kscans

Chapter 154 - The Importance of Countermeasures

The day after that, the first Saturday of August, we found ourselves once again at the Dungeon of Utuq.

While we could get back with Erina-san's teleportation, marking the store itself is forbidden, so we have to get picked up every time we come here.

Feeling a little guilty about that, I finished my preparations as usual and headed to the gate room.

After a final check, we stepped through the white door.

The floor and walls were made of dry stone. A cool, but not damp, breeze seeped through the cracks scattered about.

I drew my one-and-a-half-handed sword in the passage, which was illuminated by artificial light.

"We've entered the dungeon. Commencing exploration."

'Right. This is your second time, but don't let your guard down. We've added more countermeasures, but your basic strategy should be to avoid their curses altogether.'

"Understood."

"Roger!"

'Kyou-chan-kun, you on the other hand should actively try to get hit. Aim to be the world's number one crash-test dummy!'

"That sounds terrible."

I replied with a pout and exchanged glances with my teammates.

After receiving their nods, I began to walk forward cautiously.

The clack, clack of my and Mia-san's footsteps, along with the heavy tread of the golems, echoed in the corridor. Despite the pleasant temperature and breeze compared to the outside, a cold sweat trickled down my cheek.

Erina-san, who was moving silently, suddenly called out in a sharp voice.

"Four of them coming from behind, flying this way. They're moving pretty fast."

"Got it."

It seemed we had a welcoming party right at the entrance. We reversed our formation, and Byakuren and I stood to face the enemy.

A metallic clank sounded from behind me, and I glanced back for a moment. Diagonally behind me, Erina-san was equipping a pair of rugged gauntlets.

They completely covered her forearms, and the tips were so thick it looked like you could fit another fist or two inside.

According to Erina-san, they were a new ninja tool: claws.

There were no wrist or finger joints; instead, three blades extended out from her arms. From the side, the blades were shaped like the character 'ト', making it difficult to scale walls by swinging her arms.

But if the goal was simply to ascend, this 'magical tool' would be more suitable.

I cut my thoughts short and faced forward. Just as I lowered my sword to my hip, Sakon illuminated the path ahead with a large spotlight from behind.

The Utuqs, forced to a sudden stop by the blinding light, were now exposed. Byakuren and I launched our attack.

"Hyaa...!"

I leaped, kicking off the wind to gain more height. The lead creature hastily raised its sword, but I ignored it and slashed its torso in a rising diagonal cut.

An iron ball flew past me, and another creature was shot down. Of the two remaining, one raised its palm towards us.

Its target was—Erina-san.

I tried to dash through the air to stop its spell, but the other Utuq blocked my path.

'Kiiiih!'

It thrust its spear with a roar, but I dodged it and sliced its torso as I passed.

I wasn't going to make it in time to stop the chant.

'Gah...!'

But the last Utuq groaned with vexation and aborted its spell, drawing the sword at its hip instead.

It had no choice. Behind me, Mia-san's fog was now obscuring our vision.

The Utuq's curse required visual confirmation of the target. While the fog made it harder for our rear guard to attack, it was better than being cursed.

And then.

"Hyah!"

—CLANG!

A cheerful cry and a sound from the wall. I held back, letting the last one be hers, my sword at the ready.

The Utuq, though seemingly confused, narrowed its eyes and tried to close the distance. I kept it fully in my sights, prepared to provide support for her at any moment.

A wire shot out from the fog. Pulled along by it, Erina-san launched herself out, then fired the tip of her 'claw' into the opposite wall. The blade pierced the stone, and the attached wire retracted, sending her flying through the air.

She rotated her body horizontally with the grace of a cat. Pulling the blade free from the wall, the blonde, self-proclaimed ninja danced toward the Utuq.

Its eagle-like face twisted in shock at her unexpected movements, the monster immediately tried to counter by swinging its sword in a rising slash.

"Apache!"

But her descending claw was faster. Delivered like a right straight, the blades gouged the Utuq's chest.

"Dopah!"

Immediately after, the blades were forcefully ejected by wind power. The recoil sent both of them flying apart, and the Utuq slammed onto the hard floor.

Next to the creature as it turned to salt, Erina-san landed with a clank as she retracted the blades.

As I landed, cautiously surveying the area, she turned to me with a triumphant look on her face.

"So, what do you think, Kyou-chan?! How's my new ninja tool?!"

"Yeah. Looks useful."

"Right?! I know, right?!"

Erina-san laughed happily, puffing out her chest and striking a pose as if flexing her biceps.

I averted my eyes from the resulting bounce and focused on her claws.

A magical tool made by Ooyama-san. It used my materials to eject the blades with acceleration from Mana Conversion, and likewise used wind to retract the attached wires.

Concept Interference was incorporated into the tips, rendering any defense other than pure physical durability meaningless.

Its five-meter range was a bit short, but with Erina-san's skill, she should be able to handle it just fine.

'Sorry to interrupt your triumphant pose, but don't let your guard down, you two. It's quite nerve-wracking to watch from over here.'

"Indeed."

I nodded in agreement with Aira-san and Mia-san.

It was good that Erina-san could fight in close quarters, but I'd rather she didn't get on the front lines too much. I trusted her skill, but the curses in this dungeon were just too terrifying.

"It's okaaay! I use [Transparency] during combat, so they can't see me! My claws are still visible, but Ā-chan gave me her seal of approval that it won't affect the curse!"

"Oh, so you had it active already."

Now that she mentioned it, maybe she did look a little transparent? It didn't look much different to me, so it was hard to tell.

Still, I had thought the Utuq's reaction was strangely slow for such an unorthodox attack pattern, but I guess from its perspective, it just looked like a giant gauntlet was flying through the air.

Mythologically, they're spirits, but the Utuqs that appear as monsters today have physical bodies, even if they are made of salt. They don't have the same kind of vision that Sana-san or I do.

'We've prepared double and triple countermeasures with Busujima-kun's charm, the vision-obscuring fog, and your skill. Does it seem to be working?'

"It's hard to say after just one fight. But considering the Utuq aborted its spell to engage in close combat, it seems to be effective."

"This strategy doesn't leave much for me to do, though..."

Mia-san's eyebrows furrowed into a sad 'V' shape, and her long ears drooped.

"That might be true for normal fights, but if we face a huge number of them like last time, we'll be counting on your magic, Mia-san..."

"Senpai is our secret weapon! We're counting on you when the time comes!"

"...Understood. I'll do my best!"

Mia-san pumped herself up with determination. The pressure from her arms on her explosive chest...!!

That one-piece dress really is quite low-cut... As expected of the perverted clan. What a cleavage. And what soft-looking breasts...

I gave a small shake of my head to dispel my wicked thoughts and touched my earring.

"We're resuming the exploration."

'Right. Be careful.'

While we were talking, Ukon collected the dropped items. Erina-san stored them in her Item Box, and we started walking again.

We found the Self-Defense Force's marker and continued down the long corridor. We had a few more battles along the way, but we didn't encounter the same overwhelming numbers as last time. The area near the exit was also marked.

The SDF's structure guarding the exit here was much more robust than what I'd seen in other dungeons.

Unlike the police box-like designs in dungeons up to 'C-Rank', this was a veritable fortress.

Mounds of sandbags and what looked like a stone wall made with magic. Behind it stood a concrete building, with countless gun barrels protecting the exit. The soldiers' positions were mostly concealed by numerous obstacles, a clear countermeasure against being targeted by curses.

It was a stark reminder of just how dangerous this place was. With that in mind, we continued our exploration.

We went up and down dozens of long, steep staircases. About an hour after entering the dungeon, Aira-san's voice came through, tinged with excitement.

'We should be at our destination soon...!'

As if in response to her voice, after climbing a flight of stairs, we emerged onto a straight path and spotted a large door at the other end of the corridor.

It was a set of double doors that looked like they were carved from a single slab of rock, with no visible seams. Strange patterns were etched into its surface. I touched my earring as we stood before it.

"Aira-san, I think we've arrived at the target room."

'Excellent! First, let me get a good look at the patterns on the door! Kyou-chan-kun, I need you to film the upper portion!''

"I'll focus on scouting. Oh, there don't seem to be any enemies behind the door, so you're safe."

"Got it."

"Then I will handle the lower part."

I took the camera from Erina-san, and treading on the wind, I ascended as if climbing an invisible staircase.

The patterns on the door were carved all the way up to near the ceiling, which was easily over ten meters high. I filmed them as I slowly moved across.

'Heh heh heh... Wonderful...! Myth is culture. It is civilization! The Utuq bring to mind legends of ancient Mesopotamia, but have you heard of the goddess Inanna from Mesopotamian mythology? This goddess's descent into the underworld is said to be deeply connected to the seasons and agricultural practices of Sumer. This is because the grain harvest took place in the spring, and the livestock—'

Where does she get that lung capacity?

I continued filming while giving noncommittal responses to Aira-san's rapid-fire lecture. She was rattling on with such fervor that I doubted she was even stopping to breathe, and I let out a quiet sigh.

Sure, I get that this temple-like dungeon could hold major clues to deciphering the 'civilization that lived in dungeons.'

I get it, but still, I'd appreciate it if she didn't deliver a long-winded speech in the middle of a dungeon. I'd rather not have to explain that I didn't notice an enemy approaching because I was listening to her lecture.

"Filming complete."

"Same here, sister. I got the walls around the door, too."

'Alright! Then head on inside!'

"Understood."

The golems pushed open the massive doors. They were incredibly heavy, but for the current Byakuren, it was no problem.

I knew from Erina-san's ears that there were no enemies, but I was extra cautious. The golems illuminated the surroundings with their lights, and only after confirming there were no Utuqs did we enter.

"This is..."

Mia-san breathed out in awe.

Inside the vast room, which was as large as two gymnasiums, stood five stone statues.

In the center was a statue of a powerful man with the head of a sun.

To its right, a statue of a woman clad in a single piece of thin cloth.

On the opposite side, a statue of a voluptuous woman with deer antlers.

To our far left, a statue of a muscular man holding a sword.

And on the far right, a statue of a handsome man holding a harp.

Unlit candelabras lined the room, and the five statues looked down on us from a stepped dais.

They were so magnificently crafted that they looked like they could start moving at any moment. Perhaps they were made from a material rich in mana, or perhaps it was the sculptor's skill. Either way, they exuded an intense pressure.

I even instinctively used my Spirit Eye to check if they were disguised monsters. They were genuine stone statues, but even to my untrained eye, the craftsmanship was nothing short of astonishing.

Mia-san, who had taken a few steps forward, gazed up at the statues in a trance.

"Magnificent... The emotion I feel in my heart now is the same as when I first saw Michelangelo's David...!"

"Are they that amazing?"

"Yes, absolutely! The artist who created these was undoubtedly a figure who will go down in history!"

I was a little taken aback by Mia-san's excited reply.

Unfortunately, I'm artistically illiterate. I could tell they were amazing, but I couldn't comprehend her passionate explanation.

I glanced over at Erina-san. She was ignoring the statues completely, maintaining her usual smile as she continued to scan our surroundings.

She's probably more knowledgeable about art than I am, but it seemed she didn't share Mia-san's passion. Or maybe it was the professionalism of someone who could control her emotions. Either way, it was a relief.

'Ho ho... At first glance, the one in the middle is the sun god and chief deity. The one on the right is his wife, and the one on the left is a fertility goddess? So there were deer or similar creatures in this area that could be used for food... The one with the sword is a war god, and the harp is a god of art? No, since magic exists, that might represent a staff. I believe there was magic that used melodies in place of incantations. To begin with, was it a polytheistic religion? No, more importantly, the fact that the sun god is the chief deity might tell us about the environment of the land where the dungeon dwellers originally lived—'

And Aira-san, well, Aira-san had started her thing again.

Breaking into a cold sweat, I raised the camera again. A job's a job. Since I'm getting paid, I'd better do my duty.

As I filmed the statues and their surroundings, Mia-san quieted down. She was gazing intently at the statues, but she was back to work.

'Hmm. The goddess who appears to be the chief deity's wife is holding a pot with a handle? A kettle? Is it for pouring wine, or water? If so, does water hold some special meaning? Wait. Is the god of the underworld present here? Does this goddess also serve that role, or does the war god-like deity serve a dual purpose? No, no. Is he enshrined elsewhere? Or do we not even know if they had a culture of an underworld yet? If there were inscriptions around the pedestal, it would be easier to understand... Ah, honestly. If we had been the first ones here, there might have been some documents. They should hurry up and release that information—'

Aira-san, on the other hand, was still as noisy as ever. Seriously, we're in a dungeon right now. My hearing is a perfectly good scouting tool, you know.

It seemed there was some writing on the walls as well, so I recorded that with the camera too.

About twenty minutes after we entered the room, Erina-san, who had been standing at attention by the door, shifted her stance.

"Everyone, looks like we've got company. A lot of them. They're flying up from the bottom of the stairs."

'What?! Kyou-chan-kun, be a shield and protect the statu—gah, it can't be helped. Your lives are the top priority...!'

"Thanks for the tough decision."

"Ready when you are! Pass!"

I tossed the camera to Erina-san, who was posed like she was playing basketball, and drew my sword.

"Mia-san, if you would."

"Yes, leave it to me. I won't let them lay a single finger on these statues...!"

"Please focus."

"Y-Yes."

These sisters, honestly...

Mia-san lightly slapped her own cheeks to clear her head, while Erina-san lined up several plastic water tanks on the floor.

"Ready, senpai! Show 'em what you've got!"

"Yes!"

Just as I started to hear the sound of flight, Mia-san tapped the floor with her staff.

In response, the rubber stoppers on the tanks were forced open from the inside, and water slithered out into the air like snakes.

The great water serpents rapidly increased in volume, cladding themselves in scales and fangs of ice. Their forms were large enough to evoke the legend of Yamata-no-Orochi, and they pulsed with immense magical power.

Finally, the monsters with eagles' heads and wings appeared from the staircase.

"Go!"

The swarm of serpents attacked all at once. Scraping against the walls and floor, a relentless assault with no escape bore down on the Utuqs.

'Kiiiiiih!!'

The monsters tried to fight back with spears and swords, but they were frozen by the giant fangs and easily crushed, as if their efforts were meaningless.

Byakuren and I followed the ice serpents as they scrambled down to the lower floor, weapons at the ready, to strike the next ones that came up.

It seemed a good number of them were wiped out, but they weren't all gone. As proof, the sound of flight started up again.

"Deploying fog. Good luck."

"Right!"

As expected, she's reliable when it counts. This time, Erina-san was holding her Daisharinmaru instead of her claws.

A dozen or so Utuqs flew over the stairs with flapping wings. They were met by a storm of wind and fire, and an iron ball.

—One hour and forty minutes after the exploration began.

We returned safely to the outside of the dungeon and let out a sigh of relief.

The importance of countermeasures against monsters and terrain. It was a dungeon exploration where we could carve that lesson into our hearts and make it our strength.