Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou (WN)

Chapter 289: Arifureta After III - Shia Arc Underground Labyrinth

「No, is this real Indi○na huh.」

「Or perhaps, this is The M○mmy or To○b Raider isn’t it.」

That was their impression of the gruesome death of a person in front of their gaze. From the view point of the people who had the experience of repeated adventure in another world, they had already seen even more gruesome death, so perhaps it could only be said that their reaction couldn’t be helped.

「Even so, there should be nothing inside that ruin though……」

Below, people were gathering around the man who died with melting face and yells were flying around. Hajime whispered dubiously while watching that.

「Did we fail to notice it?」

「Let’s confirm it from now.」

*rustle rustle*, the familiar figures of the jack of all trades Arachne-san that became regular made appearance. One of the Arachne-san swung its leg as though to say 「You bastards! It’s time for workkk!」 before leading all the other Arachne ahead.

Their figures simultaneously heading to the ground by grappling on string looked like the rappel of a special army unit.

Shia was watching that sight with an expression like 「As expected they really have a will isn’t it? But as expected it’s scary so I can’t ask!」, while beside her Hajime took out his smartphone.

It was hybrid smartphone that combined the modern technology with crustal display made in another world. Basically, the smartphones of Hajime and co were all of hybrid made, it could contact another world, displayed status, fired laser of concentrated super small sunlight with the thickness of a needle, anyway it was multifunction.

Right now, one of its functions, the function of sight sharing with Arachne was activated. At the same time, the screen was a bit small to be watched together with Shia, so the hologram function (midair display) that was created from earth’s programming technology, another world’s magic (space magic and so on), and special ore like distant penetration stone etc. was activated.

In the air before the eyes of Hajime and Shia, the field of vision of Arachne-leader that was projected from the smartphone was created three dimensionally. At the corner of the main projection, there were also small reflections lining up in a vertical line. Those were the field of vision of all the other Arachne.

「Yosh, there is no problem with the sight linking. Erst until Funfte go toward the ruin. Sechste until Neunte, head inside the surrounding tents.」

Hajime who sounded like he was giving instruction to the Arachne caused Shia to crack her necks while putting some spirit 「Yo~sh, I’m going to put in tsukkomi nooww~」.

「Hajime-san Hajime-san. Hajime-san is controlling all the Arachne-san aren’t you!? Why are you making them saluting like 『Rogeer!』 while following your order!? As I thought they have will aren’t they!? It’s true isn’t it!?」

Hajime showed a doubtful expression as though saying ‘This bunny, just what is she spewing on?’. Shia was irritated.

「Don’t say scary thing like that, Shia. They aren’t Myuu’s golem squadron. There is no way they have will or anything right? I just programmed them to act to some degree when they receive voice input. They are golem, but I’m also equipping them with earth’s robot technology you know?」

「……That salute is also included in that?」

「Yeah. After all I used Arachne a lot for situation that demand secrecy. I put in the program based on the reference from the action pattern of special squad, but I’ve gone through that much trouble, so putting in salute movement while I’m at it should be okay right?」

If that was the case, then it wasn’t strange…… was it? Shia’s rabbit ears dropped down powerlessly.

When she glanced at the display, she caught sight the Arachne bunches were skillfully raising two of their legs, doing reaction as though expressing 「Good griefyare yare」.

「Their performance is really detailed isn’t it. Is that also an action pattern that is inserted into them?」

「Hm? Which one?」

Hajime returned his gaze from Shia toward the display. All the Arachne-san already resumed their action in order to accomplish their work.

「No, that’s why I said, it’s their movement of shrugging their shoulders as though saying 『good grief this girlyare yare daze』.」

「That’s why I’m telling you Shia, stop that. Do you want to scare me? There is no way they can move like that even though I’m not giving instruction right?」

「……」

Shia stiffened still. Her rabbit ears were standing on end with shudders. Shia wanted to insist 「The one who is scared is me desuu! As I thought, those Arachne-san, they are possessed by something for sureee!」, but it didn’t seem like it wouldn’t be just merely a snake that would come out if she poke the bush.

And so, 「After this, I’ll consult with Myuu-chan, let’s do that」 Shia swore inside her heart while she made tsukkomi at another matter.

「Cough-. Then one more thing. Does Hajime-san named those Arachne-san?」

「More or less. It will be more convenient in various things if they have individual name right?」

「Their name sounds terribly familiar for me though.」

The platinum apostles flashed at the back of her mind. The people who Shia worked hard to beat to death.

Hajime grinned widely,

「Great name right?」

He said such thing. It really sounded like sarcasm. The names of the opponents who she once carried out mortal combat with were used to name subordinate golems……

「If the people of Tortus heard it, it’s easily something that they will yell 『Accursed thing!』 for……」

「The civilian doesn’t know as far as the names of the apostles so it’s fine. In the first place, Shia, try looking at Japan’s literary work. Whether it’s god or devil, they are toyed around a lot just as anyone liked in their work don’t you see. Even things like erogeerotic game won’t blink an eye to do it. Like a certain archangel, just how much terrible experience that angel met in the past……」

「Can you stop talking about eroge in front of your lover!? Besides I think that Japanese people’s karma is just too deep desuu!」

「I cannot deny that huh. Recently anything will get turned into story character, and even after that it will be anything goes for them following where the creator’s heart is going. But, I’m proud from the bottom of my heart toward such people in that business.」

Hajime said such thing with a serious and tense expression. Toward such Hajime, Shia thought 「This person, no rather Japan is totally no good. There is no saving them anymore desuu」 while holding her rabbit ears. She wanted to see the face of the parents who raised such son. Although the parents were manga artist and game company president. The father was in the middle of diligently producing a new eroge!

While they were making such stupid talk, the group of Arachne who were given the name of god’s apostles accomplished infiltration into their respective target safely.

Hajime put his finger on a midair display and slid it to the center in order to make the vision of Sechste who infiltrated the nearest tent as the main screen. The screen could be directly controlled with the concept of touch panel.

Sechste was sticking on the ceiling through the tent’s framework, taking a bird’s eye view to overlook the whole tent.

「This is……how should I say it, my heart is fluttering.」

「Isn’t that right! My heart is drumming fast here!」

What was displayed in the midair display was a single room that was covered with transparent curtain and people wearing protective outfit who seemed to be researchers. No matter how they looked at it, it was a sterilized room, or perhaps a quarantine room.

Those factors that didn’t suit as facility for ruin investigation caused the eyes of the two to sparkle with curiosity.

The image from Siebte and others who also accomplished their infiltration into other tents didn’t project only the image of excavation equipments, there were also a lot of things like some kind of measurement devices and sensor equipments.

One of the Arachne circled to the back of Wilford.

Wilford was investigating the condition of the melted man. He then gave some kind of new instruction, persuaded the scared locals to make them return to their work. Perhaps because of that he looked a bit tired and shrugged his shoulders in exasperation. It seemed that he kept making exaggerated gesture like drama even when no one was looking.

The Arachne who stuck on his shoulder without getting noticed then……

「Hajime-san. This Arachne-san, it’s mimicking the movement of Luffy-san and then pointing using its leg see. Ah, this time its putting two legs on its mouth while twitching. I can hear its voice of heart saying 『You saw the reaction just now? Laame~~e! Gi~ggle giggle』.」

「Eh, strange. This guy……Neunte, you again. Come on, Neunte! Work properly! Don’t make strange movement! Okay, movement check! Lift upper right! Lift upper left! Don’t lower your right, lower your left! Ah, oi! Don’t lower your right! What are you doing lowering it along with the left! Is the voice recognition blurred?」

「……Somehow, Neunte and Erst are coming to mind though. Being able to see them following Hajime-san’s order playing raising the flag game is really surreal.」

The god’s apostles expressionlessly raising and lowering their hand. Sometimes they made mistake and became flustered.

Certainly, it was a terribly surreal sight.

By the way, Shia was calling Wilford as Luffy was because in the end the two were unable to recall his correct name, and as the result of the two of them complementing each other’s memory, they decided that the guy’s name sounded like Luffy, should be! And so they called him like that. The self-proclaimed businessman Wilford-san might be aiming to become a pirate king before long like this.

「Leave alone Neunte. What about Erst?」

They switched the screen to the vision of Erst who was at the main objective. The timing was just right when Erst arrived at the room where a lot of workers were gathering. It stuck at the corner of the ceiling and took overhead view.

「They are digging a hole. What’s more they are really going all out.」

「Looks like it. There might be something underground. Zweite. Go right above them.」

Hajime kept Erst’s overhead view in position while he gave instruction to Zweite to take the recording from right above the hole. Shia showed a deeply emotional feeling thinking 「Aa, that person who I shaved to death using 100 ton hammer + drill」.

「This thing……it seems, there really is a path going underground.」

「Path……is it? It looks like a rectangle well though?」

「No, try looking closer. There, look.」

Saying that, Hajime magnified the image while pointing.

Inside the image, a rectangle hole was projected. It had the size where there would still some space left even if a lot of men were lining up inside it. The rectangle hole was hardened with stone on its four sides, stretching to straight below.

Indeed, it was just as Shia said, in a glance, it was more fitting to call it as “well” rather than “path”.

But, if one looked closer at where Hajime’s finger was pointing at, protrusion like ladder was jutting out in regular interval from the stone wall, furthermore, something like a tube that was giving out some kind of white smoke was sticking out.

「You will get it if you look at that tube’s surrounding. The man whose face melted just now. Most likely, when he was in the middle of going down that ladder, the acid or something flying out from that tube got him. Don’t you think it’s really dangerous for just a well?」

「Certainly, after all it might enter into water for daily life if that’s a well.」

In other words, it was a vertical route to underground.

What’s more, the word “secret” was attached to it. Around that vertical path, the stone floor was destroyed by heavy machinery, and the soil beneath it was dug up and wreckage was scattered around. From the condition there must be no mistake of this conclusion.

And then, looking from how even now there were the figures of locals excavating the vertical path until around five meter below, it could be seen how that path was completely buried with rock and soil. And fairly severely at that.

「Putting aside the floor and stone, there are quite a lot of stones covered with soil. What’s more they are manufactured to be like that to a certain degree.」

「In other words……」

「The path wasn’t buried naturally. It was intentionally blocked by covering it with several layers of soil and processed huge stone.」

When Hajime said 「This thing is looking more and more like India○-san huh!」, Shia went 「No no, if I have to say which is this, then this must be Ra○der-san you know, surely! Ah, but, an ancient mummy just like in The Mu○my! That possibility cannot be dismissed yet!」 Their tension was rising.

「Now then, Shia-san, what to do yah.」

「Of course, we are going to expose the secret sleeping underground, Hajime-san yah.」

Hajime and Shia chuckled ‘fu-fu-fu’ suspiciously while facing each other. It seemed they couldn’t help but feeling their heart fluttering from encountering an ancient secret at their travel.

「Suppressing these guys and then asking them just what kind of information they got is the fastest way but……」

「I am in the faction of conquering a game without looking at the strategy guide desu.」

「An adventure has to be like that I guess. My transmutation magic will shine here. Let’s slip underground using different route from them and pay our respect to the ancient secret faster than them.」

This was an excavation team that spent money for this enterprise. They also had special equipment and machinery. In that case, this wasn’t a simple academic investigation. Ahead there should be a profit that would worth the investment for sure. A profit in the form of treasure.

「Hajime-san Hajime-san. Let’s do that. Leaving behind a message, just like phantom thief!」

「That’s good idea! 『We will receive the treasure first――」

「――by demon king and rabbit』 isn’t it!」

The demon king-sama and the bug rabbit-san of the forest bumped their fist while going ‘yaa~y’ with their motivation going through the roof.

Both of them kept their presence hidden while jumping down from the tree. Then they turned back to inside the thick forest where the armed guards couldn’t see them at all.

Shia’s rabbit ears were swooshing-swooshing around 「Quu-iick! Quu-iick!」 while she was frolicking around. Hajime sent a glance at such her before he activated transmutation magic while smiling.

While the crimson spark surged vividly, a large hole that the two could enter easily even if they walked side by side was opening. Furthermore it was stair shaped. In addition, so that there wouldn’t be even the slightest chance for the soil to collapse, the surrounding was thoroughly reinforced with metal plate.

Like that, they went down the stair to underground while advancing the transmutation. It didn’t even take ten seconds until their figure vanished completely from view.

「For now, when we reach the depth of around 8 meter, how about we try connecting the path to that vertical path right from the side?」

Hajime confirmed the angle of the path and transmuted a cave aiming to the depth that had been dug until this point plus three meter. He didn’t make any change to the ground, but he transmuted the wall and ceiling into metal plate while setting chemical light on the wall in order.

Of course, Hajime had “Night Vision”, and Shia was also a beastman, so her night vision was in the effective side. In addition, she possessed super excellent rabbit ears that could grasp the space three-dimensionally to a certain degree from the echo of footsteps even inside a complete darkness, so they wouldn’t be that troubled even without lighting.

Having said that, being inside total darkness would depress the mood by quite much. In fact, their feeling was eased to some extent by the green light illuminating the underground path.

As though to express such feeling, the path that was illuminated by green chemical light looked like Orcus Great Labyrinth. The two of the looked at each other and smiled.

The smartphone was showing the position of Erst that was left behind at the surface, so without any mistake in the angle, the underground passage collided into a stone wall before long. A subtle vibration was transmitted through it, so without a doubt right above them was the vertical passage that was being worked on.

Surely the people above there would never imagined even in their wildest dream, that there was already people right below the passage that they were desperately digging while trembling with fear from the risk of melting liquid trap flying at them anytime.

「We are going to follow along the vertical passage to below just like this.」

「I wonder how deep this passage is going to continue.」

A spiral staircase was created vertically along the stone wall.

While digging down deeply underground, in the midway, there were devices set up along the wall everywhere. There wasn’t just melting liquid, gadget that fired short arrow, mechanism that thrust out spears, a set up of rotating sword came flying, etc, etc……

It would be pitiful if the number of the locals that got sacrificed increased, so Hajime casually destroyed them. ‘What a consideration that is really like a Japanese people’, was the praise that Hajime sang in his heart.

Most likely there were other traps at surface other than the wall. If he was a person who really thought about the locals, he would destroy all of that but……Hajime-san ignored that aspect.

Before long, they dug down until a depth that felt really deep, and around the time they were thinking just when this vertical path would end, they finally reached stone paving under their feet.

「……So deep.」

「From the bodily sensation, it feels like it’s around forty meter deep.」

「Measuring our distance with Erst……it’s a total of 43 meter. If the height until the ceiling is excluded, then certainly it’s around 40 meter.」

Hajime measured the distance using his smartphone while transmuting the stone paving under his feet. Under the opened hole, darkness spread like a gaping open mouth. A really indescribable smell stabbed the nose.

Based from what he could confirm using “Night Vision”, he couldn’t see anything really strange. Hajime looked at Shia, but her rabbit ears weren’t particularly reacting.

Just in case, Hajime tried dropping a chemical light. It raised *clong* sound at about three meter below and rolled, but there was nothing around the light. He could only see stone paving. There was nothing reacting at all.

Hajime and Shia nodded at each other and leaped down to the underground space.

And then……

A sound rang from below Shia’s feet.

*Gakon-* It sounded.

It was a strangely nostalgic ominous sound.

The stone floor sank down slightly. Shia tilted her rabbit ears saying 「Eh?」. At that moment, spear jutted out from the wall at the side!

「Hyowa!?」

「Nuwah!?」

Shia bent backward to dodge the spears. Hajime who was right behind her unusually raised a small scream and caught the spear. The spear tip stopped right before his right eye. It was relatively close.

「Shia, why did you dodge huh? I thought you are going to catch or hit the down, so I got a bit surprised there.」

「So, sorry. Somehow I was reminded of the past and I reflexively dodged.」

「At Raisen huh……」

At Raisen Great Labyrinth, Shia once fell into whole load of booby trap and she evaded with desperation. It seemed that the memory of that time was resurrected inside her.

When they looked around the surrounding once more, the path that was made from stone stretched deeply into the left and right. The passage was splendidly created with width of five meter and height of three meter. There was metallic door on the wall, most likely if they passed through the vertical passage, they would come out from there.

Hajime got it. The trap just now, then this passage, certainly it was a vivid reminder of Raisen Great Labyrinth.

「Even so……is this really an ancient ruin? If that’s the case, the stone making technology at that time really surpassed the imagination.」

「At television or internet, theory like ‘the ancient civilization possess advanced technology!’ often comes out though.」

Even though many years had passed to the degree that the stone had weathered, the trap was still working, the underground passage was still properly remaining without caving in. Furthermore the depth was forty meter. Certainly, “an ancient civilization that possessed advanced technology” that might be featured in television could be smelt here.

「And, which path we are going to take?」

「Let’s see…… Shia, how about trying to use “Assumption Future”? You are a diviner (lol) right? Isn’t it your role to show the future?」

「Please don’t add (lol) at someone’s vocation.」

「Because, your vocation is “MonkMartial Artist” no matter how you think about it right? Or else “Asura” or “Martial Arts God”……or perhaps “Berserker”? At the very least, you ain’t a fortune teller showing the future who is living quietly deep inside the forest.」

If she kept silent, then her appearance would “fit” her vocation. Her faint bluish white hair, her beautiful features. If she would even wear a shrine maiden outfit and lived quietly in place like a shrine deep inside forest, then she would really look like a mystical fortune teller that see through the world.

Even by mistake, a person who used ability only for battle like ‘Seeing through the opponent’s movement several seconds ahead and beating them to death by making the first move! Super warrior who is impossible to get ambushed by detecting every fatal surprise attack!’ couldn’t be called as “the forest’s honored fortune teller”.

Shia averted her gaze. “Assumption Future”, an ability that essentially was to see through the future by the assumption of “What happen if this option is picked?”. She almost never used it, so she couldn’t really argue back. Though she objected just in case.

「But but, divination is my forte. My fortune telling often hit the mark, and it’s popular among the girls. Especially the girls in the class, they often consult me you know?」

「The problem is, that even though divination is your forte, you yourself doesn’t particularly like it or anything. Your hobby is martial arts and bike. ――Fortune telling? I can do any kind of variety and it will come true with high probability but, it’s not like it’s my hobby desu――right?」

「……」

Shia averted her gaze and rabbit ears. And then, as though evading that topic, she used “Assumption Future”. What if they went to the right passage? In case of left passage? Like that.

Her rabbit ears were bobbing up and down *myon myon*.

「Mumuh, I’m getting it Hajime-san! No matter which way is totally filled a lot with traps!」

「……」

Hajime’s fixed staring stabbed her.

「Bu, but it’s fine! I don’t feel any danger! Because generally I’ll pulverize them all right from the front!」

Hajime wordlessly took out a chemical light. And then, he held it so it stood on the ground and he released his finger. *Pote-* It fell toward the left passage.

「Yosh, let’s take the left. The light pointed to the left. It’s a good omen.」

「……Just what in the world I who consumed vast magic power to divine the future was doing……」

Behind Hajime who quickly advanced to the left passage, Shia was following him while directing a sad gaze.

A few hours after that.

Just like Shia’s divination, the two of them met a storm of traps.

――Countless spears stabbing out from the ground

Shia blasted them altogether with the ground using tremor step.

――Melting liquid sprayed in misty shape from the wall

Shia blew it away with fist pressure.

――The hanged ceiling fell

Shia pulverized it with Shouryuu○ that pierced the sky.

――A pitfall trap with line of spears set up below

By using metamorphosis magic “Steel Clothes”, she destroyed the spears like that.

※Shia’s metamorphosis magic “Steel Clothes” : Just like Tio’s “Dragonification”, it was a technique that morphed a part of her body into steel. It made its first appearance at the main story’s last arc chapter 「The Young Girl With Rabbit Ears is Excelling」.

――Rolling giant rock

Nijuu ○ Kiwami! (Note: A fist technique from Rurouni Kenshin)

And then now……

*Ranranra~n?* The passage that Shia was walking through with light footsteps had flame with terrifying amount of heat jetting out from both side of the walls and the ceiling.

At the beginning of the passage, Hajime was staring at Shia who was swallowed by flame with an expression that couldn’t say anything. Rather, he was even harboring sympathy to the creator of this underground space that was littered with traps.

「What a trifleee! Spirit defensee-!!」

Shia did something. Shockwave ran to all direction and pushed back the flame. The walls and ceiling cracked and the flame also stopped.

Naturally, let alone scald, Shia wasn’t even sooty.

「……Shia. What is spirit defense?」

「I created it using a certain muscle head bug character as reference, a technique that do spirit defense!」

Hajime thought. That ain’t explaining it at all.

Perhaps, it was the defensive technique, “Vajra” that Hajime used, which she learned using spirit?

While advancing forward, Hajime asked Shia with a twitching expression.

「Is there, any other technique you created using that certain bug character as reference?」

「Of course there is! Next I had finished learning Shia Impact and Eternal Shia Fever!」

「Serious, ly……」

Shia was radiant in this comedic exchange, would something rush out from her whole body……?, thinking so, Hajime directed an expression that could be seen as trembling with fear toward Shia. At the same time, he hallucinated the vision of Shia turning into a brawny lump of muscles taking a pose of most muscular.

Hajime went around and cut in front of Shia who was walking ahead in a good mood, the he grabbed both her shoulders hard and pleaded from very close distance.

「Shia, keep being as you are forever, forever.」

「Ye, yes? What’s with you Hajime-san, so suddenly. Your eyes are so serious it’s scary though……」

Shia was somewhat creeped out. That was just how much Hajime was serious. He didn’t want to see a macho Shia!

「At any rate, this underground space, it’s wider than I thought. Geez, rather than calling it a space it’s completely a labyrinth. The mountain of physical traps too, it’s seriously like Raisen Great Labyrinth.」

「It’s far better with no annoying comments coming out at all though~」

When thinking that under the vertical passage there was this space and a treasure was sleeping there beyond doubt, then it was rather that the main event was starting from there. The vertical passage seemed to be nothing more than the entrance into the underground labyrinth.

Around this time they became genuinely curious about the objective of Wilford and co.

「An amazing treasure might be sleeping here.」

「Is it treasure of gold and silver I wonder~. If we discover it, it feels like we are going to become the man of hour isn’t it~」

They were chatting idly like that while crushing the mountain of booby traps that were highly filled with killing intent from the front (mainly by Shia) and advanced for a while.

Hajime suddenly 「Oh?」 leaked out a voice.

「What’s wrong?」

「The excavation work is halted. ……Looks like while we are getting absorbed with the exploration here, around three more people become sacrifice. The locals are getting really scared. Luffy is saying something.」

Hajime gave instruction to Neunte to pick up the voice of Wilford.

「……Looks like he is making them staying by raising up the compensation reward. Also, it looks like the lowering of their moral is really bad, that today he is giving rest to everyone.」

「How much their progress has advanced?」

「Around fifteen meter I think. Tomorrow, it feels like they will reach the bottom just before noon at the latest.」

「Come to think of it, the date already changed to the next day. Fun time makes it feels like the moment just flies away isn’t it~」

The underground labyrinth that normally would produce dead victims in unit of dozens seemed to be no different than an attraction at amusement park for the current Shia.

But, at that time, *kyuu~~~* such sound rang out. Shia pushed on her stomach in a flash.

「Ehehe. I’m hungry.」

「Come to think of it, we didn’t take dinner huh. We got too high spirited.」

Shia blushed shyly. Hajime smiled warmly while proposing a break.

「Those guys reaching the underground space will be tomorrow noon anyway, even at the fastest it will be a few hours after the sun rise. They won’t catch up. Let’s us rest for today too.」

「Yee~s. Theenn, I will prepare the dinner quickly~」

The two of them picked a spot casually. Shia took out the “Anywhere System Kitchen” from her treasure warehouse and quickly began to cook. Beside her, Hajime took out sofa bed and table set and endeavored in forming a pleasant space. Of course, he also didn’t forget setting up Sentori-senseisentry gun.

Like that, by the time Shia finished making dinner……

Well, how should it be said. The dreary ancient underground labyrinth that was overflowing with highly murderous traps was changed into a lovely space that was decorated by warm lantern light.

Antique table set, the sofa bed of highest class, Sentori-sensei, and then hearty beef stew that stirred up the appetite.

The technique of the artisan was shining there.

After saying ‘itadakimasu’, Hajime wolfed down the dinner greedily.

「Second.」

「Geez-, are you chewing properly? Beef stew isn’t a drink you know?」

Even while saying that, it seemed that Shia was happy seeing Hajime engrossed in eating her cooking yummily, so Shia’s expression was warm and loose. Her rabbit tail was fluttering around *furifuri*, and her rabbit ears were bobbing up and down *myo~n myo~n*.

Surely eve the ancient people would never even imagined it in their wildest dream. Even though they were making “labyrinth that would absolutely kill the intruder”, a sight of newly wedded spouses were developing there instead.

After that, they did things like harmoniously cleaning the plates side by side and cleared away the meal before falling sound asleep on the sofa bed while clinging closely to each other.

Next morning.

The excavation work already resumed on the surface ground. By the time the work reached a point of just several meter above the underground space, the two sleepyheads finally woke up and aimed to the deepest part in a bit of hurry.

Like that at the destination that they reached.

There, for the first time the two discovered “that” which wasn’t strange to be there originally.

「Finally huh. All this time I have been thinking that it’s strange but……」

What they found was a corpse that had already turned into skeleton. There were also things like sword and armor falling around. Looking at this labyrinth that was fully loaded with lethal traps, it wouldn’t be strange even if there were a lot more corpses lying around everywhere. It was also strange how they only found a corpse at the deepest part.

「It can also be seen as though it’s protecting that door.」

Just as Shia said, the corpse was found at the deepest part, lying down with its back leaning on the door. From its equipment too, in a glance it gave the impression that it was protecting the door to the death so no one would pass.

For the time being, thinking to check inside the door, Hajime avoided the corpse and put his hand on the door.

It was a large metallic door. It didn’t move even with Hajime’s physical strength. Thinking that perhaps it was a sliding door, he tried moving it aside, but as expected it didn’t move.

「Hajime-san, what is this depression here?」

「Hm? ……Keyhole, perhaps?」

「In that case, without a key normally no one cannot enter then.」

Shia ran her gaze at the spot around the corpse. But, she didn’t find anything that looked like key.

「Can’t be helped. We already used cheating technique to enter the underground space anyway, we don’t need to search a key or anything at this late.」

Hajime said that and put his hand on the metal door. Crimson spark surged and the door was changed into mere ingot.

Hajime and Shia stepped inside the door that was forcefully opened.

「Corpse again huh……」

「It’s not silver and gold treasure isn’t it. Ah, but, that corpse-san, it’s holding something.」

From its skeletal frame, it must be a female corpse. Inside the room that was around the size of six tatami, a single skeletal corpse was lying down. They didn’t find any precious treasure, rather it was a dreary room.

Therefore, the blackened metallic box that the corpse was holding looked even more standing out. It was as though a mother was embracing her child, especially with how the body was curled up embracing it like it was a precious treasure.

「This must be it. This is those guys’ objective.」

「Must be. Quickly, let’s take a look at the content!」

*Waku wakuthrill, doki dokiexcitement*. It seemed that there was something really important entered inside.

But, no matter how tough the lid was, no matter who secure the seal was, as long as it was made from mineral, it was meaningless against Hajime.

‘Now, I’m opening it’, Hajime used transmutation magic――

Just before he could.

「-!? Do, don’t, Hajime-san!!」

「!?」

Shia sent the metal box flying from Hajime’s hand. Her rabbit ears stood tensely on their end, her eyes that were shining with curiously was dyed with the color of vigilance.

「O, oi, Shia. Just what is it?」

「……That is, a bad news. It activated after so long.」

Hajime guessed it from her words. At the same time, his vigilance jumped up to the highest level.

「You got a vision?」

Shia nodded briskly.

Since the legendary decisive battle, because there was no existence or phenomenon that was a threat to the bug character Shia, one of her ability, the characteristic magic “Future Sight” hadn’t activated anymore all this time.

It was the “vision of death” that would automatically activated regarding a future that was directly connected to Shia’s death.

In other words, the inside of that black metal box wasn’t anything like precious treasure……

It was “something” that could possibly kill even the demon king and the bug rabbit.

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