Chapter 27

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 27

Chapter Title: Julius (3)

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I chewed on the jerky, grinding away.

Thanks for the concern, but... well.

I'm damn sure Julius can't make it out alive.

"Hm."

Still, nothing's absolute.

Odds of him surviving and escaping? About 5%?

6. The Elevator Likes Numbers.

Through the sacrifices of his comrades so far, Julius had learned "how not to die to the machinery."

Now all that remained was "using the machinery to reach the next zone."

In truth, the latter was far easier than the former.

As long as they followed the rules, they could explore the machinery freely.

The only part we could interact with was the number buttons from 1 to 10.

So the answer had to lie there.

Press a number button, and an announcement plays: "Going up" or "Going down," accompanied by a sensation of floating or falling.

Then a voice announces the floor change, the doors open, and a pitch-black hallway enters view.

Floors 1 through 10 were all unlit hallways.

Julius stared at the elevator's display panel.

It clearly read "1."

Yet pressing 1 from the elevator didn't bring him back to where they stood.

Instead, it showed the unlit hallway—the fake 1st floor.

"......"

Opportunities to press buttons in the machinery: three per cycle.

In other words, up to three floor changes at once.

After that, it returns to this hallway.

Let's call this process a "cycle" from now on.

One cycle guaranteed an unlit hallway, and occasionally an encounter with the bugmen.

Julius pondered.

Why does pressing 1 take me not here, but to the fake 1st floor?

Why do cycles even exist?

"...Wait a second."

Julius set down his water bottle.

He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and shot to his feet.

"Elder, what's wrong?"

Madeleine, who had just changed pants, asked.

"It feels just like a safe, you know."

"A safe?"

"Maybe it's a reset."

"A reset?"

Madeleine stared blankly at Julius like an idiot.

Julius sighed in exasperation.

"This dungeon has absolute rules. Reveal and follow them, and it won't harm us. You know that, right?"

"How could I forget after nearly dying just now?"

"Then there must be a rule for using this machinery to reach the next zone. It's a passage, after all?"

Madeleine nodded.

"We get three chances per cycle to move this thing. After that, back to square one. I don't think it's meaningless."

Floors 1 to 10: all unlit hallways.

Places harboring something even he might not defeat.

Dreamland wasn't a dungeon you could brute-force like a normal one.

This Dreamland stood in opposition to other dungeons.

A place governed by laws alien to our world.

Try solving it with magic or force, and death follows swiftly—a brutal realm.

You absolutely couldn't approach it with an intruder's common sense.

To seize the magic stones here, first you had to understand this place.

"If conquering the unlit hallways isn't the way... Here's what I think."

The cycle process is as follows:

Press a number button.

Moves with announcement, floor changes.

Repeat twice more.

Julius insisted they focus on being able to press up to exactly "three" buttons.

With no way to find the next-zone floor, their only option was simple.

Enter specific number combinations within one cycle.

Like inputting a password to open a safe.

Of course, can't go same floor to same floor.

Exclude those cases.

"Like 234, 345, that sort of thing... So in simple terms, Elder, you're saying pressing numbers isn't moving floors, but entering a password?"

"Exactly."

Of course, it might not be.

But.

Worth a shot.

The other two nodded too.

They'd learned much about this machinery.

Might be undiscovered rules still.

But not so scary now.

Assuming Julius was right.

If a three-digit password unlocks the next zone, combinations: about 810.

Doable.

Aside from bugmen popping out mid-way to lick your face with antennae—totally doable.

Day 6 of dungeon exploration.

Madeleine grumbled about why she always had to go into the machinery.

But she'd adapted to the bugmen now.

Anyone else might die stupidly.

And they couldn't tell Julius to go scout.

"Goddamn elevator."

She reluctantly pressed the button.

Starting with the units digit.

10-9-1.

10-9-2.

Then shift the tens digit.

Systematically.

10-8-1.

10-8-2.

Finish all tens shifts.

Then shift hundreds, repeat.

9-10-1.

9-10-2.

Tedious time dragged on.

Day 7 of dungeon exploration.

Madeleine sighed.

At first, the bugmen terrified her beyond words.

Now?

She could say she was used to them.

Even close her eyes if they wanted a kiss.

-Everything okay?

"Yes, sir. No issues."

Today, too, he pressed buttons.

And then.

4-3-1.

4-3-10.

The moment a specific number was entered.

Clunk!

The elevator shook.

Felt like plummeting at high speed.

Then body lightening, floating upward.

"Uwaaaaaaaaah!!"

"Madeleine? Madeleine?"

Julius urgently called her name.

Did she die?

-I hear you. Still alive.

Five minutes later.

Calm as if the scream never happened, she spoke.

"Unbelievable."

-Elder, seems I've reached the next zone.

"What do you see?"

-Hallways and rooms. Doors have signs like 2-2, 2-3, etc. Nothing else special. Seems safe here at least.

Julius immediately cast detection magic.

Madeleine spoke truth.

She'd moved to Zone 2, far down a long passage.

'But.'

Zone 2 was supposed to be empty.

Not anymore.

Long hallway leading to countless rooms.

Floors and stairs suddenly appearing.

Like peering inside a massive building.

Was Dreamland's Dungeon Master a god?

What sorcery was this?

Julius debated.

Keep using communication magic to boss minions from afar?

Or confirm Zone 2 with his own eyes?

'Better to see for myself. If dangerous, use escape scroll right away.'

If eyes can confirm,

eyes are best.

Entering Zone 2 felt different from scouting inside machinery.

"Go in. I'll follow."

"Got it."

Send minion first.

Safety needs multiple checks for peace of mind.

-No anomalies.

Only then.

Julius used the machinery to enter Zone 2.

Julius stared down the eerily quiet hallway.

Half-torn old posters clung to walls,

edges frayed from dampness.

Windows stretched long.

Outside: darkness.

Not night.

"......"

Closest thing: utter void.

No wind, stars, clouds.

Eerie scene raised goosebumps naturally.

'No machinery in sight.'

Julius cast detection magic.

'Spawn points random, huh.'

Couldn't see first entrants,

but not too far off.

'Rendezvous with minions first.'

Julius moved to step forward.

Then.

Tap tap.

Something patted his shoulder.

His face stiffened.

He'd just checked minions' positions.

Then who the hell was this?

Wanted to rip out escape scroll instantly,

but after elevator horrors, Julius couldn't act rashly.

Dreamland killed before you could react.

He turned.

Julius gulped.

Behind: a girl.

Yellow armband on arm, long dark hair.

School uniform like academy students wore.

But.

No eyes, nose, mouth.

Peach-colored egg for a face—grotesque.

"Um... Bringing dangerous items to school is a problem."

School?

Dangerous items?

Julius deep-breathed, forcing calm.

Mess up, die.

Mess up, die.

Mess up, die.

"Hand it over."

The girl extended eight arms forward.

"......"

Pretend crazy and use scroll? Tempting,

but no dice.

Julius inferred from dialogue what to do.

Dangerous item? Nothing but his gear.

Slowly offered staff; she snatched it.

Correct.

But she lingered.

Greedy one, apparently.

"Ha."

Julius let out a hollow laugh.

Finally got it.

Why minions never mentioned this.

Julius surrendered everything—weapons to gear, save clothes.

Then.

"I'll leave it at the faculty office. Pick it up after school."

Faceless girl vanished leisurely with his possessions.

"Those fucking bastards..."

Escape scroll confiscated.

Julius had to get it back.