Author: Yume Neiji

Breath and lightning strike collide head-on. A blast swept through the fortieth floor.

Kuuu-, it doesn’t care if this is a dungeon.

In that case, I’ll do it too. I increased the power of the Magic Jewel, an even more powerful lightning strike is released. Slowly, I began to push the breath back, and finally, the lightning strike hit the dragon’s mouth directly.

“Gugaaaah!”

The lightning strike burned the dragon’s body. After letting out a death cry, the giant body lay on the ground weakly. I then slashed the dragon’s neck as a finishing blow.

“Phew, I didn’t expect that a dragon is living here.”

I put the corpse in the bangle and then turned around. For some reason, my comrades, who were supposed to be soaking in the hot water, were lying on the ground. When I looked closely, I saw that the hot water that should be there is now empty.

It was a pity. I was thinking of taking another bath. I wiped my body with a towel and got dressed, leaving my comrades like that.

　◇◇◇

“Hey, let’s hurry up and go to the next floor quickly. It’s too hot and unbearable.”

“Alright, alright. Just wait a moment. It’s almost done.”

I waited patiently in front of the hot spring pool. Erna and the others were lying on the ground in their swimsuits. Moreover, Erna also dexterously creates wind with magic and uses it as a fan.

Mmm, it’s time. I pulled a small basket out of the pool. There are five eggs in it. That’s right, I was making hot spring eggs. Speaking of hot springs, this is a must. It is a classic.

I cracked one egg open and a plump and semi-solid egg wobbled in the bowl. Added a few drops of soy sauce, then I enjoyed the rich flavor of the egg.

“Okay, I’ve eaten an egg, so let’s go.”

“Ahh~, finally! I’m so exhausted already.”

Erna and the others stood up like zombies, swaying their bodies from side to side as they followed us. No, it’s not “like a zombie”, they have turned into zombies themselves.

Moore was also frightened by their looks, so he quickly kept his distance. We wandered around the fortieth floor looking for the staircase. Then I found a strange place.

“What’s that?”

“Oh yes, I had to explain that.”

What I was asking about is a magic circle drawn with light. In the center of it is something like a platform and a glowing red orb floats on top of it. Moore stands in front of us and points to the orb.

“That is a net that seals off anything beyond this point.”

“Net?”

“It is the barrier created by that orb.”

According to his explanation, the barrier that exist on the 40th floor is designed to repel those who exceed a certain ability. To put it more simply, normal humans can go down the stairs without any problems, but gods and something that level cannot enter unless this barrier is broken. I was impressed by the many layers of barriers that were carefully prepared.

When I stepped inside the magic circle to approach the orb, a numbness like an electric shock ran through me.

“Fufufu, of course there is a protection for the thing that creates the barrier. Thus, if you want to break it, you have to be prepared to step forward.”

Hmm, so breaking the barrier would be very painful huh. According to Moore, we can proceed down below without removing it. There is no problem going back up, as long as we are still a human when we return.

But that is not applicable for me. By the time I come back here, I should have joined the ranks of the gods. In that case, it is clear that this thing must be solved right now.

I stepped into the magic circle again, numbness attacks my whole body as before. And the more I took a step forward, the more intense numbness and pain I felt.

Ugh, I see.

I could now understand why no one dared to break the barrier. As I go one step further, the pain burned into my whole body.

“Aghh!!”

“Shinichi!? Are you okay!?”

“Don’t worry…… just watch me.”

That said, this is pretty tough. I feel like the weight on my body has increased.

One more step.

This time, I could feel it clearly. The further I go, the more the gravity increases. I took a step forward, enduring severe pain. Immediately afterwards, the weight on me became so heavy that I sank my feet to the ground.

“Huff- guoh-, huff-huff-huff-!”

Two more steps and I can reach the orb. However, I can’t make those two steps. Because I was terrified of how much weight and pain would come next.

“What? Are you giving up? If it’s too hard, you can stop now you know.”

“Not yet! I can still go! I’m determined to solve this and return to Naoki as the God of Destruction!”

Why did I decide to become the God of Destruction?

It’s for a simple reason. It’s because Naoki is relying on me. Unlike my son, who is a god, I am a human with no power. But even so, my son relied on me, his father, at the last minute. That made me terribly happy. That’s why I am determined to become a god and return to Naoki. No matter what obstacles I face, I have to overcome them.

I took a step.

“Guggigigi!?”

Smoke rises from my body, and the smell of burning flesh wafts through the air. A weight that made my bones creak weighed down on me. Even my consciousness became hazy for a moment.

Just one step away. Just one more step before my fingers reach it. I’ll show you Shinichi Tanaka’s tenacity!

I took the last step.

“…………?”

The pain disappeared from my body and the weight disappeared. Apparently, the function of preventing intruders to get near does not work once the orb is within reach. I took a breath and picked up the orb from the pedestal. In the next moment, the magic circle disappeared, and the light from the orb disappeared.

“With this, the barrier is gone, right?”

“It should be. But there’s one more.”

“There’s one more!? Where is it?”

“It’s below here. Don’t panic, just rest your body for now.”

I sat down on the ground. My self-regeneration skill helped me recover faster, but my mental fatigue was greater than I expected. Maybe I just didn’t realize it, but it was a burden not only on my body but also on my mind.

“Father, are you okay?”

“Yes. At this rate, I’ll be back to normal soon.”

I handed the orb in my hand to Pero. He peers into the stone and taps it lightly with his fingers.

“I wonder what this is. It’s too big for a magic stone, is it a gem?”

“Lend it to me a bit.”

From first glance, you can only tell that the orb is made of stone. Erna takes the orb and looks into it. Looking at Erna from the side, Erna’s face looked surprised.

“This is a magic stone! It is of such high purity that it can be considered as a national treasure!”

“If we sell it, are we going to be rich?”

“Yes! Enough for a bath of gold coins! Oh, I wonder how much clothes I can buy!”

“Alright, let’s sell it. We’re going to make a name for ourselves in the kingdom as millionaires.”

Erna and Liz are beginning to get excited, so I took the orb away.

“We’re not selling this. We need to be able to restore the barrier if something happens. The money from vegetable sales and the cafeteria should be enough for us.”

“No! Give it back!  Uwaaa, my clothes!”

I raised the orb up and Erna tries to reach out to it by jumping.

How greedy is this girl?

“By the way, Moore, is there a temple of teleportation on this level as well?”

“Yes, that’s for sure. However, there is one thing you must remember and be careful of. There is no temple of teleportation below this point. You will have to get there and back on your own.”

If that is the case, is this the last chance to return to the hideout or the surface?

If turned to my comrades and they all nodded silently. They seemed to be prepared to proceed forward.

“Alright. Let’s continue down.”

After finding the Temple of Teleportation, we headed to the forty-first floor.

　◇◇◇

Since then, we have broken through floors of various environments. Two months after leaving, we finally reached the forty-ninth level.

“Fuwaaa~, as always, it’s hard to get a good sleep because the environment keeps on changing.”

“Zzzzzz”

I put a blanket on Liz who is still sleeping while Erna gets up from the bed. I had already woken up and was preparing for breakfast. Today’s menu is snake teriyaki sandwich. It is juicy and baked, and the savory smell stimulates my stomach. Add vegetables and mayonnaise to it and put it between breads. The teriyaki sandwich is complete.

By the time it was time for breakfast, everyone was awake.

“Thanks for the meal. It would have tasted even better if we had been in a better location, it’s a pity.”

“Don’t say that. It’s better that we can eat peacefully like this.”

Turning my gaze to the surroundings, I can see the gushing springs and lush trees. But beyond that, there was a desert. The forty-ninth level is a vast desert area. Strong sunlight shines from the ceiling, and a strong wind rolls up the sand.

The magical beasts that inhabit here are mainly those that specialize in sand, such as sand sharks. What is particularly troublesome are the Tornado Shark, a higher species of sand shark. Not only do they swim in the sand, but they also fly for a short time. They move through the air at breakneck speed and devours its prey.

“There’s a sand whale swimming around!”

In the direction Erna was pointing at, I saw a sand whale splashing in the sand. It is the most massive creature on this floor, but its personality is docile and does not attack unnecessarily. Still, it’s a carnivore, so it seems to swallow sand sharks whole.

“By the way, Moore, where is the next barrier?”

“As far as I remember, I think it was at the fiftieth level…… But after all, that was a long time ago. Forgive me if I’m mistaken.”

Fiftieth level?

It was a very deep dive. I no longer know how far from the surface we are now. I don’t know if it’s day or night. We’ve also fought with many creatures to get to this point. A monkey with stealth skills. A tiger that disables flames. A wolf running on a wall. An octopus that sprays poisonous gas. A yellow rat that shoots electric shocks. But we defeated them all and came here.

“Don’t look so troubled. We are almost at the bottom.”

“R-really? I thought that it would be below a hundred level.”

If that is the case, does that mean that we will arrive within the next 50 floors? Even so, it seems that there is a still long way to go.

“Alright. It’s time to leave!”

We packed our bags and set off from the oasis. We crossed the desert with Liz’s dark cloud. As we floated and move forward, we can admire the sand dunes below.

“It reminds me of when we went to the Holy Land of Kycilia.”

“Yes. Just crossing the desert was tough back then.”

“But it’s a good memory for me. I was able to travel hand in hand with Shinichi you see.”

Erna’s cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment. Seeing her like that, I turned my attention to the warming emotion in my chest. Perhaps it is time to seriously face myself. She told me she loved me the way I was. That doesn’t seem to have changed. If that’s still the case, I should properly respond to her feelings. It is true that I still love my former wife, Miyuki. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have any feelings for Erna.

“I want you to be happy for me.”

Miyuki’s words saved my heart. I feel like they’re pushing me hard now to take a step forward. Of course, not right away. I haven’t completely sorted out my mind yet. But I’m trying to move forward.

So, please wait a little longer. I’ll definitely tell you how I feel.

“W-what? Why are you looking at me so intently?”

“It’s nothing serious. I just felt a little hungry.”

“What!? We just had a meal you know!?”

Ignoring Erna who was shocked, I looked at the scenery and reminisced about the time when I met Erna.

“I found the staircase.”

Liz’s report brings my consciousness back to reality.

Are we finally able to reach the 50th floor?

Darkness descends near the stairs. We didn’t discuss anything and start going down the staircase.

“I wonder what is in the fiftieth floor.”

“Who knows. We’ll find out when we get there.”

“I wish it would stop being so hot.”

Pero wrinkled his brow, genuinely unwilling. It was a hot environment from the 40th to the 49th floor. It is no wonder he wanted to say that.

“Oh, I can see the next floor.”

We stepped into the fiftieth floor.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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We arrived at the thirty-eighth floor and were stunned by the unexpected sight. The entire floor is an idyllic meadow. The vegetation is swaying in the wind, and the soft sunlight shines from the ceiling. It’s like a field full of spring sunshine. It feels really good.

“Everyone, don’t let your guard down. Let me tell you in advance, this is the most dangerous place.”

“Hmmm, it doesn’t look like that.”

“It is dangerous mainly because of that. The scenery here lures you into a false sense of security and catches you off guard. Furthermore, because what you’ve experienced up until now has been so harsh, this place is frighteningly good at entangling humans.”

I see, the journey so far has been like a prelude to getting to this point. If that is the case, the appearance of the enemy must also lure us into a false sense of security. For example, they must be hiding and disguised as plants. 

I pulled out the grass under my feet at random. However, it was just an ordinary weed. When I used Enemy Search Skill, a number of red dots appeared on the map in my field of vision. Moore is right, there seems to be many enemy lurking on this floor.

“Is this the enemy?”

With my enemy search skill, I went to one of the enemies. It was a tree. No matter how I look at it, it looks like an ordinary tree, but I feel that there is something about it that makes it different from a normal tree. When I touched it, it felt warm and I also felt its throbbing heartbeat. 

I immediately used my analysis skill to make clear what it is. 

Apparently, this is a plant magical beast called Dryad.

【Analysis result: Dryad: Normally, it takes the form of a tree, but at night, it appears before men in the form of a woman and seduces them. As it bites, it infuses paralyzing poison to the target and the later turns into a source of nourishment for new dryads while he is still alive. Rarity: A, Overall Ability: C】

【Status】 Name: Dryad Race: Dryad Magic Attribute: Earth Magic: Rock Bullet Skills: Search (Beginner), Root Strengthening (Intermediate), Hypnotic Gas (Intermediate), Aphrodisiac Gas (Advanced), Neurotoxin (Intermediate), Growth Promotion Evolution: Conditions are not met < Evolution Requirements: Search (Special), Hypnosis Gas (Advanced), Leadership (Beginner) >

When I told my comrades about it, the women started to get angry for some reason.

“Burn it! Burn these things to the root!”

“I vehemently agree! Exterminate them!”

“Absolutely unforgivable! How dare them to try to seduce my Pero-sama!”

The three of them randomly burn and destroy trees.

J-just what triggered them?

Then, perhaps sensing the danger, the Dryads began to flee, moving their roots like legs. What a pity. I wanted to have a good look at what kind of magical beast it was.

We decided to take a rest here and start eating. I took out the snake meat from the upper floor. Prepared the ginger, garlic, salt, pepper, soy sauce, sake, eggs, and flour. After I seasoned the snake meat, I dropped it into the hot oil to complete the deep-fried snake.

Normally, you should beat the snake to crush its small bones, but when it comes to large snakes, the bones themselves are easy to pull out. What’s more, this cold snake has a lot of fat on it, and the meat is surprisingly tender. Normally, it would be hard to chew, but I was surprised that it didn’t feel like that. I regretted that I should have hunted Cold Snake a little more.

　◇◇◇

We reached the 39th level.

The whole floor was like a swamp. The depth of the water is about 1 to 3 meters, and plants float everywhere like floating islands. Looking into the water, I can see many fish swimming around. As for the atmosphere, it feels like there is something else there. I guess that if one swims in there carelessly, he will be eaten by that unknown creature.

“Man-eaters live here.”

“What kind of creature is it?”

“Mmmm, let’s see…… Oh-, that one.”

Moore pointed to a large floating island. A huge crocodile that was about 15 meters long is drying its body there. As the name suggests, it is a cannibalistic creature. Moreover, as I looked closely, there are man-eaters everywhere. I guess that if we try to pass by boat, we’ll probably become their meal.

“Liz”

“I get it.”

Liz takes everyone on board her dark cloud. We don’t have to cross the swamp. We then soon found a staircase leading to the 40^th floor.

　◇◇◇

“Phew, it’s getting hot.”

As she descends the stairs, Erna takes off her winter clothes. When I took off my cloak, I could certainly feel the heat clinging to my body. It’s like being in a sauna.

“Pero-sama’s fur is falling out again in large quantities!”

“Maybe it is shedding because it’s getting hot?”

Freya was astonished at how much hair fell out as she’s brushing it. I feel that Pero’s physique has shrunk twice. Freya sheds tears of frustration as she touches Pero’s back.

“Pero-sama’s fluffy fur…… now it is so short…..woooo.”

She was so engrossed with Pero’s fluffy fur so it must have been a sad event for her now that the large amount of fur grew back short. Still, I don’t get that feeling at all.

As we descend the stairs, the temperature rises even more. I don’t have a thermometer at hand, so I don’t know the exact number, but I think it’s around 40 degrees Celsius. Pero sticks out his tongue languidly and exhales heavily.

“Hey, look at you young lady. We still have a long way to go you know.”

“But Moore-sama~, it’s been so hot since a while ago~”

“Don’t complain. If you want to be recognized as my true successor, show me your true spirit as a mage.”

“!!? I-I’ll do my best!”

Moore’s words cheered Erna intensely. As expected, the encouragement from the person you have admired for many years indeed strengthens your spirit. With fire in her eyes, she suddenly rushed out.

“I’m going to take care of all the enemies!”

“Hey, it’s dangerous to be alone.”

“Don’t worry! Moore-sama, just watch me in action!”

Erna disappeared into the light at the end of the corridor. I’m a little worried, but she’s also a strong one with a high level of ability. I’m pretty sure she should be able to judge whether it is dangerous or not. If she thinks it was bad, she will come back for sure. With that in mind, I also stepped into the fortieth floor. 

I couldn’t close my open mouth at the sudden change.

Here, the whole floor was like a single room, as before. However, the situation was a little different. The craggy rock surface is exposed to the floor and ceiling, and the rocks are scattered around in a mess. In addition, from time to time, something like steam blows out from the ground, and what seemed like yellow sulfur were everywhere. It also has a peculiar smell like rotten eggs, so I can’t go wrong, it is definitely sulfur.

As soon as he entered the floor, Pero became sluggish and weak. Maybe the temperature here was too high for him to handle. For the time being, I asked Liz to let Pero rest on her dark cloud.

“I’m sorry Father. Sorry that I’m in this state….”

“It’s not your fault that happened, don’t worry about it.”

That said, both Liz and Freya also looked pretty exhausted. The temperature is expected to have reached 50 degrees Celsius. No matter how much their body has evolved and strengthened, hot things are still hot.

Suddenly, I found something that caught my attention along the way. It is hot water that springs from the ground. It was bubbling and boiling, so it was unlikely that I would be able to soak in the hot water, but as I looked at it, I realized something.

“Hot spring…… This is a place where I can be forever excited.”

Before I knew it, I was running. I am out looking for a bigger pool of hot water.

“Found it! Uhahahaha!”

I am terribly excited about it. I found a source that flowed like a river. On the opposite bank, there are a number of pools of hot water, and white steam is already rising in the area. When I dipped my hand into one of the larger pools, it felt like it was about 60~70°C. Not bad. I could definitely soak in it.

“What is Tanaka-dono doing?”

“I don’t know. I can’t tell what is on Oniichan’s head all the time.”

“Fufufufu, I know. I can tell it right away.”

I took off my clothes and threw them away. I then poured a large amount of water from my bangle into the pool of water.

Great! Now it’s just the right temperature. I can finally enjoy the best hot spring. 

Splash! The hot water seeped into my bones as I soak in it. Oh, right. I’ve got to put Pero in here too. I blindly lifted my son out of the dark cloud and carried him into the hot water.

“Huh? ……I feel much better now.”

“Kukuku, soaking in a hot spring is the best way to relax your body.”

“Un. Thank you Father.”

Moore, who was watching the situation, also took off his clothes and soaked in the hot water.

“Muuuuuh, this is pretty good. It blows away all my fatigue.”

“You’ve hardly done anything though.”

“What do you mean? I’m serving as your top guide you know.”

“I don’t really get it. I don’t feel that way you see.”

Then Liz and Freya, who had been crouching on the rocky area, come to us. The two of them were wearing bikinis as they soaked in the hot water, looking a little shy.

“I see. This is a natural bath.”

“It’s amazing that this blows away my tiredness.”

That’s for sure. Hot springs are good for cleansing the soul. How long has it been since I had bathed in a hot spring? I never imagined that such a happy event awaited me in the dungeon.

Haha~Paradise Paradise.

As I soaked in the hot water, my eyelids become heavy. Liz and the others were already sleeping soundly.

But how far did Erna go?

If necessary, Liz’s skill can help me to get in touch with her, but I don’t want to disturb Liz who has just fallen into sleep.

“Kyaaaaaa!”

I involuntarily got up from the bath. That scream is from Erna. After a few seconds, the ground begins to shake slightly.

“Someone! Help!”

As the screams approached, the shaking also increased. I am also having a bad premonition.

Guooooooooo!!

A roar echoed that shakes the air.

—I grabbed my sword while still naked and readies it.

“Erna!”

“Shinichi!? Where are you!?”

“Here! This way, this way!”

“Found y—Kyaaaaah!”

Erna, who emerged from the rocky area, immediately crouched down with a red face as soon as she saw me.

“Why are you embarrassed?”

“Stay away! Y-you… it’s dangling around!!”

Dangling? What is she talking about?

“Anyway, are you okay? What’s with this vibration?”

“I told you not to come near me! I’m not yet mentally prepared!”

Mentally prepared? Just what on earth is Erna really talking about?

But it’s troubling me to be told not to go near her. I want to hear about the details about it right now—huh?

I froze as it emerged from the shadow of the boulder.

I see…… Was Erna being chased by it?

“Grrrrrrr”

It was a dragon covered in red scales. The height is about 20 meters. Spines grow from the head to the back, and its shape is close to that of a wyvern. When it opened its mouth lined with sharp fangs, I could see the flames flickering along with dripping drool.

“I can’t believe you will bring back something like that. But it can’t be helped.”

“….…Kyaaah!”

Hmm? Erna is staring down with her eyes opened wide. That’s when I finally realized.

Ooops, right, I was naked now.

In the end, Erna fell down with a thud muttering, “Mushroom…… big mushroom”.

Uh-, maybe it was too stimulating for Erna. Even though it was an accident, I am sorry for her.

“Gugaaa!”

The dragon exhaled a deep breath. I guessed it will use that. I quickly activated the magic jewel and unleashed a lightning strike. 

In an instant, the breath and the lightning strike collided.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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We all cheered as we stepped on the thirty-fifth floor and saw the snowscape. The gently sloping snow mountains made it look like a white desert. Coniferous forests are also visible here and there.

As I took a step, I can feel the snow cover. My feet sink more than I expected though. I guess it will be hard to walk without a special tool or something. I decided to take out a few tree branches and string to create some makeshift “snowshoes”. When everyone is ready, we set off again. We moved forward, stomping on the snow.

“Snowy field is nice, right? I have a feeling that something exciting is about to happen.”

“Really? I don’t feel like it at all.”

“Hmm, maybe it’s because I imagine lovers huddling together in the cold. Wouldn’t it be nice to warm up with each other’s body heat?”

“Like that?”

In the direction I pointed my finger, there was the figure of Freya hugging Pero’s waist. But it doesn’t look like lovers warming up to each other. If anything, it’s a one-sided exploitation of body temperature.

But… Is Erna looking for such an outrageous act?

“No, that’s not what I’m looking for. I’m talking about something sweet and romantic.”

“Guu.”

“Hey, how long are you gonna be sleeping? Time to switch places!”

Erna gets angry at Liz for sleeping on her back. Liz, who was slapped on the buttocks, she just opened her eyes slightly and then she went back to sleep.

“Fufufu, you guys are such a clamorous bunch wherever you go. I never get tired of watching you guys.”

“By the way, Moore, is this really the floor that has taken the lives of so many adventurers? No matter how I look at it, this is just a snowy place though.”

Moore grinned as he walked through the snow.

“Let me tell you, there aren’t many adventurers like you who conveniently carry cold weather gear with them. In that sense, adventurers are first killed by the cold.”

“……I see. That’s how it is huh.”

“Secondly, there are dangerous creatures here. This unstable field make it very troublesome when dealing against them.”

“Hmmm, so what is that dangerous creature?”

The moment I asked Moore, the snow under my feet swelled up. Then, a giant centipede jumped out of the bulge.

“Aah! Ice Centipede!”

The blue-colored centipede stands up and looks down at us. Well, it’s a very nostalgic creature. This is where the two-pronged centipede I defeated earlier came from huh. I draw my sword and cut the centipede in two in an instant.

“Everyone be on alert. More enemy is coming.”

Bulges appeared everywhere, rapidly approaching us.

I see, this floor is a centipede’s nest. It became clear when I looked at the whole thing with my clairvoyance skill. A tremendous number of centipedes are crowded under the snow. I guess they are probably asleep normally. Most of them were motionless. But if given some kind of big stimulus, they will wake up for sure. For example, a large-scale magic attack.

“Flame Burst!”

With a thump, an explosion occurs and black smoke rises. Thanks to Erna’s use of magic, the centipedes begin to wake up all at once.

“Everyone, fly! They are coming from below all at once!”

Each of us took flight, the centipedes also broke through the snow and showed themselves. The floor quickly turned into a sea of centipedes.

“Awawa……What the hell…… It’s disgusting.”

“If Erna hadn’t used her magic, they wouldn’t have woken up all at once.”

“W-what!? Are you saying it’s my fault!?”

“…………”

Now, what to do?

In a way, we could burn everything down by making Erna take responsibility, but that would melt all the snow. I’d like to play in the snow once in a while.

“Father, leave this to me.”

Pero spoke and then he took a deep breath. What he released was a roar that shook the air. It’s probably Holy Roar. It is a holy attribute magic that only repels those who are hostile towards us. The effect was amazing. The centipedes tremble and flee under the snow. Having lost the will to attack, they seemed to fall asleep again. Even when we landed on the ground, the centipedes showed no reaction. The enemy seemed to have decided to ignore us.

“Ugh, it’s full of hole. I can’t stand the sight of it.”

“I agree. I don’t hate bugs, but this is terrible.”

As they talk, Erna and Liz were shoveling snow to make a small snowman. Pero howls as he runs happily across the snow. As for me, I put some snow in a glass bowl and sprinkled it with honey. When I put it in my mouth, I enjoyed the cold sweetness. Freya, who was watching my action, seemed to be shocked.

“It’s already so cold yet you are having shaved ice…… You’re insane.”

“Is that so? Actually, I think it tastes better when you are in the cold.”

While leisurely eating, we enjoyed the snow for a while.

◇◇◇

Having found the staircase on the 35th floor safely, we moved to the 36th floor. By the way, on the 35th floor, we also looked for the Temple of Teleportation so we can return at any time.

“I think it’s time to go somewhere warm.”

“Agreed. I can’t help but feel sleepy.”

“I think I’d prefer if it stay like this. It’s just the right temperature.”

“Sorry Pero-sama, but I’d like to go to a warm place too.”

The three of them, except for Pero, are wrapped in cloth and look cold. On the other hand, Moore, who was lightly dressed, looked calm and collected.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“I have universal adaptation skill. This level of cold is no problem to me.”

I see. He had the same adaptation skill as me huh. As expected of Moore.

At the bottom of the long staircase, I can see the light of the 36th floor. The temperature seemed to drop even further, and Erna, Liz, and Freya were shaking. Well, that was only natural. Cold air escapes downward. It is normal to get colder.

When we set foot on the 36th floor, we were just as surprised as we were on the thirty-fifth floor. It’s a flat world covered with ice. No, there are cracks in some places and looks like the ice is moving. When I looked under the ice beneath my feet, I could see a fish-like creature swimming around. Being that the case, this area should be a large frozen pool then.

“Is there another centipede-like creature here?”

Moore laughs at my question.

“There’s no such thing here. It’s just that the environment here kills people. Oh no, let me correct that. There was one kind of incredible species here.”

After his words, a beast emerges after breaking the ice. It was a four-armed polar bear that was ten meters in height. It had a sea lion-like creature in its mouth, and its white fur was dyed red in some places. I don’t think it noticed us as it was engrossed eating the raw meat.

“That’s a White Death Bear. It’s so ferocious and brutal that it can destroy a city by itself. Even so, that should not be much of an enemy to you guys.”

“Hmm, it’s certainly not a threat. However, it might be troublesome if we are chased by more than one.”

When I gave Pero a wink, he instantly understood and starts to take action. I feel bad for the polar bear, but it is in the way, so I’ll have to ask it to leave.

“……!? Grrrrrrr!”

Noticing Pero, the polar bear stands up on two legs and made a threatening growl. However, Pero remained undaunted and unleashed a Holy Roar to it.

“–Gugaa!?”

The White Death Bear fled the scene out of fear. It seemed a little pitiful that we had interrupted its meal, but we had to move forward. Our target is to eliminate any enemy that stands in our way. We started walking on the ice and peered down as we went. The ice is very transparent. I licked the pieces I picked up, but it didn’t seem to be seawater.

We jumped over crevasses as we look for the stairs. The ice is constantly moving, and from time to time, we can hear the sound of ice rubbing against each other. In the distance, a group of creatures that looked like sealion were doing something like a sun bath, which was quite a nice sight.

But that doesn’t last long. We have found an amazing creature.

“Gwawawa!”

It’s a penguin. A group of hundreds of penguins gathers and chirps around. Moreover, even as we approach, they weren’t afraid and just came towards us. Their color kind of resemble that of the emperor penguins. They are also about the same size. The penguins rubbed their bodies against Erna and Liz. On the contrary, they did not try to get close to Pero at all. Well, that may be because he is recognized as a carnivore.

“I want to touch them too……”

When Pero approaches, the penguins run away like baby spiders. My son was so heartbroken that he snapped on his knees.

“Haa-haa-, this is quite good.”

“Gufufu, it’s nice. This fluffy feeling.”

Freya and Moore have sloppy faces as they hugged the penguin chicks. The chicks wrapped in gray fur are fluffy and cute.

A chick came up to my feet and chirps.

“There, there, do your best and grow bigger.”

“Cui”

The sight of them waddling around is something that could bring you smile. I can understand a little bit of the feeling that Freya and Moore are fussing about.

“Alright, it’s time to go!”

As we moved on, the penguins squealed and saw us off. Maybe we can come here again.

　◇◇◇

We now reached the thirty-seventh level. It was a completely different place from the previous floors. It was like a maze of ice. The walls and ceiling are covered with ice and icicles protrudes from the ceiling, furthermore, the floor is slippery and cold. We decided to stick some of the dark cloud on the soles of our shoes to prevent us from slipping.

“The magical beasts that come out here are probably stronger, aren’t they?”

“Yes. Watch closely. They can sense the body temperature of their prey and shows up.”

Shurururu.

Shurushuru.

Something was approaching us, crunching through the ice. The speed of progress gradually increases, and a peculiar sound could be heard. Appearing from the depths of the passage was a huge light blue snake.

“That’s a Cold Snake.”

Its total length is about 20 meters. It raised its sickle-shaped neck while sticking out its long tongue.

“Hueeeee!!! S-Snake!?”

Erna hurriedly hid behind me.

It’s a splendid serpent though. I’m looking forward to seeing how much meat it produces once cut into pieces. I draw my sword and steps forward.

“I forgot to mention, it can spit cold air and poison.”

“No problem, poison doesn’t work on me.”

The serpent immediately spat poison at me. My skin was slightly tingly, but I didn’t have any major problems. If I had to say it, it is sticky and disgusting.

“Fufufuu, as expected of the man who has been recognized by God Tree-sama. You calmly took a poison that could melt flesh with ease huh.”

Uh-……Was it such a deadly poison?

I should have listened to him before exposing myself. Well, for the time being, the result is alright. I quickly closed the distance between me and the serpent and slashed my sword diagonally upwards. A large head flew through the air and rolled to the ground with a thud.

I immediately begin to dismantle the serpent that I’ve killed. After cutting up the belly and taking out the entrails, I peel off the skin and cut the meat into appropriate sizes. I’ll slowly grill and eat it later.

After making our way through the thirty-seventh floor without any danger, we found the stairs safely and then we went straight down.

Next is the 38th floor. I can’t wait to see what awaits us.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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We reached the thirty-fourth level.

What awaited us was a scene we had never seen before.

“This is terrible, it’s paradise below but hell above.”

“What should we do Father? We can’t move forward with this.”

The 34th floor is a single room. The above-ground area is covered in a profusion of colorful flowers, making it the very image of paradise that I had imagined. However, once I look up, I can see numerous beehives filling the entire ceiling. A swarm of bees are even fluttering in the air like yellow smoke.

Even I, was at a loss on what to do. Once we step inside, we will surely be attacked. However, there are too many bees that it will be hard to kill all of them at once. Even by taking a cursory look, the number of bees here is in the millions.

“Fufufu, you seem to be worried. You’re surely not going to turn back just because of something like this, right?”

“Let me ask you something, were there any other adventurers who passed through here?”

“Of course. Needless to say, you shouldn’t do something stupid like going through it head-on.”

Hmmm… If that’s the case, does that mean that there is some way of getting through?

The first thing that comes to mind is the magical beast repelling incense. Once it is lit up, most of the magical beasts around will hate its smell and leave. However, I thought it was unnecessary, so I only brought a few of them. In addition, I’m not sure on how long it would take us to find the stairs, it also seemed dangerous to proceed relying only on the magical beast repelling incense on hand.

I can manage if it’s just me. The problem is my comrades. I don’t want to risk them in vain.

“In this case, should I carry everyone and through it at once?”

“That’s reckless. We don’t even know where the staircase is in the first place.”

I dismissed Pero’s proposal.

I wish I could stop the bees with something big…… Eh? Wait…. something big…..

What crossed my mind was Liz’s ability. If we used the dark cloud as cover, no matter how many bees there are, it should be able to keep them at bay.

“Liz, I have something I need you to do.”

“Mmm, I think I get it. Leave it to me.”

Liz makes the dark cloud appear, obscuring us in the form of a black mist. However, along with that, our surrounding also turned pitch black so we couldn’t see anything. Even clairvoyance skill doesn’t seem to be able to see through the cloud.

As it can’t be helped, Liz, the only one who can see the area outside, took the lead and we lined up while grabbing the shoulders of the person in front. I call it, pretend train strategy. This will allow us to get through the bees on the ceiling.

“Ready? Okay, left, right, one, two! One, two!”

Erna, who is second from the front, gives the order. By the way, I am at the end of the line. I am grabbing Moore’s shoulders. In lockstep, the homeless train begins to move forward.

It was pitch dark, but I could feel the flowers under my feet. Occasionally, the buzzing of wings passes by, but the bees do not seem to notice us. The operation is going well, and if we keep going, we will be able to pass this floor safely.

But is it really okay to pass by like this? Didn’t I say, I want honey?

Oh~, Honey dripping thickly on pancakes. Ugh, I want to eat. It would be a shame to miss it like this.

“You seem to be deeply troubled. If you don’t mind, you can talk to me.”

“I’m grateful for that. I can’t help but want to eat honey. However, if I go outside, I’ll put my comrades in danger. So, what should I do?”

“…………I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

What the heck…… He was showing some concern a while ago too. 

As expected, if you live for a thousand years, your passion for food will cool down. Poor thing. He must be living a boring life.

“Shinichi, you are not in sync!”

“Uh- S-sorry. One, two, one, two.”

Erna got mad at me.

“I was wondering, do you not have a family, Moore?”

“Yes, that’s the current situation. Ah!, I have a couple of pets though.”

“That sounds like a very lonely life.”

“For those who live for a long time, that is the greatest salvation. The more deeply involved you are, the greater the grief you will feel when you lose that person. You should know that too.”

His words carried a strange weight. Living for a thousand years means that there have been many farewells. The number of tears shed must have been countless. But on the other hand, I wonder why he had to live so long.

In the first place, did he succeed in the resurrection thing he desired to be successful? Also, why didn’t he return to the surface himself? There are still many questions about Moore.

“Hey, I suddenly thought, wouldn’t it be better if Tanaka-dono made the queen bee his subordinate?”

「「「「「Ah?」」」」」

At Freya’s point, the four of them, including me, spoke in unison. I didn’t think about that. I missed that. Come to think of it, it was just a matter of drawing the queen bee who was commanding the bee colony to my side. Even if other group of bees come to us, there will be no problem as long as I let the bees that I have turned into my subordinates protect us. And the best part about this is that honey is readily available.

Mufufu, isn’t this the best idea then?

“I’m going to fly straight to the beehive, you guys can wait here.”

I get out of the dark cloud then I let my wings stretch from my back. The sea of flowers stretched far into the distance, and it is indeed a scenic view.

Hmmm, now then, which beehive should I aim for?

Looking up, I can see the whole area covered in beehives. The bees flying around noticed me, and hundreds began to descend with a buzzing sound.

In this case, I should go for that biggest one then. I set my sight on a particularly large beehive in the center of the floor. Compared to the surrounding beehive, it is about ten times bigger and is built differently. It was like a huge castle of a great country.

Sensing danger, a group of bees flies out of the beehive like smoke one after another. I took flight and dove headfirst into the swarm of bees that are charging in front of me. The bees clung to my body, desperately trying to stab me with their stingers. However, they were unable to stab me and could only hang on. Then, as I increased my flying speed, the bees could not withstand the wind pressure and fell off my body one by one.

After breaking through the swarm, I head straight for the huge beehive in front of me. The oval-shaped beehive hanging from the ceiling was divided into several layers, with gaps wide enough for a person to pass through. Stepping between the layers, I saw an incredible number of holes. Every one of them contained larvae, peeking out and wriggling. The larvae were about seven or eight centimeters in size. Some were even the same size as adult bees.

“Now, where is the queen bee……?”

It must be wandering around somewhere to give birth. Eventually, I spotted a particularly large bee clinging to a certain wall on beehive. I activated the Analysis skill. The description displayed in my field of vision had the word, Queen Bee, in it.

Activate! Familiar Creation Skill!

My gaze is caught by the compound eyes of the queen bee. As I succeeded, it turned black, and black bees were born. The queen bee twitched its antennae and seemed to be communicating with something far away. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be able to understand words as highly as a skeleton and only a vague and one-off intention is conveyed to me.

『I obey』『You』 『Freedom here』

Does it mean I’m free to do what I want?

In that case, I’ll have some honey without hesitation. I took out an empty bottle and scooped up the honey that filled the burrow. By the way, when I licked the nectar on my fingers, the sticky and unique sweetness overflows in my mouth, alongside with its sweet aroma.

This is it. I was looking for this.

“I’m done with my errand here. I’ll come again.”

『Welcome』『Waiting』

Looking at it this way, bees are also quite cute. After patting the queen’s head lightly, I walked out of the nest. A swarm of bees are flying around the hive, but they blatantly ignored me.

In fact, even the swarm from another group ignored me. I didn’t think so before, but it seemed that each beehive on this floor has a hierarchical relationship. I’m guessing that I had subjugated the queen of the highest rank. As if to prove it, not a single bee attacked me.

“Welcome back! Great! You did it.”

When I returned to the ground, I saw Erna peeking out from the dark cloud. But—what a creepy sight! Only Erna’s face is showing up and it is floating against a mass of darkness.

When I told them that it was okay, my comrades came out of the dark cloud one after another.

“Hey, they really don’t attack us.”

“Now we can take it easy.”

“I think I can paint here before we leave.”

“Hmm, then let’s spend the night around here. It’s already evening anyway.”

The time is already six o’clock in the evening. It’s almost time for dinner.

“What? You’re going to rest already? Didn’t we just take a break?”

“That was a few hours ago. Besides, it’s already evening. We have to get ready for bed.”

“You’re not going to stay up all night, are you?”

“I’m sorry, but this is the way homeless people do it: eat when you need to eat and sleep when you need to sleep. We’re not going to break our pace no matter what the situation is.”

Moore grinned and stroked his beard, “I see, that’s the Homeless way huh.” He sits down on the ground, takes a book from his bosom and begins to read.

Does this mean that we can do as we please?

Well, even if it’s different, we’ll do as we please anyway.

The main ingredients of pancake are plain flour, leavened flour, sugar, eggs, and milk. I took out a frying pan and added oil. When it is moderately heated, I pour in the dough and bake it. When the surface begins to be lightly browned and holes begin to appear, I turned it over to bake the back side as well. All I have to do is put it on a plate and sprinkle it with as much butter and honey as I want.

I handed it to Erna and the others, and the four of them took a bite of the freshly baked pancake with a twinkle in their eyes. I also quickly take a bite. It is crispy on the outside and moist and sweet on the inside. In addition, the saltiness of the butter and the sweetness of the honey overlapped to create a synergistic effect.

This is it. This is what I was looking for. Mufufu.

“Whoa, what’s this? It’s so delicious.”

“Fluffy and sweet”

It was very popular with Erna and Liz. On the other hand, it was unpopular with Pero and Freya.

“Well, maybe it’s too sweet for me. I would have preferred it more if it had meat.”

“Mmm, it’s certainly delicious. But it’s a dessert. To satisfy a knight’s stomach, I’m going to ask for something heavier and more filling.”

Hmmm, that’s right. I also feel that it’s not enough just to make this for our dinner. I baked just one more piece and gave it to Moore.

“Why are you giving it to me?”

“Of course, you’re still our comrade right now, albeit tentatively.”

“Comrade huh…… It sounds nostalgic. Let me taste it then.”

Moore stuffed his cheek and his eyes widen.

“T-this! How sweet and delicious it is! Did such a thing ever exist in this world? Muhahaha, it is good to live a long life!”

He gobbled the pancakes in a frenzied manner. Apparently, sweets is Moore’s preference. I’ll give him some honey-pickled lemons later.

After that, we ate meat seasoned with honey before going to bed.

◇◇◇

The next morning, we found the stairs safely and then we start heading down to the 35th level. As we walked down the long staircase, I was thinking about what the next floor is.

“At what level do most adventurers die?”

“I haven’t looked into it myself, so I don’t know the details. However, I think they probably run out of strength between the 35^th to 40^th level. That being said, it will be tough from here on out.”

If that’s the case, the real challenge is just beginning huh. Now I can see why Mohed Great Dungeon is called the worst dungeon.

“Pero-sama’s hair falls out a lot.”

“Eh? Ah-, you’re right. I don’t usually shed like this much though.”

Freya mutters as she walks and brushes Pero’s fur. The brush she was holding had an unusual number of furs attached to it. Looking closely, I can see that Pero’s body looks a little bigger.

—No, that’s not it. It is just that the amount of his fur increased.

“It’s kind of cold, my breath is turning white.”

Haaa-, Erna exhaled, and her breath turns white. When I took off my cloak to check it out, it certainly felt quite chilly. I then distributed warm clothing to my companions just in case.

“I can see the light. We’ve reached the next floor.”

Liz, who is clad in fluffy winter suit, points in the direction of the light. At this point, the coldness is below freezing. Freya is trembling and hugging Pero’s waist. Come to think of it, she was vulnerable to the cold.

“Hachooo!”

Erna started sneezing. At that moment, Liz suddenly collapsed to her knees.

“Hey, what’s wrong!?”

“So sleepy…… kuu.”

“Don’t sleep in a place like this!”

I had no choice but to carry Liz on my back. My members are too vulnerable to the cold.

“What are you doing, why don’t you come over quickly?”

Moore was already standing at the entrance to the next floor. When I followed suit, I understand the reason for the coldness.

—The other side is a snowscape.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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