shield and raised it in front of me.

Then I stopped time and took a moment to regain my composure.

The bow Goblin was already aiming at me again.

‘That son of a bitch.’

After coming so close to death several times in succession, my emotions were burning hot.

It was more than anger.

Adrenaline seemed to be flooding every part of my body.

At least obtaining the shield was a major advantage.

Blocking an arrow with a shield was incomparably easier than trying to dodge one.

Now only the bow Goblin remained.

Once I had steadied myself, I released Time Stop and rose to my feet.

I held the shield high, covering as much of my upper body as possible.

From this position, even a minor adjustment would allow me to protect almost everything above the waist.

No more twisting my entire body into desperate contortions just to avoid an arrow.

“...”

I began Time Slicing in anticipation of a shot that might come at any moment.

But the bow Goblin merely kept its aim trained on me.

It didn’t fire.

Yeah.

You’re scared too, aren’t you?

It seemed to understand that one missed shot would mean its death.

The instant it released an arrow, I would charge forward and gut it with my sword.

Once I closed the distance, victory would be mine.

That much was certain.

The gap between us was short enough that I could reach it before it nocked a second arrow.

With the shield extended in my left hand and the sword hanging loosely in my right, I slowly circled the bow Goblin.

The creature never fired.

It eased the tension on the bowstring and merely continued tracking my movements.

I clicked my tongue.

If it intended to fight like this, I couldn’t simply rush in either.

This distance was exactly the range from which I felt confident I could block an arrow.

Any closer, and even with the shield, the pressure would become overwhelming.

Even if I charged while keeping my head and torso fully protected, a lucky shot to the leg could end the fight immediately.

Of course, there was no guarantee that it would hit every shot.

So the odds were fifty-fifty...

No.

Probably still in my favor.

But even so...

“Hey, you little shit! Scared?!”

I tried provoking it, just as I had done with the spear Goblin.

I shouted, taunted, and made mocking faces, but the bow Goblin remained unmoved.

Stubborn bastard.

Annoying.

RRRRRUMBLE—

Without warning, a deafening roar erupted through the cave.

A massive stone gate was descending over the passage from which the Goblins had emerged.

“Huh?”

What the hell was that?

I stopped time.

Don’t tell me it’s sealing me in.

That straight corridor was the only exit from the chamber.

Once the stone gate came all the way down, I would be trapped inside.

I had no idea why it was suddenly trying to lock me in, but the sight filled me with dread.

No.

Forget that.

There was still more?

This wasn’t the end?

‘Do I need to get out before it closes?’

Go through the corridor or stay where I was.

There was no way to know which choice was correct.

...I’m going.

I decided to trust my instincts.

There was only one problem.

The bow Goblin stood directly in front of the corridor.

To escape, I would have to go through it.

I had reached a crossroads where taking the risk was no longer optional.

Then take it.

I released Time Stop and charged straight toward the archer.

I raised the shield just high enough to preserve the narrowest possible line of sight while keeping my vital areas protected.

The instant I saw the Goblin frantically draw its bowstring, I began Time Slicing.

At roughly ten meters away, I noticed the bow tilting slightly downward.

It was aiming for my legs.

I immediately dropped the shield lower.

The arrow flew and buried itself in the wood.

...Blocked.

You’re dead.

Having closed to point-blank range, I drove my sword into the Goblin’s flank as it tried to retreat.

There was no time to make certain it was dead.

The stone gate had already descended more than halfway.

I tore the sword free and sprinted into the corridor, leaving the fallen Goblin behind.

BOOM!

The passage sealed shut.

Safe.

I stopped and caught my breath.

“Haah... haah...”

I looked down at the arrow embedded in the shield.

It had struck near the very edge.

A little farther off, and it would have pierced my knee.

But in the end, I had won.

Once the rush of adrenaline began to fade, I surveyed my surroundings.

The stone gate was firmly sealed behind me.

Ahead, a gentle upward slope stretched into the distance.

Then I narrowed my eyes.

There was something at the top of the incline.

On closer inspection, it appeared to be...

A ball.

As my sense of perspective adjusted, I realized just how enormous it was.

Thoom.

“...Huh?”

The massive sphere had begun rolling toward me.

Its smooth surface gleamed silver, like solid iron.

Goosebumps rose across my skin as I stopped time.

No.

Wait, wait, wait...

Hold on.

Th-this wasn’t the right choice?

Behind me, the way was sealed. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Ahead of me, a rolling sphere.

A straight corridor completely filled by an enormous iron ball, with nowhere to dodge.

A sickening sensation washed over me.

I had been tricked.

And I was completely screwed.

‘...Is this how I die?’

No.

That couldn’t be right.

The gate closing behind me had obviously been telling me to escape.

You bastard!

Raging about it changed nothing.

Time was frozen, but the situation was no different from a death sentence already handed down.

The moment I let time resume, the sphere would crush me flat.

I would die like a strip of dried meat.

No.

I don’t want to die like this.

I clawed my way out of despair and panic and desperately searched for any means of survival.

Some way to live...

What’s that?

Something entered my field of vision.

Looking closely, I saw an indentation carved into the wall roughly halfway down the corridor.

A recess just large enough for one person to squeeze inside.

‘...!’

It felt like discovering an oasis in the middle of a desert.

I released Time Stop.

Throwing aside my sword and shield, I broke into a full sprint.

The rolling sphere gathered speed and closed the distance at a terrifying rate.

Of course it did.

I was running directly toward it.

“AAAAHHH!”

People said that when a human being experienced absolute terror, they became incapable of screaming.

Apparently, that didn’t apply to me.

Shit!

Please, save me!

An instant before the iron sphere filled my entire vision, I squeezed into the recess by the narrowest possible margin.

A violent gust slammed into my back.

The sphere thundered past, followed by another tremendous crash.

My legs gave out completely, and I collapsed to the ground.

“Hh... hah...”

Wow.

I survived.

For a moment, it felt as though I had dipped my feet into the River Styx and somehow returned.

I staggered upright.

Still too shaken to move, I remained there for a long time before finally stepping out of the alcove.

Looking down the corridor, I saw that the iron sphere had smashed the stone gate apart and rolled all the way into the chamber below.

I needed to go back and recover the weapons I had abandoned.

When I returned to the cave and saw what awaited me, I was momentarily speechless.

The entire floor was covered with countless iron arrows, packed so densely that there was barely any space between them.

What the hell is this?

Had arrows rained down from the ceiling?

“...So leaving really was the correct choice.”

If I had stayed, I would have ended up looking like a pincushion.

At this point, I could only stare in disbelief.

No wonder everyone died.

Was this difficulty even designed to be cleared?

I searched the chamber for usable weapons.

The shield had been crushed beneath the iron sphere.

I found an intact sword and picked it up.

Maybe I should take a spear too, just in case.

With a sword in one hand and a spear in the other, I headed back out.

“...God, seriously.”

What frightened me most of all was this:

Even after everything I had endured, the message announcing a successful clear still hadn’t appeared.

I remained where I was and focused on recovering my strength.

Part of me expected more Goblins—or something worse—to emerge from farther ahead.

But even after waiting for a long time, nothing appeared.

...So it wants me to keep going.

Is that it?

I dreaded imagining what else might be waiting for me.

“Huuuu...”

Let’s go.

Something told me I was nearing the end.

It was nothing more than a feeling.

I let out a long, heavy sigh and forced my leaden feet forward.