Dungeon Game Chapter 7

The sound of cruel beating echoes in the cave.

The torch stabbed in the ground behind, I wield the cypress pole.

In front of me, a big rodent with a large build like a capybara collapses. The beast’s hard teeth are broken and painted in dark red blood. Even if it is bathed in miserable appearance, I can’t relax until it disappears.

How many times have I repeated this before? Two torches were consumed out of the four in the start, I’m lighting the third one now. The monsters that attacked are as big as the size of a medium-sized dog and were very diverse.

Monsters that have the appearance like that of a dog, cat, rat, horse, deer, sheep, boar and so forth, because their savageness never disappears until they were about to die, it was an enemy I should be careful about.

As a result of acquiring the MS Cognition with PP, I was able to sense if there’s a monster’s magical power on a certain range even in places where light can’t reach. Because I can sense it I don’t have to worry about being attacked in surprise and I can choose to take preparations greet it with a strike. If that was not case, then I will be surprised when I get attacked and have to keep moving ahead while straining my spirit.

I swing the cypress bow down.

The dead monster left behind a stone with magical power and disappears. Although It’s only the size of a nail on the little finger, I’m feel its weight after acc.u.mulating some in my pockets.

The 29th battle I encountered ended. I got used to fighting with monsters, that it became something like an a.s.sembly-line system.

Feel the magical power, take a stance, hit it, occasionally avoid, break the bones, smash the head, collect the demon stone and then move on.

My shoes quickly get dirty in the ground where it’s difficult to get footing. There are nothing like places or junctions I can’t pa.s.s through, it’s a simple straight path that continues.

The water and the last torch are placed in a simple bag improvised from a jacket. The water that came out from exchanging PP doesn’t reach the amount necessary for a day, it was no more than 500ml. The light held in my hand s.h.i.+nes ahead, I continued to walk while watching my step.

I have heard that a regular torch’s burning time is close to 2 hours. The time elapsed that I felt with my body is approximately the same. In other words, I have been walking for more than 4 hours so far.

Although I am moving forward while regularly fighting against appearing monsters and temporarily taking rests, there might be some changes soon that I’m not prepared with.

When I was thinking of such a thing, I saw a door that does not suit in the cave and looks out-of-place.

A dead end.

A large door embedded in the wall was lying in wait. I tried striking with the cypress pole but it only made a stiff sound and didn’t break at all. It was a cold metallic door.

Wondering what awaits behind this, I drink a gulp of water to appease my thirst. I took the torch and cypress pole on my feet, made my mind and opened the door.

It extended before my eyes.

A large rock buried on the wall, pebbles that made gritty noises each time I walk, a straight path that is plunged in darkness. The scene remained the same as before.

The only difference is that the distant ceiling had become higher, no other changes aside from that.

I unintentionally sighed in disappointment. I felt very tired, but there’s no choice but to go forward and forward.

After I moved about ten steps ahead, a sound was heard behind me. It was the door closing itself. It was like saying going back isn’t allowed so I feel uneasy.

At the same time, I feel a resonating magical power that was rising. The location is at high ceiling that cannot be reached even if I stretch out the cypress pole. Moreover, the magical power I sensed were two.

I keep my line of sight up towards monsters in front. Red eyes with fangs, a flying mammal that has wings. The two monsters similar to a bat are hanging upside down in the ceiling. Its body is about the size of a small dog, wings are folded, I am watching its face while its ears are rustling.

Monsters appeared one at a time in this path until now, but now there are two. I greatly feel the magical power present too.

I grasp the cypress pole tightly and examine the movement of the opponents. As long as it is near the ceiling, I don’t have means to attack. Even if I pick up a stone and throw it, I believe it won’t hit either.

An unexpected situation occurred when the monster, that also doesn’t have means to attack without getting near, braces itself.

I perceived the sense obtained from Cognition. Magical power came out from inside the monster and gathered around it. It grew bigger and bigger and a visible change appeared.

It grows brighter inside the cave.

My cheeks cramped reflexively. Since it is fantasy, it is obvious that magic naturally exists. I was supposed to know that in my head. I had the impression it was like in movies and anime. However, there’s a big difference between imagining and actually experiencing it.

Two fireb.a.l.l.s the size of a basketball were formed with magical power. The fireb.a.l.l.s, while vigorously burning, is aimed and flies towards me.

There’s no way I can defend against a ma.s.s of blazing flame with something like a piece of wood. I moved away from that by quickly jumping.

The fireball that landed on the place where I was before clashes on the ground, the explosion scatters sparks.

The two bats fly as they saw an opportunity when I broke my stance.

Maybe it’s trying to attack from behind. I could not see it all with my eye, but its distance and also location, MS Cognition tells me where the monster is.

I turned around, swung the cypress pole and hit the beast, it knocked against the wall and crumbled. Will the remaining one avenge its partner or restrain itself, it is flying in the air.

While I pay attention to the one that flew back into the ceiling, I looked at the one that crashed in the ground. It has received a damage that it wasn’t able to fly away immediately, it fluttered its wings but it cannot fly up.

I quickly approached it and smash its head.

I postpone the retrieval of the demon stone and stare at the monster stuck to the ceiling.

Gripping the ceiling firmly with its foot, magical power leaks out again. Surging bright red fireball flies again.

The second one is different from the first. If I observe more calmly and sense the magical power, it’s possible to avoid it with margin. It raises a sharp cry to intimidate, the third fire will fly.

A total of five shots was the limit of that monster.

Although it looks fancy, it is not difficult to avoid the fireball that flies straight, I stand unhurt. The beast with its magical power almost gone doesn’t have the means to attack from distance, there’s no other way but to fly towards me.

Compared to flying freely in the air, it’s not the speed that can be overlooked. Even if it slipped out with a sharp or sudden turn, the sixth sense will not miss it.

I faced it and swung with the cypress pole my hand became accustomed to.

The demon stone I picked up had traces of faint colors. Its burning red color is similar to the monster’s thrown magic. The stone doesn’t have heat, but my sixth sense feel that there is warmness. It is like the attribute of the magical power?

From here, everything that appeared ahead were beasts of flying type. Monsters that look like bats, giant flying squirrels, small flying squirrels and flying lemurs. The enemies which appeared in this cave seemed to be limited to groups of mammals. Their number between two and three, low intellect and not much cooperation, I haven’t encountered a formidable enemy yet.

The magic the monsters use is not only limited to fire, but also extends to water, wind and earth magic.

I should be careful with water so the torch does not get wet, and the only way to avoid wind is by relying on Cognition since it’s invisible. The most troublesome is earth magic, since ma.s.sive rocks will drop down from above. Fragments of flying stones also became a threat, It was difficult to avoid it.

Although I only survived because the magic of the monsters were crude, making fire and water in an empty place, and flying with wind and earth are very convenient. If they improve the way they use it more, it will be able to improve its killing ability and can surely proceed into battle advantageously.

I obtain PP every time I defeat a monster, it had already exceeded 1,000 points. However, I can’t be bothered using points.

I became able to sense magical power with MS Cognition. This sense had been a great help, it was definitely thanks to having learned Cognition that I’m unhurt until now. Imagine if I don’t have that, mental and also physical fatigue might have grown big and there is a possibility of dying too.

But MS Cognition really seems to have no effect other than sensing the existence of magical power, It cannot send the magical power from the inside to outside like the monsters. Perhaps there should be a corresponding MS that exists for that, you can’t use magic even if there’s magical power if you do not learn it.

I didn’t see anything like that displayed in the exchange list even with saved points, It seems that it was devised not to appear as long as the necessary conditions aren’t met. It is really an unfriendly device.

I am being a.s.sisted, but I feel dissatisfied. I wonder if the manufacturer of the device is Streiya. Or is it her master, maybe the Dungeon Master. In the first place, did I understand it correctly that the Master Albacent is called the Dungeon Master?

Cognition is useful but he cypress pole is also a big hit. It has been a st.u.r.dy and powerful weapon anyway.

Perhaps this is related to the magical power inherently present in it. I do not know the details of the relations.h.i.+p between magical power and strength, but I have a guess that it’s a clue in capturing this place.

I moved forward while thinking such things, when the fourth torch burned out slowly, I saw the second gate in front of me.

Together with a rumbling sound while it opened, the light of torch that had been weakly burning went out.

In the pitch black darkness, I sense one lone magical power in the back of the room. It is standing still without any signs of movement.

Should I produce a light with point exchange, or maybe proceed as it is. This time, I pa.s.sed through the gate somehow. If this is the real dungeon, I think I may have proceeded more carefully. I was not able to do so, the fatigue and carelessness up until now acc.u.mulated here.

Slowly, fire lights up for each step I take. A dome-shaped room stretches out over there, torches are installed alongside the wall and the fire lights up one after another. The ground was adjusted the flat surface continues without unnecessary rocks or stones.

In the spot completely opposite to where I am standing, there was a being that holds magical power. The fire burns and spread, and then it was visible.

It was heavy and strong, I heard the sound of metal in the room indicating that it has been closed. The heart that makes blood flow throughout the my body increased its rate, even making loud beats.

MS Cognition is pointing out the other existence. My vision has already caught sight of the existence. A person who carried a weapon is standing, I person I know very well is there.

I can’t move even one bit.

I can’t look away. Like being charmed, seized and taken as a prisoner.

「Fus.h.i.+mi-san…」

My voice didn’t come out and reach her, she stepped forward with her foot.

Little by little she started running. Charging in order to thrust the weapon she carried in her hand, she starts approaching with the intention of killing me showing in her eyes.