Arafoo Kenja No Isekai Seikatsu Nikki Chapter 28

Zeros and the others went down the endless, bleak tunnels defeating the monsters that appeared along the way. However, it took them a long time to get to places with vein deposits, where they could extract metallic ores from.

As they progressed towards the deeper layers, the number of monsters, as well as their strength, increased. 

The monsters are supplied with mana from the dungeon, so for that reason, they don't starve, however, that brought upon the side effect of having a complete loss of appet.i.te. Because of that, they surrender themselves to their s.e.xual desires and spend their time breeding, or to their more violent instincts, fighting against each other. Such creatures gave the impression of missing something as living beings, though, despite that, they were still a threat.

Nevertheless, strong monsters bring about huge opportunities for mercenaries to make money. Extraordinary profits can be made by selling their materials and magic stones. Depending on the case, it can be an extremely profitable business. 

As they descended, it became more difficult to spot the traps set by the dungeon, but fortunately, Zeros was capable of easily detecting them, thus they were able to advance safely. 

"There's a trap over there. It's a relief that they don't explode."

"Don't say unpleasant things, mister. I don't want to get caught in one of those."

"You'd have to be an extreme m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t to like it, right? I wouldn't mind seeing that though."

(*T.N: referring to Iris.)

 "I really don't get you sometimes, Rena…"

So far, they haven't found anything but pitfalls, but the were some traps released poison gas, traps that gave electric shocks, and many more different kinds. Explosive traps, however, being the worst amongst them. 

In the game, even if players were caught in them, there wouldn't be any loss of body parts, but now that it's reality, there's always the possibility of losing one's limbs in an explosion. 

Recovery magic isn't able to completely restore someone's body to a perfect condition, and even if that were possible, the body wouldn't be able to replenish the necessary nutrients to reconstruct limbs.

No matter how strong the regeneration ability of a creature may be, it's necessary to meet the appropriate conditions to fix the missing parts. There's a discrepancy between the game and reality. In this world, it was impossible to regenerate a person's missing limbs. 

And in particular, reincarnators had a strong tendency to nonchalantly get themselves into reckless situations, probably because they retained the common sense from the game. But doing such things when it's become reality, is akin to throwing away their lives, and supposing they could overcome them, it would require them to have an unreasonably high level, like for example, Zeros, whose level is over 1000. 

"Enemy ahead. Oh, Big Spiders. Should I defeat them?"

"And their numbers? How many are there?"

"There are three. It should be a walk in the park for you, girls. What will you do?" 

The three look away. 

"That spider's magic stone can be sold for quite the price, right?"

(*T.N: Keep in mind that Rena(probably) said おいしい[ois.h.i.+], which in this context I think it means profitable/desirable, but it can also mean delicious, as in a delicious meal.)

"But, it looks tough. I don't think I can cut it with my sword."

"Even so, I really want the experience points…"

"'Delicious*' huh? Now that you mention it, deep-fried spiders taste just like shrimp. I wonder if I could eat this one too…"

(*T.N: and here Zeros interprets Rena's(probably) ois.h.i.+ as delicious/tasty.)

"""You want to eat a spider!? No, wait, you've eaten spiders before!?"""

On one occasion, when he traveled abroad for a business trip, he went to an extravagant restaurant, where he was served a deep-fried tarantula. 

He has even eaten a huge centipede before, showing his skill to be able to live anywhere. Though the representative of the local partner company only served it as a joke, he never thought he would seriously eat it. 

Zeros [Osako Satos.h.i.+] may have the extraordinary power of environmental adaptation.

"Ahh, it tasted good with alcohol……"

"""So you did eat it!!"""

"The cold monkey brain looked absolutely disgusting though… They serve you the monkey's head on a plate, so you have to eat it while it's staring at you."

Cigarette smoke drifts in the air. For some reason, a cold breeze blows through, as if to accompany the sad man's melancholy. In another sense, it was hard to be a salaryman. The continuous all-nighters spent crunching looked like heaven on Earth in comparison.

"Oh, but the calf's brain was delicious, wasn't it? It looked like a little cow's head but it was properly cooked. It had a nice, smooth texture."

"Please stop!!!"

"Nooooo!!! Now I'm imaging it!!"

"……(bukubuku)"*T.N: foaming sfx.

Jane had a mental breakdown. She fainted while standing, with foam coming out of her mouth. Zeros' gorey cuisine description had an immense effect on the girls' overactive imaginations. They seemed to be having delusions about the strange high-quality dishes.

"By the way, what should we do about the Big Spiders?"

"You want me to fight in this state? Are you an S, mister? You're really an S, aren't you!??"

"Uuu… The monkey's freshly severed head… Noo!! It won't disappear!!"

"……(Ah, I can see a flower field)"

After receiving a critical hit from those words, she was about to depart to Nirvana. Jane, the usually strong-willed woman, was, surprisingly, emotionally weak.

Zeros breathes in the tobacco smoke once again. 

"Women can't live without being tough, but if they aren't kind, they are not women, huh?"

"Mister, that hard-boiled* kinda mood really suits you. So, why don't you stop wearing such a shabby outfit?"

(*T.N: Apparently it's a literary genre that's similar to crime fiction but usually ambianced in the 20's or 30's; So, I guess she's telling him to dress more elegantly?? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardboiled)

"I refuse. This is a policy of mine."

"That's a lie, isn't it? I don't think you have such a thing, mister."

"… Is this where I should cry?"

It sounded like a cruel thing to say to him, but it was a fact that he liked to dress like that. He wasn't different from your ordinary farmer. 

While they were messing around like that, the three spiders had gone somewhere else. The girls had missed their chance. In the end, Zeros was irritated at the three for having let slide a perfectly good opportunity to make money.

The old man was lonely. 

Incidentally, it wasn't clear whether he ate the cold monkey brain or not…

As Zeros continued to advance while feeling the stinging cold gazes of the three people behind him, he finally reached a T-shaped junction. p.r.i.c.king up his ears, he heard the weak noise of metal striking against something from a place that seemed to be deeper in the mine. 

It was a sound too strange to be from a battle as it was quickly being repeated over and over. 

"… Is not from a fight, is it? It sounds like someone blindly hitting a metallic surface."

"I don't know. Isn't it your fault, mister?"

"The only people come here to do other than fighting is mining. It's not that strange."

"Zeros-san, we haven't forgiven you yet though?"

It was a serious problem once a woman ended up in a bad mood. Their gazes were painful.

However, all the nagging coming his way, as one would expect, ended up annoying him a little, and spontaneously started saying things like 'speaking of which, the cold monkey brain had a really strange flavor…', and so on. To which, the three girls immediately covered their ears all at once. 

"Why are you saying such a thing now!? I imagined it again!!!" 

"……(purupuru)"*T.N: s.h.i.+vering sfx.

"I knew it, after all, you're an S… Uuu… just when I was about to forget…"

"No, it doesn't really mean anything. Nevertheless, I thought that not paying attention to those weird signs would lead to your deaths in a dungeon."

He nonchalantly recites such a thing while flas.h.i.+ng an absolutely perfect smile. He unexpectedly had such a personality.

"It's useless to worry about something like that… Ah, Big Spiders. It seems they're heading towards the direction of that sound. Their numbers are ten… What will you do?"

"I want to get spider threads if I can. It's the raw material for making spider silk."

"I know it sells at a high price, but there are ten of them… It'll be difficult, right?"

"Even so, we can make a lot of money. It can be a good challenge for us."

They seemed to have decided to hunt them. The mercenary life looks to be less profitable than one would expect. In addition to the wear and tear of weapons and armor, they have other regular expenses such as healing medicine and food. 

Moreover, most of the money earned from requests will disappear instantly due to the immediate living expenses when there isn't work to be done. It was hard to live by for them without securing extra income. They were actually in desperate financial straits. 

—

Following the Big Spiders, the four turn right at the T-shaped junction and quietly head towards the direction of the metallic noises. 

The hitherto fast-paced noise changed to a more violent one, the sound of fighting.

【s.h.i.+t! The spiders are coming!!】

【We gotta keep going!! We're saving Christine-sama soon!!】

【I know, but this thing won't open!!】

【Hurry up, there are a lot of them!】

It looked like they were in trouble. 

Four mercenaries seemed to be fighting the Big Spiders. Normally, they wouldn't intervene, but without thinking it twice, the four people move. 

"Teeeeeeii!!"

With the longsword above her right shoulder, Jane slashed diagonally downwards, twisting her body as she does so, while Rena pierces the spider's body as it flinched from the previous attack.  

"Iris!"

"I know! 〖Rock Blast〗!!"

The countless rocks released from Iris' hands are shot towards the group of Big Spiders, successfully defeating three of them with a single magic attack.

Simultaneously, Zeros runs like a gale, slas.h.i.+ng left and right, cutting the spiders' legs, and instantly dismantling another three. 

"Four remaining!"

"Thank you for your help! We are…"

"We'll talk about it later!"

"Right! My bad."

 With the addition of another four combatants, they managed to subjugate the spiders that attacked them. 

Rena and Jane immediately moved onto dismantling them, while Iris tried her best to not look at such a scene of carnage. It seemed like it was physiologically impossible for her. 

"You guys saved us back there. Allow me to thank you."

"No, no. It's natural to help each other out in these kinds of situations. So, even knights are in trouble sometimes. Can you tell me what happened?"

"!? How did you know we were knights?"

"The swords you guys have possess a family crest, so you're probably the knights of some n.o.ble, am I correct? I tutored a n.o.bleman's children for a while and I saw ma.s.s-produced swords like that before."

Even when disguised as mercenaries, knights never replace their swords, as they are important items that can be used to identify themselves when moving without their distinctive armor on some missions. 

Because they are ma.s.s-produced, all swords have the same shape along with a seal engraved on the handle indicating that they belong to this kingdom's knights. 

In addition to that, a family crest could be engraved on the swords' guards, proof that the knights have gained the trust of a n.o.ble family, and are designated as close aids.

By showing this, they would reveal the ident.i.ty of the n.o.bleman they served, and it would distinguish them from knights serving other families. 

"What a magician! Please lend us your wisdom here."

"I don't think I'm such an important person to be called that*…… but well, what's the issue?"

(*T.N: So, this was completely lost in translation, but the knight referred to Zeros as 貴殿[kiden] which is apparently a super respectful way of referring to one's male equals or superiors.)

"Christine-sama, the Lord whom we serve, fell into a pit shooter trap. We've been trying to help her somehow, but the opening won't budge."

"Wha!? This is really bad…"

"Who would think of such a villainous trick…Kuh…"

A pit shooter is a common trap in dungeons. In short, it will randomly send you to another floor of the dungeon. You may end up on the upper floors, but in some extreme cases, it can also drop you off at the deepest part of the dungeon. 

Naturally, the strength of the monsters there is in a different league, so if rookie mercenaries end up there, they will not be saved.

Depending on where you fall, you could end up as dungeon fodder. 

"I was too late to notice that this place was a dungeon. The question now is whether this is connected to the deepest layer or not…"

"A dungeon!? Wasn't this just an abandoned mine!?"

"Mister. These people, maybe they're comrades of that kid you helped out before? Probably it was her who fell down…"

"Don't say more, I understand. But, I've opened one of these once, so I should be able to do it again, I think."

Zeros tries to get on the closed opening of the pit shooter trap. It's tightly shut and doesn't budge even with the full weight of an adult male.

"It won't open. It's going to take us some time to find a route around, so it's better to…"

 ――― Gakon!

While thinking, 'let's try to blow it away with magic,' the top opened just when he was about to prepare a spell, and so, Zeros disappeared after dropping straight into the opening. 

It completely looked like a failed sketch comedy routine. 

"Misteeer!?"

"Magician-dono!?"

"Oi… That won't end up as a double accident, right?"

"That was on purpose, wasn't it?"

"But now we're able to get where Christine-sama is. If he's that skillful, he'll probably be alright. We'll take a detour and go to her rescue."

The knights started to move fast, while Iris waited for the two girls who were still dismantling the monsters. She wasn't worried about Zeros at all, after all, she knew the stories of the 【Annihilators】. Rather, she was worried about the dungeon. 

Luckily, the pit shooter trap was a slide. However, just before it, there was a three-meter fall, which ended up with him smas.h.i.+ng his rear before slipping down said slide that, unfortunately for him, had an uneven surface, so the pain in his b.u.t.tocks was severe. 

He felt a bit numb, probably because he hit his back too hard. 

"Ouch… I really hope my behind doesn't end up abraded… Well then, It seems I ended up in the same place as her, but I wonder where the princess[*T.N: ohime-sama: Rich, sheltered girl] is right now… Isn't this another cliché?"

The lonely Zeros starts walking while rubbing his lower back. The place he fell was a narrow s.p.a.ce around three meters from the top.

The path seems to only be going in one direction, but as he doesn't know what he might find ahead, he's carefully advancing while being on high alert for any surprise attacks. Incidentally, the walls of this tunnel also glow in a pale blue hue.

Zeros stopped in his tracks and began to think with a serious face. 

(This light… is not radioactive, right? Given that the laws of physics seem to be the same in this world, it wouldn't be strange for such a thing to exist. It wouldn't be funny if my hair falls off while I'm walking around…)

The true nature of the light is a stone that glows in the dark called 【Luminescent Stone】, and it doesn't emit anything like harmful radiation. 

However, he was terrified that it might actually be a dangerous thing. Though, if it was really radioactive, it would've been game over for him the moment he set a foot inside the mine either way. Nevertheless, it took him some time to realize that fact.

 ――― Gyiiooooohhhhhh!!!

Zeros returns from his delusions with the sound of what it seemed to be a monster's roar.

"Looks like there's no time to think about that, I should hurry up and look for her. It would be awful if she ends up as monster fodder, after all."

While monologuing, Zeros, to whom the rescue was the absolute priority, proceeded to run towards the commotion at full speed.

 At the end of the pa.s.sage was a precipice, and there was only a small foothold about thirty centimeters wide. There was no other way to get through there other than sticking his body against the rock wall. However, he realized that the pa.s.sage he had to cross before reaching it was too narrow for an adult male like him to pa.s.s.

"Just what kind of uncivilized place is this…? I've never even done rock climbing before."

There was no doubt that Christine had gone through here. However, he couldn't proceed further.

He was around the age he started to worry about being overweight, but to cross that pa.s.sage one needed to be thin. It was quite an unreasonable thing to ask from such a middle-aged uncle.

—

Right below, there was a series of spherical domes in an awfully big open s.p.a.ce, in addition to several rock pillars that were rising like towers rising in its center. The surrounding area was a vast sandy soil, where countless Worms were wriggling around. It was a disgusting sight to see. 

(It's not deep enough to be the underworld*, but I can't see the outer edge on the other side…… How deep underground did she fall?)

*T.N: written in katakana, maybe referring to the greek underworld?

The Worms seemed to be moving in a specific direction as if being guided by something.

In dungeons, there is often only one kind of monster in a specific floor. There are seldom multiple species in one floor, though that might be the case in older dungeons that have been expanding for long enough to reach that point, however, the abandoned mine was still a young one.

Comparing only his knowledge of the area, there should be at most three kinds of monsters, but presently, there were Worms and a bat-like species known as Howling Bat.

(*T.N: I swear I've got no clue what this paragraph is supposed to mean;本の知識を照らし合わせればエリアには最高でも三種類の魔物がいる事になるが、現時点で見かけるのはワームと蝙蝠【ハウリング・バッド】だ。)

Howling bats are small, but because they feed on blood, they coexist with larger monsters and don't attack small prey.

The biggest distinctive feature of this monster is its ability to incite large-sized monsters by emitting soundwaves.

Although they can't control their minds, it was possible for them to guide the monsters by producing a specific natural frequency and making them resonate on the dungeon's walls. 

The bats guided these monsters to their prey and then proceeded to suck the large predators' blood while they were eating their spoils. However, in dungeons, where monsters can live without having to eat, there wouldn't be a point in doing such a thing, except as a defense mechanism against external threats.

The Worms wouldn't be able to detect a person alone walking through that rocky place due to their sheer size. There's no threat from their point of view. 

But, what about a small Howling Bat? This monster is basically a palm-sized predator, and naturally, it would be afraid of a creature bigger than themselves, but said creature would be considered as an external threat [by the dungeon], and at the same time, a small snack for the Worms.

"In other words, that group of monsters is heading there. But these bats are a nuisance. Well, it'll be alright. It was a close one."

Zeros judged that Christine would probably be eaten if he let the clew of worms roam free.

(*T.N: a group of worms is apparently called a clew.)

It would be possible to generate heat by resonance if they concentrate the natural vibrations to a specific frequency, thus it was unknown to him if she would be hit by an attack of that sort, making her fall off the rock wall.

He concluded that he needed to ensure her safety first. 

He extends his right arm and begins to concentrate an enormous amount of mana, to then activate a spell. An incredibly dense magic formula was deployed just before his palm.

"〖Purgatory Flame〗"(*T.N: 煉獄炎』)

The magic released quickly spreads throughout the vast area until it reached the ceiling, turning into a fire tsunami that headed towards the group of Howling Bats. They were weak monsters in the first place, without any sort of fire resistance, so they were instantly burned by the heat that reached a temperature of a thousand degrees [celsious].

The surviving bats, who realized the existence of a new enemy, scattered and fled in a hurry. 

Zeros then took off of the precipice using the flight magic 【Wings of the Dark Bird】. His destination is the place where the Howling Bats were flocking to. 

There was probably a certain person in need of rescue there. 

Christine was slowly moving sideways along the narrow rock footing. There were countless scratches on her beautiful hands made by the rocks on the wall, but enduring the pain, she continues to hold on to the slightly jagged rocks.

Swarms of bats fly around her, and for some reason, Worms are following behind. Fortunately for her, they can't climb up the walls, but it would be a different story if she were to fall down. 

And now, she's facing her biggest challenge.

Since the time she fell down from the top, she was at a loss of what to do. The surroundings seemed to be a rocky tunnel, but judging that it wasn't a safe place to stay, she decided to start moving. 

As she advanced down the narrow tunnel, a vast s.p.a.ce started to reveal itself. Underneath, there was a clew of Worms wriggling all around, in a number that easily exceeded a thousand. She understood that the moment she falls down, her faith would be sealed. 

And the place she was trying to cross over, was a precipice of around 20 meters in height. The surrounding area is just uneven rocks and there was no other place to go. 

Words of helplessness pa.s.s through her mind. 

"W-What should I do…?"

Already beaten, she sits down on the spot. It was unclear how long she stayed in that way. However, she noticed a small foothold on the place she just happened to look at. 

(There's no way I can stay here forever… I have to climb up somehow.)

With newfound determination, she stood on her tiptoes and, while grasping the uneven rocks with her hands, she started to move alongside the pitiful excuse of a scaffold. 

   ・

   ・

   ・

She didn't know how much time had pa.s.sed since then. Every second and every minute felt terribly long, but she could only focus on going forward. 

Her hands were covered in blood and dirt, and they were starting to feel numb. As she looks down, she sees countless Worms swarming around, and the moment she starts thinking about falling down, her heart freezes with fear. 

At the same time, however, fatigue and impatience are starting to acc.u.mulate inside her.

The swarm of bats was still noisily fluttering about in the air, and in her imagination, the rock wall started to tremble albeit slightly. 

(Over there… a small ledge… Dad… save me…)

Somehow she managed to squeeze the little power she had to come closer to the ledge where she faced her biggest challenge yet. A rock cliff protruding at a perpendicular angle is emerging beside the ledge, and it would require a considerable amount of skill to jump on it.

At the place she was now, she would be able to rest for a while if she wanted to by leaning against the rock wall. However, an amateur couldn't proceed from there with only their bare hands, without any equipment such as ropes, carabiners, and harnesses.

It's an impossible challenge for a teenage girl. 

"N-No way…"

Despair is starting to take over the girl's heart. She was distracted by the idea of having to go forward and did not notice what lied at the end of the narrow pa.s.sage.

But it would be cruel to point that out to her who's in such a condition. She made a mistake because she was desperate to come back alive. 

However, she couldn't just stay there forever. Priority was given to moving forward despite being in despair. 

 ―――Dooooonnnnn!!!!

"W-What!? What was that!?"

The sound of a sudden explosion reverberates throughout the pa.s.sage.

She tried to get as much information on what happened, in a situation where she couldn't turn around.

Then, a dead bat fell from the sky. It was probably a bat that was blown away by the explosion's shockwave. 

"That means, there's a monster* powerful enough to cause such a thing…"

(*T.N: written in katakana)

Despite growing impatient, Christine prioritized getting as close to the ledge as possible. She didn't have any power left, but still, she didn't plan to give up.

Having to hang onto the sloping rock wall gradually stole away her stamina to the point of only being able to muster strength on her fingertips.

As time goes on, she's pushed to her limit. 

And then…

"Ah…"

A floating sensation envelops her body.

The ledge and the rock wall are gradually moving away. She understood that she was falling.

(I'm sorry, dad… Seems like this is where I go.)

Far from reaching her goal, she was about to die whilst still on the starting line, and so she apologizes to her dead father in her mind. She was also worried about her mother who was going to be left behind, but there was nothing she could do at this point. Rather than regret, the sadness and helplessness of not being able to do anything raise within herself; tears naturally stream down her cheeks.

She should be able to survive the fall given that the ground below is covered entirely with sand, but she didn't have the confidence or the strength to escape from the countless Worms infesting the place.

The girl closes her eyes as she prepares for her departure. 

"There we go, nice catch!"

As she clearly hears an idiotic man's voice, her eyes open wide. The man's arm and robe looked quite familiar. 

"Haah… That was a close one. Were I a second later, it would've been already too late."

His aloof tone of voice was also familiar, the magician who repaired her sword this morning. 

The relieved Christine saw an incredible thing reflecting in her eyes. She was floating in midair.

"W-Wha!? Ehhhhh!! W-We're flying!?"

"Would you please stay still? Flight magic consumes an incredible amount of mana, even if I'm only carrying one person, the burden is too large…"

"I-I'm very sorry."

"It's good if you understand. By the way…"

The two slowly descended and landed on the ledge. 

"You aren't hurt, are you? Your companions were quite worried, you know?"

"I'm alright. Um… Thank you for helping me twice."

"Don't worry about it, it's important to help each other inside dungeons."

"Eh, dungeon?"

Christine doubted if she heard correctly, but the magician before her eyes, Zeros, looked directly below the ledge they were standing on while sighing. There was a huge group of Worms squirming around without destination, but they wouldn't be able to break-out either way… is what she thought, but Zeros was thinking of something different.

"If such a large number of monsters is released outside the dungeon… Should I annihilate them now?"

Words filled with killing intent were muttered. 

"Um… magician-san? Just now… you didn't say any outrageous thing, right?"

"Ah, my name is Zeros. Please call me that, Christine-san."

"Right… But, did you say annihilate? So many monsters…"

"Yeah, at least I think it would be a simple task to slaughter them…"

If she took his words at face value, the magician in front of her is capable of easily defeating such a big group of Worms. However, she couldn't hide her puzzled expression, given that the person in question really didn't look like he was capable of such a feat. And he was also muttering to himself while looking at the monsters.

"I don't really want to slaughter them, but you know, these numbers though… Honestly, I'm past my prime, so going around screaming 'ore-sama is here[pompous/haughty way of referring to oneself], TUEEEEE!!' is a bit embarra.s.sing. But if I don't clean this up here, and they somehow end up being released outside, the damage will be tremendous… and then it will be even more of a pain to clean up.

I just came here to mine… but it can't be helped, I guess. I have no choice but to reduce these pitiful Worms to ashes. They will become lava, huh? Haah… And I still haven't even found the earthworms I needed for the fields…"

"Eh? Lava? Damage? What do you mean? And, Worms eat anything, they're not like common earthworms, you know!? They're really disgusting!!"  

(*T.N: I guess she thought he was gonna use the Worms for his fields or smt? Only way I can make sense of this.)

But Zeros didn't hear her words. He produced a cigarette from his bosom and lights it up. While inhaling its smoke, he raises his left arm. 

"〖Scorching Purgatory Flames〗"(*T.N: 煉獄炎焦滅陣)

A huge amount of mana suddenly sprouts from Zeros. A sphere densely packed with mana is produced from Zeros' palm and is then shot towards the center of the broad s.p.a.ce below them. 

The sphere gradually expands in size, unfolding an extremely compressed magic formula. It's a dangerous spell that rapidly takes in the mana of the surroundings, transforming it into destructive energy. Executing its predetermined function, it turned the s.p.a.cious dungeon floor into scorched earth.

The Worms are enveloped in an ultrhigh temperature flame. The fire reached ten thousand degrees [celsious] in an instant, and true to its name of purgatory flames, the magic propelled an enormous shockwave into the surroundings.   

"There 〖Absolute Zero Barrier〗… Fifty barriers deployed."

(*T.N: I swear to G.o.d, these names are so hard to interpret 積層絶対氷結壁)

The moment the fifty barriers were finally deployed all around them, a high-temperature blast followed by scorching flames, attacked them.

It wasn't a spell to be used in a closed s.p.a.ce… although it was supposed to be quite vast. 

―――Gogogogo

A violent earthquake is produced inside the mine. Though, right now it looked more like an underground nuclear test site.

The heat continues to rise endlessly, and the absolute zero magic could not overcome it. The barriers exposed to the immensely high temperature start cracking and didn't seem like they would last long. 

"This is bad 〖Gaia Control〗"

Judging that the barriers wouldn't be able to protect them from the heat, he wraps himself along with Christine in the thick rock wall with earth manipulation magic. 

The cigarette he was smoking falls off the ledge.

He proceeds to deploy more barriers just in case, and calmly wait for the quake to subside. 

Magic can change mana into a destructive physical phenomenon, however, the opposite can also be done. And so, the devastating flame generated by magic shortly disappeared.

As the tremors stopped, Zeros removed the rock walls he was covering himself with and… Cold sweat starts flowing down his spine.

It was a scorching h.e.l.l with molten rock everywhere. The ceiling also collapsed, and the layer above could be seen.

"Ah!"

The heat was immediately transmitted through the many layers of barriers. Moreover, outside the magic barrier was too hot for a person to withstand. 

"Not good, standard magic 〖Cocytus〗 continuous maneuver! And, wide range magic 〖Calamity Cyclone〗"

The high heat rapidly spreads around, as an unpleasant premonition dawns inside his mind. 

The surrounding area was cooled down by continuously shooting the wide-range freezing magic, and as the air temperature rapidly declines, Zeros cancels the barriers. It would've been like being inside a high-temperature furnace otherwise. 

Furthermore, there was the possibility of receiving burns by breathing the scorching air of the surroundings, so wide-range wind magic was also cast to force it back.

A tornado that reaches the ceiling of the dungeon floor, cools down the air using the principle of convection, replenis.h.i.+ng the air with oxygen.

(*T.N: hot air is less dense, thus it goes up; cools, and falls down again. Rinse and repeat.)

The world of lava quickly cooled down and solidified. However, the surroundings were still generating heat, and there were some places with rocks melting with a red glow. 

It was like a scene from h.e.l.l.

"… This… Was it too much, perhaps? It was a normal wide-range magic though. I hope there aren't any victims in the upper layers…"

It was of those moments where he came to be keenly aware of the difference between the virtual and real world. No matter how absurd the power of his spells were, in the game, the damage was only represented by a numerical value. Naturally, there was no aftermath. 

However, the situation was completely different when it came to firing annihilation magic in reality, and in a relatively closed s.p.a.ce. No matter how much he was able to convert back the flames into mana, the heat generated by them will remain, melting the rocky surface. Moreover, because it was a closed s.p.a.ce, the temperature would keep rising.

Cold sweat slides down his back again. He realized how badly he underestimated the effects of a magic, he, himself said it was dangerous. He was able to disregard the aftereffects when he used wide-range annihilation magic in Far-flung forest, though that wasn't possible in here.

"T-This is wide-range annihilation magic!? What even are you, Zeros-san!? Not even the best magicians of this country, a magic kingdom, have been able to develop that kind of magic successfully!" 

"…Uh… I-I'm just an unemployed middle-aged man!"

He tried to dodge the question, although what he said was also true.

There was an unbearably cold breeze blowing between them. 

"…Annihilator."

Christine mumbled in a low voice and that single word tore his heart apart. Despite creating such a chuunibyou-sounding magic himself, strangely enough, he was shaken by that word.

Initially, because of the feeling of the game being so detached from reality, he took it as a good opportunity to enjoy himself and mess around at his heart's content, and so, he quickly got carried away, to the extent that his friends in the game thought he was an actual junior high school student.

Who could've predicted that one day, the painful virtual world would become reality?

On this day, it was the first time Zeros was called by his old 'Annihilator' moniker in this world. 

He takes out a cigarette and lights it up as if to force his mind to forget such a tragedy.

It was said that, on that occasion, the cigarette's smoke felt particularly bitter.