More and more weather mornings, with slightly more prominent clouds.
Ondriar!
When I woke up with this world-specific Ya 'er chicken chirping that... I began to prepare for the exploration of the ruins from noon.
The three members who go to the ruins are me and the dean, and then the one who hits the dean's apprentice who's taking the whip at the magic school.
It's almost a first-person gathering, but there's nothing like getting in touch at a party, so it's not a problem there. The question is, how far can I take them?
My body is not feeling bad today. I think it's pretty close to being fully healed. I have a few days of patience left, but I'm a wacko boy who grew up with hatred and being told I wasn't calm from a very young age, I am. There are no horses that don't run with carrots hanging in front of them.
That makes it a ruin attack in conditions that can't be described as excellent, but from what I heard yesterday, the majority of the tomb guard ruins are investigated and safe, so there will be less danger.
Our aim is the lowest level of investigation we have yet to put in and the disarming or destruction of a set trap.
When you buy something that is likely to be used for entry and it is inside the storage space, you finish your lunch and then head to the meeting place.
At the rendezvous point, there was an already well-prepared look of the deans, dressed as if they would even climb the mountain.
"This is the Sampel we talked about yesterday."
"Nice to meet you. My name is Sampel and I teach at magic school. My master and I have been doing pre-New Genesis world research together for a long time."
"Welcome, nice to meet you. I'm Hinata the Adventurer. Raw Hate and Still Class D."
After a gentle handshake and a deeper rapport, we quickly headed to our destination - the ruins of the tomb guard. Apparently, the tomb guard's ruins were just outside the city and headed north, and the dean was old enough to take a carriage to that point.
Because of the proximity of the mountain, the demon appeared flirty just a short distance from the city, but even when it came to the injured, it was magically killed instantly this time because it had not been heavily damaged by the demon.
So, after two or three battles with demons or unilateral ravages, we arrived at the ruins.
"Big."
What you can see in front of you is a collection of stones piled up like mountains. It is a pyramid structure that gradually reduces its outer circumference from the lower level and is stacked with one large rock at the top.
What's different from the Earth's pyramids is that there are no deserts around them and entrances to sites that were not blown up?
For the time being, I'm fascinated by the size of it.
"This is a tomb."
The dean groaned in a potpourri.
"A grave?" I mean, like a mummy.
"No, the body is no longer weathered and remains. It's just that the tomb trail is still alive. It is believed that the entrance was built to bring in those who came to see the deceased."
Indeed, it stretches up to the stairs so that it is easy to climb that far. Looks like a building to invite someone in. Besides, if there's a tomb, I'm convinced it's a tomb guard.
Yes, Mr. Sampel gave me a more detailed explanation from the side when he showed a certain understanding of the dean's explanation.
"Once upon a time, there was a powerful Guardian at the entrance, and immersion did not materialize, but since it was destroyed by a brave man about 150 years ago, sometimes the ruins are close to the city, and academics flourish in the city of Arctia."
"There was a Guardian, and you were able to come to the grave?
Feeling the words of the dean and Mr. Sampel, and questioning them, Mr. Sampel added that he seemed to really enjoy explaining them.
"The destroyed Guardian is still being studied in the Arctia. And there were recent research results that buzzed the Society, with the human face and name of the time recorded on the head of the Guardian. Scholars who announced that they were probably distinguishing themselves from intruders."
"Facial authentication device…?"
I didn't even know there was such a thing...
How far did civilization go in the old world?
At least not far enough at the feet of civilization in this world today.
"Well, should we go? We don't know where there are hidden traps inside the ruins, so be careful."
"Copy that. Oh, you didn't map it?
"I do. We can't remember everything either, so we have to rely on this."
The dean took the map from the bag packed in bread and gave it to me. I say thank you and then when I receive it, I look at the map.
"Yeah, this is the entrance... the second corner to the right at first"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Can I make a copy of this?
"I don't mind. Because it's what I drew anyway."
With the permission of the dean, I use my artistic skills to the fullest to begin copying. After copying as many as 10 maps in roughly 10 minutes, he returned the map to the dean, who had had a cup of tea and was relaxing and bickering.
"Oh, that's early. Because I've already copied it?
"Well, one street"
"Which... Whoa, this is brilliant skill. It's a more beautiful map than mine."
"When this is over, I'll present it to the Dean."
"It is. You've got one more joy to explore the ruins."
While he exchanged such promises, he left only the first sheet of the map he copied with him, and later acted as if he was going to bag him and put him inside the storage space.
So when we were finally ready, we stepped inside from the entrance to the ruins.
idle things Through the entrance to a lonely atmosphere, what you see is a large room that lasts everywhere and a sturdy tomb that doesn't collapse after 5,000 years. The gray tomb markers crossing the cross are made of a material that emits a different sheen than both stone and iron, and are also spread over one side of the vast room.
I stopped by the sight. Not because I fell in love with a tomb marker that zoned and aligned neatly. Because I was overwhelmed by the number of tomb marks.
Just looking lightly, the number of grave markers there is more than 10,000 momentum. That means nothing more than that number of people were buried here dead. And you think it might be the people who were killed by evil gods because you saw the records and the diary?
"What's the entrance down there... is that it?"
Overwhelmed but relying on the map to discover the actual downward staircase with your eyes, pointing with your fingers. The two of you who followed me a few steps back, nodding lightly in reply to it, were waiting for me to advance my legs.
Why do they distance themselves from me and wait, to avoid traps? Inside the ruins there are many traps set up, and my job as an adventurer is to discover and destroy those traps.
Coarse traps have already been destroyed in the upper layers to ensure safety, but some may have been left behind. So, we're keeping our distance and making sure that if I fall into a trap, it won't harm both of us.
I nodded back to the two of them, and I proceeded with caution. Expand the space around you and reduce blind spots. In addition, sensory enhancement was used to enhance the 5 senses.
I haven't used this skill in a long time, but I feel it has grown and sharpened my five senses before. But only its inner tactile sensation can be a part of it that I don't want it to sharpen. When the skin becomes sensitive, even if the clothes rub slightly, the pain runs and tingling is painful.
"Well, I'll go down first, and you two can come when you signal."
With the latest caution and taking into account the lines of the trap set on the stairs, I was the only one who went down first. The stairs were dim with sunlight blocked from entering through the entrance. However, a soft light, as previously seen in the ruins of the desert, illuminated the steps.
Down the stairs, the tomb was spreading again there. Gravemarks that go on everywhere and everywhere don't seem to show the end yet.
"Ok! Come down, it's okay!
"Okay!
I spoke to the two of them on the stairs a little louder. Plus I get a reply a little late.
I watched the grave casually while the two of them came down.
I've seen it up there, but it's an amazing number of grave markers. Will this line of graves last forever in the future...
With that in mind, the deans slowly descended.
"So do you want to go to the next staircase"
That said, looking at the second map, I checked the location of the stairs. The next staircase appears to be straight ahead.
We arrived at the eighth level without ever getting into a trap while keeping a little distance like that.
Up to the 7th level, the view continued unchanged from the 1st level with graves spreading throughout the room and I was slightly bored, but apparently this ruin is real from the 8th level.
The eight tiers are not one large room, but partitioned like a maze. Even if you look at the map, you can see the change at a glance. From what I've seen of the map, this hierarchy is truly a maze, with numerous endings. But fortunately, the map the dean sent me to photograph shows the right directions on the red line, so I don't think I'll have to struggle with that. Well, for me with spatial skills, the maze can't be a major obstacle...
But when I look at the map as a whole, I'm concerned about the countless red battens that have never been on the map before.
Perhaps this indicates the location of the trap, but suddenly the number of traps increased.
I guess this is where it comes from.
What the hell lies ahead?
At least, it can't be the same grave that lasted so far.
Something amazing must be asleep.
While I was excited inside, I began to lead the maze. While paying more attention than ever before, he carefully stepped on the floor of the ruins to avoid discovering new traps while watching the traps destroyed in places with occasional red battens.
Thus, after spending two hours trampling the maze, we went down the stairs leading to the ninth level without taking a break.
"This is amazing again..."
Nine tiers were built differently than up to eight.
I don't know what to say...... full of traps?
The map is bright red. The number of red battens is slightly over 1000.
"You've often found all these traps"
I felt honest.
Approximately 150 years after this ruin was discovered. Some of you will have fallen into this trap and died in the meantime. But when I thought that the crystal of all the effort of the people who surveyed this ruin was now in my hands, the perky paper felt very heavy.
I looked carefully at the paper and checked the position of the stairs and the current position, then the directions to it. This hierarchy appears to have dividers, similar to the eight hierarchies. And there are several paths leading to the 10 tiers. I mean, basically, if we go ahead, we'll be able to reach the stairs any minute, but we dare to follow the path with the most red battens here. That should be safer, with fewer traps left.
Our aim is only the lowest level of offense, not trap discovery. If you discover a trap, you better not have the deans who will be stuck on your feet.
"Well, I'll follow this directions"
"Okay. Please go ahead."
Swinging her face vertically and silently acknowledging, she steps on the floor more carefully than ever in a slip-footed motion. From what I've heard, there are a lot of traps attached to floors and walls here, and it's best to keep paying attention there.
Make a squeaky noise and tread carefully and carefully.
and the tip of the forefoot slightly recessed to the floor.
"Stop. There was a trap."
I immediately put my hands behind the two of them and even my mouth cautioned them. I feel more nervous behind my back.
I paid attention to my surroundings relying solely on my eyes and space, not on microscopic motion.
Bed, right wall, left wall.
I am not particularly uncomfortable.
Then... up there?
I tilted my neck back. The dirt is noticeable and the spider's nest is strewn ceiling. Inside that ceiling, a small hole is holed just above the switch of the trap. It's like it's embedded even at gunpoint, such a hole.
I carefully put my hands straight up so that no vibrations could be transmitted to my legs.
"Demon Bomb"
I shot a small bullet at the ceiling that compressed a very small amount of magic. The moment the demon bomb hits the ceiling, a small explosion occurs. The destruction, about 30 cm in diameter, smashed a portion of the ceiling from trap to tree dust, bringing down the parallax and its wreckage.
"You're gonna be okay with this."
And I stomped on my foot. And then the floor sank in with the sound of gacco - only the tranquility remained.
"It's okay. The trap has been destroyed."
"Phew, I'm nervous...... but you're a boulder. It was brilliant."
While I received praise from the dean, I turned my attention to the ceiling again.
... now you have magic moves. Just a little.
"What's wrong?
"No, it's nothing."
Maybe this place works with magic, just like the ruins that were in the desert.
"We're here..."
Stairs leading to the 10th floor. I stood in front of it and whined with a voice that seeped through my fatigue.
"No, you managed to get us all there safely."
"You'll only leave 10 tiers behind."
Unlike me, the two of you who never kept your mind open still seem to be able to afford it. Or maybe I can afford to come from experience, but I'm honestly tired.
Because even after I discovered the first trap, I discovered the gimmick on the floor and kept my mind open.
There are other traps, no matter how you look at them, that also fall into a trap similar to hypnosis where your arm moves at will to the magic of a red protrusion that you can't help but push.
The floor suddenly opened when I tried to pass by with nothing to say '............' in the round trap, indignant at the meanness of the guy who made it.
I prayed to the skeleton, which had been skewered unbroken by a trap, and tried to recover the pendant hanging from the neck of the skeleton, at least just the artifact, out of good intentions, without thinking, 'What...?' The next moment I heard the sound of becoming, I was scattered about hanging in a trap that trampled on people's good intentions, that they were about to skewer at risk.
Thanks to the constant entanglement of the demonic costume and the aggressive reflexes, I have not sustained one injury, but I am mentally seriously ill.
Me... I hate this ruin.
"Shall we take a short break here and then attack the 10th layer"
That said, when I said no, I sat down on the stairs. After making sure there are no traps, of course.
I took the ninth map and took out the last one, which was the tenth. But that map only drew a little further from the entrance.
Is this the most aggressive point right now?
From what I've seen, it looks like there's nowhere to go. If you go down the stairs and go straight, you hit the end of the line, and so does the branch to that end?
What the hell is this all about?
There's no way out. Does this mean we're being attacked to the end?
"Dean, excuse me for a moment. Wherever I go, it looks like a dead end, but where do I go for it?
"Oh, that's a nasty door just down the stairs and straight ahead. The means to open that door has not been elucidated, and we cannot move on from there."
Door. Sure, this end-of-the-life drawing is a little different than the others. At first glance, there seems to be no trap...
A maze, a massive trap followed by doors that don't open?
"I see, I mean, is that why you're opening that door this time?"
"Yes, if I may add, it will be an investigation ahead."
All right, let's just smash it. To the extent that the ruins are unbreakable. That's the quickest way.
"By the way, breaking it is nashi, please. That door is also a valuable research material."
…………
I couldn't help but laugh silently and painfully at the attention I thought they'd read my mind. Know your face, know your face.
"... by the way, do you have any idea how to open the door?
"No."
Shake your head, Dean laughing that it's sappy. I want to say what the hell you're doing here.
and thumpel broke in there.
"'He who pays the darkness and fishes the tomb. When you come in time of disaster, don't open this door. To pay before the grave is to mourn the dead. Or, pay the darkness and become the sword. If you do, the door won't open,' it says on the door. Solving the mystery of this word is the only way to open the door."
"Hmm... I mean, find a heart to mourn the dead and a sword to pay for the darkness and dedicate it to the grave?
"Yeah, probably. The only thing I know is that there is one before the grave at the end of this branch, and that the headstone says," Pay the darkness, sword. "
Hmm... I mean, mysterious.
No way, I'm writing in the same sense, and there must be some mystery. If we do not solve that mystery, the door will not open beyond it. Is that so?
It's like a game gimmick. From previous life's knowledge, I think there are two patterns in large part at times like this.
One is a pattern where that area has all the pieces you need to solve the gimmick. And the second is a pattern that requires something hidden outside the area.
I wish it was the first, but the second is honest.
Besides, the dean is about sapphire. It is quite unlikely that there will be pieces within this ruin that will solve the gimmick.
Hope is a mystery that asks not things but means, but smart scholars gathered from all over the world have yet to solve the mystery. There's no way I can solve it.
... No, wait, wait, wait.
To open a door that doesn't open, you need a riddle that says in the game, puts a box on top of a switch, puts water out and stops it.
But this isn't the world of games. Reality. Even if some trick has been made, it shouldn't mean it'll never open without this.
In other words, there are other ways to open the door than to solve the gimmick. It doesn't mean destruction, of course, it means unlocking.
"It's worth a try..."
When I whine small, I get up with a bash knock on my knee.
"It's time to go"
With a slightly bounced voice, he tells the deans, they nod and stand up.
And first, I went down the stairs. Down the dim stairs, what you see is a corridor that leads to the distance. Fire is lit on the walls of the floor periodically and at equal intervals. It stretched straight, as if to invite visitors, to the door where it stood in dignity.
"It's okay to come down!
Until the end, one trap was not set on the stairs. No, I don't know if this is the last place yet. This is just the lowest level so far.
"Finally, you're at the bottom. Now, let's put this in front of the grave."
And, when I went down the stairs, the dean began to bag me. What he took out of his bag was a single silver sword.
"What's that?
"This is it, a sword made of rare metal commonly known as misrills. Mithril is more said to be a metal that houses light than in ancient times, and I thought this could be a sword that pays for darkness."
The Mithril sword that the dean lifted for me to see easily reflects the light of the red fire and shines like it burns. Though qualitative in its construction, its fullness is beautiful and sparkling again.
A good sword, but a sword that nobles and flashy lovers seem to prefer. I don't like it. I think about the sunlight reflecting and about to glare.
Well, but the slashing taste and magic pass seem good. At least better than my sword now.
"So, where is the grave?
"If you keep going straight, there is a way to branch right. There's a stone tablet there that seems to be in front of the grave."
Mr. Sampel answered my question. I nodded softly, going down the corridor ahead, about 50 meters, and I could see a branch.
I flinch my gaze behind me and I nod and turn right. Proceeding carefully to see if there were any traps, I saw two lights on the front. Its lights are the same as the fire lining the corridor, in the form of sandwiches between its two fires, with stone tablets and a hinged hole in front of them.
"Dean, I'll take the sword. Stay back, just in case."
With that said, when I got the Mithril sword from the dean, I plugged the sword into the wrist hole in front of the dean, who was looking a little too sorry.
"... nothing happens?
The ear only picks up the sound of a sword plugging in, and the spatial skills also indicate that there is no change in the door.
Was it different after all?
"Apparently it's a hassle, Dean"
"No, I thought this was it"
And the dean, who looks like he hasn't been too depressed to say it. Next to that, now Mr. Sampel has taken out a vial with water.
"Now it's my turn"
"What did Mr. Sampel say?
"I am this. This water was obtained on land benefiting from world trees. It's a land where demons don't even come close, so I thought you might have the power to pay for the darkness."
Sure, I had the power to pay for the protection of evil gods... what do you think? The part that pays for darkness is fine, but I don't feel the sword part is incomplete.
"Well, I'll let you drool for once"
"Yeah, please"
The water Mr. Sampel gave me poured into the hole.
"Mm-hmm. Nothing's gonna happen."
"Really? You failed again this time."
"Hmm, I'll have to rethink it from scratch again"
They are accepting the failure lightly, but I asked them because I had one thing to worry about.
"Don't you try 'Heart to mourn the dead'?
Yes, they don't talk about it at all. As if I don't need it, I only pay attention to the sword that pays for darkness.
I was wondering. Normally, I feel like trying both, because the two of us didn't see that coming.
Mr. Sampel has an indescribable face on my face.
"There's no grave."
And he told me the reason in the end.
"The front of the grave?
"Yep. The grave there only says, 'Give me the sword to pay for the darkness'. But so far, no other grave has been discovered."
Are you saying that there is no place to dedicate "Heart to mourn death"... No, you're saying that if you don't solve the mystery of this "Sword to Pay Darkness" first, you can't move on?
"Either way, this is the withdrawal, right? I can't help being here any longer."
"No, can I just have a moment?
…… What's wrong with you?
They looked strange and looked at me. I don't answer that, I look at the dean.
"May I borrow the dean's sword again?
"I don't mind that..."
"What the hell are you talking about?
"It's a pleasure to try."
Even if I said something that would make me expect too much, I would be more likely to fail, and if I did, I would be embarrassed, so I didn't go into details.
"Me!
Pushing my sword into the hole with Zan, I squeeze the pattern with both hands. Then, the sword was motivated into the flow line to release its magical powers. Into the hole.
"─ Huh! What the hell..."
Blinking magic disappears as it emits red residual light. It was silver. The sword projects the color of my magic, dyed red. From the hole where the sword is embedded, a strong luminosity leaks from the gap between the sword and the hole, illuminating the spot locally as if it were a laser pointer.
"No!
Mood line. It was released into the hole like a faucet where the magic that could enter turned to its limits. The magic released from hands to swords, from swords to holes, just sucks into the floor without any meaning, or fogs in the air, and disappears.
However, the slightest magic residue, which has reached the correct answer in a way that hits a few dozen dozen, disappears leaving a solid meaning behind.
- There it is.
Concentrate the magic you were wasting on. One of those points is where the key to opening the door is.
As the infusion passes through the catheter and flows from needle to person, the magic becomes a line, leaving my hand and flowing alone. Follow the lead of magic to the key that lies ahead of you.
The odds were halfway there was or was not. But I won that bet.
Efficient use of magic made by ancient people. If that's something similar to electricity, there's always a magic wire. The battery plug at that entrance is exactly the hole I'm plugging in Mithril's sword right now.
Then all you need after is the power to open the door. The magic we're instilling right now is that.
─ ─ Cuy.
Operating sound when the machine starts. A similar sound echoes around the perimeter of the grave. A moment later, the light begins to shine with momentum as the entire ruin shines out.
Both the dim corridor and the staircase leading to it are lit by bright light, with a good view of the ruins weathered over the years. But still a function of the ruins that serves a solid purpose. I have to be impressed with this.
How much magic have you infused?
The magic of being sucked away by GUNGUNG. Would they have taken half of their total magic already?
When my anxiety had passed, I heard the door open.
"Yes, I can't believe that now......!
"And, Master, let's go!
As soon as we heard something called Gashan bump into us, the two of us rushed back the way we came. I wondered if the trap was okay, but without saying anything wild to the two of you who look a little excited, I follow after it, turning right at the branch.
"Master! It's open! It's open!
"Whoa! I didn't know you could see the end of this door while I was alive............?
Mr. Sampel in an excited state. Running beside it, the dean, who was also in an excited state, suddenly stopped on his feet.
"What is it?
Yes, in front of Mr. Sampel, who tilted his neck, the dean shuddered and turned right.
"Let's get out of here!
Full of sweat, the dean looks back and now runs out toward the stairs. Seeing that, Mr. Sampel looked beyond the door.
There were two big, red eyes that glowed spookily at the end of a door with no light.
"but the Guardian ⁉"
Wow...............................................................................................................
Standing between the escaping dean and Mr. Saint-Pell slipping his hips, my eyes firmly captured the Guardian in the shape of a dragon.