“Honestly! The whole idea of trying to solve every obstacle with brute force in the first place is just…!”
From an outsider’s perspective, it must have been an utterly ridiculous sight.
Here I was, standing in front of the entrance to West Tokyo Fourth Beginner Dungeon, getting lectured by a “barrier.”
—Incidentally.
The attack from the arm of light that emerged from the barrier hadn’t actually done any damage to me. I’d been caught off guard by the Goddess’s counterattack and sent flying, but I’d quickly made my way back to the barrier.
Physically, I was perfectly fine.
“Well, you didn’t answer when I called out to you!”
I had a point, so I decided to protest a little.
It wasn’t like I’d just tried to destroy the barrier out of nowhere without a plan.
“You think I can just answer you whenever it’s convenient?! Girls have all sorts of things going on!”
Girl?
…Well, whatever.
Apparently, the reason the Goddess had felt pain when I punched the barrier with 【Burial Fist】 was because she used a part of her own body as the medium through which the barrier was created.
The upside was that it allowed her to achieve absolute defense. The downside was that she couldn’t eliminate her sense of pain. What a troublesome ability.
> I wonder what the Goddess was doing
> Taking a dump?
> Maybe she was desperately editing all those hidden-camera videos
> Probably working
> 【Burial Fist】 couldn’t destroy the barrier after all
> She’s a goddess, after all
> Dungeon Master is no joke
> But she definitely felt that one
> So it did do a little damage
> Level up some more and maybe it’ll work
> So what are you gonna do now?
> Is she letting you in or not?
> Come on, which is it?!
I think that’s enough discussion about the Goddess’s barrier. Right now, all I wanted was for her to let us into the dungeon already.
“Whatever. I already have a pretty good idea of your circumstances, so there’s no need for an explanation.”
“Huh? So you really have been secretly filming us this whole time?”
“SHUT UUUUP!! Don’t worry about those little details! Just listen!”
“Y-Yes… Sorry…”
I’d asked a perfectly reasonable question, only to have the barrier-girl scold me with the equivalent of, “Shut up, brat!”
Apparently, secretly filming people was just an everyday occurrence for the Goddess.
“I more or less understand the Guild’s intentions… in other words, the intentions and schemes of the human side. I even anticipated that they would send you here.”
“Huh? Then why don’t you just come out of there and talk things over with us?”
If she already understood the situation, this should be easy!
Loli Goddess, instead of sitting in that dark place secretly filming people all day, why not come up to the surface and have a meeting with the Guild?
I’m sure even Yuda-san would really like to get along with you!
Let’s work together to find a future where the world and the dungeons can coexist!
“…You still have that same flower-child way of thinking, Daishi Ajiri. Well, I suppose that might be part of your charm, too.”
Oh, right. This goddess was the type who could read other people’s thoughts.
That was dangerous. I had to be careful. If I let my guard down and accidentally thought something like “loli hag”…
“…There won’t be a next time, Daishi Ajiri.”
“Sorry.”
Yep. I really needed to watch my thoughts around her.
“Daishi-saaaaaan! What have you been running around doing all by yourself this whole time?”
“Looks like you couldn’t destroy the barrier after all.”
“Not even that devastating blow left a crack. What a terrifying barrier.”
“SHAAAAAA!”
My companions, who had been watching from a short distance away, came running over.
Apparently, they hadn’t been able to see or hear my exchange with the Goddess.
『 Oh, and there’s no need to explain anything about me to them. I’ll let you all inside for now, so just wait a moment. 』
Almost at the exact same moment the Goddess’s voice echoed directly inside my head, my companions and I were suddenly enveloped from head to toe in bands of light.
“Huh? What is this?!”
“Whoa! Huh? Whaaat?!”
“Hmm! Is this a trap?!”
“Shwooooo!”
Everyone was understandably confused by the sudden development.
Wh-What is this light…?
『 I’ve simply synchronized you with the barrier, so don’t worry. In this state, you should be able to pass right through it. Just walk through the entrance and come inside. Oh, and I’ll allow you to keep streaming, so you can leave the camera on.』
Sure enough, even the camera floating in midair was wrapped in bands of light. This goddess didn’t seem to have much of a problem with exposing herself to the entire country. She’d even let us stream her voice before, after all.
Could she actually be some kind of attention-seeking, validation-hungry monster who secretly loves being in the spotlight…?
『 You’re noisy, old man Ajiri. Hurry up, explain things to everyone, and move on.』
『 Sorry.』
Having my thoughts read was seriously inconvenient.
But I guess there wasn’t much I could do about it.
“Ah, apparently that light was something the Goddess prepared so we could pass through the barrier. So there shouldn’t be anything to worry about! …Apparently.”
My companions looked suspicious, so I immediately relayed the Goddess ‘s explanation to them.
Although…
Judging by their faces, nobody seemed to believe me.
“See?”
“Ooooooh…”
I was still a little skeptical myself, but I cleared my mind and stepped through the barrier first. And sure enough, I passed right through it without any trouble.
My companions followed after me, marveling as they slipped through the barrier as well. Apparently, the Goddess really had decided to let us in without a fuss.
“All right! Now that we’re inside, let’s hurry up and have you zip us straight over to where you are, Goddess—”
『 Huh? What kind of sleepy-headed nonsense are you talking about, Daishi Ajiri?』
『 …What?』
『 You really think you can just meet me that easily? Now that you’ve made it here, you’ll have to undergo a trial.』
Huh?
Another trial?
We’d already been put through all kinds of training the first time we came here. I’d gotten plenty stronger since then, so I really didn’t need any more of that sort of thing.
『 You can’t even break through a barrier like that, and you’re already talking big? The world is a vast place. Stop whining and overcome my ultimate trial.』
『 Your… ultimate trial?』
『 Yes. This time, I’ve prepared a dungeon that goes all the way down to the seventh underground floor. So work together with your friends and do your best to make it through without dying.』
The seventh underground floor…
Honestly, that sounded like a huge pain. But if we wanted to reach the Goddess , we had no choice but to do it. Well, if it’s only that deep, it shouldn’t be a big deal.
We’ll just dive in, breeze through the place, and be done with it!
『 Let’s see how long that confidence of yours lasts.』
『 We’re strong. You shouldn’t underestimate us, Goddess.』
『 ……New Selection Zone.』
『 Huh?』
『 I’ve transplanted the soul system from that other world into this one and upgraded it. It’s got a pretty hardcore set of specifications now, so I hope you’re looking forward to it. Oh, and by the way, if you die here, all of you are going to become my toys. Just so we’re clear.』
“…”
Apparently, there really were no gods or Buddhas in the world we were living in after all.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
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