Chapter 86

Picking up the fragment of the stone tablet, I continued to explore the increasingly complex and branching passages.

The monsters were still mummies and Rigasmanus, but compared to the beginning, there were more Fluerum Mummies.

I have to burn them after defeating them, which is quite troublesome. Still, it's better than them getting back up, so there's no choice.

After a long time of exploring the rooms, I finally discovered another room with a treasure chest...

"Ah, this is bad. The ceiling will definitely fall."

"It's different from the room with the gem, as it has needles attached."

The room with the treasure chest was a large room, over 100 meters deep and quite wide. Looking up from the entrance, the ceiling, about 3 meters high, was covered with numerous sharp needle-like objects.

This ceiling will definitely fall when the treasure chest is opened. Considering the height of the ceiling, it seems there's plenty of room, but the length of the needles means there's only about 2 meters of falling distance.

This trap room is really impressive.

"If we could use a beacon, we could easily get out."

"I don't have the confidence to run this distance before the ceiling falls..."

"I don't think I can make it either."

If the ceiling took time to fall, we could easily clear it with a beacon. Cissha and Luna are carefully examining the distance to the back and the ceiling, but both say they don't have the confidence to return to the treasure chest before the ceiling falls.

Hmm... Even Luna can't do it. In that case, the only one who might be able to get through safely is...

"Noll, do you have the confidence to take the contents of that treasure chest and return before the ceiling falls?"

"Of course, you're asking me. Hmm... The ceiling in the gem room fell quite quickly, didn't it... Hmm..."

Noll, with her hands clasped, is looking around the room and making a troubled sound. With her speed, which surpasses even beasts, she should be able to open the treasure chest and return without any problem.

But, it's natural to feel some unease.

...Alright, let's do this.

"Oh, are you going to stack Nikes' shoes?"

"I've already accumulated quite a few, so I thought I might as well use this opportunity to create a high-performance item."

"They are already quite high-performance in their original state. Indeed, with that, it would be helpful for clearing this room."

As I was operating my smartphone, Estelle peeked over my shoulder. I already have more than 10 pairs of Nikes' shoes, so I thought it would be good to create a high-performance item this time.

――――――

●Nikes' Shoes ☆5

Defense +10

Movement Speed +110%

――――――

Wow... Just stacking 5 pairs gives this much. The defense is still low, but this is an incredible pair of shoes.

"Would it be impossible to switch to these and use one more bracelet?"

"Hmm, I can't tell without trying. Can I try once?"

"Sure, go ahead."

I handed her the Wind Bracelet I was using, which, combined with Nikes' shoes, should increase her movement speed by 150%. With Estelle's support magic, she should be extremely fast.

I immediately had Noll equip them and asked her to run a straight path as a test.

Assuming she would take the treasure chest, she started running from a standing position. The even faster Noll quickly reached the end of the path and collided with the wall with a thud.

What is she doing...

"Itai, itai, itai... This is amazing! With this, I can easily return before the ceiling falls!"

"O, oh. Really?"

She ran back at the same speed and stopped in front of us. She was holding her head, probably from the pain of hitting the wall, but she was excited about the performance of Nikes' shoes.

Well, it seems we can do this. But, I want to take some more precautions... Is there anything good...

"Hey, there were a few stone statues in the dungeon, right?"

"Yeah... I think I saw a few when we were exploring the rooms."

Like the ruins above, there were a few stone statues shaped like Moai or haniwa scattered around here. They were dyed green, so they seemed as sturdy as the dungeon walls or the crystal that shoots lasers.

Using these, we might be able to clear this room.

"Noll, can I borrow your Power Bracelet for a bit?"

"Sure, but what are you planning to do?"

"I had a good idea."

"When you say 'good idea,' it sounds a bit worrying."

Noll tilted her head and took off the Power Bracelet, handing it to me. Luna, with her arms crossed and a suspicious look, was wondering what I was planning to do.

Ignoring those looks, I searched a few nearby rooms and found a stone statue. I squatted down and gradually lifted it from the bottom. Normally, it would be impossible to lift, but with the Power Bracelet, it felt like lifting a slightly heavy object.

I carried the stone statue to the room with the treasure chest and placed it in a suitable spot.

"Hehe, if we place a few of these, we won't have to worry about being completely crushed."

"Who would have thought you'd bring stone statues from inside the dungeon..."

"This is a completely different strategy..."

As I nodded in satisfaction, Noll and the others looked at me with white eyes again. Why are you looking at me like that! This is a proper strategy!

"What are you saying? Creating a safe situation is important, right? It's better to have insurance in case we don't make it in time."

"That's true, but... Hmm... Is this really okay?"

"There's no need to take unnecessary risks, so it's fine, right?"

Noll still doesn't seem convinced by my explanation. Luna, with her arms still crossed and a suspicious look, seems to agree with the safety aspect and supports my actions.

I understand the desire to clear the dungeon in a more adventurous way, but avoiding danger is the best approach. I want them to understand.

"Alright, I'll go then!"

"Ah, make sure to check for traps on the floor when you go. Oh, use my weapon and shield. A lighter one would be better, right?"

"Eh, those... Understood..."

After bringing more stone statues, we finally finished the preparations. As Noll was about to head for the treasure chest, I stopped her and handed her Excalibur and a pot lid. Her sword and shield were a bit large and might affect her running.

She seemed a bit reluctant but reluctantly took the bar and lid from me, put away her own equipment, and headed to the back.

When she reached the treasure chest, the ceiling started to move with a thud.

I looked ahead to see if Noll was okay, and she was already past the halfway point and quickly returned to the entrance.

What... That was too fast. It was over 100 meters, yet she returned in less than 5 seconds!?

"That was fast... So, what was inside?"

"Yes, it was. This is the second one."

Noll handed me the contents she took from the treasure chest. As expected, it was another fragment of the stone tablet, with the same square shape and jagged edges.

Looking at this, it seems we need two more to complete it.

"That's a loud noise."

"What do we do with this?"

"Let it be."

The stone statues and the ceiling are colliding, producing a dull sound that I've never heard before. The stone statues don't seem to be breaking, so it seems my idea wasn't wrong. It was completely unnecessary, though.

●

"Wow... This is impressive."

"The bottom can't be seen... I can't see the bottom either..."

After obtaining the second fragment, we explored the dungeon and found another room with a treasure chest.

This time, the room had a narrow path, only about the width of a person's foot, from the entrance to the treasure chest. On either side were dark holes that seemed to go down forever, and even Luna couldn't see the bottom.

"Are we supposed to cross this narrow path?"

"It might be possible to cross, but it's scary to think about falling."

The distance to the back isn't as long as the previous room, but it's still quite a distance.

This is like tightrope walking or a balance beam. If you fail, you'll definitely die.

To check if there's a bottom, I'll drop something.

I searched my smartphone for something to drop, but there was nothing suitable. Even a potion would be a waste... Is there anything good... Ah, this will do.

I had a good idea and started searching nearby rooms for it.

"There it is. Good, good!"

I found a stone statue, carried it over, and threw it into the hole.

"Phew... Alright, that's done."

"What's done? Stop using stone statues when you're in trouble!"

"To check the depth, I had to drop a stone statue, didn't you think?"

"But, it's the only way to confirm if there's a bottom."

Luna yelled at me, saying I should stop using stone statues.

Well, it's convenient, so there's no choice.

Besides, there are countless stone statues in the dungeon, so dropping a few shouldn't be a problem.

If they're used like this, it's not my fault but the fault of whoever placed them.

"There's no sound."

"That's right..."

"Is there no bottom? I'm starting to feel scared about crossing..."

We waited for a while after dropping the stone statue, but there was no sound.

Is the bottom too deep, or is it a different dimension? Either way, falling would be dangerous.

We have an escape device, so we can escape even if we fall, but it would definitely delay us.

We need to clear this room in one go for the gacha.

"Alright, I'll go."

"Eh... Are you sure? Shouldn't I go instead?"

I can't keep relying on Noll. This time, let me handle it.

"Ohtsuka-sama... You've become so reliable. I never imagined I'd see this side of you..."

I've already had Noll do her best, so I can't keep asking her. As I said this, she covered her mouth and spoke with a trembling, tearful voice.

Her reaction makes me wonder how she usually thinks of me...

"Big brother, you're more confident than usual."

"Ohtsuka-san always steps up when it's needed. I knew that."

"...You're not thinking straight."

Estelle and Cissha, who had been watching our conversation, looked at me with admiration.

Luna, with a suspicious look, seemed to be wondering what I was planning to do.

It's unfair to react like this just because I'm motivated.

To clear this room, I stepped on the narrow path in front of me—no, I rummaged through my bag.

"...What are you doing?"

"Huh? I'm preparing to go there."

Noll, who had been looking at me expectantly, tilted her head when she saw me rummaging through my bag.

"Aren't you going to cross normally!?"

"Who said I was going to cross normally?"

I said I would go, but I never said I would clear it normally.

To clear this room, I will use Wall Shoes and Air Rope.

I don't have the confidence to cross such a narrow path, so I plan to walk on the side walls.

"So that's why you were so confident..."

"I knew Ohtsuka-san would do something like this."

"Well, as long as it's safe, it's fine, right?"

Estelle and the others, who had been looking at me with admiration, now looked at me with exasperation.

Luna, however, said it was fine, so she's secretly kind.

I changed into Wall Shoes, attached two Air Ropes to my waist, and hooked them to the top of the room as a safety measure.

When I cautiously put my foot on the side wall, it felt like walking on normal ground.

I walked along the wall, unhooked one Air Rope and rehooked it to the front, then did the same with the other.

There were no obstacles, and I easily reached the treasure chest and obtained another fragment of the stone tablet.

"Alright! This is the third one! We only need one more."

"I want my excitement back..."

When I returned using the same method, Noll greeted me with a dejected look.

Even though I cleared it, why do I have to be greeted like this?

Well, whatever... We only need one more. Once we get it, we should be able to complete this dungeon!

●

"This room looks very significant."

"There's a coffin... and a door that seems to open at the back."

"Hmm, that's a nice coffin. It would feel good to sleep in it."

We continued to advance, defeating monsters, and found a small room.

There was no treasure chest, but there was a long, green stone coffin in the center.

At the back, there were double doors, giving off a sense that something was there.

Luna, looking at the coffin, placed her hand on her chin and wandered around it, clearly interested.

Does she like coffins? Since the room has a normal bed, I might consider getting a coffin bed for her after we clear the dungeon.

"Ah, this part of the coffin. It looks like the gem we got earlier could fit here!"

"Does that mean something will happen if we put it in?"

Noll pointed to the center of the coffin's lid. There was a hexagonal hole.

The red hexagonal gem we got from the room where the ceiling fell was the same shape.

So, something should happen if we put it in, but do we really need to do it?

In a place where so many mummies appear, there's probably a mid-boss in the coffin.

And to open the door, we probably need to defeat it, which is a common scenario.

I'd rather skip it if I can. All we need to do is open the door, so is there a way to open it without fighting?

So, I decided to check if it could be opened.

"Alright! Grr, hmm... Tsk, it won't open."

I tried to open the door by inserting Excalibur into the gap, just like I did with the treasure chest in the ruins, and moving it back and forth.

However, it didn't budge, no matter how much I tried.

Sigh... It's no use. We need to find the proper way to open this door.

Noll, who had been watching my actions, waved her arms up and down, trying to tell me to stop.

Hmm, I have a bad feeling about this... It seems we have to open the coffin.