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This, is Japan.
At 11 a.m. that day, earthquakes struck across Japan simultaneously. The epicenters were not concentrated in any particular prefecture but were evenly distributed throughout the entire country. The strongest tremors registered at a magnitude of 4, while most were between 3 and 2.
Shortly after the simultaneous quakes, reports of strange occurrences began to emerge from various locations.
One report claimed, "A small, golden pyramid has appeared."
These pyramids emerged around urban areas and were immediately discovered by nearby residents. Each pyramid shimmered with a golden glow, measuring 15 meters on each side. The faces were perfectly aligned with the cardinal directions, and a 'gate' leading inside was positioned at the center of the northern face. Some speculated that the golden pyramids were made of gold and attempted to chip away at them, but not a scratch could be made.
The 'gate' appeared as a shimmering distortion. When a few people threw stones at it, the stones vanished into the distortion. A handful of individuals confirmed nothing happened when they put their hands into the shimmering space and, emboldened, stepped inside.
Beyond the distortion lay a vast cavern, devoid of any discernible light source, yet somehow they could see to some extent. Cave-like passages were visible along the walls, hinting at pathways that extended further into the unknown.
As those who entered the pyramid passed through the gate and turned back, they spotted a pitch-black, mirror-like slab embedded in the rocky wall. Just like the entrance's shimmering distortion, this black slab allowed them to reach through it. Some individuals stepped through and emerged outside. This confirmed that the distortion served as an entry point into the pyramid, while the black slab acted as an exit, prompting more people to venture in through the shimmering gateway.
Such scenes were observed at various pyramids that had appeared around urban areas.
Separately, it was confirmed that the locations of the newly discovered pyramids coincided with the epicenters of simultaneous earthquakes that struck at 11 AM. This led to a nationwide investigation by the Self-Defense Forces, conducting aerial surveys.
By dusk, all 32 pyramids, including those in mountain and island regions, had been located. They were designated as Pyramid No. 1 through No. 32 based on the order of their discovery.
The Japanese government prohibited entry to the mysterious pyramids by 1 PM, notifying local authorities. In response, these municipalities informed residents through disaster prevention broadcasts and emergency announcements.
Following this directive, local authorities dispatched police to seal off the pyramids. However, many civilians had already entered the sites.
About half of those who entered the pyramid fled in terror within minutes to a dozen minutes of their intrusion. Most of the escapees emerged unscathed, but some stumbled out, bloodied and barely clinging to life.
Many of those who escaped filmed the interior of the pyramid with their smartphones. The brief videos they shared on social media revealed a surreal realm inside the small pyramid—a Sky cavern—inhabited by monstrous creatures previously thought to belong only to fantasy. Some footage depicted gruesome scenes of humans being mercilessly slaughtered and even devoured by these beasts. Although this content was quickly taken down, its impact on the world was profound.
The monsters captured on video included wolf-like, lizard-like, and snake-like creatures, as well as amorphous gelatinous beings known as slimes. However, no human-like monsters were confirmed.
By 2 PM, the government had requested local authorities to issue evacuation orders for residents living within a 200-meter radius of the pyramid. Initially, in compliance with this directive, police departments in municipalities where the pyramid had appeared dispatched around ten officers to seal off its entrance.
Following the invasion of the pyramid, chaos erupted around it as paramedics, police cars, and onlookers flooded the area due to the disaster caused by the monsters. In response, local leaders requested the Defense Ministry to deploy the Self-Defense Forces to prevent monsters from escaping the pyramid's interior.
The Defense Ministry, upon receiving the request, ordered the nearest Ground Self-Defense Forces bases to send a first contingent of about 30 personnel. This first team established a makeshift outpost by stacking sandbags at the entrance of the pyramid and positioned heavy machine guns in readiness for any monster appearance. However, unsure of which weapons would be effective against unknown creatures, every soldier remained vigilant with bayonets fixed to their rifles. Thankfully, no monsters emerged from the pyramid, but the defense forces surrounding it were subsequently reinforced.
Simultaneously, the government announced the transition of evacuation advisories for residents living within 200 meters of the pyramid into mandatory evacuation orders, while also issuing new advisories for those residing between 200 and 500 meters away. Local firefighters and police officers swiftly urged residents in the evacuation zones to move to designated shelters.
Meanwhile, various media outlets buzzed with excitement about the pyramid throughout the afternoon, featuring noted light novel authors and editors of mystery magazines as experts sharing their insights on the unfolding situation.
The shared theory among them posits that the pyramid serves as an entrance to a dungeon, with the Sky Cave beyond it already part of this dungeon, leading into a vast network of caves. Whether it qualifies as a dungeon depends on the definition, but evidence from footage and testimonies of survivors confirms the existence of further caves beyond the Sky Cave.
Experts have suggested that modern weapons may be ineffective against the monsters, necessitating the use of swords or blunt weapons to defeat them. This consideration prompted the Self-Defense Forces stationed around the pyramid to affix bayonets to their rifles.
Additionally, some scholars argue that valuable resources and treasures are hidden within the dungeon, emphasizing the need for a swift investigation. In response to the ban on civilian entry into the pyramid, the government decided to convene a panel of experts to deliberate on the situation regarding the pyramid and the dungeon. The chairperson of this panel, a prominent ruling party figure and former prime minister well-versed in the matter, was appointed, and their first meeting commenced at 4 PM.
The initial expert panel meeting lasted about two hours, during which they urgently recommended to the government that an investigation of the pyramid's interior be conducted as soon as possible. Following this advice, the government ordered the Ministry of Defense to prepare for investigations within the pyramid, known as the dungeon. Considering the need for weaponry, the Defense Minister, with the Prime Minister's approval, issued a stand-by order to the First Airborne Brigade stationed in Narashino, Chiba.
Those who managed to escape the pyramid, albeit injured, are being treated at a hospital with a quarantine facility. They were transported by ambulance due to concerns of infections not only from known pathogens like rabies but also from unknown ones. While receiving treatment, they are undergoing thorough examinations, and so far, it has been confirmed that they are not infected with any known pathogens.
Currently, the only option for monitoring the potential infection from unknown pathogens is to observe changes in the patients' conditions. However, the government has decided to deploy the Self-Defense Forces without waiting for the two-week quarantine period to conduct a full investigation inside the pyramid.
At midnight, under the Prime Minister's order permitting the use of full military force, a reconnaissance team of 20 was dispatched from the First Airborne Brigade Headquarters to the newly emerged Third Pyramid located in the outskirts of Narashino, Chiba Prefecture. In addition, the First Airborne Company is also being sent to provide support, but initially, only the reconnaissance team is planned to enter the pyramid.
Having received a standby order for deployment from the Minister of Defense, both the reconnaissance team and the First Airborne Company rapidly moved toward the Third Pyramid. By 12:30 AM, the 20-member reconnaissance team entered inside the pyramid.
Experts, along with footage that spread across social media, confirmed that the interior of the pyramid contains an expansive Sky Cave, far larger than one would expect given the pyramid's outer dimensions.
As the reconnaissance squad entered, they primed their rifles with bayonets, ready for an immediate encounter with any monsters. However, no creatures were found within the Sky Cave. Based on prior intelligence, the Ministry of Defense believed that the cave's walls emitted a glow, allowing visibility even without additional light sources. Still, the squad members switched on the lights mounted on their shoulders as they entered the pyramid. To avoid provoking any monsters during their exploration, they planned to turn off the lights momentarily; except for the squad leader and a few others, most wore helmets equipped with night-vision devices.
As expected, all communication with the outside world had ceased. However, because entry was still possible, wired communications and power lines were brought in as anticipated. Immediately, the external command of the First Company sent in communication lines, power cables, and floodlights to the pyramid.
Reports from the Chiba Prefectural Police indicated that nearly twenty individuals had gone missing inside the third pyramid, with at least five presumed dead in the grand chamber. Yet, illuminated by the floodlights, the Sky Cave revealed no bodies, not even traces of blood.
While chaos erupted across Japan due to the pyramid's appearance, Zenjirou and Lily sat on a blue tarp on the second level of the Valen South Dungeon, enjoying hamburgers for lunch. Both had removed their helmets and gloves, but kept their shoes on, with their respective weapons—a staff and a mace—within reach on the tarp. Perhaps it was to be expected, but Lily's light continued to shine brightly above her head, even without her helmet.
I held a hamburger and turned to Lily, who was sipping on her cola. "The tip of my magic wand has been scorched by spider silk and looks a bit blackened, but I also feel like the whole thing has darkened. It feels a bit heavier too. It's not that it's hard to swing; in fact, it seems easier to handle now."
After swallowing her cola, Lily replied, "I haven't noticed any difference in weight, but doesn't my mace look a bit darkened too? And this leather armor?"
Indeed, her mace was definitely blackened, and I hadn't realized until now that her armor had also changed. "It's true, it's darkened. It's expected since monster bodily fluids can cause discoloration, but the uniform darkness is a bit odd. From my light novel knowledge, I'd guess that fighting monsters has made our weapons and armor stronger, resulting in this darkening!"
"Is that really possible?" she asked.
"Of course, I have no proof, but thinking like that makes the experience more enjoyable, right?"
"That's true," she admitted, perhaps beginning to grasp the thrill of dungeon crawling.
"We've been in the same type of room for a while now; how long do you think this room will go on?" I wondered.
"Perhaps there's no end in sight," she mused.
As we made our way here, we passed through about thirty rooms, each surrounded by walls with doors. The monsters we encountered, apart from the initial mimic, included a giant spider, a large centipede, several huge bats, and others. None posed significant threats, allowing me to easily dispatch them with my staff while Lily used her magic and mace.
Though Lily appeared reluctant, I collected the corpses into my item box, thinking they might be useful later.
In addition to the monsters, we found a few treasure chests along the way, yielding some coins, two skill books, and a knife. The coins were ordinary ones, not the larger gold pieces found on the first floor, so I believe we can use them in the city.
The skill books detected by Lily's appraisal were labeled as "Skill Book: [something]" but were not traditional books; they resembled smooth black plates about the size of a smartphone. The two we discovered were "Skill Book: Bludgeoning Weapons" and "Skill Book: Shield Technique," the latter being a perfect match for Lily's mace skills. However, I'm unsure how to utilize the skill books for now, so they've been stored away in the item box.