Grave of Death ③ – It’s Your Fault, Isn’t It?
Without pause, I punched the Curse Slime multiple times, opening a large hole.
The iron plate was exposed.
At that moment, Mr. Agaro leaped down from the top of the half-destroyed Tower.
“———Single Stroke, Demon Severance———”
First, he threw something, then forcefully swung Flame Tongue horizontally in mid-air.
That was Holy Water. The special Holy Water received from the Witch.
The hole in the Curse Slime where it hit widened slightly.
Did he use it to make it easier to cut?
One of the iron plates protecting the Core was split clean in two.
Because of the hole, the iron plate, exposed to the outside air, detached and fell off.
That’s a considerably thick armor plate. To do that in one swing… Amazing.
He said something, didn’t he? Single Stroke something-or-other. A Relic? Or maybe a skill?
Either way, the Curse Slime’s Core was completely exposed.
A pulsing, round, black mass of flesh. To put it bluntly, it was a disgusting lump of meat.
Juicy-san didn’t miss that chance.
An arrow was loosed.
The Elixir Arrow traced a white parabola and pierced deeply into the Core as if drawn to it.
Then, the Core shattered and vanished, and the Curse Slime dissolved as if evaporating.
Just as Mr. Agaro said, we did it all at once in a short time, and we defeated it.
Momentum really is important.
What remained were numerous skulls and bones, and a Treasure Chest.
“Phew, we managed somehow.”
“Yes, we did.”
“Um, um, um, we did it!”
Juicy-san ran over. I patted her head.
Her Tail wagged so hard it seemed like it would fly off, creating a breeze.
“My, my, my, everyone was truly wonderful, weren’t they?”
The Witch praised us while still holding Dagaa.
“Um, um, it’s thanks to the bow the Witch-sama made.”
Juicy-san respectfully tried to return the bow.
The Witch shook her head.
“No, no, that bow was made to fit you, little doggy. It’s yours now, isn’t it? Take good care of it, won’t you?”
“Um, um, um, woof. Are you sure!? Thank you very much!”
Juicy-san expressed her joy with her whole body, beaming at me while saying, “Lord Wof, Lord Wof.”
“Alright. Well then, let’s check out this treasure here too.”
Mr. Agaro said, taking a drink from his Gourd Flask.
When you say Treasure Chest, it brings Mimics to mind, but this one was different.
A Treasure Chest emitting a yellow light… It was a treasure box made of silver, lavishly decorated.
In fact, the box itself looked like it could be the treasure.
“Hmm, hmm. A magnificent treasure box, isn’t it?”
“Um, um, woof. It’s gorgeous.”
“Na!”
“Isn’t it a bit too magnificent?”
I think this box alone would fetch a considerable price.
“Shall we open it?”
“Please wait. There might be traps or something. I’ll check.”
“Check, you say?”
“Now, now, Wof-boy has a Relic for that sort of thing, doesn’t he?”
I used the Relic [Danger Detection]. There was no reaction from the Treasure Chest.
“There’s no danger.”
“Alright then, let’s open it. Witch. If you would.”
“Yes, yes. Shall we open it then?”
Handing Dagaa to me, the Witch crouched down.
She touched the keyhole and fiddled with it, click-clack.
Dagaa climbed onto my head.
What the heck?
“Um, um, um, does it look like you can open it?”
“Uh-huh, uh-huh. Just a little more now. Alright, alright. It’s open, isn’t it?”
The lid of the Treasure Chest opened grandly.
Inside, what the Witch took out was a metal Triangular Prism.
It shone gold and had several lines etched into it.
“What is that?”
“Um, um, um, it’s shaped like something I’d want to catch if you threw it!”
“No, no, it’s not that kind of thing. Now this, this is… I wonder what it is?”
“You don’t know?”
“Um, um, um, um, it’s shaped like something I’d want to catch if you threw it!”
“No, no, it’s really not that kind of thing. May Kon hold onto this?”
“Na!”
“Hey, Dagaa! Stop hitting my face with your tail! I don’t mind.”
“Well, I don’t want to carry around something troublesome like that either. Do as you like.”
“Um, um, um, I have no objections either. Please do. But if you feel like throwing it, please tell me. I’ll definitely catch it!”
“No, no, I won’t be throwing it.”
Just how badly does she want to catch it?
And so, we descended to the floor below.
The next floor was a passage with stone walls stretching endlessly. It felt very much like a Dungeon.
No rooms, just passages. They branched left and right, forming a complex maze.
The Monsters appearing in that maze were——— Skeletons. Zombies. Skeletons. Dullahans.
Globos. Phantoms. Silkies. Crawling Women. Puppets. Zombies. Skeletons.
Spirits. Ghouls. Mummies. Zombies. Globos. Skeletons. Dullahans.
Curse Slimes. Globos. Silkies. Skeletons. Wandering Women. Zombies.
Ghouls. Skeletons. Skeletons. Skeletons. Standing Women. Skeletons.
Skeletons. Skeletons. Watching Women. Skeletons. Skeletons. Zombies.
Ahh, geez. It’s so full of Undead it makes me sick.
Also, the occasional ghost women are scary. They’re even scarier because they don’t do anything.
“Isn’t this way too many Skeletons, no matter how you look at it?”
“I think so too.”
I feel like the Skeletons in That Forest were about this numerous too.
“Um, um, um, I want big bones. I don’t need small ones.”
Juicy-san complained.
Even big ones are no good.
“Good grief, so the shallower parts of the Grave of Death are like this, are they?”
The Witch sighed. I wonder what the deeper parts are like. Still, we’re making good progress.
Is it only natural because the members are amazing? At this rate, we have the momentum to defeat the King of Death.
But the King of Death’s strength is estimated to be mid-Jewel-Class… Even a low-Jewel-Class can destroy a city single-handedly.
Defeat it in 4 days? We need to reach the Innermost Area in the remaining 2 days at least.
No, the Witch says we can defeat it, so I suppose we can.
But… something feels off. Something’s bothering me.
Night fell.
Since there were no rooms, only passages, we decided to completely block off one passage and rest there.
We partitioned the area with ridiculously large Sheets produced by the Witch, and floated the light orbs received from Liv-san.
Each space was made like a private room.
The first Sheet. A campfire. In front of it, a black sofa.
Mr. Agaro was sitting on the black sofa, drinking sake while watching the campfire.
Three skewers with mushrooms, meat, onions, and green onions pierced onto them were placed over the campfire.
The mushrooms were ones growing in the passage; they were edible mushrooms.
The onions and green onions were food supplies from the Witch’s pouch.
So Mr. Agaro eats his vegetables properly.
The second Sheet.
Juicy-san was lying on a red sofa, playing with Dagaa.
Lying on her back, she was tossing Dagaa up and catching him, or hugging him tightly.
“Um, um, um, woof. Woowoof. Woof. Woowoof. Woof woof!”
“Na! Na! Na! Nana! Na! Na! Nana! Na! Na!”
“Woof woof. Woof. Woowoof. Woof. Awoooo.”
“Na!”
I don’t know what they’re doing, but they look like they’re having fun.
Also, Juicy-san. Maybe it’s better if you don’t move your legs so much.
Because you’re kicking your bare legs around, and your red skirt is fluttering.
The third Sheet. A lone black sofa. It’s my private room.
A simple sleeping bag is placed on the sofa. It’s my favorite item.
I don’t know about everyone else, but I sleep on the sofa.
The fourth Sheet has nothing.
It seemed like it was for putting luggage or something, but that became unnecessary. It’s a Thomasson.
When I opened the fifth Sheet, I saw the Witch’s back.
She was sitting not on a sofa but on a chair, working. Click-clack sounds came from her work desk.
The sound stopped.
“Hmm-hmm, who could that be? Probably Wof-boy, I suppose.”
“Yes. It’s me.”
“Uh-huh, uh-huh. Hmm, hmm. And what business brings you here?”
The Witch asked without turning around.
“How is it going? With that.”
I knew she was fiddling with the metal Triangular Prism we got from the Treasure Chest.
“Uh-huh, uh-huh. I’ll figure it out soon. Well, I already know what it is, though.”
“Is that so?”
“This, this is… It’s a key, isn’t it?”
The Witch shifted her chair and turned around.
She had a smug look on her face. She snorted, hmph.
“A key?”
“Yes, yes. A special key. Somewhere, there’s something that opens when you insert this.”
“Ah, that kind of… Could it be the type of key you have to collect?”
I don’t like that. What a pain. I really hate those collection-type things.
Even in manga, anime, or games, it feels like padding, and it’s tiresome.
It’s irritating because it actually is padding.
Moreover, this Grave of Death. It’s strangely large and complex, full of Undead, gloomy, and dark.
Frankly, I just want to go home already.
“That’s right, that’s right. Oh my, Wof-boy. You’re making quite the face, aren’t you? By the way, is that really what you wanted to ask?”
The Witch saw right through me. As expected of the Witch. I asked what I truly wanted to know.
“…How are we going to defeat the King of Death?”
“I have a proper secret plan, you know.”
“———Is it [Generous]?”
I said it clearly. The Witch said nothing.
The Pseudo-Deification Relic [Generous].
My Fourth Relic. It allows Pseudo-Deification into Generous, the god Edda worships.
Its power is immense. However, its active time is 5 minutes with a 1-day cooldown.
Furthermore, there are Relics usable only in this form.
It was [Generous] that defeated the Black Knight too.
Well, I knew it would probably be used.
But was that the plan from the start? Or was it just by chance, out of necessity? That difference is significant.
Even if you’re my master, there are things you should and shouldn’t do.
“That, too, is certainly an option, you see.”
“So you won’t deny you were counting on that from the start, huh?”
“Hmm, hmm. So, Wof (boy), you believe in the power of your Relic, don’t you.”
“Well… yes, I suppose so. But I don’t believe in it blindly.”
I think my view on Relics has softened a little compared to before.
Still, my belief that Relics are just tools hasn’t changed.
“Yes, yes. Overconfidence isn’t good, but maintaining a suitable distance while working with your Relic is a good thing, you see.”
“Why did you accept this investigation, Witch?”
Knowing the Witch’s personality, she’d definitely refuse. It’s just too troublesome and too much of a pain.
Grinning, the Witch laughed mischievously, placing a hand on her chin.
“Oh my, oh my, hearing that from the very person responsible, you know.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The reason Kon accepted this request, you see… It’s because of you, Wof (boy), you know.”
She said, crossing her legs.
What does that mean? My fault? How? No, ahh—that’s right.
“Yes, yes. A good reaction, isn’t it.”
“Saying it’s my fault… yes, that’s certainly true.”
I unknowingly destroyed the defense mechanism and unleashed That Forest.
Because of that, the Grave of Death is starting to activate.
I don’t really know what ‘activation’ specifically means.
But I’m sure it’s something incredibly bad.
“Hm? Hm? Ah, ah, yes, yes. That’s not what I meant, you see. Even without knowing you were the one who unleashed it, Wof (boy), Kon would have accepted the request to clear the Grave of Death, you know. And that’s because of your influence, Wof (boy), you see.”
“My influence?”
What is she talking about? I stared blankly.
The Witch fiddled with her silver hair and spoke shyly.
“Kon, you see, Kon… By nature, Kon has never really liked people much, you know. If possible, Kon would prefer to live alone. Kon is the type who can live alone, you see. Still, to survive in this world, one has to interact with people at a bare minimum. That can’t be helped, but… well, so that Kon could at least live freely with minimal interaction, that’s why Kon obtained the renown of a Tier I Seeker, you know.”
“Just for that?”
“Yes, yes. Simply put, just for that, you see. Besides, Wof (boy), you used to think the same way as Kon, didn’t you? You don’t really like people much either, do you.”
“…I won’t deny that.”
I have many secrets, and having a master I can tell everything to has eased my heart somewhat.
In that sense too, I haven’t associated much with others.
But even setting that aside, I don’t really like people much.
“But, but, Wof (boy), you interacted with Kon and became Kon’s disciple, didn’t you? And you’ve met all sorts of people and made many acquaintances, haven’t you.”
“That’s true recently. I’m surprised myself at how suddenly my number of acquaintances has increased.”
It really increased over the last few months. Thinking back, what was the trigger?
Was it when I used that Elixir I had just obtained on the dying Torquetum?
“Yes, yes. Kon also made acquaintances like that long ago, and though interactions are now years apart, they still continue, you know. Even so, Kon still doesn’t really like people much, you see. That’s why, even if asked, Kon refused jobs that required leaving home as much as possible, you know. But after getting Kon’s first disciple, Wof (boy)… Before Kon knew it, Kon found herself—much to Kon’s own surprise, you see—becoming proactive about things, acting for someone else’s sake… That was a Kon who never existed before, you know.”
“…That’s my influence?”
“Yes, yes. That’s right, you see. It’s your fault, you know.”
I was astonished. I never imagined it.
I knew I could be influenced by others, but to think I could influence someone else…
And for that someone to be the Witch, I hadn’t considered it at all. So I was just stunned.
“Even if you say that…”
“Hey, hey, Wof (boy). The Grave of Death is definitely activating, you know.”
“What’s this all of a sudden? What does ‘activating’ mean?”
“Well, first of all, a Dungeon of Death must be destroyed immediately upon discovery, you see. That’s because Dungeons of Death grow through offerings. And when they activate, that death affects even the surface world, you know.”
“Even the surface world?”
“Yes, yes. It increases death through plagues, accidents, natural disasters, and the like, you see. The Dungeon of Death then uses the souls gained from those deaths as offerings to grow, and it’s said that eventually, the evil god of death, Yomido, will be resurrected, you know.”
“…Is that why you decided to act, Witch?”
“No, no. Even if Kon didn’t act, there’s still quite a bit of time before the death affects the surface, you see. So Kon could have refused, you know. But Kon couldn’t just leave it alone anymore. The Kon from before meeting you, Wof (boy), might have ignored it. Or rather, Kon might have fled from this frontier, no, from this continent, you know. But now, for Kon, the people of Hydrangea… they’ve become so important in Kon’s heart that Kon just can’t do that anymore, you see. And the one who made Kon realize all this is Kon’s beloved disciple, you know.”
The Witch grinned, smiling gently and affectionately.
I gave a wry smile.
“I don’t know what to say…”
“That’s quite alright, you know.”
“But if that’s the case, then I want to protect everyone just as much as you do, Witch.”
Honestly, I had been proceeding through the Grave of Death rather vaguely. Even with the curse giving me only a two-day time limit.
I knew I had to do it, but I wasn’t really motivated.
I didn’t know if I could win, and I was full of anxiety.
It was all too sudden, too unclear, and it didn’t quite feel real that I was facing death.
Part of that is because the feeling of it being like a game, from my past life’s memories, is messing with me.
But now I’ve decided. Just now. A goal and purpose have solidified within my heart.
In the remaining two days, I will go to the Innermost Area and defeat the King of Death. I will clear the Grave of Death.
With this, I’ll end everything related to That Forest.
I have to end it. I will end it.
“Witch. Let’s defeat the King of Death, no matter what. I won’t hold anything back either.”
“Fufu, fufu, that part of you is entirely your fault too, you know.”
The Witch looked happy.