"First of all, calm down. What exactly happened?"
When I asked, the Glasses Slime took a deep breath and began to speak with a serious expression.
"…Actually, it looks like the black dragon will be reviving soon."
"What…!"
Even though we don't have a lot of time, it's getting even shorter!
"…It's so difficult."
"Kou-san, maybe this means we won't be able to evacuate in time…!"
I was not the only one who was shocked by the news from the Glasses Slime. Iris had her hand over her mouth, and Relic's eyes were wide open, both with surprise on their faces.
On the other hand, Chief Zitan and Milia had confused expressions on their faces.
"Black dragon…? Shouldn't the dragon race have perished a long time ago?"
"I'm sorry, Kou-san. Could you tell us more about it if you don't mind?"
I'd like to say okay… but if we're going to talk about the black dragon, I'd like to show them the images from the deep realm too.
Should we move the location?
When I was thinking about it, the Glasses Slime opened its mouth wide.
"Eiii!"
A spherical object popped out from inside. It was the crystal ball that was supposed to be in the deep realm.
Oops! I caught it as it flew towards me.
"It looks like we have new visitors, so I brought it just in case."
Nice assist, Glasses Slime.
When I touched the crystal ball, it activated and projected an image into the empty space.
It was a scene from four thousand years ago. A black dragon appeared and wiped out the city in an instant. It's the second time I've seen this, but it's so horrific that I wanted to turn my gaze away.
"The great flood alone is a desperate situation, but this is just too much…"
As expected, Chief Zitan seemed to be shaken, and he gulped. Milia's eyes were closed tightly, and she was trembling slightly as she grabbed the hem of her dress.
"We were living near a sleeping monster like that…?"
Milia's knees collapsed. I immediately caught her body. The blood had completely drained from her face. She usually spoke and acted in a high-spirited manner, but she might be quite sensitive on the inside.
In the midst of the grim atmosphere, I asked the Glasses Slime.
"How many days will the black dragon be revived? In the first place, why is it being revived so soon?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't predict how much time is left. However, I do know the cause. …I've analyzed it with the deep realm system, and it's probably due to the great flood."
Hearing this, I came up with a hypothesis.
The place where the black dragon is sleeping and the place where the great flood is happening…
Both places are in the northern Phatos Mountains. Isn't it possible that the simultaneous troubles occurring in the same place may have an effect?
"Yes, it's exactly as Master-san surmised. Before the great flood, high concentrations of magical elements were generated, but it seems that this stimulated the black dragon…"
The Glasses Slime told us this with a heavy sigh.
"There are other problems as well. As the black dragon stirs, the signs of the great flood are getting stronger."
"In other words, what do you mean?"
"I think it will happen much sooner than expected. At least it should be fine until tomorrow morning, but after that, it's hard to say…"
The Glasses Slime lowered its eyes apologetically.
If we take everything into consideration, there is a possibility that either a large army of monsters or a black dragon, or both, will attack Aunen by noon tomorrow. …Will we really be able to evacuate in time?
"Kou-kun."
Chief Zitan called out to me with a grave expression.
"I will return to the city immediately to prepare for evacuation. We have to hurry."
"All right. Well then, I'll go back with you and help…"
"Master-san, please wait a minute!"
It was the Glasses Slime who interrupted my words.
"If possible, I'd like you to stay here, Master-san. There's a place I want to show you."
"A place you want to show me?"
"There is a vault in the depths of the deep realm. People from four thousand years ago left some treasures for you, so please take them with you. It will surely come in handy."
With Glasses Slime's suggestion, I decided to act alone. The rest of the group returned to the city to prepare for the evacuation.
"It will be an all-night job, but I'll try to get as many people as possible to the underground city. This is my responsibility."
Chief Zitan said firmly and left the underground city with a determined look on his face. His back was big and reliable. I think I can trust him.
"If it were true, I'd like to stick with Kou-san and visit the ancient vaults."
Relic muttered in a joking tone and then quickly turned serious.
"But I know how to prioritize things. When the evacuation is over, please show me the vault. I beg you."
The reason Relic was returning to the city was to use his position to influence the people of the city.
He is a member of a duke family and a professor at the Royal Academy. If such a person strongly calls for evacuation, it will surely have a great effect.
"Thank you very much, Kou-san, for providing us with shelter."
Milia bowed and then walked straight up to me and whispered softly in my ear.
"You supported me when I was about to fall down a while ago. I was so happy that you helped me."
Milia smiled like a little girl and walked out of the underground city with a light step.
"…You two get along so well, don't you?"
Iris muttered as she shrugged her shoulders.
"I'm going to take the three of them back to Aunen and then return to the underground city afterward. …There's one thing I need to tell you."
"Can't we talk about it now?"
"It's probably a long story. I don't want to keep the chief waiting, so I'll see you later."
"Okay. See you later."
We both raised our right fists and lightly bumped them in the air.
After the four of them left the underground ruins, I decided to head for the vaults with the Glasses Slime.
I touched the black stone tablet to enter the deep realm.
We walked down a long, narrow corridor and arrived at a rather spacious room. This was the place where I had been shown the image of the black dragon a few hours ago.
I hadn't noticed it at the time, but there was a small door in the darkness on the far right of the room.
In the center of the door was what looked like a handle.
"Master-san! Please touch that door!"
"Like this?"
I reached out my right hand and grasped the door handle. Then I hear an inorganic voice in my head.
The link with the underground city core system has been established by [Full Assist]. Opening the vault entrance.
The door automatically opens to the back. The inside was connected to another small room.
The room was square, with three doors placed in a row at the back.
"Which door am I supposed to open?"
"Err, wait a minute. I have a message for you from the people of four thousand years ago."
The Glasses Slime lowered its eyes and said in a slightly solemn voice.
""If you are a hero, the door on the left will open; if you are a demon king, the door in the middle will open; if you are a sage, the door on the right will open. You shall inherit our legacy." …Which of the following applies to you, Master-san?"
"None of them apply to me…"
"Eehh?"
The Glasses Slime rolled its eyes in surprise.
"W-what do you mean by that, Master-san…?"
"A lot was going on back then."
To be more specific, I gave a backhanded answer in the first option.
As a result, I was transferred to the other world as a special kind of being.
If choosing to be a hero, a demon king, or a sage is the normal route, then I guess I'm going through some sort of backdoor route right now.
As I stepped into the square room thinking about this, a voice echoed in my brain.
…Status check complete.
Kou Kousaka is not a hero, demon king, or sage and possesses [Creation].
All doors will be unlocked since the hidden conditions have been met.
Then I heard three overlapping clacking sounds.
…This development was indeed unexpected.
If it were a proper route, there would only be one type of treasure available. But in my case, I unlocked all three.
I guess the results are just as out of the ordinary as much as how my existence is also out of the ordinary.
"Awawawawa, w-what's going on…?"
The Glasses Slime was so shocked that it was spinning its eyes around in circles.
I chuckled at the sight of it and first opened the door on the left.
This is the place where the hero is supposed to enter.
At first, there was a long, narrow corridor, but after a while, I came to a large room. The width and depth of the room were probably more than ten meters.
In the center of the room was a horizontal pedestal on which a large sword was resting.
The blade, however, was rusted to a crumbling pulp, and it was split into two halves because it had been broken in the middle.
As it was, it didn't look like it could be used properly.
"Master-san, may I have a word?"
I heard the voice of the Glasses Slime from behind me. It seemed that it had come out of its confused state.
"It's a dragon-slaying magic sword. It has been handed down since the time of mythology, but it was shattered by the black dragon in the battle four thousand years ago. The story goes that if a hero gets hold of it, it will come back to life…"
"Unfortunately, I'm not a hero."
As I say that, I collect the sword in the [Item Box].
Then, a recipe for [Creation] popped into my mind.
Broken Magic Sword (top) + Broken Magic Sword (bottom) → Dragon-Slayer's Magic Sword Gram
Apparently, it is possible to restore the magic sword without being a hero.
Magic Sword Gram, huh?
It's often a name I've heard in anime and games, but I believe it originally came from Norse mythology.
I wonder what kind of performance it really has.
I activated [Creation] and my heart was pounding with anticipation.
Dragon-Slayer's Magic Sword Gram: In mythology, the God of War is said to have given this magic sword to the hero. It was once shattered by the black dragon but was given new life by Kou Kousaka. Its performance has been explosively increased due to the [Creation] granting effect.
Granted effects: "God of War's Blessing A+""Dragon Slayer S+""God of War Slash S+"
So, how was the rusty, battered sword after being reforged?
I took out the Gram from my [Item Box].
It was a huge sword, over two meters long.
It was quite heavy, but thanks to the Armored Bear Armor's"Monstrous Strength S+", I could lift it easily. I think I can handle it with one hand. The blade shone with dazzling silver color, brightly illuminating the surroundings.
"Eeeeeehhhhhh!"
The Glasses Slime shouted in astonishment.
"You're not a hero, are you, Master-san? How did you fix the sword?"
"Didn't you hear from the other Slimes?"
"Eh?"
"I have the [Creation] skill."
"The God's skill…! Well, then you can restore the magic sword to its original state…"
It's back to normal, or rather, it has become more powerful.
Gram has been granted three effects by [Creation].
The first is the"God of War's Blessing A+", which greatly increases Gram's sharpness and durability. It also comes with the bonus of self-regeneration. If Gram is chipped, it will be restored in a few minutes, and if it is shattered, it will be restored in a day. That alone is an extraordinary performance, but when fighting dragons, the"Dragon Slayer S+"is activated, increasing the performance even more. Also, it seems that it strengthens my physical abilities as well.
The"God of War Slash S+"is like a special move and is activated by giving Gram magical power. It shoots out a slash of light, slashing down enemies in the distance in one fell swoop. Of course, it is also capable of damaging dragons in the sky. It is truly a sword for killing dragons.
"Will this be able to defeat the black dragon…?"
Of course, I shouldn't be overconfident, but it's worth a try.
There was nothing else in the room, so I turned back to the first small room.
This time, I entered the central door.
This is where the demon king is supposed to enter.
As I walked down the long, narrow corridor, I found a space the size of a school gymnasium, with a huge artillery structure occupying about two-thirds of the space. It was an extraordinary size.
Its total length, including the barrel, was over twenty meters, and its total width was probably over ten meters.
The armor covering it was made of Orichalcum, giving it a massive look that made me want to call it an artillery fortress.
"This is a super high-powered magic laser cannon. It can burn down a large area for several minutes, so it's recommended when fighting hordes of monsters."
"Will it work against the black dragon?"
"It's a weapon that was developed as a countermeasure to the great flood, so it's a little unsuitable to deal with the black dragon. I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it. This could be useful."
Gram for the black dragon and the super high-powered magic laser cannon for the great flood. I can use it in that way.
"Then, do you want to take it with you?"
I touched the super high-powered magic laser cannon and thought of storing it in my [Item Box]. Then a huge magic circle appears on the ground and sucks the artillery in with a blinding light.
"Amazing…"
The Glasses Slime gasped.
"Only a demon king should be able to take out the super high-powered magic laser cannon from here…"
"Is that so?"
When I asked back, [Full Assist] automatically activated and added the information.
The demon king has a large-capacity [Item Box], which can hold the super high-powered magic laser cannon.
Large capacity? Wait a minute.
Does that mean that the demon king has an unlimited capacity like me?
Kou Kousaka is a special existence, and the capacity of the [Item Box] is infinite!
It's kind of understandable and yet incomprehensible…
After that, I could no longer hear the voice in my mind, but I did understand one thing.
I refused to be a hero, a demon king, or a sage, but there seems to be no downside to that. In fact, I'm getting a much bigger advantage than if I had chosen any one of them.
The skills are upwardly compatible with each of them, and in this vault, all the doors were unlocked. It's a total win.
If this were a game, it must be the final route that would only be released after clearing the three routes: the hero route, the demon king route, and the sage route.
…Well, so much for the jokes.
I have stored the super high-powered magic laser cannon in my [Item Box], and now a new recipe has come to mind.
Orichalcum Golem (Broken) + Super High Power Magic Laser Cannon → Destroyer Golem
This is a combination I didn't expect.
Well, they both originated from ancient civilizations, so in that sense, it might be the best match.
I thought about it for a while and then activated [Creation].
The Orichalcum Golem and the super high-powered magic laser cannon are both very powerful ancient weapons, but I wonder how powerful they will be when they become cheat items through [Creation].
To be honest, I'm quite looking forward to it.
Destroyer Golem: A giant golem clad in armor made of Orichalcum, it has acquired the power to be called the ultimate weapon against the great flood through [Creation]. It is equipped with a super high-powered magic laser cannon in its right eye and a rapid-fire magic laser cannon in each hand.
Granted effects:"Advanced Processing Function A+""Monster Detection S""Eternal Engine S+"
The ultimate weapon, huh?
It's an auspicious phrase.
The fact it has a vaguely chuunibyou vibe to it is also a high point for me personally.
When I thought of taking it out of my [Item Box], a magic circle floated to the ground.
From within the magic circle, a black giant of steel slowly rises. It looks like a scene from a robot animation.
On the Destroyer Golem's head, two blue eyes glowed warmly. A low, roaring drive sound came from its body, and it spoke in an electronic voice.
"Hello, Master. Nice to meet you."
Despite its rugged appearance, the mechanical giant was quite polite. It bowed slowly and extended its right hand to me.
Is it asking me to shake its hand?
I extended my right hand and touched the giant's hand.
"Thank you very much. Please leave me in charge in the case of a great flood."
After the handshake (?) The Destroyer Golem straightened its back and stretched out its chest with confidence.
It's like a human being, but this is due to the"Advanced Processing Function A+".
The ordinary Orichalcum Golem is also equipped with artificial intelligence, but the Destroyer Golem is a very high-performance one. Not only can it understand commands from me, but it also seems to be able to greet me, talk to me regularly, and even suggest strategies and tactics.
"Slime-san too, nice to meet you."
"Y-yeah…"
The Slime's eyes were rolling around again.
"M-Master-san, what's really happening…?"
"I used [Creation]. The materials were the super high-powered magic laser cannon and the Orichalcum Golem that I defeated a while back."
"Amazing…! You've created a new golem…!"
"Well, that's about it."
I nodded and touched the feet of the Destroyer Golem.
"I will call you when it's your turn. Can I put you back in the [Item Box]?"
"Understood. I'll be waiting."
"Yeah, see you later."
As soon as I thought of storing it in my [Item Box], a magic circle appeared at the feet of the Destroyer Golem. In a flash of light, the Destroyer Golem disappeared along with the magic circle.