Chapter 26: Sub-Dungeon #5

Chapter 26: Sub-Dungeon #5

The final area before the boss room of the Contaminated Deposit.

We decided to rest here for a night before hunting the boss.

The party members were fast asleep, and a campfire burned quietly beside them.

I blankly watched the flickering flames.

The nights in the world of “Nine Stars” are long.

⋯Too long.

It’s probably because there’s nothing specific to do.

It’s not like we have TV or smartphones to alleviate boredom.

Nowadays, even rural grandmothers have Wi-Fi.

‘I should have brought a book if I knew this would happen.’

The tedious time continues endlessly, but-

Still, I can’t neglect my watch duty.

Even though the possibility of monsters attacking while we sleep is extremely low, there’s no need to gamble with the party’s safety.

I poked the brightly burning campfire with a branch, just because.

I’m bored.

There’s no one to talk to.

‘In a game, I’d just skip this time.’

This quiet time, awake all by myself.

Thoughts buried deep in my heart slowly rise to the surface.

Will the day ever come when I return to the real world?

I’ve thought about it more than a hundred times since coming to this world.

But no matter how much I ponder, I can’t find an answer.

Sometimes, I even wonder if the world I lived in before was really reality.

Before I knew it, the distinction between the game and reality was becoming increasingly blurred.

And the conclusion was always the same.

‘It’s a damn useless worry.’

What’s the point of agonizing over a problem that has no answer?

I just have to do my best to survive each day.

“Hmm.”

Perhaps it’s because I stared at the campfire for so long at night.

I felt the urge to urinate.

One of the few advantages of the Contaminated Deposit is that you don’t have to look for public restrooms.

I moved to a spot not too far from the sleeping party members.

Carefully positioning myself over the faintly glowing waterway.

Drip, drip-

The sitting-and-peeing posture, which I’ve grown accustomed to.

Perhaps because I’m a small girl.

My stream of urine is so pathetic.

It’s more appropriate to call this pee rather than urine.

Damn it.

In the past, it used to shoot out with such vigor that it could drill a hole in a rock.

As I returned with a bitter feeling, Mitchell had woken up and was sitting by the campfire.

“Kid, did you go pee?”

“I didn’t pee.”

“Why are you getting angry? In the middle of the night. Then was it a poop?”

I pouted and deliberately turned my back to Mitchell.

I felt like my thoughts from just moments ago were exposed, so I acted even more sullenly.

“Since I woke up early, I’ll take over early. Go get some sleep, kid.”

Mitchell spoke in a low voice, so as not to wake Wagner and Flora, who were asleep.

“No thanks. I can’t sleep anyway.”

“Right? It’s underground, so there’s no sunlight, and our sense of time is all messed up.”

“I guess so.”

“Mitchell and I actually have something in common, don’t we? Those dull ones are sleeping soundly without a care, but we’re awake.”

Mitchell chuckled.

It felt wrong to keep sulking, so I sighed and turned to face Mitchell.

After all, it’s better to have someone to talk to than just staring at the campfire alone.

“Ouch…”

Mitchell groaned softly.

Looking at her red, swollen shoulder, she clicked her tongue.

Come to think of it, she was burned by the acidic wall, wasn’t she?

“Come here.”

I said, rummaging through Wagner’s bag for herbs.

As always, Mitchell looked at me with distrust.

“Don’t look at me like that. Come on. I’ll apply the herbs for you.”

“Are they really herbs? You didn’t just grab some weeds from a random field, did you?”

“Such suspicion… If you don’t want it, then fine.”

Mitchell hesitated for a moment and then sat close to me.

Looking at the wound, the red burn marks extended not only to her shoulder but also to her back.

I mean, even if she’s a fighter…

You get injured like this because you dress too lightly, like a track athlete.

I slapped Mitchell’s back.

“Ow! Why did you hit me?”

“Take it off.”

“Why?”

“Your back is injured too.”

At my words, Mitchell casually took off her top.

Her physique was slender but her back was full of healthy vitality.

There wasn’t an ounce of excess fat, and her back muscles were harmoniously developed.

The body of a trained warrior.

I could tell just by looking at her back how consistently this beautiful elf had trained.

However, there was one problem…

“Why aren’t you wearing one?”

“Wearing what?”

“Your bra.”

“Ah, I don’t wear one normally. It’s stuffy.”

Mitchell said nonchalantly.

“Isn’t that… not supposed to be? They bounce around. It hurts when you run, and you know, they stick out over your clothes-“

“Why are you acting so strange all of a sudden? Why are you so embarrassed that I don’t wear a bra?”

I couldn’t answer immediately.

Ah.

It was a mistake.

If I hadn’t said anything, I would have just let it go, but by saying something first…

Mitchell smiled broadly and then suddenly became quiet.

There felt like some hidden agenda in that silence…

The next moment.

“Waaah!”

Mitchell suddenly turned her body towards me.

Feeling my heart drop, I quickly covered my eyes.

But in that fleeting moment, I clearly saw it.

A pair of luscious elf treasures, swaying beautifully…

“Ah, stop messing around!”

“Ahaha- This is hilarious. Why are you so embarrassed? Your face is completely red. Huh? Why are you embarrassed-“

“Go away! I’m not applying the herbs. Just get lost.”

“Kid, let me see yours too. Ah, why- I showed you mine- Did you hide a treasure chest?”

They say heaven and hell are separated by a fine line.

With my eyes tightly shut, unable to see, the elf’s hands came at me wildly.

While this might be heaven for some, it was hell for me.

This pointy-eared bitch is also incredibly strong.

I can’t escape.

I can only be toyed with endlessly.

“Oh, what the heck, kid. You’re not wearing one either. See- You and I are surprisingly compatible, aren’t we?”

Shit.

This rough bitch…

I barely managed to escape Mitchell’s grasp, gasping for breath. My shoulders trembled slightly.

Groan-

Wagner, who was asleep across the campfire, stirred.

Mitchell adjusted my disheveled clothes, brushing off the dust.

“Hey, hey, be quiet. You’ll wake the others.”

“You’re the one being the loudest…”

“Ah, kid- Don’t be sulky. We get closer like this.”

I bit my lower lip tightly.

It’s only natural that my touch, as I applied the herbs, was filled with emotion.

“Ouch- Ah! Ah! It stings like hell! Wait, just a moment-“

“Endure it.”

“It hurts. Kid, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

“I told you to endure it. Be quiet.”

“You’re quite petty, aren’t you…”

I finished the treatment by wrapping the bandage.

I carefully mashed and applied the herbs, which are highly effective for burns, so she should recover quickly after sleeping. There won’t even be a scar.

“You know how to do so many things, kid?”

Mitchell marveled, looking at the carefully wrapped bandage.

“You cook, you collect corpses, you know dungeons well, and you do first aid. Where did you learn all this?”

“Just by reading books and overhearing things.”

“There’s nothing you can’t do. That’s amazing?”

I thought she was teasing again, but Mitchell’s expression was sincere.

“I didn’t like you much at first. Hmm- But now, I can see you definitely have the ability to be a party leader.”

“⋯.”

“I don’t trust you 100% yet. But, well, maybe about 83%?”

“What’s with that specific number?”

“Ah, why are you questioning it? I just said it roughly. You’re doing a decent job, kid.”

We silently watched the campfire for a while.

Mitchell, who seemed bored and smacked her lips, took something out of her pouch.

A small badge shaped like a laurel leaf.

Mitchell placed her fist holding the badge to her chest and closed her eyes for a moment, muttering something.

When Mitchell opened her eyes, I asked.

“Are you a follower of Prelium?”

“Uh. Ah?”

“Of course, I know.”

Prelium, the god of duels.

A warrior god who presides over honorable wars and battles, and watches over warriors.

One of the nine gods who govern the world of “Nine Stars.”

“But I haven’t formally studied theology or anything from the church. I just do this kind of makeshift prayer at the end of the day.”

“What kind of prayer?”

“It changes depending on my mood at the time. Today, it’s like- Thanks for letting me fight well and win today, Uncle Prelium!”

“⋯Was Prelium a god who was an uncle?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him, but that’s how I imagine him. He probably smells like an uncle. Like he sweats a lot and doesn’t wash often. Is it just me?”

“Isn’t that blasphemy?”

“Ah, it’s okay. Would a god be that petty?”

Mitchell laughed brightly and without reservation.

As expected, she’s a weirdo.

An elf who worships the god of duels.

Well, she was already unique, being an elf with a foul mouth and a gambling addiction.

“Kid, what god do you worship?”

“Hmm…”

“Ah, I know! You’re a mage, so it must be some kind of Magica thing? Flora seems to worship that god too.”

She must be talking about Magica the Blue, the goddess of magic.

In this world, faith is not an option but a necessity.

Unlike religions in the real world that pray for happiness in the afterlife or peace of mind, religions in “Nine Stars” provide tangible benefits.

This is also why faith stats, along with physical and magical stats, hold a prominent place.

However, I couldn’t honestly answer Mitchell’s question.

‘It’s better not to say.’

Although we laugh and chat together now, my true identity is an immortal lich.

The god I worship is the infamous goddess of death, El.

This world hates followers of evil gods.

Even if I were executed simply for worshipping an evil god, I would have no grounds for protest.

‘How would they react if they knew I was a follower of El?’

Would they be shocked?

Would they be afraid?

Would they be angry, accusing me of deceiving them until now?

I gave a wry smile.

Whatever the case, it wouldn’t lead to a pleasant situation.

It’s best not to reveal it.

Ideally, it would be best to keep it hidden until the end and part ways on good terms.

Anyway… that’s something to think about when the time comes.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Mitchell’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“Kid, wait a moment, be quiet.”

Mitchell brought her finger to her lips, closed her eyes, and concentrated intently.

Her pointed ears twitched intermittently like a rabbit’s.

Although she’s eccentric, she’s still an elf, so she can probably hear faint sounds from afar.

“⋯I can’t quite tell.”

After a moment, Mitchell opened her eyes, tilting her head.

“What did you hear?”

“No, I’m not sure. It sounded like something went BANG! and broke… but it was too far away to be certain. Ah, never mind. It’s probably nothing. Don’t worry about it, kid.”

Mitchell waved her hand dismissively, but I firmly closed my mouth.

An elf’s hearing is truly superhuman.

In a quiet underground place like the deposit, she could probably detect the sound of a pebble rustling somewhere far away.

Could it really be nothing?

We are the only living beings in this deposit.

We annihilated all other monsters on the way, leaving only the boss room.

Even if it turns out to be a wasted effort, it’s better to check.

I silently got up from my seat.

“Oh, kid. Where are you going?”

“⋯To pee.”

Waving the tissue in my hand, I started walking.

***

Frontier Main Quest, “Rebellion of the Vigilantes.”

By now, the main story should be about to begin.

That means either Dawson’s hideout or one of the Garden underground fields will connect soon.

There are five underground fields.

The connected area changes randomly with each game, so it cannot be determined in advance.

‘The probability is one in five.’

Where will Dawson’s hideout, the underground cave, connect to?

The underground waterway where I’m now is one of the candidates.

If the mysterious tearing sound Mitchell heard was the sound of a wall breaking to the underground waterway…

‘It means the Vigilante search party has entered the underground waterway.’

I quickened my pace.

After going back up the Contaminated Deposit and reaching the starting point.

“Phew.”

After catching my breath for a moment, I immediately infused mana into my gloves.

“Thousand-Mile Sight.”

My expanded vision pierced the darkness of the underground, scanning every nook and cranny.

‘They haven’t reached here yet.’

I couldn’t see the search party.

“Phew.”

I let out a sigh of relief for now.

However, I can’t completely relax yet.

It’s possible that we just missed them.

Therefore, I intend to make more thorough preparations.

‘It’s good that I brought the necessary materials in advance, just in case something like this happens.’

I took out the necessary tools from my bag and laid them on the ground.

Hammer, shovel, saw, wooden planks, nails, camouflage tarp…

What I’m about to build is a trap.

And not just any trap for beasts or monsters, but a trap thoroughly designed for people.

It’s fortunate that the location is the Contaminated Deposit.

The acid walls that melt flesh and the poisonous waterways are dangerous enough on their own, but combined with my traps, they will deliver hell to intruders.

I don’t even need giant blades or crossbows loaded with poison arrows.

If I can just grab their legs for a moment and disrupt their balance, the Contaminated Deposit’ll take care of the rest.

“Hmm hmm-“

A humming tune naturally flowed out.

Digging a circle in the ground, hammering nails into the planks.

The work of building and setting traps was more enjoyable than I expected.

It felt like I was the protagonist of the “Home Alone” series, which I watched annually like a tradition every Christmas.

But it’s a bit different from the movie.

This isn’t a G-rated movie that children can watch; if you fall into my trap, you won’t just break an arm.

No, perhaps what I’m doing now is closer to the “Saw” series.

‘It’s actually quite fun now that I’ve started building it.’

For a moment, it felt like the genre had changed to a defense game.

I meticulously set up special traps in every location where they were bound to fall.

‘I’m crazy. This is almost art.’

It’s not self-praise. For a first attempt, these traps are masterpieces in my opinion.

It would be a shame if the traps weren’t used.

‘I’d rather they come here. Please, please come.’

I secretly prayed.

You damn Vigilantes.

Don’t go anywhere else, come here.

Let’s step on the traps, shall we?

Suddenly, my reflection in the dirty water of the waterway caught my eye.

A girl with gray hair was smiling wickedly and chuckling.

⋯No, this makes me look like the villain.

It feels like the roles have been reversed.