Kays Translations

Chapter 95

There’s a sense of helplessness. But I have to pull myself together—I must.

As if convincing myself, as if turning away from the tragedy, I look away from the crater.

“Right… Where is everyone else?”

“Over there.”

When I look in the direction Rivana-san points, I see the others huddled near the edge of this rocky dome, seemingly protecting something.

They must have confirmed the monster’s corpse had vanished, because while still grouped together, they began heading toward us.

“It was a Crimson Bear, wasn’t it? Squad Leader, are you injured?”

“No. The strain was minimal.”

“That’s good to hear. What do you think of this monster?”

“Strong… considering it was from a lower floor.”

“I thought so. Shizuma-kun, what’s your impression?”

“This was my first time in a dungeon, so I’m not really sure…”

When I replied honestly, the people around me let out sounds of surprise.

No, seriously—I really don’t know what the usual state of things is.

“Ah, so it’s your first time in this dungeon. Still… it’s astonishing that someone your age could fight alongside the Squad Leader.”

“You’re flattering me. But… that monster, it felt unusually cruel—relentless, even. It didn’t seem like your typical monster.”

I was remembering how the monster acted just after we entered.

That stomping—it definitely looked like it was desecrating the victim’s corpse.

But the one who responded to that thought was someone unexpected.

“That’s probably because… he fought back and managed to injure it…”

The voice came timidly from behind Gark-san. A girl in the academy’s robe stepped forward cautiously.

I remembered her. She was in the training session with me—the one firing small bursts of flame repeatedly.

To think she made it this far so soon…

“Apparently, after yesterday’s seminar, she and her group challenged the dungeon immediately. They moved all night and reached this floor…”

“Ah… So maybe we cleared five floors yesterday and broke through the tenth. Then after midnight, the dungeon reset, and the floor boss respawned—just when they arrived.”

“Yes… I believe that’s what happened.”

That’s… just plain bad timing.

But why would they push themselves so hard?

Well, I’m not really one to talk either…

“Hmm… We’ll get the full story once we leave the dungeon. Shizuma-kun, we’re pulling out here for today—what about you?”

“Yeah, I think it’s a good stopping point for me too. But… is it really okay? What if another accident happens? Isn’t this dungeon dangerous now?”

“Exactly. That’s why another detachment from our clan is also entering to warn others.”

“I see…”

This incident will probably be widely reported among dungeon explorers.

It might even lead to the dungeon being closed off.

Though… maybe that’s how it should be. Dungeons are supposed to be dangerous places. But what about this man-made dungeon?

“Can you tell us your name and affiliation?”

“My name is Verjus. I’m a student at the Arcane Arts Research Academy.”

So her name’s revealed—Verjus, likely the sole survivor.

I figured from the robe, but she really is a student.

“I see… from the academy. Kubek, retrieve the bodies and weapons of the victims before the dungeon absorbs them.”

“Already done… There were two of them. They looked about my age…”

“…Judging from the robes left behind, they were probably fellow students. This must be hard for you. We’ll hear the full story once we return, alright?”

“Y-Yes… They were definitely from my academy.”

Just now… I felt something strange from her. What was that?

I feel bad, but I activate [Observation Eye] on her.

‘Verjus Abyss Redclas’

Descendant of a lineage born from mutated individuals

This individual is particularly abnormal and has been sealed postnatally

Suffering from a curse that suppresses magic recovery, greatly weakening her

Distinctive Abyss clan traits most visible in her eyes

Wha—!? There’s clearly more information than usual…!

A mutated individual…? Rivana-san had a similar result. But this girl too?

A clan of mutated beings? A postnatal sealing process? What is she…?

“Shizuma, do you want to attend the debriefing?”

“Sure, if it helps. But I’ll be heading back before evening.”

“Got it.”

Rivana-san seems to be speaking a bit more than usual.

Gone from two-word replies to three, maybe.

And so, with the remains of the two victims, I, Killcrawler, and the sole survivor, Velge, return.

There were casualties. And yet, for some reason… I feel like I’ve already come to terms with it.

Like I’m thinking “It can’t be helped.” Maybe this is what adapting to this world really means…

“Whew… just past three o’clock. A little earlier than I thought.”

Upon returning, we materialize in the designated crest chamber.

As I step out of the crest, another group of people—likely returning from a different floor—bursts in with panicked expressions.

“T-Thank god… We made it… What the hell was that…?”

“Is something wrong?”

“Huh? Oh! You’re from the Killcrawler party! Hey, do you know anything about this!? We just returned from the 35th floor! We ran and ran and ran, until the return crest finally activated—we barely made it! There was some freakish monster we’ve never seen before! I didn’t think such a thing could appear in a man-made dungeon…!”

The frantic party rushes to Gark-san.

The 35th floor… that’s pretty far down. If even the 10th had a Crimson Bear, whatever they saw must have been terrifying.

“I’d like to hear more about that. Would you accompany us? Is that alright?”

“Yeah, of course. We all made it out okay, but… that thing is too dangerous. Others will die if they face it. Our group usually operates from ‘the Island,’ targeting the ‘Dead Sea That Corrodes the Earth.’ We’ve gained a fair amount of experience. But even we fled in terror…”

“I see… So you’re a clan based on the Island. I’m sorry, but could you gather in the meeting room?”

Even the Explorer’s Guild has a second floor, and we’re all ushered into one of its rooms.

It’s somewhat temple-like—old-fashioned—but it’s spacious enough for a group.

Present are: Verjus, the lone survivor; the party that escaped from the 35th floor; the Killcrawler members; and a woman in uniform—probably a guild staff member.

“Guildmaster, thank you for coming despite your busy schedule.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m the one who tasked you with patrolling this dungeon in the first place, for the sake of public safety. So… the worst has finally happened—a death involving an outside participant.”

“It happened on our watch. We’re sorry.”

“No, the responsibility also lies with the Queen, who failed to shut down the artificial dungeon despite the abnormalities. The victims this time… both were children of nobility. This will cause quite a stir. Verjus-san, was it? Could you explain what happened in as much detail as possible?”

It seemed she was the one in charge of the guild. She still looked young, but she must be quite capable.

“Y-Yes… Originally, the two who died and I were not part of the same party. However, since we were from the same academy, well… I’m not a noble, so I couldn’t refuse their invitation. I was forced to join as a baggage carrier.”

For a moment, I thought I sensed a trace of guilt or darkness in her words.

No—maybe that was just my own bias, since I already knew her background and the rumors about her.

“We originally planned to return on the fifth floor. But since the floor boss didn’t appear on that level, it was decided we’d move ahead, and I was made to go along with them.”

“I see… please continue.”

“Yes. After the fifth floor, the monsters started getting stronger. Since our party mainly relied on magic, we began to struggle. Though I was inexperienced, I helped by holding off enemies using my staff or martial arts, giving others a chance to cast spells. We slowly made progress that way. But the next return crest was on the tenth floor. Our magic power was nearly depleted, and we barely held on using the recovery potions brought by our leader, Luka. Somehow, we finally reached the tenth floor.”

After that, she began speaking with visible fear, like she was reliving a nightmare.

“The monster on the tenth floor… it was completely beyond our ability to handle. I sensed that clearly. But Luka refused to retreat and initiated combat. It’s shameful to admit, but… I tried to hide in a corner and run away. Then, I heard a scream. But I think… Luka managed to land a blow. She was skilled—unlike me. I saw one of its eyes get burned out by her fire magic.”

“I see… That explains why the Crimson Bear was so relentlessly attacking the body when we arrived. It was retaliating… Thank you for telling us.”

When Verjus-san finished speaking, the female guildmaster responded in a calm, detached tone.

“It doesn’t seem like you’re lying. We cross-referenced your account with the combat records gathered from the weapons of the deceased and your own. They match your testimony.”

“Of course! I’m not lying!”

“Forgive me. But murders have occurred using artificial dungeons before. Whenever there are casualties, we must treat everyone as a suspect.”

“I-I see…”

I guess that’s the harsh reality of this world. Necessary, but still tough.

“Now then, may I ask the rest of you to speak next?”

“A-Ah. We are from the clan Mantis Shrimp, based on Yashiya Island, accessible by ship from the port town. We mainly explore the dungeon called Dead Sea that Devours the Earth. We’re a fairly established clan, if I may say so.”

“I see. So it was that clan. I recall you’re rated as a solid mid-tier group.”

“You’re too kind. This time, we sent a team with three veterans and two newcomers on an expedition to gain experience in Lindblum. Thanks to the Killcrawler members, we hadn’t run into any real danger or abnormal entities until recently—but…”

As expected from veterans, they had apparently defeated several abnormal entities on their own in the past and advanced steadily.

But on the 35th floor, they encountered a monster they simply couldn’t defeat.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. At first glance, it looked human. But when you got closer, it was a dragon. A bipedal dragon—not a dragonewt, but a more authentic, humanoid dragon. Its intelligence wasn’t high, but… it was far too strong. One of us held it off to buy time until the teleport crest activated. Look at this—this is my shield. It’s made of ‘Giganturtle Shell alloyed with steel’, my pride and joy… but it’s completely destroyed now. If we’d been even a moment slower, we would’ve all been wiped out.”

“A humanoid dragon… a monster distinct from dragonewts, huh? Killcrawler, have you encountered such a monster before?”

“There are some records, though not from this country. It’s been confirmed in the ‘Dungeon Nation of Risegrey.’ We believe the monster matches the description of a ‘Demon Drag’—a demonic dragon-type. It’s categorized as a demon-type monster. There are no known sightings of it in our country. It’s a humanoid monster strong enough to rival a Dungeon Master.”

“…So it really is one of those. Normally, artificial dungeons aren’t that powerful. The dungeon cores used are only fragments from ancient times. They have weak capacity to draw from the Earth’s power and can’t even generate artificial cores efficiently. So for such a powerful monster to appear here—it should be impossible.”

“Um, may I speak?”

I raised my hand to ask a question that had been bothering me during the conversation so far.

“About him?”

“It appears he is an explorer receiving national support. He had a permit bearing Her Majesty the Queen’s signature and seal.”

“At such a young age, no less. You may speak—was there something that caught your attention?”

“Yes. Simply put, could there not be some kind of abnormality with the dungeon core fragment—the origin of the artificial dungeon itself?”

“That is a reasonable line of thought. However—no one knows the location where the core fragment is kept. Likely, only Her Majesty the Queen is aware of it.”

“I see… I can’t reveal my source, but in the past few months, there have been several confirmed incidents related to the alteration or enhancement of monsters and creatures—cases where they’ve become more violent. If the ultimate goal of such experiments or research is to cause the dungeon core to go out of control, to make artificial dungeons harder to conquer, and thereby reduce the output of core fragments that support national interests… then, though roundabout, it could be a scheme to gradually weaken the country. That’s what crossed my mind—though it may sound foolish.”

If everything really was connected—
Then the scenario that comes to mind when trying to link it all together would be this, I thought.

“…Indeed, the higher-ups are aware of that information. While I am inclined to reprimand you for saying it out loud here, your theory is certainly worth considering. But if that were the case, then whoever is behind this must not only know the location of the dungeon core fragment, but must have also tampered with it in secret. That seems a bit implausible… but not impossible.”

There was one more question on my mind.
If it’s all connected, that would mean the Kingdom of Golda is secretly orchestrating everything.

But—this is more a gut feeling than solid reasoning—I can’t help but doubt whether that country is really that cunning.
The same country that hastily summoned a hero, that was dazzled by Silent’s power, that engages in strict information control…
I just can’t imagine such a short-sighted nation pulling all of this off.

…Could there be someone else lurking behind the scenes?

“We will make sure this matter reaches Her Majesty’s ears. What is your name? If you are connected to the Queen, we’ll also report that you were the one who proposed this theory.”

“Shizuma. Honestly, it was half guesswork.”

“No, it was a constructive suggestion.”

And so, that day’s meeting came to an end.
The members of Mantis Shrimp returned to their tent.
As for Verjus, she was told that a detailed report of the situation and what had occurred would be sent to the academy later via the guild, and so she headed back to the inn where she had a contract.

However—

“Um, Shizuma-san… could I speak with you for a moment?”

“Yes? What is it, Verjus-san?”

Verjus

, the surviving student from the academy, called out to me just as I was about to leave.

“There’s something I’d like to discuss. If possible, could we go somewhere more private?”

“It sounds like you have something important to say. Understood.”

She led me to the back of the guild headquarters, outside, to a place away from the public eye.
A deserted spot. With a bit of caution, I asked what she wanted to talk about—

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