Chapter 5

The first-generation Demon King's dungeon was composed of massive stone corridors.

...So this is the Demon King's dungeon.

When I stepped through the door in the Super Advanced Class room, I was a bit surprised to find myself in a stone corridor right away. However, today's lecture taught me that entering a dungeon is like entering a different space, so my surprise quickly subsided.

...Rather, I'm used to stone rooms thanks to Professor Dante.

Because of that, it feels surprisingly ordinary. Furthermore,

"There's not a single monster around, is there?"

According to the school's textbooks, the Demon King's dungeon should be filled with monsters, so that was more surprising.

Thinking about this, Riza scratched her cheek and chuckled.

"That's because we've already taken care of the source. Safety is the top priority, so we eliminated everything."

"I remember you saying that we've explored about ninety percent of it. Did you clear it out while exploring?"

"Yeah. I've been here hundreds of times, so I can guide you through the dangerous and safe areas. If anything happens, look, I've brought recovery potions, so it's fine!"

Riza took a bottle containing a silver liquid from her pocket.

"This is also part of the Demon King's legacy. It's so powerful that it can bring the dead back to life, so I can definitely protect you!"

"Ah, thank you. I hope we don't have to use it, though."

But, the recovery potions that can bring the dead back to life... the Demon Kings of the past must have had some incredible things.

The unbelievable stories and legends of the Demon King are published in the books provided by the school, so I've read them before. But seeing the power of the legacy items, it seems the stories might not be far from the truth.

"Well, I'll be careful."

"Yeah. The first-generation Demon King's dungeon has a simple structure with a long stone corridor and just a bedroom. If you're careful, it's safe. If you turn left at the T-junction ahead, it's the bedroom. If you turn right, it's a dead end."

It's a rather simple construction, but I understand the feeling. As long as there's a place to sleep, you can be satisfied.

Besides, the corridor itself is wide enough to be treated like a room, so there probably wasn't a need for many private rooms.

"I feel like I might get along with the first-generation Demon King."

"Hehe, well, no other Demon King in history has lived in such a small dungeon. But the first-generation Demon King loved traps. I think there are still some left. Be really careful with those."

"Yeah, I'll be cautious. I don't want to get hurt during the experience."

As I walked down the corridor and stepped into the T-junction,

--Click.

I felt something under my foot.

"Huh?"

Instantly, dozens of spears protruded from the wall in front of me.

"Whoa!?"

They pierced the spot where my body had been just moments ago.

"Wow, there really are some dangerous traps left."

The trap must have been triggered by weight, causing the spears to fly out. I'm glad I managed to avoid them, but I almost got hurt.

As I was calming down,

"Um... Chrono?"

Riza, holding a bottle labeled "recovery potion," was staring at me intently.

"What is it, Riza? By the way, I'm not injured, so you don't need to open the recovery potion."

"Yeah, that's good. But... how did you avoid those spears that were thrust out at such incredible speed? You were clearly within their range."

I did nothing special; it was just a normal thing.

"Well, the spears came from the front. I tried my best to see them and twist my body to avoid them. The spear tips being thin was helpful. If they were cross spears, I would have been pierced."

"I couldn't even see the spear tips. ...You can read that speed?"

"Yeah, well. In the countryside, we often hunt wild birds for meat. Their speed is about the same, so I can avoid them."

But, catching them directly is difficult. So, I can only manage to dodge a bit.

"Really? ...I still think your countryside is a bit unusual, Chrono."

"It's just a village in the mountains. But, that trap just now made the whole place full of traps."

I looked at the T-junction. On the right, a guillotine with a pendulum had blocked the path, and on the left, sharp tiger traps had emerged from the floor, which hadn't been there before.

"Wow, really. That might have been a trap summoning trap. It's set up to say, 'If you can't control the dungeon, don't go through here.' But since we can control the dungeon, it doesn't really affect us."

As Riza said this, she lightly waved her left hand.

"Those tiger traps, gather and solidify."

The tiger traps instantly formed a single mass and then quickly merged into a metal ball.

"Did you use the power to control the dungeon to destroy the traps?"

"Yep. Chrono, try it out. Since a lot of traps have appeared, and with your power, you can move anything."

Okay. Then, let's try to do something about those spears that gave me a hard time just now. Having such dangerous things nearby is unsettling, so I looked at the spears in front of me.

Since they are connected to the wall, let's try what we did in today's lecture again.

"If that wall moves sideways, the spears should break."

I imagined this, said it out loud, and swung my arm horizontally.

--Thud!

The opposite wall slid sideways with a dull sound, causing dust to fill the corridor.

Naturally, the spears were broken off at the base.

"Wow, you did that dramatically, Chrono."

"...Yeah, I didn't expect it to move with such force."

Actually, it moved quite smoothly. It's surprisingly difficult to control it by feel.

"No, no, Chrono's power to control the dungeon is really amazing. Moving the first-generation Demon King's dungeon so easily... it's beyond what I imagined..."

"Well, to be honest. The Demon King's dungeon is quite movable."

It's surprisingly free to move, which makes me a bit uneasy.

"Hmm, to add, I don't think anyone can move it like Chrono. You're the first to move the walls of this dungeon."

"But, Riza, you moved the walls in the living room just now."

It's the same thing. It's not just me. When I said this, Riza shook her head.

"You can do it in your own dungeon, but this is the Demon King's dungeon, so the resistance to controlling someone else's dungeon is strong. Normally, you can only destroy the traps."

"Oh, I see."

"Yeah, that's how it works. I didn't expect you to move entire sections. Your imagination and scale are different."

She laughed, sounding impressed and delighted.

Honestly, I found it difficult to imagine breaking the trap, so I just thought about shattering it at the root. I didn't expect such a result.

...Anyway, I understand that in the Demon King's dungeon, if you verbalize your imagination, it moves easily.

When using the power to control the dungeon in the future, I need to think more carefully. Otherwise, it could be dangerous.

"Anyway, the traps are destroyed, so let's go when the dust clears. The path I cleared of tiger traps is the official route. Let's end it after seeing the bedroom. The right path is a dead end, so there's no point in going there."

Ah, right.

This dungeon has a wide stone corridor, a T-junction, and ends with a bedroom.

...Despite the various events, dungeon exploration might be a bit fun.

I don't like dungeons full of traps, but it's enjoyable to see such dungeons while learning from the Super Advanced Class students.

Just as I was thinking this,

...Huh?

I noticed something. The dust was clearly being sucked into a hollow in front of me. It seems there's a large space beyond.

"Riza, there's a strange hollow in the T-junction wall. Is there a small room beyond it?"

So I asked, but

"Huh? A hollow in the wall?"

Riza didn't seem to know.

She tilted her head in confusion and looked ahead. However, her expression soon turned to shock.

"No way. The last time I explored here, there was no room... Could there be a room hidden inside the trap...!"

Behind the wall where the spear trap was, a hollow large enough for a few people to fit had formed. On the floor, a golden sphere was glowing.

"Is that small sphere a new trap or something?"

"No, it's not, Chrono. That... is the Demon King's legacy!"

As she said this, Riza ran to the golden, semi-transparent sphere and picked it up.

"These two were here all along. They were on the treasure list written by the first-generation Demon King, but we couldn't find them until now..."

Riza seemed moved. But, I didn't understand why she was so emotional.

"Um, Riza, could you explain what's going on?"

So I asked, and Riza held the golden sphere in front of me and answered.

"Yeah. I said we've explored ninety percent, so we've taken most of the legacy from this dungeon. But there were two items we couldn't find. These are the 'First-Generation Demon King's Ring' and the 'Golden Preservation Box.'"

Ring? I almost tilted my head in confusion, but upon closer inspection, a black gemstone ring was inside the sphere. It seemed the sphere was a container.

"Here, Chrono."

Riza handed me the sphere and the ring.

"Huh? Why me?"

"You found this legacy, so you should keep it. No one could find it after searching so many times, but you found it on your first try... Chrono has the potential to conquer and control the Demon King's dungeon!"

Then, she firmly gripped my hands holding the sphere.

"Potential? I just accidentally triggered a trap and found the legacy by chance."

"That chance is important! No one has ever done it before. And, Chrono, this is proof that you've conquered and controlled this dungeon. Take it with pride!"

"O-Okay. I understand."

So, it seems my first exploration of the Demon King's dungeon was more successful than I expected.