Vol 3: Chapter 34
What Dante-san said, surprised me.
No way. If we don’t overcome this trap, we wouldn’t be able to capture the labyrinth.
「Dante-san, Iー」
「Wait, I haven’t finished. Let’s check thoroughly if there is any danger. For example, we can still pull the lever and observe the other side from here. It’s better than diving into the passage in the wall without checking anything.」
「Ah.」
I see, that’s right… I seem to have been too conscious of capturing this dungeon.
「I’m sorry. You are right.」
「No, you don’t have to apologize. I am just more careful after witnessing what happened to Leon. If it weren’t for that, I might have thought the same way as you… to just go for it.」
「The other side of the passage was too dark to see it well previously. Lighting it up with【Fire Magic】after activating the trap might be a good idea.」
With【World Ruler】, I do have a special ability to remember everything I see, but this passage is dark even though it should be under the influence of the luminance of a dungeon. Even with my【Eyesight Enhancement】, I can’t read the writings on the wall which was just ahead of me.
「Reiji, how many more shots of【Fire Magic】can you shoot?」
「A few shots at best. Moreover, I might completely run out of mana again and pass out.」
「I thought so. Well, it can’t be helped. Let’s take a break and try to catch a nap. My body is feeling a little tired too.」
We decided to take another break to recharge my mana and let Dante-san rest.
Zerry-san, Mimino-san, and Non-san, offered to take turns on the lookout and told Dante-san and I to rest up properly.
The battle with the Juggernaut, and getting all the way to this point, may have exhausted me more than I expected. I closed my eyes and fell asleep within a few seconds.
* Zerry. Mimino. Non *
「Is he asleep?」Non asked.
「Yes, he is sound asleep. It’s easy to misunderstand bocchan since he always acts so mature, but he’s still a 14 year old. His body hasn’t finished developing yet.」
「You’re right. Before I realised it, I have come to rely on Reiji-kun a lot sometimes. I should reflect on it.」Mimino said.
「Fufu. Mimino-san seemed to love relying on Reiji-kun when he was consoling you.」Non teased.
「Huh!? T-That was, uh, well…」
「No no, it’s natural to cry if a friend dies. Even if you hated each other…」Zerry said.
「Zerry-san was in the same mercenary group as Raikira-san, right?」Non asked.
「Yeah. I am so happy to think that the young boss was able to join such a good party with kind people at the end.」Zerry-said.
「…………」
「…………」
「It somehow became a heart-to-heart talk. Well, then. You two please go to sleep first. I’ll keep the first lookout.」Zerry said.
「Okay.」
「Thank you, Zerry-san.」Non said.
—
「I am the one who should thank you. Everyone is too good. You’re all too kind for adventurers.」Zerry muttered to herself.
**
When I woke up, my mana had been restored by 80%. It seems that I slept for about 5 hours.
After the break, we started working on overcoming the trap. Since the lever is a type that is pulled straight down, it cannot be lowered by pulling from the side with a rope.
Therefore, we put the wreckage from the Juggernaut on the ground and looped the rope around it.
「Hmm……」
When I was about to place the wreckage from the Juggernaut, I felt the floor sink. Is it perhaps detecting the weight? A mechanism where you cannot pull the lever unless you stand here?
The weight was not enough with the initial wreckage alone, and the floor surface remained as it was. When I tried to pull the rope, the lever did not move. So, we increased the wreckage. Which caused the floor to sink, and the lever was pulled down.
『——Be Consumed By Fear——』
The voice hammered down. Even though I had taken Mana Neutralizer, I was struck by a feeling of fear almost gripping my chest. Everyone grimaced in pain.
Is the power of the trap getting stronger?
「The passage is moving!」
As Dante-san said, the passage started to close, accompanied by tremors. There was certainly a new passage on the wall at the end, albeit low.
I lied on my belly, pushed out my right hand to invoke【Fire Magic】, and shot at the new passage. Almost touching the ground, the fireball slipped through the narrow passage, and was sucked into the new passage.
「!」
The square frame of the new passage ended a few meters in. The fireball went out into a large space. Going about 10 meters further, the fireball hit the wall and burst.
The space seemed like a room. I saw something like a small pillar, but I couldn’t see up to the details.
Thent the wall of “faces” closed.
「D-Did you all see it!? There is a room on the other side!」
I was surprised to hear a voice in my ear from right next to me. When I turned my head, I saw Mimino-san lying down in the same position as I was next to me.
「A room, huh? I couldn’t see that far.」
「Dad, your eyesight is getting worse.」
「Indeed, I saw a room-like place as well.」
Dante-san, Non-san, and Zerry-san were crouching behind me.
The conclusion is that you still have to activate the trap and crawl on all fours in that small, low passage. Dante-san might be able to fit through if he removes all his equipment, but that is indeed pushing it. Zerry-san and Non-san might make it through, just barely.
「I want to go.」
In which case, I have to be the one to do it.
「I’m smaller than Reiji-kun, but when it comes to who’s more suitable, it’s definitely Reiji-kun.」
Mimino-san looked sad, as if feeling conflicted.
「Reiji… I feel sorry, but can we leave it to you?」
「You don’t have to feel sorry. If you say that, then I would also start to feel sorry every time you have to protect me with your shield, Dante-san.」
「Haa…」
With a bitter, frowning look, “Recently, you have been the one protecting me,” Dante-san said. Indeed. When it comes to battles, Zerry-san and I usually take down the enemy with preemptive strikes.
「So, please let me go.」
In the end, Dante-san also gave in. Though he did mumble under his breath, “I kind of understand how fathers feel when their son comes-of-age and leaves the house.”
When the narrow passage reopened, I walked up to the lever. I wrapped an ivy around my waist again so that it would be okay even if something unexpected happens. The effect of Mana Neutralizer was still active.
The spot where I placed the Juggernaut’s wreckage earlier was spotlessly clean.
「Here I go.」
The floor at my feet was already sunk, so I put my hand on the lever.
While everyone was paying attention, I lowered the leverーin that moment, I noticed something.
One red line and two black lines emerged on the surface of the lever.
The red line then turned black due to some kind of reaction.
(Three blacks… So, originally three reds? And the red turns black. Will it not go back to red? Wait a minute…)
Is this the “remaining number of tries”?
If all three turned black… what would happen? Can’t challenge anymore?
(No, considering the nature of this dungeon – there is a circulation system in place. It is unlikely that you will never be able to challenge again.)
That was all I could think of.
『——Be Consumed By Fear——』
「Huh!?」
I knelt under the heavy pressure pressing down from above.
Why? The emotional attack in this room is much more intense than all the previous ones thus far. I know that, but I have already taken a Mana Neutralizer.
「!」
I noticed by looking at the floor in front of me.
The sinking floor.
Would you make something like this as a switch just for pulling the lever?
Sorcery was cast on this floor.
Not only the fear sorcery that is set up to circulate through the air, but also a sorcery that is activated directly from the floor.
It was a two-fold set up.
「Reiji!?」
I was sweating profusely. My body trembled.
The rope around my waist was pulled tight.
「I’m alright!」
Are you going to give up?
Are you going to lose to such a trap?
You have the Mana Neutralizer made by Mimino-san.
Get up, my knees!
Go, go, go, go! Get up!
「UOOOHHHH!」I stretched my back and shouted.「Dante-san!」
The passage was closed to about 70 cm.
In my visual field, I saw everyone with worried looks—behind them, I could see fog reappearing.
「Behind you! Be careful!」
I started running to the back of the passage. Like head-first sliding, I slid into the low hole in the wall.
I can’t turn back at this point. But my voice can still reach them!
「The enemy is coming!!」
In order to change the three black lines back to red, you have to complete the gimmick to open this passage again.
With this dungeon’s circulation system, I wouldn’t be surprised if a new automaton was remanufactured.
It is highly possible that the Juggernaut will reappear in the hall where Dante-san and the others were.
