episode_0035

After descending for about thirty or forty minutes, my feet finally reached the bottom of the underground dungeon.

Water had accumulated on the muddy floor and it was soggy.

The air inside was still thick and sticky with rotten smell and moisture, and every time I took a breath, it felt like dirt was sticking to my lungs.

I raised my head and looked at the ceiling, and the entrance we came down from was shining in the distance, the size of a coin.

The sun’s light seeping through the hole seemed to have given up on coming down with us, and it lost its strength in the middle.

The surrounding area was very dark without a single light, and even with my vision, I could barely see the outlines and could not even distinguish the colors of objects.

“Well…I’ll turn on the lantern first.”

Minea took out a metal lantern and started a fire. With a roar, scarlet flames lit up the basement.

Shadows flickered on the dungeon walls following the flickering lights.

Beyond the damp mud cave, I saw an arched entrance made of brick.

Beyond the dark entrance, a droning sound of the wind, like a giant groaning, echoed.

Indeed, from there, there are real underground ruins.

“… Let’s go.”

I walked towards the entrance to the ruins.

I took the lead, Minea took the middle, and Nigel took the rear.

Mud sticks to the soles of my shoes and makes them crunch.

There was no sign of any living creatures yet.

As I passed through the entrance, the smell of the air changed.

Instead of the smell of rotten dirt, a unique stinging smell like that of an animal gradually permeated through the unique smell of rocks that would come from a sandy beach.

The inside of the ruins was an indoor building made of bricks including walls, ceiling, and floor.

The hallway was wide enough for four or five people to easily pass through, and the walls had metal protrusions sticking out at regular intervals for hanging things.

Perhaps it was originally intended for hanging lights?

“These are not relics from the early days of the empire. It’s a dungeon from long ago, during the tribal war.”

“Do you even know that?”

Minea gently pointed upwards. The ceiling, which seemed to be about 6 meters high, had light cracks here and there.

Sand dust was seeping out between the cracks in the old bricks, and moss-like things were growing here and there.

“The ceiling is too high for an indoor hallway. For a building that people use, there is a lot of waste of space. Those trolls may not have come from somewhere, but may be an example of a race that originally lived in these ruins.”

Before entering the dungeon, he seemed intimidated by me, but when he actually entered the dungeon, he seemed quite calm.

Rather, is it because we are used to this environment?

A sense of professionalism was evident in the way he explained things in a calm tone.

“I think Baron Hebel will like it. Ancient ruins like these can yield artifacts of considerable value.”

“Really?”

I borrowed a lantern and lit a cigarette.

As I took a sip, I felt my senses becoming more sensitive.

I guess everyone can’t stop eating because of this taste.

“Yes. Most of the ruins before the human era were destroyed by Emperor Carolus and the Twelve Knights without leaving a single foundation stone behind. So, except when an underground dungeon like this is accidentally discovered, it is difficult to find relics from that era in the empire. They may remain in the countries of these races.”

“That’s right.”

I walked down the hallway, chatting quietly with Minea.

Nigel followed in silence, as if he didn’t want to get too involved.

—-

Three pairs of clanking sounds echo through the empty hallway.

Little by little, the smell of the air began to change.

A foul odor and a fishy smell mingled at the tip of my nose.

…Is it time to come out?

I stretched out my arm to silence Minea and sharpened my senses.

The sight before my eyes became clear, and my vision reached beyond where the light could not reach.

My sense of smell became sensitive enough to distinguish even the slightest difference in smell, and I could clearly hear the sound of sand powder falling from the ceiling.

Thirty steps ahead, beyond the bend in the hallway.

Judging by the sound of the wind, it is quite a spacious space.

Since there is no swirling sound, there must be no structure inside.

A disgusting smell came from beyond.

The smell of blood. The smell of rotting intestines. The smell of the beast.

…There was no sign of the creature or sound of breathing.

So, are these the corpses of the knights and soldiers who were said to have been killed by trolls?

He took out a steel long sword and walked slowly.

Beyond the hallway was a large space that looked like an auditorium.

The center was empty, as if someone had cleaned it out, and broken, weathered, and unidentifiable debris were piled up haphazardly on the walls on all sides.

Among the fragments, about 30 percent of what had once been people were left strewn about.

It seemed as if that was the source of the stench that filled this room, and there was a particularly strong smell around it.

I stopped Minea and Nigel at the entrance and received a lantern from Minea.

I walked a little closer and looked at them.

Corpses that looked like seven.

No, now even if you add it all up, it would be enough for about three people.

A corpse with only the left arm and head remaining.

A lump of flesh with half of the body crushed flat and the contents bursting through the skin.

A piece of meat that has been squeezed vertically so that the height and shoulder width are similar.

The soldier was splintered in two, as if he had been torn in half, holding on to both legs.

And now it is difficult to tell which part it was, the pieces of meat left behind after being torn off.

The faces of the corpses were all distorted with fear and pain.

The remaining parts, probably crushed by a strong impact, were floppy like the hem of clothes, and their half-rotten eyeballs were protruding from the sides of their faces, and even internal organs were sticking out of the corners of their mouths, making them look miserable.

The abdomen was ripped open and rotten, with internal organs leaking out, giving off a terrible stench. There were also soldiers whose abdomen were completely empty, as if someone had eaten them.

…It’s terrible.

I force myself to swallow the rising nausea.

The weak and ugly appearance of someone vomiting after being shocked by something like this would not suit Hashall.

The corpse, which appeared to be a knight, looked less disgusting, perhaps because it was partially covered by armor.

The limbs were ripped out and only the torso remained.

The blood that flowed from the cracks in the badly crumpled breastplate was solidified black, and the helmet was flat as if it had been put in a press and pressed down.

I didn’t think to check the inside of the helmet. In the first place, there wasn’t any space left that could be called ‘inside’.

Just looking at the black, slimy pieces of meat flowing out between the cracks of the helmet was terrifying enough.

I thought I was pretty familiar with seeing dead bodies.

There was a truly enormous difference between a corpse that had been cut to death by a person and a corpse that had been smashed to death by a monster.

Even if I kicked someone with all my might, they would end up looking like this, but the corpse would just fly away and there would be no need to look at it closely.

Since I didn’t feel any danger around me, I called Minea and Nigel.

I can’t be the only one who sees it.

…It’s not that it’s unfair for me to see it, but it’s because you might find out the information I missed.

—-

“Hmm… If the helmet is damaged to this extent, there is a high probability that there is an ogre.”

The two people’s reaction was quite calm.

Even if it was Nigel, Minea also held her breath because of the bad smell, and the corpse itself seemed calm, as if she was used to it.

Well, unlike me, these guys must have seen things like this often.

“Oger? Why?”

“Trolls usually use blunt weapons, so there are many torn or exploded corpses. Grabbing a person and crushing them with force is a typical Ogre hunting method.”

“Come on… we can really solve this together, right? I suddenly want to go back…”

Minea muttered as if she was a little uneasy when Nigel said that there would be an ogre.

“You don’t have to worry, Miss Minea. Hashal can handle at least one ogre by himself.”

…I feel a little less confident. I guess I’ll have to trust Nigel’s words.

The knight’s sword was still intact, so I took it with me.

Perhaps it was made of high-quality steel, but it seemed much stronger than the sword I received at the academy.

I put the academy’s long sword back and replaced it with the knight’s sword.

It wasn’t my intention to steal anything from the corpse, but if it wasn’t broken by the end of the job, I was planning to return it to the Baron.

Even if it breaks, the dead knight will be satisfied in the afterlife because he has finally taken revenge with this sword.

—-

I passed the large space where the knight’s body was and continued inside the ruins.

There were scattered side paths leading in various directions inside the hallway, but most of them had collapsed and it was impossible to see beyond them.

It seemed better to explore the main hallway to the end.

It felt like my nose was going numb from the fishy smell and rotten insides.

The corpses of soldiers who had been torn open and eaten were rotting here and there in the inner hallway, as if they had been hit while running to the auditorium.

I consciously ignored the disgusting stench, concentrating on the smell of cigarettes.

– Whoop..!

A breathing sound was heard in my ear.

I immediately stopped walking and focused my attention in that direction.

In one of the corridor’s side streets, in an inner room, I felt the presence of a large creature squirming.

There was no sign of anyone else other than him around.

I guess he’s doing something alone, separate from the group.

As I listened, I could hear the soft sound of pieces of meat being crunched.

okay. Is this because I’m eating?

Clutching my sword tightly, I silently headed down the side road.

Its shape caught my eye across the side road.

—-

A large gray lump of flesh was sitting down and eating a human corpse.

The large man, more than twice the size of a human, was bulging with muscle and fat, and his round head was full of veins.

The ears were pointed and the nose was flat.

There were no eyebrows.

Inside the hollow corners of the eyes, the red whites and hazy pupils flashed ugly.

There were stiff hairs growing all over the chin.

Rotten blood flowed from the corners of the mouth full of sharp teeth, and pieces of meat stuck between the teeth mixed with the exhaled breath, giving off a disgusting odor.

Between the legs, there was tattered leather covering the lower body, and looking at the limbs attached to the leather, it appeared to be human skin.

An unpleasant crotch was peeked through a gap in the leather.

Is this a troll?

What caught my eye was a large rock club lying on the ground that looked like it had been torn from the ruins.

” Gathering …? ◦ ◦ ◦

The troll, who was in the middle of eating, probably smelled me, growled and raised his head to face me.

First of all, it’s just one guy. It’s perfect.

I walked into the room, holding the long sword.

The troll that saw this threw the corpse it was eating to the side, picked up a club, and stood up.

A heavy roar shook the ruins, and stone dust poured from the ceiling.

…Are you trying to call a colleague?

If so, we should deal with it as quickly as possible.

I raised my sword and charged at the monster in front of me.