Episode 94: Mermaid Drop
“Whoa! It’s totally the ocean!”
“Ocean! First time!”
“The sunlight… it’s hot… I’m gonna die.”
“Gianna-sama, people don’t die from sunlight.”
“Not people, elf…”
“Elves don’t die from sunlight either, you know.”
More like, they’re tougher than people.
Fully armed with Adventurer gear, we marched through the Black Forest. Guided by Yuzuki and the warriors, we entered a horizontal cave that peeked out from the cliff, and it turned out to be a large isolated island floating on the sea.
“Here we go, then.”
What awaited us was a large swarm of crabs. As expected of Sea Monsters, I don’t know their names.
“Those are Crush Clubs. They pin down their opponents with their right claw and crush them with the hammer on their left.”
“Can eat, them?”
“…Delicious.”
“Alright, let’s take them down without hurting them too much. Crabs should be taken down the same way, anyway.”
I used Telekinesis Magic to flip the swarm of crabs coming towards us all at once. The Crush Clubs showed us their white bellies.
Beatrice used her SB Lance in high-voltage mode to slash at their bellies. The powerful electricity made the Crush Clubs foam at the mouth, and their flailing limbs stopped moving.
“Hmm, dead.”
“Alright, secure them, please.”
““““Yes!”””
The ones responding energetically are a mixed team of Onmitsu and warriors. We brought a few extra this time.
“Just as I heard, we can secure a decent amount of space.”
“Yuzuki-nee is amazing.”
Asahi puffed out her chest and acted proud, but they’re not even sisters.
“Alright, let’s get the container houses out.”
Don, two container houses appeared from my Spatial Storage. One for men and one for women. Both have Monster Ward Barriers, so there’s no need to worry about being attacked. Everyone started changing separately.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen, so I’d like you to secure as much as possible.”
“Understood!”
Our goal this time is to secure the Dungeon Core of this Ocean Dungeon and bring the Dungeon itself under our control. However, it is unknown whether this Dungeon is controlled by a Dungeon Core or managed by a Dungeon Master.
If it’s a Dungeon Core, we can control it, but if it’s a Dungeon Master, we have to decide whether to leave it alone or defeat it. In case it’s a Dungeon Master, I’ve asked them to secure some seafood-type Monsters.
It would be nice if it were a Dungeon Core, since I can move it and control it myself.
“Well, time to change.”
I entered the container house, took out a pair of half-pants-type swim trunks from the locker, and changed. I attached an Underwater Meter to my left hand and equipped the SB Lance in my right. I put on a strap so it wouldn’t fall to the bottom of the sea even if I let go.
This time, there’s a possibility that even if I attach things to my waist, they might fall off, so I’m using a type that attaches to my upper body. Reloading underwater is difficult, so I’m equipping the Slug TCC-07 this time, and I’ve also attached the Aqua Module, an optional part for underwater use, to the tip.
It’s a bit inconvenient, but I’ve also attached a strap and connected it to the holster. After all, preparations against falling are essential.
After I finished changing, I went outside and waited for a while. Then the women appeared.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Beatrice, with her golden hair reflecting the light and her bikini-type blue swimsuit revealing her body without reservation, is a beauty without exaggeration.
“Sunlight, gonna die…”
Gianna, also wearing a black bikini-type swimsuit. As Iserina-san said, she has an incredibly mature figure.
“King, cool.”
Asahi, who had chosen a racing swimsuit-like type, is very healthy. Well, she’s about the same age as me, so even if she had chosen a more provocative swimsuit, the others would have stopped her.
“Everyone’s ready, then.”
““““Yes.”””
Everyone is equipped with an SB Lance on their dominant arm and an Underwater Gun, the “SGS-AA21,” strapped to their opposite arm.
“I checked with the Magical Power meter, but the Magical Power is definitely denser down below.”
The Underwater Meter on my left wrist is a Magical Power meter that includes various instruments developed for Underwater Dungeons. Unlike in the air, various substances are dissolved in the water, so it’s used to quickly check for changes in them.
“In that case, is the entrance to the lower levels underwater?”
“It’s not necessarily a level, though.”
These types of Dungeons generated with the environment may only have one level. In these cases, there may only be a Core Room or a Master Room.
“But Village Chief not coming is pathetic.”
“It’s no use even if he comes.”
This Dungeon raid will be carried out by the four of us: me, Beatrice, Asahi, and Gianna.
Since I and Beatrice are leaving, Barbatos is working at the territory castle.
And Houryuu, the Village Chief’s son, will be in charge of directing the Monster hunting in this Dungeon.
Ryuga was supposed to be in the Dungeon raiding party with me, but…
“That guy can’t swim, you know.”
“Wasn’t it at a level before not being able to swim?”
“Makes no sense. Why is he okay with baths?”
“Village Chief, mysterious.”
Ryuga was weak against water. It wasn’t just that he couldn’t swim.
“Well, let’s leave those who aren’t coming alone. Let’s go right away.”
“The beach Monsters have been wiped out.”
“That helps.”
The items we’re going to use from now on are exclusively for underwater use. Conversely, it’s easy to become defenseless until we enter the water, so they had some Monsters defeated in advance.
I took out candies from a bottle and handed them to the three. This is the transformation drug “Mermaid Drop” created by the military’s pharmaceutical development department.
It’s called candy, but it melts as soon as you put it in your mouth. And it transforms the eater’s body into a so-called mermaid form.
There are various planets in space, but one of the conditions for a planet to be habitable is the presence of water. And while it’s good if there’s water, there are also quite a few planets where there’s too much water and no land.
When exploring such planets, there are times when people have to enter the water as needed. That’s when this “Mermaid Drop” comes in handy.
When you put this in your mouth, you can breathe underwater and have conversations. In the process of the body changing, you can gain some resistance to harmful substances and poisons dissolved in the water, and you’ll naturally understand how to use the fins on your lower body.
By the way, the effect lasts for about three days, although there are individual differences. You can also return to normal immediately by drinking the antidote.
“Transformation complete.”
“No, problem.”
“Still amazing medicine… makes no sense.”
“Well, let’s go again, then.”
“Yeah!”
Our lower bodies turned into those of fish, and we entered the water with the same momentum.
…What on earth was Ryuga, who sank even after being trained in this mermaid form?