Chapter 220
Day 58 – Early Evening, Dungeon, 90F
There are things that better be voiced. Even if one is constantly getting scolded for saying unnecessary stuff, some things can’t be understood without speaking out… So I tried that?
「Pierce through, Mistilteinn! Kind OooOOooOoF? WHAAAT?」
While having an acute attack of previously serious 8th-grader syndrome, I manage to make it out alive. And here we have Mistilteinn (Mistletoe) that every person currently ravaged by that disease would be overjoyed to see. [1]
No, I was simply wondering if maybe it’s hiding, so I tried to provoke it, and it actually activated… As I thought, some of them were still hiding! Yeah, I hate this, what’s up with this world?!
Yes, another one was hiding, disguising itself.
Realizing that『Staff?』was『Staff of the World Tree』, and if the world tree is Yggdrasil, then it’s Norse mythology, in that case『Parasitic Vine』(Mistletoe) is uber suspicious? Well, I thought that I might be overthinking it, but when I put it to the test, it turned out that it really was hiding! This Mistletoe was the spear Mistilteinn from Norse mythology.
According to the Norse mythology, Mistilteinn is that Mistletoe that pierced through and killed the god of light Baldr, who was invulnerable to all things in existence. It’s unclear if that is the name of the weapon or the mistletoe, myths seem to have a description of Baldr being pierced through by Mistilteinn spear, but there seem to be various opinions in that regard. So I tried to shout that?
But man, I only tried saying it as a test and the floor master of the 90th floor 『Greater Guardian』vanished? The giant armored Guardian with unexpected『Complete Immunity』 , was instantly annihilated. There is also a giant hole in the dungeon, and I only tried saying it?
(……)(……)
Looks like even Slime-san finally mastered Flat Gaze. How is it even doing that? Even though it has no eyes? Well, in the old days, Armored Pres-san managed to do that in a helmet while having only a skull for a face, so I guess that’s how things work.
And I also lost tons of MP and feel completely exhausted. This is the bad one! It’s that type of certain kill attack that a hero would use, do or die, if it fails I’m screwed. There is no way I can use something like that. I’m so beat that were I to be assaulted right now I’d die without being able to provide any resistance.
I take a rest while munching on MP and stamina mushrooms. I almost fainted there. Going unconscious after one shot is a sure way to end up dead in this world, this is a suicide weapon. I also don’t feel like it can be used with restraint, so it’s getting sealed. Well, merely discovering it is good enough. and thanks to that, the wooden staff, revised『Staff of the World Tree』, likely became even more of an uncontrollable weapon.
By the way, what remained from『Greater Guardian Lv 90』was responsibly eaten by the staff, or rather, by Slime-san.
By the time I was finally able to get up, Armored Pres-san and Slime-san came back, carrying magic stones.
As I wasn’t completely immobile anymore thanks to mushroom doping, Armored Pres-san and Slime-san seem to have gone to have some fun, leaving my protection to three scythes. Well, since they went to play on the lower floors, it likely was either a game of tag, or a death game of tag. Although I told them not to wander too far away since it’s dangerous, they brought quite a few magic stones with them. Looks like it’s the monsters who were in danger.
Recently I pretty much finished clearing out the Evil Forest, and should talk with Meripapa-san to decide on the further deforestation plans, but talks with him always drag out, plus it turns chaotic when the Royal Girl and Maid Girl duo with Merimeri-san join, so I keep postponing it, which lead to bringing the scythes with me, great that it wasn’t for nothing. It’s a secret that I totally forgot about them being stashed away in 『Demon Ring』.
「Did you find any tasty monsters? Or rather, you definitely ate some of them, didn’t you? I mean, that jubilant jiggly dance and bouncy dance combination is brimming with desire to express the joy over the plentiful meal and bountiful skill harvest? Sort of?」
(Jii~ggle, Jii~ggle.)
Slime-san seems to be in a very good mood. Well, it looks like they were tasty and it’s happy, so it’s fine.
I also managed to restore some of my MP, only a bit though. However, an attack so mana consuming that it completely exhausted batteries that easily provided enough power for structural alteration of mountain ranges or creation of castles and fortified villages, shouldn’t even be possible to activate under normal circumstances. There was a huge chance that it would have remained hidden and unnoticed. And would it have remained hidden forever if I didn’t bait it out? Just what’s up with this lying equipment? Well, me trying to bluff my own items is a good one too, but since it did fall for it, it’s fine. Rather, what’s up with weapons falling up for a bluff and activating?
And while Armored Pres-san and Slime-san told me that they are going to check things out on the lower floors, I fully anticipated that they would hunt down every mob in there, and I also didn’t doubt for a moment that they would go to the next floor as well. But there are too many magic stones. Going down while checking for hidden rooms, and turns out, the 94th floor was wiped out as well. Looks like they had four floors worth of fun.
Picking up items from the hidden room on the 93th floor, I promptly head back, appraisal can wait until we return. Let’s use Gate and go back from the 94th floor. Fighting is still too dangerous, and with scarce MP 『Lifesaving』of『Soul Ring』won’t activate. I don’t want to challenge lower floors without insurance, plus it’s getting very late, my MP is exhausted, and I’m hungry, so if I said I’m going home, I’m going home. No matter how many times I end up like this, the feeling of exhausted MP is very dull.
「Well, we are going back through Gate, so we will continue the exploration from the 95th floor next time, or rather, a game of tag? A meal? Speaking of which, it was decided that we are having pseudo-Italian style cutlets today, so let’s hurry back and have dinner? I’m seriously hungry.」
Since the dungeon is near the town, we are holding back from snacking before dinner, and limiting ourselves to just tasting, making our way home. With an unobstructed view of the surroundings, having Evil Forest cleared out, the town appears to be rather close.
Moreover, in this world, the speed of travel changes with leveling up and obtaining new skills, no wonder I rarely see any horses around. Well, in part it is surely due to the region being poor, but even so, even though this is a fantasy world, I’m yet to have a single horseback or stagecoach ride.
Yes, all of my traveling is done by walking, and sometimes by flying and crashing. Looks like the only place where the fantasy part of the fantasy world is playing out is the bedroom. Yeah, that’s surely something amazing that didn’t exist in our original world! Well, she is the Dungeon Emperor after all? No one else can possess such a luxurious feel of peerless beauty. That’s amazing, seriously!
Now, when we reach the inn I’d likely have Berserk Great Sage Vice B-san waiting for me. The trial is awaiting. That is surely an ordeal of ultimate difficulty for any highschool boy. Well, I made a promise, so I’m going to do it? You know?
Lately, I’m passing through the gates while completely ignored by the guards. I doubt there are that many towns where dungeon emperors and dungeon masters pass freely everyday by simply being well known? At this point it makes me wonder, from whom are they guarding the place exactly?
Dropping by the general store and then the weapons store on the way, I also visit the Adventurers’ Guild, just in case, replenishing on Flat Gazium by complaining about the bulletin board, and then head to the inn.
「I’m home~? Kinda? Or rather… Why are you glaring at me? Well, I’ve already said everything that there is to say on this, outlining a clear path to the truth, which is, I did nothing wrong? I have no idea why you are even glaring at me, but no matter what the reason you may have, I most likely did nothing wrong anyway? Even if you unravel the providence of continual change of all things in creation, I still seem to not be the one at fault anyway? Kinda?」
「「「……」」」
I got scolded? Getting scolded with 40 dead eyes staring at me was scary. Eyes look terrifying without light to them? It’s not like I was the one who splashed juices on them, but I got scolded anyway. Those were Fly-san’s fly juices, but they scolded me. Meanwhile, Armored Pres-san and Slime-san did a fade away, looking as if they were completely unrelated to this! Every time I glance at them they are getting further and further away! Eh? Weren’t we in this together?
But those dead, void-like eyes were seriously terrifying! They must be lying on the exactly opposite vector from the flat gaze. Forcibly ending the long sermon by reviving what’s dead through the power of 『pseudo-Italian cutlets』, I was finally freed. As expected, everyone already took a bath, so Armored Pres-san went there together with Slime-san, looking a bit lonesome.
Now, it’s time for the trial.
[TL Notes:
[1] Mistilteinn (“Mistletoe”), is Hrómundr Gripsson’s sword in Hrómundar saga Gripssonar, a legendary saga from Iceland and also the name of a certain spear. Mistletoe or Mistilteinn is also what was used to kill Baldr in Gesta Danorum. Curiously, MC of Hrómundar saga eventually literally “dropped” the sword in favor of a club to finish a certain opponent and later stuck with it.