Chapter 65 - Chapter 65: Wraith
Four guilds are jointly clearing the deep floors of the dungeon.
They easily cleared Floors 4 and 5 and arrived at Floor 6.
The recommended level for Floor 6 is around 36 -- adventurers at that level are few in number.
If it's over level 40, I wonder if it's just me, the Princess, and Kaorulko.
The adventurers from the Flower Square guild we met at the Wall of Floor 7 should be high-level too, but they aren't participating this time.
The monsters will get stronger, and it won't be a simple task from here on.
We decided to set up camp in the safe zone at the entrance of Floor 6 and stay for one night.
We take out the luggage entrusted to us by each guild.
The adventurers swarm around the luggage, take out what they need, and then put it back in storage.
We decided to eat commercially available bento boxes.
Kaorulko uses her magic to heat them.
We bought a lot of bento boxes, but eating the same thing will get boring, so we have to think of various menus.
As a side note, we also take out the pork stew we were making in a large pot.
Cup instant versions are sold too, but cooking it in a pot is still more delicious.
If you're going to eat a meal, you really need soup -- I started thinking this after becoming an old man.
Maybe my saliva production has decreased, or my throat gets clogged.
My parents also often wanted soup, so now that I'm this age, I feel like I finally understand why.
"Is it okay for the Princesses to eat commercially available bento? Should we have ordered from a fancy restaurant?"
"That's not necessary. Besides room service at hotels, we often make do with commercial products."
Kaorulko says that, but even since I started living with her, it was like that.
There is a kitchen in the room, but only I use it.
"Hug hug -- as long as Darling makes it, there's no problem."
"Making various meals for several days would be tough. We can make curry and pork stew all at once in a large pot."
Both of them are super young ladies, so they've never cooked a meal and apparently haven't even seen their mothers cook.
I don't intend to interfere in other people's households, but I can't help but think that's a bit...
"Have either of you ever wanted to eat your mother's home cooking?"
"...Well... I saw people eating with their families during school events and thought that..."
It seems Kaorulko had such thoughts.
"What about you, Princess?"
"I had those thoughts, but -- since I was born as a rose, not a wild flower, there's no helping it!"
She said that and started shoveling the bento into her mouth.
"Hehehe! It's pork stew! Darling, give me some pork stew!"
While we were talking about old times, Iroha came over.
Did she smell the scent?
"Here."
"Hehehe."
I serve the pork stew into a paper bowl taken from the Item Box.
Only the Goriki members come to get food.
The other guilds are eating at a slightly distant location.
It might be a sign that they don't intend to get too friendly.
Well, we are cooperating this time, but normally we are rivals.
They probably don't want to show their hand.
I don't mind it at all, though.
Since Iroha is someone I compete with, maybe that's why she feels free to come over.
"Gya gya!" "Gya!"
"Oh, so those guys followed us too."
"Are those the Harpies from Floor 4?"
The mage girl looks up.
Can she see them flying?
"Yes, yes."
When the sound of wings descends nearby, the Harpies hop over one by one.
Chichi has completely become a set to come along now.
"Do you guys want to eat too?"
"Gya."
"Even so, pork stew might be a bit much... Ah, I have fried chicken."
This was also fried in large quantities and kept warm inside the Item Box.
If it's too hot, it's troublesome to eat, so I keep it just slightly warm.
With this, you can even nibble on it during a battle.
"Gya!"
"Here -- although it might turn into cannibalism."
Their bodies are birds, but their insides are probably closer to mammals.
Their heads look human-like -- which means they have brains inside too.
Gigi takes the fried chicken with her feet, sniffs it, and then bites into it.
"Gya! Hug hug!"
"Seems delicious."
"Gya."
Chichi slowly comes over and curls up on my lap.
"Won't you eat?"
"Gya."
When I give her the fried chicken, she eats it too.
"I want fried chicken too!"
Shouting loudly, Iroha grabs the fried chicken with chopsticks and throws it into the pork stew bowl.
"I'll eat too!"
The Princess starts eating the fried chicken along with her.
"If everyone eats it all at once, the menu will run out. It'll be curry, pork stew, and fried chicken every day."
"There's bread too, and instant food, so it'll be fine."
"Well, Kaorulko might be right..."
The mage girl also looks like she wants to eat the fried chicken, so I let her have some.
For now, an old man wants to feed the young ones.
After the meal is finished, we clean up.
Gathering the dirty items in one place, I pick up the Harpies.
"Princess, please."
"Understood."
"Ah, um... is this the Clean magic?"
"Yes, it is."
"If so, I -- I should repay you for the meal."
"Oh, then I'll ask you."
"Yes -- Clean!"
Blue light wraps around our bodies, and dirt falls off in flakes.
"Still convenient. I said it before, but I wish I had this or the heating magic. Even magical light would do."
"But -- if the Cherry Princess, who isn't a mage, learned magic, then we have a chance too, right?"
"I hope so..."
-- While talking, I sniff Chichi the Harpy.
The bird smell is gone, and she smells like sunlight.
"Um, the scene is a bit..."
The mage girl has a slightly awkward expression.
It's probably because I have my face pressed against the Harpy's chest.
It feels warm and very soft.
"It's a monster's chest, so it's fine, right?"
"Not fine! Darling, I have breasts, you know?!"
"Darling, I have breasts too?"
Iroha is holding her own breasts up from below with both hands.
"That lump of muscle isn't Darling's type, and anyway, that's not a breast."
"They are proper breasts!"
"Gu nu nu..."
"Look, you're fighting again."
After cleaning up, there's nothing to do until sleep, so I take out an air mat from the Item Box and read a book.
I had the other guilds prepare air mats too.
Sleeping soundly is an important thing after all.
Two Harpies are riding on top of me while I lie down.
Honestly, they are heavy, but they are warm.
Probably about 30kg each?
Two of them make 60kg -- two bags of cement.
That's heavy, but maybe because of the high level, it's not that much of a burden.
I think there's an advantage to the level even in places like this.
Just then, the Goriki mage came over.
"Is the safe zone really safe?"
"Just because monsters don't pop doesn't mean monsters can't enter -- that's not the case."
I pointed to the Harpies curled up on my stomach.
If monsters were forbidden from entering, these guys wouldn't be able to come here either.
Not just these Harpies, but other Harpies seem to aim for the leftover food at the campsite.
"So, it's not completely safe, then."
"Sometimes lower-floor monsters come up to the upper floors, so passing through is possible, right?"
In the dungeon on the site of a nuclear power plant, a large monster chased the Princesses all the way to the surface.
That place is supposed to be an unpublicized dungeon, so I'll keep it secret for now.
"So, you should be on guard?"
"If other monsters approach, these Harpies will make a fuss."
"In that respect too, these kids are important."
"That's right."
"Gya!"
Anyway, I read a book.
Being able to see in the dark is convenient for times like this.
The vision is black and white, but the book is black and white too, so there's no problem.
Next to me are the Princess and Kaorulko -- nearby are Iroha and the mage girl from before.
It seems the Goriki members decided to act together with us.
The Princess has a somewhat stiff expression, but anyway, since other guilds are here this time, they probably can't be too intimate.
-- The day after camping on Floor 6.
According to the mechanical watch Kaorulko has, it's morning.
Well, it's pitch black, so the sense of time is off.
I've heard that bathing in strong light resets the body clock -- maybe I can substitute it with magical light?
For breakfast, everyone had bread.
Coffee and milk -- the Princess is washing it down with coffee milk.
"Gya gya" "Gya"
The Harpies eat bread along with me.
I take out the large Magic Stone I got from the Golem yesterday and gaze at it.
"By the way -- Magic Stones are only used as raw materials for semiconductors, right? Is there no other use for them?"
"Explain."
I explained to Iroha, who was eating bread.
"In fantasy and games, Magic Stones power things, right? This dungeon seems similar, so maybe there's a way to use Magic Stones directly..."
"The Yaegashi Group seems to be researching it."
Kaorulko explains.
Well, people smarter than me must have thought of things like that long ago.
"If only we could make a lamp at least..."
"That would be convenient!"
The mage girl agreed with my opinion, but Kaorulko seemed to remember something.
"Ah, but -- Magic Stones can store mana."
"Huh? Really?"
She takes out a small Magic Stone and grips it with her right hand.
When she opens her hand, blue light is visible in the center of the pitch-black stone.
It's not bright enough to be a light by itself, but it seems like it might have more uses than a chemical light...
"Wow! First time I've seen this."
"Huh? Darling, is this your first time?"
"Yes, others know."
Everyone nods.
It seems to be common knowledge.
"However, mana can be stored, but we don't know how to use it, so there's no use for it."
"So, it just glows faintly?"
"Yes."
If it's stored, some kind of energy must be accumulated.
"If we can extract the energy, it might become a fully recyclable battery."
"If that really happens, it would be amazing."
I think what Kaorulko says is right.
The dungeon changes -- no, the world might change.
I decided to try copying what I saw by taking out a small Magic Stone from the Item Box.
"Does it require magic? Hmm, in~ it goes~ in~ it goes~"
I was a bit skeptical, but I felt like some misty feeling circulating in my body was being sucked into the Magic Stone.
Startled, I threw the stone.
The center of the black stone rolling on the ground seemed to be glowing.
Picking it up and holding it up, there was indeed a white light point -- since the surroundings are dark, anything glowing is clearly visible.
"Darling, you're amazing!"
Iroha looks at the Magic Stone with me.
"Can Iroha do it too?"
"No, normally you shouldn't be able to do something like this."
"So, I can't use magic, but I have mana?"
"Maybe~"
For now, having mana without being able to use magic doesn't help anything.
But if the Magic Stone can be used for something, a use will appear.
"Then, as a test --"
I took out the Golem's Magic Stone I was looking at from the Item Box and tried to pour mana into it.
"You can't do that with something that big."
"Mumumu~"
As I poured some of the mist circulating in my body, the large Magic Stone's center began to glow blue.
It has the brightness of a chemical light.
"Awesome!"
"What is it?!"
Yuuki came over, seemingly interested in the glowing Magic Stone.
"The Magic Stone is glowing."
"To make such a large Magic Stone glow -- can you use magic?"
"No, not at all."
"Umm..."
He crosses his arms and thinks deeply.
He is a magic specialist and runs a mage guild, so this might be the first time he's seen a case like this.
"We were talking about if this could be used for something."
"There are many people researching it, but it seems they don't understand it well."
"Well, I hadn't seen it on the internet either."
Leaving the Magic Stone aside -- since breakfast is over, we clean up.
We gather the trash and take it to the edge of the dungeon.
If we do that, it will eventually be absorbed by the dungeon.
By the way, there was a method not to be absorbed, but will they show it to us on Floor 7?
Breakfast is finished, so we decided to set off.
"Alright, please do your best today too."
"Gi!" "Gya!"
The Harpies flew into the darkness.
They say birds have bird eyes, but are Harpies okay even in the dark?
We form a formation with the adventurers, staying close but not too close, and Iroha's Goriki is right next to us.
Iroha comes over to me and whispers.
"Darling, you're doing it with the Empress too, right?"
"Haha, no comment."
"Besides -- when we were talking about kids, the Empress didn't join in, did she?"
"If you do that, the Heal magic won't work, right?"
"Oh, I see... That's right."
She seems to have accepted it -- but since she's grinning, maybe she already knows.
Of course, what we are doing is secret, but we are doing it.
"Oga! This is Floor 6. You seem to have plenty of time."
She reacts to the Princess's words.
"Because Darling is here."
"Hey hey, if you expect too much, I might not be able to protect everyone. Everyone, strive harder -- that's what I say."
"Ahaha, I get it. I'm a ranker too. If I'm always getting saved -- my name would be ruined."
As we proceed through the darkness, the Harpies above react.
"Gya gya!" "Gya!"
"They're coming! Full perimeter alert!"
The Princess's voice echoes.
"Yes!"
Since the Harpies are useful, everyone understood and no one raised questions.
"Well, what kind of monster is it this time?"
If it's a monster I haven't seen, I want to take a picture.
As I'm preparing the camera, my skin starts to tingle.
This is the first time this has happened, and I feel like the temperature around us has dropped sharply.
"They're coming!"
Someone's voice echoes.
"What?! It's cold..."
I feel like my breath is turning white.
If I listen closely, the inside of the dungeon is silent, wrapped in a sensation where only silence reigns.
At that moment, something was heard suddenly from above.
It was a strange sound unlike normal sounds, something like whispering.
A low sound, slightly trembling, reached my ears carried by the wind.
The sound gradually became clearer and seemed almost like a voice.
It wasn't clear words, but a sound that claimed existence even from afar.
The sound went up and down, resonating somewhere, and the source of the sound couldn't be found.
Or perhaps, multiple sounds were resonating.
A cold, voice-like sound spread deep in the heart, sending a chill down the spine.
Anxiety and fear mixed, and I was attacked by the sensation that the sound held some malice.
It was as if something was lurking in the darkness above, staring down at us quietly --.
It formed into a white mist.
"Hehehe" "Fufufu" "Hehe"
Many white mists began to fly around in the air.
Some are shapes that can't be judged, and some look like human faces.
"What is this!? It's a huge number, could it be ghosts?!"
I can't count exactly, but it looks like 20 to 30 are flying around.
Ordinary people might be scared if they saw ghosts, but for us who have crossed the line of death in a dungeon, it's no problem.
"Daisuke-san, these are Wraiths!"
Kaorulko told us the enemy's true identity.
"Wraiths?!"
So, ghosts and Wraiths that appear in games are actually like this?
It feels cold, my spine tingles, and it's completely unpleasant.
If the opponent is a spirit, I can't take their flesh.
Will they drop items?
They are flying in the air, and if the opponent is a ghost, physical attacks probably won't work.
As I'm wondering what to do, Yuuki started preparing magic.
The other guilds' mages are also chanting spells.
-- So, magic works?
A lot of blue light gathers around them.
"Light Bullets! Strike my enemies! Magic Missile."
Many light bullets were fired from the mages toward the enemies.
Yuuki seems to be able to handle five light bullets at once.
Magic Missiles increase in number as the level goes up.
The light bullets fired at the white mist floating in the air -- about ten shots --.
"Something, the number isn't decreasing?!"
"It's, it's too many!"
Even Yuuki, a high-level mage, looks anxious.
They are about to fire the next shot, but shouldn't we attack too?
"First of all, what kind of attacks do these guys make?"
"Darling! These guys take over bodies, you know?!"
"For real?"
I asked back Iroha's reply.
That's scary.
By the way, in ghost stories, the story of a ghost taking over a body is often seen.
In my father's generation, there should have been manga where a boy's ghost takes over a girl's body and does H things --
No, that doesn't matter.
"From what I see, physical attacks don't work, right?"
"With drop items, weapons enchanted with magic will work."
Not things like Sharpness or Durability Up, but weapons with magical attacks attached.
The long sword the Princess uses has an enchantment that prevents the sharpness from dulling.
"What about the long sword Iroha uses?!"
"I don't know about mine, but I think it's an enchantment so the sword doesn't break."
In other words, Durability Up.
Gorilla glances over too, but since he isn't attacking either, he probably doesn't have a magic weapon.
In fact, he seems to be gathered around the appearance of monsters, but is he okay?
"Umm, magic weapons -- come to think of it!"
I remembered I have that weapon.
The rusting short sword in the Item Box.
That definitely has a magical attack attached.
I take out the short sword from the Item Box, assume a stance, and charge into the Wraiths.
At the same time, the mages' magic is fired.
"Thou!"
Jumping amidst exploding light bullets, I slash the white mist.
"Gyaaa!"
The shapeless white thing screams and scatters.
"Oh! It works after all."
I didn't notice it when watching from afar, but when the enemy disappeared, I felt something drop.
So these guys drop items too?
Upon landing, I jump again and slash the enemies -- it's an aerial battle.
I feel like white robots in anime fought like this.
That scene floated in my head.
"Darling!"
I heard the Princess's voice.
If I charge in too much, the magic attacks can't be performed, so I decide to fall back for now.
Once I regain my posture, magic explodes in the air again.
I feel like I've knocked down quite a few, but the number doesn't seem to decrease much --.
"Oh!"
The Wraiths, which were just flying in the air, gradually descended and came close to the adventurers.
They are flying right past the mages.
"Kyaa!" "Nyah!"
Screams rise from the mage girls.
They are waving staffs and short swords, desperately trying to drive them away.
Their levels are a bit low.
Normally they should be waiting in the rear, but since the opponent is Wraiths, they probably participated in the magic attacks.
They are using quite a bit of magic, so I'm worried about mana depletion.
"Princess, this is becoming a stalemate."
"I know!"
The attack power doesn't seem to be that high, but these are troublesome enemies.