kscans

Chapter 223 - Necropolis

Hayato told himself to calm down.

He had been flustered upon hearing that Mist was missing, but this was a virtual reality. There was no danger to his life, and if it came down to it, he could probably ask Diite to help.

Perhaps because he knew that NPCs were real people who had lost their real-world memories, Hayato had started to think of events in the virtual reality as if they were real.

(This is a little embarrassing. I'm glad Esha and the others weren't here.)

If Esha had seen him in this state, she would have looked at him with exasperation. Fortunately, the only people nearby were NPCs who did not know about the real world. They would not find Hayato's panic strange.

After finally composing himself, he looked at Damian, who was sitting across the table.

He had long blond hair that reached his shoulders and androgynous features. He could be called a handsome man, though of a different type than Ash. Whether it was his normal state or because he was a vampire, his complexion was poor, and he looked unwell. But Hayato thought there were probably people who found that appealing.

Thinking that tomato juice would be better than coffee for a vampire, Hayato asked Rose for some.

Though Mist had not been to the base recently, they kept a stock of tomato juice just in case he came. Rose placed one of them in front of Damian.

Damian gave a slight nod of his head.

"My thanks. By the way, are you Hayato?"

"Eh? Uh, yes, I am, but didn't you come here knowing that?"

"No, I had only heard stories from Mist. I didn't know your face. To think you were the one whose ship I attacked... I am sorry about that time. I apologize."

Hayato understood.

He had only heard Damian's name from Diite. They had not properly introduced themselves to each other. Damian probably had not thought he was an acquaintance or a clan mate of Mist.

"Um, it's alright. There wasn't much damage. On the contrary, I took the treasure from the ghost ship..."

"No, that is fine. It was something I had no interest in to begin with. I just had it with me from the ships I had attacked up until then. Now, more importantly than that, since you let me into your base, may I assume that you are willing to hear me out?"

Hayato nodded.

It was true that this was a virtual reality, but Mist, who had fought so hard for them in the Clan War, was missing. Even if his life was not in danger, he wanted to hear the circumstances and lend a hand if he could. In fact, he was even willing to go to the dungeon where he went missing to look for him.

Damian explained the situation to Hayato.

Damian and Mist had been heading for the deepest part of a certain dungeon.

While exploring the dungeon, a trap was sprung. Mist shielded Damian and was caught in the trap himself. It was apparently a teleportation trap, and Mist was separated from Damian.

Since Mist was a vampire, he would not be easily defeated even if he were alone. And even if he were defeated, he could resurrect in his coffin at his mansion in the Demon Country.

That should have been the case, but there was no response when he sent a voice chat to Mist, and when he asked the servants at the mansion, they said Mist had not returned to his coffin.

He waited for three days, but there was no word. Believing that a problem had arisen that even Mist could not handle, he had come to request a rescue.

"That's all well and good, but why here?"

"Mist always said so. That the leader here, Hayato, only has production skills, but he's reliable in all sorts of ways."

To hear a good evaluation of oneself through someone else, why was it so pleasing? Even if it was just flattery, Hayato found it difficult to stop himself from grinning. But with sheer willpower, he acted as if it were nothing.

"That's a nice assessment to hear. But that's not what I meant. Weren't you and Mist-san part of a clan called the Ten Undead Sages? I thought you would ask them for help before me. Oh, of course, I'm not saying I'm troubled by being asked for help. It's just a simple question."

"That is... yes, I suppose I must tell you. The Ten Undead Sages are at risk of a status ailment called 'Undying Sleep.' Unfortunately, all but myself, Mist, and one other have fallen into that state and cannot move."

"Undying sleep?"

"We have become vampires through necromancy. As undead, death does not come for us. However, there is no such convenient magic. After being a vampire for a long time, one enters a sleep from which one never awakens. I was conducting research on that ghost ship to find a way to prevent that."

Hayato's only thought was, "What kind of game mechanic is that?" In the first place, he was under the impression that there was no such restriction on players.

Vampirism was quite popular among players. Although there were disadvantages due to various restrictions, there was also the merit of being able to turn into a bat and fly, though the appearance was what it was. For those who focused on close-quarters combat, it made them quite strong.

Many players had been vampires for a long time, and he had never heard of them entering a sleep from which they did not awaken.

However, it did not seem like Damian was lying. Hayato also tried sending a voice chat to Mist, but there was no reply. Something had definitely happened to Mist.

He began to wonder if it might be a demerit from a wish granted by God, that is, a reward from Diite. He had heard that the Ten Undead Sages had made it to the top eight in the Clan War. The possibility was there.

"What do you think? I understand if you can't trust me because of the ghost ship incident, but please, I ask you to lend us a hand."

He thought it might be unwise to believe everything, but he also did not think there was a need for such an elaborate deception.

Havato made up his mind.

"Alright. I'll help. What exactly do you need me to do?"

"My thanks. I intend to return to the dungeon now. I'd like to ask for your support. However, though it's my own fault, I lost the ghost ship and have nothing myself. Any monetary reward will have to come later..."

"I don't need a reward for helping Mist-san. Just tell me what I need to prepare. And about returning to the dungeon, don't you think it's impossible to search for him alone?"

"To be honest, I was going to ask for that as well. I'd like to borrow some strong members, especially those with treasure hunting skills. It seems to be a dungeon with many traps, so being strong alone isn't enough."

"Treasure hunting skills..."

That would mean Relic or Sonia, but unfortunately, it would be difficult to borrow their help.

They were currently working under Ney, or rather, instructing her on security matters, so it seemed they did not have time to play the game. They often came to the coffee shop, but that was for meals.

He would have to hire someone from the Treasure Hunter Guild, Hayato thought.

"Excuse me for interrupting."

Rose suddenly spoke up.

"By the way, in which dungeon did Mist-sama go missing? If we know the dungeon, we might be able to identify the most suitable members."

Hayato nodded, thinking that made sense.

Most dungeons had been cleared, so there was a certain amount of information available. Although he could not obtain information online, it would be possible to have the Maid Guild investigate.

However, Damian thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"The dungeon we were in was the city of the dead, 'Necropolis'."

Hayato did not know of that dungeon, but he glanced at Rose, wondering if it was famous.

Rose seemed surprised.

"That is one of the few uncleared dungeons. With all due respect, I do not believe it is possible for the two of you to clear it..."

"Of course, I did not expect to clear it in one go. We intended to challenge it many times, but I never thought something like this would happen on just the first few floors. I suppose that is to be expected of an uncleared dungeon. Our assessment was too naive."

"I don't know much about it, is it a famous dungeon?"

Rose and Damian seemed surprised by Hayato's words, but Rose quickly explained.

There were four dungeons in this game that no one had ever reached the bottom floor of. They were "Dark Cave," "Abaddon," "Thousand," and "Necropolis."

Havato only knew of the Dark Cave, but this was the first time he had heard that it had never been fully explored.

"So Mist-san and Damian-san were trying to clear one of those uncleared dungeons?"

"That's right. Though the result is as you see."

"May I ask why you were aiming for that place?"

"Since I am making a request, that would be necessary. To put it simply, another one of our companions brought us information. The information was that an item to avoid the undying sleep is on the lowest floor of Necropolis. We were going to retrieve it."

If no one had ever been to the lowest floor, how could such information exist? Hayato was the type to worry about such things, but he set that aside for now.

"I understand the general situation. In that case, let's make various preparations to ensure we find Mist-san. Rose-san, first, I'd like you to have the Maid Guild investigate Necropolis, is that alright? It doesn't matter how much it costs."

"Understood. I will also draw up a list of candidates for the necessary personnel based on the results of the investigation."

"Please do. And Damian-san, I know you want to go right away, but please wait until we've gathered information and items. If you'd like, you're welcome to stay at this base."

"Thank you for everything. Then, I'll take you up on your offer and impose on you for a while."

Havato nodded.

Well now, things are about to get busy, Hayato thought, as he began to consider what kind of items he should prepare.