The More Rabbits You Catch, the Better (4)
The moment the seventh entrance finally revealed itself, a wave of relief swept through the group. The walls of the staircase were lined with glowing bands of light, keeping the area reasonably bright, but the endless descent through the same repeating scenery had taken a serious mental toll on everyone.
If they hadn't been checking the position of the jewels on every door they passed, they might have started believing they were stuck in some kind of loop, endlessly circling the same spot.
When they opened the door and stepped inside, a corridor made entirely of stone came into view. Ligret instinctively moved to take the lead, but Chrome stopped her.
"Chase, can I ask you to check for traps?"
"Understood. I should earn my pay, after all."
Chase nodded. Part of it was that he needed solid results if he was going to boldly demand compensation later, but mostly he just didn't want the others rushing ahead and accidentally triggering something that might drag him into the mess.
He began by carefully examining the floor and walls.
…For a building abandoned for hundreds of years, it's way too clean.
The complete absence of moss or lichen—things that should be everywhere underground—could be explained away as excellent environmental control. But not a single speck of dust? That was just unnatural.
To test his theory, he sprinkled a bit of the hemostatic powder he always carried onto the floor. The effect was dramatic. A faint breeze blew in from somewhere, scattering the powder and sucking it—along with the dust—into tiny grooves between the walls and the corridor floor.
Akasha stared at the scene with a dumbfounded expression.
"Wait, is that… a spell formula? And it's covering the entire area?"
Chrome's eyes widened too, though for a slightly different reason.
"Whoa, that would make cleaning so much easier. Think I could ask them to install something like that in the new mansion we're building with the reward? What do you think, Ligret?"
"I've never built a house, but I'm pretty sure the craftsmen you hire would try to strangle you."
Chase's expression grew serious. He pulled some dried leaves from his bag and handed them to the other three.
"These leaves have detoxifying properties. If things go south, put one in your mouth. They won't work against every poison, but it's better than nothing."
"Why are you giving us these all of a sudden?"
"You don't get it? If this facility can manipulate air with this level of precision across the entire structure, then if a trap activates, it could flood the whole area with poison gas in seconds. I'll be as careful as possible, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared."
"Hmm," Chrome murmured as he accepted the leaf, thinking to himself.
Come to think of it, some of the original dungeons had bosses that could fill the entire place with poison with a single gesture. I always wondered how it spread so fast. So this is how.
According to his knowledge of the original game, this particular dungeon shouldn't have any of those vicious traps, so there was no need to worry too much. Still, knowing the structure in advance couldn't hurt.
After all, this place was one of the prototypes for a certain dungeon that would eventually claim countless lives in a major future scenario.
Under Chase's guidance, the group continued their cautious exploration and soon reached the end of the long corridor, stopping before a massive door.
Chase gripped the handle. A brief, serious exchange of glances passed between him and the others. Then he pushed the door open with all his strength—and the sight that greeted them left everyone, even Chrome who had expected something like this, wide-eyed in shock.
There was a night sky.
A vast dome-shaped cavern. Its walls and ceiling were covered entirely in black, dotted with countless stars that pierced the darkness with their light. The group fell completely silent, unable to speak in the face of a starfield so brilliant it seemed like they could reach out and touch it.
"…Incredible."
Even Chrome, who knew about this sight from the game, couldn't stop his voice from trembling at the sheer majesty unfolding before his eyes. It was like someone had cut out a piece of the universe and put it on display.
"I thought I'd seen enough stars to last a lifetime living in the mountains, but I never expected to see something like this underground."
"Is this an illusion spell…? I'd love to show this to the priests back at the temple. The more sensitive kids might even cry."
The hunter from the most remote part of the continent and the temple knight who worshipped the stars as gods each offered their thoughts.
Ligret spoke up.
"There are a few that stand out more than the others."
As she said, among the stars lighting up the artificial night sky, seven shone with unusual size and distinct colors. And if there were seven stars in this world that were clearly different from the rest, their identity was obvious.
People revered the stars in the sky as gods and offered them faith. But this wasn't some primitive religion based on vague hopes. The stars granted those they chose a strong body and resistance to illness and poison. They granted senses that could perceive the imperceptible, and the power to see the future. They granted the blessing of immortality that would never weaken no matter how much time passed.
Star's Blessing. The special authority granted by the stars in the heavens to those they selected. Another miracle that stood shoulder to shoulder with the supernatural power of mana. The stars weren't just vague things floating in the sky—they were a real, influential part of life that affected reality on a massive scale.
And among those stars, the most powerful and widely known were these seven:
Tushin (War God), Maok (Magic Orb), Myeonggyeong (Clear Mirror), Hwanye (Illusionary Vision), Yugu (Eternity), Aeyeom (Passion), Chicheon (Ruler of Heaven).
People called these seven stars the Seven Stars and held them in the highest regard.
The group stared intently at the Seven Stars illuminating the artificial night sky. Soon they noticed that the light from the stars was pointing toward specific spots on the ground like spotlights.
Chrome stepped into one of the circular beams. The ground in front of him slid open like a sliding door, and something rose up from below.
Shaaak.
Even in the pitch darkness, the treasure gleamed with brilliant gold under the starlight. Chase shouted immediately.
"W-wait! It might be a trap!"
Chrome answered calmly.
"Then let's check the others first."
If I just charge in trusting my past-life knowledge and something goes wrong, it'll be a disaster. Better listen to the expert.
When Ligret stepped into another beam of light, all sorts of weapons and shields rose from the ground. Chase nearly had a heart attack when he saw her eyes sparkle.
"Don't touch them! Absolutely do not touch!"
"…Just one wouldn't hurt, right?"
"If I say no, then no!"
Akasha laughed heartily.
"Hahaha! This is practically a treasure vault! Let's see, what's this?"
What appeared before Akasha was a collection of books. She examined the covers and her eyes widened.
"Whoa. These are all written in Asteros script?"
Ligret asked indifferently.
"Well, this whole dungeon is from that era. Isn't that obvious?"
Akasha waved her hands frantically.
"No, no! The important part is that there are hundreds of books from centuries ago, and they're all perfectly preserved. If we took these to the Imperial Academy, they'd lose their minds!"
"So… they're expensive?"
"Well… it depends on the content, but they're definitely worth way more than regular used books."
"…Is this really the time for that kind of conversation?"
Chase had been dumbfounded by their casual exchange, but when his own turn came, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the various medicines and substances that appeared before him.
…Just from the scent, I can tell. Even without mana processing, these are top-grade ingredients that could make potions on their own.
At this point, he was starting to feel afraid instead. Just what was this place? What kind of building was it to have this much treasure hidden away?
After continuing their inspection, the items that appeared were as follows:
- Enough gold bars, gold coins, and jewels to fill several sizable boxes.
- A set of high-quality weapons and armor capable of fully equipping about ten people.
- Numerous books recorded in Asteros script.
- A large quantity of rare medicines and substances.
- One unidentified glass bottle that gave off a faint, sweet fragrance even while sealed.
- A pile of cubes sorted by color.
And finally—
"Another book?"
"This time there's only one."
All eyes turned to Chase. He had been carefully examining every corner of the room and now frowned slightly.
"…Fine. As far as I can tell, there are no abnormalities. You can touch it."
With permission finally granted, the group’s attention immediately focused on the last book that had appeared. Amidst all the treasures fiercely asserting their presence, this was the only plain, shabby-looking item. Everyone instinctively felt there was something special about it.
Akasha, the only one among the four who could read Asteros script, picked up the book.
"Hmm, let's see… It looks like a diary?"
And then she began to slowly read its contents aloud.