Chapter 62 - Cooperative Play
「Is this hell...?」
「Eh? Why do you say that? I think it's cool, though.」
In response to my muttering, Chloe, who happened to be nearby, replied.
(People from this era are definitely crazy...)
With each room we move to, countless statues relentlessly chip away at my sanity.
We have been exploring the third floor, and this is the seventeenth room we've encountered so far.
Now, right in front of us, is a monument so massive that it's ridiculous to even call it an Ozma statue—it's a giant erect penis statue that reaches up to the ceiling.
It's nothing more than the worship of the male organ.
Distorted through hearsay, imagination, and the passage of time. Sublimation as art, surpassing the limits of realism into abstraction, and deformation.
While I don't lack academic interest in it, I really question the way this Ozma=Penis conclusion turned out after being so thoroughly deformed.
I slump my shoulders in despair, while Arvine blushes, reminded of something.
And looking at us like that, Chloe and Zaza tilt their heads in curiosity.
But this hell is coming to an end.
We discovered a staircase right next to that gigantic penis. It leads to the lower floor.
(I hope the next floor isn't like this...)
With that anxiety, we descend to the fourth floor, where we find a man who appears to be a staff member unconscious right next to the stairs. He was likely taken down by that rampaging sister.
We make sure he's not in critical condition, then toss him into a tent and hurry on.
Honestly, we don't have much time left.
As we exit the room with the staircase onto a corridor, Zaza exclaims, 'Wow! What's this?!' with excitement.
The floor and walls themselves were emitting a faint green light.
「I don't sense any spirit power. Is it a natural phenomenon...?」
Chloe muses while examining the walls. Indeed, I don't sense any spirit power either. But I can feel a subtle shimmer of magical particles.
It's not something commonly seen, but back in my time, some facilities had this kind of illumination. They were storage rooms that disliked fire and sunlight.
「The ceiling is high, and the corridor is wide... It feels completely different from the first three floors.」
Zaza comments while looking around.
Certainly, the corridor is wider than before, with enough space for three adults to stand side by side with their arms outstretched. The ceiling is unusually high. It's clear what this implies.
(...I guess it's better to assume there's a large guardian waiting up ahead.)
Sure enough, after only a few blocks, there's a looming shadow of a beast waiting for us. The distorted silhouette of an otherworldly creature tremble beyond the dimly lit corridor, surrounded by the faint green light.
"Gaaahhhhhh!" a carnivorous roar resounds, and Chloe lets out a short "Kyaa" in response.
As the creature emerges from the swaying shadows, Zaza's voice trembles, and Arvine furrows her brow.
「What... is that?」
「It's so grotesque.」
A gigantic lion with a goat's head awkwardly attached to its shoulder, bat wings on its back, and a snake's tail swaying behind it.
It's like a monster conceived by a country child as the 'strongest creature.'
(Chimera... It's been a while since I've seen something like this.)
In the era when I was alive, they were kept as guard dogs in the mansions of a few enthusiasts.
Being magical creatures, they had high resistance to magic and were obedient to their masters through contracts. Moreover, they could understand human language, use simple magic, and have decent combat abilities.
The only drawback was their unsettling appearance.
As I was about to prepare myself, Arvine grabbed my shoulder.
「We'll handle this ourselves.」
「Oz-kun is the only one who can stand against Sister Ange on an equal footing.」
「That's right. Let's conserve your strength.」
Saying that, Zaza and Chloe step forward.
They must have their own thoughts on the matter. In reality, gaining combat experience here wouldn't be a bad thing for them either. If necessary, I can lend a hand, so I decided to gratefully accept their kindness.
「The main attacks of a Chimera are flames breathed from its mouth and ancient language spells chanted by the goat head.」
「Got it!」
Almost as soon as Zaza was about to say that and run forward, the lion head let out a mighty roar, and flames flickered in its jaws.
「Not happening! Water Flow Blade (Water Cutter)!」
While running, Zaza swiped her hand, and a crescent-shaped blade of water attacked the Chimera. The clash between the expelled flames and the water blade caused a massive surge of steam.
The corridor was filled with white, smoky mist. The Chimera faltered. The goat head began chanting in a low voice, and the convergence of magical elements became visible. Zaza shouted loudly.
「Chloe!」
「Leave it to me!」
Dozens of water tentacles shot out from Chloe's back as she jumped forward, striking the goat head that was about to unleash its magic.
As the Chimera staggered, Arvine shouted in a high-pitched voice.
「Both of you, step back!」
Zaza and Chloe quickly leaped to the sides, and a vicious fireball that had been condensed in Arvine's hand was launched.
「Magma Shot!」
The moment it hit the Chimera's body, the spherical flame exploded, turning into scorching hot mucus that clung to it. The Chimera struggled desperately to shake it off.
No matter how strong its resistance to magic was, it couldn't escape being drenched in lava.
This was Arvine's original magic, and while it was malicious in terms of inflicting continuous damage, it was also quite effective.
After thrashing about in agony, the Chimera eventually collapsed on the spot.
「We did it! We did it!」
「Of course, this much is to be expected.」
Zaza and Chloe clapped their hands together and shouted with joy, while Arvine proudly puffed out her chest.
Even from my perspective, it was an incredibly impressive display of teamwork.
With this, we wouldn't fall behind against any ordinary monsters.
The intensive combat training has paid off beautifully. Seeing how Arvine, who used to keep her distance from other people, now engages in coordinated play, I can't help but feel that she has truly grown.
Despite everything, I'm still a man in his forties on the inside. It's only natural for me to adopt a guardian's perspective.
(In this case... It seems there won't be a chance for me to shine.)
We encountered the Chimera three times and the Manticore twice, but Arvine and the others defeated them without much trouble, and we conquered the fourth floor. We continued to progress smoothly through the fifth floor.
As soon as we descended to the fifth floor, the number of guardians increased significantly, and their strength gradually rose. However, Zaza and the others still had room to spare.
And then, the sixth floor...
As we descended the stairs, a man who seemed to be a staff member rushed towards us.
「You're the group affiliated with that Sister, right!?」
「Huh? What about it?」
In response to the man's accusatory tone, Arvine raised an eyebrow and glared at him.
Her expression in moments like these is truly menacing. It reminds me that she is indeed the daughter of that Queen. And, unfortunately, she was my wife.
Whether he realized she was the princess or was simply intimidated by her gaze, I don't know, but from that point on, the staff member adopted a fawning attitude.
According to what we heard, that rampaging Sister had cornered him and demanded that he show her a shortcut to the lower floors. It's an unfair act that goes against the rules of dungeon exploration, but her objective is clearly "Ozma's remains" and has nothing to do with the Academy's performance.
「So, is there a shortcut?」
Arvine glared at the staff member with an intimidating attitude, and he nodded nervously.
「Y-Yes, there is a vertical hole that leads directly to the tenth floor... The drop is about as high as the spire of a cathedral, so it's not something you can descend normally. However, that Sister turned into lightning and jumped in.」
Arvine turned her face towards me.
「What should we do? I could fly down with my jet propulsion (afterburner), but even if I could carry you, I'd only be able to carry one of you.」
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