I’ve Just Uncovered One Hell of a Secret!
The moment we stepped into the dungeon, I could tell—we were surrounded by a terrifying number of monsters.
Right after, screams erupted from every direction.
I could technically click on a monster in the guide map to see its details, but I didn’t have that kind of luxury.
So, let’s just get right to it—!
“Pin! Reveal the monsters’ identities!”
“Mokyu!”
—
[Dark Knight Shadow Bat]
Traits: Doesn’t rely on sight or smell. Detects enemies using ultrasonic waves.
Attack Method: Possesses unique fangs and saliva that prevents blood from clotting. Getting bitten is really bad.
Special Ability: Sonic wave attacks.
Weakness: Vulnerable to light.
—
So that’s how it is—
“GYAGYAGYAGYA!!”
Along with a creepy flapping sound, a high-pitched screech ripped through the air and stabbed directly into my brain.
The pain was intense—my vision warped, and I nearly collapsed.
So this… this is the power of monsters in the Ancient Dungeon, huh?
The door had slammed shut on its own, and now we were blind in every direction.
I tried to warn my party about the weakness, but my head was spinning.
“Light—!”
I raised my index finger and cast a basic magic spell.
A faint glow appeared at my fingertip—not nearly enough to act as a weapon against these things.
But Aqua noticed my intent and acted fast.
“—Enhancement Magic!”
In the next instant, the light at my fingertip grew dozens of times brighter, illuminating everything around us.
In that moment, the bats—horrifying in number—were exposed.
And then I heard the quiet voices of Milfie and Bridget.
“—Annihilation time, meow.”
“One-hit kill.”
I couldn’t see them on the guide map, but Milfie and Bridget had unleashed slashing attacks.
When those strikes hit the bats, a deafening howl echoed through the space.
And just like that, every monster vanished from the map.
Total silence fell.
Aqua cast another light spell.
Unlike mine, her magic took the form of glowing marbles orbiting around us.
Seriously… she can do that? Amazing.
“Whoa…”
The ground was littered with a ridiculous number of bat corpses.
They were supposed to avoid attacks with their ultrasonic sense. But they didn’t even have time to react.
Milfie and Bridget looked completely unfazed. So cool. This is what real adventurers look like.
“As expected of you, Tabito! You really surprised me!”
“Yeah, you were the fastest of us all.”
“Huh? Me? No way… It was you two, wasn’t it? And it was Aqua who lit up the place.”
“No, it was you, Mister Tabito, who revealed the monsters’ identity and clearly communicated their weakness. I just assisted.”
Technically, it was Pin who did all the work. I didn’t really do anything.
Still, hearing that made me happy.
“Hey, look at that!”
“W-What the… old coins?”
The bat corpses dissolved into the ground, as if absorbed by the dungeon itself.
What was left behind looked like ancient currency.
Even the well-read Aqua had never seen them before. We decided to collect them—money’s important, after all.
“Mokyuu~!”
Pin was already working like a pro.
Skimming across the ground at high speed, gathering every coin in sight. So it even helps with item collection, huh?
Then it returned to my feet and slipped the loot into my travel bag.
It rubbed its head against me, clearly asking to be praised.
“Good job, Pin!”
“Mokyu!”
Competent, obedient, and adorable. What a perfect partner.
I should give it some sunflower seeds when we get back. No idea if it even likes them, but still.
In dungeons, the key is not to move carelessly.
There could be traps, or you might trigger more monster spawns.
Everyone understood this, so nobody panicked—we stayed still.
Thanks to Aqua’s light, our eyes adjusted. Slowly, the surroundings became visible.
In front of us was a large staircase leading to the second floor.
Next to it, a hallway carpeted like some noble’s mansion.
It really did feel like a noble estate.
Sometimes dungeons are totally different on the inside compared to the outside, but this one seemed consistent in design.
“No monsters on the map for now. Pin, can you open the nearest door?”
“Mokyu!”
Pin zipped forward and leapt onto the doorknob.
With a squeak, the door creaked open, revealing what looked like a storage room.
We moved cautiously inside, checking against the guide map, but nothing stood out.
Wooden crates were stacked everywhere—but they were all empty.
Just then, Aqua gasped like she suddenly remembered something.
“Wait… could it be?”
“What is it, Aqua?”
“N-No, I only read about it in old texts… Could we check the grand staircase first? I might be able to confirm something.”
There were more rooms, but we followed her suggestion and headed up.
At the top, we found a large painting hanging on the wall.
A portrait of a woman.
Silver hair, long and flowing. Seductive in posture, dressed in a black gown.
Beautiful.
Just as I was admiring her, Aqua whispered:
“… I knew it.”
“Aqua, who is she?”
“That is Elmirah Workflow. The Archmage we talked about. And this mansion—no, this dungeon—was her home.”
“You’re kidding…”
I was shocked—but also, weirdly, it made perfect sense.
No one had ever discovered this floating castle before because it was cloaked in concealment magic.
And the only person capable of something like that… was her.
“Man, now I’m really excited— Wait, huh? N-No?!”
I couldn’t help but cheer.
But everyone else just stood there in silence.
“Tabito, you’re always so optimistic. Most people would be terrified right now, y’know? But… yeah, now I’m starting to feel excited too, meow.”
“You’re right, Milfie. This is what an adventure should feel like.”
Exactly. That’s the spirit.
And hey—if this mansion becomes public knowledge, it might become a massive tourist destination.
Sure, the dungeon part is life-threatening, but the garden outside might be safe enough for sightseeing.
That’s if people can even get here, of course...
Alright, next up: the second floor—!
“ROAAAAAR!!”
Or so I thought—when suddenly, a massive white lion appeared at the top of the stairs.
Two horns on its head. This guy looked seriously powerful.
But then, someone unexpected made the first move.
“Freeze, monster!”
I felt a chill from behind—then a beam of ice shot forward.
The monster didn’t even get a chance to dodge. The magic hit it square on, instantly freezing it solid.
Striding past me at a brisk pace was an elf—with a rare, relaxed smile on her face.
“Let’s go. For the sake of the Rivana Kingdom.”
Aqua… you’re totally enjoying this for your own reasons, aren’t you?
What do you think about this chapter?
