Chapter 13 : Things You Can Find Underground

This world is built on a foundation of “game” mechanics.

In other words, you can often feel a strange sense of disconnect from many things in it.

Let me give a simple example.

In actual medieval times, corn didn’t exist.

That’s because corn is a crop native to the New World (the Americas).

It only made its way to medieval Europe after Columbus discovered the New World.

But what about in this world?

Order food at an inn, and you’re served a hefty portion of “grilled corn” by default—like some sort of selectively bred, thick-stalked variety.

This kind of thing can create a subtle feeling of unease, like the world isn’t properly researched or historically accurate.

“That criticism is a bit off. Since this is a different world, the climate and terrain are also different. So it’s not strange for corn to exist here.”

I ignored the voice of the goddess who lives on this continent.

Anyway.

That’s not the only issue.

There’s something strange about the cities too.

More specifically, the “underground” of these cities is bizarre.

If goblins, ratmen, or slimes were living directly beneath the residences of citizens, then obviously, a purge would be necessary.

That’s just basic sanitation.

But in this world, even such basic and logical principles are not followed.

Surely there must be people responsible for cleaning sewers and underground drains here too.

And yet…

Hidden laboratories of wizards, hideouts of fugitive criminals, altars built by cultists, ancient sewer systems left behind by ruined empires, nests where demons dwell…

Seriously, the underground of these cities is filled with all sorts of nonsense.

“Even the goddess agrees with that opinion,”

Neb muttered.

Her gaze was fixed on a goblin gnawing on moss clinging to a distant wall.

“For the life of me, I cannot understand—why is there a monster-infested sewer beneath a perfectly fine city?”

Who could blame her?

After all, we were currently…

in the city’s underground.

013. Things You Can Find Underground

“Kyaaaack!!”

“Ki, kiiiik…”

The goblins scattered in a group as they came face-to-face with a large barbarian.

Their shadows flickered under the lantern light as they vanished like lightning.

This was different from the game.

In the game, every monster would charge at you regardless of whether you were a towering barbarian, a blue-skinned mutant, or some freak with a massive jaw.

But here?

“They’re like cockroaches.”

If you see one, there are probably dozens more nearby.

They shared that trait.

They were also equally low-threat.

Unlike in some grimdark fantasy settings—say, the kind where “All goblins must die!” is a foundational rule—this world took a more lenient approach.

Still, it didn’t change the fact that such creatures had no business lurking beneath a city.

‘Not my problem though.’

We didn’t come down here for “monster extermination.”

“Hm, I believe it’s this way.”

Neb’s voice prompted me to look at her silently.

No special reason.

Just that I’d already heard her say something similar three or four times.

We still hadn’t even glimpsed the relic we were looking for—just a ton of unlucky goblins.

Neb caught my expression and started to defend herself.

“What is that look? Are you daring to question the intentions of a goddess?”

“……”

“A-a goddess does not wish to linger in this place either. So I strongly recommend you relax that scary face of yours…”

She wasn’t wrong.

Who in their right mind wants to explore an underground maze in brand-new clothes?

Yeah.

She had a point… a beatable point…

“…Are you angry?”

“I haven’t said anything yet.”

“You’re speaking through your expression…!”

She really was a goddess.

To think she could read my internal monologue.

I decided to cut back on mentally cursing her by about half going forward.

Of course, us getting lost down here wasn’t Neb’s fault.

The underground was just that complicated.

At this point, even the original architect would lose their way.

‘…If we could just break through the walls, it’d be easier.’

But if the ground collapsed, we’d be in real trouble.

Especially since there was a whole city right above our heads.

So we had no choice but to patiently find our way.

‘Been about an hour already, huh.’

I silently tracked the time as I continued walking behind Neb.

“Kkieeek!!”

It was a familiar monstrous scream.

I was face-to-face with a goblin who was screeching as if it were performing death metal, straining its vocal cords.

But…

This time, the direction the goblins were heading was different from before.

It wasn’t the opposite direction.

They were heading straight toward us.

“W-what is this?!”

Neb, startled, clung to my side.

The space was already tight, making it difficult to swing an axe, and now with Neb pressed up against me, moving at all became even harder.

I stared at the oncoming goblins and said to Neb,

“Get back. What do you expect me to do in this position?”

“My body… I can’t move it freely…!”

I bit back a curse that was on the tip of my tongue.

I seriously considered whether grabbing Neb by the nape of her neck and lifting her up might be considered sacrilege.

“…?”

But what I expected—an impact—didn’t happen.

The goblins simply ran past us and continued on their way.

“…Kkieek!!”

One of them even passed by my side and bowed in gratitude…!

Could it be from a country of eastern manners?

I never thought I’d meet a goblin that thanked me in my lifetime.

We stood there, dumbfounded, watching the goblins disappear into the distance.

“What’s going on here?”

“I don’t know, and how should I?”

I thought about the situation.

The goblins were running away.

So there had to be a ‘reason’ for their flight.

Something must have been chasing them.

Rumble…

I didn’t have to think long.

I could hear heavy footsteps approaching from ahead.

Even without being able to tell exactly, I knew the thing’s weight was multiple times mine.

I reacted immediately.

I grabbed Neb’s cloak.

More precisely, I seized the nape of her neck where it was connected to the hood.

“…?!”

There wasn’t time for any polite gestures like picking her up bridal style.

Neb shot me a glare, likely about to scold me, but she fell silent as the sound grew louder.

Boom… boom…

One thing was clear:

This wasn’t the type of opponent to fight in such a narrow space.

“What the hell is living under this city?”

We crossed a narrow sewer.

Every time we bumped into something, pieces of broken bricks flew in all directions.

I made sure to shield Neb’s head with my hands as we ran, avoiding any debris from hitting her.

‘Escaping to the surface is going to be tough.’

I’d been walking for a long time and was starting to get lost, plus the surface was a city with people in it.

I recalled the soldiers I’d seen at the entrance.

They didn’t seem to have any real defense.

‘Then I’ll have to lead it to a wider area.’

Finally, I arrived in a large enough space and stopped.

I reached out, but the ceiling was far above me.

This was big enough to swing my axe freely.

Boom.

The footsteps behind us were growing fainter.

The pace wasn’t fast, but still…

‘It wouldn’t hurt to keep running…’

But the issue was, I hadn’t found the holy relic yet.

Dragging that monster around in the process would only make things more complicated.

I set Neb down and gripped the axe at my waist.

My heart began to beat faster.

My body was preparing for combat.

Thick veins surged like the roots of a tree, following the lines of my muscles.

“It could be dangerous, so stay here.”

“Puh…!”

Neb, despite being carried by me just moments ago, was breathing heavily, her vision starting to spin.

“Listen to the goddess for once!”

At that moment, a giant shadow emerged from the very passage we came from.

Boom…!!

Even just the steps it took made a huge noise.

It was a monstrous creature with green, bulging muscles.

Its upper body was unnaturally oversized, and its lower body was strangely small in comparison.

‘I thought the footsteps sounded weird.’

The most bizarre part, though, was its head.

A weak head stuck between massive trapezius muscles.

“…A goblin?”

At first glance, that’s what it seemed like.

However, contrary to my simple observation, Neb seemed to be looking at something else.

She pointed a finger at something.

I saw a necklace barely hanging from the goblin’s(?) neck.

“That necklace… it’s the goddess’s holy relic!”

“?!”

I tilted my head.

Why is a goblin wearing it?

I had many questions, but there was no time to dwell on them.

I naturally walked towards the creature.

This was on a completely different level than the goblins who had fled from me so far.

Its gaze was filled with nothing but hunger and rage.

“322…”

It seemed its health wasn’t great.

The creature, foaming at the mouth, alternated its gaze between Neb and me.

Then, its stare fixed on me.

It was clearly a fan of meat.

“…Be careful!”

I heard Neb’s voice from behind.

But if it had seen my memories, I knew she didn’t need to worry.

Well, I suppose it hadn’t seen everything.

In games, hitting the maximum level is the ultimate achievement.

The abilities I last chose for myself were transcendent, half of which belonged to an existence above human standards.

Of course, I wouldn’t call myself the strongest on Earth.

There were still heroes with transcendent templates in this world, and even fighting one of the few remaining demons in a one-on-one duel was difficult to predict.

However, against a giant goblin, I was more than enough.

It didn’t even have any weapons.

There’s an old saying in the martial world, “The longer the weapon, the stronger it is—寸長一寸強”, which means the longer a weapon, the more advantageous it is, often cited when comparing a knife to a club.

The goblin’s hand reached out to me.

Its speed was somewhat threatening.

But without wearing magical armor made by a dwarf, it was impossible for a goblin to block my axe with its bare hands.

Whoosh! The blood splattered onto the ceiling.

The goblin’s large arm fell to the floor.

The fearless creature’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden change.

I quickly rotated my wrist.

I severed the remaining arm, and as the goblin’s center of gravity shifted backward, I took a step forward before it could fall.

It all felt like slow motion.

Even the moment the goblin’s head hit the floor.

A puddle of blood formed under it.

The goblin’s body slumped down without moving further.

…Boom!

‘This isn’t even good exercise.’

I thought as I reached for the necklace around the goblin’s neck.

But…

Even though I only grabbed the string of the necklace, the goblin’s head didn’t stay on the ground.

It was pulled up, following the necklace.

“Look behind you!”

Suddenly, I locked eyes with the goblin.

The decapitated goblin was gnawing at the necklace with its sharp teeth.

Even fish wouldn’t be this tough.

I kicked the goblin’s body.

The chest cracked as it rolled away, and the goblin’s body tumbled.

I grabbed its head and dropped it.

The goblin’s teeth broke.

The moment the necklace and the goblin were completely separated, the light of life in its eyes completely disappeared.

“Ha.”

I unintentionally chuckled.

I turned to Neb and said,

“…This is the holy relic?”

Looking at it, it looked like something that could even create a necromorph.

And somewhere visible from the city,

Someone quietly murmured,

“So, this is where it is. The place with the Evil God’s holy relic…”