…What just happened?
Hazaki aimed his axe at a drab middle-aged man and a High School Girl.
The plan was for him to have already knocked out the Suit Man.
So why is Hazaki flat on the ground?
“Are you alright?”
It was the Salaryman who spoke to the stunned Kujou, of all people.
The man, wearing stereotypical unfashionable glasses and a tightly fitted suit, shook Hazaki with a monotone voice… and muttered, “Hmm.”
“That was likely a ground-based trap set by an insect-type Monster.”
“Huh???”
“In the real world, hornets sometimes build nests in the ground, right? As an application of that, some insect-type Monsters can set traps in the ground.”
It’s true that some Monsters use such special skills.
But the power of that attack was impossible.
According to Kujou’s assessment, this Dungeon’s difficulty was low-ranked D, at best mid-ranked.
There’s no way B-ranked Kujou and his party would be incapacitated by a single trap attack…!
Supporting himself with his axe, Hazaki shakily stood up—”Don’t screw with me!”
“Y-You… you did something, didn’t you…!”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Don’t mess with me…! Who else could set up a bomb like that in a low-level Dungeon! Damn it, I’ll sue!”
We’re the victims here—
To the shouting Hazaki, the man pushed up his glasses with polite insolence,
“Forgive my rudeness, but where is your evidence? Would you mind if I checked your recorders?”
“…………”
As the man held out his hand, Kujou grimaced, realizing the situation was bad.
If they submitted their recorders, the culprit would be identified… but.
The conversation where Kujou and his party planned to attack them would also be revealed.
That would be socially disastrous, and if the recorder was submitted to the Labyrinth Agency, they would undoubtedly receive extremely unfavorable treatment, even if it was just an attempt.
A sudden Dungeon Raid is illegal in itself, but if lives were involved, the Labyrinth Agency wouldn’t stay silent…
“Damn, he played us well,” Kujou clicked his tongue, while next to him, the High School Girl accompanying the Salaryman anxiously asked Kujou,
“Um. More importantly, are you injured? If necessary, I can call the emergency number…”
“…! No, there’s no problem.”
Calling the emergency number would not only incur high medical expenses but also question the legitimacy of the Dungeon Raid, making things even more troublesome.
There’s no choice. We have to retreat quietly here…
Fortunately, they probably haven’t realized that Kujou and his party were about to attack them.
I’m curious about the identity of the trap, but we should withdraw for now—
“Hey~. This is such a pain, so can we just clean it up quickly?”
Just as Kujou turned around, wondering, “Huh?”
Akushichi Nana, who had been watching the situation, raised the corners of her lips in a creepy smile and pointed her staff at the ceiling. Then,
“Demonic Blaze.”
“Wh-“
Along with the declaration of the Skill activation, a blaze appeared that could be mistaken for the sun.
“This is bad!” Kujou recoiled, and Hazaki also tumbled to the ground,
—Followed by the sound of an explosion.
The burst of flames rained down, and the force of the explosion caused the transparent ceiling to collapse.
The structure of Dungeons may differ in appearance, but they all take the form of underground labyrinths.
Even in a “forest” stage, there is an invisible ceiling in the passages, and the ceiling, modeled after trees, collapsed with a crash—burying the Suit Man and the High School Girl alive.
As Kujou managed to escape while falling on his butt, an irritating voice echoed, “Kyahaha, it’s easier to just bury everything, don’t you think?”
“Akushichi, you…!”
“Are you trying to bury me alive too!? Don’t screw with me, damn it!!!”
“Ehh, but if we told them, they’d be on guard. ‘Deceive your enemy by deceiving your allies first,’ right? Besides, if those guys showed the recorder, we’d be in pretty big trouble, wouldn’t we?”
That’s certainly true, but…
Kujou felt a bitter taste as he watched Akushichi laugh cheerfully—well, the result is okay.
The Boss has already been dealt with. If left alone, the Dungeon will naturally collapse in less than a day, and their corpses will be swallowed up and disappear.
The rewards will be all ours.
So, the result itself isn’t bad.
“Don’t screw with me… Well, whatever. I hope the old man and the JK have fun in hell. More importantly, heal me, Leader.”
“I have healing Potions, but with that injury, you might need to be hospitalized. Magical Power damage is different from real-world damage.”
“Seriously… Damn, who the hell were those guys anyway? Setting up traps in a Labyrinth.”
“I don’t understand them,” Hazaki said, staggering as he tried to get up.
Kujou, who had no interest in helping the sweaty big man, ignored him and left the Dungeon.
It was a completely fruitless Dungeon Raid.
The quality of the Monsters was the worst, the stream was unpopular, and the Boss only dropped a shabby item.
…Well, burying that annoying Suit Man alive made me feel a little better.
It’s not bad to see a guy who looks tired and gets a good salary for doing a half-assed job fall from grace.
…Even so, society is completely unfair.
We work hard every day and get nothing in return, while cute girls challenging official Dungeons get over 10,000 viewers, it’s a frustrating world.
Has God abandoned us? Irritated, he finally exited the Dungeon—
…Huh? All three of them stood there, dumbfounded.
“Client. I have completed the cleaning work. If you do not confirm the disappearance of the Dungeon within one day, please contact me again, Kageichi Futsuu.”
“Ah, thank you, Kageichi-san. …By the way, who is that young lady with you?”
“She seems to be a student who got lost inside the Dungeon. I have taken her into my care.”
“Ehhh!? I-I’m sorry. I heard that it’s best not to approach during the cleaning, so I took my eyes off her…”
In the garden of an ordinary house in a quiet residential area.
The client, an old geezer, was casually receiving a business card from the Suit Man they had buried alive and having a normal conversation.