Chapter 56

<strong>Running Solo</strong>

The red-haired woman takes over what the man was speaking about .

[Whether they’re weak monsters or strong monsters, they have all died . That’s how it is even when we were about to reach the 14th floor . I should have just went back to the upper floors around this time . You hear me? There’s some kind of monster roaming around this ruins, it may have been in the 14th floor . ]

Before I had taken some rest, I walked for quite some time around the 14th floor and went back here .

When I have walked around some more before, I have also killed the monsters that I’ve encountered in the 14th floor .

So, I should have met this monster when I was on that floor…

[Even the guys who have just descended down to this floor earlier had said the same thing . They’ve found corpses of monsters that have suffered neither wounds nor changes in their body and they seem to be rolling around everywhere . ]

The red-haired woman continues .

[In short, there’s something that has started to happen throughout the ruins in the last few hours . ]

The other mercenaries began talking one after another .

[It may be some kind of mist that have began to gush out from that newly discovered floor . I think it’s possible that this mist have began to ascend towards the upper floors, right?]

[For now, it seems that it doesn’t affect humans yet… but it’s possible that this would only work after we got affected for a certain amount of time . I think we should consider that this mist contains some slow-acting poison in them . ]

[I heard that it was the curse of the king who was the original owner of the Dragon Eye Sakazuki . ]

[In any case, this phenomenon was not confirmed before the new floor had been discovered so…]

The red-haired woman crosses her arms .

She took a glance towards her comrades .

[My Drunken Sword Party is more important for me than some reward… we’re not going to go further as long as this weird situation is in this ruins . I’m sorry, but we’re going back now . I guess, for now… we’ll wait and see . ]

The tanned man nodded a bit towards the red-haired woman and turned towards me .

[If you were to meet other mercenaries, could you tell them about this as much as possible? Well, it’s actually up to you what you would do from now on, but I think that we still need to know what this weird situation really is . ]

[I understand . ]

[It may be just me being meddlesome, but I recommend for you to go back to the upper levels too . Well, I think you should leave the investigation to the private soldiers of old man Harclay . ]

I modestly smiled towards him .

[Thank you for your concern . ]

[By the way… Are you venturing through the ruins alone? It looks like your luggage is quite light…]

As expected, it must have been strange to be alone around this floor huh .

Moreover, the only visible equipment I’m carrying is just a dagger and a small hammer .

[No, I have some friends with me . ]

I point towards my bag .

[I’m the one who dismantles the monster materials and carries them in my bag . However, it seems that I’ve gotten lost as I was escaping from a monster… before I knew it, I was already at this level . ]

In case that they would ask, I guess I’ll just mention Mist’s name to them .

Fortunately though, they didn’t ask for the name of this friend of mine .

[Ah, so that’s why . That had happened before . While they’re escaping from monsters, they would find themselves straying towards a floor more difficult than they could . And, what would you do now? Are you going to the upper floors with us?]

[Thank you very much, but just the thought is enough . I just can’t leave my friends behind . ]

The mercenaries exchanged glances between themselves .

“What should we do?” or so what their eye contact seems to say .

[I understand . However, don’t push yourself too hard, okay?]

[Yes . ]

[I’m sorry, but I can’t afford enough time to help you find your friends right now . Well— this might sound terrible, but I don’t think there’s really any reason for us to think about others in this kind of situation . ]

[No no . It’s enough for me that you had told me about this incident . ]

The Drunken Sword Party began to leave .

I turned my feet towards the 14th floor .

Pigimaru peeped out from under my clothes .

[Pii?]

[Ah, yeah… these “abnormalities” that they’re talking about was actually the corpses of the monsters that I had killed with my skills . ]

As expected, it’s not possible for me to easily handle their corpses and disguise the true cause of death .

There’s also numerous monsters that I had encountered from the upper floors .

In other words, can I say that the raid has become easier for me?

If the story about this incident were to spread towards the upper floors, the number of mercenaries that would descend further should decrease .

Then, the possibility of me getting into some unwanted trouble with other mercenaries has become lesser .

Since they had already noticed the effects of my skills, then there is lesser concern for me to hide the corpses .

[It may have just become more convenient for me now . ]

<strong>v</strong>

I pass through the 14th floor without difficulty .

I heard that there are no traps in that floor .

I proceeded deeper into the 15th floor where a new floor had been discovered .

It’s just that, passages with a lack of pyroxenes began appearing more and more .

However, it’s not really that big of a problem .

Compared to my time at the Disposal Ruins, this should still be Heaven .

[I also have this with me . ]

I take out the leather bag and inject magic energy within it .

Now that I’ve obtained a hemp bag and a backpack,

the interior of the leather bag have been relatively empty .

It had become quite easier for me to hold .

I’ve just entered the 15 floor and started to wander about . I didn’t immediately enter 16th floor and check out this new floor .

I check out the map that I’ve brought .

Fumu…

This 15th floor is spreading out to one side huh…

I see .

[It seems that I had found a hidden passage, huh . ]

I continued to go forth .

Although it’s considerably lesser than the ones from the upper floors, there are still some pyroxene buried around here .

[That should be enough of a light sources in some places…]

I can’t feel the presence of other people anywhere .

I still continue further .

I also started filling up the gaps that have been in the map as I proceed .

Well, it’s not really necessary to fill in everything .

I will just fill in at the areas where I had went to .

Mapping places is only good when you have the composure to do that in the first place .

Kashak~

I’m also writing some simple notes on the map .

The monsters that I had encountered— I can’t write about that huh…

Speaking of which, there are some monsters that I don’t know what their official names are .

[Should I just give up on writing the description of the monster…]

Pigimaru kept on being vigilant as I was writing .

[Pigii!]

[Hmm?]

A protrusion came out from behind my neck .

I turned towards my back .

Scattered around behind my back, I could see the figures of multiple monsters .

They look like a herd of monster that looks like they’re half-horse, half-human .

[Hihiiieeeyyeeeaaahhhh—!!!]

I fired off my tried and tested combo .

The monsters were then paralyzed and poisoned .

There are no signs of them struggling .

They eventually died soon after as I walked away and left their corpses behind .

[Funnn…]

If you look through the legends about this place, there are no mountains nor valleys in this place .

[No . Let’s not accept those stories literally . ]

[Pii . ]

<strong>v</strong>

I got down two floors deeper already .

I’m now in the 17th floor .

The landscape that I had been seeing for quite some time are like those scenery you could find in a ruins .

I feel like I’m in a ruins dungeon .

I’ve also discovered what seems to be a residential area .

I entered one of the larger rooms in there and found a shelf containing precious metals .

Is this the belongings of a resident who used to be an archaeologist?

I’ve took all the small precious metals and jewels that I could carry .

I want to keep the space in the backpack just for monster materials .

Passing through the residential area, I went further deeper into the ruins .

Since the area I’ve been traversing on had been unexplored before, I wouldn’t be able to find any break rooms that mercenaries had set before .

If that is the case, will that residential area be my temporary home base for now?

I couldn’t find any room where they had these doors that could only be opened and closed by injecting magic energy .

I can’t even lock the doors .

If that’s the case, I guess I’ll just have some sleep even if it’s just a bit light .

That’s what I had been thinking but—

[Hmm?]

I arrived at a passageway where there’s quite a tall ceiling .

When I was about to reach the end, I could see the figure of a really splendid gate .

There must be something behind this gate…

As for my weariness… well, I’m still fine .

[…Let’s go . ]

There’s no use in just standing still in here .

I stood in front of the door .

Exerting power unto both of my hands,

I push the door wide open .

I immediately swerved to the side and hid behind a wall .

It’s dangerous to just step in and expose myself to the enemy .

I need to keep an eye out and observe the enemy first .

I still remember that bitter experience when I was suddenly struck by a laser by the Soul Eater…

I carefully look into the room .

The air around the place is quite dusty .

The structure of the place kind of looks like you’re somehow inside a temple .

There are pyroxene that were neatly arranged on the walls .

They make a beautiful contrast between the black wall and the white light .

Were these pyroxenes placed here by human hands?

At the back of the room, there’s a stone statue of a humanoid dragon that could be seen (though I can’t really see the expression it’s making) .

A large stone statue .

Hmm?

Wait a minute?

A humanoid dragon statue?

A room that had something that looks like an altar and a stone statue of a humanoid dragon within it—

[…………]

I look at the altar in the back of the room .

There was a Sakazuki that was neatly placed in the center of the altar .

I can feel some kind of majestic aura from the Sakazuki .

(PR/N: Sakazuki are flat saucer-like sake cups commonly used in ceremonies)

You can even say that this Sakazuki is enshrined .

There were some glittering gems that were embedded in the outer surface of the Sakazuki .

These gems kind of looks like they’re precious stones .

These gems kind of reminds me of reptile eyes…

That means…

[Is that the Dragon Eye Sakazuki?]

It seems that I have arrived at where the target of this raid’s recruitment is .

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