Volume 3 Chapter 10 (2/2)

With her fox tail hanging low, Luna said with an unusually depressed tone.

[I know what you are going through, but it served as a good learning experience.] (Youya)

[Certainly…] (Luna)

Encountering another dungeon with a similar variety of traps is highly unlikely as we continue to travel in the future, making this experience an extremely valuable learning trip for Luna who chose to be a Thief.

[But Youya-niisan, we’re finally at the goal now right! Just a little more and we’ll be out of here right?] (Til)

[Thats right. Although this isn’t a normal dungeon. The closer you are to the goal, the more difficult the dungeon becomes.] (Youya)

The two girls began hugging each other, trembling as they heard my response. Looks like they were having flashbacks to the undead trap we had encountered on the third floor earlier.

[Anyway, let’s continue forward. It’s been difficult for us to arrive at this point. We wouldn’t want to return here again do we.] (Selene)

Selene was right. However her bad habit of tunneling her focus onto a single goal was kicked into gear, neglecting everything else happening around. Looking at the ground ahead of her, it looked like a trap was hidden in the ground. However that was a good trap to activate as it looked like it’ll serve as a good wake-up call for them. As Selene’s foot took a step forward, a hard sound could be heard.

[Ah. This… Did I do that?] (Selene)

[Yup. You did that.] (Youya)

A dull sound could be heard from behind das a gigantic metal ball began rolling behind us. The fifth floor of the pyramid was a single sloped path with a turn a distance away. It looked as if once we are past the corner, we’ll be safe from the metal ball.

[Run!] (Luna)

[Hurry up everyone!] (Til)

Luna and Til raised their voices as I grabbed their collars.

[Kyaa~] (Luna)

[Youya-niisan. What are you doing! We’re going to die at this rate!] (Til)

[Luna, Til. There are numerous traps present in this small path up ahead. Are you able to identify each of them while escaping from the metal ball?] (Youya)

The two of them looked down to the ground as they observed the ground ahead. As a matter of fact, the metal ball was just a decoy. It was just a trap to lull the intruders into a state of panic, hurriedly activating every trap present in the hallway. Adventurers who escape from the ball in a hurry would wind up getting caught in an even more vicious trap.

[Selene. The ceiling here is quite high. Using your shield as a ramp, let’s make the ball jump over us.] (Youya)

[We can do that!?] (Selene)

[If you don’t want to, we’ll just die here.] (Youya)

The metal ball was rolling closer and closer as Selene made her resolve. Her eyes changed as she held the shield at an angle from the ground and activated her spikes, turning her body so that her shield was on her back to use her entire body as the support. If we’re lucky, the ball would bounce over our heads using the shield as a ramp. The ground began to rumble as the ball was quickly approaching us.

[Fortress!] (Selene)

Activating her skill, a blue wall permeated from the shield at a similar angle as the shield. The wall and the ball collided as Selene grit her teeth trying to endure the weight of the ball. Then, using the wall as a ramp, the metal ball flew over our heads, rolling further down the path and activating the traps in the corridor. The two children embraced each other with their face pale with fear. The ball was pierced by spears, shot with arrows, bathed in oil, burnt in fire, caught by undead protruding from the wall, shot with poisonous substances, struck by a gigantic hammer and stabbed by an electric fence before breaking down miserably after colliding against the corridor.

[Isn’t that funny? If you continued to run then you would had turned into that.] (Youya)

It was had been too difficult to avoid every single trap, so I decided to let Selene activate that trap, having the trap be our dummy for any subsequent traps.

[Youya. Luna definitely doesn’t want to return to this dungeon again.] (Luna)

[Just how vicious can this dungeon be! We would had been dead a hundred times over!] (Til)

[As a reward for surviving, there is a chest for us. Let’s go.] (Youya)

I smiled bitterly as I put my hand out to Selene.

[That was a good performance. Thanks to you we can rest easy.] (Youya)

[Eehh.? I thought that we were seriously dead this time around.] (Selene)

Selene had an awkward smile as she grabbed my hand and stood up. I wonder if she was seriously frightened by that, I’ll have to remember to take care of her afterwards.

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Thanks to the metal ball activating every trap in the pathway, we managed to arrive at our destination with ease. Although we had essentially destroyed every subsequent trap, Luna had already been able to experience the traps we encountered earlier.

[Now. It’s time for the last trial.] (Youya)

A stone statue of a sphinx appeared at the end of the hallway. I heaved a sigh of relief as the sphinx wouldn’t appear unless the treasures behind it was already taken. The fact that it is present means that no one has arrived here before we did. The eyes of the sphinx began to glow as a voice appeared in our heads.

[Those who have courage and wisdom. Well done coming this far. Now is time for the final trial. Everyone come before me.] (Sphinx)

An altar appeared in front of the sphinx.

[Let’s go. The trial won’t start without all of us.] (Youya)

[Hey, Youya-nissan. What happens if we fail?] (Til)

[We’ll be thrown to the basement head first onto the first floor. Although you can rest assured that we wouldn’t be in danger as there will be a layer of sand to cushion our fall.

Although I had said so, Til looked even more worried than before. Rather than starting over form zero, we’ll actually have to advance an additional floor.

[Tell me, adventurers. The name of the emperor which rules over the Golden Pyramid. The name of the forgotten king.] (Sphinx)

Luna,Til and Selene froze as they were unsure of the answer.

[Senedo. This pyramid is the grave of the Sun King Senedo.] (Youya)

[Magnificent. Well done on solving the mystery. This pyramid is the grave of the Sun King Seneo, built to signify his presence in the world. So long as there are people who recognise his name, the Sun King Senedo will never disappear. As our thanks, we give you our blessings and treasures.] (Sphinx)

The Sphinx dissolved into sand as the treasure warehouse behind him was revealed.

[Youya-ojisan, how did you know the answer?] (Selene)

[I’ve came here before. At that time, I failed the trial and was thrown into the basement. After I was thrown into the basement, there were countless traps and monsters, however the monsters were behaving strangely, and so were the placements of the trap. As if they were trying to dissuade me from something. After defeating all of the monsters and disabling the traps, there would be a mural on the wall about the Sun King Senedo ruling over an army of monsters.] (Youya)

What troubled me about the trial was that there isn’t a pathway to the basement from the first floor. However, once you are thrown to the basement after failing the trial of the Sphinx, the path will open up for you to exit the place. The hint to the mystery was the fact that the monsters were behaving in an obvious manner, as if they were protecting something from the intruders. It felt extremely cruel to have to defeat all of them to obtain the hint. I had even thought about returning to the basement to give them a proper burial.

Hence, the only way to solve the mystery was to follow your instincts in that abnormal situation and force your way through the monsters.

[The malice overflowing from the dungeon was so strong that I wouldn’t had been able to solve the mystery.] (Selene)

[Well. That’s why if you aren’t skirmishing with other adventurers for the monsters, this place would be quite a valuable location.] (Youya)

We entered the hidden room containing a treasure box and a necklace. The treasure box was a chest that contained rare items, making it easier to obtain than usual. Then, in the necklace was emitting magical power while containing a hole large enough to fit a jewel. The necklace was my target as it was the item that allowed us to have a five-man party.

[Everyone, it’s the treasure. There is also a Magical Vortex. Once we obtain the items, we can return to the town and enjoy their alcohol along with their food! Then, it’s to the hot springs!] (Youya)

[Hooray!] (Luna)

[I want to drink a cold cup of juice!] (Til)

[I can’t wait to wash myself up at the inn.] (Selene)

[I’m looking forward to entering the hot springs after such a long time.] (Phil)

Now then, let’s hurry up and return back to the inn. I can’t wait to drink a nice cold mug of ale that will definitely taste like heaven tonight.