Chapter 63 - Chapter 63: Golem
After a considerable period of preparation and equipping, the top guilds began an attack on the deep layers of the dungeon together.
There were four guilds.
They sent out their top rankers to conduct the conquest.
Even among the top guilds, there were few members capable of diving into the deep layers.
A normal party would consist of an Attacker [Attack], a Tank [Defense], a Mage [Attack], and a Mage [Healing & Support]――but.
This time, there were not enough high-level adventurers to fill those roles.
So, crossing guild lines, they formed a large party, though mages performing support and healing roles participated even if their levels were somewhat low.
■ Guild Cherry Princess――Princess【Attacker】, Kaorulko【Attack & Healing】, Me【Attacker】
■ Guild Goriki――Oga, Iroha【Attacker, Tank】, Female Mage【Support】
■ Guild Golden Path――Gorilla【Attacker, Tank】, Female Mage【Attack & Healing】
■ Guild Rolling Stone――Yuuki【Attack & Healing】, Female Mage【Attack】, Female Mage【Healing】, Female Mage【Healing, Support】, Female Mage【Support】
As expected, my party is the strongest.
It feels like it's two heads taller than the rest.
I have an Item Box too.
Yuuki's party, being a mage-centric guild, is full of mages.
Still, only Yuuki and one other person are high-level; the other three have slightly lower levels and serve as support roles.
They will likely be waiting in the rear during combat.
Since we hadn't hidden information about this attack, we were surrounded by adventurers at the dungeon entrance hall and such.
We escaped the crowd quickly and decided to meet up with the others here――at the entrance to the 4th floor.
We had run here, so we were hungry.
We had a light snack, but since we had nothing to do, the Princess went out hunting.
Waiting for the other adventurers and the Princess alongside Kaorulko in the darkness.
We are fine even in the dark because we can see, but it is quite tough for adventurers who cannot.
Without light magic, they would have to rely on the faint glow of chemical lights for everything.
We purchased a high-performance camera this time, but I wonder how the footage will turn out?
It is frustrating that we cannot confirm the video until we get outside once.
"Was she like that when you were diving alone with the Princess?"
For now, it seems the plan was for her to charge ahead while Kaorulko followed behind――that was the situation.
"Yes, that's right."
While waiting with just Kaorulko, a cry was heard from above.
"Gya-gya!""Gyah!"
Probably them again.
"Harpy, I suppose."
"Are those girls?"
"Likely. They seem to know where I am quite well."
"Probably because of their sense of smell..."
Looking at the Harpy's nose, it is a normal nose like a human's.
It doesn't look like they have an unusually high number of olfactory cells.
Could there be some sort of mapping function unique to monsters?
If it is a dungeon like a game, it wouldn't be strange to have game-like functions.
Maybe we have gained the ability to use such functions too――.
Adventurers went to their nest on the 7th floor, so I was a little worried.
But it seems they were fine.
Besides, since we are making a path using the footing this time, we will completely take away their habitat.
It is a bit pitiful, but it is unavoidable for the sake of conquest eventually.
A white shadow appeared in the darkness――and the sound of flapping wings descended nearby.
Walking with a hop, the Harpies arrived.
"As expected, it's you guys."
The usual Harpy, and the big-breasted Harpy with messy hair whom I became friends with later.
"Gya-gya""Gyah"
"Yes, yes."
I took out food from my Item Box.
"Hug-hug"
When I gave them bread and sweets, they used their legs to eat deliciously.
Because these guys helped me with various things, I must treat them carefully.
"Well, I knew we would meet them, so I prepared something good."
I took something out of my Item Box――it was barber scissors.
Using these, you can cut hair somewhat unevenly.
If you cut hair with normal scissors, it becomes a straight line like a drawn line, but this prevents that.
"Gya"
Holding a Harpy, lifting its hair with a comb, snip-snip――clumps of hair fell onto the dark dungeon floor.
Especially the one with the messy hair had grown out uncontrollably and was hard to look at.
I cut a bit extra to make them look refreshed.
"Is this okay?"
"Even so, they are surprisingly quiet, just doing whatever Daisuke-san says."
Kaorulko laughed at the Harpies' appearance.
Since there are two of them now, it would be inconvenient without names soon.
The first Harpy I met was loud with "Gya-gya," so I named her Gigi, and the black-haired Harpy, Chichi.
Well, simply because her chest is big.
Won't a big chest be a hindrance when flying?
"These guys are quiet because they know I am not someone who will harm them."
Holding the cleaned-up Harpies for a while, the Princess returned.
"Darling! I took down an Orc! Put it in the Item Box."
"Understood."
The Princess returned carrying an Orc, covered in blood.
Just because you can use the Cleaning magic yourself doesn't mean you should be reckless.
Do you intend to be self-sufficient in the dungeon?
No, Orcs are delicious, so it's fine.
"! You again!"
Noticing the Harpies I was holding, the Princess raised her voice.
"Gya-gya!""Gyah!"
"Monsters should act like monsters and attack adventurers!"
"Well, that is probably normal..."
As they made a commotion, a loud voice came from the camp.
That is Iroha.
Finally arrived.
Holding Gigi and placing Chichi on my head, I welcomed the adventurers.
"Iroha! You're late."
"Darling――what is that?!"
She is surprised, but it is about the Harpies I am holding.
And still, she is calling me Darling as usual?
"What is that? They are Harpies."
"D-did you catch them?"
"No, no, these guys are my friends."
"Haa?!?"
She is dumbfounded, but it is true, so there is nothing to be done.
"If you caught them alive, you could sell them for money?"
Gorilla, who had arrived, said something ominous.
"I told you they are friends! I wouldn't sell them when they are this cute."
I stroked the Harpies, and they narrowed their eyes looking very pleased.
"I can't believe monsters can be tamed."
"Well, these guys might be special――but we were able to return from the deep layers thanks to them."
"Haa, what do you mean?"
I explained the situation regarding the Harpies to Iroha.
"They guided us on the path to the upper floors."
"Is that so?"
"Yes――I was also told about the entrance to the 7th floor, which is 100m up, by the Harpies."
At that moment, Yuuki arrived.
"Since Harpies can fly, they can enter and exit any place."
"I never thought there was an entrance in such a place. That was the Harpies' nest, and it is a bit pitiful that it will be devastated by this conquest."
"They are just monsters, after all!"
Gorilla's words have some merit.
"I'm not saying to be friends with monsters, but spare these two. They are our saviors."
"..."
The adventurers did not give an immediate answer, but it cannot be helped.
Well, if they get dangerous, I will just tell the Harpies not to come close.
It seems we can somehow communicate, so they will understand.
Since they might be attacked by adventurers if they are too close, I released the Harpies at a slightly distant spot.
"Don't come too close for a while~"
"Gya""Gyah"
Well, there are many unknown adventurers near me.
They will be on guard too.
Now that the members have gathered, let's start the attack.
If it were just us, we could push through as much as possible, but this time there are support roles with low levels.
We cannot be too reckless.
With a large group, things like this are troublesome.
The overall leader is naturally the Princess.
My level is probably the highest, but unfortunately, an old man like me does not have the charisma to lead this many people.
It is sad, but this is reality.
I don't want to bear such responsibility either.
It is best to leave it to someone who can lead people.
We immediately encountered a group of Orcs, but of course, it was an instant kill.
There was no need for me to step in.
Normally, since the main focus is the attack on the deep layers, the grunts on the way would be ignored――but this time I am here.
I store everything in the Item Box.
Besides, Orcs sell for a decent price.
It would be a waste.
I attach the tag of the guild that killed the monster before storing it.
This way, you can tell at a glance which guild killed it.
If it was a joint kill, the ratio is also noted on the tag.
"Cleaning!"
The Princess, who was dirty from the battle with the Orcs, used her own magic.
"Ew! The Cherry Princess is using magic!? When did she learn that!?"
Iroha was surprised by the Princess's magic.
"Hehehe, surprised?"
"Even after your level has risen that much, you can still learn magic?"
"Seems like it. I was surprised too."
"Ahh, I wish I could learn at least Cleaning or Light magic."
"Seriously...?"
Not only Iroha, but Gorilla was also surprised by the Princess's magic.
Normally, once you become a type other than a Mage, you do not learn magic.
"As expected of a high-level group. This floor is not even a warm-up."
"Ha ha ha, that is exactly right!"
Iroha seemed relaxed, but the low-level adventurers accompanying her looked a bit anxious.
"It's okay. If the enemies get strong, I will create cover for you."
"C-cover?"
"Yes――"
I took out a rock from my Item Box.
"Wah!"
The young mages were surprised by the suddenly appearing rock.
"Since I can produce rocks like this, just hide in the shadows. If the enemy cannot see you, you probably won't become a target."
They probably won't perceive through obstacles or anything like that.
"T-this makes me feel safe."
"Likely――still, be alert to your surroundings so you don't get flanked."
"Yes."
The mages from Yuuki's party seem to be good kids.
"Um..."
One of those mages raised her hand.
"What is it?"
"Is the Old Man with the Item Box strong?"
"Haha, well, I think he is moderately strong..."
At that moment, Iroha came over laughing.
"Fool! Even if we all gang up, I don't think you can beat Darling."
"Eh?! Is that true?"
"Yes."
"Eh?""But, Darling?""Hey."
The girls looked at each other.
"Strangely, Oga-san also calls me Darling."
"Because he is Darling, isn't he!"
"Wait! He is my Darling!"
As usual, the Princess arrived.
"Wait, wait."
Since it looks like they will start glaring at each other again, I stop them.
"Shh-shh...""Triangle relationship...""Fighting over the Old Man..."
The girls gathered and whispered to each other.
"It's not like that!"
"Shh-shh...""Oga-san is just playing...""Terrible..."
"Wait, wait!"
The girls gave me dirty looks.
Well, there probably won't be any trouble after this attack ends.
"..."
There is a man who looks unhappy watching everyone making a racket.
It is Gorilla.
The joint party easily broke through the 4th floor and entered the 5th.
From here on, there are no proper camps, and only the supplies in my Item Box are reliable.
"It is a relief to arrive at the 5th floor empty-handed."
Yuuki, the mage, muttered softly.
"Indeed!"
Iroha agreed with Yuuki's words.
"Princess, how far do you plan to go today?"
I asked her.
"To the entrance of the 6th floor. Beyond that, the monsters surely become strong."
"Understood."
Even on the 5th floor, it seems difficult without a level equivalent to 30.
The mages who came along as support seem to be in their late 20s.
Normally, this would be the limit, but we will go further ahead.
I must think about not endangering the lower-level kids.
The Princess and Kaorulko also took off their robes.
From this point on, they are serious too.
"Empress, is that new equipment?!"
Iroha was staring intently at Kaorulko's Breast-Curtain Dress equipment.
"Yes."
"Wearing such an outfit means it must be amazing equipment, right?"
"Yes."
"Haha, it must be an eyesore to the men!"
Iroha looked at Yuuki, but he averted his eyes.
He is taciturn and speaks little――well, he is a man after all.
In this attack, there are only three men, including me.
Indeed, the job of adventurer has no distinction between men and women, but perhaps women are more suited for it.
There are more female mages too.
Is there some reason for this?
Speaking of which, that member of the Labyrinth Cult was a woman too.
"Gya-gya!""Gya!"
The Harpies were making a commotion above.
It seems they are following us.
"They look like enemies!"
"Seriously?!"
"How do you know?!"
Iroha seems to believe it, but Gorilla seems suspicious.
"..."
I silently pointed upwards.
"Do you really trust what such a monster says?"
"I told you earlier, didn't I? That we were able to return from the deep layers thanks to those Harpies."
"...Hmph."
The overall leader, the Princess, naturally knows about the Harpies, so she holds her sword and guards the surroundings.
"What is it?"
It feels like a rumbling sound is coming from somewhere.
It seems not just me, but the others felt it too.
"This――is a Golem!"
Yuuki shouted.
He seems to have some knowledge about the monsters they encounter.
"A Golem?!"
Golems are robots made of rock, aren't they?
Those called magical creatures that move with magic.
This is my first encounter with one.
In games, they are often treated as artificial creatures created by masters.
While everyone held their weapons and guarded the surroundings, the ground suddenly rose.
It quickly changed into a humanoid shape.
I took out a camera from my Item Box and started filming.
This time I am using a good camera, but how will the footage turn out?
"Gogogogo"
Standing before my eyes is a doll made of rock, as if the earth itself had taken shape and stood up.
Its entire body is composed of soil and stone, with countless small rock fragments and mud overlapping.
Cracks run across the surface, and things caught during the body's creation peek out from the gaps.
Every time its giant body moved slowly, it resonated with a unique low bass sound.
That sound sounded like the drive noise of something, and sometimes like the low growl of a beast.
It seems to be a natural mechanism generated by stones rubbing against each other and soil being compressed whenever the Golem moves.
A pale green glow resides in the parts that look like the monster's eyes.
When those pupils stared at us silently, a silent pressure assaulted us.
As we prepared ourselves, their numbers increased one by one.
"Light!《Light》""Light!《Light》"
Light was brought forth by the mages.
"Hifumi~ how many are there? Ten?"
A larger number than usual, the giant bodies were illuminated by the magic light.
"It seems to be ten!"
Yuuki answered my question.
"Since our numbers are high, are the monster numbers increasing too?"
"I don't know, but it feels like that!"
It seems even the veteran Iroha is encountering them for the first time.
"Do Golem dolls have weaknesses? Cutting or hitting them doesn't seem to work..."
"Magic doesn't work well either.""Even if you break them, they revive."
Yuuki and Iroha's voices overlapped.
"Then how do we..."
"There is a Magic Stone in the chest area, so just break that."
As Yuuki said, a Magic Stone about 20cm in diameter was glowing in the chest area.
I think it would sell for quite a lot, but do we have to break it?
"Doesn't breaking the Magic Stone mean we can't collect it, and there is no meat or material either...?"
"That's why they are the worst enemies!"
A muscular female warrior spat out.
"Then――we have to use ranged attacks after all――"
I took out a large stone and a slingshot from my Item Box.
When I set it up, I spun it around and around.
"A-ah! The Physical Up magic..."
A voice came from the female mage using support magic.
"I don't need it, so save it for the others."
"Y-yes."
While I was spinning the slingshot, the Golem started attacking.
It is an attack by the violence of mass, so if it hits, it will be terrible.
Well, as that certain red guy says, if you don't get hit, it doesn't matter.
While everyone jumped back to dodge the monster's attacks, it was my turn to attack.
"Here I go!"
In the darkness, the trajectory of the stone floated white, and I let go of my hand along that line.
The stone flew at a fierce speed straight toward the enemy, hitting the Golem's vital point――the Magic Stone in its chest.
With a flash, the Magic Stone exploded and flew away.
The released light vividly reflected the shape of the dungeon.
Winding passages, rough rock faces, it is eerie enough to make you think you got lost among the monsters.
This is reality――a dungeon beyond human reach.
"Gogogo!"
The Golem, whose Magic Stone was shattered, collapsed right there.
"As expected, Darling is amazing, isn't he!"
"S-so amazing!""You really are a high-level adventurer!"
It seems the female mages were indeed suspicious of me.
Well, I think I am a fraud myself, so it cannot be helped.
It is a bit sad for an old man.
"Follow Darling!"
With the Princess's command, the attack began all at once.
It seems the Golem has not only attack motions but also defense settings.
When it perceives an attack on the Magic Stone, it enters a defense motion.
It hides the Magic Stone with big hands, or the torso rises to cover the weak point――there seem to be various patterns.
As I did, long-range attacks from outside the monster's recognition range seem to be the most effective.
If that is the case――.
"Light Bullet! Strike my enemy!《Magic Missile》"
Since the opponent is rock, Fireballs or lightning are not effective.
This is probably the only choice, a magic arrow――but is there a counter-magic attribute? The attack is being deflected.
"Damn it! This is why I hate Golems!"
Gorilla voiced his dissatisfaction.
Normally, there is the option of running away, but this time mages with low levels are accompanying us.
If there were only a few people, carrying them to escape would be an option, but if there are many, that is difficult too.
While everyone was struggling, the ground rose, and a new Golem appeared.
The Golem called its friends!
"Seriously?!"
It seems like a troublesome situation――but isn't this, if you think about it, interesting?
Just by dealing with random monsters, can you keep defeating them continuously?
If I can get that Magic Stone, I feel like I can make a mountain of Magic Stones.
"Daah!"
I was grinning with a good money-making idea in mind, but the Princess, whose attacks weren't working, snapped.
She attached herself to the monster's leg, lifted it, and flipped it over.
When the giant body was slammed to the ground, vibrations traveled to my feet.
"Ooh!""Sugee!"
Cheers rose from the adventurers watching.
"Darrr!"
The jumping Princess smashed the Magic Stone along with the enemy's arm that was guarding.
A flash ran through the surroundings.
"Aah!"
Seeing the Princess's attack and that light, I came up with a good idea.
This might be a way to make money.