kscans

Chapter 26 - Chapter 26: A New Dungeon

Trouble outside the dungeon revealed the existence of my Item Box to everyone.

Well, it was bound to be revealed sooner or later, so there's no helping it.

It seems I will now be placed under government control and kept under surveillance.

For example, contact from foreign nations is a possibility.

If the Japanese government pushes too hard, I might end up defecting to another country.

I have no intention of going to a foreign country that hasn't recovered yet, but if it's America, maybe... I start thinking such things.

If it's America, they'd probably pay a lot of money, wouldn't they?

The Prime Minister was among the members who interrogated me, so they should understand that.

An Item Box, depending on how it's used, is comparable to a strategic nuclear weapon.

That's right—if I'm making a deal with the nation, I can't do it as an individual.

Should I start a company?

Video revenue is coming in quite a bit anyway.

Before that, I decided to go to the weapon shop in the Special District.

Since money is coming in, I'll get some new weapons.

—Not that I intend to make something that's too big to be called a sword.

At my level, I feel like I could swing around giant swords like in anime or games.

In fact, there are people using weapons like that, but I'm not quite that.

With the Item Box, carrying a giant sword would be possible, though...

While thinking about weapons, I arrived in front of the weapon shop.

In the showcase, a variety of weapons were displayed so they could be seen at a glance, from sharp blades to heavy firearms.

In one corner, a Japanese sword with a glossy blade and an ancient-style sword adorned with elegant carvings were proudly displayed.

Next to them, polished axes and bardiches that reflected light were neatly lined up, their elegance catching the eye.

Further inside, compound crossbows that promised victory on the battlefield and air rifles with futuristic designs were lined up.

All of them were carefully displayed one by one, as if to show off their power and the shop's technology.

"Wow, this is amazing."

I had heard that weapon shops in the Special District were rip-offs, so I had been avoiding them, but wouldn't any boy get excited about this?

I see, a bardiche is an option too.

There are things that catch my eye, but my weapons aren't like that.

I walked into the back of the shop.

"Hi."

"Welcome."

Behind the counter was a thin old man with a beard.

In a fantasy setting, dwarves would be the ones in a place like this, but of course, there are no dwarves in Japan.

Even if they say they make weapons, they probably aren't making them right here.

They're likely relying on a familiar ironworks or something.

"I saw online that you make any kind of weapon..."

"Of course, we will do our best to fulfill your order. It will cost money, though—what kind of weapon is it? Large swords are popular among high-level adventurers."

He pointed to a large sword leaning against the wall.

It was far too crude to be called a sword, but I suppose these prioritize strength.

I think it's a type that attacks with mass.

"No, what I want to order is this."

I took out a Single-pipe Missile from the Item Box.

"Huh! D-did you just pull that out of an Item Box?!"

The old man jumped at the Single-pipe pipe that suddenly appeared.

"That's right."

"Um, the person who publicly declared they have an Item Box as mentioned in the official bulletin—is that you?"

"That's me."

"I see—I see. I look forward to doing business with you from now on. So, is this weapon a throwing weapon—a spear?"

"That's right."

The weapon is almost complete, but I want a bit more strength.

"Is it hollow inside?"

"No, it's filled with sand."

"I see—I see."

He is a weapon expert.

It seems he understood my intention.

"This one used a Single-pipe pipe quickly, but I want it to be a bit thicker and heavier."

"Then shall we make it a double structure so that the core flies out upon impact with the target?"

"Good, a Kinetic Energy Armor-Piercing Round."

"Yes."

"Make the core out of Super-hard Tungsten."

"The price will skyrocket."

"I only plan to use it against strong enemies that weapons can't penetrate, so I don't intend to stock many—how much will one cost?"

The man was tapping on a calculator.

"Probably around 100,000 yen."

"If that's the case, it's okay. I want to order about six."

"Understood."

"If I can get Depleted Uranium Rounds, I'd like to make the core out of that."

"..."

He silently beckoned me over, so I leaned in close.

"Actually, I can get a little bit."

"For real?"

"Since the world stopped, uranium has stopped undergoing nuclear fission, hasn't it?"

"Yeah."

"So, there's quite a bit of uranium that has nowhere to go."

"That's not Depleted Uranium, that's raw uranium, isn't it?"

"Since the radioactivity is gone, either one is fine."

That makes sense.

Super-heavy elements have just become extremely heavy, non-radioactive matter.

Anyway, I thought processing Depleted Uranium would be quite difficult, so being able to do that must mean something.

"Then, add two more of those."

"So, that makes eight in total."

"Yeah."

Since it doesn't have much use, the price doesn't seem that high.

The total came to one million yen.

"Then, I'll leave it to you."

"Understood."

I pay in advance using my smartphone.

I have money, so I'm fine.

With this, I can upgrade the missile rank and use them differently depending on the enemy.

Now, will strong enemies appear that require Depleted Uranium Rounds?

I feel like I'm setting up a flag myself, but it's probably just my imagination.

"Also, can't you upgrade this?"

I took out a plastic bat from the Item Box.

This is convenient for human combat or when holding back.

"A toy bat? Hmm, this is..."

The shop owner held the bat and seemed to understand my intention.

As expected of a weapon pro.

"Um, then let's do this."

He drew a diagram on paper.

The fact that it wasn't a tablet gives the impression that he isn't from the younger generation.

It's probably just familiarity.

For a generation born with tablets, using them is second nature.

What he proposed was passing a metal spring core through a bag-shaped bat filled with iron sand.

The bag would be reinforced with fibers used in bulletproof vests—a thing like that.

In terms of impression, it's like a handheld sandbag.

The price is—100,000 yen.

You might think it's expensive, but for a one-off, this is what it's like.

If you don't like it, you have to make it yourself, but I, who has done some DIY, understand that.

That would be difficult.

I can't process special fibers.

"Then, I'll leave it to you."

"Understood."

He said he would contact me via smartphone when it's finished.

I'm a little curious about how it will turn out.

When I went outside after ordering the weapons, it was around noon.

At the usual stall, I bought about ten monster kebabs and threw them into the Item Box.

"Eh?!"

The shop owner was surprised again.

Well, they'll get used to it eventually.

"Hahaha."

For now, I laughed it off and started eating the kebab.

As always, this place is delicious.

"Are you the boss, sir?"

The shop owner showed me the news on his smartphone.

"That's right."

"I didn't realize you were such an amazing person."

"Actually, I'm not that amazing. I'm just an ordinary middle-aged man."

"Ordinary middle-aged men don't have an Item Box."

"Hahaha."

Putting kebabs in and out doesn't catch the eyes of passersby.

Only the people monitoring me are keeping an eye on me.

Could a special forces unit from some country come and start shooting?

That would be troublesome, but for now, I have no intention of being kidnapped silently.

I will resist with all my might.

"Oh! That's right."

I finally got a direct line to the Prime Minister.

Wouldn't it be better to ask directly?

"Um, 'I know you're busy, but could I ask a question when you have time'."

If I'm targeted by special forces from a third country, gangs, or cartels and kidnapped, is it okay to fight back?

That's the question.

I don't think I'll get an answer immediately, but it's still noon, so I have time.

I decided to dive into the dungeon.

Today, I'm alone, so I can do whatever I want.

If that's the case, I'll go check out the newly discovered dungeon.

If I'm alone, I don't have to worry the girls.

"Alright, decided!"

—Just as I was about to head to the dungeon, a reply came from the Prime Minister.

"We have Public Security and the Special Operations Group for such times, but we absolutely want to prevent you from being kidnapped. It's fine within the Special District, but we will overlook most things even outside."

"Eh?! Are the Self-Defense Forces deployed too?"

I looked around, but surely they aren't constantly sticking to me.

If that kind of information comes in, they will be deployed.

In the first place, she isn't denying that such a situation will occur.

Oh my—this has become quite a big deal, but that's how dangerous an ability the Item Box is.

"By the way, while I'm at it, I'll ask: 'I heard there are special forces who can use magic even away from the dungeon, is that true?'"

A reply came.

"Without telling anyone else—they are the Emblem Squad. Since there's a possibility the opponent is a fallen adventurer, deploying them is a natural option."

The Prime Minister wouldn't lie, so there really are special forces who can use magic.

"Phew..."

I sighed.

Many people will want my ability, but if they realize they can't get it, they might switch to elimination.

My ability is a threat even to enemies, so such a decision wouldn't be strange.

Of course, even an ally like the United States cannot be trusted.

I think I can profit by publicizing the Item Box, but having my life targeted is another matter.

It's fine for me, but dragging the girls into that is too pitiful.

Should I set Kirara as the sub-leader and basically do it solo?

As I was thinking about future plans, another call came in.

"Oh?"

Is it Mochizuki-kun this time?

"I saw the news. I didn't think Niwa-san was such an amazing person. It makes sense that you took down a Troll in one shot. I realized I'm not suited for being an adventurer, so I decided to look for another job."

Oh my~ Mochizuki-kun is quitting being an adventurer?

Well, he must have had scary and painful experiences.

With this, I think aptitude is important after all.

I'm someone who hunted in remote areas.

I even fought brown bears.

It's a pity, but there's no helping it.

"I hope you find your next job soon."

—I replied that.

I arrived at the dungeon, passed through the automatic gates, and went inside.

I took out a bicycle from the Item Box and headed straight for the second floor.

The destination is the entrance to the newly discovered deep layer.

I'm interested in the new layer, but I also want to try out new equipment.

I attached a light to the camera I usually use for filming.

Since I store it together in the Item Box, it comes out together when I take it out.

It seems the bugs of the Item Box also apply.

Can this really be used inside the dungeon?—I want to verify that.

Upon arrival, there were a few other people ahead.

It was a party of about four people equipped with modern armor.

A small house with a door was built, and a fiber optic light was installed to illuminate the signboard.

It said something like "We are not responsible for anything that happens if you go down."

People who go to such a place shouldn't care about that, but for the authorities, it's probably an excuse like "We warned you, just in case."

Also, it seems the corridor has priority for going up.

The guests ahead opened the door, so I entered with them.

Inside was pitch black.

"What is this, is there no light?"

"Light! ."

While the guests ahead were muttering, their companion seemed to use a light spell.

They started going down the corridor, so I followed a little distance behind.

I can see even in the dark.

The corridor was narrow, just enough space for one person to pass.

"It said priority for going up, but how do they handle passing each other?"

As I muttered, indentations appeared on the side of the corridor.

It seems I'm supposed to step into here and let the going-up guests pass.

I was worried, but I didn't meet any adventurers going up.

After going down for a while, light became visible.

There is no light in the corridor, but it seems there is at the exit.

I stepped out onto the deck illuminated by the light—it was a scaffold made of Single-pipe pipes.

It seems I reached the ceiling part of a huge vertical hall.

From the deck, stairs spiraling down continued.

Looking down, it was as if an endless dark sea was spreading right before my eyes.

On the place where I was standing, warm light shone down from the ceiling.

The surroundings were faintly illuminated, but the further you went from that light, the more rapidly the darkness spread.

As if the brightness was disappearing at the speed of light—.

It seemed as if only infinite darkness was spreading beyond that.

A deep unease stirred in the depths of my heart, but at the same time, I felt a strong curiosity that something was hidden there.

The inside was pitch black, but the light seemed to be flickering and moving.

Is it the guests' magic light?

"Hey, what are we doing?"

"We've come this far."

The adventurers ahead seemed to be arguing.

As expected, it's an unknown area.

"Can I go ahead for a bit?"

"Eh? Ah..."

"Please."

Since waiting won't help, I decided to go down first.

Being able to see in the dark is truly a blessing.

Whether it's a corridor or stairs with nothing there, if it's pitch black, fear comes first and you can't do anything.

Every time I went down the stairs, the scenery lost its color and became monochrome.

I could see quite a bit, but the distant scenery gradually turned black, blurred, and melted away.

I arrived below.

It seemed to be paved with stone all the way.

"Well, there's no map or anything, so getting lost would be bad."

I have food in the Item Box, so I think I'd be fine even if I got a bit lost, but there might be traps.

It's like that thing from a certain game, "in the middle of the stone."

If that happens, no matter how high-level the adventurer is, it's out in one shot.

No, because they are high-level, they can't die easily, so it might be extra hell?

Since there seems to be nothing in the hall, I looked for a side path and proceeded along the left wall.

I found a corridor and turned left.

It seems the stone paving continues inside as well.

I took out a notebook from the Item Box—mapping.

Usually, I just pass through large corridors and defeat monsters that pop up, but not today.

This is an unexplored dungeon, so items might be dropping.

The fact that no one has come means the traps are still set.

Is there a skill like auto-mapping?

For hardcore players, that would be a desired ability.

If they had that, it would be quite easy.

"1, 2, 3,..."

I took out a mace from the Item Box and walked while hitting the floor.

As I walked counting and writing on the map—my feet stopped.

There were several unnatural holes on the right side of the floor.

"This is that, right? The kind that pokes up from below."

I prepared the camera.

When the camera came out, the floor was brightly illuminated.

It seems the lighting fixed to the camera is working together.

It works! The experiment was successful.

Now I can film without magic light.

Well, magic light is brighter and illuminates a wider area, though...

This one has battery capacity issues too.

Leaving the camera aside, a video of a trap activating looks visually interesting.

Well, for those caught in the trap, it's not interesting at all.

I tried summoning a sandbag from the Item Box.

When the sandbag that appeared in mid-air fell to the floor, metal spikes shot out.

"Whoa!"

As expected.

I noticed because I could see my feet, but you'd miss it with a chemical light.

The tips aren't very sharp either, so I don't think you'd get skewered even if you got hit by this, but you'd probably get seriously injured.

The sandbag I dropped wasn't pierced, so I stored it in the Item Box.

Inflict injuries to reduce combat power, then finish them off with monsters.

I've heard that the low power of modern weapons is also to inflict injuries.

Inflicting injuries reduces the enemy's combat power more than killing them.

Evacuating the wounded requires a large number of personnel.

Thinking about it, this place is full of malice after all.

The spikes were on the right side of the corridor, but there were also some a bit away on the left.

If I jump over them, there might be a pitfall there.

One person won't fall, but multiple people might.

I mapped the winding corridor and arrived at a room.

The wooden door didn't seem to be locked, so I prepared the camera and hid to open the door.

Arrows flew—such traps are a classic in games.

This dungeon has many similarities to games, so the possibility is high.

I peeked inside quietly—a treasure chest in a small room.

"Hmm?"

Could this be a Mimic?

I wanted to try something I've been thinking about here.

Whether it's a Mimic or a real treasure chest, shouldn't I just hit it once first?

If it's a monster, it will reveal its true form, and I can take the initiative.

"Alright."

I gripped the mace and leaped into the room.

As I was about to face the treasure chest, the door suddenly closed.

"Eh?!"

Next, the ceiling started falling.

"Over there?!"

I tried to destroy the door with one hit—but it wouldn't break.

I thought the outside was wood, but the inside seems to be reinforced with metal.

"Damn! This sucks!"

Complaining is useless; it's carnival time now.

The ceiling was approaching gradually.

"That's it!"

I decided to try my sudden inspiration.

"Store!"

The inspiration was to store the ceiling itself in the Item Box.

My gamble succeeded, and the falling ceiling disappeared.

With the ceiling gone, a fairly high space was created.

"Glad it was a small room; if the ceiling was bigger, I might not have been able to store it."

I was relieved, but if the room gets bigger, the drop-ceiling mechanism becomes quite large-scale.

I should think it's basically only in small rooms.

I learned one more thing.

When entering a room, I need to wedge something so the door doesn't close completely.

Looking up, a large chain was hanging in the corner of the room.

Was that what was holding it up?

I tried storing it, and it went into the Item Box halfway.

As expected, it seems impossible if it's too far away.

"Alright, the traps are cleared—let's check if it's a treasure chest or a Mimic."

I approached the box, raised the mace, and hit the box.

Of course, I was holding back so as not to break the box.

Otherwise, I'd destroy the contents too.

"Gyaaah!"

The box opened its mouth and bared sharp teeth.

It was a Mimic after all.

I knew it was a monster, but it didn't grow limbs and move around.

It just flapped its mouth open and closed in place.

Since it's an ambush-type monster, if I spotted it, it's not a big deal.

I hit the Mimic until it stopped moving.

"Gi..."

When the enemy stopped moving, something fell and made a metallic sound.

Searching the area—I found a ring.

Is it a drop item?

I stopped the camera.

The item is fine, but until I try using it, I have no idea what effect it has.

Could there be cursed items with ?

For now, I put it on my finger—but nothing happened.

It would be easier if there were effects like in a game...

"Does a Mimic yield gold?"

For now, I stored it in the Item Box.

While I was at it, since metal was used for the door lining, I stored that too.

"Oh, right! I could have stored the door and opened it..."

Getting older, my mental rotation isn't as quick in a pinch. It's tough.

I have fewer inspirations compared to when I was young...

Is this about the harvest?

I entered the dungeon around noon, so the girls might be coming out soon.

Going outside the room, I turned back the way I came.

Along the way, I tried storing the spikes that popped out of the floor too.

"Even the spikes go into the Item Box?"

If that's the case, activating the traps and putting them in the Item Box would be better for other adventurers.

Still, how much capacity does this storage have?

So far, the drop ceiling and my beloved car are in there, right?

I think it's quite a large capacity.

Coming out of the narrow corridor and trying to return to the hall, I heard a scream.

"Gyah!"

"Someone!"

"Help me!"

I thought there were no monsters in the hall, but it seems the adventurer party is being attacked by something.

The enemy is a large humanoid monster holding a large axe.

What is that... I can see horns on its head.

"Hmm?"

No, more importantly, I have to save them first.