A Cold?

Note: As of 6/16 15:00, Chapter 26 has been re-uploaded with different content!

If you haven’t seen it yet, please read the newly uploaded Chapter 26!

“What’s this…?”

At the end of his careful footsteps, walking on tiptoe and barely breathing, Diaz found a type of mana stone commonly known as [Source Stone].

Among countless mana stones, it was the most valuable while simultaneously being the most fundamental cause behind the creation of dungeons and the monsters within them.

However, under normal circumstances, these Source Stones were only located in the deepest parts of dungeons.

Searching thoroughly for these Source Stones throughout a dungeon would certainly lead to more casualties.

So once a dungeon was formed, they had to be satisfied with simply eliminating monsters rather than finding and removing the Source Stone.

The various resources obtainable from a dungeon’s existence also played a significant role in this decision.

“Still, I can’t just leave this here.”

If the Source Stone were left behind, the dungeon would surely return to its original form.

Monsters that appeared to have been completely eradicated would begin to regenerate.

No matter what resources could be obtained from the dungeon, the risks that had to be taken to acquire them couldn’t be ignored.

So…

–Click.

He picked up the object that had been glowing nobly amidst the pitch-black darkness underground and put it in his pocket.

In truth, the value of this Source Stone itself was too precious to ignore… but anyway.

As he emerged back to the surface and stepped out of the warehouse entrance, where the door had long since fallen off—

Something like finely torn cloth caught Diaz’s eye.

As he unconsciously picked up the cloth fragments, the device on his wrist began vibrating violently.

For some reason, communications connected from ‘inside’ the dungeon started pouring in with all sorts of calls.

In the end, he had to turn back toward the dungeon entrance, putting aside the many questions filling his mind.

Sure enough, familiar faces who had been anxious due to his earlier impulsive behavior voiced more than simple reprimands.

Not to mention the scolding about being aware of his position as the dungeon’s chief supervisor.

“But the manual says to thoroughly check any anomalies that occur…”

“Since when does the manual say the chief supervisor should go get himself killed?!”

“…Sorry.”

In the end, he had to repeatedly bow his head even to the much smaller team members despite his large frame.

It was quite some time later when he spotted a young face slowly walking toward them from a distance.

However, for some reason, the expression was quite different from what Diaz had expected.

“Um… What’s wrong, Lua? Was the food not good?”

He asked about the restaurant the child had insisted on going to earlier.

But all he got in return was a couple of nods.

Followed by a somewhat awkward smile.

“I, I think I ate too much because it was so delicious and got indigestion.”

Right after that, the child looking up at him asked various questions about the dungeon.

Before he could answer whether the dungeon had been dangerous, his team members swarmed around the child, which was problematic to say the least.

“Your hands are… so soft! Not a single callus!”

“C-can I hug you just once, big sis? Just once!!”

“…I want to kidnap her.”

He pretended not to hear the last comment.

If that reached the Guild Master’s ears, it definitely wouldn’t go well.

“Well, if Lua tells the Guild Master, there’s nothing we can do about it…”

Why did his team members freeze like ice statues at what was just a muttered comment?

Nevertheless, they couldn’t give up on taking pictures together, resulting in an impromptu photo session.

Afterward, Diaz asked the guild member managing the dungeon entrance if they knew anything about the cloth fragments he was holding.

“Uh… Huh?!”

However, the guild member’s reaction was a bit strange.

After complying with their request to examine it briefly, handing over what he was holding without understanding why—

He could hardly believe his ears at the cautious question from the person whose complexion had somehow worsened.

“A-actually, someone else entered the dungeon earlier. Did you perhaps… see them?”

“What?”

The story that followed was enough to make his heart sink.

But as the guild member pointed to a broken measurement mana stone in the corner…

The realization that someone skilled enough to easily break such a hard object had infiltrated disguised as one of his team members filled his mind with something beyond simple confusion.

“They were wearing a robe with the hood up, so I couldn’t tell exactly who it was. We only communicated through holograms.”

“And you’re telling me this NOW?”

“B-but… I was certain they were one of our guild members.”

Was this supposed to be an excuse for stating the obvious?

Feeling that further conversation would be a waste of time, he turned back to his team members.

However, they also claimed they hadn’t seen anyone disguised as one of their members.

“We didn’t see a single ant from when you ran off until you came back.”

In the end, even greater confusion arose, complicating his thoughts.

There was only one thing he could guess:

The person who caused that tremendous explosion and the owner of this torn robe were likely the same individual.

In other words, someone skilled enough to single-handedly reduce a monster colony to ruins had secretly infiltrated the dungeon.

But he couldn’t think of any reason why such a powerful person would sneak into the dungeon.

They had already extracted everything obtainable from the dungeon, and only monsters remained, so why would anyone infiltrate?

Coincidentally, thanks to this mysterious person drawing the monsters’ attention, he had been able to escape safely, but…

“Did they… self-destruct or something?”

The only clue about this person was this torn robe.

Even that was subtly emitting a foul smell, making it barely useful as a clue.

In the end, all he could do now was hope that they hadn’t perished along with the monster colony.

–Patter.

Shortly after, for some reason, a sudden shower began.

Almost simultaneously, a rather childlike sneeze reached his ears.

“Irina! Umbrella! If Lua catches a cold, we’re all dead!”

For the sake of the child whom the already child-loving Guild Master cherished, he had no choice but to push aside the suspicions filling his mind for now.

“Achoo!”

It started in the hunter’s—

No, Diaz’s car, which was now heading back to the guild headquarters.

Despite already receiving excessive care with thick blankets and a warm thermos, the sneezing wouldn’t stop.

For some reason, Diaz’s shoulders flinched whenever I took even a slightly deeper breath.

“I-Irina. Do emergency rooms also treat colds?”

“I-I’ve never been to an emergency room, so I don’t know…”

Wait, now I think I understand.

It seems they think I’m some kind of HP-1 weakling.

But it’s not like I’m going to die from sneezing a few times.

And I certainly wouldn’t catch a cold just from a few drops of sudden rain.

Even if I did catch a cold, there’s absolutely no need for such a fuss.

“Look, I’m really fine—ACHOO!”

However, just as I opened my mouth to reassure the two hunters sitting in the driver’s seat and the passenger seat, another sneeze escaped.

Diaz’s face, glancing at me through the rearview mirror, as well as the face of the hunter named Irina looking down at me with concern beside me, both gradually turned pale.

Eventually, not satisfied with just the blanket, Irina briefly lifted me up with both hands.

And then, hug.

To keep me even warmer, she practically imprisoned me in her own embrace.

“We’re almost there, so just hang on a little longer, Lua.”

“No, really… I’m actually fine—”

Right then, a steaming cup was held out in front of me.

In the end, I quietly accepted and drank it without saying anything.

At some point, another cat-patterned blanket was placed on top of my slender thighs.

And so, we finally arrived at the emergency room of a large hospital.

Either Diaz or Irina must have called ahead, because we entered the emergency room literally like a high-pass lane.

Come to think of it, there were medical facilities at the Lunatic Guild headquarters too, but…

“If they find out you’re sick, Big Sis and Uncle are in big trouble…!”

“U-um, Irina… Why am I ‘Uncle’ while you’re ‘Big Sis’?”

“If you want to be called ‘Bro,’ shave that beard first.”

They were concerned about Asha hearing that I was sick.

No, even the possibility that I might be sick, so I had no choice.

…I wonder what kind of image they have of me?