Chapter 18
「If we had known this would happen, we should have taken the car from Lutille-chan as well.」
「We left it behind because it wasn't useful in the dungeon, and it was so shaky that it couldn't even move properly on the carriage road.」
「I wonder why. I was thinking that the research would progress better if it were over there.
「Yes,...... I never imagined that there would be a straightforward labyrinth.」
The next morning, the long straight path continues once again.
Everyone who was energetic until morning became downcast as soon as they returned to the dungeon.
「......? The smell of the sea again-nyaa.」
As they walked until around noon, Nemu suddenly grabbed Mars's sleeve and said that.
「Could this be the end of this hell!?」
Mars wants to run out in excitement.
But this might be a trap, so he manages to restrain himself.
However, everyone seems to feel the same way, and Lilia, in particular, was so relieved that she collapsed.
Their expressions clearly showed how much the previous journey had affected them.
「Just knowing that the end is in sight is enough to get me super excited. But let's take a break here for now. The next place will surely be where our physical strength is tested.」
They took out snacks with both hands and spread a blanket on the floor instead of a leisure sheet.
Everyone quickly sat down and began to laze around.
「Once again, Nemu-chan, can you still smell the sea?」
「Yes-nya. It's not just Nemu's imagination-nya.」
Nemu nodded as she gripped the cookie with both hands and nibbled on the edge.
「So we're back in the sea ...... It was the right call to recover the submarine, but it was dangerous to proceed from here since we couldn't fight underwater.」
Mars fully understood that the most frightening thing was being unable to fight.
「Um, ...... I can fight in the sea. So, I can lead the way and fight alone. And when I decide that I can't handle it, I'll create an air supply and you guys can come to my aid... How about that?」
「That would be helpful. I know it's hard to ask, but I really thought that was the best option.」
「No, no. Actually, I feel more at ease in the water.」
It was simply the most dangerous role, so it was difficult to ask her newly acquainted companions.
「Let's prepare ourselves too. Actually, I have confidence this time! If I release an electric shock towards the sea first, wouldn't we catch everything in one go? I was even considering doing it during fishing.」
「Is Lilia the only one who has an electric shock ability? It's not even in the 'Forbidden Magic Book' that I keep.」
「Lilia-nyan's hair becomes an interesting thing after using it-nyaa!」
Nem recalled and laughed. After using it, Lilia's hair would become like a hedgehog due to static electricity. When the air returns to normal, she makes a serious face, and the scene becomes surreal.
「I'm still not good at it this time... Isn't water and fire the worst combination?」
「It's okay. It's time to use the "Forbidden Magic Book". Last time it didn't work because your magic didn't work, but this time it's different. So let's strengthen Hazuki-chan's power. How about ice?」
Sea water is less likely to freeze than freshwater, but with magic amplification, it will surely become a powerful skill.
Wide-range magic is more effective when used by someone with high magic output like Hazuki.
「Ice...... Zerius used it a bit before, so I don't have a good impression of it......」
「B-But isn't the combination of fire and ice cool!? Even though they are opposing attributes...」
「Cool ...... sounds good if it's cool! I have to come up with a cool name for the skill!」
「I guess you came up with the name of the technique yourself?」
「No, no, I just use the names that were taught to me as is. But I sometimes think I want to use a skill name that I came up with myself.」
――She's a pain sometimes. I thought she was coming up with them herself. She even made a poem book...
「My skills also have the same name as the one that has been passed down to me! They are definitely not self-made!」
「Y-Yes, I know.」
Even Lilia blushed and abruptly came at him.
Everyone laughed when they realized they all felt a bit embarrassed about the names of their skills.
Since it was a chance, they decided to activate several volumes of the "Forbidden Magic Book" to learn new skills.
With so many books, their value as items seemed relatively low. Lilia's chocolate was more valuable than any of the books.
Attack magic was not very useful as a bargaining chip. After all, anyone who wants it probably doesn't have the magic book that Mars wanted, which grants eternal youth.
If that were the case, it would be more useful to use the book to strengthen their own combat capabilities.
◇
As they moved forward a bit, the scenery changed.
They were looking forward to it, but they were also nervous.
「It looks like a limestone cave. ...... be careful where you step. You'll probably slip.」
The next space was a pitch-black rocky area, with countless sharp rocks hanging from the ceiling.
The footing was uneven natural rock, and it didn't feel stable.
「It's slimy and smells bad-nya. ......」
「It smells like the sea, but fifty times stronger......」
Covering their noses, they walk with their eyes half-closed.
The fresh smell had turned into a pungent smell that assaulted their nose.
「It's also a little hot......」
Hazuki shook her clothes at her chest and breathed in some air.
But because of that, the outside stench flowed in, and she instinctively covered her nose.
There was no light up to this point, and even with Hazuki's magic, the light reflected irregularly and the visibility was poor.
The concave space became darker, and only the protrusions became extremely bright.
In a sense, it was a reassuringly dungeon-like space, but there was also a sense of unease that monsters would come out from there.
The damp and chilly air clung to them, making them uneasy.
There was little water, if any, like a sea, just a little water accumulated in the hollows of the rocky footing.
「.....If this wasn't a dungeon, it would be a fantastic and beautiful sight.」
「Yeah. Dungeons have many unusual scenes depending on the location.」
They all proceed cautiously, watching their footing.
「Geko」
「? Did Hazuki-nyan say something-nya?」
「Eh? I didn't say anything, though?」
「Nemu heard something like a sound from Hazuki-nyan's stomach-nya. ......」
「Geko.」
This time, everyone could hear it, not just Nemu.
「Everyone, freeze! Back to back! Gen into formation!」
Everyone reacted to Mars' voice and turned their backs together.
It's the first time they've encountered a monster here.
They don't know where it is. They have to be vigilant in all directions, or they're in trouble.
The dungeon was so reverberant that even Nem's ears couldn't seem to pinpoint the exact direction, and he just shook his head when I looked at him.
This dungeon echoes a lot, and even Nemu couldn't tell the accurate direction with her ears. She just shook her head when Mars looked at her.
「Is someone trembling? Stop it because it's hard to aim if you keep moving.」
Lilia warned as she aimed her bow.
「...... That rock looks like it's moving a lot, though.」
Hazuki pointed to a part of the wall ahead.
Mars understood immediately. It's not just there.
「No, this whole space is ......!」
The footing shakes unsteadily.
They heard a "Geko," "Geko," "Geko," "Geko," from the various parts of the space.
The ground in front of them rises and a rock appears out of nowhere.
And that rock opened its eyes.
What appeared, no, what was there from the beginning was a Giant Frog monster.
It was about two meters in size.
「This whole place is the nest of this frog monster! We weren't walking on rocks but on their backs!」
A giant frog with the skin of a rock.
Mars instantly turned his head, realizing that they had been lured into a trap.
Many frogs, large or small, are poisonous.
If you slash them easily, bodily fluids may scatter, and even if you defeat them, you may still get damaged. If it's a lethal poison, it could be the end.
Moreover, these frogs only began to move after Mars and his party had entered the area to some extent.
In other words, this situation was likely a winning strategy for the frogs.
「Hazuki-chan, the ice magic from earlier! Don't hold back, freeze this space with all your might!」
「Okay! L-Let's see, "Chilled We~ll"!」(『よく冷え～る』！)
Except for Hazuki, everyone else entered the "Treasury of Dreams," and Mars clung to Hazuki's back.
Since they didn't even do a test shot, Mars can't let everyone stay here because he doesn't know what will happen. And Mars can't leave Hazuki to protect her.
――The world stopped.
It was so easy to believe that the frogs――the space stopped moving.
Countless tongues that had been extended to eat Mars and the others stopped in their tracks, and the rapidly stolen body temperature generated steam.
The pure white field of view is like a thick fog.
「Amazing ......」
「――I-It's so frustrating!」
「Eh? It went really well, didn't it? Hazuki-chan is truly a genius. It's amazing on a level that I honestly don't believe you're the same person.」
This space is vast, and in terms of total area, it's bigger than a baseball field.
And yet, with just one magic spell, she created a dead space where nothing moves.
Even with the forbidden magic of the "Forbidden Magic Book", the user's ability greatly affects its effects.
Even if Mars learned the same magic, he would probably end up freezing one or two creatures and that's it.
「Since it was sudden, I couldn't come up with a cool name... So I just kept saying "Chilled Well", "Chilled Well" ...」
「――That is what makes you frustrated!? Let's boast about your achievements first!」
Despite having the potential to become the top magician immediately upon serving the country, Hazuki seemed to have little interest in strength.
She was just smoldering because she was not blessed with the right environment, but Mars was aware once again that Hazuki's talent was at the national level.
An adventurer's life is short, even for those who have long careers, as adventurers quit after ten years at most.
As a career path after accumulating achievements, it is very common for them to end up with official positions such as knights for swordsmen and court magicians for wizards.
Hazuki would be highly sought after in this regard.
Mars patted Hazuki's head and slumped.
「It was a trap scarier than any other... if it weren't for Hazuki-chan, we might have all died. These guys might spread poison if you cut them with a sword because they're frogs.」
「Hee,......I didn't know frogs were such dangerous creatures.......I thought that kerokeropyonpyon (ribbit, ribbit, jump jump) was a cute creature. But when I actually saw them, they weren't cute at all.」
「Small ones might be cute. The ones you can find around here. Let's get everyone out of here for now.」
When Mars opened the [Treasury of Dreams] again, Lilia came out fearfully.
After checking the surroundings, she called Nem and Zion.
「This is... are they all frozen?」
「Yeah. It's a little scary because it just looks like they stopped moving as they were, and I thought they would look more icy.」
「...... Why is the perverted woman depressed? Even though it's a situation where she can boast about it being thanks to herself.」
「She couldn't come up with a cool name for the skills, so she came up with something lame.」
「It's "Chilling We~ll".......a special spell "Chilling We~ll", you know......」
Just like Mars, Lilia retorted, "That what makes you depressed!?".
「The name can be re-decided later. As long as we have results, isn't that good for now? ――Fuhh, far from being uncool, it's...... "Chilling We-ll".」
「See, you thought it was lame after all!」
Hazuki lightly tapped Lilia's shoulder a few times while pouting.
「General Hazuki.......you're amazing. Even I haven't seen a monster like this. And yet, it's so easy for you....」
「Even though she's usually useless, Hazuki-nyan is amazing in battle-nyaa!」
「Nemu-senpai is proud ......!?」
Nemu is more proud than Hazuki herself.
「It's creepy, but let's move forward. Don't touch anything. Oh, right, and it's better to wear gloves. Use disposable ones since they're not your favorite.」
「Then Nemu'll use Hazuki-nyan gloves-nyaa.」
「I know it's not your favorite, but that would ruin mine, wouldn't it?」
Mars doesn't know if they're getting along or not. ...... He just laughed in exasperation.
「Finally, it's starting to look like a normal dungeon! It's strange, but being in danger is reassuring.」
As the night fell, the exhaustion began to show in the group, and they called it a day.
They made a recess in the relatively safe wall, not necessarily certain it was safe, and opened the "Treasury of Dreams" there.
It's dangerous to go in and out of the dungeon. So, they make a space by making a hole in the wall and closing the entrance with a rock, then opening it from the inside.
It is not always safe to do this, as there are sometimes dungeon worms inside the walls, but it is safer than opening the door in a passageway with a clear line of sight.
Since dungeon worms leave traces in the ridges of the walls, it is not hard to find a place where there would not be many of them.
「I'm tired, but I feel strangely energetic. It feels like I'm returning to my childhood when shooting a bow was so much fun.」
Even after returning to the treasury, everyone was lively and did not collapse on the floor as they did before.
It seems like they have regained their liveliness after a long time.
「Nyaaaa! Nyaaaoooohhnnn! Nemu feel like shouting-nyaa!」
「You're full of energy, aren't you?」
「Today was fun-nya! Nemu wants to run around more-nyaa!」
「Be careful not to let your guard down. The monster in this dungeon are weaker than I thought, though.」
Yes, the monsters in the underwater city of Critias were weaker than expected, to the point that Mars questioned if it was really one of the Seven Great Dungeons.
There are several possible reasons for this.
The main reason is simple: Mars and his team did not fight the monster in their natural habitat.
They fought only amphibian-type monsters that came up to the surface and did not engage in battles with aquatic creatures.
If they had to fight in the water, they would naturally struggle, but if they had a foothold, they would have an even or better chance, in other words, they would be fighting with their opponent at a disadvantage.
For Lilia, it was target practice, Hazuki was releasing her pent-up magical energy, and Nemu was releasing stress. It was more like leisure than dungeon conquest.
Of course, purely aquatic monsters, such as the giant fish-type monsters outside the dungeon, would be strong.
However, if you don't fight them, it doesn't matter how strong they are.
――Surprisingly, it may be more difficult for mermaids who live in the water to struggle in that environment.
In a situation where both parties can give it their all, the monsters up until now would probably be strong too.
Mars felt like he got an answer to why the mermaids could not do anything about it.
A reason that made sense to him.
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