Chapter 44 - Volume 5 (1/2)

Chapter 4 : Miledi Raisen I

Raisen’s Great Dungeon was a lot more troublesome than they expected.

First, magic couldn’t be used at all. It was because the strength of magic disintegration was far stronger than inside the ravine. For Yue who specialized in magic, this place puts a heavy burden on her. She was unable to use high-ranked magic and her magic’s range of the magic she could use were shortened to their limits here. The farthest she could use them was only five meters. Somehow, the current level of magic she used was enough for combat. However, right now she was incapable of using magic strong enough to deliver a one-hit kill.

In addition, although the amount of magic stored inside the magic crystallization series didn’t decrease much, it couldn’t be used. The consumption rate was too severe after all. Yue was only able to use middle-ranked magic because she was a genius, most people would be unable to do anything.

Even Hajime was greatly affected by it. Special magic that worked by emitting magic outside of the body such as “Aerodynamic” and “Wind Claw” couldn’t be used, Even the output of “Lightning Clad” is greatly decreased. Donner-Schlag’s power also fell below half of the usual, while Schlagen’s maximum power was at the usual level of Donner-Schlag.

Therefore, body strengthening became the most important magic in this Great Dungeon. In Hajime’s party, Shia had become the main star in this stage.

So, the reliable rabbit ears of Hajime’s party…

“I’ll do it, you know… …absolutely, when I reach the dwelling I’ll mess it up so much it’ll be as if a storm had gone through”

With Doryukken on her shoulder, she examined her surroundings as if she was trying to find her prey. Her anger was obvious. It was a deep deep anger. Even her words’ intonation had become strange. The cause was, you could imagine it came from Miledi Raisen’s mischievousness.

Because they understood Shia’s feelings well, Hajime and Yue couldn’t say anything about it. It was because if there was someone who was seriously agitated, by her side there would be someone calm in reverse of her. It was the current psychological state of Hajime and Yue. Currently, while Hajime and his party continued their advance, they had encountered various traps and annoying carved words. That’s why, with Shia who was truly enraged by it, Hajime and Yue also felt irritated.

Finally, “Fuhihi”, strange laughter came from Shia’s side, and Hajime recalled the extremely malicious things they encountered to get here.

* * *

After Shia destroyed the annoying lithograph, Hajime and his party continued their advance into the passage, and came into a certain vast space.

Inside, there were staircases and passages, the passageway that continued from the entrance was a mess without any regularity, it was as if this place was made by casually combining lego blocks. The staircase from the first floor was connected to a passage on the third floor, and the passage on the third floor gradually became a slope that connected to the first floor’s passageway. While the staircase that was erected on the second floor was connected to nothing but wall, it was truly a mess.

“Once again, in a way it was truly a dungeon-like place.”

“… … Nn, it is confusing.”

“Fun, as expected of a dungeon made by a rotten person. This mess is an expression of her mind’s contents.”

“… … because we understand what you feel, it’s about time for you to calm down.”

Shia was enraged even now. Hajime, half-sympathized and half-amazed, said, “Well then, how should we advance now”, while thinking about it.

“… … Hajime. Even if you think about it, there’s no other method.”

“Nn~, well, you’re right. For now, let’s advance while marking and mapping the way.”

“Nn…”

Hajime nodded at Yue’s words. Mapping was the basic thing for exploring a dungeon. However, Hajime unconsciously frowned when he thought how troublesome it’d be to accurately map out a complex dungeon like this.

Also, what Hajime meant by “marking” was using a special magic called “Tracking.” This special magic operated by leaving a “mark” made of magical power on the places that he touched. When the “mark” was used on living things, Hajime was able to track where they moved. In case of this place, Hajime put his “mark” on the wall. Because the “mark” could be made visible, Yue and Shia were able to understand it. Maybe because the magic power was applied directly, the disintegration didn’t seem to take effect.

Hajime immediately put a “mark” on side of the passageway on the nearest place to the entrance and continued to advance.

The passageway was two meters wide, and made from countless blocks that looked like bricks. Because the walls emitted a faint light, there was no problem with their vision. Maybe it was made of a different material from the green-light stone because it gave off bluish lights.

When Hajime tried to see it using “Mineral Appraisal,” he found that it was called “phosphorous ore.” Apparently it gave off light when it came in contact air. The first room didn’t give off light probably because it was the first room. The image that came out of the cave was lapu** where the levit

*** stone appeared. There was an old man’s voice that came out of the stone. After all, the phosphorous ore would keep radiating light as long as it was in contact with air.

It was the masterpiece anime of Japan that Hajime unintentionally thought of while advancing in the long passageway. Suddenly,

GAKONn

The sound came out of one of the blocks that Hajime stepped on. That block sunk into the floor due to Hajime’s weight. Hajime and his party instinctively let out, “Eh?”, and looked at their feet.

At that moment,

Shaaaaa!!

The sound of gliding blades resounded, and in the space between blocks on the wall, giant saw-toothed blades come out rotated in high speed while vibrating. The blades approached them with height of the neck from the right, the one from the left wall at the height of the waist.

“Evade it!”

Hajime immediately shouted, and evaded it by leaning his back just like the protagonist from the matr**, while the two behind him also tried to evade. Yue was small in the first place so she only needed to squat down to evade. Shia also seemed to be able to evade it. From his back, “Hawawa, hawawawa”, a shaken voice could be heard. Because there was no pain in her voice, Hajime guessed she must be unharmed. Although it was truly at a hair’s breadth that the tip of the fur of her rabbit ear was cut… … it was not a problem at all.

The two blades that were filled with murderous intent and malice were unable do anything to Hajime and his party, and disappeared into the walls. Being vigilant of a possible second wave, for a while Hajime watched his surroundings carefully. However, apparently that was the end. Having felt relieved, Hajime let out a sigh then looked at his back only to feel a chill.

He dashed out instinctively, to retreat and using the momentum recovered Yue and Shia. Immediately, countless blades fell onto the place where Hajime and his party were in just like a guillotine, and cut the ground as if it was made of butter. As expected, it was rotating in high speed and vibrating just like the blades from before.

Hajime looked at the blades that dropped just a few centimeters ahead with cold sweat. Yue and Shia also stiffened because of it.

“… … it was a completely physical trap. I couldn’t sense it with my Magic Eye.”

Until now, Hajime was able to avoid traps perfectly because they were magic traps. Of all the traps in the Great Dungeon that he had seen, all of them contained magic. That’s why, if it was a magic trap, Hajime’s Magic Eye was able to see through it. Therefore, he had the preconception that it was okay as long as the Magic Eye didn’t react to something. In short, he overestimated his power.

“Hau~, I-I thought I was dead~. Rather, Hajime-san! Please stop it if it was just that much! Isn’t that why you have the artificial arm?!”

“Well, don’t you think those blades were sharp? Even if it won’t be able to cut it, there might be scratches. After all, I can’t use Vajra now.”

“S-scratches… … between equipment and me, which is more important!?”

“… … well, you’re safe after all. Isn’t that good.”

“Wa-, what’s with that topic evasion! That was a lie, right? I am the one that’s more important, right? Right?”

Shia tried to ask Hajime, who played her for a fool, and Yue added verbal abuse to the current Shia.

“… …Keaking rabbit. You’re dying because of your own inexperience.”

“Le-leaking, please take that back, Yue-san! No matter what, that was a disgrace for me!”

A new disgraceful title added to Shia’s ”

*** rabbit” series, while Shia endured it with protest. Having entered this dungeon, although she almost died twice in short succession Shia was unexpectedly energetic. As expected, Shia’s forte was taking hits. Even though the person herself won’t admit it.

It was as Shia complained, there were other choices to evade the surprise attack, after all Hajime should be able to stop those blades from a while ago with his artificial arm. His coat’s also made from the leather of a demonic beast that boasted defense, and there were protectors underneath to guard the vital points, that’s right he wouldn’t have died from something like that.

However, the trap just now was nothing but overkill if it was against normal humans. If it were a normal protector, it’d be easily cut in two. After all, if you didn’t have the equipment that Hajime made from the materials that he’d gotten from the Abyss, there was no other way to survive than to avoid it.

“Well, there is no problem if it was that much”

While watching Yue and Shia’s quarrel with skeptical eyes, Hajime told that to himself. No matter how powerful, if it was just physical traps then it wouldn’t be able to kill Hajime. Yue also had her “Auto Regeneration.” She wouldn’t die over a trap. In other words… …Shia was the only one in danger. Even though he didn’t know if Shia had noticed that, it was probably because Shia’s stress level had reached the heavens.

“Huh? Hajime-san, what’s with those pitying eyes…”

“Please live strongly, Shia…”

“Eh, ee? What are you suddenly saying? Although I could felt something very unpleasant from it…”

* * *

Hajime and his party advanced while being wary of traps.

Even now, they hadn’t seen even one demonic beast. Although they considered the possibility that this dungeon didn’t have demonic beasts in it, that was just optimism. It wouldn’t be strange if they suddenly appeared, because that’s also a form of a trap.

Hajime and his party reached an open space after exiting the passageway. The roads were split into three inside the room. For now, Hajime put down the “mark”, then Hajime and his party chose the leftmost passage that lead to a staircase that went down.

“Uu~. somehow I got a bad feeling about this. Look, my rabbit ears restlessly move from left to right.”

Having advanced a few step on the stairs, suddenly, Shia blurted that out. Just as she said, Shia’s rabbit ears stood upright, then began to move left and right.