kscans

Chapter 195 - Landing

Hayato made the airship ascend further to get a view of the entire island.

He was eager to land, but the recent attack from the Pteranodons was still fresh in his mind. He knew the island was dangerous, so his first priority was to gather information and get a full picture of the terrain.

The island was shaped like a donut, with a hole in the center that formed a lake. The island itself was about thirty kilometers in diameter, and the lake was about fifteen. The water from that lake flowed out from the island to become the Olga Domus Waterfall, or more accurately, it simply fell.

As far as he could tell, there was no visible source for the water. The only suspicious features were a small island and a building-like structure in the center of the lake. He surmised that if there was a cause, it had to be there.

It seemed impossible to land the airship on that lake island. A thin, glass-like substance covered the entire lake, acting as a barrier. Trying to crash through it would be far too much of a gamble.

Aside from the lake, the island was covered in forest, so the only place that looked suitable for landing was a small plain on the southern side. It was a game-like way of thinking, but that was likely the starting point for exploring this island.

I can see a few structures where the southern forest clears. I wonder if that means people live here... For now, let's just land.

Hayato thought this over and relayed it to the others. Since there were no objections, he carefully maneuvered the airship.

A few minutes later, he landed the airship in a spot with a good view.

When everyone disembarked, some of the members seemed moved. It was a new field, and they were likely the very first people to arrive. Their hearts were pounding with excitement.

But even in a situation like this, there are always those who can't read the room.

"I hereby claim this land for the Demon Country."

"Lunaria-san, please don't try to plant a flag. Why do you even have one ready?"

"Unexplored lands belong to the one who finds them first. In other words, I can say it is mine. For I am, after all, the Demon Lord. This is the first step toward world domination."

"You were locked up until recently for trying to do just that, weren't you? Besides, you can see buildings. There might be natives."

"Then as Demon Lord, I shall take it by force. Though I would also accept an exchange for cookies."

"No one's going to trade an island for cookies."

Leaving Lunaria to her usual antics, Hayato decided they first needed to establish a Campsite.

It took a considerable amount of time to get here, and there were no teleportation devices. They would likely need to stay on this island for a while to get anything done.

In that case, a Campsite was essential.

A Campsite could be treated as a temporary base, allowing for temporary resurrection point registration and safe logouts. If monsters attacked, a ward would repel them, ensuring safety.

Of course, you couldn't set up a camp just anywhere, but you could create one by setting up tents or cottages, or by using an abandoned house.

Even inside dungeons, there were places called safety zones that could be designated as campsites, making them indispensable for long adventures.

Hayato started walking to check the buildings that looked like they might have been inhabited. Using an abandoned house would be easier than setting up a tent on the plain.

But Relic stopped him.

"Hayato-sama, it is dangerous. If there are natives, we do not know if they will be friendly. Let us have Sonia and her people scout the area first."

"He's right. Most of our skills are for dungeons, but it's the same in a place like this. We'll go first, so just wait a bit. If we run into any monsters, though, we'll come running back here, so we're counting on you for the fighting."

"Understood. Please be careful. We haven't set up a Campsite yet, so there's no resurrection point."

Sonia said, "Leave it to me," and headed toward the buildings with several members of the Treasure Hunter Guild.

Esha took out her Beelzebub, perhaps to guard them when they returned. She peered through the scope.

"Do you think there are any natives?"

"I don't think so, but who knows," Hayato replied, though he wasn't sure.

From what he could see of the structures, they were covered in greenery and showed no signs of life. They had the atmosphere of having been abandoned long ago, so Hayato's guess was that, at the very least, the buildings Sonia's group was investigating were empty.

Still, those buildings are made of iron, or some kind of metal, right? I thought buildings in this world were made of stone or wood...?

Buildings tended to reflect the country they were in.

The buildings in the Royal Capital Anhemudal and the Imperial Capital were made of stone or brick, the Elves in the Spirit Country lived in homes carved out of trees, and the Eastern Country had wooden houses.

Perhaps Dwarves might build homes with metal exteriors, but as far as Hayato knew, there were no countries that built houses of metal.

A few minutes later, a voice chat came from Sonia.

"Looks like no one's here. It's a pretty big building, so we might as well make this our Campsite."

"Got it. We'll head over, so please wait there."

With Sonia's permission, Hayato and the rest of the group approached the building.

The closer they got, the clearer the situation became. The building's exact material was unknown, but it was made of metal, not stone or wood. From Hayato's perspective, it could be called modern.

It doesn't quite fit a world of swords and sorcery, but is this one of those things? Like a super ancient civilization that was destroyed. I wonder if I'll be able to craft equipment like that? Maybe I can even make guns like Esha's Beelzebub.

Hayato's group immediately entered the building and met up with Sonia and her team.

Sonia's group had already searched the interior. There was nothing dangerous, and it appeared to be a residential building. There were similar buildings nearby, but they were all empty, with no furniture or personal belongings.

"Looks like no one has used this place for a long time. So, what is this place? It's just a bunch of similar rooms, not very interesting."

It's probably an apartment complex. It's not a bad spot for a Campsite. That said, there's no furniture or anything, so I'll have to prepare it all.

"Alright, let's make this our Campsite and start exploring the island. I'll get beds and things ready for each room, so everyone else, feel free to do as you please. Just be sure to set this as your base. That way you can resurrect here."

At Hayato's words, everyone started discussing what to do. There were many options, like exploring together or splitting up.

Amidst the discussion, only Esha and Relic decided to stay here with Hayato.

"Esha and I will protect Hayato-sama. We will also accompany you if you need to go anywhere nearby."

"That would be a great help. I need lumber to make beds and other necessities, so I was thinking of cutting down some trees around here."

He had brought a fair amount of materials, but it was always better to procure them locally if possible. He could have asked the other members, but Hayato also wanted to do a bit of adventuring himself, and there was always a chance he might discover something interesting.

Fishing in the lake could be fun, too. I might catch some strange fish, and using them to cook would be great. But I wonder about that glass-like barrier. I need to investigate that, too.

Hayato's excitement grew as he imagined the undiscovered materials and adventures that awaited him. But first, he had to get the Campsite ready, and he began crafting the necessary items.

After some discussion, the other members decided to explore together today. They didn't know what kind of monsters would appear. The plan was to first confirm the monsters' strength, then gradually expand their range of activity.

Sonia said she would draw a map, so their goal for now was to circle the entire island. If they found anything interesting, they would investigate it separately.

And with that, the exploration party led by Sonia left the base to survey the island in a clockwise direction.

The distance would normally be considerable, but in virtual reality, you don't get tired. They could probably make it around in a day.

Hayato's group saw them off, then began preparing to make their Campsite a comfortable place to stay.