kscans

Chapter 11 - The Labyrinth Swallowed by Nature

The day after conquering my first dungeon since getting my license.

"Yeah! Let's do this!"

"R-Right..."

We were back at a dungeon again.

It was a different one from the other day, with different monsters. This time, there would be 'combat.'

In front of the changing room, Erina-san pumped her fist, so I gave a small raise of my arm in return.

The stares from the store staff are painful...!

'You two are full of energy, that's good to see. I was worried since you're here two days in a row, but you seem fine!'

"Conversely, why are you so energetic...?"

I'm tireless thanks to my Nucleus, but this frail, half-elf drunkard is a mystery.

You really only have two skills? You don't have some kind of durability skill?

'What are you talking about, Kyo-chan-kun? As if a mere ten or twenty cans of strong cocktails would affect me the next day.'

"Are you a legendary drunk or something?"

It should affect you. As a human being.

...No, wait. I think I remember seeing something online about Awakened Persons being unusually strong drinkers.

I'm not sure if it's because of a high metabolism or just being plain tough, but I think there was a thread about people's alcohol consumption increasing.

"Hey, Paisen and Kyo-chan seem to be getting along pretty well, don't they? Let me in on it!!"

'Oh, my. He and I had a long talk yesterday. Thanks to that, we were able to break the ice.'

"Yeah, I guess."

It's more that I've come to realize it's foolish to be reserved around this person.

If she were a high-and-mighty type, I think I would have just been intimidated... but she sometimes whines while drunk, so I feel a strange sense of familiarity with her.

"What? I talk to Kyo-chan a lot too, you know?"

"Well, how should I put it..."

"What's the difference between me and Paisen! Do you like older women! Are you into mature women, Kyo-chan!"

'Erina-kun. I am twenty-one years old. Not a mature woman. And you should never, ever say such things to other older women. It will start a war, you know?'

"Yessir, Paisen! I'll be careful!!"

'Good girl. Hmph... I once said that to a senior at my university and got a lump on my head. Good times.'

What is wrong with her?

Listening to the energetic duo's conversation, I head towards the gate room.

I show my license to the SDF member, deploy my Arcane Gear, hook my lantern to my sword belt, and give my equipment a quick check.

Should be fine. I look at Erina-san and she gives me a nod, so I reach for the gate. I confirm that her hand is on my shoulder, just like last time.

'Let me confirm one last time. Are you two really okay? From your condition yesterday, I judged that today's exploration would be no problem, but you are, of course, free to object. This is not an urgent investigation. Please do not forget that your safety is the top priority.'

"Yeah. I'm fine, Paisen."

"I'm fine, too."

'...Understood. I wish you good fortune.'

"Right."

"Yessir!!"

I nod at Aira-san's words and finally open the gate.

For the third time, I feel the strange sensation of entering a dungeon. I doubt I'll ever get used to this feeling, I think, as I step into the labyrinth.

Clack, a hard sensation travels up the sole of my foot.

A floor and walls made of bone-white stone. The walls, which must have once been neatly stacked, have been pierced by thick tree roots, and vines creep everywhere.

Inside a stone building, encroached upon by trees. That's the best way to describe this place, our dungeon for today.

The roots are in the way, making it impossible to install lighting, so the LED lantern on my waist is the main source of light. There are roots and vines on the ground as well, so I have to be careful.

While asking Erina-san to scout, I activate Byakuren. It forms its Golem body, seemingly sucking up a thin layer of the stone floor.

"Hey, can I have a sec?"

Erina-san calls out.

She turns on a penlight and tapes it to Byakuren's head with duct tape. She's quite dexterous. When I tried to do that with my helmet before, it didn't work out so well.

"Alright! Now Bya-chan won't fall over!"

"Ah, right."

Falling in a dungeon is no joke, so I'm grateful, but...

That aside, I can't get used to her putting '-chan' on a Golem's name. Is that a girl thing?

'Are you ready? My recording equipment is all set. If you two are good to go, let's depart.'

"Understood."

"Yessir!"

I nod at Aira-san's words and, after giving Byakuren its instructions, start moving forward. A little further on, there's a paint marking from the SDF, and we proceed with our exploration using her navigation as she looks at the map.

Then, after about three minutes, Erina-san warned me in a low voice.

"I hear a rustling sound. Two of them."

I nod in response and check the feel of the sword in my right hand.

The passages in this dungeon are about the same width as the one with the Matango. As long as I swing normally, the tip of my sword shouldn't get caught.

Gripping a knife in my left hand, I wait for the shadows to come from around the corner.

Gigi-gi.

A grating sound, like branches rubbing together. With a strange footstep, it appeared.

A grotesque monster that looked like a tree stump with wooden arms and legs. It was about 160 centimeters tall, but had no head.

Instead, on the stump that served as its torso, there were indentations that looked like eyes and a mouth.

Lesser Treant.

The monsters charge, pointing their fingerless, spear-like arms at us.

First, a volley of thrown weapons—a knife and a bo-shuriken. They hit one of the Lesser Treants, and a satisfying sound echoes.

But it doesn't go down. It charges on, the weapons still sticking out of it.

"Byakuren! Forward!"

Next to the lumbering Golem, I charge at the Lesser Treant I just attacked.

The Lesser Treant guards against my diagonal slash with its arm. But with the help of the wind, I sever its raised left arm and slash into its stump-like torso.

Gii!

The monster raises its right arm in a counterattack, but it's too slow.

I slam my left fist into what I can't tell is its torso or face.

With a cracking sound, the Lesser Treant's body is heavily gouged, scattering splinters. Without taking my eyes off the blasted creature, I use my [Spirit Eye]'s wide field of vision to check on Byakuren.

Gi! Gi!

A Lesser Treant, having dodged Byakuren's wide swing, thrusts with its arm, but it has no effect on the stone body.

Byakuren, guarding its head with its left arm, seems unable to land a decisive blow, and neither can its opponent. Their movements are generally slow.

But that's enough. Seeing the other one turn to salt, I attack the remaining Lesser Treant from the side.

Gi!?

It finally seems to have noticed its partner is gone, but it's too late.

I cut off its swinging arm with a single stroke, and with a follow-up slash, I strike its torso with my sword.

I couldn't cut it in two, but the blade bit deep. Then, I swing it around with all my might.

The Lesser Treant, which flew a few meters away, stopped moving. And after a few seconds, it turned to salt.

I let out a small breath and check on Byakuren out of the corner of my eye. It doesn't seem to have taken any major damage either.

For now, I can consider this a success.

"Good work, Kyo-chan! Bya-chan! To be honest, I couldn't really see what was going on from behind you two."

'Same here. Perhaps I should have you wear a slightly larger mirror, Kyo-chan-kun?'

"Ah."

I had completely forgotten about that. I feel a little bad.

I thought it would hinder my movements, so I quickly stuck a spare mirror to Byakuren's chest. I check to see if that works. If it doesn't break in combat, I think we should be able to film...

'Oh, don't worry about it. My lab specializes in investigating drop items rather than combat data.'

"Right..."

'More importantly, are you mentally okay? Unlike the Matango, there was a counterattack this time.'

"Ah, I'm fine with that."

I'm not bluffing.

While it can be inconvenient in daily life, [Spirit Eye] is an extremely useful skill.

I can see the opponent's movements clearly, so I know at a glance whether an attack will hit or miss. Thanks to that, I don't feel much fear.

And if I'm about to get hit directly, I also have a limited form of precognition. Thanks to that, I wasn't unnecessarily intimidated by the enemy's attacks.

If I didn't have this, I'm confident I would have been cowering the whole time.

'That's good to hear. I'll be counting on you for future battles.'

"Right."

I collect the coin dropped by the Lesser Treant and resume the exploration.

About five minutes later, we encounter them again. Looking around the corner, there are three this time, but since Erina-san spotted them first, they aren't in a combat stance yet.

"Okay, let's get the one on the far right first."

"Got it."

I exchange whispers with Erina-san and leap out from around the corner, throwing my knife and her a bo-shuriken at the rightmost one.

Mine unfortunately missed, but Erina-san's hit. It stuck in its wooden body.

Gigi!

The Lesser Treants spot us and start running, but there's still some distance.

We both throw again, and this time I hit too. Three hits were apparently too much for it, as that one stumbles back and falls.

Two left. I leave one to Byakuren and charge at the other.

Gii!

The spear-like arm is swung down. But my sword reaches it first.

I sever, or rather, shatter its arm at what could be called the shoulder, and follow up by cutting off its other arm.

I slam my left fist into the face of the Lesser Treant, which has flinched after losing both arms. Its torso is the kind that my sword gets stuck in if I try to cut it.

As that one flies away, scattering splinters, the one with the knives and bo-shurikens sticking out of it gets up and approaches.

Gigi-gi!

I slap away the thrust from the Lesser Treant, its eye-like indentations narrowed, with my sword. Then, with a hook-like motion, I slam my fist into it, crushing it between my fist and the right wall.

I immediately turn to look at Byakuren, and it's the same situation as before. It seems I can count on the Golem to hold down one of them.

With a surprise attack from the side, I quickly finish off the remaining one and watch it turn to salt.

'My, my... it seems our eyes did not deceive us. You are truly strong, Kyo-chan-kun.'

"Huh? No, not really..."

'There is no need for modesty. Lesser Treants are among the stronger enemies in the 'F' rank. The fact that you can overwhelm them at 'LV: 1' means you are brimming with talent.'

"That's right, Kyo-chan! Puff out your chest!"

"Is... that so."

I'm a little embarrassed.

I don't know specifically how strong other adventurers are, but it seems I'm one of the stronger 'newbies.'

I don't like to stand out, but I have a normal desire for recognition, so I was genuinely happy.

'Let's keep this up and keep going! Hip hip hooray!'

"H-Hooray!"

"No, we have to be careful, okay? Lesser Treants are genuinely dangerous."

"Ah, right."

'Hmph... that is absolutely correct!!'

I involuntarily lower the left arm I had raised and quietly avert my eyes from Erina-san's serious face.

She's right. If I get stabbed by a Lesser Treant's spear-like arm, my breastplate and helmet might be fine, but it would definitely hurt in the gaps in my armor.

I don't think thick clothes alone would be enough to stop it, so caution is important.

Steeling my resolve, I resumed the exploration.