As I started jogging, mentally just out for my morning practice, I did have a good idea. I had gotten maps from earlier bosses, why not this big city boss?

  I headed back to where there had once been an indestructible column of stone, and searched through the rubble until I found a way to slip back into there. The column was no longer indestructible, but the way it had blocked the initial collapse meant it was still mostly open. Sure enough, there was a lootable map.

  There were also an enormous amount of Oversized Bronze Mechanical Actuator With Panel - Engineering Component. With Luxe's sword I could just barely lift them, so I grabbed all the ones I could, until looting one made the stone above grind and shift, at which point I decided it wasn't worth my life.

  Besides, I now had a map of where all the bosses were located. As expected, there was a boss on that ironclad off the shore. Admiral Illevar - Level 54 Gnomegineer Borough Boss.

  Lacie had only headed to bed two hours earlier, so I practiced sprinting and skating on the open expanse for the rest of the morning. I'd gotten a major upgrade during the boss battle, raising my running skill to 15—it apparently touched on basically all movement-by-foot, including skate. That granted me the ability Sprinter's Start: When not moving, you can reach your maximum speed during your first step.

  Lacie: I'm up. Anything happen?

  Maddy: I think I can get to the water boss, but I'm not sure how to get you there.

  Lacie: Let's be honest, my being beside you isn't going to help a lot. I have lots of stuff to work on here. Just come by and get the buffs before you head out.

  I did so, surprised to see that her buffs had gained a lot of duration. The soothing stream now lasted a full 24 hours, and the two 4-hour buffs were up to 5.

  "My duration bonuses are based on intelligence, and this choker buffs that a lot. Now, go kill something scary and tell me all about it."

  I grinned as I headed back out. In truth, the plan was simple. My first thought was just trying to jump it, but I immediately realized that we crazy. I was fast, but that was a massive distance, and I wasn't that fast. Then I realized there are easier ways to cross water.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Heading back across the plateau at a run, I turned that into a sprint as I went down the shattered cliffs towards the water. I didn't slow as I hit the water, and my instinct was right: I was just barely fast enough to run on water. Well, I would have made it like a forty steps running, but once I transitioned to the skating, with its longer strokes so I had better contact with the surface, I leveled off and sped around the bubble.

  The water was wavy but not rough, so I wasn't randomly ramping off of waves, but I did intentionally take a few jumps when I spotted sharks below.

  As I neared the ironclad, I sped through a trough where they were unlikely to see me. There was a cry of panic just as I leapt, twisting in the air to sail through an open porthole like a javelin. The ship as a whole was massive, the size of a modern battleship, far larger than any classic ironclad had ever been.

  However, with the map, and approaching from the wrong side, and leaping extremely high off of a wave-ramp, I was able to land directly in the boss's chamber. I might have to flee, but I also might just end things quickly.

  He could, potentially, have been a dangerous boss. However, his six automatons were over by the door I was intended to enter by. Instead of starting near them, I had arrived by shoulder-checking him in the side of his head hard enough that he was confused and face-down on the deck.

  I had applied nine ruptures before the automatons got over to me. Furthermore, at 16 dodge, I could just slide between them and keep hitting the boss as I rushed about the chamber. I made two loops, leapt out the window again, and sped away.

  Two minutes later, he died from a stack of ruptures that he hadn't been able to remove.

  Bubble Notification. The Gnomerenaught has been seized. The Water Quadrant has been liberated!

  All give congratulations to the crawler who successfully took the throne room. All hail crawler Madison Pomegranate!

  All crawlers who originated in the Water Quadrant may now freely travel to the other quadrants.

  Lacie: Wow, that was quick.

  Maddy: Yeah.

  I hadn't simply been trying to kill him. I had been trying to assassinate him. He was a boss I had to kill, so that should have made it fine. Still, it hadn't set well with me. I didn't like coming in a window and stabbing someone in the back.

  Lacie: Something wrong?

  Maddy: Just thinking about things. I'm gonna search for a way skyward unless you need something.

  Lacie: Nah, although you should open your boss box. Also, turns out my having those buffs on you was not enough to give me any credit, so I do not get the borough boss box.

  Maddy: I'm sorry, I should have found a way to bring you. I got another level ahead from it, too.

  Lacie: This was an intentional test to make sure I needed to actually be there. I did still gain more XP than I would for just being in the group, so it's not a waste. Also, the stuff I'm doing here matters, too.

  Maddy: I believe you, but I do wish I knew what you were up to.

  Lacie: I'm planning a surprise! Don't ruin it!