Chapter 3
Chapter 3 – Dungvengers
It took me a full week after that to finally come to my senses and think that maybe I should try to live on.
The first thing I did was request a meal.
-163417413th Hero Candidate Park Jeong-yong. Your ordered meal has arrived. Enjoy your meal.
Such a panel appeared in the air, followed by a burst of light green light. A tray emerged and floated gently towards me. Even in my dazed state, I let out a gasp.
'No matter how many times I see it, that's amazing.'
Here, there's a system where you can get a meal once a day if you request it. Maybe it's natural since people need to eat to live.
"Hmm."
I stared blankly at the tray. The visual is completely like military food. The menu is also like military food. I tried a chopstick-full of some unidentifiable stir-fried meat.
It tastes like military food too.
"... damn..."
Already lacking appetite from dealing with my current reality, seeing military food in front of me makes my appetite plummet further. I tossed aside my spoon with a sigh and slumped down.
"Excuse me."
As I was crouching near the drum, staring at the food like I was watching over it, suddenly a dark shadow wavered before me. I slightly raised my head at the soft voice calling me.
There stood a mysterious woman with blue-colored hair and silver eyes.
"That. Are you not going to eat it?"
She said while staring intently at the food.
It was an odd greeting for a first meeting.
"That. Are you not going to eat it?"
When I didn't answer, she must have thought I hadn't heard. The woman repeated robotically with an expressionless face.
Well, what can I do. I nodded since I wasn't going to eat it. Then she said:
"I know how to eat rice too."
"Huh?"
"I too, know how to eat rice deliciously."
"..."
"Machines can't request personal meals. Did you know that?"
"... huh?"
The woman kept muttering incomprehensible things. I observed her carefully and then nodded.
Though I'm not quite sure, in short, she's interested in my food, right? Looking at her eyes sparkling at the tray beneath her expressionless gaze, I'm certain now.
I cheerfully held out the whole tray to her.
"Take it."
"What?"
Expression appeared on the woman's face for the first time. She received the tray bewilderedly while looking at me. Her face showed surprise.
Her beauty seems to come alive much more when her expressions become rich.
"Is it okay? To so readily give this to a suspicious person like me..."
So you know you're suspicious.
I burst out laughing at her consistently strange behavior. When I suddenly laughed, the woman blinked her eyes, and I waved my hand dismissively.
"It's fine, take it. Consider it a payment for making me laugh."
Actually, after talking with her, my heart that had felt heavy as lead seemed to lighten a bit.
Perhaps I had been thinking about the situation too difficulty in a way unlike myself. It feels like I've regained something more important than food.
The blue-haired woman kept tilting her head but firmly gripped the tray with both hands.
"Um, then I'll gratefully take it... but why are you laughing? Did I say something strange?"
"If you're curious, come again later. I'll give you food."
"Oh, really?!"
The woman immediately brightened at my words. Her unique mysterious atmosphere blended well with her smiling face. I found myself staring blankly without realizing it.
She kept bowing her head repeatedly and left with quick steps. Then suddenly she stopped midway and looked at me.
"My name is Cessna. What's yours?"
Now she wants to exchange names. I really can't get a read on her.
Though thinking that, I answered readily.
"Park Jeong-yong. Call me Jeong-yong."
"Then Jeong-yong! Thank you so much for today! I'll never forget this kindness for the rest of my life!"
"Come on, it's just food, no need for lifelong gratitude..."
"See you next time! Bye!"
Just before I could return the greeting, an immense crowd surged due to a gate opening at the perfect timing. The gate that had sucked in people before I could even process it closed again.
In the place swept by the wave of humans, there was no longer any sign of the blue-haired woman... Cessna.
"... There really are all sorts of weird people here."
Though saying that, I got up with a start.
Because now, finally, I truly felt like trying to live.
I shoved my hands in my pockets and started walking with dragging steps.
* * *
First, I went to find the frog-human.
"Oh, if it isn't that new friend from before. What brings you here?"
"... Actually..."
Fortunately, the frog-human remembered my face.
I explained everything to him from the beginning and confessed my current situation of knowing nothing. Fortunately, he listened to my story with a serious expression.
Of course, that was only until I told him about the conversation I had with Shit-hair.
"Threw a punch? Shit-hair? Hahaha! No wonder that woman was shocked and ran away! What were you thinking when you did that?"
"I wasn't really thinking. It's just my temperament to pay back what I receive."
"Kuhehe! You're really something!"
Soon we became close enough to exchange names.
His name was Skalo. As I had guessed, he was indeed a frog-human. He said he was someone who had been dragged here from a different world than mine. He too knew about Minerva's existence.
"Um, Skalo. Actually, I came looking for you because I have some questions."
"Hmm. Right. Of course you'd have many questions. That woman's explanations are quite unfriendly."
He let out a knowing sigh, then readily nodded.
"Alright. Ask away. I'll answer everything I know."
"Thank you. Then..."
I asked various questions about this place to him, who clearly looked experienced.
He answered my questions kindly, whether it was his natural personality or something else.
"Do you want to know the full story?"
"Well, yes."
"Short and simple? Or long and detailed?"
"Short and simple, please."
"Understood."
He nodded and took a breath. When he finally opened his mouth, I focused all my attention on his lips.
... Looking closely, his mouth kind of resembles a frog's.
"Friend, you are one of countless people summoned as heroes to this world from numerous dimensions."
"... Huh?"
"You responded to the contract of the 9999th Hero Summoning Ceremony in Paraiso Continent of the First Realm of Gailand dimension. You were summoned here to the Veil Trial."
"What?"
"After being summoned to Paraiso Continent from here and passing the aptitude test, we must fight as official heroes against the Demon king and their minions, the demon race, who are rampaging across Paraiso Continent."
"Hold on, Professor. The pace is too fast..."
I kept expressing amazement at the series of incomprehensible words. But the frog-human... Skalo just kept his mouth shut and stared at me silently, as if his business was done.
When I scratched my head, Skalo added one more comment with a smirk.
"Didn't you ask for short and simple? I swear on my name I didn't tell a single lie, so interpret it as you will."
That's right. Can't argue with that since I asked for it. He's surprisingly playful.
"Hmm... Hero... Demon king... Test...?"
I started forcefully injecting these unbelievable words Skalo had spoken into my brain one by one. Steam was rising. It felt like my brain was being overloaded.
'Come to think of it, I think I saw something about a Demon king in the contract. Or maybe not...'
Anyway, being asked to believe such nonsense thrown right in front of me... it's not as easy as I thought.
"Have you processed it somewhat?"
After several minutes, Skalo carefully asked me. I nodded for now.
"Well, somewhat."
"Good. Then let me explain the current situation."
Skalo said this while stretching out his hand to point at the surroundings. I moved my gaze following his gesture.
"As I said, this place is called the Veil Trial. You... Park Jeong-yong, was it? It's the boundary between your dimension and the Gailand dimension, and it's an intermediate stage that will guide you to the hero testing grounds scattered throughout this world."
"Wait."
After thinking quietly, I asked again because I still couldn't understand.
"Please explain it more simply. For example?"
"Immigration checkpoint?"
"... Ah."
I immediately nodded at the clear comparison. And I started looking around at the surroundings again.
My brow furrowed unconsciously.
"But... this looks less like an immigration checkpoint and more like..."
"A vagrant settlement? I thought so too. I heard the administrator is absent."
"Hmm. I see."
It was exactly that. This place doesn't have a clean image like an immigration checkpoint. As I mentioned before, it feels like you could get your organs stolen if you look away for a moment.
And at that moment. With a rumbling sound, the gate opened. Our gazes turned simultaneously.
"Keeeeek!"
"This time, this time for sure!!"
People charged toward the gate with fire in their eyes.
"...I've been wanting to ask about this. What exactly is that situation?"
"What else could it be? You can only escape from here through that newly created gate. Since there's a limited capacity, quick reflexes are vital."
"Ah..."
As I was nodding quietly, I felt something off. It didn't take long to realize what it was.
"Escape? That's quite a loaded word choice, isn't it?"
"Escape is correct. How many people do you think are here right now?"
"At least several thousand, I'd say."
"But each time the gate opens, the capacity never exceeds 50 people."
"... How often does the gate open?"
"At shortest, one hour. At longest, half a day?"
"......"
"Getting the picture now?"
I am.
Seriously getting it.
In front of my stiffened form, Skalo shrugged his shoulders after letting out a heavy sigh. A heavy lamentation poured out from him.
"Do you know how long I've been here?"
"... How long?"
"1 year and 3 months."
"...!"
"I was one of the earliest candidates summoned in this 9999th ceremony. As you can see, being an amphibian beastman, my mobility on flat ground isn't great. Thanks to that, I kept getting pushed back even by people summoned later, and now I'm just endlessly sunbathing here."
He paused there and laughed self-deprecatingly.
Skalo let out a long breath with a "hmm" and said.
"Well... while my case is abnormally long, I'm not sure if someone relatively ordinary like you can win in competition against this place full of extraordinary people. You saw that fierce intensity, didn't you?"
"W-well, that's..."
I swallowed unconsciously. And I realized my situation was as dark and gloomy as this place.
How should I put it... It reminds me of when I used to do labor work to make money. I thought it was really intense back then, competing with other workers to squeeze into delivery trucks.
How is becoming a hero more intense than labor work?
"Making a living is tough no matter which world you're in. Damn it."
As I muttered to myself, Skalo nodded in agreement.