kscans

Chapter 196 - The One Denied Passage

After the party—a heaven for the senses, a hell for my reason—was brought to an end by the massive global news, the world was, naturally, in an uproar over the events in China.

That group calling themselves ‘Istio’ really did seem to have no connection to Turohorse; apparently, they weren’t even Japanese.

They were Chinese nationals who had been working for Japanese companies, then returned to China after Awakening. In other words, Japan was almost entirely uninvolved.

That had been internationally proven… or rather, not yet. The suspects were still in the custody of the Chinese military, and there was no evidence beyond the photographs.

Still, Aira-san said that the international pressure on Japan had eased somewhat.

However, the once-reignited ‘Awakened Persons are Dangerous’ theory was still raging, and anti-Awakened movements were gaining momentum overseas.

While Japan wasn't involved in this particular incident, it was a fact that Japanese Awakened had been involved in the disturbances in the Middle East. Rumor had it that genocide was even taking place.

Fortunately, it hadn't happened around me, but news reports of random attacks by Awakened Persons were a frequent occurrence.

Perhaps because they are necessary to deal with dungeons, the anti-Awakened movement isn't as active in Japan, but… starting with the Turohorse victims’ association, there are many people who hold a grudge against Awakened Persons. And they have more than enough reason to.

It seems the rift between the Awakened and non-Awakened is not going to disappear anytime soon. In fact, it might not disappear until everyone in the world becomes one or the other. After all, wars over race and religion are still going on.

But even with all these complicated thoughts, my daily life continued as usual.

Today was Monday, but since it was a public holiday, I had come to a dungeon once again.

This one was C-Rank, though. It wasn't for leveling up Aira-san, who was still D-Rank, of course. The main purpose this time was a test run of the modified Byakuren.

"Are you all ready, gentlemen? Have you been to the bathroom? Forgotten anything? Is your mind prepared?"

"OK!!"

"Yes, no problem."

"Same here, all good. I’ve just cast the ‘Water Walking’ spell."

In front of the white gate, we finished our final checks and I replied to Aira-san through the earring.

What was different from usual was that Byakuren’s dedicated body and the bodies of Ukon and Sakon had been mixed with ‘dragon tooth powder.’

And.

"Please take care of Sana-kun as well. Be sure not to let her get injured."

"Yes."

The fact that we had Sana-san with us.

Sakon was not carrying its man catcher this time, equipped only with a shield and a birdcage. With its usual expressionless face, the small spirit watched us quietly.

"But is this really necessary?"

"I don’t know. This whole ‘insurance’ plan is full of firsts, after all. We are the pioneers. So, if something seems like it might be useful, we just try it out."

"Well, if that’s the case… Sana-san, thank you for joining us today."

I bent down to meet her gaze, and the quiet spirit gave a small nod.

"Alright, let’s go. Everyone, touch my shoulder."

Erina-san and the others placed their hands on my shoulder, and the golems connected to each other as well. Mia-san touched Sakon with her other hand.

I took one deep breath and stepped inside the gate.

Through my boots, I felt a sensation like stepping on a paved road. However, that was thanks to Mia-san’s magic.

The actual ground was sopping wet, with puddles visible here and there.

It was worse than just after a rain. The ground had been submerged for a long time, and as a result, it would normally be very difficult to walk on.

The store's information stated that a fully equipped JSDF soldier had sunk up to his knees in the ground.

It was a dungeon with high humidity. Looking around, I saw a forest of tall, towering trees.

They were strange trees, different from mangroves. But they seemed resistant to both water and mud, growing thick and strong. Rays of false sunlight poured through the gaps in their green leaves.

A dungeon covered by a dome-like imitation of a clear sky. I wondered if the other world continued beyond that dome.

Alternatively, we could be deep underground, or even in the deep sea. The thought sent a small shiver down my spine.

Shaking off my unease, I drew my sword and sent a telepathic message to Aira-san.

"We have entered the dungeon. Commencing exploration."

"Right. Be careful."

"Roger."

We started walking in formation: Byakuren, myself, Erina-san and Mia-san, then Sakon, with Ukon bringing up the rear.

The trees were spaced far apart, just wide enough for a car to pass. The branches were also at least five meters from the ground, so I didn’t have to worry about my sword hitting them.

This time, Byakuren was equipped with a tower shield and a longsword. It was a sword I received as a bonus a while back, but it was a fine blade. No issues with sharpness or durability.

A sword and shield that a normal person would need both hands for, but Byakuren carried them both with ease. I glanced at its mechanically walking back and scanned our surroundings.

Even with Erina-san here, the enemies this time had ranged attacks. With Sana-san present, I couldn’t afford to be careless.

We proceeded for about thirty seconds before I spotted a cloth wrapped around a tree trunk with writing on it.

"Aira-san, I’ve found the JSDF’s paint. It’s ‘G-5.’ The sun-like symbol is in the four o’clock direction from our position."

"Right, right. Hold on a sec… Got it. From there, try heading in the ten o’clock direction. There should be a mark that says ‘H-9’."

"Understood. Moving toward ten o’clock."

We turned in the indicated direction and walked for another twenty seconds or so.

Erina-san’s sharp voice cut in.

"Enemy. Three of them. Approaching from the front… no, slightly from the right-front."

"Roger. Byakuren, as planned."

The white helmet gave a small nod in response to my words.

This time, the plan was for Byakuren to fight alone for the most part. I would step in if I judged it to be dangerous, but at this rank, there shouldn’t be any problems aside from running out of mana.

Now then. The ‘improved golem reaction speed’ that the Alchemy Enthusiasts Club mentioned. I wonder how significant it is.

I stopped and peered through the trees, and finally, the enemy came into view.

The distance was about sixty meters. Normally, that would still be far.

But we were already within the enemy’s range.

—FWOOSH!

There was a sound like air being forcefully expelled, and then several spears… no, ‘needles,’ shot towards us at high speed.

Each one was as long as a human arm and as thick as a thumb, flying at over three hundred kilometers per hour.

In response, Byakuren advanced, holding its shield at an angle to deflect the incoming needles.

After confirming that none were on a direct course for us, I shifted my focus to observing the enemy.

They had thick, stubby legs with tough hide. Their build was comparable to a rhino or a hippo. A colossal body that would immediately sink into the mud without mana for support.

Their four limbs, covered in green skin, and the silhouette of their torso were similar to a turtle’s. But their body was not just covered by a shell; a lion-like mane grew over it.

Long, sharp spines, like a hedgehog's, sprouted through the mane. Those were the needles that had been shot at us.

A supple neck and tail extended from its heavy body. Reminiscent of a snake, its head, with gleaming yellow eyes, was glaring at us… or more precisely, at Erina-san and the others behind me.

‘Peluda.’

The dragon that was refused passage on Noah’s Ark but survived the Great Flood.

However, legend says it was ultimately killed by a local youth to protect his beloved.

A monster closely resembling that creature had made this dungeon its lair.

"The Peluda apparently has a taste for pure maidens. You three better be careful. Oh, or is it four, including Sana-kun? Phew, glad I’m not there."

"We’re virgins, after all!"

"Erina-san, have some more decency…!"

"Please focus on the battle."

And I'll definitely give that disappointing college student who casually included me in the ‘maiden’ count a piece of my mind later.

While we were having our stupid conversation, the battle progressed.

As needles were fired from the three monsters at a rate of one per second, Byakuren charged. Utilizing the sturdiness of its shield, it forcefully closed the distance.

At the thirty-meter mark, one of them stopped shooting needles and opened its snake-like mouth wide.

Instantly, a massive amount of flame erupted from it.

The crimson inferno could melt even iron. In response, the ‘Mana Conversion’ built into the shield activated. Deflecting the flames with wind, Byakuren swung its sword.

Through ‘Concept Interference,’ the flames clung to the blade. The knight, having forcefully closed the gap, lopped off the Peluda’s log-thick neck.

The leftmost one lost its head, but incredibly, it continued to charge, ramming its body forward. Byakuren caught it with its shield, then released a blast of wind from its entire body. It blew away the remaining flames and the incoming needles, forcefully flipping the Peluda over.

The monster crashed into the mud with a deafening roar. The heel of a white iron boot came down mercilessly on the base of its tail.

The green scales cracked, and the root of its tail was crushed.

That monster, the Peluda, wouldn't stop even if its head was crushed or its heart was gouged out. But it would die if its tail was destroyed.

Looking at the flow of mana, I could see it circulating throughout its body from the tail as a base. Even so, it was a mysteriously hard-to-understand creature.

With the first one down, the remaining two turned to face Byakuren. But they were too slow.

The Peluda was tough and had high attack power. However, for its rank, its movements were sluggish.

Twisting its body in a horizontal spin to dodge incoming needles, Byakuren sprinted in a wide arc. The second Peluda’s turning speed couldn’t keep up, and its tail was severed.

But, as expected of its incredible life force, even as it fell, that one spewed a massive cloud of poison mist from its mouth.

The powerful acid quickly corroded the surrounding trees. Trunks were eaten away, and with a creaking sound, two or three large trees snapped.

For a moment, the figures of the Peluda and Byakuren were shrouded in the green poison mist, but a gale blew from within.

In the cleared field of vision, I saw the last one baring its fangs and lunging to bite Byakuren.

But its long, sharp fangs were shattered by a shield bash, and without a moment’s delay, the tip of the longsword pierced the joint of its left foreleg.

Losing its balance, the Peluda still fired its needles. But they couldn't catch the leaping Byakuren and whistled through empty air.

The white giant, having jumped several meters, used a blast of wind to descend rapidly. As mud flew high into the air, a silver blade swung down.

The single blow from its powerful arm easily sliced through scales that could deflect even bullets. The snake-like tail thrashed on the mud before quickly going still. The remaining torso also lost its strength and collapsed with a wet thud.

"Combat concluded. Erina-san, any other enemies?"

"None nearby."

"Roger. Let’s head to Byakuren’s position."

As we cautiously advanced, we found three mounds of salt on the mud.

And as for Byakuren…

"…Almost out of mana, huh."

In an attempt to boost its performance even slightly, Byakuren’s fuel efficiency was terrible.

With ‘Mana Conversion’ added on top, its remaining mana had dropped below thirty percent after a single battle.

But even this was an improvement. I placed a hand on its shoulder and replenished its mana.

"Man, I was watching through Ukon-kun’s mirror, but I couldn't follow its movements at all!"

"Yeah. The club’s information seems to be accurate. Though, a C-Rank is a bit of a questionable test."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

Every single one of its movements had undoubtedly gotten faster. But this battle didn't tell me what its new maximum was.

Byakuren’s performance was already perfectly viable against B-Rank opponents. Was a test run in a C-Rank dungeon too cautious?

…No. That line of thought is far too arrogant.

It’s always better to be safe than sorry. When it comes to things that can only be tested in a dungeon, being overly cautious is just right.

"I mean, I could barely see its movements… Could it be that Byakuren-kun’s swordsmanship is actually cleaner than yours, Ky-chan-kun?"

"Yes. My own swordsmanship is a chaotic mess, for one, but Byakuren is also a veteran in its own right."

Unlike my ‘as long as it hits, it’s fine’ style of killing, Byakuren’s movements are often logical and efficient. Its overall tactics are crude, though.

Its core, the ‘imperfect homunculus,’ doesn’t have much thinking capacity, but it has fought many strong enemies. It learns, whether it wants to or not.

"I’m sure not even the JSDF or the club has a golem with this much combat experience."

"I see… I’d love to use it as a reference, but I wonder if Sana-kun was able to follow it, unlike me…"

"Oh, that’s fine. Sana-san has Spirit Eye too."

When I glanced at her, the small spirit nodded.

Besides, Sana-san’s base specs are surprisingly high. Her physical strength is only that of a child, but considering her size, that’s plenty strong.

She’s probably stronger than Aira-san was at Level 1, even if you just count what she can see and touch. In fact, she could probably overwhelm her in a fistfight even now.

"Heh heh heh. Are you thinking something rude about me, Ky-chan-kun?"

"I was just remembering how you counted me among the pure maidens a minute ago."

"So-rry, Kyoko-chan-kun!"

"Would you prefer the cardboard box punishment or the hairbrush punishment?"

"I don’t want either, I don’t know what they are!?"

…Well, whatever.

My heart did skip a beat when Erina-san said "We’re virgins," so I guess I can let it slide.

When a girl you’re close to says something like that, your heart leaps out of your chest. I want to shout that this is a common thing for teenage boys…! But I won’t, because it’s creepy…!

"Finished collecting the drops!"

"Ah, right. Then let’s resume the exploration."

"Right. Good luck… And what in the world are those punishments, really…? I’m actually a little scared, so I’d like you to tell me…"

"Oh, you want to receive both?"

"No!? Absolutely not!? I don’t know what they are, though! And not knowing is the scariest part!"

"Well, that aside."

"Could you please not put it aside!?"

"Once we’re done marking, we’ll head to the point the professor requested. At this rate, I think we can make it there. Please navigate for us."

"R-Right. I shall guide you, all while praying that my punishment is not carried out."

"Please do."

And so, we began to walk, our footsteps making a clack, clack sound despite being on mud.

We started moving through the strange forest once more.

"Kyouta-kun."

"Yes?"

I stopped at Mia-san’s call.

When I turned around, she had a very serious expression on her face. Wondering what it could be, I held my breath.

Her cherry-pink lips parted, and she spoke with grave importance.

"Which of those punishments is lewder…!?"

"Let’s explore seriously now, Disappointment Number Two."

I was a fool for trying to listen seriously.