Chapter 94 - Underground Connections
“Hm, thanks.”
I asked the light spirit for a light similar to the one I use in the cave plaza. I asked it to follow above my head, so I could see quite a ways in.
Please be careful.
“Roger.”
Keeping my [Presence Detection] keenly focused, I slowly moved deeper. The direction should be east, and if my guess is right…
“There it is.”
Is this the same door as the one in that other cave?
“Probably. I have a feeling it connects further ahead.”
Is this that dead-end door?
“No, judging by the distance, I don’t think it’s that locked door.”
It’s hard to tell once I’m underground, but it still feels like the west side of the island. If I open this and go further east, it should be something, but I also wonder if it’s that simple.
“Alright, I’ll open it.”
It was a double door. As I placed my hand on the central handle, the same prompt as before appeared.
[Access by a Blessed One confirmed. Unlock?]
“Yes.”
Confirming that the tightly sealed door felt light, I pushed it open. Beyond it was a familiar passage of the [Ancient Ruins]. Stone floors, walls, and a faintly glowing ceiling.
I see. It looks like it continues to that locked door.
“I hope so.”
There wasn’t a new World Announcement, so it must be connected.
“Ah, that’s right.”
If this wasn’t connected to that other one, and was a completely separate [Ancient Ruins], I’d get a [World Announcement] and bonus SP.
“Woof.”
“Hm, let’s go.”
For now, I didn’t sense any danger. As I slowly advanced straight east, a branching path eventually appeared on the left, to the north.
This is… towards the north, right?
“Probably. I can’t see all the way to the back, but it seems to continue straight.”
What should we do?
Hmm, it’s a tricky situation. If I go straight east, I feel like I could reach the other side of that locked door.
“Woof.”
“Hm? Lupi, do you know?”
Lupi steadily headed straight, towards the eastern passage. She’s probably got a sharper sense of distance than I do, so I should follow her lead here.
Does Lupi-chan understand?
“Maybe. Well, she probably knows more than I do.”
If it leads to that door, I should be able to escape if something comes from behind—just dash and open the door. If it opens, that is.
Advancing while occasionally glancing behind me, after walking for a while, I saw the familiar door.
“Woof!”
“Lupi, you’re smart.”
After petting her proud face, I put my hand on the door. The usual prompt appeared, so I answered “Yes” and pushed it open.
“Yeah, this path descending to the left probably leads to the mining area.”
Now you can come to the western side without going via the beach!
“Exactly. The western side has more delicious ingredients, and more types of wood that are easy to process.”
Jungle-type trees don’t seem suitable for building a log house. They’re mostly crooked.
Well, it’s probably still before 10 o’clock, so I have at least another hour. In that case,
“Shall we go back to that northern path?”
Shou-kun, are you going to leave that door open?
“Yeah, I was planning to… wait, monsters might flow in?”
They might.
Monsters are said not to enter [Safe Zones], but I wouldn’t want to log in and wake up with them right next to my [Safe Zone].
“I’ll leave it open for now, but when I log out, I’ll close the entrance on the plaza side first.”
I see.
The door was like the others. When fully open, it seemed to stay firmly in place, so I guess it’s meant to be left open.
Lupi and I walked back the way we came, and on our right, we saw the branching path from earlier. The path was exactly the same width and height, continuing straight north, so I figured beyond this would be the northern side, but…
“Alright, let’s go.”
“Woof.”
…
“Hmm, another door, and this time, stairs going up…”
Isn’t the door a little different?
“Huh, is it?”
To my left were stairs leading up, and straight ahead was a door, but was it a little different from the usual? At first glance, I thought it was the same, but Mion said the pattern was slightly different.
In that case, [Appraisal] first, I guess?
[Ancient Magic Door]
A door locked by ancient magic.
“Hmm, the result is the same, so I guess I’ll try opening it.”
As I placed my hand on the handle,
[Access by a Blessed One confirmed. Please enter the Unlock Code.]
“Huh?”
An [Unlock Code]… there’s no way I’d know that.
What could an Unlock Code be?
“No idea at all. Maybe some kind of passphrase? …‘Open Sesame!’”
…Of course it wouldn’t respond to that.
“Woof?”
“Sorry. It doesn’t seem to open.”
I couldn’t help but apologize to Lupi’s “What are you doing?” expression.
Hehe, Shou-kun, you were cute.
“Ugh…”
I’m so embarrassed that I blurted out “Open Sesame”.
Well, if this won’t open, then I have no choice but to go up those stairs from earlier. And finding that ‘Unlock Code’ within the currently explorable area is probably a gaming trope.
“If it won’t open, then no monsters will come from that side, probably. Alright, let’s climb the stairs, Lupi.”
“Woof!”
I was keeping [Presence Detection] in mind, but there was no reaction, so I briskly ascended.
I climbed straight west, reached a landing, turned right and climbed stairs leading north again. Then another landing, and looking up at the stairs continuing west to my left,
“Oh? Is that outside?”
I could see light from outside, not the ceiling lights.
“Woof!”
“Ah, hey, Lupi!”
I hastily chased after Lupi, who was scrambling up.
“Woof!”
As I caught up to Lupi, who had reached the top, what appeared before me was…
“Whoah, amazing!”
It was quite a vast area, a basin perhaps? A place about the size of a stadium, surrounded by cliffs. The exit being a bit elevated gave a nice panoramic view of the whole thing.
Is there a roof there?
“Ah, yeah. Probably to keep rainwater from flowing down the stairs, but it’s like a subway entrance.”
There were low walls to the left, right, and behind the exit, and four pillars outside them. Are these stone pillars? The roof above them also seemed to be made of stone. A bit scary.
I should be facing west right now. If I step out from under the roof and turn around, I should see the east side, the island’s central mountain, and…
“EHHHHHH! This island was a [Volcanic Island]?!”
Smoke is rising.
Looking up, there was a steep mountain with smoke rising from near its peak… It certainly looked the part, but I really don’t want to think about it erupting. I haven’t felt any earthquakes so far, so it probably won’t erupt immediately.
Shou-kun, didn’t you see a building to the north?
“Huh?”
When she said that, I looked north, and in front of the trees spreading out at the base of the cliff, I could see a small house… something like a [Mountain Cabin].
“This feels kind of like a horror development, and I don’t like it…”
Me neither…
It’s not that I absolutely hate them, but I really wish they’d stop with the abandoned houses…
“Alright, I’ll stop here for today.”
Okay. You have to get back too, right?
Our opinions aligned.