episode_0140

And assessing the true size of a dungeon by only looking at its flat expanse is akin to eating only the peel to determine a fruit’s flavor. This is because the dungeon’s domain extends vertically as well. When including the vertical dimensions, the total area of a city-level dungeon is beyond imagination. Therefore, the map of the Vittorio Arcade dungeon remains incomplete. Unexplored areas are left blank. Into these blank spaces, countless individuals with varied stories have hidden themselves: people burdened by massive debts, wanted criminals, and those driven to the brink of life. However, not all visitors to this place are fugitives. A dungeon is a place perfectly isolated from the outside. Without specific methods, there’s almost no way to communicate with the outside world. This means one can escape the scrutiny of clans or the federation. Thus, in the hidden places of the Vittorio Arcade, all sorts of bizarre events that ordinary people could never imagine frequently occur.

At the same time, as Violet and her team drove their truck along the main road, it was natural that Lelarchie Belestan and the Investigation Team from the Third Department of Mystery Research felt a sense of unease. When they arrived at their destination, it was filled with crazed forerunners.

“Oh! Heretics!” “Oh! We shall ascend!”

Somewhere in a building in the deep zone, an indoor plaza encircled by pillars was filled with people of all kinds. They differed in gender, age, and skin color, but their eyes burned with the same madness. Lera hid herself and her team behind a wall.

In the center of the crowd was a table, and on it lay a man, his limbs bound by chains. From his attire and equipment, he appeared to be a hunter, but the chest of the unfortunate, nameless hunter was split open. Among the fanatics, a person wearing a peculiar conical hat held a heart and rambled about something. The devotees cheered.

“Salvation beyond dimensions!” “The turning point is coming! Ascension is coming!”

Watching the fanatics, Lera felt contempt surge within her. They were like mad pests, useless to humanity.

“Team Leader-nim, what should we do? The relic isn’t visible! It seems the fanatics have taken it!” A new agent looked at her with agitated eyes. The telepathic communication from the rookie, deployed to the field for the first time, conveyed urgency.

“No, the target is still safe.” Lera replied in a calm tone. A small, eye-shaped orb flew towards the ceiling and scanned below. Amidst the throng of devotees, a spherical object intertwined with jewels and gears lay.

“Reporting. Judging by the ritual and chants, these are devotees of the Unification Society. Move to your respective positions and await further orders.” The agents moved quietly and surrounded the group. The Unification Society was a new cult. While its teachings were crude, it was not an easy opponent, having Awakened Ones among its members.

While the agents moved, the devotees jumped around like children, singing hymns containing the cult’s teachings. Some devotees drooled and swayed limply. Seeing them inject syringes into their arms, it seemed to be drugs.

“When that day comes, pain and tears shall vanish!” “We shall enjoy eternal life and happiness!”

A strange collective ecstasy violently shook the group. The cult’s elders, wearing conical hats, skillfully controlled them.

“Now, brothers and sisters. There is no time. It is time to act! Let us quickly secure the relic. The early bird catches the worm [a proverb about diligence]. Only the diligent shall attain salvation.” The executive skillfully soothed the devotees. The minds of those caught in passion gradually cooled.

“Ah… I apologize! I was so engrossed in the ritual… Elder-nim. Please forgive me!” “Haha, I was like that too in the past. I understand. I absolve you of your sins!”

The elder smiled magnanimously, raised his hand, and stroked the devotees.

“Now, it’s time to work! Let’s take it to the cult!” Lera, who had overheard the elder’s words, was greatly surprised. To think their objective was also the relic.

Without hesitation, she signaled her agents and simultaneously deployed a spell. Mana flowed into the mechanical device attached to her back. An invisible mana barrier spread throughout the building.

“…What is this?” “Elder-nim?”

While the elders and Awakened devotees, who had sensed the flow of mana, felt a sense of unease, grotesque figures wearing sealed masks appeared from all directions and raised their hands.

“Argh! Heretics!” The elder screamed. Yellow flames, erupting from an agent’s hand, engulfed his body. The elder turned to ash and scattered. One enraged devotee injected himself and drew a sword, charging forward. Lera raised her staff and lightly swung it. A blue lightning bolt, like a whip, flew, enveloped the devotee, and shattered him. The lightning moved like a snake, burning six more devotees who followed.

The Magnabys agents unilaterally slaughtered the confused devotees of the Unification Society. Some terrified devotees barely regained their senses, drew their guns, and aimed. Their drug-amplified bodies moved as quickly as Awakened Ones.

A blurred face entered the sights.

“Salvation is coming!” The devotees screamed maniacally and pulled their triggers. The fanatics’ faces, contorted with excitement, were illuminated by the lights, anticipating martyrdom.

—Click!

The sound of the firing pin striking the bullet’s primer. Nothing happened.

“Huh…? Why?!” The devotees were flustered by the unexpected situation. The weapons that should have vented their rage at the enemies of their faith did not work. One devotee pulled the charging handle, ejected the misfired round, and attempted to fire again.

Only empty clicking sounds echoed from the chamber.

“Ah, no!”

The last thing the despairing devotees saw was a barrage of magic arrows. As the last fanatics fell, the agents approached the relic.

“All dangerous elements have been dealt with. You may proceed now.”

As Lera gave the order, the agents began their work. They examined the relic orb with various precision instruments and magic. Then, they slowly removed its fasteners and placed it into a metal box. The Investigation Team from the Third Department of Mystery Research began to withdraw. The masked agents who had been standing by quietly also started to move. As Lera advanced towards the entrance, one of the masked men behind her spoke.

“If you called for dispatch because of these drug-addicted cultists, I’m disappointed. You could have handled this at your level. Vanguard has a lot to do.” At the disgruntled, mechanical voice, Lera turned her head. The Vanguard agent crossed his arms and feigned a bored yawn.

“In the deep zone, safety is the top priority. Unforeseen situations, like the Unification Society just now, could arise again during relic exploration. Top-tier forces like you, Vanguard, might be needed. And during operations, communicating telepathically is the principle…” The agent, listening to her words, waved his hand dismissively.

“I know the principle. But you’re still too cautious. Us, for just this? Kroshel would have handled it herself. Well, that caution is why the Grand Archmage holds you in high regard, though.” “Is that all you have to say?”

“When are you returning to the field? I heard you’re playing strange student games at the academy. You said you were the student council president, right?” “No. I’m the vice student council president. I can’t reveal details about the mission, but it should be over within a month or two.”

“It’s all the same. Anyway, tell Kroshel and Kaim for me. Tell them to return to the field quickly. I don’t know what you’re doing at the academy, but… I’ll go first.” The Vanguard agent shrugged and walked out. His subordinates followed. Lera, left alone, surveyed her surroundings to ensure nothing was missed before heading out.

The indoor plaza grew silent. Only the corpses of the fanatics remained.

***

Violet’s unit drove along the roads of the boundary zone. Each time they sped over the twisted pavement, the trucks rattled loudly. The Violets shouted with excitement.

“Yahoo!” “Whee! This is fun!”

Less than an hour into their adventure, it already felt like a roller coaster. The road was rough, and the ground uneven, but this pickup truck was surprisingly resilient.

“Kalia! Tell Marco Uncle-nim thank you for me! Tell him this is riding great thanks to him!” As Unit 642, who was in the driver’s seat, spoke, Kalia, sitting in the back, grumbled.

“Unit 642! Look ahead! You’re driving. And slow down a bit! You’re not the only one in this car!” “Oh? Wasn’t it fun?” “Fun, my foot! Look at them!” Kalia pointed behind her, revealing the siege weapon duo, whose faces had turned pale.

“Ugh, ugh…” “Ah, where am I? Grandma, Grandpa…” “My bad!” I immediately slowed down. I got too carried away with excitement.

We were now moving to a designated area shown on the map. The Vittorio Arcade has a peculiar characteristic: after a relic is removed, the object reappears in its place after a certain period of time. In simple terms, relics are duplicated.

The problem is that it takes several days to about a week for a relic to reappear after disappearing. Like how mushrooms grow. So, it was said that powerful individuals or clans sometimes illegally occupied a spot, monopolized relics as they spawned, and even took relics from others.

In the end, after several bloody incidents, the clans reached an agreement. They implemented a regional rotation assignment system within the boundary zone.

Areas where relics have been harvested once are restricted from entry for a certain period until the relics regenerate. During that time, people conduct exploration and excavation work in the zones where relics are generated. And these zones are further divided into three categories—individual contractors, small to medium-sized clans, and large clans—allowing them to operate separately in different areas. This way, since their power levels match, there’s no concern about unilateral seizure.

Of course, this only applies to the boundary zone. In the deep zone, possession belongs to whoever gets there first and claims it. Since we weren’t individuals, we operated in the small to medium-sized clan zone. We drove the truck into a building. The interior was strangely bright.

The commercial building inside the zone looked as if it had been forcibly stretched like a rubber band. The entrance alone was two to three times the height of a normal building entrance. The interior was even more so. It felt like being in a land of giants.

Upon entering the building, we saw many other people working besides ourselves. A male and female hunter were explaining something to a group of laborers.

“Everyone. If you see a monster, you must call us immediately. Don’t forget to move in groups of three or more. Now, let’s shout our cheer and go in!” “Safety good! Safety good! Safety good!” The laborers, having chanted their cheer, swarmed into a grotesquely enlarged closet. Seeing them wearing exoskeletons, it seemed they were non-Awakened.

On the other side, students who looked slightly older than us were carrying sacks and rummaging through cracks in the walls or grotesquely oversized drawers.

“Found it! Reinforced fabric!” “Wow! How do you find things so eerily well?”

Although the building was enlarged, strangely, the relics were of normal size.

It was time for us to start working. We parked the car in front of a dark corridor inside the building and got out. As we walked down the corridor, something rushed out from within, clashing.

“A harsh, familiar cry!”

A familiar cry—it was a Scraxx. There was even a Scraxx Caster.

“Prepare for combat!” As the Violets, who had grown to platoon strength, formed a defensive line in the corridor, the sharpshooters aimed at the enemy.

“Fire!” From behind the shields, rifles spat fire. The flying bullets ricocheted with flashing sparks.

“Argh! It’s a shield.” “The monsters are covered in relics. Look!”

Irene pointed at them. Upon closer inspection, these monsters were wearing necklaces! Their bodies were also clad in strange suits, presumably acquired from somewhere. They were clearly all relics.

“Damn, they’re incredibly tough. Don’t you have a powerful single attack? You’re a mage!” Kalia, who was firing her magnum pistol, asked Lucian next to her. He grumbled.

“I’m shooting! They’ll be pierced soon enough.”

Seeing those treasure monsters blocking all bolts and magic, I salivated. If we took what they were wearing, we’d become that tough too, right?

“Alright, then we’ll have to prepare for close quarters combat. Irene, Daphne. Your unique abilities, please…”

“Ahahahaha! You trash! Disappear!”

—Boom! Pop!

A storm of medium-sized bolts rained down over our heads as we prepared to charge. The shields shattered. The Scraxxes’ bodies exploded like squashed tomatoes. I turned my head to see Levi, positioned on high ground, setting up a tripod and unleashing a barrage from a ballista. When did he get there?

“Ahahahahaha!”

He laughed maniacally. When the shooting stopped, Granite charged forward with the momentum of an enraged wild boar. The surprised Violet shield-wall automatically opened.

“Whoaaaa!”

He rushed into the midst of the monsters and wildly swung his axe. With one swing, the limbs of the Scraxxes flew into the air, and with two swings, their entrails splattered everywhere.

“Waaah! Uwaaah! I’ll wipe them all out!”

—Bang! Bang! Bang!

The monster horde was shattered. The axe-wielding giant, drenched in monster blood, roared amidst the debris.

“I am a man!”

We stared blankly at the sight.

“Uh… Levi and Granite. Were they always like that? I don’t think so…” “Yeah, what on earth…”

As Daphne asked with a bewildered expression, Irene shook her head. Suddenly, someone poked Unit 112’s back. It was Kalia.

“Violet. Last time we went to the dungeon, I saw you talking to those two. It seems strange now that I think about it. What did you do to them? You did something weird, didn’t you?” “It was nothing!” “There you go, lying again. How many times have I told you, it shows on your face when you lie.” “Hehe…”

As I gave an embarrassed laugh, the three girls looked at me with suspicious expressions. Why would they doubt their friend? It was a sad thing. Lucian, watching from behind, mumbled.

“As expected, I think you really are a secret agent…”

***

Putting aside the minor mishaps, we refocused on work. Sadly, the results of the first battle were dismal.

“Ugh! What is this? It’s all broken!”

Unit 432 picked up the relic fragments with a tearful expression. Seeing this, the little girl and the big boy turned their heads in embarrassment.

“S-sorry… haha…” “Hmm, well…”

Sadly, this siege weapon couple had smashed all the monsters with their ridiculously powerful strength. As a result, all the relics the Scraxxes had been wearing were also ruined.

“This won’t do. Until a large monster appears, you two follow Unit 342 and carry the luggage. Got it?”

“Ugh…”

I felt very disappointed. A shield necklace and magic-resistant clothes! Perhaps I could have copied them.

Fortunately, the area we entered after clearing out the Scraxxes was full of relic fabrics. The Violets and the clumsy couple carried bundles of colorful fabrics to the truck.

While the Violets were busy working, a loud boom echoed nearby. The source of the sound was the closet the laborers had entered earlier. A moment later, a man, with smoke rising from his body, walked out with a woman. The laborers followed behind, dragging out a large, nameless monster.

“Damn it, got another one! I told you, one shot with this and they’re powerless, right?” “As expected, you’re amazing, darling!” The woman giggled. The man, puffed with pride, fiddled with the long staff he was holding.

One end of the staff was blackened and broken. The man twisted off the back part. Then, he took something conical from the bag on his back and attached it to the end of the staff. At that moment, the monster lying on the floor thrashed its limbs and roared.

“A monstrous roar!”

As the laborers recoiled in surprise, the man snorted and stabbed the monster with the staff. Something incredible happened.

—Bang!

When he stabbed the monster with the staff, no, the spear, it exploded and shattered the monster!

My mind reeled. To think such an amazing weapon existed! Whatever it was, I had to have it. I approached the man.

“Excuse me, Mister-nim. Where do you sell that?” “Oh, this spear? This is a Lightning Spear. Don’t you know?”

Even though I approached him so abruptly and asked, the man only hesitated for a moment before kindly beginning to explain.

“So, it has a bomb at the tip, and it explodes when you stab a monster with it?” “It’s not just any bomb. It’s a Lightning Spear! It’s an item with a high-performance, special shaped charge built in. What do you think? Isn’t it cool?”

After the man finished explaining, I felt reborn. A Lightning Spear, how could such a beautiful weapon exist?

The principle was simple: attach a large, heavy spearhead with a shaped charge to the tip of a replaceable spear shaft. Then, clad in sword energy, stab the enemy. The power of the sword energy first penetrates the monster’s aetheric defense and thick hide. After that, the special shaped charge, detonating inside the monster’s body, destroys its flesh from within.

Moreover, if you replace the spearhead, it can be reused two to three times. In a way, it might be an even more efficient weapon than self-destruction. The fusion of martial arts and chemical engineering!

My eyes sparkling, I spoke with the hunter Mister-nim.

“Mister-nim? Are you thinking of selling this?” “Oh, this one has one use left on its expiration date. Do you want it? It’s a bit dangerous, though…” “Great!”

I quickly paid for it and bought the Lightning Spear. As I turned, Daphne called out.

“What are you doing there?” “I bought an amazing weapon!”

Excited, I scurried over to Daphne and explained what I had bought.

“It has explosives inside, and it explodes when you stab something with it!”

“…Is it a rocket?”

“No, it’s a Lightning Spear! You charge and stab, and it explodes!”

After my explanation, Daphne’s expression changed strangely. Her expression was like someone who had taken a bite of cream bread only to taste toothpaste instead of cream.

“Th-that won’t do.” “I didn’t say anything.” “You’re going to charge in with it! While laughing! Aren’t you?” “Gasp!”

How did she know? It seems Daphne has developed mind-reading abilities. Is it the effect of the Aether Emitter?

“Who in the world uses a weapon like that?! Just use a sword or spear safely, like everyone else!” “Ah, but…! It’s cool!” “You’ll get hurt!”

As Daphne and I bickered, Irene, who had approached wondering what was going on, saw the Lightning Spear and let out a short sigh.

“Oh dear, Violet…”

Inwardly, I realized I wasn’t being understood. This was a bit heartbreaking.