Chapter 23

Chapter 3 For That Handful of Silver Coins (6)

***

"This, no matter how I think about it, over there, that, that.... the one we just passed...."

"Market?"

"Yeah! Market! Anyway, wouldn't it have been better to raid it and get out quickly?"

"Tsk tsk, Vex, that's not the point."

As they passed the market occupied by the scavengers and headed towards the path leading to the second basement floor, the professor and Vex were descending on the elevator line.

"You clearly said it was a 'golden opportunity.'"

"Tha...t's right?"

"So, if we grab a 'golden opportunity' and only get 10 to 15 pieces of silver, would that be a loss? Or not?"

"Hmm.... Well, since we got something, it's a gain, right?"

"No! There's something called opportunity cost, you know!"

"Ouch! Hap! Don't push me! I'm falling!"

When I put my foot on Vex's shoulder to get a running start, he started groaning. The professor gauged the distance between the open elevator door and him with his eyes. It looked sufficient.

"Falling? I saw you swinging from power lines just yesterday. Stop whining and give me a hand. Just jump over there."

"Ouch! The door! It's open! We could just use the momentum to get over! If we stretch our arms, we can reach it! We could grab the edge and climb over!"

"Shh- Listen to me. Hold the line firmly!"

"That's only when it's needed- Oof!"

The professor kicked Vex's shoulder forcefully and landed in a stylish pose quite far from the elevator entrance.

"Plenty of room!"

"Hehe, as the Buddha said, a wise man points to the moon, but a fool looks at the finger. See this? I knew it would happen."

The professor took out a machete, lit the lantern, and cautiously approached the open elevator entrance.

"Hey, Vex."

"Just a moment! Let me over! Right now!"

"No, look this way."

When the professor shone the lantern close to the ground, a thin wire glinted in the light.

"It's a tripwire. If we had just jumped, we would have both been shredded."

"!"

"Hmm.... Usually, these are set up with both tension and release triggers, but this one only has a tension trigger. Maybe they were in a hurry. That makes it easier to disarm."

A tension trigger goes off when pulled, and a release trigger goes off when cut. Having both would be a headache, but with just one, it's not too difficult to disarm. Follow the wire to find the explosive at the end, and just disconnect the wire from the trigger. The explosive was a makeshift can bomb, made by putting gunpowder, glass, and metal shards into a metal can.

'This is a high-quality item, using a safety handle and pin from a grenade to compensate for the can bomb's inability to control the timing of the explosion. But it was probably made using parts from a dud grenade.'

"Hmm.... Not bad income already? A can bomb and some wire."

Snap-

Vex gave a slight push and tumbled over, inspecting the spot where the wire was and marveling.

"Wow, if we had just jumped, our knees would have hit it."

"They used valuable explosives to make it, so of course it's well-made."

"You don't see this kind of thing often, even though we fight bloody battles every day outside."

"That's because it doesn't pay off. In Sector 45, where there are plenty of sniper points, it's more profitable to capture a good one than to set up one of these and wait for the enemy. Most don't have the materials to make such cheap bombs anyway."

But this place is different. It's narrow, dark, and the paths leading down are limited. Setting up such traps here would be very effective.

'And the fact that someone among the scavengers knows about and can set up such traps is significant.'

"Vex, stay alert."

"I've been on edge since we came in."

"No, I mean, really feel like one wrong move could kill you."

Because the guys in front of us seem to be the real deal.

The professor recalled the terrifying urban warfare from long ago and turned off the lantern.

***

Drip- Drip-

The sound of water dripping from a crack in the ceiling could be heard.

'Is it groundwater...? I don't know if this building was like this before we came in or if it became this way because of our entry, but it won't last much longer.'

As they moved further inside, a large room with round tables appeared.

"This place... seems to have been a dining hall?"

"Hmm. Looks like it. Look, there are forks and knives."

The professor wiped the dirty utensils on his clothes and put them in his pocket. Stainless steel is a precious metal and sells for a good price.

"Still, it's quite visible in here? Even with our eyes adapted to the dark, shouldn't it be hard to see without light?"

"That means there's light. I've seen it once in the Underdome. It's a facility that sends sunlight from the surface underground."

"Hap! You've been to the Underdome?"

"....By chance."

The two quietly surveyed their surroundings. The area was filled with the traces of past enemies and mutant corpses. And...

"Raaah-"

"Ugh-"

"Ugh. This is a bit much."

"Hmm. It seems the residents here didn't live happily."

Looking at the kitchen, they saw a mutant hanging from a hook and swallowed their gasps. The puncture marks suggested it had been hung there and died, turning into a mutant.

"This... it's probably that, right?"

"Probably. A shelter of this size would have been designed to be self-sufficient... but maybe they lacked meat?"

"Maybe it was some kind of ritual? There are plenty of those outside."

"Or maybe the rich friends found this place lacking in entertainment."

Whatever it was, something terrible had happened here.

The professor inspected the mutant hanging from the hook.

'They've cut off the hands, feet, and jaw. This is a method used when you can't kill a mutant easily and don't have the luxury to burn the bodies... but why do it to mutants that are already hanging and not a threat? From the wounds, it looks like all the cuts were made with a gun.'

One of the two, probably. Either they are meticulous enough to ensure the mutants are completely neutralized, or they are typical scavengers who just like to shoot anything that moves. Either way, they don't seem to mind the ammunition cost.

"Vex, stay alert."

"I've been on edge since we came in."

"No, I mean, really feel like one wrong move could kill you."

Because the guys in front of us seem to be the real deal.

The professor recalled the terrifying urban warfare from long ago and turned off the lantern.

***

Drip- Drip-

The sound of water dripping from a crack in the ceiling could be heard.

'Is it groundwater...? I don't know if this building was like this before we came in or if it became this way because of our entry, but it won't last much longer.'

As they moved further inside, a large room with round tables appeared.

"This place... seems to have been a dining hall?"

"Hmm. Looks like it. Look, there are forks and knives."

The professor wiped the dirty utensils on his clothes and put them in his pocket. Stainless steel is a precious metal and sells for a good price.

"Still, it's quite visible in here? Even with our eyes adapted to the dark, shouldn't it be hard to see without light?"

"That means there's light. I've seen it once in the Underdome. It's a facility that sends sunlight from the surface underground."

"Hap! You've been to the Underdome?"

"....By chance."

The two quietly surveyed their surroundings. The area was filled with the traces of past enemies and mutant corpses. And...

"Raaah-"

"Ugh-"

"Ugh. This is a bit much."

"Hmm. It seems the residents here didn't live happily."

Looking at the kitchen, they saw a mutant hanging from a hook and swallowed their gasps. The puncture marks suggested it had been hung there and died, turning into a mutant.

"This... it's probably that, right?"

"Probably. A shelter of this size would have been designed to be self-sufficient... but maybe they lacked meat?"

"Maybe it was some kind of ritual? There are plenty of those outside."

"Or maybe the rich friends found this place lacking in entertainment."

Whatever it was, something terrible had happened here.

The professor inspected the mutant hanging from the hook.

'They've cut off the hands, feet, and jaw. This is a method used when you can't kill a mutant easily and don't have the luxury to burn the bodies... but why do it to mutants that are already hanging and not a threat? From the wounds, it looks like all the cuts were made with a gun.'

One of the two, probably. Either they are meticulous enough to ensure the mutants are completely neutralized, or they are typical scavengers who just like to shoot anything that moves. Either way, they don't seem to mind the ammunition cost.

"Vex, stay alert."

"I've been on edge since we came in."

"No, I mean, really feel like one wrong move could kill you."

Because the guys in front of us seem to be the real deal.

The professor recalled the terrifying urban warfare from long ago and turned off the lantern.

***

Drip- Drip-

The sound of water dripping from a crack in the ceiling could be heard.

'Is it groundwater...? I don't know if this building was like this before we came in or if it became this way because of our entry, but it won't last much longer.'

As they moved further inside, a large room with round tables appeared.

"This place... seems to have been a dining hall?"

"Hmm. Looks like it. Look, there are forks and knives."

The professor wiped the dirty utensils on his clothes and put them in his pocket. Stainless steel is a precious metal and sells for a good price.

"Still, it's quite visible in here? Even with our eyes adapted to the dark, shouldn't it be hard to see without light?"

"That means there's light. I've seen it once in the Underdome. It's a facility that sends sunlight from the surface underground."

"Hap! You've been to the Underdome?"

"....By chance."

The two quietly surveyed their surroundings. The area was filled with the traces of past enemies and mutant corpses. And...

"Raaah-"

"Ugh-"

"Ugh. This is a bit much."

"Hmm. It seems the residents here didn't live happily."

Looking at the kitchen, they saw a mutant hanging from a hook and swallowed their gasps. The puncture marks suggested it had been hung there and died, turning into a mutant.

"This... it's probably that, right?"

"Probably. A shelter of this size would have been designed to be self-sufficient... but maybe they lacked meat?"

"Maybe it was some kind of ritual? There are plenty of those outside."

"Or maybe the rich friends found this place lacking in entertainment."

Whatever it was, something terrible had happened here.

The professor inspected the mutant hanging from the hook.

'They've cut off the hands, feet, and jaw. This is a method used when you can't kill a mutant easily and don't have the luxury to burn the bodies... but why do it to mutants that are already hanging and not a threat? From the wounds, it looks like all the cuts were made with a gun.'

One of the two, probably. Either they are meticulous enough to ensure the mutants are completely neutralized, or they are typical scavengers who just like to shoot anything that moves. Either way, they don't seem to mind the ammunition cost.

"Vex, stay alert."

"I've been on edge since we came in."

"No, I mean, really feel like one wrong move could kill you."

Because the guys in front of us seem to be the real deal.

The professor recalled the terrifying urban warfare from long ago and turned off the lantern.

***

Drip- Drip-

The sound of water dripping from a crack in the ceiling could be heard.

'Is it groundwater...? I don't know if this building was like this before we came in or if it became this way because of our entry, but it won't last much longer.'

As they moved further inside, a large room with round tables appeared.

"This place... seems to have been a dining hall?"

"Hmm. Looks like it. Look, there are forks and knives."

The professor wiped the dirty utensils on his clothes and put them in his pocket. Stainless steel is a precious metal and sells for a good price.

"Still, it's quite visible in here? Even with our eyes adapted to the dark, shouldn't it be hard to see without light?"

"That means there's light. I've seen it once in the Underdome. It's a facility that sends sunlight from the surface underground."

"Hap! You've been to the Underdome?"

"....By chance."

The two quietly surveyed their surroundings. The area was filled with the traces of past enemies and mutant corpses. And...

"Raaah-"

"Ugh-"

"Ugh. This is a bit much."

"Hmm. It seems the residents here didn't live happily."

Looking at the kitchen, they saw a mutant hanging from a hook and swallowed their gasps. The puncture marks suggested it had been hung there and died, turning into a mutant.

"This... it's probably that, right?"

"Probably. A shelter of this size would have been designed to be self-sufficient... but maybe they lacked meat?"

"Maybe it was some kind of ritual? There are plenty of those outside."

"Or maybe the rich friends found this place lacking in entertainment."

Whatever it was, something terrible had happened here.

The professor inspected the mutant hanging from the hook.

'They've cut off the hands, feet, and jaw. This is a method used when you can't kill a mutant easily and don't have the luxury to burn the bodies... but why do it to mutants that are already hanging and not a threat? From the wounds, it looks like all the cuts were made with a gun.'

One of the two, probably. Either they are meticulous enough to ensure the mutants are completely neutralized, or they are typical scavengers who just like to shoot anything that moves. Either way, they don't seem to mind the ammunition cost.

"Vex, stay alert."

"I've been on edge since we came in."

"No, I mean, really feel like one wrong move could kill you."

Because the guys in front of us seem to be the real deal.

The professor recalled the terrifying urban warfare from long ago and turned off the lantern.

***

Drip- Drip-

The sound of water dripping from a crack in the ceiling could be heard.

'Is it groundwater...? I don't know if this building was like this before we came in or if it became this way because of our entry, but it won't last much longer.'

As they moved further inside, a large room with round tables appeared.

"This place... seems to have been a dining hall?"

"Hmm. Looks like it. Look, there are forks and knives."

The professor wiped the dirty utensils on his clothes and put them in his pocket. Stainless steel is a precious metal and sells for a good price.

"Still, it's quite visible in here? Even with our eyes adapted to the dark, shouldn't it be hard to see without light?"

"That means there's light. I've seen it once in the Underdome. It's a facility that sends sunlight from the surface underground."

"Hap! You've been to the Underdome?"

"....By chance."

The two quietly surveyed their surroundings. The area was filled with the traces of past enemies and mutant corpses. And...

"Raaah-"

"Ugh-"

"Ugh. This is a bit much."

"Hmm. It seems the residents here didn't live happily."

Looking at the kitchen, they saw a mutant hanging from a hook and swallowed their gasps. The puncture marks suggested it had been hung there and died, turning into a mutant.

"This... it's probably that, right?"

"Probably. A shelter of this size would have been designed to be self-sufficient... but maybe they lacked meat?"

"Maybe it was some kind of ritual? There are plenty of those outside."

"Or maybe the rich friends found this place lacking in entertainment."

Whatever it was, something terrible had happened here.

The professor inspected the mutant hanging from the hook.

'They've cut off the hands, feet, and jaw. This is a method used when you can't kill a mutant easily and don't have the luxury to burn the bodies... but why do it to mutants that are already hanging and not a threat? From the wounds, it looks like all the cuts were made with a gun.'

One of the two, probably. Either they are meticulous enough to ensure the mutants are completely neutralized, or they are typical scavengers who just like to shoot anything that moves. Either way, they don't seem to mind the ammunition cost.

"Vex, stay alert."

"I've been on edge since we came in."

"No, I mean, really feel like one wrong move could kill you."

Because the guys in front of us seem to be the real deal.

The professor recalled the terrifying urban warfare from long ago and turned off the lantern.

***

Drip- Drip-

The sound of water dripping from a crack in the ceiling could be heard.

'Is it groundwater...? I don't know if this building was like this before we came in or if it became this way because of our entry, but it won't last much longer.'

As they moved further inside, a large room with round tables appeared.

"This place... seems to have been a dining hall?"

"Hmm. Looks like it. Look, there are forks and knives."

The professor wiped the dirty utensils on his clothes and put them in his pocket. Stainless steel is a precious metal and sells for a good price.

"Still, it's quite visible in here? Even with our eyes adapted to the dark, shouldn't it be hard to see without light?"

"That means there's light. I've seen it once in the Underdome. It's a facility that sends sunlight from the surface underground."

"Hap! You've been to the Underdome?"

"....By chance."

The two quietly surveyed their surroundings. The area was filled with the traces of past enemies and mutant corpses. And...

"Raaah-"

"Ugh-"

"Ugh. This is a bit much."

"Hmm. It seems the residents here didn't live happily."

Looking at the kitchen, they saw a mutant hanging from a hook and swallowed their gasps. The puncture marks suggested it had been hung there and died, turning into a mutant.

"This... it's probably that, right?"

"Probably. A shelter of this size would have been designed to be self-sufficient... but maybe they lacked meat?"

"Maybe it was some kind of ritual? There are plenty of those outside."

"Or maybe the rich friends found this place lacking in entertainment."

Whatever it was, something terrible had happened here.

The professor inspected the mutant hanging from the hook.

'They've cut off the hands, feet, and jaw. This is a method used when you can't kill a mutant easily and don't have the luxury to burn the bodies... but why do it to mutants that are already hanging and not a threat? From the wounds, it looks like all the cuts were made with