Chapter 430 – Beginning the Dungeon Dive
It was the next day. We would enter the dungeon the day after the whole incident with the dragon duchesses and Ecces.
We finished checking everything with our new adventurers Belda and Ecces.
Vi-Vi came along with us as well. She had that same mysterious backpack she was lugging yesterday.
「Vi-Vi, what do you have in that backpack?」
「Hm? Just stuff you need, not really for the dungeon or anything.」
「Huh? Are you coming too?」
「Of course! Right, Moofy?」
「Mooo」
I guess I should have realized she was joining us with that ridiculous backpack on.
「Vi-Vi, it’s going to be dangerous.」
「I’m going to a place with magic circles. You need a specialist like me there.」
「…I don’t think it’s that important.」
「I’m still going!」
「Okay…」
No matter what I said, Vi-Vi was strongly against it. And she was a good magician.
It was just a dangerous dungeon where you had no idea what could happen, but I guess she’d serve a purpose anyway.
As I was worrying about her, Cruz smiled and said,
「Vi-Vi, do your best, okay?」
「Leave it to me!」
「Okay then, I do know you are a very good magician, Vi-Vi…」
「Yeah.」
「But please follow my instructions, okay?」
「I will!」
While we were talking, we arrived at the dragon stable which was in front of the portal to the dungeon.
We all said hello to Jaerl and petted him, and he was the usual settled and happy dragon.
After a while of this, Cruz said,
「Okay, let’s go! Are you ready, Alra?」
「Yeah, I’m ready.」
「Wait a second, Alra, let me take a look inside once more.」
「Ah, go ahead Timi.」
So Timi was going to scout the place, just in case.
She had already done so before, but time had passed, so it was good to do so just in case.
I unsealed the seal of the transport circle. Then I activated the circle.
「You can go through now.」
「Thanks, Alra. Shiggy, just wait here, okay?」
Timi then jumped through the transport circle. She quickly came back.
「Nothing different than before. We can survive by breathing in there.」
「Did you transport to the same place as last time?」
「Yes. I did.」
Before, Timi had said that it looked man made, but that it also looked naturally made.
When I asked about it further, she really couldn’t explain what it looked like.
「Okay, let’s go. I and Timi will go first, and then come in one by one every ten seconds.」
「Understood!」
Cruz said happily.
Timi and I went in first, then Cruz and Yureena, then the beasts, Ecces and Vi-Vi, and finally Luka and Belda.
「Let’s go!」
「Okay!」「ryaa!」
And so Timi, Shiggy, and I all jumped into the magic circle.
We could feel ourselves transported, and then everything was pitch black.
I guess there was no light in this dungeon.
I cast a night vision spell so that I could see inside the dungeon.
「Timi, do you need night vision?」
「I can see without it, but it makes things easier to see if I have it.」
「ryaa」
「Got it.」
So I cast it over Timi and Shiggy as well.
And after looking over the place once more, I saw we were in a long room of some sorts.
The circle was at the end of our side of the room, and there was a wall on the other side.
The walls, floor, ceiling, were all made of the same rock.
There were no seams other than the wall at the end, so I guess the whole room wasn’t rock placed together, but rather cut from the inside of a big rock.
「Alra, you can’t see any joints in the rock, so it’s a natural cavern, right? But it does look like it was dug out by someone.」
「Hm. You’re right. However, it being cut rectangularly like this means it’s probably man-made.」
「I think you’re right, but doesn’t that also happen naturally with crystals?」
「There are rocks that make rectangular crystals, but you think they make them this big?」
You don’t see that with rock, but there are some natural rocks like fool’s gold that make crystals in that shape.
And outside of that, there are others that can cut through with clean edges like this.
As we talked it over, Cruz and Yureena arrived.
I cast night vision on them as well.
「Hm, yeah, this is a dungeon.」
Cruz said while touching the stone wall.
Then the beasts appeared, and then Luka and the others.
I cast night vision on all of them, even though it wasn’t necessary for the beasts.
「Wuff」「Mooo」「PiGGi」
The beasts began sniffing away at the floor immediately.
「You smell something?」
『Just rocks.』
「Moo.」
Moofy seemed a little sad to not be able to smell anything with that sensitive nose of hers.
I reached out and patted between her horns to relax her.
『Alra, alra』
「What is it, Chel?」
『There is undead smell.』
「Smell of the undead?」
Chel was the death lord, after all.
Chel wasn’t able to literally smell the dead, but it was more like sensing.
『Very strong』
It must be that Undead Demon King.
『might be.』
And saying that, Chel shook a bit and jumped from Moofy to my shoulder.
Chel could jump quite well.
Then I looked over at Ecces, Vi-Vi, and Belda, who all had little experience with dungeons.
I could tell Ecces was a bit anxious, but relaxed.
Vi-Vi was even more relaxed. Probably because Timi had taught her to calm herself.
Belda, on the other hand, was very nervous, and had her right hand on her sword.
「Belda, you don’t have to be that nervous.」
「Y, yes! I’ll try to calm down!」
「Thanks.」
Even so, it’s not simple to just stop being nervous when someone tells you to calm down.
Even if you want to calm down, you can’t
「ryaa?」
Shiggy could sense her worry and flew over to her shoulder.
「Shiggy, you’re so cute…」
「ryaa?」
She buried her head in Belda’s bosom as Belda petted her.
「Shiggy, you’re so sweet. Heh heh.」
And petting Shiggy, Belda seemed to relax.
I guess this was the best way to calm her down.
「Okay, now we’re on our way. Shiggy, get in my pouch.」
「ryaa」
This was an unknown dungeon, so the danger was very high.
Shiggy would be better close to me.
Shiggy cried out once, flew over, and burrowed into my pouch.
「ryaa」
And with that,
「Okay, you ready, ShiggY? Let’s go!」
Cruz said happily as she walked to the gate.
Then she unconsciously put her hand out to the gate.
「Hey, Cruz…」
Yureena was too late to stop her.
「Hm? Yureena, why?」
She turned to look back at Yureena as she pushed the gate open.
At the same time
—BOOM!
There was a small explosion.
But Cruz had bounced back after sensing it.
「That was dangerous! It surprised me!」
「….」
Belda looked shocked and speechless at what had happened in front of her.
「Wh…what the…」
「Wow! That was scary! That would kill a normal person!」
「Moo moo moo」
Ecces, Vi-Vi, and Moofy were all surprised.
The explosion was quite strong, so it scared many of the party.
「Ecces, Belda, Vi-Vi, and Moofy. These are everywhere in dungeons, boobytraps.」
「I see, Sir Alra…traps.」
「Scary…」
「Moo moo」
「If you get hit straight by one, you’re dead.」
But even this trap would hurt Cruz only a little bit if it hit her.
「That’s why we have to check gates before we continue!」
「I know. I’ll be careful.」「So will I.」
「I know already!」
「Mooo!」
I made sure that the newbie knew not to touch things without checking them.
「You be careful too, Shiggy!」
「ryaa!」
I could feel Shiggy wag her tail inside of my pouch.