Chapter 230: Dungeon Destruction Verification (Part 1)

Six hours had passed since the dungeon conquest began. Despite occasional breaks, the group had made it to the boss room on the 15th floor.

They progressed without encountering any significant difficulties along the way.

The party consisted of Nanashi Village’s elite, all exceeding level 120. Even the lowest among them, Lev, was at level 90. With such a formidable lineup, there was no chance they would struggle.

“Are all three of you feeling okay?”

“We’re absolutely fine. Honestly, the beginning of the dive was the toughest part.”

“Thanks to leveling up. Let me appraise your stats real quick.”

After checking their statuses…

Masaki had reached level 47, while Shiina and Yuzuno had reached level 45. They didn’t have professions or skills yet, but their levels alone were quite substantial. They were likely higher than most adventurers around.

“Level 47… Have I surpassed even the returnees from another world?”

“I think the highest level was around 42. You’ve suddenly jumped to the top of humanity.”

“Being able to power-level in real life… That’s just amazing.”

Even before diving into the dungeon, these three had shown no hesitation in being parasitic. Masaki in particular had a strong tendency towards this, gleefully accepting it almost to the point where his natural tone slipped through.

By the way, I had also ceased using polite language. It was troublesome to issue instructions, and there was no one around who needed to hear it.

“I thought Masaki would dislike being parasitic… but that doesn’t seem to be the case at all?”

“Anyone who would miss out on such an opportunity is a complete fool. Besides, I believe in self-restraint but not in holding back.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Well, once you become villagers, feel free to raise them to your heart’s content. Just don’t die in the process.”

With that, the conversation reached a pause, and spontaneously, everyone began to stand up. The final battle against the boss was about to commence.

I had heard from the goddess that the Orc King awaited us. If his strength was comparable, he should be around level 70. There might not be any dramatic turns, but we had to stay vigilant and avoid complacency.

◇◇◇

Shortly afterward, everyone was lined up in front of the door. Drago and Nail stepped forward, pushing open the sturdy door together.

Cold, chilling air spilled out from inside the room.

Until then, the interior had been pitch black, but now torchlights were illuminating everywhere. It was a grand production suitable for the final boss battle.

Seated on a throne in the distance was the massive Orc King, accompanied by his minions. They stood in formation, glaring silently at the intruders.

Shortly thereafter, accompanied by the king’s resounding roar… the final battle commenced—

And it concluded in five minutes.

Actually, it didn’t even take a minute, but it took about four minutes for Masaki and the others to regain their composure. In total, it was a five-minute, intense final battle. Currently, our members are collecting the dropped items.

“What on earth was that just now…”

“I thought it was the end of the world.”

“I… might have leaked a little…”

Finally able to speak, the three muttered such things. There seemed to be one person a little too late to the party…

“It was Drago’s roar and Sakura’s water magic. Don’t worry about the three of them; I’m a bit scared too. …Oh, I didn’t leak, though.”

“This can’t be publicized to the world. Only that person will be informed…”

Of course, what we’re talking about isn’t leakage. It’s about our combat capabilities.

Although Drago and Sakura had fought safely until they arrived here—apparently, they couldn’t resist going all out in the end. But I don’t think that was their full power either.

As soon as all the items were collected, a stone pillar protruded from the center of the room. It was the familiar teleportation device, unchanged in shape and color from the other world. I had thought the dungeon would collapse after defeating the boss, but it seemed different.

While the three were still dazed, we began to consider the conditions for the dungeon’s destruction.

First, I tried to appraise it, but there wasn’t any specific information. Even after investigating the entire room together, we couldn’t find a single clue. Somehow, more than thirty minutes had passed.

“Village chief, maybe the only option left is to destroy this thing?”

“Yeah, I’m anxious about what might happen, but should we give it a try?”

“If it collapses with us buried alive…”

“Hey, Sakura, stop setting flags here. It would be the worst ending if that happened.”

The only remaining possibility is to destroy the stone pillar in front of us. But…

We can’t set up a barrier here. As the next best thing, Sakura used her magic to form a thick dome of ice. As long as she kept pouring mana into it, there was no worry of it collapsing.

“Masaki-san, shall I destroy it?”

“Yes, I’m all right now. Please go ahead without hesitation.”

“Drago, in case of emergency, I’ll rely on your roar. I want you to open a big hole toward the surface.”

“Alright, leave it to me.”

With everyone’s consent, Touya slashed sideways with his sword. The stone pillar was destroyed without resistance… and an enormous amount of magic energy overflowed from the cut. The visible energy diffused throughout the surroundings, slipping through walls.

And the next moment—

Everyone was returned to the surface.

“It seems like the entrance has disappeared.”

“But Keisuke-san, does this mean…”

“Yeah, it’s a sign of restoration. Even the appraisal says ‘Dungeon: Regenerating’.”

Back on the Surface, we were thrown back to where the entrance had been.

There was nothing there anymore, but almost in the same spot, a swirl of magic was beginning to form. Moreover, surrounding it, a brick-like wall was starting to take shape, nearly identical to what was there before.

“Drago, Nail. Did you feel anything during that phenomenon earlier?”

When I asked them, their responses were exactly the same. The two nodded to each other in agreement.

The magic energy that erupted from the stone pillar earlier dispersed towards the surroundings. As a result, the amount of mana in this entire area has become extremely diluted. This level of scarcity seems unprecedented. Right now, the magic vortex in front of us is gathering mana, they informed me.

“Could this mean the dungeon has reset? I don’t really know.”

“I’m not sure about that either. With this amount of mana, not even goblins would likely spawn. It’s that diluted.”

Drago, sensitive to mana, said so, and he was probably not mistaken. Although the duration until the dungeon’s regeneration was uncertain, it seemed like it would eventually return to its original state. We would monitor the situation for a while and then get a report from Masaki-san to resolve it.

◇◇◇

On the way back that day, rattling in a Self-Defense Force vehicle towards the village.

How long has it been since I’ve holed up in the dungeon for a whole day? The pleasant sway alleviated the mental fatigue, and I nodded off drowsily. However, this was still outside the barrier, and I desperately fought against drowsiness, telling myself not to sleep.

And then, at that moment, Nail sitting next to me—

“Village chief, I just thought of something…”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Our village… could we destroy those stone pillars lined up over there? If it’s possible, what would happen to the dungeon… to our village?”

Still groggy, Nail’s words didn’t register immediately. Even if we could destroy them, that village had an enormous number of teleportation circles. It would be impossible to destroy them all, I casually replied…

“Then, what about the surface? According to the village chief’s words, would it reset? Would mana thin out and Minotaurs and Orcs disappear… and stop spawning?”

“Oh man, that’s possible…”

“If that happens, we might be able to reclaim humanity’s habitat.”

“No way… Nail, you’ve noticed something incredible.”

“It’s just beyond the realm of imagination.”

However, when we destroy the dungeon from another world, we don’t know what phenomenon might occur. It might even lead to the world collapsing. First, we would inquire with the Goddess, confirm, and then proceed with the investigation.

If we could reset it, we could normalize the continent to the west. But if that happens, during the nationwide teleportation, an enormous number of people would likely survive.

(Hey, hey, this absolutely can’t be disclosed… It’s not decided yet, but the possibility seems high.)

The old man, completely awake now, continued to get caught up in swirling thoughts afterward—

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