kscans

Chapter 94 - The City of Wolves

The City of Wolves

Beyond the gate. I landed on the brick-paved ground and scanned my surroundings, relying on the light from the lantern at my hip.

The ground beneath me was an alternating pattern of red and pale brown bricks. A short distance away, an old-fashioned streetlamp cast a dim glow on the area.

It wasn't something the Self-Defense Force had installed. The design was similar to the gas lamps I'd seen on TV before. But the flame burning within it was an eerie blue.

By that light, which seemed to be sustained by mana, I could make out the general state of the city.

The walls of the brick and stone houses were covered in white plaster, but parts had crumbled away, revealing the interior. Many of the wooden doors were old and on the verge of breaking.

Glass was used in the windows of each house, and with the presence of streetlamps, it felt more modern than the dungeons I'd been in before.

But that only made this deserted space all the more unsettling.

"Fuuu..."

Feeling the cool air on my skin, I let out a small breath and checked the width of the passage—or rather, the road.

It was wide enough for two trucks to pass each other, and naturally, there was no ceiling. Looking up, there was only an inky black space.

It was just too far for the light from the streetlamps or my own lantern to reach, but there must be a rock roof far above. This dungeon was built like it was covered by a giant stone dome.

In that sense, it was the same as the Kamaitachi dungeon I'd visited before. It seems most labyrinths that contain an entire city have this kind of structure.

I glanced toward an alley between the houses. Unlike the main road, it was incredibly narrow. It was barely wide enough for two people to pass, and a horizontal sword swing would surely get caught on the walls.

I drew my bastard sword from its sheath and lightly touched my earring.

"Aira-san, we've entered the dungeon."

'Right. The monsters there have a keen sense of smell. Be careful.'

"Understood."

"Hmph. I won't lose when it comes to a good nose!"

"Right."

I gave a noncommittal reply to the self-proclaimed ninja who had started some kind of competition and began walking with Byakuren in the lead.

"Huh? Kyouta-chan, aren't you going to put on that egg thingy?"

'What's wrong, Kyouta-kun? It's no good to just have weapons and armor. You have to actually equip them!'

"Well... I don't wear it while my Arcane Gear is deployed. Given my fighting style, the magic tool would react to attacks I intend to dodge or block on my own."

'Ah, I see.'

My personal one is insurance for if my Arcane Gear gets dispelled because I'm knocked out or something. It's difficult to 'store' a magic tool like normal clothes, but since it's a custom-made piece, the mana it's infused with is the same as mine, so it's more flexible.

...Thinking about it calmly, I wonder what happens to the clothes I was originally wearing when my Arcane Gear is deployed.

Well, scholars are probably looking into that, so I don't need to worry about it. More importantly, I'm in the middle of an exploration.

I pulled my wandering thoughts back to the dungeon and continued to scan my surroundings.

I started walking, looking for the SDF's paint markers. About twenty seconds later...

"Kyouta-chan."

Erina-san gave a warning already.

"Three hostiles approaching. They're fast. From diagonally ahead to the left."

"Got it."

I held my sword in my right hand and slid my left hand to the hilt of my knife.

In the direction she indicated was a dilapidated house with a collapsed roof. The once-beautiful cityscape was now dotted with houses that had been ruined by age or falling rocks.

I didn't think they'd come out of there. Which means...

I shifted my gaze to the rooftop.

'AWOOOOOOOO—!!'

A wolf's howl echoed through the air.

Three shadows appeared. Leaping from the darkness, their forms were illuminated by the magical streetlamp.

Their fur was a mottled white, reminiscent of a corpse's skin. Their arms were long enough to reach their ankles and as thick as logs.

Their legs bent backward, a skeletal structure different from a human's, yet their overall silhouette was humanoid.

Shining golden eyes, bared fangs. The claws on their hands and feet were as thick as hatchets, things that could only be described as weapons.

A grotesque monster, like a mix between a wolf and a human.

Werewolf.

A famous monster that might be better understood by simply calling it a wolfman.

The moment I saw the three werewolves leap from the roof, I threw my knife. A throwing spike flew alongside it.

The knife gouged the side of the one on the right, and the spike pierced its left eye. It let out a dog-like yelp and fell to the ground.

But the other two were still coming. One of them swung its right arm down at me.

I sidestepped the powerful blow, which carried the force of gravity, and swung my sword at the monster as it landed, shattering the bricks on the ground.

My upward slash, aimed for the neck, was blocked by its left arm. I felt the unusually tough fur and the thick flesh beneath it. My blade reached the bone but went no further.

I followed through with my swing anyway, sending the roughly two-meter-tall beast flying through the air, spraying blood.

Unlike the ones in legends, these wolfmen could be harmed by 'mana-infused weapons,' not just silver ones.

However...

'GRAAAAAH!'

As I dodged backward from the remaining one that charged head-on with a roar, the werewolf I'd knocked to the ground earlier attacked from the side.

With its eye and flank completely healed.

A regeneration speed that rivaled a troll's. On top of that, there was no known way to 'inhibit its healing.'

I parried a downward swing of its right arm with my sword and countered with a punch to its stomach. As the giant's body bent into a 'C' shape and was sent crashing into a nearby house, the other one lunged to bite me.

'Vvvvvv!'

I drove my left elbow into the side of the jaws approaching my neck, then followed up with a slash to its side.

Against a monster that was tough, healed quickly, and charged recklessly, I had only one countermeasure.

"Ooooh...!"

Kill it so thoroughly that regeneration doesn't matter.

"Oooooooohhh!"

Wind and fire enveloped my blade, accelerating it. The embedded sword tore through the wolfman's torso in a reverse diagonal slash, bisecting it.

The beast's body was cut in two before it could even scream in agony. Unfazed by its comrade's fate, the one I had sent flying with my sword was already coming back.

'VAAAAAAH!'

It ran in a zigzag pattern, dropping to a four-legged stance as if to confuse me.

It was fast. By digging its claws into the gaps between the bricks, it could make sharp, acute turns.

But unfortunately for it, I wasn't alone.

A 'bola'—a rope with iron balls at both ends—flew at the creature as it closed the distance at high speed. It caught the monster's left leg as it was changing direction, tripping it.

An armored golem charged the fallen beast. Confident that Byakuren could handle it, I turned my attention to the one I'd knocked into the house, which was now attempting a surprise attack.

My eyes can see you.

With a sharp crack, the Western-style house was destroyed. The werewolf charged, lifting not just the door, but the entire stone wall around it.

'GAAAAH!'

I met its charge, where it used the wall as a shield, with a single slash of my sword. The resulting gust of wind pulverized the wall, revealing an unharmed wolfman inside, claws raised to strike.

In response, I met it with my own left fist.

Parrying its descending right arm with my gauntlet, I drove my iron fist into the monster's face.

"Shii...!"

Crushing its skull, I swung my left arm downward. I brought my heel down on the neck of the wolfman as it was slammed into the brick ground.

Even with its head and neck shattered, the flow of mana hadn't stopped. The monster began to regenerate. I thrust my sword, now held in a reverse grip, into its eyeball.

Then, ignition. Burning its brain with wind and fire should be enough to kill it.

I removed my foot and sword and held my stance. After confirming that this one and the bisected one had turned to salt, I turned my attention to the remaining wolfman.

But it seemed that fight had just concluded as well.

The werewolf, tangled in a rope dart, was having its head lopped off by a battle axe. The head rolled on the ground before silently turning to salt.

"Good work, Kyouta-chan."

"You too."

While Erina-san deftly collected the drop items, I went to Byakuren.

I replenished its mana while giving the area a quick scan.

"Combat over. No enemies in the vicinity."

'Right. I was watching through the mirror. Those werewolves really are tough.'

"Yeah. I'll consider strikes as just a way to keep them off balance. It seems they die if you separate the brain from the torso or destroy the heart."

Werewolves may have a regeneration 'speed' on par with trolls, but their overall regenerative power is inferior.

More importantly, their bodies are smaller than a troll's, making them easier to cut. In exchange, they're much faster.

It looked like Erina-san had finished collecting the drops. She gave me a thumbs-up. I nodded in return and resumed our exploration.

After walking a short distance, we found an SDF paint marking. It was yellow, with letters and numbers.

"Aira-san. We're at 'D-45' right now."

'Hmm... I have your position. From there, turn right at the T-junction ahead, then left at the third crossroad. You should see a bridge right away.'

"Understood."

'This dungeon really is huge, though. I printed out a paper map just in case, not just the one on my computer... It's like a whole metropolis is in here.'

"It does feel that way..."

Honestly, I feel like I could get lost just walking around.

We haven't moved very far, but this place, with its vaguely European cityscape, is visually unfamiliar.

The buildings all look the same. Of course, if I looked closely, the degree of wall collapse and the location and design of the entrances are different, but I can't afford to pay that much attention while being on guard.

If I had come here solo, I might have gotten lost regardless of the monsters.

"...Thank you for navigating."

'What's this, all of a sudden? But very well. You may weep with gratitude! For having such a beautiful woman whispering in your ear!'

"Could you at least actually whisper? You're too loud."

'Aww.'

Don't 'aww' me, you hopeless college student.

Following her directions, we did indeed come to a bridge.

Like the roads we'd been on, this bridge was also quite wide. I could see the 'remains' of decorations here and there, so it must have once been a magnificent structure.

But now, the stone pavement was in tatters, and the railings were shattered in many places. The spots where decorations must have been were also heavily eroded.

Looking down from the bridge, I saw clear water flowing, a stark contrast to the decaying cityscape. The water was shallow, and I could see what looked like concrete in the waterway.

I have no idea if it actually is concrete.

'Alright. Find a relatively intact decoration and point my mirror at it from various angles. After that, take a quick shot of the whole thing.'

"Got it."

"Okay. I'll keep an eye on our surroundings then."

"Yeah. Thanks."

I took the hand mirror out of Byakuren's backpack and went around looking at the decorations on the railing.

Part of the request from the research lab was to investigate things that might reveal the culture of this place. Unfortunately, it was all Greek to me.

Well, as long as I get paid, I don't really care.

'Hmm... From the looks of it, there are a lot of lion symbols. Was it the preference of the ruler of this city? Or was the lion as significant as being on a national flag...? Goodness. It seems I can still only make hypotheses.'

"Huh."

'But you know, just as I thought from the cityscape, this dungeon resembles Eastern European culture.'

"Is that so?"

Personally, the distinction between Western and Eastern Europe is a bit hazy for me. I just think of them both as Europe.

Then again, if I said that, people from there would probably say, 'Well, Japan is just Asia. Can't tell it apart from the other countries.'

'Still, hmm... There are fewer monster-related decorations than I expected. Frankly, there must be countless monsters that look and fight more like the king of beasts than a lion.'

"Kyouta-chan."

Erina-san, who had been standing on a part of the railing with no decorations and scanning the area, spoke in a chilling voice.

When she calls my name in that tone, it means...

"Aira-san, I'm putting the mirror away for a moment."

'Eh, wai—'

I shoved the hand mirror back into Byakuren's backpack, which had been following me, and closed the lid.

Then, I drew my sword in its place.

"Erina-san, how many?"

"I don't know. A lot are coming."

She said, activating her invisibility skill.

"They're approaching from both ends of the bridge. I think there are over fifty."

"...You're kidding."

I couldn't help but feel my cheek twitch.

I'd heard from the Dungeon Store's info that 'werewolves call for their kin,' but could it have been that first howl from the earlier battle?

I sent a bit of mana into Byakuren with my left hand to top it off, while my other hand re-gripped the hilt of my sword.

Should I just run through the sky to escape? No, considering the werewolves' jumping ability, they might leap up from the rooftops.

More importantly, if there's a 'boss monster' in the dungeon, I'd be shot down nine times out of ten. Flying higher than the rooftops is a last resort.

In that case...

"Erina-san, can I count on you and Byakuren to handle that side?"

"You betcha!"

Feeling reassured by my partner's powerful reply, I took my hand off the golem's shoulder.

"Byakuren, protect Erina-san. Make that your top priority within this dungeon."

As the helmet clicked up and down, I readied my sword with both hands.

A moment later, I heard the roars.

'VOOOOOOOOOOOH!!'

'VA! VAAAA!!'

'WWOOOOOOOOONNN!!'

It wasn't just one or two. It was a grand chorus of beasts.

As if materializing from nowhere, they came running from the gaps between houses and leaping from rooftops, a relentless onslaught.

Faced with the sight of nearly thirty monsters surging toward me from the front, I felt a bead of sweat form on my palm beneath my gauntlet.

And then, I too began to run.