Chapter 21: The Golem Is Way Too Big

“Oh wow, look at all these magic stones. That’s amazing.”

“Right? Right?!”

With a face brimming with pride, Sena leaned forward eagerly, her silver hair brushing her cheeks as she waited expectantly for praise.

I couldn’t help but chuckle, giving in to her silent plea. “Alright, alright,” I murmured, reaching out to ruffle her hair.

“Nii~.”

“Oh? You want me to pet you too?”

“Nii-nii!”

“Okay, okay. Come here.”

Milk purred softly as I stroked her, her tail swishing lazily. She really was an affectionate one—always craving attention.

“Buu! Milk didn’t even do anything!” Sena puffed up her cheeks in mock annoyance.

“She doesn’t have to,” I replied, smiling. “Just having her around is healing enough.”

“Hmph! Cute little sisters have healing power too, you know!”

“Yes, yes, I’m well aware. Still, Milk’s growing awfully fast, isn’t she?”

It was true. In just a few days, Milk had grown noticeably larger—nearly double her original size. She was so big now that holding her in my arms was starting to become difficult.

“…Hey, don’t you think she’s a bit too big for a cat?”

“…Guh!”

“Onii-chan?”

“N-nothing! Anyway, let’s see about using these magic stones for the garden.”

Ever since Sena had started exploring the so-called Volcanic Area, she’d been coming back with armfuls of large magic stones. Today’s haul was no exception. With so many of them, there was a good chance the garden would level up again.

―――――――――――
Geo’s Home Garden
Level 20　31／100
Garden Area: 1000／26,000,000
Skills: Wall Creation, Barrier Creation, Guardian Creation, Mega Guardian Creation, Garden Concealment, Inter-Garden Transfer
―――――――――――

〈Level Up!〉
〈You have acquired a derivative skill: Mega Guardian Creation〉
〈You have learned a new skill: Inter-Garden Transfer〉
〈New crops are now available for cultivation〉

As I expected—the garden had leveled up again.

But hold on… did that maximum area really say twenty-six million? That’s absurd! I couldn’t even begin to picture what kind of land that was supposed to be.

And then there was the new skill—Mega Guardian Creation.

“Mega Guardian… what even is that?”

〈Would you like to create a Mega Guardian?〉

I had a bad feeling about it, but curiosity got the better of me. I decided to give it a try.

A moment later, the earth of the garden trembled. Rising from it was a colossal figure—towering over me at nearly five meters tall.

A hulking golem, its stone body gleaming faintly under the sunlight, shadows cascading down its immense frame.

“W-whoa, that’s huge!” I yelped, falling onto my backside.

“What the—?! Onii-chan, what is that thing?! It looks super strong!” Sena cried out.

“Fsshh!”

Milk’s fur bristled in alarm, her tail puffing up like a bottlebrush.

The gigantic golem—no, Mega Golem, as I decided to call it—stood motionless but emanated an oppressive aura that filled the entire garden.

“C-cancel! Cancel that thing!”

At my shout, the enormous figure dissolved into motes of light, vanishing as if it had never existed.

I exhaled deeply, wiping sweat from my brow. “Good grief… first the barrier, now this. Everything’s getting ridiculously oversized.”

Honestly, a golem that big would only be necessary if we were under siege by an army of monsters.

But this was the middle of town—monsters weren’t exactly going to come waltzing in.

At least… I hoped not.

And now that I’d hit level twenty—a multiple of five, naturally—I’d gained another skill.

“‘Inter-Garden Transfer,’ huh?”

〈Would you like to transfer between gardens?〉

“Yes,” I answered instinctively.

〈Transfer failed〉

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

I tried several more times, but nothing happened. Apparently, I had no idea how this skill worked.

“Alright then… what about the new crops I can grow now? Hmm, high-quality fruits, huh? Yeah, better seal those off for now.”

Ever since level fifteen, new high-quality crops had been showing up—but after discovering how dangerous some of them could be, I’d stopped cultivating them altogether.

“Wait, what’s this? Some completely new types?”

Copper Ore (Medium Quality)
Iron Ore (Medium Quality)
Silver Ore (Medium Quality)
Gold Ore (Medium Quality)
Bauxite (Medium Quality)
Amethyst (Medium Quality)
Emerald (Medium Quality)
Sapphire (Medium Quality)
Diamond (Medium Quality)
Mythril Ore (Medium Quality)

“…Ores? Minerals?” I murmured, tilting my head.

◇　◇　◇

“There it is…”

Anii’s voice came out strained, as though her throat had seized. The entire party’s tension spiked in an instant.

“That’s the named boss of the Volcanic Area…”

Crouched behind a ridge of jagged rocks, Shifa whispered, eyes narrowing as she peered ahead. Her breath caught as the creature came into view.

Before them stood a massive lizardman—its entire body cloaked in scales of blazing crimson, shimmering in the volcanic heat like molten armor.

“They call it… Volcano.”

Among the countless red lizardmen inhabiting this fiery land, this creature was their undisputed ruler—a unique, named boss, and the only one of its kind.

After acquiring Ice Potions, the group had been exploring this deadly region more frequently, gradually uncovering its secrets. And now, at last, they had found the lair of the boss.

Defeating it would make them heroes—celebrated conquerors of the Volcanic Area.

Of course, it wasn’t just fame they were after.

The rewards for felling a named boss were tremendous—lavish even before considering the rare materials that could be harvested from its remains.

In particular, Volcano hadn’t been slain in years, which meant the bounty and material prices had skyrocketed.

“S-so, what do we do?” Sena asked, her voice trembling—an unusual crack betraying her nerves.

“…We fight,” Shifa said firmly. “We can handle it now.”

“She’s right,” Anii added. “We’ve got plenty of Ice Potions. This is our chance.”

Sena hesitated for just a moment, biting her lip. “Uuuh… fine. But you owe me if we die!”

Once their decision was made, all three of them downed another dose of Ice Potion, the chill racing through their veins, and then burst out from behind the rocks.

“Everyone, go all out from the start!”

““Roger!””

Shifa’s commanding voice rang out, sharp and resolute.

Her words carried more than courage—they carried power.

The effect of her skill, Empress’s Radiance, surged through her allies, enhancing their bodies and sharpening their minds.

“GRUAAAAAH!!”

Sensing their approach, Volcano bellowed—a roar that shook the ground.

“Kneel.”

“Guh!?”

The monster’s massive frame staggered, its movements dulling in an instant.

It was another power of Empress’s Radiance—the ability to suppress the strength of those who opposed her.

“Haah!”

Sena darted forward, seizing the brief opening. Her sword flashed like silver lightning, biting into the boss’s armored hide.

“GYAAAH!!”

Volcano’s roar turned to one of pain.

With Sena’s Blessing of the Sword God amplifying her strikes and Shifa’s skill boosting her even further, her blade had managed to cut through even that formidable layer of scales.

And so, with that resounding first strike, the fierce battle against the named boss had begun.