41
Chapter 41
Luna Rabbit brought a Human corpse.
To be exact, she only brought back the face.
I stared intently at that face.
The skin was dyed blue.
For a moment, I thought it was the Azure Human I met last time.
But it couldn't be the same person.
Because she said that corpse was an Ebony Slayer.
The badge of the Azure Human I saw before was platinum.
In other words, a Platinum Slayer.
Looking closely, the facial features were distinctly different too.
"Woong! Hurry up and check if it really is a Special Grade! This guy is definitely a fake! I attacked weakly, but he died in one hit!"
Luna Rabbit thrust the Human's face toward Ailee.
She handed over the Black Badge as well.
Ailee carefully examined the Azure Human's face and the Black Badge.
She was remarkably calm, even looking at a Human corpse.
Even though they were her own kind until recently.
Ah. I guess it's to be expected?
She must have witnessed countless deaths throughout her life.
Since Ailee was also a former Monster Slayer.
"This... is definitely an Ebony Slayer's badge."
Ailee came to a conclusion.
It seemed he wasn't a fake Ebony Slayer after all.
Luna Rabbit, who had brought the corpse, raised her voice with a shocked expression.
"Woong? Stop lying! Didn't you say Special Grades are strong!"
"...I'm not lying. Impersonation is impossible in the first place. There are only a few Humans in the world who can craft a Slayer's badge. And even they all belong to the Guild Headquarters. Therefore, this badge isn't fake."
Ailee's face was full of conviction.
She gently placed the Azure Human's face down on the floor, then turned her gaze back to Luna Rabbit and spoke with a look of awe.
"Anyway, you're truly amazing. To think you killed an Ebony Slayer in a single hit...."
"What's amazing about that! That guy was super weak! I was so excited, but I'm disappointed, woooong!!!"
Luna Rabbit threw a temper tantrum, wildly flailing her long ears.
Then, out of nowhere, she ran toward me.
"Woooong! Teddy Bear, comfort me!"
Luna Rabbit hugged me tightly.
What exactly was I supposed to be comforting her for?
She was a truly incomprehensible rabbit.
"Don't be too heartbroken, woong."
"Woong. Those guys called Crimson and Astral are probably strong. Go out and look for them again later."
Two other Luna Rabbits approached and offered words of consolation.
For now, I joined in and comforted her as well.
Pat, pat.
As I patted her face, I looked back down at the Azure Human's face and the Black Badge.
The lowest rank among the Special Grades.
Ebony Slayer.
The power level of the Humans in that grade must vary wildly from person to person.
Because a grade is ultimately just a qualification given to those who pass a certain standard.
Of course.
There had to be a minimum threshold of strength for a Special Grade.
Since they held the title of Special Grade, there was no way it could be achieved by track record alone.
I wanted to gauge that rough minimum threshold.
But unfortunately, that was impossible.
Since there was no way to verify the information of someone who was already dead.
It also seemed she left behind the Soul Weapon that Human was wielding.
Well, the day will come when I'll find out.
Until then, let's just focus on growing.
***
After the one Luna Rabbit returned.
Ailee continued her explanation about Humans.
What the nature of Humans was like.
The level of their civilization's development.
What races existed.
What nations and organizations there were.
Plus information regarding Soul Weapons.
"......."
Ailee, who had been explaining passionately.
She suddenly stopped talking and kept her mouth shut.
Then, she slowly turned her head to observe the rabbits' reactions.
Their reactions were quite different from before.
The Luna Rabbits weren't paying attention to the story at all.
The one who had gone out remained dispirited, and the other two were listening half-heartedly, as if they had lost interest.
It probably wasn't a lack of focus.
Their interest in Humans had simply completely cooled off.
Since, by the Luna Rabbits' standards, they had learned that Special Grades weren't as strong as they thought.
"Um, it seems you all have lost interest in the Human race now...."
Not only the Luna Rabbits,
The other rabbits seemed to have lost interest as well.
The number of rabbits gathered in front of Ailee to listen to her story had decreased significantly, and most of the remaining ones were dozing off.
Only a tiny minority were listening attentively.
For the record, Tosuni and I were among them.
"...I'll stop the story here."
I was listening closely, though....
Well, it's a shame, but it can't be helped.
For now, let's just review what we've heard so far.
Hmm....
She said the materials for a Soul Weapon are monster corpses and Mana Stones, that many nations have a class system, but some don't, and also.......
To make it easier to remember later.
I summarized and organized all the stories I heard today in my head.
Oh, and this is just a guess.
Putting all of Ailee's stories together, it seemed that science wasn't very advanced in this world.
It was probably because they relied on the power called skills for everything.
"Woong? Is the story over already?"
"Good job, that was useful info! Woong!"
"Woooong, I was so moved."
The three Luna Rabbits stood up from their seats, pretending they had been listening intently.
I guess they felt somewhat sorry for not paying attention.
***
As the festival gradually came to an end.
Ailee asked a question to Tosun's Mom, who was next to her.
"Oh right, Tosun's Mom. There's something I've been curious about for a while."
"Woom? Something you're curious about? I'll answer if it's something I know, so go ahead and ask."
"By any chance... is this space also called a Dungeon?"
"Woooom. So you knew about Dungeons? That's right, this is a Dungeon too. The ownership is divided among the three Ancestors."
Gasp.
I had a feeling this place was like a Dungeon, but it really is one.
Hearing Tosun's Mom's answer,
Ailee slowly looked around the space for a moment.
And she also briefly patted her own body.
Tosun's Mom, who was watching her with a puzzled look, asked.
"What's wrong? Is there something strange?"
"No, it's just... this Dungeon is inhabited by incredibly strong individuals like you, Tosun's Mom, and the Luna Rabbits, right? Yet it's a bit puzzling that we, as outsiders, don't have any debuffs."
Debuff?
Do you normally get a debuff when you enter a Dungeon?
It seemed Ailee had quite a bit of Dungeon experience.
That must mean Dungeons exist on the Human continent as well.
"Woong? Why do you guys have no debuffs at all?"
Between Tosun's Mom and Ailee.
One Luna Rabbit suddenly cut in.
The Luna Rabbit looked at Ailee and continued.
"That's obvious, it's because our Dungeon is currently in guest hospitality mode. Woong."
"Guest hospitality mode?"
"It means it's in a state that welcomes anyone who enters. By the way, I made that word up, woong."
Hop, hop.
The Luna Rabbit distanced herself from Ailee.
"And if we turn off the hospitality mode, it becomes like this."
Rumble-!
The ground vibrated for a moment.
Along with that, the air grew heavy and crushed down on my body.
What? What happened?
Before my panicked eyes, the information for Ailee and the Baby Doll popped up.
[Servant Vampire lv.14]
┗Pw.21
┗Rnk.Superior
[Dirty Doll lv.10]
┗Pw.5
┗Rnk.Normal
Both of their power had dropped.
Half of their power had been erased.
Is this a Dungeon's debuff?
I immediately checked my own information too.
[Dragon Teddy Bear lv.17]
┗Pw.25 (+8)
┗Rnk.Superior
[Skill]
[Skill Sealed State]
My base power had also dropped below half.
The bonus power was unaffected.
No, just how strong is this debuff?
Dropping power by half is one thing, but completely sealing all skills? Does that make any sense?
The Luna Rabbit curled up the corners of her mouth and asked Ailee.
"Ohoho. How is it, can you instantly feel how weak you've become?"
"Yes... It feels like more than half of my strength has vanished. A Dungeon with a debuff of this level... It truly wasn't an ordinary Dungeon after all...."
"Woong! We made this Dungeon, so of course it isn't ordinary! And at your level, all your skills are probably sealed too."
"All my skills are sealed? I've heard of Dungeons that randomly seal one skill, but I've never even heard of a Dungeon that seals them all... Ah."
Ailee stopped speaking and let out an exclamation.
It seemed she realized that a total skill seal would be possible if it was a Dungeon created by a Luna Rabbit.
If our levels or ranks were higher, our skills probably wouldn't have been completely sealed.
I guessed that all our skills were sealed because our levels were too low and our ranks too pathetic compared to the Luna Rabbit.
While a Debuff was applied to us outsiders like this, the residents here received a Buff in contrast.
[Devoted Rabbit Doll lv.14]
┗Pw.42 (+42)
┗Rnk.Superior
"Woong!"
Tosuni had become a monster.
To think she gained a whopping double the bonus power.
Isn't this game-breaking?
You should gain stats in moderation, you punk!
The other rabbits didn't get double.
It seemed designed so that the weaker you are, the more bonus power you receive.
Anyway.
I finally understood why the rabbits lived inside a Dungeon.
There's no place as safe as here....
Of course, not all Dungeons would be like this.
The Debuff and Buff are only this ridiculous because it's a Dungeon made by a monster on the level of a Luna Rabbit.
Desire bloomed within me.
It wasn't a desire to live here.
I wouldn't be able to grow if I stayed holed up in a place that's too safe.
The desire I had.
It was the desire to create my own Dungeon.
How do I make a Dungeon?
Would having the Dungeon Creation skill be enough?
Probably. In this world, skills solve everything.
Alright. Starting today, I'll desperately wish for a Dungeon and endlessly daydream about getting one. If my Luck is good, I might achieve a milestone and receive the Dungeon Creation skill as a reward.
As I was making plans in my head.
[Dragon Teddy Bear lv.17]
┗Pw.51 (+8)
┗Rnk.Superior
My strength returned.
My skills also became usable again.
It seemed the Luna Rabbit had switched the Dungeon back to guest hospitality mode.
Good timing.
I was just about to ask her to lift the skill seal anyway.
I immediately used the Evolution skill.
I wanted to check the Evolution list right away.
Who knows, there might be a species like 'Dungeon Master Dragon Teddy Bear' in the Evolution route.
It's just a guess, though.
It seems Evolution routes are newly generated based on my Actions, experiences, or the opponents I've devoured.
Right now, I am inside a Dungeon.
So there was a high chance that a Dungeon-Related Teddy Bear Route had been generated!
================
[Evolvable Species]
◎ Ruin Dragon Teddy Bear - Superior
◎ Lucky Dragon Teddy Bear - Superior
================
What, it's not there.