Ch.179July’s Dungeon, and Terror (2)

We immediately threw ourselves into the portal.

Whoooosh-!!

As light rippled around us, my consciousness faded to black.

If this had been my first time using a portal, I might have been surprised, but honestly, it wasn’t that impressive. This wasn’t my first or second time traveling through one.

Before I knew it, my consciousness returned to normal.

We found ourselves in the middle of a massive island.

It was definitely a summer-like island with beaches and palm trees.

“……….”

However, everyone’s excitement immediately plummeted.

It was a beach, but… the sand was red. Moreover, the seawater was also red. It looked like walking around might infect you with some kind of red decay.

The sky had a murky yellow tint.

Squish-! Squish-!

There were starfish and crabs in the sea, but they were different from marine life in the normal world.

“I’m fat? I’m fat?”

A bizarre starfish with eyes, nose, and mouth mumbled the same words like a broken recorder.

The crabs also had eyeballs protruding all over their carapaces.

And the palm trees… even the palm fruits were densely covered with eyes, noses, and mouths.

“This is NOT the beach I had in mind!!!”

Umi immediately cried out.

“This is nightmare fuel. Seriously.”

Taiga muttered.

“In my country, we have fruits with eyes, noses, and mouths too… but they’re not this grotesque.”

Tina said.

“Wait. There are fruits with eyes, noses, and mouths?”

What kind of country does Tina live in?

“They’re a specialty. You can keep them as pets, or eat them.”

Tina said nonchalantly.

Indeed, this otaku world… the deeper we went, the more dizzy I felt.

“Swimsuit… I think I’ll pass.”

Frill’s desire for a summer island vanished right there. Next summer… I should take her with Sasits. I felt a bit sorry.

“Swimming in that red sea looks like a recipe for disease.”

Sasits said.

“Yeah… if you swim in red water… you’ll turn into a zombie!!!”

I immediately recalled the setting of a famous horror game. That’s how bizarre the existence of this red sea was.

And in the center of the beach, monsters had gathered. Every single one was an elite mob between levels 50 and 60. About 100 of them were swarming around. Even for me, causing trouble here wouldn’t be wise.

Moreover… we all noticed something unusual.

“Ah!! Our equipment!!”

“It’s gone?! Did we drop it while going through the portal?”

Everyone’s equipment and accessories had been removed.

That’s right. We were entering this survival challenge bare-handed. Weapons were scattered throughout the island, and we needed to farm them for equipment. Farming was a crucial element for survival.

“I see. So this is truly survival.”

Sasits couldn’t contain his smile. Honestly, you’re happy because it’s like a game, right?

———-

Anyway.

At the center of a platform set up on the beach, a monster wearing massive armor appeared.

That creature was Rahitan, the boss of this dungeon and the host of this survival game.

“Warriors from countless multiverses!! Let the festival of war begin!!!”

Rahitan shouted while holding a massive greatsword.

“UOOOOOOOH!!!”

The monsters roared in unison at his words.

“The rules are simple!!! Survive!!! And become the final victor!!! The last one standing will have the chance to fight me, Rahitan!!! Defeat me and claim the title of the strongest!!!”

Rahitan pounded his armor as he shouted.

“UAAAAARGH!!!”

“RAHITAN!!! HURRAH!!!!”

The monsters howled in a state of frenzy.

Among them, there was one human. Being human among monsters, he naturally stood out.

It was Emoto.

So he really joined the survival game.

“I have no interest in winning. I’ll just kill you all horribly.”

Emoto said.

He really does harbor deep resentment toward us.

He’s a terrible serial killer… but killing him ourselves was a different matter. I didn’t want to become a murderer.

‘Please… let him be killed horribly by other participants.’

That would be the best outcome.

“Now!! Let the first day begin!! I’ll be watching your struggles from the peak of the island!!”

Rahitan shouted loudly.

“Rahitan just looked at me!!!”

“Rahitan!! Rahitan!! KYEEEEEEK!!!”

The monsters were ecstatic about it.

“…I can’t match the monsters’ enthusiasm.”

Sasits remarked.

“Hehehe. They’re all like shotas.”

Umi said.

“Umi! What a terrible thing to say!!!”

I shouted loudly. Don’t lump me in with them.

“They are similar though. When their emotions get heightened, they start screaming.”

Taiga said.

“Shotas. When they scream, you can see their throat structure. That’s secretly arousing.”

Tina said.

“Right. Their throats are pretty.”

Umi nodded.

“………”

These girls. Their tastes are becoming increasingly niche.

“But what is he? He’s practically an idol among these monsters.”

Umi said.

“Rahitan. He’s an infamous criminal even within the multiverse. He’s earned the title of the multiverse’s strongest swordsman by brutally killing any strong opponent he encounters.”

Frill explained.

As expected of Frill-pedia.

“Anyway, so that’s the boss. We need to take him down to close this dungeon, right?”

Sasits nodded.

“I’ll leave the orders to you.”

Sasits said.

“Of course!! Everyone follow me!!”

I immediately shouted.

———–

“UOOOOOOOOH!!!!”

Dust rose from all over the beach. Monsters were rushing across the entire island.

Survival was a long-term battle. We couldn’t fight all day long. We needed space to regroup and farm equipment.

There were certain areas that were good for defense and farming, which made competition for them fierce.

“Real men come to the center!!! That’s where we settle this!!”

A group of monsters shouted with aggressive tones.

The central area was indeed the hotspot. There was an old fortress already built there, and inside were plenty of good weapons. It was filled with quality weapons made from multiverse steel.

Compared to other areas that only had rusty weapons or wooden swords, it was the best place to get stronger quickly.

The problem was that everyone knew this. The center was crawling with creatures confident in their abilities.

Naturally, the chance of dying there was also high.

“Everyone follow me.”

Since we decided to just sample the experience on day one while focusing on survival, there was no need to take unnecessary risks.

———

We headed to an abandoned house on the outskirts of the island.

“Alright. Let’s spend our time here for now.”

I said as I searched through the house.

Well… the weapons were all crude. There were only a few rusty swords. I also found one emergency medicine that could be used in urgent situations.

Being on the outskirts meant fewer equipment options.

“You didn’t go to the center… because there are too many competitors?”

Taiga looked at me with disappointed eyes.

“Pfft. Shota. Secretly a coward.”

Umi smiled slyly.

“Hey!!! Safety first, right?!”

I shouted loudly.

“Shota is exercising hero’s caution!! I think it’s cool! Shota!”

Tina immediately offered mindless positivity.

“Aww!! Our Tina is so cute!!”

I immediately hugged Tina.

“Ehehehehe.”

Tina smiled sweetly and fell into my embrace.

Then Tina stuck her tongue out at Umi and Taiga.

“You foreign nose!!!”

Umi immediately burned with xenophobic fervor.

“Cheap bastard…!”

Taiga clicked his tongue.

Anyway, we farmed. Since it was such a poor farming spot on the outskirts, there were no other creatures around.

“But… this is really unreliable. It’ll break after a few swings.”

Sasits picked up a rusty sword.

“Sasits. Be careful of tetanus.”

At that moment, Frill spoke to Sasits with tenderness.

How sweet. Really.

“We should be grateful for what we have. Let’s take control of this area by dealing with opponents who look manageable.”

I said.

Well… it was definitely a poor-quality sword, but it wasn’t a problem for me now. If I activated my Flash Strike and hit a weak point, I could cut through anything like tofu.

Though it had the durability to break after one strike, it wasn’t a bad trade if that one strike sent someone to the afterlife.

Ah… my beloved sword Tomato… I miss you.

——–

Anyway. We secured our base.

“Super Coward’s Shelter…”

Umi gave our home a rather disrespectful name.

“Still, it’s peaceful. Other creatures aren’t coming here.”

Sasits relaxed with that thought.

In this dungeon, all 100 participants were elite mobs. They were tougher to deal with than regular mobs. If we could avoid fights while progressing, that was the better choice.

Moreover… an incredible kill log was pouring through the status window.

‘Participant Barun has killed participant Invincible Rock Crab’

‘Participant Mumamushi has killed participant Insect Lord’

And so on, the kill log continued without stopping.

The number of participants had already dropped to 80.

“These guys are super aggressive. Twenty are already dead?”

Taiga said.

“Heh. Interesting.”

Tina smiled while pounding her fists. Tina liked these kinds of fights.

But… they say cowards attract each other.

Other cowards found their way to our Super Coward’s Shelter.

“Tch!! Earth humans!! You’ve already claimed this spot!!”

“Get out now! We’ll spare your lives!!”

Some insect-like monsters stood there holding weapons. A brief standoff ensued.

However, the insect party found their confidence. One of them was holding a good sword from who knows where.

Meanwhile, we were holding tattered rusty swords.

“Our weapons are better! Kill them!!”

The insects immediately charged toward us.

“I’ve never seen strong opponents who rely solely on equipment advantage.”

I muttered before approaching the insects.

Whoosh-!!!

As I circled to their flank, I charged my breathing. I could clearly see the weak points beyond their carapaces.

“Tsk! Human!! Fast!”

The fact that they couldn’t track my speed with their eyes made the outcome of this battle obvious.

Slash-!!

I cut one insect’s body in half with my sword.

Clang-!!

With that, the rusty sword broke.

But swords can be taken from corpses. I immediately snatched the sword from the falling monster’s hand. Finally, a proper weapon. It was a metal longsword. This one should have decent durability.

“Hyaaaah!!”

I immediately swung the sword widely.

Slash-!! Slash-!!!

The monsters were scattered like minced insect meat, one by one.

Clank-! Clank-!

They dropped their weapons as a bonus. Plus… there were emergency medical supplies.

This is it. The best farming is farming people.