Chapter 321: Ruins Exploration
I had asked if El would join us, but as usual, she replied that she would stay behind. It seems that the allure of Japanese culture outweighs the potential discovery of uncharted ruins. After all, Japan isn’t going anywhere.
“I’m off!”
“Take care!”
With El seeing me off from the garden, I activated Dimensional Magic and teleported directly to the site.
“Whoa!”
“It really feels like it, doesn’t it?”
Phonia and Ivan’s voices echoed as they took in the surroundings. We were completely surrounded by a dense Forest, with a solitary area covered in crumbling cobblestones.
“That way!”
Phonia, who had been looking around curiously, pointed proudly at a building with a roof.
“Fufu, not quite. It’s this way.”
“Eh?”
Rio led the way, while Phonia followed behind, her shoulders drooping in disappointment.
“Look, there’s a staircase over there, right?”
“Oh, you’re right!”
However, her enthusiasm was short-lived. She quickly perked up and leaned in to peer curiously at the staircase.
“Shu, you guys went down to the second basement level, right?”
“Yeah. But there was nothing there.”
As I snapped a photo of Phonia with my smartphone, Ivan fidgeted slightly and asked, “So, what’s the plan?”
“Alright, Phonia, let’s go!”
“Okay!”
With that, I encouraged Phonia, and we descended the staircase. There wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy, and I was currently scanning the first basement level with Spatial Magic, finding no signs of danger.
As Rio conjured a light spell to illuminate the staircase, we began our exploration of the first basement room together. We finished searching the second basement room without discovering any hidden doors and gathered at the foot of the descending staircase.
“From here on, we haven’t been, so let’s proceed with caution.”
I looked around, and everyone nodded back with serious expressions. As usual, I used Spatial Magic to investigate what lay beyond the staircase.
“…Hmm?”
But it seemed that the Spatial Magic only extended partway down the stairs.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s just that the space beyond here seems to be cut off…”
This reaction felt familiar. It was the same as when we had delved into the Dungeon before. Each level of the Dungeon existed in a separate dimension, and the spaces weren’t continuous.
“So, you’re saying that beyond this point, it’s a Dungeon?”
“Looks that way.”
“Seriously?!”
“Dungeon!”
Ivan grimaced at our words, but Phonia’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Perhaps she was recalling her previous exploits in the Dungeon. She had indeed been quite the star, but her contributions to the exploration itself were questionable, as her successes had come from a different angle. When it came to an unknown Dungeon, we had to be extra cautious.
“I have a bad feeling about a Dungeon in the Forest of Enchantment, where powerful Monsters lurk…”
“Is that how it usually is?”
“…I don’t know, but…”
Ivan pondered for a moment but seemed unsure. However, I could understand the sentiment. In RPGs, as the story progressed, enemies typically grew stronger. Unless it was an event, weak enemies rarely appeared out of nowhere.
“Anyway, I’ll take the lead, so follow closely behind. Rio, stay at the back and keep watch.”
“Got it.”
With renewed determination, I slowly descended the staircase. It seemed that the Dungeon began about ten steps down. The staircase continued, but visually, it was hard to tell where the Dungeon started. However, the boundary that couldn’t be explored with Spatial Magic spread horizontally beyond the next step, indicating that the underground area was indeed part of the Dungeon.
“Hmmm…”
If I continued, my feet would enter the Dungeon first, and I wouldn’t know what awaited us until I descended further. I crouched down and decided to peek my head in first.
“Seriously?”
I was left speechless by the sight that unfolded before me.
“What’s wrong?”
Hearing Ivan’s voice from behind, I pulled my head back. From outside the Dungeon, it merely looked like a normal staircase.
After explaining to everyone that there was a boundary with the Dungeon at the horizontal plane, we all crouched down to peek inside.
“Ugh!”
“Whoa…”
“Eeeeh?!”
Each of us reacted differently, but our thoughts seemed to align. Just three steps into the Dungeon area, a pitfall awaited us. It stretched across the entire width and was about three meters deep. There was no way around it; we had to jump over. The bottom of the pit was about five meters down, and while it didn’t seem too dangerous, there was an unknown space to the side—whether it was a corridor or a chamber. If a Monster attacked while we were trying to regain our footing after falling, it would be a disaster.
“To have a trap right at the entrance… this isn’t going to be an easy Dungeon to conquer.”
“I really hope it’s not a trap-heavy Dungeon…”
I couldn’t help but frown, but we had already reported this as an undiscovered ruin to the Guild. The thought of giving up here and letting someone else get ahead didn’t sit well with me, so I decided to think positively.
“Hmmm. I guess I can hope for a Trap Detection Skill to sprout up.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ivan looked at me with a puzzled expression, while Rio shrugged with an exasperated look. But one thing was clear: my motivation had returned. If things got too complicated, I could always use magic to create a platform in the air and proceed without touching the ground.
“Well then, shall we proceed?”
I called out to everyone and leaped over the first trap, stepping into the Dungeon.