127. Dungeon, Explosion, Reward (5)
127. Dungeon, Explosion, Reward (5)
"The weather's splendid."
"I-it sure is."
"It's huge... there was a forest this big inside the dungeon?"
[I'm all for wandering around, but if we die here, there's no dream or hope left. Contractor, you can't die, okay? You have to keep a promise to the very end. There are so many places I want to visit.]
An hour had passed since we entered the dungeon. Absurdly enough, we now faced an enormous forest.
A giant sun hung from the ceiling—well, not a real one, but a glowing sphere that served much the same purpose. The cool scent of grass drifted through the air. This place was far too bright and pleasant to be called the Beast's Tomb.
"First, I'll set up camp. Craft."
Building the camp took five minutes. While the brats stood open-mouthed at a campsite that went up faster than an instant meal, I gathered nearby branches and made a campfire.
"Everyone sit around it. I have a few things to say before we start exploring."
At my words, they all sat down around the campfire and looked at me. I pulled jerky from my pack and put a piece in my mouth.
"It's been a while since breakfast, so fill up a bit. Once we enter the forest, don't even touch food. The things living in this dungeon might catch the scent and follow us."
"Wouldn't deodorizer take care of that?"
"Deodorizer doesn't conceal every smell. The materials I brought for this dungeon reek so badly that even it won't hide them. So wear the masks I gave you."
"These heavy-looking masks?"
Sif picked up the mask hanging loosely at her waist and examined it from every angle. She looked as though she had no idea what it was for. I kindly explained its purpose.
"Wearing one will protect you from toxic gases."
"Why would we need that?"
"Because I'll be using this."
I took a watertight box from my pack, large enough to hold a soccer ball. Inside were valuable ingredients I had obtained from the dining hall. I'd packed the box full in preparation for this very day. Viola, who had seen me crush the lot, stuff it inside, and seal it, grimaced.
"Ah... Old man, are you really going to use that?"
"V-Viola, what is it?"
"Something utterly vile."
If it worked properly, it might let us breeze through this dungeon. I ignored the party's curious stares and returned the box to my pack. They clearly wanted to know what was inside, but I had no intention of showing them yet.
There was no need to spill its contents or open it too soon and put the monsters on guard.
"I'm going to scout the forest before we go, so wait a moment."
"You're going to scout alone? That's far too dangerous!"
"I appreciate the concern, but there's no need. I won't have to go into the forest."
Leaving everyone tilting their heads behind me, I took out my shovel.
Who went in and checked everything one by one these days?
It was better to finish things the easy way.
"Craft."
The ground rose the moment my brief command ended. The resulting tower, complete with a convenient ladder, stood at least ten meters tall.
I looked at the party members staring blankly up at the watchtower and said,
"I'll climb up, check things out, and be back."
I immediately climbed the ladder and took out a telescope. It would have been difficult to make out distant details with the naked eye.
The forest was larger than I'd expected, roughly the size of a small village. There were no flying monsters, at least, and the trees grew so densely that I could barely see the ground below... but I had a rough idea where the path to the second floor was. A small opening lay to the north according to my compass. That was probably the way down.
We only had to head straight north from here.
The basic route was set. I was uneasy only because the dangers inside the forest remained unknown. I wanted to identify every monster lurking there from the tower, but I had no way to see through a forest of trees only slightly shorter than the watchtower.
How exciting. I had to enter the forest and investigate the danger myself.
...Still, it was far better than dealing with those bear cubs or Hydra whelps.
Those creatures smashed through most traps with their bodies and possessed both powerful physiques and cunning. I could confidently say that monsters more infuriating than them were hard to find. Even the creatures in the rift... Were they really stronger than those bastards...?
[Contractor, they're calling you from below.]
Ah, it was about time to go down.
-----------------
"Lewis. Can you use aura?"
"I can use it for a short time."
As expected of the protagonist. At his age, anyone who claimed to use aura was usually mocked for being full of hot air. Seeing him actually draw his sword and produce even a faint aura put my mind at ease.
If I put him through intensive training for a year, could I raise him into an endgame build? I knew a more efficient growth route than anyone—
...When had this become Lewis Maker?
I wasn't interested in raising a man.
"Avoid using aura whenever possible. We need to conserve as much strength as we can until we meet the master of this dungeon."
"Understood."
"Now we'll enter the forest. You remember the formation I explained, so take your positions."
Lewis took the front, followed by Sif. I stood in the middle, with Shuri and Viola behind me. We formed up and entered the forest. It received us in silence.
I wished it had been noisy instead.
I pulled out my compass, checked north, and gave Lewis the direction.
"Our first objective is the northern edge. Keep a close watch on the surroundings as we move."
"Yes!"
The party answered as one. That was what a party should sound like.
I adjusted my gas mask and rested the shovel in my hand on my shoulder, ready to respond to any monster that appeared. The handmade mask was uncomfortable because I had paid little attention to how it fit, but it was still better than going without one.
"It's uncannily quiet."
"Maybe there aren't any monsters nearby?"
The monsters had probably been multiplying for quite some time, so there should not have been so few. I ignored Sif's reply and sharpened my senses.
Nothing was more frightening than a monster I could not see.
But despite having come fairly deep into the forest, I felt no presence at all. In the end, I had no choice but to raise my hand and quietly give an order.
"Halt."
"H-here?"
"Yeah."
Her confusion was obvious, but there was something I needed to check.
"Shuri. Do you see that withered tree?"
All the other trees were thick and healthy, but that one stood alone, withered and gaunt. Perhaps it was my imagination, but it also seemed to be moving slightly.
"Y-yes!"
"Cast a suitable spell at it."
"At that tree?"
"Yes."
At my words, Shuri stepped forward and extended her palm toward the withered tree. It was twenty meters away, far enough to be reasonably safe. She closed her eyes for a moment as though choosing a spell, then opened them and chanted.
"Wind Cutter!"
The blade of wind launched from Shuri's palm raced mercilessly toward the withered tree. A chilling scream rang out, and blood spattered.
"Blood...!?"
"Everyone, ready your weapons! Watch the surroundings!"
I swept my gaze over the still-inexperienced party members, youngsters I'd have to protect in an emergency. I extended my shovel and held it in one hand, keeping the other free for magic.
I looked back toward the withered tree, the source of the scream. It was moving. When I looked more closely, a face had appeared on its trunk.
The monster had a face like a Halloween pumpkin decoration I'd seen online long ago. Blood dripped from its trunk as it began walking toward us and spat small monsters from its knotholes.
"This is a fucking mess. Lewis, I'll turn that hunk of wood into firewood. The rest of you focus on defense."
"W-what about magic?!"
"No need."
I extended my hand. It was about fifteen meters away, well within my spell's range. I casually spoke the name of a spell I'd come to use often.
"Call of the Abyss."
My hand transformed into a blue tentacle, thinner than the Kraken's tentacles I'd seen several months earlier. Like a man made of rubber, I stretched it out and wrapped it firmly around one of the tree monster's branches.
And then, I shortened the tentacle's length.
Whoosh—
The distance between us vanished in an instant. One blow was all I needed. I released the spell, put my strength behind the momentum carrying me, and swung my shovel. Unable to react to my sudden approach, the monster's face caved in as though struck by an axe, and an ear-splitting scream erupted directly before me.
It was damn loud.
"Looks like they're managing over there..."
Fortunately, it didn't appear to have many companions; none of its kind were in sight. Only the small beasts that had burst from its body ran wild.
Taking advantage of the tree monster's moment of agony, I activated a Skill.
"Craft."
A pit. A larger pit. Repeated activations created a hole deep enough to swallow half the tree monster's body and dragged it downward. It still was not enough.
"Craft. Craft. Craft. Craft. Craft."
I covered the area around the root monster with structures. As I had done to the Hydra, I pinned its body between countless pillars, leaving it able to do nothing but shriek.
The small monsters swarming me were annoying, though.
"Sprinkler."
I sprayed the sticky mucus evenly over the monster's body. It seemed confused by what I was doing, but that was not going to make me back off. It only had to stay still and take it. I was going to give it a tan.
I drove the small monsters away with a few swings of my shovel, then took a match from my pack.
"Tonight's going to be warm."
I lit the match.
Then I watched the tree monster thrash as it sensed its approaching death and tossed the match into the pit. It had not gone out on the way, had it? That'd have been annoying—
"!@&#(*&!)(*$&!)*#$(!*&@!*()!!"
It burned well. Better than the forest at Yiling...
"Craft."
To stop the fire from spreading, I erected walls around the tree monster as it enjoyed a full-body campfire. From a distance, the scene looked like a primitive religion performing a human sacrifice. With its screams as background noise, I walked leisurely back toward the party.
The party was still busy fighting the small monsters.
I took the box out of my pack.
It was the perfect time for a test.
I carefully opened the box.
They were about to get a taste of biochemical terrorism, courtesy of the dining hall.
The smell of garlic, amplified several times over with chemicals, began spreading through the forest.