episode_0170

169.

Just saying I feel complicated wouldn’t fully explain my feelings. A bitter taste, rising from deep within, escapes in a sigh. I wish what just happened was a dream, a dream I had. It’s an unpleasant sensation, clinging to my mind like mold, refusing to let go.

Erina gathers her companions.

“Uh… Are you okay? It ended sooner than I thought…”

“Mr. Aries… and everyone…”

I don’t know what to say. I don’t know if I should pour out my heart. Even my answer skill can’t give me a clear answer on where to begin or how to explain it.

“What, what happened? You look upset.”

Levi asks worriedly, but I can only shake my head.

“It must be a story I can’t tell. Well, I don’t mind. I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Y-yes… I-I’m a little c-curious, but…”

I slightly smile and nod in gratitude for my colleagues’ understanding. Even to them, the identity of that girl, that young lady, Pikki, was bizarre and unpleasant. The endless ominousness, combined with a subtle feeling of familiarity, only intensified the discomfort.

“Should we go back? We’ve seen what we needed to, right?”

The results are disappointing, but our goal was definitely achieved. Even if the ending is somewhat unsettling, it’s still an ending. Besides, I just want to rest for a while now. I want to burrow into the soft blankets warmed by plenty of sunshine and take a long nap. I think sleeping will get rid of my useless thoughts, at least a little bit.

“U-um… I-I want to i-investigate this place a little more!”

“Hanna-ssi…”

It was rare for Hanna to offer an opinion like this. Usually, she mostly works alone, and aside from sexual activity, she hardly interacts with others. This is the first time she’s offered an opinion in a while.

“…Actually, I’m not unconcerned either… It would take more than a week to go through everything. I wish we had a little more time.”

Aries also agrees with Hanna’s opinion.

“Are both of you alright physically?”

To be honest, I’m not unconcerned either. The reason we chose this particular location out of the many possibilities isn’t coincidental. Besides, the tentacles on the lower floor didn’t have any magical energy.

“A little rest will recharge me… I think. There aren’t any windows, so I can’t tell the time.”

“What should we do?”

Austi asks Erina for a course of action. She also needs rest, but she’s not particularly curious. However, if given the order, she will certainly provide protection, being a former security guard.

“What about you, Levi-ssi?”

“Well, this place is interesting, but couldn’t we come back again some other time? My gut feeling tells me it’s not a good place.”

I silently ponder, acknowledging the hero’s intuition. Now she gives off the vibe of someone who might work in a brothel, but she clearly possesses a hero’s blessing, a hero.

Retreating for a while and then starting a proper investigation might be good. Resting here won’t be a proper rest.

“Let’s finish the investigation and then leave.”

However, Erina’s intuition tells her that this moment is crucial. Even if we send reinforcements, a clear investigation objective is better. And there might be clues we’ll miss if we don’t act now. Still, everyone’s received considerable healing, so there’s no need to exert more physical energy. This means I can easily listen to Hanna’s statement.

“Alright. Before that, I recommend getting some fresh air.”

“I suppose that makes sense. We’ve been breathing mostly stale air.”

“Ah, a-also, u-um… I-I think the way we came in might not be the proper entrance…. S-so finding the entrance m-might be easier.”

“Let’s just go somewhere. We’ll be back soon anyway. It should be fine, right?”

Hanna manipulates the lighting, brightening the area completely. She has a rough understanding of the building’s structure, but she still doesn’t understand why there are no windows. It’s natural for there to be no windows underground, but this place is simply buried in the earth. If the windows were broken, I’d understand, but there were no windows anywhere. Furthermore, considering those security robots, there’s definitely something they don’t want the outside world to see.

“Now that I think about it, weren’t you carrying some kind of paper?”

Aries, pondering this building, barely recalls the situation before the orgiastic festival. She was definitely carrying something.

“Ah!!!!!! Ugh!! I foolishly left it behind!!! Stupid idiot!!!!!!!!!!”

A scream of despair, one hundred percent despair, quietly echoes.

“Waaaaah!!”

“Calm down. If that woman comes back again, it’ll be a big problem.”

“That’ll be fine. She probably won’t show up for a while.”

“Did you defeat her?”

Austi’s question is met with a bitter shake of Erina’s head.

“Do we have to go down those stairs and back up again…?”

“Or we could fall like before.”

Levi adds, a natural smile on her face.

“I could carry one person up, so it’s not a bad idea.”

“…If that’s possible, it definitely seems efficient. But it’s not an ordinary height.”

“Come on. You can do it too. You just haven’t tried.”

“How would I know if I can or can’t?”

Levi answers casually.

“Intuition?”

“…….”

“What if you get hurt? What if you fall while carrying Hanna?”

“I told you I can do it! You really don’t trust a hero.”

Erina silently listens to their conversation and decides.

“Let’s split into two groups. One to explore downstairs and the other upstairs.”

“I-I guess I’m definitely going downstairs…”

“Yes. Levi-ssi, please go with Hanna too.”

“I want to see downstairs too. It seems like there’s a lot of research material.”

I nod, then speak.

“Aries-ssi, are you alright using magic?”

Aries creates a small marble-sized ball of magical energy in her hand.

“Yeah. Compared to when Prim’s magic is running wild, this is nothing.”

“So that means there’s, like, a distortion… phenomenon here too?”

“Subtly. But this level is fairly common. Magical energy isn’t always stable.”

“Okay. Then, please investigate separately, Aries-ssi. Austi-ssi, you’ll be with me.”

Aries can defend herself well enough.

“Please refrain from playing with tentacles like before♡”

“…! Oh, okay! I’m not in the mood for that right now. I won’t. …Yeah, probably.”

Having already fully released my sexual urges, I can focus on other things now. This is true for everyone else as well.

We decided to get some fresh air first and went outside as Hanna guided. As expected, quite a bit of time had passed. The characteristic smell of plants soothes my mind. As I quietly breathe the cool breeze, a feeling of relief at having returned already fills me.

As my mind relaxes, I forcefully restrain my muscles from loosening as I re-enter. Everyone had inhaled so much of the fresh air of nature that no one spoke a single word.

‘Maybe I should’ve said let’s just go back…… I took a short break and I’m already feeling completely exhausted. Yawn…. Even yawning….’

There’s no use regretting now. The deed is done. I don’t have any face I need to maintain, but it’s a matter of mood. I don’t think I would ever want to come back here if we don’t finish today.

“…Now that I think about it, there was a bigger problem.”

“…! That’s right. The gas…!”

“There are no windows, so ventilation is difficult.”

A colorless, odorless gas with aphrodisiac and confusion effects was dispersed on the lower floor. A small amount wouldn’t be a problem; however, the effect increases dramatically as the intake increases.

“W-we don’t have g-gas masks… do we…”

Of course not. I should have answered the question of whether we needed them, therefore preparing them was a flawed assumption from the start. It’s not something I can make on the spot.

‘I have no choice. Lately I’ve been feeling averse to this, but it’s what the situation calls for….’

There are purification types among sacred power technologies, but these only detoxify. Continuously activating it would require covering this entire building, essentially a suicide mission.

Therefore, I decide to use the skill maker’s power for the first time in a while. Though I used it indiscriminately before, using it made me realize just how much thought is necessary. The first trigger was the skill Hanna received, “Refusal.” It can vary widely depending on how it is used. What’s more, this has inherent limitations. I’m not a goddess, so I don’t know its limits; however, it is not invincible.

Erina carefully considers what skill to create. I need something to resist or purify it. If it resists all gases, I won’t be able to breathe.

There are no rules for making this. It’s been a while, but the feeling is somehow familiar.

After much deliberation, Erina decided what skill to create. It’s better to activate the skill than to apply it to everyone.

Erina created the skill ‘Status Ailment Resistance,’ spawned from the ‘Magic Resistance’ skill!

Using her sacred power, she can apply a buff that provides resistance to any desired condition for a certain period! The duration is directly proportional to the amount of power expended.

After creating it, even Erina found it surprising that it’s a sub-skill of Magic Resistance. Putting aside her uneasy feelings, she focuses on the exploration.