Author: Yume Neiji

We reached the 33rd level.

The scenery changed completely. We reverted back to the dimly lit cobblestone passageway. In this floor, it seemed that mainly insect-type magical beasts were growing in power. There are grasshoppers and crickets that are one meter long. And a swarm of bees, about 10 centimeters long, that attacks us mercilessly.

“Divine Power! Crush them!”

More than a hundred bees were crushed by the force that Freya unleashed, the bees were sent rolling on the floor in a ball. However, the next swarm of bees is already heading towards us. Liz quickly transformed the dark cloud into a net and stuck them to block the passage. Hundreds of bees are caught in the net one after the other, then they were rounded up in a ball. When the darkness suddenly subsided, the captured bees were cut into pieces, and parts of their bodies were scattered on the floor.

“There were so many of them, I wonder if there is a nest near here?”

“Maybe. It is possible that there is a better environment for these guys to live in at the lower levels.”

As I said this, I tried to held back my drool. When we talk of bees, there will always be honey. Moreover, if it is this large, it must have collected a lot of nectar. Kukuku, my dreams are coming true. It’s not bad to try pancakes after a long time.

“That sloppy face, I bet that he is thinking about how to eat honey.”

“I agree. But this time, I understand Oniichan’s feelings. When I’m tired, I like to eat sweets.”

“Un. It is quite exhausting. We just come back from a long voyage after all. I’m sure Father is thinking a lot for us.”

My comrades were whispering something, but I was preoccupied with honey.

Sigh. Human beings are strange creatures after all. When we think we can get it any time we want, we don’t really care, but when we can’t get it, we start craving for it. That’s exactly what I was like right now.

“Hoh~, you all seem to be excellent warriors. Are you interested in the Path of Fluffy? Being one with fluffy can lead to even greater improvements in your powers.”

Moore touches the fur on Pero’s back as he teases him. The person who was once called the Great Mage is now the Fluffy Hermit. The passage of time is indeed cruel.

Freya, who’s beside the Hermit, excitedly said,

“Did you hear the words of Hermit-sama? I you become a fluffner, you’ll become stronger! Come everyone, let’s all walk the path of fluffy together!”

Freya and the hermit shout in unison, “Mofu Mofu!”

This is a bit late, but I think two rather dangerous people joined up….

As long as we have free time, these two have been telling us about stories about being fluffy. I’m worried that we will be brainwashed without even knowing it. After all, it’s a horrible disease that even Edner has been infected with.

“By the way, Hermit-sama, why did you take Edner-sama to the path of fluffy?”

“That guy seemed to have awakened to the path of fluffy by a rabbit he bought for his daughter. Then he went super concerned as he was addicted to fluffy. So your brother gave him advice and introduced him to me.”

Freya nods her head.

“That makes sense. My brother is a cat lover and is very kind. I’m sure he couldn’t have left Edner-sama alone knowing he is troubled because of fluffy.”

“He is a splendid fluffner now.”

Freya and the Hermit start laughing at what seemed to be funny to them.

Stop it. Listening to such story makes me feel like I’m going crazy. 

I guess I have no choice but to force them to change the subject.

“Why did Moore become a fluffy hermit anyway?”

“Mmm, it’s nothing big. I’ve been wandering around looking for peace, then I’ve found the ultimate healing. That’s it.”

Moore says as he collects feathers and tusks from the bees’ corpses. Then, we began to walk down the passageway towards the stairs again.

“Oh, by the way, it looks like Shinichi and the others are using my watch. Can you show it to me?”

I handed the pocket watch to him.

Moore looks at his watch, he narrowed his eyes and then he smiled.

“This brings back memories. The woman depicted on the lid is Elise, my second wife. She was a bit of a strong-willed woman, but she was also cute. Where did Shinichi find this?”

“It’s in the hidden room in the mansion on the twenty-eighth floor.”

“Oh-, The main body has used to live there for a while. I’ve completely forgotten about it until now.”

He gave me back his pocket watch. Moore doesn’t seem to have any attachment to what he left behind. He also called the pocket watch and the magic jewel I found as “the main body’s thing”. The thought of letting go of even the pocket watch with his wife on it made me feel that he is a little cold.

“Oops, right. I had to tell you the secrets of the dump and stuff.”

He stopped abruptly and moves to the wall. He then raised his staff in his right hand and suddenly unleashed a spell at the wall.

“Nuaaaah!?”

We were caught in the explosion and rolled on the ground. I was very dumbfounded. If he is going to use magic, he should have told us beforehand. Suddenly, I noticed a soft touch on my face. My vision was pitch black and I felt something on my face.

“O-o-ouch…..Even if you are Moore-sama, this is too much you know.”

“Mmmph….E-Erna…. is that you on top of me?”

“Eh? On top? Kyaaaaaaaa!”

My dark vision brightened, and nearby, Erna was glaring at me while holding her buttocks.

Oh~, so that was her butt on top of my face. No wonder it was so soft.

“Ahfu!?”

“I got blown away too and ended up on top of you.”

Suddenly, Liz leans her butt on my face.

No, no, it’s clearly intentional! But… Kuku, it’s soft and feels good!

I pushed Liz up and then I also stand up. I saw Liz and Erna glaring at each other.

“Little girl…… How could you….…”

“Mmm. Now Oniichan can’t forget the feel of my ass.”

Sparks fly with their intense gaze.

Quarrel again? Sigh. I’m worried that it will escalate into killing each other someday.

“Freya-san!?”

Pero ran up to the pile of rubble. Then like an inugami with only his legs sticking out, he hurriedly dig Freya out. Freya coughs as she brushes the dust off her body.

“Cough. Cough. Cough. I remember up until Hermit-sama shot a magic, but I don’t remember anything after that. By the way, why do you all look at me with such sympathetic look?”

““““Nothing””””

We turned our heads to the person who had caused the incident. Moore sits on the rubble and smiles.

“Alright, everyone’s good. Let’s resume the explanation.”

He points his staff at the wall. There was a large hole that had been magically drilled. I tilted my head in confusion as to why it was necessary to tear down the wall just to explain it.

However, it soon becomes clear why.

A kind of mud began to spill out of the walls, eventually plugging the hole.

“T-this…!? What’s going on!?”

“As you can see, the dungeon is repairing itself.”

The hole was completely closed after about ten minutes, and it reverted back to its original state. We doubted our sanity at such strange sight.

No way. What’s going on?

Moore grinned as he slammed the wall with his staff.

“You must have figured out what the Great Dungeon is, right?”

“Don’t tell me…… But, for Mohed Great Dungeon to be……”

Moore anticipated what I am about to say, so he added,

“The Mohed Great Dungeon is a huge creature.”

It is as a I thought huh. 

From the day I found the dump, I had a faint feeling that it was like that. The process of collecting and disassembling corpses was like the stomach of a living creature. But even so, new questions arise.

Why does the Great Dungeon look like this?

“You have heard about the origin of this world from God Tree-sama, right?”

“Yeah. It is the prison for the God of Destruction created by the gods.”

“Right. So, how do you think did they imprison the God of Destruction, who destroys everything?”

“That’s ……….…”

I couldn’t immediately respond to his question. I can’t think of a way to trap an entity that destroys everything. The only thing that came out was to build a prison with something so sturdy that the God of Destruction couldn’t break it.

“The answer is for it to keep regenerating forever. That no matter how much it was damaged, it will be repaired every time. So, if it is restored back to original, even the God of Destruction will not be able to come out.”

“No, wait. I know what you mean, but I don’t think it will work just like that. If you can get through while the hole is open, then….…”

“What if you can’t get through?”

I was shocked. Yes. If the hole couldn’t be restored in an instant, then what I just said might be possible. But what if there were multiple walls blocking the way? Even the God of Destruction would have a hard time escaping.

“The place where the God of Destruction is trapped is not actually made up of walls like this. Well, that will become clear in time. In other words, a prison that regenerates forever is created by an eternally living creature.”

I touched the wall while listening to him. I could feel the coldness of an inorganic substance that I couldn’t think of as a living thing.

“A creature that lives forever huh…… It doesn’t look like it though.”

“It’s natural. According to God Tree-sama, the Great Dungeon is a structure-type sacred beast created by the Creator God to contain the God of Destruction.”

We were stunned. I never thought that the dungeon was a sacred beast. If that’s the case, then the Sacred Beast Barrier System must be a super-giant seal that includes Mohed Great Dungeon.

I feel like I understand a little bit how much the gods were afraid of the God of Destruction.

“But if that’s the case, why did they need to make it such a complicated maze? If they were just going to seal him away, wouldn’t a vertical hole have been fine?”

“If they just want to seal him, why do you think there are magical beasts living in the dungeon? What is the purpose of the rich environment that exists at each level? And what do you think does it need to survive?”

“What is necessary for survival…… Oh I see! So that’s what it meant!”

Perhaps the Great Dungeon is getting the nutrients it needs from the corpses. If this is the case, the intricate and complex maze is a mechanism for catching prey and not letting it out, and the rich environment that exists in each level is a biotope for breeding these creatures. Furthermore, humans come because of those magical beasts. For the Great Dungeon, the magical beast is both food and bait for catching humans.

“So that is why microbes and viruses don’t grow in the dungeon huh.”

“The Great Dungeon isn’t just alive because of corpses. It actually absorbs a small amount of life force. Well, you can think of it as the raw qi it needs to survive. It is collected from the things inside its body. But not all living things can withstand that absorption. I’m sure the rest makes sense.”

Raw qi…. that is a difficult word to interpret. 

But to put it simply, I can say that the Great Dungeon is draining energy from all of us. Small organisms can’t tolerate such absorption thus they disappear. That is why we don’t see any small insects or viruses here. It’s a convenient environment for magical beasts and humans.

However, that’s exactly what the Dungeon is aiming for.

“Then…. what’s in the bottom layer of the Great Dungeon is either the head or the ass huh.”

“Fuhahaha! Head! Ass! Hahaha!”

Moore rolled around on the floor laughing out loud with his hands holding his stomach. I was getting more and more angry, so I reached for the hilt of my sword.

“Alright. Alright. I’ll explain it to you, so don’t be so angry.”

“……So. What is it?”

“As I said before, the Great Dungeon is a structure-type sacred beast, so it can’t have the shape of a proper creature in the first place. There may be a brain somewhere, but no one knows where it is. Even if you are at the bottom level, you won’t know what part of the dungeon it is.”

Hmmm, thinking about it carefully, it may indeed be so. In the first place, I had never seen or heard of a building-type creature. It is my mistake to think in terms of common sense.

Moore stands up, thinking he’s explained enough. 

Well, if we spend too much time talking, progress will only slow down. However, another question popped into my mind.

“One last thing, what is the Temple of Teleportation?”

“It’s a device created by the gods to move around the dungeon. It seems to be something that this creature doesn’t originally have. Well, most of what I talk about is what I heard from God Tree-sama. Judge for yourself whether it is true or not.”

I felt a slight dizziness at the facts that were revealed one after another. 

What kind of developments await us in the future?

With a sense of apprehension, we walked towards the bottom.

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

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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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We all left the building. Naoki and Eugrapia also followed us to the exit to see us off.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”

“I’ve got things to do here. I’ll leave Dad to you lil’ brother.”

“Okay. I’ll make sure to protect Father.”

Naoki and Pero smiled at each other. Actually, when these two met, they got along so well, like they are real brothers. As a father, I can only be relieved.

“Um, are you sure it’s okay to get something like this?”

“You can find a lot of it on this island, and since you came all the way, please take it as a souvenir.”

Liberto and the others smiled wryly at the sight of what they were holding in their hands. It’s a lump of adamantite.

Adamantite, said to be the most expensive metal in the world, was generously given to them by Eugrapia. It’s a bargain sale for angelic weapons and adamantite. That said, it’s nice to be able to strengthen our forces with these items. When we get back to the continent, I’ll ask Liberto and the others to head to Dartan.

“Nyahoho, it was the right decision to tag along after all-nya.”

Heh~, it seems that even Lena, who didn’t contribute to the strengthening of my force also got a lot of adamantite. If she sells that much chunk, they won’t have a problem with money for the rest of their life. I can imagine the Zañas family laughing together as they are surrounded by piles of gold coins. I hope this doesn’t lead a disaster to them. I’m a little worried.

Eugrapia bowed to me.

“Tanaka-san, it’s all up to you. Please be sure to get the proof of the God of Destruction.”

“I have a lot of thoughts about this, but I intend to do so for now. One thing that has been bothering me is that you support the resurrection of the God of Destruction. Doesn’t that contradict your role?”

“Fufu, think about it. What kind of place is a prison? Even if you become the God of Destruction, if you don’t commit a crime that deserved incarceration, there’s no reason to keep you on this planet.”

“I see. In that sense, I must become the new God of Destruction.”

But will I really become a god? It feels quite strange. I’ve evolved a lot, but when it comes to becoming a God, I’m still confused. I don’t really understand what the God of Destruction is in the first place. It’s very unsettling.

“Oh, right. There was something I forgot to mention.”

Just as I was about to start walking, Eugrapia stopped me.

Is there still something else?

“I’ve arranged someone who is familiar with the Great Dungeon. I’m sure he’ll guide you safely to the bottom level.”

“Huh? That’s strange. The bottom level of the Mohed Great Dungeon was supposed to be an uncharted area that no one has ever seen.”

“That’s not true. In fact, there are people who have reached the bottom level. However, because of the absurdity of the things in there, they could only keep quiet about it. Furthermore, most people who reach it end up dying.”

Hey, hey, aren’t you trying to send me to somewhere horrific then?

Well, the Mohed Great Dungeon is a dungeon that is said to be the most dangerous to traverse.

I hope he is a reliable guide.

This time, we really said goodbye to Naoki and Eugrapia.

　◇◇◇

After that, we returned to the ship, and using the route taught by Eugrapia, we returned to the continent without incident. After thanking Lena and her father, we returned to the Kingdom of Logas.

Liberto and the others left immediately after returning to the Kingdom and set off for the kingdom of Dartan to process the adamantite they had received into weapons. Of course, I gave them a letter written by me for King Dartan, so I don’t think it would take that long.

And so, we are about to return to our hideout.

“Ahh, no matter how many times I eat it, it’s still delicious!”

“If you eat too much, you’ll get diarrhea.”

“Even so. No matter how much I eat, it never gets smaller. I’m sure God Tree-sama is telling me to keep eating this forever.”

“No, I didn’t feel that kind of vibe from Eugrapia at all.”

Currently, we just left the Temple of Teleportation and we are walking through the miniature garden. Freya is enthusiastically eating the fruit of the tree that Eugrapia had given us as a souvenir as she walked.

The size of the fruit is about 15 cm in diameter, and the surface is yellow and smooth. It emits a sweet scent like a peach, and when you bite into the thin skin, sweet juice squirts out along with the soft ripe pulp. It’s a taste I’ve never had before, but it’s so delicious that it’s addictive. Moreover, even if I bite into it, it will immediately restore and return to its original state.

This is the fruit that Lena’s grandfather once obtained. According to the story I received beforehand, this fruit has been restored by the power of Eugrapia, and it is free to disappear or persist at her will. She said she wanted it to help us explore the Great Dungeon. In an emergency when food is exhausted, it can definitely be expected to play an active role.

……However, Freya was completely addicted to the taste of it, and now it has become her snack. Incidentally, while Freya is fast asleep, I witnessed Erna and Liz secretly eating the fruit. Maybe Pero is also eating it secretly.

“Ah, it’s been a long journey and I’m so tired. Let’s take a break from adventuring today and tomorrow, okay?”

“I agree with Rival. I want to get a good night’s sleep soon.”

“You’ve slept soundly on the ship. You really had the heart to say that huh.”

We proceed noisily through the twentieth floors. We are almost at the hideout. Tonight, I’ll relax while drinking at our hideout for the first time in a while.

Speaking of which, Eugrapia said that she had arranged for someone who was familiar with the Great Dungeon, but she didn’t tell me where I could find him. In that case, we may have to search for people before the exploration.

As usual, I pressed the lion’s eyes and opened the hidden door. That’s when I noticed something was wrong. The lights in the hideout are on. Those lights turn on automatically, so they don’t turn on unless a person passes by. In other words, someone has broken in here.

When I activated the search, there was only one living creature reaction in the room. The other members also immediately noticed something is wrong. They drew their weapons and prepared for battle.

“You guys are late.”

There was an old man sitting cross-legged on the table. White long hair and beard. His face is also deeply wrinkled. The old man was drinking something in a glass.

“Hey! That’s my treasured wine!?”

“Fuhaa-, it’s well aged and delicious.”

Damn! The wine that I had bought with a lot of money! I had hidden it, but how did I find it?! I will not forgive this guy. I will make him pay for this grudge with his life.

“Calm down Father.”

“My, my wine!!”

I can’t attack because I’m trapped by Pero with a bear hug.

Let go, my son. This old man is evil. Perhaps he is an angel in disguise!

“W-Why is the Hermit-sama here!?”

Freya gets down on one knee in front of the old man. I stopped moving completely.

Hermit? Is he an acquaintance of Freya?

“Oh, looks like I should introduce myself.”

The old man stands up on the table, exuding a strange sense of tension. Then, he struck a dynamic pose like a kabuki actor.

“I have walked the path of magic and mastered the path of martial arts! I’m the Fluffy Hermit!”

“Well done, Hermit-sama!”

Freya applauded.

Huh? What the hell? What’s going on?

The fluffy hermit jumped off the table and brought his face closer in front of me.

“Are you Shinichi Tanaka?”

“Y-yes…… Rather than that, how did you get here?  Expect us, nobody else know where the hideout is.”

The old man began to laugh wildy as he holds his stomach. However, without warning, he became expressionless again.

“I’m sure there are other people who know about this place besides you people.”

“That can’t be. I haven’t told anyone other than the members here.”

“Think about it, whose house it was in the first place.”

“N-no way……”

I’m stunned. It is impossible. The real owner of this place is a man from thousand year ago. But then again, we never heard that he is dead.

If that is the case…….

“I am indeed Moore, the Great Mage.”

Erna kneels down immediately.

“Ahh, ahhh…my idol, M-Moore-sama is still alive! S-sorry for being rude.”

“Don’t be so nervous. It’s been so long ago that I was called the Great Mage. Now I’m just an old man.”

Moore patted Erna on the shoulder before settling down on the sofa in the living room. Immediately, Freya runs and begins to rub his shoulder. The relationship between the two was refreshing, but for the time being, I sat down on the sofa opposite him.

“Tanaka-dono, he is actually my master. In fact, all the members of the Label family are his students. I’ve heard that Ryan-san, the lord of Mana, was once taught by Hermit-sama.”

“Hahaha, Ryan brings back such a nostalgic name. He had a rare talent for the way of Fluffy, but he was an oddball who wasn’t influenced by it. He might have been able to reach the ultimate level of Fluffy too, if he wanted.”

“Exactly. The way of fluffy is only open to Fluffners.”

Stop, I’m going crazy listening to the two of you.

I deliberately coughed and urged him to continue.

“Of course, I came here because of instructions from God Tree-sama. That is, to guide you guys to the bottom of the Great Dungeon.”

“So you’ve been to the bottom before, haven’t you?”

“Of course. I went all the way to the bottom in search of something. And I’m still there.”

“What do you mean?”

The next moment, Moore’s body shook. Then we were astonished by the sight.

“You’re surprised, aren’t you? I am created by a skill. The true body is still at the bottom level.”

“Could it be the same skill as Eva’s?”

“Yes, it’s the same. The only drawback is that I can only create a clone that is a few steps inferior to the main body. But this is a pretty convenient skill in its own right.”

Then, Moore changes the subject. Apparently, this is the main topic.

“I have been tasked by God Tree-sama to guide you guys to the bottom level, but not unconditionally. There is one thing I want you to promise me in exchange for guiding you.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s about not telling anyone about what’s in the bottom level.”

Not to tell anyone? We all tilted our heads in unison.

“I’ll explain the situation when we get there. So, will you accept this condition?”

There’s something at the bottom. This is for sure Even Eugrapia had said that those who reach there will have to keep their mouths shut because of the absurd details. It’s really intriguing.

“I’ll accept the condition. I’m not going to reveal anything about the things in the bottom level.”

“Very well. In that case, get ready at once.”

Thus, we began to advance to the bottom level of the Great Dungeon.

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

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Naoki’s story continues.

“After that, I wandered the universe alone, holding the proof of the Creator God that I received from Mom. In the end, I finally set foot on Earth.”

“Why? You should have known, right? If you go to Earth, an army of angels will come after you. You should know that it was why Miyuki avoided going back.”

“Of course I understood that. But I was at my limit. With no means of fighting Gohma, I was exhausted from the life of running away with the proof entrusted to me by Mom. That’s why I decided to take a last gamble.”

“The last gamble?”

Naoki nods at my words. 

In other words, there was something on Earth that could solve the situation. However, if that is the case, Miyuki should have come to Earth first. Considering that, Naoki’s choice is something that has a rather precarious and low probability of success then.

“I wanted the resurrection of the God of Destruction.”

“!?”

“I thought that was the only way to change the situation, but I had to meet a few conditions to do that.”

Is that on Earth?

Naoki continues,

“The seal of the God of Destruction is designed so that it cannot be broken by a god, and even if the Sacred Beast Barrier is lifted, the remaining two barriers must be broken by someone other than the god.”

“In other words, it has to be a human, is that right?”

“Yes. What’s more, the place is at the end of a long and dangerous road. I don’t know anyone who can get that far.”

He added, “Except for Dad.”

Gradually, I feel like I’m starting to see the story. There were two reasons why Naoki reincarnated me.

“I came down on Earth to find Dad. It was a strange feeling, and I realized that even though I grew up as a god, I was still half a human.”

“Did you go home?”

“Yes. When I got to our house, someone I don’t know was living there and I thought the passage of time was cruel. Then I looked for Dad. I know the city you are in, but I can’t pinpoint the exact location. It is the limit of my power after all. Because of that, I’ve been searching for you for a long time.”

I have completely changed my appearance, so it must have been very difficult to find me. In addition, I had a special ability to blend in with my surroundings. It would have been even harder for him to find me then.

“A month had already passed when I found Dad. That was also enough time for the Chief God to know where I was. And sure enough, he sent an army of angels disguised as demons to Tokyo to capture me.”

“Wait! So that incident was caused by you!?”

“Mm, you could say that. After all, I came to Earth knowing everything that would happen. I know I’m the worst. Dad can hit me all you want. Dad has the right to do so.”

I raised my fist in anger, but I lowered it slowly. 

I should not make mistake. It wasn’t Naoki who killed Shigeru-san and Kanzaki. It is the main god, Gohma. Naoki is just one of his victims.

“……I’ll continue the story. I managed to escape the eyes of the enemy and rushed to Dad. But by then, it was too late. As an emergency measure, I decided to reincarnate Dad’s soul on a certain planet.”

“My soul? Then what happened to Shigeru-san and Kanzaki?”

“I was actually very distraught at the time, so it’s possible that I got some souls involved. I’m sorry Dad, but I don’t know where the other souls went.”

“But Kanzaki, who was killed at the same time was reincarnated in this world too.”

“Then, since he was dragged into it, I’m pretty sure he was also reincarnated on this planet. However, it is unclear who he’ll become or when. The soul will jump through time if I don’t put various conditions on it.”

I see. So that is the reason why Kanzaki was reincarnated in the past. If that’s the case, does it mean that Shigeru-san may have been reincarnated in this world a long time ago? Or maybe, he will be, in the distant future.

“I left Earth to come to this planet after reincarnating Dad. But at that time, I was wounded by an angel and was very weak.”

Eugrapia, who had been listening to the story for a long time, began to speak.

“Originally, no god could enter this planet, but he had the proof of the Creator God. With the exception of the Creator God, who was the king, he had the right to enter another planet. In addition, he was wounded and weakened. I sensed something unusual was going on, so I brought him to this planet.”

“Thanks to her, I survived. But I couldn’t move for a long time. I could only do some things to help Dad survive while lying face down on the floor.”

I jolted in shock. 

When I was just reincarnated, I did find something like that. For example, a corpse that had fallen unnaturally. Besides, it was too convenient that I was able to reincarnate in a position close to the hideout. The same goes for my skills. At that time, if it weren’t for the pressure point, I might not have been here.

Does it mean that all of them were Naoki’s work?

“I’m sorry that Dad was reincarnated in the dungeon. I wanted Dad to get stronger as soon as possible and break the seal of the God of Destruction.”

“Just threw me in the dungeon……Wait. I’m sure there were other dungeons as well. Why was it there?”

“Oh, you’ve noticed it huh. What you’re thinking is right Dad. The place where the God of Destruction is sealed is at the bottom of the Mohed Great Dungeon.”

Everyone let out a gasp of shock. 

We never imagined that there was a God of Destruction at the bottom of the place where we lived. Well, it’s also true that the Mohed Great Dungeon is called the most dangerous one, and it’s still a place where everything is shrouded in mystery……

That being said, a new question arises here.

“I don’t know what to say, but no matter how much you ask for it, there should have been no guarantee that I would accept it. And I don’t think you’re going to say that it’s Miyuki’s request.”

“Of course, it was my decision to reincarnate Dad on this planet. And it is my hope alone to resurrect the God of Destruction. However, this story is not bad for Dad.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want Dad to become the God of Destruction.”

Haaaaaa!? Me? The god of destruction!?

What does he mean? At this point, I don’t understand the story at all.

“Dad misunderstood. The God of Destruction refers to a being who has the proof of the God of Destruction. When I say resurrect the God of Destruction, I meant the birth of a new God of Destruction.”

“So you’re saying that only the proof of the God of Destruction is sealed there?”

“Yes. It’s complicated to explain, but as you can see, the previous owner is also sealed with it, but with Dad’s current state, you can take it by force. Mohed Great Dungeon actually has the function of taking away power and weakening it. The God of Destruction, who is still alive inside the seal, should be a beacon before the wind.”

Naoki took out a crystal sphere about five centimeters in diameter from his pocket. It emitted a white aura, and its mere presence made the surrounding air extremely tense.

“This is the proof of the Creator God, and I hope Dad will get something very similar to this at the bottom of the Great Dungeon.”

“Why do I need to become a god of destruction? And why don’t you become a creator god yourself and defeat Gohma?”

“If I can do that, I wouldn’t have had a hard time all these years. Besides, I need a qualification to bring out the power of the proof. It’s the Path to Relentless Evolution. If one doesn’t possess that skill, he won’t be able to become a true creator god.”

I hurriedly checked my status. It must have been a skill I acquired after the Imperial War. As expected, there was a skill that Naoki said in the skill column. So, does this mean that I can be both a creator god and a god of destruction?

“That’s right. Dad can be either way. But I’ll tell you that you shouldn’t be a creator god.”

“Is there a reason?”

“The Creator God is the leader of the gods, and he is always responsible for maintaining discipline and balance in the universe. It sounds good, but in reality, there is almost no freedom. And that goes on for hundreds of millions of years. I don’t think Dad can stand that. On the other hand, the God of Destruction has no such constraints and is free.”

From the point of view of a freedom-loving me, the God of Destruction is indeed the only choice. I also understood why Naoki couldn’t wield the power of a creator god even if he holds the proof.

Suddenly, a strange thought crossed my mind.

What would happen if I obtained both the proof of the Creator God and the God of Destruction?

“It’s the greatest taboo in the world of the gods. It could even destroy the universe itself. It’s an extremely dangerous act as we will never know what’s going to happen.”

Both Naoki and Eugrapia had expressions that said I’m being ridiculous.

“Anyway, if Dad becomes the God of Destruction, we can overcome this situation. And if we defeat the main god Gohma and brings peace to heavenly realm, this planet will naturally be saved.”

“But what will happen to Earth? A lot of people on that planet where I was born and raised was lost….”

“Dad, there is no Earth anymore. It is now an uninhabited planet shrouded in ashes.”

“.….W-what did you say!?”

The Earth…… has been destroyed? Is it that everyone I know is dead? It was a sadness I had never felt. The loss of one’s hometown makes it feel like something important has been lost.

“There’s only one way to get the Earth back.”

“!?”

“However, by doing so, there is also something you’ll lose.”

“What do you mean!? I’ll do anything to get my homeland back to normal.”

Naoki tells me the method. It was absurd and beyond comprehension.

“So, will Dad accept this proposal?”

“…………”

“You don’t have to reply right away. You have to get the proof first.”

“Hmmm……”

I couldn’t find the words. It was such a strange feeling that I couldn’t say yes or no. Sensing the atmosphere of the place, Eugrapia tries to change the subject.

“You understand the current situation from what Naoki-san said, right? Shinichi Tanaka-san is the only one who can defeat Gohma. That’s why I want you to go through Mohed Great Dungeon.”

“If I become the God of Destruction, the universe will be saved.”

“Yes. if this situation is left unchecked, the self-righteous god Gohma will surely try to destroy everything. Or rather, I should say re-creation. He will be remaking the world, as if applying a new coat of paint.”

“Why is Gohma so obsessed with re-creation? Is he not just fixated on status?”

“I don’t know the reason either. But I’m sure he is trying to achieve some purpose by becoming a creator god.”

What is the purpose that can only be achieved by becoming a creator god? I’m very curious about what kind of thinking Gohma is working on. Apparently, this is the end of the story, so we get up to get back to the ship.

My errand on this island is done. All I have to do is go home.

“Dad.”

Suddenly, Naoki calls out. His face is not the one of the gods he had been a while ago. It was the face of my son who was reunited for the first time in decades.

“I’m sorry that this happened. I really didn’t want to drag Dad into this. I wanted to avenge Mom’s death with my own hands…… but…… I’m really powerless now…… I’m sorry for being such a stupid son who can only rely on his father…… I’m sorry……”

Naoki sat down with tears streaming down his face. I grabbed my son by the shoulders and makes him look up.

“It’s natural for a child to cause trouble for their parents. Besides, it is Gohma who is at fault, not you. You don’t have to apologize.”

“Dad….…”

I hugged Naoki and said, “You’ve done a good job until now.”

I hugged him tightly as my arms are wrapped around his back. He also hugged me back tightly. I feel like I’m finally reunited with my son. He has grown up so well. I’ve always wanted to see him.

“Pero, come here. He is your big brother.”

I called Pero over. Naoki, whose eyes were red, wiped his eyes with his arm and laughed.

“Fufu, I’m a big brother now. I’m Naoki Tanaka, I’d be happy if we could get along.”

“My name is Pero Tanaka. I’m glad to be your younger brother too. Let’s get along well.”

Naoki and Pero smiled shyly at each other.

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

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