Gacha Addict in a Matriarchal World

With a small flame, the Human Golem’s fist was launched.

“Rocket Punch?!”

An unexpected blow. The romanticized technique made my eyes widen, but unfortunately, I couldn’t watch it for long.

That was because it flew faster than I thought. If it hit its mark, the impact would be considerable.

Of course. Even if that fist had no special features, the impact of a metal chunk thrown with full force by a 3rd-floor monster + propulsion would be significant.

Of course, it’s a strike, not a slash, and the new armor made from Minotaur leather shows considerable resistance…but it’s a pity to just take the hit.

More importantly, I don’t like the idea of just taking the Rocket Punch from that guy. It disrupts the flow of battle.

So, instead of adopting a defensive stance, I focused my mind on the Crest on my chest. And then.

Pang!

Kicking with maximum force, I achieved a much faster speed than when running on the ground, accompanied by a peculiar sense of elasticity.

No, to be more precise, it was the speed that comes at the peak when full acceleration kicks in.

I didn’t realize it when using it lightly indoors, but was it like this?

If it’s a bonus that aids in rapid acceleration rather than just adding speed, there’s no need to bother with power control.

With a sly grin, I twisted my body in the air. And then came the second leap.

Pang!

If the first was to avoid the Rocket Punch, the second now is to charge at the Human Golem with one hand missing.

“Huff!”

I charged in a zigzag pattern from the void. The Human Golem, caught off guard, hesitates. It raises its opposite arm half a beat too late… It’s already too late.

Thwack!

A dagger plunges into its nape. Unable to withstand the impact from the speed, it topples backward.

It looks as if it were attacked by a beast and bitten in the nape.

However, the Human Golem is not made of flesh and blood. Most of it consists of cold iron and lubricant.

As always, the Unicorn Dagger cannot instantly tear through its nape.

But it’s not facing a solid alloy plate; the intricate gears that keep it moving, the cylinders ceaselessly emitting steam, cannot withstand the dagger.

The small parts were actually severed, and the thicker ones were bent or deeply cut, rendering them useless.

Sssss…

The Human Golem, spewing oil vapor instead of blood from its nape, twitched and then ceased movement.

“…Should I consider this dead?”

I habitually aimed for the neck, but isn’t it strange that a golem would fall just because its neck was cut?

Tilting my head, I pulled out my dagger. Another Human Golem, enraged by the sudden fall of its comrade, was charging at me, but I needed to confirm it now. Whether the nape was indeed their weak point.

It didn’t take long to confirm it. Fortunately, comparing its appearance with the last Human Golem quickly provided the answer.

“Cylinder.”

The 3rd Floor, if I had to describe it, is a layer close to steampunk. So, for those guys, hydraulic cylinders must be quite the essential components.

It naturally made me wonder why such important parts were left outside…

Well, these guys must have their own reasons. In the first place, purely based on specs, they are incredibly tough, making it hard to believe they are mere mobs.

Thinking that such creatures are placed at the entrance where the weakest monsters appear because of their evident weakness, it’s not incomprehensible.

…In fact, there’s no time to think deeply!

Since the first thing that caught my eye was the hydraulic cylinder, the only option is to aim at breaking it.

I’ve used up all the power of the Crest. For a while, aerial leaps will be impossible.

However, the Human Golems attacking me now don’t know the circumstances. Moreover, they must be wary of my aerial leap after my recent flashy display.

So, I stick close to the ground and run.

I bent my waist and lowered my posture. My already small frame would seem to vanish in an instant.

The ones who were watching me from a distance seemed flustered as the direction of their aimed fists wavered.

This happened because they hurriedly lowered their half-raised arms.

Taking advantage of their momentary distraction, I activated the Cloak of Invisibility and Boots of Haste. My mana is a bit low, but it should be fine for a short while.

The nearest Human Golem. In life…no, is it odd to say ‘dead’ now? Anyway, since the brain is still alive.

Anyway, while I still had a soft body, I quickly moved behind the creature that seemed to be a half human hybrid with unnecessary organs like ears or a tail, which a golem wouldn’t need.

What came into view were three hydraulic cylinders embedded along the spine.

Indeed. Earlier, the cylinders were near the shoulders, but this one has them on its back.

I don’t know why the positions are different, but seeing an opening, I went ahead and bit down.

“…!”

With my mouth tightly shut, I precisely severed the connection between the cylinder and the body with my dagger.

Thunk. Thud!

A deflating sound. At the same time, steam rises furiously.

The hot steam seemed like it could cause burns if it hit me directly from the front… Maybe it’s thanks to the Power of my Moist Skin.

It hurt a bit, but it wasn’t unbearable. No burns formed either.

While hiding in the steam, I activated Sound-Eating Footsteps.

Was it because I had enhanced it once? A sensation as if I was hidden behind a thicker veil envelops my entire body.

Hiss! Hiss!

The three Human Golems, having lost my trail again, furiously spewed steam as if enraged by the sudden loss of two comrades.

One of them even threw a punch towards the steam.

Boom!

The fist lodged itself about three steps away from me. The force was anything but ordinary. It didn’t just hit the ground; it dug into it.

“Aha.”

Their bodies are tough but not that fast, and their weaknesses are clear, so why are they monsters of the 3rd Floor…?

This power is no joke. And they swarm together like this whenever something happens.

I might be able to withstand a single blow, but there’s no avoiding a collapse in posture. Waiting behind that is a relentless barrage of steel fists. I’ll be turned into mush in an instant.

A monster that won’t allow an attack without thorough preparation… This is the easiest type for me.

In any case, it means I just have to avoid getting hit.

Squeezing out my remaining mana, I activated the Cloak of Invisibility and Boots of Haste once more. The mana recovered with the potion was almost all used up by these. If I push a bit more, I’ll probably collapse again.

So, I’ll take down at least two.

I kicked aside the debris of the Human Golem rolling on the ground.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

A trajectory piercing through the steam. At the moment their gaze focuses, I charge straight ahead.

Haste through the boots. And the synergy of the speed increase during invisibility from the effect of Sound-Eating Footsteps’ first breakthrough was beyond imagination.

The speed was so fast that it was hard for my consciousness to keep up. Until I get used to this, it will be difficult to do anything else while moving.

But the acceleration was such that I didn’t need to worry about it.

A Human Golem with pointy ears, probably an elf. I shoved a dagger into the seams and tore it apart as if dismantling it.

Crack. Crunch.

It didn’t spew out a large amount of steam like the previous two, but the more it tried to move, the more its body began to collapse under its own strength and weight.

Eventually, the creature was half incapacitated alive. Leaving the twitching Human Golem on the floor, I looked at the remaining two.

At this point, they realized they had been deceived and looked in my direction.

Realizing there was some kind of stealth mechanism, they started throwing punches first.

Boom!

Their Rocket Punches aimed at both sides. As expected, these guys are intelligent.

But isn’t high intelligence also a sign that they can be deceived? Let’s make a note of that.

Smiling inwardly, I infused mana into the Crest as its cooldown period had subsided.

Pop!

I jumped in place and then kicked off the air once more to soar higher.

With insufficient mana, the invisibility was cut off. In such a state, even if I killed my presence with Sound-Eating Footsteps, my position was revealed due to the loud takeoff.

Naturally, the speed boost bonus during stealth was also gone.

But even in this state, I could handle the two of them.

I aimed my second mid-air jump at the nearest one.

Swoosh!

I felt my body shoot like an arrow. The creature raised its wristless arm, and its other fist pointed at me, perhaps to intercept me.

And then came the final Rocket Punch. This time, I couldn’t avoid it.

I had no intention of avoiding it.

I sheathed the Dagger and quickly drew the newly forged greatsword.

A crude piece crafted from the horn of Minotauros. It might be light for me, but to the opponent, it was a heavy, selfish weapon that I wielded with full force.

Whoosh!

With a sound that tore through the air, the greatsword collided directly with the Rocket Punch. And then.

Crash!

The alloy lump shattered. It seemed Minotauros’s horn was heavier and tougher.

Well, regardless of whether it’s the 2nd or 3rd Floors, the difference between a common mob and a Floor Guardian is absolute.

I channeled all the impact into the head of the Human Golem that stared at me in bewilderment.

Bang!

The main body, being a metal lump, wasn’t severed. But nearly half of it was crushed.

Between the dented metal plates and the broken gears, a bit of blood seeped out.

The brain, which can be considered the main body, must have been damaged.

Now, only one remains. This one, who fired a Rocket Punch when I first hid in the steam, had no more fists to launch and was charging at me bare.

It has an ordinary build, so it was probably human . But the metallic body shakes the ground with a heavy sound.

If it collides as is, it looks like it could grind a person to dust. Calmly, I aimed the Wrist Crossbow at it.

Three arrows flew in succession. The Human Golem, seemingly confident in its own hardness, snorted and spewed a short burst of steam, then spurred its steps.

That was its cue.

The arrows aimed at the Human Golem did not penetrate the solid plated body and bounced off.

And the arrows that fell to the ground caused a small explosion.

Boom!

A small hole in the ground caused by the explosion caught its foot, causing it to stumble. I grinned at it, struggling desperately to keep its balance.

“Expensive equipment is worth its price.”

Then I hurled the greatsword I was holding with a full swing.

Thunk!

The metal near its chest shattered, scattering gears in all directions.

Following that, a large amount of steam burst out. And a bit of blood. That was the end of it.

Wiping the sweat from my forehead as I looked around at the motionless debris.

“It really is quite sturdy….”

I’m really glad I got myself a greatsword this time.