Chapter 92

"Are you that surprised that we made it this far?"

"Of course. This dungeon is equivalent to twenty floors of a DungeonPon dungeon up to the eighth floor, and the final boss is on par with a thirty-floor monster. You guys have been in the dungeon for less than half a year, so it’s not a boss you should be able to defeat, or rather, a boss you should not defeat."

When he mentioned a thirty-floor monster, it made sense. No wonder it was so strong.

In reality, even if we had trained extensively in PD, we would have been pushed to our limits without Kotoza.

"We prepared fifty of these Black Dungeons, which are called Black Boxes in America. I thought about ten explorers would be able to clear them. Well, if you showed even a glimpse of talent, I planned to set a new date for a rematch, but clearing it in one go was unexpected."

What would happen if we lost without showing any talent?

I heard that monsters were appearing around some of the Black Dungeons.

In other words, that’s what it means.

I see, for Dampul, our challenge this time wasn’t about whether we would clear it or not. It was a lose event, a binary choice of showing talent or not.

There was a sense of unease.

The tengu didn’t intend to kill us.

It was a message from the tengu to us.

I understood the talent.

So, he was telling us to come back stronger.

We managed to survive the lose event by using PD training and Kotoza.

"I congratulate you again. Congratulations."

Dampul clapped.

I don’t know how he managed to make clapping sounds without arms or hands.

"So, why are you here? If you were waiting to be killed by me, I’d be happy to finish you off."

Hime readied her Fuma Kunai.

I’ve been irritated by this guy from the start.

"Nothing, I said this was a game, didn’t I? Don’t you give rewards to those who clear the game?"

"Clearance reward?"

"Yeah. I’ll grant your wishes."

"Hmm, if I said give me half the world, would you give it to me?"

"Haha, you say funny things. The world belongs to no one. Not in the past, not in the future."

Dampul, who was supposed to invade this world, was talking about such common sense.

It was infuriating.

Then, what would he give us?

"Isn’t this what you want?"

Dampul took out a vial from somewhere.

I appraised it.

【Holy Maiden’s Elixir: A potion that instantly cures any curse or disease. It has no effect on the dead.】

Oh, come on.

"This is the Holy Maiden’s Elixir."

"「――!?」"

Milk and Ayame’s faces changed.

Then, Hime said with a bitter expression.

"You know our situation, don’t you…?"

Dampul used telekinesis to bring the vial to me.

"Why me?"

"You were the MVP this time. The final blow was impressive."

It’s annoying to be at his mercy, but this is appreciated.

I put the Holy Maiden’s Elixir in my inventory.

"How about one more? We risked our lives, and one vial isn’t enough."

With just one vial, we can’t remove the curses from both Ushizou and Ayame.

"That’s not possible. You should get it yourself. You defeated the former Oni. I’m sure you’ll get it someday."

Of course, it’s not possible.

But since we got the Hero’s Elixir, I really think we’ll get it someday.

"Instead, I’ll answer one question you want to know. However, this is information only for you. I’ll cast a spell to prevent you from telling others."

One question?

That’s sudden.

Maybe I should ask what Dampul’s purpose is again.

Or something more practical, like where to get the Holy Maiden’s Elixir? — But if he says the 100th floor of the African dungeon, that would be a problem. Where can I get the Holy Maiden’s Elixir nearby? — But the contents of treasure chests are random, so there’s probably no correct answer.

I looked at Hime.

"Can I leave it to Hime?"

This question was directed at Milk and Ayame.

Both nodded.

"Is it okay with me?"

"Yeah. Your dad is involved in this, right? If so, you should be the one to ask."

When I said that, Hime nodded.

She put away her Fuma Kunai, stepped forward, and asked Dampul.

"…Tell me. Dad’s—King Campbell’s purpose, what is it?"

Without hesitation.

She must have been wondering about it for a long time.

"His purpose is to go to another world—to the world we were born in."

—!?

It was an answer far from my expectations.

Dampul’s world?

"Another world? How can he go there?"

"I said one question. I can’t answer more."

"I’ll make you answer by force."

Hime seemed serious about threatening him, but Dampul shook his head.

"It’s the same as not being able to give you another vial. My resources are almost at their limit."

Cracks appeared in Dampul’s body, and parts of it fell off.

The inside was hollow.

"Are you going to die?"

"Yeah. I’m the dungeon manager. Since my role is ending, I can’t live anymore—after all, I’m just a clone created by the main body. Oh, don’t look at me like that? In this game, we were enemies. You should be happy to see me die, especially since it was Hime’s wish."

Dampul said sarcastically and looked up at the ceiling.

"The reason I created a dungeon in an amusement park is because this is a place to play. I wanted to play with you here. Even though I said you were disappointing, you exceeded my expectations. So, if I can die now, I’m satisfied."

The right half of Dampul’s face crumbled further.

"Using my last resources, I’ll tell you one more thing—all dungeons are connected. My dungeon and DungeonPon’s dungeon. So, you—"

Dampul’s body completely shattered.

He was smiling until the very end.

It was a very clear, regret-free expression.

—Aim for the deepest part of the dungeon.

Dampul’s last voice echoed in the dungeon.

"The Balsamic Vinegar Punishment didn’t happen."

Hime said.

There was no emotion in her words.

She didn’t know either.

She didn’t know how to process her feelings.

And because Dampul died,

The black skull in front of us also shattered.

The ground began to shake.

The dungeon was collapsing.

Our bodies started to glow, and then—

It was already night outside.

It’s not strange that it was this late, considering we took a lot of breaks for safety.

Applause could be heard.

A lot of applause and cheers.

The Self-Defense Force members welcomed us with smiles.

Kuro jumped at me.

"Thanks for watching the house, Kuro."

After a while of being licked, I patted Kuro’s head.

Were there any suspicious people?

I see, you did a good job.

Holding Kuro, I walked through the Self-Defense Force members and stood in front of Minister Uesugi.

"Good job. The dungeon has been confirmed to collapse. Look over there."

As I followed Minister Uesugi’s gaze, the lights around us went out.

But it wasn’t dark at all.

Because the night view of Osaka spread before us.

The city lights, like scattered jewels, seemed to shine in celebration of our victory.

"…It’s very beautiful."

Whose words were these?

But at that moment, all four of us must have felt the same.

"This is the scenery you protected."

The scenery we protected…

We probably won’t forget this view for the rest of our lives.

"How about it? I plan to have a small victory party. Would you like to join us?"

We looked at each other and nodded at Minister Uesugi’s invitation.

"We’d be happy to join if it’s not curry."

Next chapter concludes Chapter 3.

As mentioned in the story, the night view from the Nara Ropeway can be seen beautifully from the Nara Ropeway.

It has even won the "COOL JAPAN AWARD 2019" for its beauty.

Usually, the Nara Ropeway operates only until the evening, but from July 13, 2024, it will be open until 20:00 on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, and from August 3 to 25 and August 31, it will be open until 21:00, providing opportunities to see the night view.

The entrance fee to the amusement park is free, so you can take the super cute cable car from Kintetsu Nara Station and enjoy just the night view, which could be a wonderful way to spend a day off.

(As of June 2024, please check the official website for the latest information and operating hours.)