This Novel is not my Novel

Well... Even if I resolve not to play along, that doesn't mean I can step forward and solve the problem myself.

It was unfortunate, but what could I do?

The combat power of this body was pitiful.

So, intending to make use of the person the original author had designated as the problem solver, I called out to the protagonist of someone else's novel, who was preoccupied with evading the Boss Monster's attacks.

"Reisir!"

"It's dangerous, so don't come any closer! Stay far away and shout!"

I had already intended to do that and was, in fact, doing it.

"When the Boss Monster transforms into a sphere, we can safely assume that the magic core lies at its center, can we not?!"

"Yes! I think so too!"

"Then why not attack that location before all the rocks have gathered completely?!"

Though I was the one suggesting it, there was no chance this method would succeed.

It had also failed in the pre-remake original work.

Whenever the golem drew rocks toward the power mechanism containing its magic core, the largest boulder would fly toward any significant energy it detected and neutralize the attack.

"I'll give it a try! But to get the timing right, I can't charge in and drive my spear into it directly! I'll have to use my lightning ability!"

Apparently deciding it was worth attempting, Reisir shouted and concentrated golden Ether at the tip of his spear.

At that moment, as though warning everyone to be careful—

Crackle, crackle!

—sparks formed with an ominous sound.

Everyone hurried onto dry ground to avoid being electrocuted while standing on the wet earth.

After confirming this, my benevolent baby dragon created a multitude of Ether arrows and sent them scattering toward the Boss Monster.

This time, the power mechanism appeared to be situated around its abdomen. The Boss Monster's arm whipped across its body and knocked away the attacks flying toward that area.

Then...

Rumble...

Following its established pattern, the Boss Golem's power mechanism began drawing in the rocks composing its body.

That was when Reisir thrust his spear forward and discharged the golden lightning gathered upon it.

Detecting the incoming lightning, the golem's power mechanism launched a large boulder toward it.

The two collided in midair with a tremendous crash.

Boom!!

The destructive force contained in the lightning did more than split the boulder. It sent fragments flying in every direction.

Since everyone had retreated beforehand out of concern about electrocution, no one was injured by the debris.

But no one could rejoice over that fact. Instead, disappointment settled over them.

Far from destroying the power mechanism along with the magic core, the lightning had dissipated without even reaching the rock encasing and protecting it.

"This time, I shall try!"

Apparently confident in her speed and penetrating power, Fjodora burned with determination as she drew her bowstring.

But the result was the same.

That was only natural.

There was no chance the original author would write a scene in which another character effortlessly accomplished something even her own protagonist had failed to do.

As expected, this part is proceeding exactly as it did before the remake, without any balance adjustments.

I had anticipated this.

Nevertheless, urging the original protagonist to attempt it had been a necessary step in the process.

According to the original novel, there were three methods for defeating this golem-type Boss Monster.

The first was exactly what Fjodora had mentioned near the end of the previous episode.

You prayed desperately for a lucky hit and unleashed powerful attacks indiscriminately.

Essentially, you choose it because you have no other option and decide that, if you're going to die anyway, you might as well struggle.

You would have to strike the entire body of a six-meter-tall golem with attacks powerful enough to penetrate the Boss Monster's defenses.

Worse still, the Boss Monster moved its magic core whenever an attack targeted so much as the general vicinity, even if the magic core itself had not been pinpointed precisely.

That meant you would have to attack previously checked areas again to confirm them all over.

If you're confident that you can defeat the Boss Monster using this method, it would be far better to concentrate all that power into a single point and attempt the second method. It would require less effort and save time.

The second method was to destroy the golem's entire body when it compressed itself into a sphere around the power mechanism.

Even the Reisir of the original work—who had fought it at a future point in time and was far stronger than the present Reisir—had abandoned that method because he lacked sufficient offensive power.

Reisir from much later in the story would be more than capable of it, though.

He had no reason to choose such a crude method.

After all, he already knew that he could simply defeat it using the third method, which was far easier and more efficient.

That was also the strategy I had in mind.

Track the magic core's position in real time and destroy it immediately.

The moment you read that sentence, did you think, Isn't the fact that this is impossible the entire reason they're in this mess?

You would be correct.

Ordinarily, this method was impossible. To be perfectly honest with you, I had no guarantee that it would succeed this time either.

Still, the chances aren't nonexistent, so I might as well hope.

First, let me establish that Reisir had defeated the Boss Golem using this method in the original work.

He had been able to do so because an additional function of 【Truth-Reading Eye】 had unlocked during the battle.

It was called "Targeting," and it allowed him to read information about a specific part of a target rather than the target itself.

According to the novel's description, the instant that function unlocked, Reisir saw something glowing inside the golem's body.

When Reisir focused on the glowing point and used 【Truth-Reading Eye】, the information window that appeared was not for the Boss Monster, but for the "Boss Golem's power mechanism."

He realized that the glowing point marked the magic core's position and successfully completed the raid.

That was what happened in the novel I had read.

However...

Reisir's 【Truth-Reading Eye】 had reached Stage 3 at the time. His current 【Truth-Reading Eye】 has only just entered Stage 2.

That was why I had said there was no guarantee of complete success.

Even so, I believed there was a chance because...

==========

【Encouragement】 - (S)

: The narrative flows through the author's sentences, and the characters move forward. Temporarily draw out the target's potential and grant them an opportunity to shine.

: Effect - Strengthens Ether Attribute Skills by [1.16] times.

==========

Reisir was currently under the effect of this buff skill.

According to the description, it did not temporarily "raise" his "proficiency." It drew out his "potential" and "strengthened" his skill.

Even if he can't fully wield the next stage's abilities, might he be able to use an additional function for a short while?

In that respect, this was similar to the first method, since I had no choice but to place my hopes in a vague possibility.

Still, readers were generally more thrilled when a protagonist overcame a crisis through his own abilities than through sheer luck.

And if the explanation was that he had "temporarily drawn out a portion of an ability that would awaken later"...

Then readers would naturally feel excited to discover how much more impressive his abilities would become once he had properly grown.

Of course, that did not apply to readers of the pre-remake original novel, since they already knew.

But the remake had attracted new readers. If the original author remained conscious of them...

She must want to show them soon that 【Truth-Reading Eye】 isn't merely a skill with a grandiose name, but one with a variety of practical uses.

The necessary plausibility was in place.

This development would also be far more convincing than vaguely concluding, "They somehow resolved everything because they got lucky!"

It should be satisfactory enough even for the original author.

Now that I've reached that conclusion... I don't feel particularly good about it.

Reisir was the one who actually had to accomplish it, yet for some reason, it felt strange that I had to place my hopes in someone completely unrelated.

In any case, I had finished explaining everything to my readers, so it was time to put the plan into action.

And to do that—

"Reisir, that Boss Monster is not an intelligent being with a sense of self!"

—I needed to establish conditions under which the 【Identification】 skill I had fabricated in Chapter 257 could activate without causing a contradiction in the setting.

"H-Huh?!"

"Judging by everything we have observed, it is merely an 'object' that responds to specific circumstances and repeatedly performs predetermined actions!"

"Now that you mention it, that does seem true... But why are you suddenly bringing that up?"

Because your 【Identification】 skill can currently display information only about 'objects, plants, and other things without a sense of self.'

I obviously could not answer him like that.

So I omitted that part and went straight to the point.

"Could you perhaps use that 【Identification】 skill of yours to uncover information that might help us defeat the Boss Monster?"

For reference, I had told Reisir to attack the power mechanism before all the boulders gathered around it and described that attempt as part of the "process" because I needed a reason to mention 【Truth-Reading Eye】 first.

I might be using the fabricated name 【Identification】 instead of revealing the skill's true identity.

Even so, if I arbitrarily exposed something the original protagonist was still hiding, the readers of someone else's novel might resent me for it.

I wanted to emphasize that the situation had left me with no other choice—that I was "grasping at one final straw."

If I wanted to stage a genuine last-ditch moment, I'd have to wait until everyone was exhausted before bringing it up...

But that would defeat the purpose of attempting the third strategy.

For that reason, I decided on a reasonable compromise.

"What kind of useful information?"

"For example, a way to prevent the Boss Monster from moving its magic core?"

I had simply said the first thing that came to mind.

According to what I had read, no matter how high the stage of 【Truth-Reading Eye】 rose, it did not provide such specific strategies for defeating an enemy.

But I could hardly mention "Targeting," the skill's additional function, out of nowhere.

"That skill isn't an instruction manual for a product..."

That was not entirely wrong.

At present, even if he summoned an object's information window, it merely offered a brief sentence explaining what the object was. It was understandable that he would think that way.

As the skill's stage increased, however, the information became more detailed until he could even read the product's instruction manual.

Strictly speaking, it would be more accurate to say, "A Boss Monster is not a usable product."

"Then what can that skill do?"

"It just... Uh... You know, don't you? Or do you not? Did I never explain it properly?!"

Even as we spoke, the Boss Monster was stomping heavily in an attempt to crush Reisir underfoot.

Perhaps because he had no opportunity to stop and think, his response came out incoherent.

Watching him, I realized that I needed to tell him the true objective quickly.

"Can you not see the magic core's location directly?"

"That's... not what the skill does...!"

It was exactly what the skill did.

He simply did not know it yet.

"At least try! My buff has strengthened your skill, so there is no telling what might happen!"

Somehow, I had ended up sounding completely unreasonable.

I could not tell whether the protagonist of someone else's novel had found my argument convincing or merely decided that trying it was the only way to silence my frantic shouting.

Either way, I saw him tear off his eyepatch.