kscans

Chapter 144 - Dungeon-Grown Food

Following the direction Aira-san had given me, we soon found the next landmark.

"Found the Self-Defense Force's paint marker. It's 'R-9'."

'Excellent. In that case, from the direction you just came... Ukon, please proceed in the two o'clock direction.'

"Understood."

I nodded to the earring and started walking again.

After several battles along the way, we made steady progress while collecting materials, and then—

Finally, we discovered the target of the professor's investigation.

"So this is..."

In a forest filled with thick, sturdy trees, a space suddenly opened up before us.

A wall constructed of stacked gray limestone jumped into view. Its sheer size suggested it must have once been a magnificent building.

But it had collapsed in many places, with entire sections just gone. The roof hadn't even retained its original shape.

I couldn't tell if there had ever been a floor; the inside was a sea of green. Bathed in the light pouring from the false, unobstructed sky, the lush grass and flowers covering the ground sparkled.

Perhaps a great number of people, or some other intelligent lifeform, had once passed through here. The door seemed to have rotted away and returned to the earth, leaving an entrance gaping like a large mouth. Erina-san carefully scraped at the moss-covered frame with a kunai.

As she did, letters came into view—a script that looked like a mix of the Latin alphabet and several other languages.

'Alright, Erina-kun and Mia. I'll have you two gather some footage.'

"Roger!"

"Yes, ma'am."

'Kyouta-kun, sorry, but could you please keep a lookout on the surroundings?'

"Got it."

I gave a small nod and watched Erina-san head inside the building while Mia-san began to walk the perimeter.

Then, I put my back to the wall and began scanning our surroundings for enemies.

Even for someone like me who knows nothing about archaeology, a place like these ancient ruins stirs a bit of excitement.

It feels like I'm witnessing something special, and不思議と the very air seems mystical. If this were a tourist spot, I would have taken dozens of pictures with my phone's camera by now.

But this is a dungeon—a danger zone teeming with monsters whose purpose is to reap human lives.

My [Spirit Eye] caught sight of the labyrinth's guardians heading our way to eliminate us, the uninvited guests.

"Enemies! A large number are approaching from the direction we came from!"

'Okay! We're coming right back!'

'On my way!'

Nodding at the voices from my earring, I readjusted my grip on my sword.

Even through the thick tree trunks, my [Spirit Eye] could see multiple sources of mana. Then, the overlapping thud-thud-thud of heavy footsteps began to reach my ears.

Soon, I could make out the figures of golems running through the gaps between the trees with my own eyes.

Compared to the groups we'd encountered so far, this number was in a different league. We'd seen two or three Green Men leading around fifty golems before, but this was clearly over three digits.

That meant there were likely just as many Green Men lying in wait further back. Using fire here would be reckless, so I wrapped my blade in wind alone.

'Zassh! Zassh! Zassh!!'

A threatening sound, like the rustling of leaves, echoed from the distance. As if in response, the golem horde's speed increased.

From the flow of mana, I predicted they had received some kind of enhancement. In the blink of an eye, the vanguard of a dozen or so golems was upon me.

Before their fists could reach me, I intercepted them with wind. I swung my sword in a horizontal slash, lifting the enemy group off the ground, and followed up with a diagonal cut that pulverized them.

But the ones behind them continued their advance without flinching.

"Erina-san!"

"Kyouta, get down!"

Just as I was about to swing my wind-hammer again, a voice called out from behind me.

I immediately slung my sword over my shoulder, bent my knees, and placed my left hand on the ground. A moment later, several plastic water jugs flew over my head.

The large quantity of water inside them burst out as if expanding from within. A curtain of water formed, blocking my view of the golems. Before gravity could pull it down, it was seized by mana.

"Freeze!!"

Mia-san's sharp voice rang out, and the water that had spread like a mist became a breath of ice that assaulted the golems. Spreading out in a fan shape, it was reminiscent of the Cuelebre's breath.

In an instant, my vision was painted white. More than half the golems froze solid the moment they emerged from the forest, stopping in mid-stride. Some of the toppled ones shattered into pieces.

"They're using a group counter-spell! I can't take control of them!"

"Understood!"

I replied, sinking even lower. I dug everything but my sword-wielding right arm deep into the ground.

To an onlooker, it might have looked like a sprinter's starting crouch or a predator lying in wait.

And both would probably be correct.

"Hhhiii...!"

I unleashed a full-powered blast of wind from my left hand and both feet. The dark brown earth exploded, and my body shot forward like a cannonball.

A massive tree trunk loomed before me. I dodged it just before impact, kicked off the ground, and accelerated further. I slipped past even the golem horde, closing in on the Green Men I knew were waiting beyond.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar mana flooded the ground.

"From below!"

Just as Mia-san's voice echoed, countless spears shot up. Like the fangs of a giant predator, they closed in on me, formed from solid rock.

But I could see them.

I weaved through them with S-shaped steps and turns, then jumped without losing momentum. I approached a tree trunk from behind, spun around, and kicked off it to accelerate again.

I wouldn't slow down for a second. I would charge straight through.

As rock spears erupted from the earth and vine-like arms extended from the trees, I dodged, slashed, and crushed them to press forward.

Landing with my feet skidding across the ground, I came face-to-face with the Green Men who had been hiding behind the trunks. The moment we saw each other, we both readied our weapons.

Their numbers were around twenty. More than I expected.

'Zazat!'

With their unique battle cry, the green warriors charged, brandishing swords and spears made of wood and amber.

As the nearest one raised its sword, I slipped into its guard and cleaved its skull in two. Then, I sliced through the head of a Green Man behind it that was readying a spear, taking its troublesome arm with it in a reverse diagonal slash.

After I cut down two of them, the monsters' eyes finally seemed to catch up to my movements.

But they apparently hadn't noticed the self-proclaimed ninja who had come up from behind them, unseen.

"Choryaa! Towaa!"

With a bizarre yell, one of the Green Men had its head shattered by a flying kick. She skillfully twisted in mid-air and threw a weighted shuriken into the side of another's head.

The head exploded as if hit by a rifle bullet. Unfazed by their comrade's demise, the remaining Green Men rushed me with their weapons.

But unfortunately for them... if this was enough to give me trouble, I would have been devoured by the Cuelebre long ago.

I dodged an amber spear by a hair's breadth and countered with a slash to its torso. I evaded a downward sword strike with a horizontal spin, the centrifugal force of my blade landing a flash of steel on the back of its head.

I'd smash their heads if I could, but if cutting their torsos was faster, that's what I'd aim for.

As the stone heads separated from their destroyed bodies and floated in the air, the self-proclaimed ninja, who had hidden behind the trees, shot them down one after another with her weighted shuriken.

With spears of ice flying in as support, the enemy couldn't even escape.

Less than a minute after engaging, all the golems and Green Men fell silent. All that remained were shapeless clumps of earth and small piles of salt.

"Looks like there are no other enemies. A perfect victory!"

"Haaaah..."

I exhaled at Erina-san's words and let the tension leave my shoulders.

"Good work. Are you two okay?"

"Hmph. This is just a warm-up for a ninja!"

"I'm fine as well."

I nodded in response to Mia-san, who was holding her staff with both hands.

While we talked, 'Ukon' was already collecting the dropped items. I did a quick mental calculation to see how close we were to our target number.

...It seems we're still a long way off. It would be best to continue exploring while we conduct our survey.

'It's good to see you're all safe. If you're tired, you should take a break.'

"Nah, I'm fine!"

"Me too."

"Same here."

'You guys are full of energy...'

And so, Erina-san and Mia-san returned to filming the ruins, and I resumed my watch.

We were attacked once more after that, but we repelled them without difficulty. We even had enough breathing room to collect the remnants of the broken water jugs.

It's nice that it's so easy it feels like routine work, but I still get the feeling the experience points are lacking. It's not that the amount has decreased, but rather that my capacity has increased...

In game terms, it's like the experience needed for the next level up increased because my level went up, right? No, in this world, that's probably not a metaphor but a literal fact.

In any case, this is how it is in a 'C-Rank Dungeon.' That's a little worrying when I think about self-defense.

I could probably level up by fighting this rank of monster indefinitely, but it would be extremely slow.

Maybe I should take the promotion exam when the 'B-Rank' the professor mentioned is introduced...

I recalled the 'Rey Cuelebre' and the 'Minotaur' and grimaced.

We're told to run without a second thought if we see a boss monster, but many of them make even escaping difficult. Having to rely on my own luck is deeply unsettling.

As I was feeling a bit down thinking about the future, a voice came from my earring.

'That should be enough for this spot. Now, if you would, please check the other location. It should be behind this building.'

"Got it."

I replied to Aira-san and started walking around the outside of the ruins.

This must have been a truly massive building once. It might even be larger than the prefectural office I visited before.

Even the remaining parts of the walls seem taller than a five-story building. The intelligent life that worked in this dungeon must have had a fairly advanced civilization.

The mystery is why the buildings of that civilization are in such a state of ruin. Well, that's a question for Aira-san and the professor to answer.

I brought my focus back to the dungeon and continued walking cautiously.

And what came into view was...

"Oh, uh..."

It was just as the intel had described, but it was still a sight that left me at a loss for a reaction.

"Whoa! Awesome, Kyouta! There are 'sheep' growing at the tops of the trees!"

Just as Erina-san said, there were sheep. Fairly large sheep with an abundance of yellowish wool.

Barometz.

A tree from European legend that bears sheep. People in the Middle Ages apparently believed it was real, but I never expected to see one in a dungeon.

The trees were about two meters tall. Compared to the surrounding trees, their trunks looked like something you'd find in a tropical country, and each leaf was large.

Why a sheep was growing from the tip of a perfectly straight trunk was a complete mystery.

And hundreds of these bizarre trees stood in rows.

'Hmm. So this is the rumored 'edible dungeon plant'?'

"We are not eating them."

"We can't?"

"Don't eat it."

"The Dungeon Store has forbidden it..."

"Aww."

Don't you 'aww' me.

Normally, food found inside a dungeon is 'made of salt.'

When the Self-Defense Force investigated, they found cheese, wine, and moldy bread that all turned to salt the moment they were taken out of the gate.

They managed to prevent a stampede by quickly returning the items inside, but carrying things out of a dungeon is quite risky.

As a result of such investigations, this Barometz was certified as one of the few edible items that could be taken out.

Despite its appearance, it's not a monster, and apparently, it's safe to eat.

'Rumor has it that a certain SDF officer, against the protests of those around him, used his own armor to grill it like yakiniku.'

"Why would he use his armor as a grill...?"

'They say it tasted similar to crab.'

"But why grill it on his armor...?"

'He supposedly boiled the second one. Using his armor as a pot.'

"I'm telling you, why eat it with his armor?"

Is that rumor even true? Why would people in such a dangerous line of work use their professional tools for cooking when they have frying pans and pots available?

I could understand if they ate it inside the dungeon, but they must have eaten it outside.

If they ate it inside and it turned to salt the moment it went down their throat, it could trigger a stampede. They definitely ate it outside.

It's not like they went crazy yelling, 'All hail monster meat!' or something.

'Perhaps the day when Barometz meat is sold in supermarkets isn't so far off. It's said that seeds brought back could be cultivated in fields tilled with Civil Engineering Magic. Of course, it's still undecided which ministry would have to give the okay.'

"Huh. Well, if it goes on sale, I might try it..."

"Let's make a hotpot then!"

"Um, you two don't have any objections...?"

"It just looks like a sheep."

"I like crab!"

"I, I see."

Mia-san seems a bit taken aback, but personally, I have no complaints if the food is safe and delicious. And it looks normal enough that I don't have any ethical reservations.

'In that case, if Kyouta-kun and Erina-kun eat it and don't collapse, I'll have some too!'

"I'll let you have the first bite."

"I'll feed it to you! 'Say ahh!'"

'No way in hell!?'

"For now, let's wrap up the chatter. More enemies might show up."

"Got it."

"Okay-dokey."

After that, we took pictures of the Barometz growing on the trees and those that had descended to the ground to eat grass, connected to the trunks by something like an umbilical cord.

We had a fight with some Green Men along the way, but the Barometz trees were unharmed. We all made it back safely.

'By the way, Kyouta-kun.'

"Yes?"

Aira-san called out to me as I was waiting for the girls in front of the changing rooms after we'd finished up all the paperwork and gotten changed.

'You had a battle while you were filming the Barometz, but the Green Men didn't harm the sheep, did they?'

"Yeah, that's right."

During the fight, they didn't attack the Barometz trees at all.

It was too deliberate to be a coincidence. The golem horde went out of its way to make a wide detour around the trees.

'I was thinking, maybe that dungeon was once a Barometz cultivation site? That building could have been the workers' dormitory or a processing plant.'

"That's possible."

'Right? Hehe, I can't wait to decipher the letters left on the wall!'

"Well... good luck with that."

'I will! Ah, this is so exciting!'

I gave a small shrug at Aira-san's words.

But, if the former inhabitants of the dungeon also ate Barometz... does that mean they looked and lived in a way similar to us?

No, in the first place...

I found myself looking at the palm of my own hand.

Perhaps 'they' were also beings like Awakened Persons.

Only Awakened Persons and monsters can freely pass through the gates. And then there was the 'Day of Awakening,' when Awakened Persons appeared at the same time the dungeons did.

It seems the mysteries just keep piling up. I really hope the scholars can figure it out.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Kyouta! I just talked to Senpai, and we're all going to grab a bite on the way home!"

'Wait, am I being excluded? Are you excluding me, Erina-kun!?'

"C-Calm down, Nee-san. You're in Grandma's room at the university right now, aren't you?"

'I am. I can't go home yet. So you're all going to have fun without me!? I'm gonna cry!'

"Alright! Then let's just buy the ingredients and eat at home! All of us!"

"...Eh. Does that 'all of us' by any chance include me?"

"Yep!"

"No, I really couldn't impose like that."

"What do you want to eat, Kyouta? I want crab!"

"Are you listening to me?"

After this, I called my mom, and she told me I should 'definitely go.' Have you people forgotten how low my social skills are? Eating dinner at someone else's house is so awkward, you know?

...Then again, when it comes to the Arisugawa family, I feel like we're past that point.

"Alright! Summer break is almost over, so let's have some fun today!"

'Heh. I'm not letting you sleep tonight, ZE☆'

"Nee-san!? That's not wholesome! It's shameless!"

"Well, staying up all night playing games is probably not healthy. Besides, the university students aren't on summer break right now, are they?"

Aira-san has high stamina only when it comes to playing games, despite her frail appearance... I hear she just stops moving like a dead battery afterward.

By the way, the crab hotpot and lamb steak Erina-san cooked were incredibly delicious.