Chapter 71

Here's the translation:

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Update ('ω')

It ended up being a bit shorter than expected.

"Seems like I'm getting a bit nervous."

Silk looked into the darkness and tensed her body.

"Yeah. But... I'm also a little excited, I am."

"Me too! What should we name this dungeon?"

Marina seemed to already be planning to name the dungeon.

I can't help but feel a bit envious that she can remain so innocent and natural even in such a situation.

"Are there any magical tools?"

"Maybe. We might not find anything good until we delve deeper..."

"I'd be happy if there were undiscovered ones."

That's true.

Considering this is a new dungeon that hasn't been discovered yet, it wouldn't be surprising to find undiscovered treasures or magical tools.

It could even lead to a great discovery of the century.

For example, the prototype of the magical communication device we're using now was found in just such a way.

"I hope we find something interesting."

"Yeah. Romance is important...!"

Rain, unusually excited, smiled happily.

"…I'm back."

While we were talking, Nene returned.

She didn't have any blood on her, and her steps were light.

"How was it?"

"I didn't find any monsters or traps yet. It's a bit strange, though."

"Ah. Maybe the first floor itself is just an entrance area."

As we advanced through the darkness with Nene leading, I considered several possibilities.

It could be an entrance area.

The 'Colorless Darkness' has an entrance area that is safe until you descend the stairs, and other dungeons have similar areas.

However, I've never heard of a dungeon with an entrance area as the first area, especially one that's suitable for an underground waterway.

"…! Wait a moment."

Nene's sharp whisper interrupted my thoughts.

The reason was immediately clear.

The sound of something dragging metal and large footsteps... they were coming from around the corner.

Moreover, they were slowly but surely getting closer.

"…It's something strange."

Nene crouched behind the corner and turned back to us with a tense face after checking with a hand mirror.

"What is it?"

"A humanoid figure wrapped in chains. It's about the same size as an orc."

"Chains...?"

I tried to recall all the experience and knowledge I've accumulated, but unfortunately, I couldn't think of any monster that matched the description.

"It's coming this way. What should we do?"

"Can we communicate with it?"

"From what I can see, it doesn't seem likely."

Encountering friendly monsters in a dungeon is rare but not impossible.

There are dungeons with werewolves who trade items they find in the dungeon for food, and ghosts who teach ancient magic if you gain their favor.

However, those are exceptions to the rule.

In a dungeon, it's best to consider all non-humans as enemies.

Humans can't always be trusted either.

"Let's set up an ambush."

"Got it."

I cast enhancement spells on everyone and prepared a few spells.

The first move for a red mage is always a debuff spell.

I'd like to use 'Distorted Light Arrow,' but it's a heavy spell, and I want to test which spells are effective against this creature.

"Ah! Ahh!"

Just as we were about to jump out, the creature, which had been approaching slowly, suddenly appeared around the corner with surprising agility.

It's unclear what it sensed, but we definitely lost the element of surprise.

"Ah! Ah!"

The creature, which seemed excited, was shaking its body as if stomping its feet.

It's a really strange creature.

It has a stocky humanoid shape, but its body is completely wrapped in chains, making it impossible to tell if it's human.

Some of the chains hanging from its body were dragging on the floor, making a jingling sound as it moved.

These chains also seemed to be its weapons.

"Ah!"

With a movement that belied its stocky build, the creature swung its arm, and several chains hit the floor like a flail or a whip.

Nene, who was standing in front, dodged it smoothly, but getting hit by that wouldn't be easy.

"Paralysis, Slow, Dizziness"

The spells didn't penetrate deeply!

There's a bit more resistance than expected. The creature inside is probably an undead or a magical being.

The spells are having some effect, but not a significant debuff.

"I'm going out!"

Next to me, Marina, who had drawn her black sword, rushed out.

She avoided the swinging chains, slashing at them as she closed the distance to the chain man.

"Poison, Rend, Gravity"

"Ah!"

The moment the 'Rend' spell hit, the chain man writhed.

At that moment, Rain's 'Shock' spell caught the chain man.

While it's a spell that stuns the enemy with small electric shocks, the opening it created was perfect for Marina.

"– Kill it!"

Marina's black sword, imbued with 'Magic Sword,' was swung three times in quick succession... and the severed chains flew through the air.

"Ah... Ah... –"

When the sound of the chains stopped, the chain man was no longer there... only a large pile of chains remained.

How was it ('ω')?

If you found it "interesting" and are "curious about the next part," I would be very happy if you could give it a ★★★★★ rating.

Thank you very much.