I Became a Veteran Who Has to Stir Up Trouble to Survive - Chapter 24

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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[024] Cerulian Golem
At first, silence descended.
No one except me and Malton realized what had just transpired.
But as shattered bones scattered across the ancient tree stump and chunks of brain-mixed blood stretched out viscously, a stifled scream escaped from one of the Adventurers.
“Ugh, uuuaaaaaahhh!!”
“D-damn it, everyone run!!”
The Adventurers who had been lurking around the golem, drawn by greed, screamed and fled.
Among them, some tripped over tree roots and were trampled by the golem, bursting like overripe fruit.
｢The Adventurers are gripped by extreme terror!｣
｢Due to [Chaos], your Strength and Agility temporarily increase by 2!｣
｢An unexpected situation has occurred! To complete the sudden Quest, you must survive the monster’s onslaught.｣
‘Unexpected situation, my ass.’
They sent this thing here with this exact intention from the start.
I watched with a heavy heart as the Adventurers were ravaged by the golem.
Witnessing people lose their lives so meaninglessly like this always drives home the reality that this place is a dark fantasy.
The materials from such rare monsters sometimes fetch dozens of gold coins per unit, so I understand the greed, but….
As I observed the Adventurers desperately scrambling to escape, Radi spoke in an anxious tone.
“Sh-shouldn’t we escape quickly too…? This doesn’t seem like a monster we can handle….”
“Too late. Look over there.”
I pointed with my finger toward the only exit from the Canyon.
It was already swarming with Cerulian Golems that had awakened from deep slumber.
Malton let out a low whistle upon seeing the golems ruthlessly smashing massive trees as they chased the fireflies.
“Hmm… our escape route is blocked. What do you think we should do now, Doran?”
“We have to stand and fight. Don’t worry, if we know their weaknesses, we can definitely bring them down. I’ve faced them before, so trust me.”
A Cerulian Golem is such a formidable monster that you’d need to be at least level 40 to 50 to face one alone, but if you know the method, defeating it isn’t impossible.
Radi looked at me with curious eyes, but soon quietly observed the golems and asked.
“What is this weakness you’re talking about?”
“These golems have varying mineral hardness depending on the body part. While other areas are tough, the abdomen and joints should be vulnerable enough for a crossbow to deal effective damage.”
There are many types of hardness in materials.
Just listing what comes to mind: strength and stiffness, hardness, toughness and ductility, and so on.
Glass has greater stiffness and hardness than iron, but its ductility is so low that it shatters easily with the slightest damage.
Furthermore, even with the same iron, the properties vary completely depending on carbon content.
This is why a cauldron cracks under impact while a frying pan bends—the difference in composition.
The Cerulian Golem’s arms and legs, which bear the most weight, and its chest, which protects the core, are sturdy, but the remaining parts are relatively fragile with low ductility.
Unlike other games that reduce everything to a single ‘Defense’ stat, this is why Belheim is so intricate.
｢You have discerned the weakness of the Cerulian Golem!｣
“Crossbows are effective? A golem vulnerable to physical force… how fascinating.”
“You saw it absorb that fire earlier, right? These things were originally designed as weapons for high-level mages.”
Cerulian Golems are artificial weapons artificially created by ancient mages.
They’re one of the monsters you often encounter while exploring Ancient Ruins.
Back when I was cultivating a Demon Swordmaster, I’d faced this creature ad nauseam during an infiltration into the Ancient Magic Tower to pilfer rare magical scrolls.
Click—!
As Radi fired the crossbow, a metal bolt embedded itself in the Golem’s abdomen.
“We did it! We succeeded! But… this much damage won’t be nearly enough, will it…?”
“It’s fine. A few cracks are all we need. …Malton!”
Before I could even finish calling his name, a golden gleam streaked across my vision.
Malton rushed forward with his blonde hair streaming, slamming his mace into the Golem in one fluid motion.
Boom—!!
“Quite the weight behind that…!”
“I’m joining in too!!”
As the Golem’s attention locked onto Malton, I immediately flanked it from the side.
Dodging its massive fist, I swung my cutlass—the blade rang out clearly, but only left a shallow scratch on the crystalline surface.
‘Damn it, blades won’t work on this thing!’
I switched tactics instantly, driving my boot heel into the bolt lodged in its abdomen.
Using the acceleration effect from my greaves, I delivered a proper kick—and with a sharp crack, fractures spider-webbed across the Golem’s torso.
Like a pack of feral dogs, we clung relentlessly to exploit its weak points, and the Golem began to creak and stagger.
Pressed into a corner, it raised both arms high, preparing a devastating blow—but then.
Click! Click! Click!
Radi’s bolts struck the Golem’s shoulder joints with precision, disrupting its attack.
While its movements were constrained, I drove my sword hilt into the fractures and twisted with all my strength—cracks erupted across its entire body, and it crumbled to pieces.
Crash—!
「You have defeated the Cerulian Golem!」
「Remaining Golems: 136」
「You defeated a Golem through close combat! Endurance and pain resistance have increased slightly.」
「The Canyon grows slightly brighter with starlight!」
“Phew…”
I collapsed onto the ground, my exhausted body giving out.
Exhaling in relief and gripping my throbbing feet, Malton approached and handed me a bandage.
“Are you alright? Quite the crude combat method, I must say. To think you’d kick it like that without hesitation…?”
“Ow… if the battle dragged on longer, there’s no telling what variables might emerge. Next time, I’ll aim for the sole of my boot…?”
Against such a hard opponent, slashing was useless, so I had no choice but to use whatever effective means I possessed.
‘I wish I could transform into a creature with stronger striking power later on…’
I wrapped my feet with the bandage, then extracted the glowing core from the Golem’s shattered chest and tossed it into my backpack.
This core served as a rare alchemical material and magical catalyst, so it would fetch a high price.
“Let’s go. We can’t miss this opportunity.”
I grinned wickedly and turned my steps toward the Golems roaming the Canyon.
* * *
Doran’s party swept through the Canyon, hunting Golems.
Having succeeded once already, the subsequent hunts became manageable.
They surged forward in a group—while Doran drew attention, Radi fired her crossbow and Malton picked them off one by one.
Truly a simple hunting method!
From the midpoint onward, no further instructions were even necessary.
“Fire!”
“Smash!”
“Crush it!”
Tactics so straightforward that even an Ogre could understand them!
It differed vastly from the orthodox approach of identifying weaknesses through various elemental magic, then methodically whittling down the enemy’s strength with ranged attacks for a safe victory.
Doran’s hunting method—maximizing his existing knowledge to its absolute limits, optimizing every action, and extracting peak efficiency from each movement.
As we tore through the Canyon at breakneck speed, hunting Golems in rapid succession, other Adventurers began felling Golems of their own.
“G-Good grief… we barely managed to take down one! Is everyone uninjured?!”
“Damn it… just how high leveled is that Mage Armor party to dismantle these Golems so effortlessly? Based on their gear alone, they must be at least level 60….”
“W-Wait, that trio over there is also bringing down Golems at an incredible pace! And their levels don’t even look that high… what on earth is their secret?”
「Multiple Adventurers are focusing their attention on your party!」
「Concentration of attention grants +3 Strength.」
The surrounding Adventurers stared at us with disbelieving eyes, but Doran’s group paid them no mind, charging through the Valley and decimating swarms of Golems.
“W-Wait…!”
“…What, did you twist your ankle?”
“N-No, that’s not it… ugh…!”
In the midst of our relentless Golem hunt, Radi suddenly stopped short and clutched a boulder, beginning to retch violently.
A textbook case of level-up sickness.
A natural phenomenon that occurred when the body grew rapidly from a sudden surge in levels, but the mind couldn’t keep pace with the transformation.
As Radi wiped their mouth and groaned, I quickened my pace.
“Once you’ve caught your breath, we move out again. Come on, kid.”
“W-Wait! You do realize we’ve been hunting nonstop for almost an hour now, right?! I can’t take another single step!”
“Just this much and you’re done for? Can’t be helped then. Get on my back.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself. An opportunity like this won’t come again.”
“….”
As I offered my back, Radi hesitated greatly, but reluctantly approached with visible reluctance.
Better to swallow a bit of pride and accept a ride than be treated like baggage here.
However….
‘Hmm?’
As Radi settled their weight, I felt a subtle sense of discomfort, but I simply tilted my head and adjusted the kid’s position without much thought.
“W-Wait?! Your hands!! Watch your hands! That’s my b—!”
“Malton, what did your reconnaissance turn up?”
“Three of them are gathered in the lower part of the Valley nearby. Though at this rate, other Adventurers will claim them first.”
“We can’t let our competition steal our prey… no, wait. We can’t leave those Adventurers to be trampled by the Golems either. Kid, think you can land a shot on those?”
“…Pinpointing their exact weak points is beyond me. My crossbow’s accuracy drops sharply the moment the distance increases even slightly.”
“That’s enough. We just need to draw their attention.”
“Yes, but there are bushes growing across the line of sight, so I can’t guarantee a hit….”
“There’s no helping it.”
Doran sighed and gestured, whereupon Malton approached and seized Radi.
As the two men grabbed him from either side and began to swing, Radi cried out urgently.
“W-w-wait just a moment!! What are you trying to do?!”
“What do you think? I’m going to throw you up into the tree. Land your shot and come back down.”
“N-no, let’s talk about this first! I have acrophobia!!”
“Get over it!”
“Best of luck to you!”
Doran and Malton hurled Radi unceremoniously into the tree.
Clinging desperately to a branch at the last moment, Radi spewed curses and glared daggers at Doran.
「Radi is experiencing considerable fear!」
「Radi harbors intense murderous intent toward you! Agility increased by 2.」
‘Ah, so the acrophobia claim was genuine after all.’
As I nodded while examining the log window, Radi soon drew a deep breath and triggered the crossbow.
The bolt struck the distant golem with perfect accuracy, and they immediately came thundering toward us.
Having cleanly accomplished the objective, Radi trembled as he crawled down from the tree.
‘I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of a tail beneath that robe just now….’
Radi approached with a huff and promptly kicked Doran’s shin.
“You bastard! Pervert! How dare you throw me without so much as a word of warning?!”
“It worked out fine in the end, didn’t it? Besides, the golems are coming. Three of them.”
“I’ll take the two on the left.”
“Right, kid. We’ve got the right side. Got it?”
“Shut your mouth before I shoot you between the eyes.”
Radi sighed even as she pulled the trigger.
Yet Chimi, despite the anger, bore eyes that had been filled with distrust when first hunting golems—now mingled with a hint of exhilaration and fighting spirit.
Seeing this, Doran let out a soft chuckle.
‘She said she always worked alone….’
If so, this frenzied slaughter must feel unfamiliar to her.
It was a far cry from the quiet combat of laying traps and ambushes, holding one’s breath until monsters drew near, then striking from the shadows.
And even now, she was ceaselessly optimizing her combat techniques and movement patterns, shortening the time to dispatch enemies further still.
After felling three golems and dashing off in search of the next target, Radi called out while pursuing Doran’s back.
“Huff, huff…! But how much longer do we have to keep doing this?”
“Hmm… at this rate of golems, probably….”
Doran held up two fingers.
‘Twenty minutes? No, perhaps two hours… yes, if it’s about two hours, I can manage somehow….’
“Two days.”
Radi’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground.
* * *
The relentless slaughter, raging like a runaway chariot, mercifully concluded after half a day.
Radi’s bolts had simply run out first.
Of course, there were other factors at play.
“Heave-ho!! Got another one!!”
“Their bellies and joints are weak points! The mineral density varies by body part!!”
“You hear that?! Focus on targeting the abdomen! Warriors with maces, push forward and drive them back!! …I’m glad we learned by watching what those three are doing.”
「The Adventurers are mimicking your party’s tactics!」
「With many eyes upon you, Agility and Strength each increase by 2.」
The adventurers around us, having learned from watching our party fell the Golems, began succeeding in their own strategies.
As the united adventurers joined forces one by one, the number of Golems roaming the Valley decreased dramatically.
But I was already sufficiently satisfied.
‘This actually worked out well.’
My stamina was beginning to wane anyway.
In Belheim, hunting the same monster consecutively reduces experience gain, so my growth had stagnated ever since reaching level 26.
My backpack was so stuffed with the valuable Golem cores that it was overflowing—I’d earned more than enough profit.
‘At this rate, I should be able to complete the main Quest comfortably.’
The only regret was that I still hadn’t met the conditions to transform into a Cerulian Golem.
If I could master the transformation method, the Cerulian Golem’s unique magical resistance would be invaluable….
‘Since it’s a rare monster, maybe there’s some special condition required? Like defeating a boss….’
As I pondered this, I felt a gaze and looked up to find Radi sprawled on the ground, breathing heavily and glaring at me.
“…What, are you turning into some kind of monster?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re running around like that and still fine. You were even lower level than me, so where did you sell off your level-up sickness?”
“You get used to it. Level-up sickness is just something you endure through willpower.”
“…You say such insane things so casually. I’ve never heard of anyone overcoming level-up sickness through willpower.”
“Well, you’ve heard it now. …But wasn’t it at least a little fun?”
“Well… I suppose….”
Radi reluctantly conceded.
Her hands, overworked from loading the crossbow countless times, trembled slightly—but that trembling carried not just pain, but also a hint of exhilaration.
This was probably the first time she’d experienced being driven to her limits with such relentless intensity.
As I rested with my back against a rock, gazing up at the night sky, Radi struggled to sit up and asked.
“…So you always hunt like this?”
“Yeah.”
“But then why is your level so low? And you said earlier that you’d dealt with these Golems before.”
“That’s….”
Just as I was about to make excuses, Radi spoke first.
“Could it be… you’re cursed too?”
“Cursed?”
“Yes, Malton was cursed and his body became suddenly frail, so he’s in rehabilitation now. Since he originally reached B-rank… I wondered if you might be in a similar situation.”
….
I quickly nodded.
“…That’s right. My level dropped drastically due to unavoidable circumstances, and I’m recovering now. My Adventurer rank is low because I only recently relocated to Verastin and registered anew.”
“A curse potent enough to significantly reduce one’s level must be extraordinarily powerful… I understand Malton’s physical abilities were diminished considerably, but his level remained intact.”
“Well, you see, I once ventured into the Ancient Ruins and accidentally disturbed a burial artifact.”
I swiftly redirected the conversation, turning over the exchange in my mind.
Cursed and stripped of levels, then….
‘…That’s a serviceable excuse.’
I’d have to use it again when circumstances grew dire.
“Regardless, we should move again soon.”
“…!!”
As I rose to my feet, Radi’s shoulders flinched.
“You heard me? Don’t dawdle—get up.”
“I-I’m suddenly dizzy….”
“No excuses. Quickly now, before I have to carry you again.”
“…But wait, the bolts are completely depleted, and there’s no more room in the pack for materials. How are we supposed to hunt further?”
“It’s fine. The next one we face won’t be vulnerable to a crossbow anyway. …If you want to live, you’d better move swiftly.”
“Y-yes…? What do you mean by that….”
Just as Radi struggled to rise, the dark night sky bloomed blue, and an unusually massive golem crawled forth from beneath the earth.
｢The number of Cerulian Golems diminishes, and the comet’s influence grows stronger!｣
｢The blue-tailed comet’s aura illuminates the Valley ever more brightly!｣
｢Conditions fulfilled—the Valley’s guardian [Ancient Cerulian Golem] awakens!｣
｢[Antagon’s Rune] trembles quietly.｣
｢The sacred relic of thieves and jesters [Antagon’s Rune] senses greed! Defeating this golem will grant you knowledge of how to transform into a Cerulian Golem.｣
“…At last, it appears.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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