kscans

Chapter 98 - An Unexpected Encounter

As I stepped through the pure white gate, I felt the soft sensation of earth beneath my soles.

Thick, tall trees with lush green leaves towered over us. Light filtering through the gaps in the branches illuminated the dark brown ground, where grass grew in sparse patches.

Every breath filled my lungs with crisp, clean air, and a damp breeze caressed my skin.

This place, which looked like a serene European forest if you just took a snapshot, was in reality a den of monsters.

The light that seemed like sunbeams filtering through the trees was actually the glow of blue ore extending from the ceiling. Just like the city-type dungeons, this place was also a labyrinth enclosed by a dome of rock.

You couldn’t see the walls unless you went all the way to the edge, but the trees, identical down to the very number of leaves, threw off one’s sense of direction. If I had come here alone, I would have certainly gotten lost.

In fact, for this reason and one other, adventurers rarely came here, making it a so-called "unpopular dungeon."

"...No enemies in the vicinity."

"Sounds are clear as well."

I scanned our surroundings, turning my head, while Mia-san twitched her long, pointed elven ears.

Since Erina-san wasn’t with us this time, I had to be even more vigilant for approaching enemies than usual. Drawing the sword at my hip, I took a small, deep breath.

"Let’s proceed in the formation we decided on beforehand."

With that, I took the lead. The order would be me, Byakuren, Mia-san, and then her two golems.

I glanced back to confirm, and Mia-san furrowed her well-shaped brows.

"Are you... really sure about this? It’s the most dangerous position..."

"It’s fine. It’s easier for me to move this way. If it comes down to it, I’ll fall back behind Byakuren."

I shot a glance at Mia-san’s golems.

They contained more mana than when I’d last seen them, but still not as much as Byakuren with her dedicated body. It might be rude to say, but I couldn’t think of any use for them other than as walls and luggage carriers.

Though, for a golem accompanying a mage who can fight, being able to function as a wall is probably a perfect score.

"Your golem will be carrying our luggage. Also, I’ll need you to navigate."

"Of course. Leave it to me."

My eyes widened at the object she held up.

"A tablet...?"

"There’s no signal, so I can’t use GPS or anything, but I’ve already downloaded the internal map from the store. I have a paper copy just in case, but it’s easier to write on this."

"I see..."

Seeing her, with her elven appearance accentuated by her Arcane Gear, holding a modern device in the middle of a forest was quite a strange sight.

But her reasoning was sound. It was a reminder that tablets are quite useful even offline.

"Yagawa-kun, how do you usually handle mapping?"

"...Sorry for answering a question with a question, but how much do you know about Aira-san’s skills?"

"I’ve heard all about her [Telepathy] and [Appraisal]."

Hearing that, I nodded. It’s not good to talk too much about someone’s skills when they’re not around. It would be a breach of etiquette, even if they are sisters.

She saw me talking with Aira-san through the mirror during the last stampede, but this was just a precaution.

"Aira-san connects our mirrors with Telepathy, and I have her navigate using that."

"I see. That’s... somehow very fantasy-like and nice."

She must have imagined us conversing through mirrors. Mia-san let out a small laugh.

Relieved that the atmosphere had softened a bit, I gripped my sword again.

"Well then, let’s go."

"Yes."

We started walking slowly, staying aware of our surroundings. First, as is standard practice, we had to find the SDF’s markings.

The trees were spaced widely enough for a car to pass through. I moved forward, stepping on the soft earth with my one-and-a-half-handed sword resting on my shoulder.

After about thirty seconds, I spotted a large rock. On the surface of the moss-topped rock, a letter and numbers were painted in big yellow strokes.

I stopped the hand that was unconsciously reaching for my ear. Whoops. I almost started talking to Aira-san out of habit.

"‘A-21,’ right? Let’s proceed counter-clockwise from here. We should reach the exit in about an hour."

"Understood."

I nodded to Mia-san and started walking again as she instructed.

I really wanted to leave some kind of marking on the trees, but that would interfere with other adventurers.

Even if it was an unpopular dungeon, that didn’t mean no one else was here. There were several cars in the parking lot.

And so, after about a minute of walking while scanning our surroundings, my Spirit Eye caught something moving.

"...Enemies. Two of them."

"Yes. I’ve spotted them too."

I nodded without turning back at her quiet reply. I had heard that elven hearing was as sharp as a beastman’s, and it seemed to be true.

Two mana signatures were approaching, using the trees as cover. It wasn’t until they were a few meters away that I could finally hear something like the buzzing of an insect.

Immediately after, a massive shadow emerged from behind a tree.

"GAAAAH!"

A shaggy giant roared, as if to intimidate us. It was two and a half meters tall, or maybe a little shorter.

It looked like a goblin that had been covered in bear-like fur and enlarged. Its bared fangs were sharp, and it gripped a brutish great hatchet in its hand.

Bugbear.

A forest monster from English folklore. An evil spirit that abducts and devours people.

As the monster glared at us with a roar, I had already closed the distance.

Faster than its murky yellow eyes could track me, my blade flashed. It sliced through the coarse fur and the flesh beneath.

What erupted with a short scream was not a spray of red blood, but a white mist.

Seeing its companion drop to one knee, the other bugbear looked at us with a startled expression. But an ice spear pierced its defenseless flank.

"Ga, gih...!"

The monster, its belly slashed open, tried to move even as it grit its teeth. I stepped on its hunched back and plunged my sword into the center of its chest.

I could pinpoint the location of its true body from the flow of mana.

I swung the blade sideways, pulled my foot back, and turned my gaze to the other one. It had been impaled by several stone spears that erupted from below, and it too was deflating while spouting mist.

What remained was a fist-sized green ore. Translucent wings sprouted from it, and it hung limply, skewered by the spear.

This was the bugbear’s true form. Not much different from a gnome, it was just a magical shell wrapped around a core. The troublesome part, just like with them, was that the shell had a solid form and wasn't a mere illusion. The difference lay in its performance and whether or not it felt pain.

The ore turned to salt, and a coin glinted dully within it.

"Good work."

"Yes. You too. Are you injured?"

"No, I’m fine."

I picked up the coin and headed towards Mia-san’s golem, which was made of stone and wood.

I didn’t forget to scan my surroundings on the way. The monsters here were skilled at ambushes.

This being an unpopular dungeon wasn’t just because it was easy to get lost, but also because it was hard to notice enemies approaching.

When I offered the coin, the golem took it and stored it in its backpack. Its movements were smoother than Byakuren’s, a testament to its master, Mia-san’s, skill.

As I re-gripped my sword, she smiled at me.

"Impressive. Against enemies of this rank, you’re unbeatable."

"You’re one to talk. I feel safe with you watching my back."

We exchanged business-like smiles.

...This is awkward.

I don’t know what to talk about outside of work. If it were Aira-san or Erina-san, they would say something to break the ice...

"If everything’s fine, let’s continue the exploration."

"Yes. It’s this way."

"Roger."

With her tablet in hand, Mia-san pointed, and I moved in that direction.

We walked for another five minutes without encountering any enemies. I thought there would be more monsters in an unpopular dungeon, but perhaps someone was diligently thinning them out?

An uncomfortable silence naturally fell between us, and a cold sweat trickled down my back.

We were exploring a dungeon. It’s better to focus on the sounds and changes in our surroundings. But still, the awkwardness remained.

Besides, I heard in a lecture that prolonged, excessive tension can actually lower performance.

I should probably strike up a witty conversation.

"So..."

"So?"

...I bit my tongue.

Witty conversation. It’s probably harder than fighting a demon single-handedly.

"...My apologies. We’ll do this ‘trial run’ dungeon exploration, and then later we’ll approach the recruiting group as a party. Is that the plan?"

"Yes. The best way is to show them our strength, so we’re scheduled to meet them at a training facility for Awakened Persons."

"Understood."

...Why am I, in the middle of a dungeon exploration, reconfirming something that was already confirmed via email?

I tilted my head at my own words, cold sweat running down my cheek.

This is bad. Trying to talk might just make things worse. I clamped my mouth shut, resisting the urge to offer a useless explanation, and silently scanned our surroundings.

Please, let a monster attack. I don’t care if there are ten or twenty of them.

As if my wish had been granted, I sensed mana approaching.

"Enemies. Six... of them."

"...That’s a bit much."

"Yeah."

...It’s not because I wished for it, right?

I know it can’t be, but I can’t help thinking it.

Well, whatever. As long as we’re fighting, I don’t have to make any unnecessary conversation.

"I’m moving forward. Mia-san, get behind Byakuren."

"Right."

She can’t move as freely as Erina-san. She’ll act as our artillery, guarded by the golems.

In a way, she’s a textbook example of a mage. Having a long-range unit with stable attack power feels both fresh and reliable.

The spirits were wrapping themselves in their shells behind the trees. Seeing no reason to wait for them to finish preparing, I stepped into the gaps between the trees.

As I cut down one, then a second ore that had begun to cloak itself in mist, the remaining four donned their monstrous exteriors and let out a roar.

"VAAAAAH!"

The bugbear let out a bear-like roar and swung its hatchet down. I dodged the slash diagonally forward, swinging my sword in a kesa-giri slash as I passed by.

I shattered its core and moved on to the next enemy. In the corner of my eye, one of them tried to head towards Mia-san, but it was skewered by ice before it could enter Byakuren’s range.

Two left. As I closed the distance to the one nearer to me, it swung its hatchet down in a panic.

I dodged it sideways, and it returned with another swing. But that one missed, striking the trunk of a tree with a loud crack.

Even if the space between the trees is wide, that’s what happens when a creature of that size swings a weapon around.

I leaped into the monster’s personal space as it tried to pull its hatchet free, thrust my sword into its solar plexus to destroy the core, and then ran the blade diagonally, passing through without stopping.

I turned to face the last one, just in time to see it get frozen solid and shatter into pieces.

All six mana signatures vanished, leaving an equal number of salt-like mounds on the ground. I scanned the area one last time just in case, then let out a breath of relief.

"No sign of enemies. I’ll collect the drop items."

"Yes. Let’s see, according to the map..."

Mia-san started comparing her tablet with our footprints, as the battle had changed my orientation.

It was a short fight, but I couldn’t let my guard down. The trees here were as identical as factory products. It looked the same no matter which way you faced.

I left the navigation entirely to Mia-san and collected the coins. I handed them to the golem, and then my gaze fell upon the salt scattered on the ground.

"........."

"Yagawa-kun? What is it?"

"Ah, no. It’s nothing..."

"If you’ve noticed anything, please tell me. This is a dungeon, so I don’t want to overlook even the slightest thing that feels off."

"No, it’s just... I was just wondering if the salt damage is okay, that’s all..."

"Pardon?"

Seeing Mia-san’s blank look, I frantically shook my head.

"Ah, no. It’s really nothing. Besides, you know. They say a small amount is actually good for the soil...!"

...Seriously, what am I saying?

Just a moment ago, I was thinking these trees looked artificial. Why am I worried about salt damage now?

Besides, if we’re talking about that, most dungeons would be in deep trouble. If anything, the salt that overflowed during the stampede is the bigger problem.

"...Pfft."

"...!"

As Mia-san stifled a laugh, I felt my cheeks burn.

I blew it... I want to cry...

I turned around so she couldn’t see my face, and Mia-san spoke to me in a slightly flustered voice.

"Ah, I’m sorry! I wasn’t making fun of you. I just thought it was... unique."

"...It’s fine. Please forget it."

"Yes, right. I will."

I took a deep breath, my back still turned to Mia-san, whose voice still held a hint of laughter.

I filled my lungs with the pointlessly clean air and focused my eyes.

I’m in a dungeon right now. I should be focusing on that. Get a grip, Yagawa Kyouta. Even if you’re overcome with the urge to bury your face in a pillow and scream right now, if you’re going to roar, do it at the enemy.

"Let’s resume the exploration. Navigation, please."

"Yes. It’s to the left."

"Understood."

I turned in the direction Mia-san indicated and started walking.

...Okay. I’m calming down.

It’s one thing in daily life, but there’s no point in dwelling on things inside a dungeon.

Most importantly, I reminded myself again that Erina-san isn’t here today. I can’t just rely on her incredible enemy detection abilities.

Treating it as a job allowed me to exercise some self-control. Perhaps because of that, I was the first to notice the change.

"Is that... fog?"

In the two o’clock direction from us, a pure white fog was spreading.

It was still far away. But the fog was expanding at about the speed of a person running.

"Mia-san, look at that."

"...It seems the boss monster has appeared."

I recalled the information from the store. The boss monster here has a characteristic of generating a large amount of fog around it.

There’s no reason to pick a fight. As per regulations, we should leave this place and head straight for the exit.

That’s what I thought, but.

"...A scream?"

"Eh?"

Mia-san’s murmur made me raise a questioning brow.

I was about to ask what she meant when a faintly familiar voice reached my own ears.

"Someone, anyone, heeeelp!!"

I hurriedly looked over to see a ‘cat-eared youth’ running as if to escape the fog.

He was on the verge of tears, carrying someone on his back, with another person and two moving tanuki statues running behind him.

...What in the world is that?

It was a combination that felt both like déjà vu and incredibly out of place. And tanukis? Why?

Though I didn’t understand what was happening, I gathered strength in my legs.