We used the Temple of Teleportation to reach the 30th level. Then we head for the staircase and went down to the 31st level.
“Hmmm, the 31st floor is not that different from the previous floor.”
“Mmm, it’s normal. I was imagining a more outrageous place.”
Erna and Liz looked a little discouraged by the view that unfolded before their eyes. The entire 31st floor was a one-type room. The trees are overgrown, and the ground is covered with moss like a carpet. Since there are many coniferous trees, the environment seemed to be a little different from the ones above. It also feels a bit chilly.
I called out to Moore, the Fluffy Hermit who is walking in the lead.
“I’ve been thinking about it, wouldn’t it be fine if you take us to the bottom level using the Temple of Teleportation?”
“Fufu, that’s quite difficult because I can’t use that temple.”
“What do you mean?”
“It is as I said. I’m just Moore’s clone, in other words, I’m a sham created by skill. Therefore, the temple does not recognize me as I am and refuses to respond to me. It won’t be a problem if I accompany others though.”
Hmm, does that mean that we have to make a steady progress till we reach the bottom?
It’s troublesome. But as we don’t have any other way, it can’t be helped.
Moore continues,
“Don’t worry. The Great Dungeon isn’t as deep as you think, it’s just that the obstacles in the way are troublesome.”
“Is it that hard?”
“No, it probably won’t feel that way for you guys. I meant it’s like that for a normal person. You don’t have to be too nervous.”
He walks quickly through the woods without hesitation. It is as if he knows the 31st floor thoroughly. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and ran to a dead tree lying on the ground to collect something. It’s a brown mushroom-like object.
I was delighted when he saw it, “Whoa!”
“It’s a mushroom called Kikurage, and it’s chunky and delicious.”
Moore smiles and hands the mushroom to me. This is indeed an edible mushroom. I involuntarily cleared my throat. I think I can have a drink with this tonight. At that moment, a response was seen on the enemy search radar in my field of vision.
The number of enemies is five. It is a fast-footed beast that is rapidly approaching us.
“Everyone, brace yourselves. The enemy is coming.”
Then suddenly the enemy split into two groups and began to act separately. One stayed in front and the other four move around our back. This move was familiar. The decoy, presumably the one in front, appears to be the stronger one. It was a blue-haired wolf that was two meters long.
“That’s a Blue Wolf. Its fur sells for a high price.”
“Mmm, it certainly have a beautiful coat.”
—However, the opponent is only a hindrance to the current me. When I activated the Subjugation Skill, the wolf in my field of view began to tremble. It even let out a frightened cry as it lay on the ground. Similarly, the wolves that had circled around the rear seemed to have stopped moving and were lying down.
We left the wolves alone and move on.
◇◇◇
We have reached the 32nd level.
Like the 31st floor, it seemed to be a one-type room, but the scenery was a little different. There are many craggy rocks, and steep rocky mountains rise everywhere to block the way. A number of condor-like birds were perched on the rocks, and a number of large lizards up to three meters were crawling on the rock walls. When they spotted us, they become murderous.
“Well, I’ll do something about it. If I stay still, you may think I just self-proclaimed myself as Moore.”
Moore summons his staff out of nowhere and uses his magic. The countless needles of light that were released directly hit the heads of all the magical beasts in sight. The beasts died without much damage. It’s a terrifyingly deft attack.
“What kind of magic was that just now!? I haven’t seen such magic before.”
“It’s a magic that uses the light element, which can incapacitate an enemy without damaging the material. Well, I can proudly say that it’s a trick that I can easily do now.”
“But your staff suddenly appeared!? That was magic too?”
“Again, it’s not that hard for me now.”
Moore hides his staff in front of Erna’s eyes. It was like watching a magic trick, and not only Erna, but everyone in the room was amazed.
“I’m just magically creating a subspace and storing it there. And in my case, I’m fixing a doorway on my right hand and my staff can be taken in and out from there.”
“Subspace?”
“I created another space that is contained in the other side of the space.”
He sits down on a random rock and begins to lecture Erna with a branch he has picked up. In the meantime, we collected and dismantled the defeated magical beasts. When the work was finished, it was already around noon.
I begin to cook using the meat of the magical beasts. I rubbed the condor meat with soy sauce, mirin, ginger and garlic and let it sit for a while. When it is moderately pickled, it is fried in oil to complete the fried bird. The meat of the lizard is finely chopped and stir-fried with eggs, vegetables and freshly picked mushrooms. After that, I prepared miso soup and salad. Lunch is ready.
“——Therefore, the space is fixed to the body as much as possible, and the space itself cannot move.”
“Hmmm, the space is fixed to the body…… I see, it’s like Shinichi’s bangles.”
“No, that’s a different magic from mine. It’s close in image but, uh—what’s this good smell?”
Moore sniffs loudly. His gaze immediately stopped at the bowl I was holding.
“…… You’re eating weird things.”
“You mean this? It is called white rice. It is my staple food.”
“Let me see. Oh-, I’ll get one, too.”
The lecture seems to be over, and Moore and Erna sit down in front of the food. She handed him a bowl of white rice.
“Uhm, can you also give me those two sticks that you are using?”
“The chopsticks? I don’t mind…… But don’t you think it’s hard to use?”
Handing him the chopsticks, Moore slurps the miso soup with accustomed movements. He quickly scooped up the white rice and put the miso soup in his mouth again. He looked just like a Japanese guy. As a matter of course, he used his chopsticks to place side dishes on top of the rice as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Oh, by the way, why did Moore-san live in the dungeon?”
“Hmm? That’s a pretty direct question. Well, never mind. It’s something I’ll have to tell you anyway. It is not any different to say it here, isn’t it?”
He resumes eating, saying, “Well, that’s after I’ve eaten.”
His bite was so good that it was hard to believe that he was an old man. He stuffed his mouth full of fried bird and rice, chewing heartily. The pile of side dishes I had made was gone in no time.
Pero and Freya are stunned with chopsticks in their hand as the food disappears.
“Fuhaa, I’m satisfied. I have no regrets if I die right now.”
“I don’t think you have an appetite of an old man. As expected of someone who’s lived for a thousand years.”
Liz looked coldly at Moore, who lay down and rubbed his belly. Apparently, she is angry that her side dishes have been taken away.
“Well, you wanted to hear my story, right? Then I could tell you why I was living in the dungeon.”
Moore sat cross-legged and straightens his collar. We are nervous about what kind of truth will come out of his mouth.
“I was looking for a way to revive the soul.”
“Revive?”
“To put it simply, it’s resurrection. It’s a way to bring the dead back to life.”
“I-Is there such a thing in this world!?”
“You can say there is, but you can also say there isn’t.”
Pero is attentive and makes tea for everyone. Moore took a breath as he sipped his tea.
“Resurrection is the act of scooping up a soul from the cycle of samsara and sealing it back into a body. However, only gods can do that. Humans cannot even witness reincarnation.”
“But you are looking for a way to do that, weren’t you, Moore-sama?”
“Well, with a glimmer of hope in my heart, I continued to search for a means to make it possible for people to be able to resurrect. I even wandered around the world.”
Moore traveled around the world without revealing his name. At times, his identity was discovered, and he received a grand welcome. Then he came to Sarasvati in Naji.
“I had found some useful information that there was a being called the God Tree on the Forbidden Island, who could bestow advanced knowledge. I negotiated with the sailors the route to the island, which was said to have been written by the progenitor elves.”
As a result, I finally made it to the God Tree. But the answer I received was brutal.
“God Tree-sama said that it is impossible for a human being to do it.”
He furrowed his brows deeply.
“So, I begged God Tree-sama to perform the resurrection for me. But she refused, saying that she did not have that power. Apparently, only a few selected superior gods are able to do it.”
Moore sips his tea again. He exhaled and continued talking.
“But she gave me a new hope, she told me that there was a glimmer of hope at the bottom of the Mohed Dungeon. Anyone who went there can be resurrected.”
“Then the reason Moore-sama lived in the dungeon is….”
“To reach the bottom level. Oh, I’m sorry, but can you give me another cup of tea?”
After receiving the teacup, Pero quietly pours tea in a sitting position. Seeing this, Moore nodded, “You have a pretty good son.”
After receiving the tea, he sips and exhales.
“May I ask you one more question?”
“You can ask as many questions as you want. That’s what I intended to do when I agreed to lead the way.”
“Then, let me ask you. What is the dump?”
As soon as he heard my words, the corners of Moore’s mouth raised sharply.
“Did you see that place?”
“Well, it was a very strange place, where corpses were collected and broken down into powder. It felt like they are being digested.”
He pulls out a pocket watch from his bossom and checks the time. The watch was very similar to the one I had. That’s not surprisingly, as the watch I am currently using was originally Moore’s.
He is the legendary great mage after all.
“I think it’s time to leave. I’ll explain it to you as we head down.”
With Moore in the lead, we head to the 33rd floor.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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