Book 5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 : Miledi Raisen I

Raisen’s Great Dungeon was a lot more troublesome than they expected.

First, magic couldn’t be used at all. It was because the strength of magic disintegration was far stronger than inside the ravine. For Yue who specialized in magic, this place puts a heavy burden on her. She was unable to use high-ranked magic and her magic’s range of the magic she could use were shortened to their limits here. The farthest she could use them was only five meters. Somehow, the current level of magic she used was enough for combat. However, right now she was incapable of using magic strong enough to deliver a one-hit kill.

In addition, although the amount of magic stored inside the magic crystallization series didn’t decrease much, it couldn’t be used. The consumption rate was too severe after all. Yue was only able to use middle-ranked magic because she was a genius, most people would be unable to do anything.

Even Hajime was greatly affected by it. Special magic that worked by emitting magic outside of the body such as “Aerodynamic” and “Wind Claw” couldn’t be used, Even the output of “Lightning Clad” is greatly decreased. Donner-Schlag’s power also fell below half of the usual, while Schlagen’s maximum power was at the usual level of Donner-Schlag.

Therefore, body strengthening became the most important magic in this Great Dungeon. In Hajime’s party, Shia had become the main star in this stage.

So, the reliable rabbit ears of Hajime’s party…

“I’ll do it, you know… …absolutely, when I reach the dwelling I’ll mess it up so much it’ll be as if a storm had gone through”

With Doryukken on her shoulder, she examined her surroundings as if she was trying to find her prey. Her anger was obvious. It was a deep deep anger. Even her words’ intonation had become strange. The cause was, you could imagine it came from Miledi Raisen’s mischievousness.

Because they understood Shia’s feelings well, Hajime and Yue couldn’t say anything about it. It was because if there was someone who was seriously agitated, by her side there would be someone calm in reverse of her. It was the current psychological state of Hajime and Yue. Currently, while Hajime and his party continued their advance, they had encountered various traps and annoying carved words. That’s why, with Shia who was truly enraged by it, Hajime and Yue also felt irritated.

Finally, “Fuhihi”, strange laughter came from Shia’s side, and Hajime recalled the extremely malicious things they encountered to get here.

* * *

After Shia destroyed the annoying lithograph, Hajime and his party continued their advance into the passage, and came into a certain vast space.

Inside, there were staircases and passages, the passageway that continued from the entrance was a mess without any regularity, it was as if this place was made by casually combining lego blocks. The staircase from the first floor was connected to a passage on the third floor, and the passage on the third floor gradually became a slope that connected to the first floor’s passageway. While the staircase that was erected on the second floor was connected to nothing but wall, it was truly a mess.

“Once again, in a way it was truly a dungeon-like place.”

“… … Nn, it is confusing.”

“Fun, as expected of a dungeon made by a rotten person. This mess is an expression of her mind’s contents.”

“… … because we understand what you feel, it’s about time for you to calm down.”

Shia was enraged even now. Hajime, half-sympathized and half-amazed, said, “Well then, how should we advance now”, while thinking about it.

“… … Hajime. Even if you think about it, there’s no other method.”

“Nn~, well, you’re right. For now, let’s advance while marking and mapping the way.”

“Nn…”

Hajime nodded at Yue’s words. Mapping was the basic thing for exploring a dungeon. However, Hajime unconsciously frowned when he thought how troublesome it’d be to accurately map out a complex dungeon like this.

Also, what Hajime meant by “marking” was using a special magic called “Tracking.” This special magic operated by leaving a “mark” made of magical power on the places that he touched. When the “mark” was used on living things, Hajime was able to track where they moved. In case of this place, Hajime put his “mark” on the wall. Because the “mark” could be made visible, Yue and Shia were able to understand it. Maybe because the magic power was applied directly, the disintegration didn’t seem to take effect.

Hajime immediately put a “mark” on side of the passageway on the nearest place to the entrance and continued to advance.

The passageway was two meters wide, and made from countless blocks that looked like bricks. Because the walls emitted a faint light, there was no problem with their vision. Maybe it was made of a different material from the green-light stone because it gave off bluish lights.

When Hajime tried to see it using “Mineral Appraisal,” he found that it was called “phosphorous ore.” Apparently it gave off light when it came in contact air. The first room didn’t give off light probably because it was the first room. The image that came out of the cave was lapu** where the levit

*** stone appeared. There was an old man’s voice that came out of the stone. After all, the phosphorous ore would keep radiating light as long as it was in contact with air.

It was the masterpiece anime of Japan that Hajime unintentionally thought of while advancing in the long passageway. Suddenly,

GAKONn

The sound came out of one of the blocks that Hajime stepped on. That block sunk into the floor due to Hajime’s weight. Hajime and his party instinctively let out, “Eh?”, and looked at their feet.

At that moment,

Shaaaaa!!

The sound of gliding blades resounded, and in the space between blocks on the wall, giant saw-toothed blades come out rotated in high speed while vibrating. The blades approached them with height of the neck from the right, the one from the left wall at the height of the waist.

“Evade it!”

Hajime immediately shouted, and evaded it by leaning his back just like the protagonist from the matr**, while the two behind him also tried to evade. Yue was small in the first place so she only needed to squat down to evade. Shia also seemed to be able to evade it. From his back, “Hawawa, hawawawa”, a shaken voice could be heard. Because there was no pain in her voice, Hajime guessed she must be unharmed. Although it was truly at a hair’s breadth that the tip of the fur of her rabbit ear was cut… … it was not a problem at all.

The two blades that were filled with murderous intent and malice were unable do anything to Hajime and his party, and disappeared into the walls. Being vigilant of a possible second wave, for a while Hajime watched his surroundings carefully. However, apparently that was the end. Having felt relieved, Hajime let out a sigh then looked at his back only to feel a chill.

He dashed out instinctively, to retreat and using the momentum recovered Yue and Shia. Immediately, countless blades fell onto the place where Hajime and his party were in just like a guillotine, and cut the ground as if it was made of butter. As expected, it was rotating in high speed and vibrating just like the blades from before.

Hajime looked at the blades that dropped just a few centimeters ahead with cold sweat. Yue and Shia also stiffened because of it.

“… … it was a completely physical trap. I couldn’t sense it with my Magic Eye.”

Until now, Hajime was able to avoid traps perfectly because they were magic traps. Of all the traps in the Great Dungeon that he had seen, all of them contained magic. That’s why, if it was a magic trap, Hajime’s Magic Eye was able to see through it. Therefore, he had the preconception that it was okay as long as the Magic Eye didn’t react to something. In short, he overestimated his power.

“Hau~, I-I thought I was dead~. Rather, Hajime-san! Please stop it if it was just that much! Isn’t that why you have the artificial arm?!”

“Well, don’t you think those blades were sharp? Even if it won’t be able to cut it, there might be scratches. After all, I can’t use Vajra now.”

“S-scratches… … between equipment and me, which is more important!?”

“… … well, you’re safe after all. Isn’t that good.”

“Wa-, what’s with that topic evasion! That was a lie, right? I am the one that’s more important, right? Right?”

Shia tried to ask Hajime, who played her for a fool, and Yue added verbal abuse to the current Shia.

“… …Keaking rabbit. You’re dying because of your own inexperience.”

“Le-leaking, please take that back, Yue-san! No matter what, that was a disgrace for me!”

A new disgraceful title added to Shia’s ”

*** rabbit” series, while Shia endured it with protest. Having entered this dungeon, although she almost died twice in short succession Shia was unexpectedly energetic. As expected, Shia’s forte was taking hits. Even though the person herself won’t admit it.

It was as Shia complained, there were other choices to evade the surprise attack, after all Hajime should be able to stop those blades from a while ago with his artificial arm. His coat’s also made from the leather of a demonic beast that boasted defense, and there were protectors underneath to guard the vital points, that’s right he wouldn’t have died from something like that.

However, the trap just now was nothing but overkill if it was against normal humans. If it were a normal protector, it’d be easily cut in two. After all, if you didn’t have the equipment that Hajime made from the materials that he’d gotten from the Abyss, there was no other way to survive than to avoid it.

“Well, there is no problem if it was that much”

While watching Yue and Shia’s quarrel with skeptical eyes, Hajime told that to himself. No matter how powerful, if it was just physical traps then it wouldn’t be able to kill Hajime. Yue also had her “Auto Regeneration.” She wouldn’t die over a trap. In other words… …Shia was the only one in danger. Even though he didn’t know if Shia had noticed that, it was probably because Shia’s stress level had reached the heavens.

“Huh? Hajime-san, what’s with those pitying eyes…”

“Please live strongly, Shia…”

“Eh, ee? What are you suddenly saying? Although I could felt something very unpleasant from it…”

* * *

Hajime and his party advanced while being wary of traps.

Even now, they hadn’t seen even one demonic beast. Although they considered the possibility that this dungeon didn’t have demonic beasts in it, that was just optimism. It wouldn’t be strange if they suddenly appeared, because that’s also a form of a trap.

Hajime and his party reached an open space after exiting the passageway. The roads were split into three inside the room. For now, Hajime put down the “mark”, then Hajime and his party chose the leftmost passage that lead to a staircase that went down.

“Uu~. somehow I got a bad feeling about this. Look, my rabbit ears restlessly move from left to right.”

Having advanced a few step on the stairs, suddenly, Shia blurted that out. Just as she said, Shia’s rabbit ears stood upright, then began to move left and right.

“You, don’t raise any strange flags now. If you say something like that, usually, something will immediately “GAKON“… see!

“I-It’s not my fault!?”

“… …Flag rabbit!”

While Hajime and Shia talked, an unpleasant sound resounded, and suddenly the stair’s steps disappeared. It was a considerably inclined staircase, and with the disappearance of the steps it became a slope. Moreover, tar-like slippery liquid began to overflow from the countless small holes on the surface.

“Kuh, this—!”

When the steps became a slope, Hajime immediately transmutated the minerals on the bottom of his shoes into spikes, his artificial arm’s fingers were also made into spikes so that he wouldn’t slip down. Yue immediately jumped to Hajime before she started to slip. Hajime who read that also braced himself. As expected, they were harmonized even in this place.

However, there was still one more person who was unable to do that kind of cooperation. It goes without saying that it was Shia.

“Ukyaaa!?”

When it became a slope, Shia raised a scream then the back of her head hit the surface hard. “Nuuaa!”, as she writhed in pain, then slipped along while covered in that liquid. In that state, with her legs opened in a M character, she collided with Hajime’s face.

“Bu!?”

The spikes on his artificial arm came off because of the impact, Hajime was overturned backward with his left arm holding Yue. Then the spikes on his feet also came off, he slipped down the slope headfirst. Shia was on top of Hajime with a reversed position.

“You! Clumsy rabbit! Move now!”

” I am sorry, but to move-~”

While slipping, their speed became faster. Hajime desperately tried to stab the spikes on his artificial arm and shoes on the ground, but they were too fast, so it didn’t go well. Then, he tried to transmute the staircase but with the strong disintegration inside the dungeon, it also didn’t turn out well.

Shia, while struggling was somehow able to get up. Now, it was as if she was riding Hajime.

“Use Doryukken’s stake!”

Hajime gave an instruction to Shia. The Sledgehammer Doryukken that Shia carried had a few gimmicks prepared inside, one of them was to form a stake on the head part of the hammer. It was a mechanism to raise the penetrative power by focusing on one spot. If that was stabbed on the surface they should be able to stop.

“Y-yes, leave it to me!? Hajime-san! The road—!”

Shia tried to remove Doryukken from its fastening/holding device on her back. Then, Shia who looked forward immediately raised an uneasy voice.

Hajime was able to realize what had happened. When Shia slipped before, it was likely dropped.

“Kh! Yue!”

“Nn!”

Hajime immediately called out Yue’s name. Even with only that Yue was able to read Hajime’s intentions.

“Shia, hold on tight!”

“Y-yes!”

While still riding Hajime, Shia tightly clung to him.

Finally, they reached the end of the slope and they were thrown in the air. One moment of weightlessness/floating. At that chance, Yue invoked her magic.

“”Soar”!”

It was an elementary-ranked magic of wind system. It magic created a strong vertical updraft, and it’d increased one’s jumping power. An expert would be able to make pseudo-flight using this magic. However, in this place magical power was hard to maintain. That’s why, Yue’s magic only lasted for a few seconds and its effect only made Hajime and his party float.

“It’s enough.”

Hajime’s voice that was mixed with praise resounded. That’s right, for Hajime, it was enough if he got the time to confirm their surroundings. Yue completely and splendidly answered his expectations.

Hajime, with Yue on his left arm, and Shia clinging to his neck, hung his artificial arm toward the ceiling. Then, he poured his magic power…

PASHU!

A sound come out along with a thin wire with an anchor installed on it and shot out from his artificial arm, it pierced the ceiling’s wall. Then, because of the anchor they were fixed to their place.

Hajime and his party were currently hanging with one wire that hung on the ceiling, they felt relieved after confirming the anchor did not come off.

Then, they felt regret when they saw what was under them.

Kasakasakasa, washawashawasha, kiikii, kasakasakasa.

Those sounds came from a lot of scorpions wriggling around. Its length around 10 cm. Although it didn’t give off the same feeling as that scorpion-look-alike, it gave them the psychological feeling of disgust. If they didn’t halt their fall with the anchor, they would dive into a sea of scorpions, and it gave them goosebumps all over their bodies when they thought that.

“”” … …”””

The trio fell into silence. Because they didn’t want to look below, they looked at the ceiling. Then, somehow they noticed lights emitting into some characters. It was already too late, Hajime and his party inadvertently read it.

“These guys doesn’t have lethal poison.”

“But, you’ll be paralyzed.”

“Please be satisfied by lying with these cute children, pugya—!!”

Maybe she purposely set up these phosphorus ores there, those characters were standing out in the dim space. Those who fell here would surely, with scorpions wriggling around their body, desperately try to move, and try to reach out to heaven (ceiling). Then, they’d discover it. Those playful words.

“”” … …”””

Once again, Hajime and his party fell into silence but because of something else. “Ignore it, ignore it”,was what they told to themselves, and somehow they were able to observe their surroundings.

“… … Hajime, over there.”

“Nn?”

Because Yue noticed something, she pointed her finger to a certain place below. There was an empty tunnel.

“A tunnel… … what should we do? Are we going to climb up to our previous location or are we going over there?”

“I-I will follow Hajime-san’s decision. I have been nothing but a burden after all…”

“No need, the punishment will come from the dungeon, so don’t mind it.”

“That only makes me even more anxious! Isn’t it better to just say “don’t mind it”~”

“… …Impudent. The punishment will become twice.”

“Wh-wha, Yue-san also joined him!? Uu, even if the dungeon is conquered, the future looks dark.”

Hajime and Yue forgave Shia who lamented.

“Haa, no matter, what would be useful is if we could use your “chosen future”~”

“Uu, that was still. Although I’ve been practicing…”

“Chosen future” was Shia’s special magic. It was able to catch a glimpse of the future under some assumptions. However, it can only be used once a day, it was impractical because this special magic required large amounts of magic power to use. Even though Shia specialized in body strengthening, if her magic power drained she’d only be a shameless rabbit. Although the amount of consumption was decreasing because of daily training… … it was still a long way from mastering it.

“Well, it can’t be helped if we can’t use it. Rather than returning, it feels better to advance, so let’s go to the tunnel.”

“… … Nn”

“Yes.”

Hajime shot out another anchor then moved just like tarzan until they safely reached the tunnel.

Hajime and his party advanced in the passageway that was lit by phosphorus ores while being vigilant about any unpleasant traps that might appear.

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