Carbonheim Labyrinth – Secret Dungeon
It's already been two weeks since I entered the dungeon. I've been fighting without hope of leaving until I clear this place, and I've finally arrived its final safeguard.
「The 『Earth Dragon's Garden.』」
「「「GUROOOOAAAWWWW!」」」
I swung the Western-style dragon-carved spirit blade, the 『Stone Sleeping Dragon Sword』towards the ground, and from a red-black stone that looked like a mass of blood came over 10 stone dragons of the same color from the stone.
As I willed them, the dragons surrounded the nearby Lizardman King and began to eat away at him.
Just as his name implies, this magic beast that was the strongest of the Lizardmen had a giant size of over 50 feet.
With a breath attack as strong as dragon species and a mind sharper than other lizardman types, it had a terrifying presence with shocking sword and spear skills coalesced into a huge body brimming with power.
That strange beast was in front of me today.
Not a variant or an evolved creature, this magical beast's existence was utterly separate than others of its species.
Normally, its black scales were dyed red and repelled magic. A single head was enough of a nuisance with its three throats, each one with a different type of breath.
It enchanted its own spear with whatever attribute it wanted.
It was an extremely troublesome opponent as it took over three hours to defeat.
Its left and right throats had already been cut, but it's movements barely weakened.
(Two seconds later I dodged it's breath while chanting and, after destroying that throar, four seconds later after a half-right step the thing followed up with an attack my the left side.)
「Graaaaaaaahhh!」
「!」
The only breath left from its head was a direct plasma-like energy attack. I broke away from my planned direction of attack and in order to match my position, I put my right hand on the ground and rolled, getting some distance between me and it. As I did this, I changed my spirit blade to the [Weeping Blade of Thunder Spear].
「Listen to the rumbling of the kind Thunder God, feel the wrath of the merciless Thunder God. 『Thunder Attack / Howling God』!」
A blade with seven blue crescents emerged while a giant blue bolt of lightning enveloped the Lizard King.
「GYARAAAAAHHH?!」
I saw and heard the beast scream while black smoke rose. Without a moment lost, I ran towards it.
The final sword I made was the [Eccentric's Scissor Blade].
「—『Neck Cutter / Golgotha!』」
The handle was an attractive pink and green of a bird's feathers, while this lopsided rusty and massive scissors clipped off the Lizard King's neck.
Clonk, the sound of its head hitting the earth signalled the end of a long and fatal battle, while the headless body finally sunk to the ground.
「Ugh…phew…that was rough.」
I checked that it was totally dead and finally relaxed.
I had strained my muscles to the maximum, so they seemed to scream in need for physical and and mental rest from all the exertion.
In order to hurry my plans along, I drank a high-effect potion down to half that I had in order to speed up my progress from a week ago.
(In a little, I need to check on Minnalis…)
She contacted me a week ago since I entered the dungeon.
Because I was so deep in the dungeon I couldn't use the 『Spirit Speak』that was connected to the Holy Sword of Vengeance, I tried using a new communication technique.
That was communicating through Surakichi (Slucky). Is wasn't hard, as I simply used the 『Spirit Speak』through the broken-up Surakichi (Slucky).
I had only used this in times of emergency before, and now that I was done cleaning up all of these magical beasts, I tried contacting Minnalis as I rested.
——- That had I found my revenge.
「Okay, okay, let me connect.」
『Kyupiii!』
Surakichi bounced out and raised a small tentacle to me, just the size of my palm.
His body shook as it absorbed a flow of magic.
「『Ah…test, test, Minnalis? Shuria? Can you hear me?』」
「『Master, I'm fine.』」
「『Feeling great!』」
They answered me quickly.
「『I finished my dungeon clearing. I got enough of a experience value to get rid of 『Lust』 and 『Sloth』. I have to get back to the surface, so as I said, when I'm done I'll come out. How are you doing up there? Did you get everything you need?」
「『Yes, just as I though, nothing different. Nothing changed about her to the point that it would make you laugh. Without any real effort we were able to get all we needed in the school. We took advantage of the people we needed and used them.』」Minnalis said.
「『It's a little more ambiguous here. The cat did all the marking needed, and I was able to get the highest level MP recovery option. But, I couldn't find the cursed weapon.』」
「『I see. Well, it's not going to be so easy to find.』」
「『Should we look for it when the school is on vacation?』」
「『No, then we won't have any reason to hold on to Leone's party. We should make that priority.』」
I shook my head at Shuria's words.
「『Even without the curse we have the goods with magic collected, right?』
」
「『You betcha!』」
「『I see, then no problem. Even without the curse, we can still use what we have to make some emergency goods. It's a tight schedule but we're still in a good position.』」
「『Thank you, Master, Shuria too.』」
「『No need for thanks. This is going to be our revenge, after all.』」
「『You're right. I went along with Minnalis' plan as well. We're going to get everything done until it's all whitewashed. Right, Minnalis?』」
「『You would use us all up, but I guess we have to do whatever's necessary.』」
Minnalis took a breath, and then answered me.
「『…right, master. The contract we made was just that. That's why, master, in order for us to get revenge, we need to use all of our power.』」
「『Roger. If we don't, we can't be called accomplices.』」
Them saying that made me laugh.
「『I'll try to get back as fast as possible. I can't be late for the show, and Leone's going to notice sooner or later.』」
「『…yes, we'll be waiting, master.』」
After hearing her final words, I cut the transmission.
I was rested enough.
「Okay, time to get out of here.」
I stood and looked over at the deepest door past the protector.
After pushing through there I would find the dungeon core and the treasure that was the goal of this labyrinth.
It was a wall that looked like living organs but its surface shimmered like white marble.
I opened the treasure chest, and inside was the treasure I had depended on so much in the first world, the 『Shawl of the Shadow Spirit』
「…okay, stubborn as usual.」
As soon as I tried to touch it, crack, a black spark ran across it as if to deny me.
「However, I don't have time for this now, sorry. I'm not good at this finessing crap, so I'll just grab you and go. 」
I reached out again and ignored the black lightning that struck out at my hand.
☆
「Leone, what is it? Why are you so zoned out?」
「Huh?」
After instruction was completed, Minnalis called out to me, and I returned to myself.
It was two weeks since I couldn't persuade Ukei.
I thought I had found where he was, but the next day he had disappeared from the library.
The day I heard that he wouldn't emerge from searching around in the dungeon I let go of my resentment a bit and drowned in drink to distract myself. After hearing he wouldn't emerge from the dungeon for a while, I went back to instruction at the school I had briefly taken off from.
「…hey, Minnalis, you've been going around a lot lately, why?」
But, after Minnalis approached, it seemed that she and Shuria had something strange about them.
They had disappeared somewhere during lunch break and only one of them remained after school sometimes, saying they had something to do.
Neither of them asked where Ukei was, and they seemed a bit irked and talked about other things, avoiding the subject.
However, as the days passed, the two seemed upset about something, so I finally asked them:
「Well, honestly we're trying to keep it a secret. Our master is about to leave the dungeon, so I'll be looking in the library for a book that contains something to cook. He said he wanted something good to eat when he gets back.」
「Heh heh, I look forward to eating something that you've put your heart into Minnalis.」
「Yes, this country had many unique ingredients, so I hope you'll enjoy it.」
The words came from her bright, smiling mouth without any strange feeling to them at all.
Just like she had prepared for me to ask about it.
「I guess you really are loved.」
「We both are by him, to a level that we should be envied.」
「I said this many times before, but once you grow you change. Even that Minnalis will.」
「No use, you know nothing about women, Dan. Right, Leone?」
「Yeah, you're right.」
The other three spoke to each other, as I thought.
(…going to the library is probably a lie. But why would she lie?)
I didn't know, maybe she knew I got in a fight with Ukei and was trying to avoid me?
No, if we was trying to avoid me she would have done it clearly.
「And because of that, I'm going to the library again, so please take care of Shuria for me.」
「Hmph! I told you to stop treating me like a kid!」
「Hee hee, so cute to see you angry, Shuria!」
「Eeep! Stop squeezing me in those big balls of meat of yours, Spinne!」
「Hee hee, please care for her, Spinne.」
She was wrapped up in Spinne's body, and Minallis laughed at the struggling Shuria with her hands flailing everywhere, while finally she was released, laughed, and waved goodbye.
「Ah, Minnalis…」
「? What is it?」
「Ah, no… nothing. Do your best, okay?」
「Sure.」
Even though I called out to her I had nothing to continue with, and Minnalis simply left.
(What? All of you, what are you doing?)
My heart was covered in worries.
☆
After I broke off from Leone's group to the library, I met one man.
He owed money to a friend, and was working daily in order to pay it off.
「Yes, your unhappiness is all his fault.」
「…ah, yeah. It's all his fault. And because of it, I… 」
「I'll help you get revenge. No need to hold back. He's the bad one here.」
「All because of him I got stuck with this debt.」
Degeneration.
He looked at me hollowly mumbling and smiled.
「Yes, it's because of Keril that you're burdened like this. There are others that were hurt like you. Two days from now, I'll call you to meet me.」
「…ah…I see…」
I watched him walk away in a trance.
Those eyes had a bitter black malevolence toward Keril, someone of no relation.
I watched him walk away with a sense of satisfaction, and laughed about it in the back-alleys.
(With this, everyone's place was set. Leone had clearly begun to suspect something, but she was too late. Master would come back tonight. All the preparations would be ready tomorrow. Even if she noticed anything, it would be too late.)
The gears were already spinning in the air and soon, once more they would meet.
I took a blue crystal out of the tool bag.
This vision crystal contained a vision as a small tool of revenge.
With a little magic it would show your status on the half transparent screen.
『…don't mess with me. I know you used that magic gaze with Keril.』
『Eeek! Wha, what are you saying? Putting my gaze on Keril??』
『Yes, and if so, never get close to him again. If you get revenge, like you usually do… Hey, my close friend Katrea uses that magic gaze with this country's upper crust. I mean, you don't even have to feign innocence, right?』
『What? What are…』
『I'll tell you again, never again, get close to Keril, okay?』
『I, understand…』
There the image disappeared as I sighed and looked up.
I could see the blinking stars, a silver sky.
Even though I was used to the sight, I laughed silently.
「Soon, soon, I will meet you again.」
Keril, Lucia, and my village friends…
White, white, white.
That silver world, everything painted white.
Drown it under ice mixed with mud.
「Hey, if you saw me, I wonder what face you'd make?」
No one moving, no one coming, no one being able to touch me.
It was so silent it hurt my ears.
However, it was a world just silently covered in light snowfall.
「…everything covered, free to hate and hurt. I'll paint it all over with white. Hee hee hee, Hee hee hee hah hah hah hah.」
My voice was unconsciously drowned out, as my breath painted the cold air and then disappeared.