Mob Kousei No Ore Demo Boukensha Ni
Nareba Riajuu Ni Naremasuka: Chapter #161
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
The place we teleported to was
the East Exit of Ikebukuro Station... or at least,
where it used to be.
Between the rampage of an
A-rank and a swarm of B-rank monsters, the area around Ikebukuro had lost all
trace of its former self.
The station building and
surrounding structures had been reduced to nothing but rubble, making it nearly
impossible to tell where you were by sight alone.
We had simply teleported to
the coordinates where the Ikebukuro Station was supposed to exist.
『...Now then, what's the move?
Should we start with the F-rank dungeons?』
Renge’s voice came through our
Link as I activated a magic item I’d acquired from the deal with the Hachioji
Guild—a device that erected a Presence-Concealing Barrier. I used it mostly for
my own peace of mind.
『No, there's something I want
to check first.』
I replied while scanning the
surroundings, wary of being spotted by the A-rank monster.
There were no B-rank or higher
monsters in the immediate vicinity. The few lower-ranked monsters scattered
about either hadn't noticed us or were simply watching from a distance, showing
no sign of approaching.
Once I confirmed that the
coast was clear, I issued orders to my cards,
『Dress, equip Eliza. Eliza, use
Doton no Jutsu1 to find the entrance to the
Ikebukuro Guild shelter beneath the rubble.』
Executive Director Kurohara of
Izayoi Shoji had mentioned that communication with the Ikebukuro Guild had been
cut off, but that didn't necessarily mean they had been wiped out.
It was possible they had
simply lost their means of communication, or that they just flat-out ignoring
Izayoi Shoji after seeing the state of the world outside.
『Found it.』
At those words, I shared
Eliza's vision.
Through her eyes, I saw that
the barrier of the Ikebukuro Shelter had been completely shattered and buried
under the rubble.
...It
seems the Ikebukuro Guild’s fall was real after all.
『...Eliza, head inside. Use the
Hamelin's Flute to bring us in.』
『Yes, Master.』
The faint sound of Eliza
playing her flute drifted up from beneath the wreckage.
As I waited for the transfer
gate to open—
『—! An A-rank scent is closing
in!』
Yuki’s voice rang out, sharp
and laced with tension.
Damn!
We’ve been sniffed out! As expected, an A-rank's senses are terrifyingly sharp!
This
isn't the time to fight yet...!
Right before our eyes, a
building that had miraculously kept its original shape was blown to
smithereens.
Dust flying off to the sides,
the enemy came into view.
It was a pitch-black bull, as
massive as a two-story house, sporting magnificent golden wings and sharp bluish stone2 horns.
The imposing presence
radiating from this creature and the aura that seemed touched upon divinity
left me in no doubt that this was indeed an A-rank divine being.
The gleaming gold eyes of
Gugalanna locked onto me with a fierce glare.
Like a bullfighter in a ring, he
scraped his front hooves against the ground, assuming a charging stance.
『Kuh! I'm using Aegis!』
『Yeah!』
At that moment, Athena
activated Aegis almost entirely on her own initiative.
Not just Absolute Defense, but
a Pseudo-Safe Zone as well.
Gugalanna, wreathed in
crimson-black lightning, charged with a speed that bordered instantaneous
movement, and Athena’s Pseudo-Safe Zone activated practically at the very same
instant.
The Pseudo-Safe Zone surged
out from Athena at the speed of light, clashing with Gugalanna. A gargantuan
shockwave ripped through our bodies.
The Aegis’s Absolute Defense
barrier was stripped away in its entirety, and after a brief standoff with the
barrier of the Pseudo-Safe Zone, Gugalanna was hurled back as if repelled.
Almost simultaneously, Eliza's
transfer gate opened.
『Jump in!』
As we leapt straight into the
gate, I caught a final glimpse of Gugalanna watching us with what looked like
pure, frustrated resentment.
"...Oi,
what the hell was that monster?"
After scrambling into the
Ikebukuro shelter and taking a moment to breathe, I muttered the words in a
daze.
"He
stripped away every layer of Absolute Defense..."
"Seems
he possesses either an Area-of-Effect type Absolute
Attack3 or an Absolute Release4
skill,"
Athena
replied, looking visibly drained.
"An
AoE Absolute Attack...?"
If we
hadn't had Absolute Defense active, won’t that be instant death for us?
"And
the way the attack pierced the Pseudo-Safe Zone?"
“That
was simply a matter of timing; the deployment didn't finish in time. The Pseudo-Safe
Zone doesn’t take full effect until it’s thoroughly established."
So
using it as a reactive shield during combat is difficult, huh?
Or
maybe, that’s exactly why the area-type Absolute Defense exists—to bridge that
gap.
“I
see... Athena, thank you for using Aegis so quickly.”
“Hmph.
Who do you think I am?”
Athena gave a boastful smirk, but
I could see the lingering tension in her face.
The other party members also
looked somewhat grim.
Even through the barrier of
the Pseudo-Safe Zone, we had felt it—that crushing pressure, that raw power.
That pressure... it felt
dangerously close to Urashima Taro in his Enraged Mode.
So
that's an A-rank. So that's a World Native...
It
seems that, without even realizing it, I had somehow underestimated A-ranks
after defeating Huanglong so easily…
"It
looks like choosing to scout the Guild before tackling the low-rank dungeons
was definitely the right call after all."
The mere thought of running
into Gugalanna inside a low-rank dungeon made me break out in a cold sweat.
Anyway. A Guild would have a
vast hoard of cards and magic items sleeping within its vault.
Among them, I might find Key Items
for Renge and the others, or perhaps items effective against Gugalanna
specifically.
To reclaim Ikebukuro for
humanity, I intended to put every bit of that Guild’s legacy to good use.
"...Still,
there are a lot of bodies."
Once the shock of the
encountering Gugalanna faded and I looked around, I frowned at the devastation.
The corridor was so packed
with layers of corpses that there was nowhere to step.
The trail of bodies stretched
from the rubble behind us all the way into the depths of the facility.
Though I'd grown pretty used
to seeing dead bodies from my journeys, this scene still made my skin crawl.
The only saving grace, if you
could call it that, was that it was winter, so the decomposition was still
relatively contained.
"...Eliza,
this is near the shelter entrance, right?"
Eliza gave a small nod in
response to my question.
"Hmm..."
Something
feels... wrong.
Why
are there so many bodies right here at the entrance? Normally, if enemies attack
from outside, people flee in the opposite direction...
Despite the grim speculation
crossing my mind, I pressed onward, using the corpses as guides.
After coming across a few C-rank
or lower monsters here and there, we finally reached our destination.
There stood a transfer gate,
still perfectly intact—surrounded by even more bodies than we'd seen at the
entrance.
Ah, just
as I thought...
"So,
this place was attacked from the inside..."
This Guild hadn't been wiped
out because the barrier was breached from the outside. …By the time the outer
defenses failed, this place was already a tomb—overrun by monsters pouring out
of the transfer gate.
The corpses piled up near the
entrance weren't people trying to get in; they were people trying to get out,
only to be slaughtered against a sealed barrier they couldn't open.
The image of their final
moments flashed through my mind, so I shook my head to drive it away.
I have
no time for sentimentality right now.
I approached the transfer gate
to check its status.
"...No
response."
It seemed every destination
paired with this gate had been destroyed on the other end.
If it
had still been linked to other Guilds, it would have been a golden opportunity
to recover supplies from there too… but oh well, it can’t be helped.
If their gates were destroyed, that means
those Guilds avoided being overrun. That’s something to be happy about.
Alright
then, time for the treasure hunt.
I summoned Kimaris.
"Kimaris,
can you locate the supplies hidden within this Guild?"
"Hum,
let's see~... Yes, I can~”
Good. It
seems supplies and such count as 'treasure' too.
"Great.
Lead the way―――― "
"Master,
may I have a word?"
I was ready to move, but a
voice gave me pause. I looked over—it was Eliza.
"What
is it?"
"...We
are not inside a dungeon right now. Would it not be better to leave the search
to us while you return to Tachikawa and issue commands via our Link?"
"Ah,
that's a brilliant idea," Athena added.
"Yeah,
you should wait somewhere safe," Renge voiced.
Athena and Renge were the
first to nod in agreement at Eliza's suggestion, followed by a chorus of
approval from the other cards.
...It seemed confronting Gugalanna,
who possessed an Absolute Attack skill, had stirred up anxiety among my cards.
Hmm...
I do need to accompany them for dungeon attack, but outside of that, wouldn’t
it be better if I stayed away as much as possible so I don’t get in the way?
As for
moving around on the surface... it would be harder for Gugalanna and other
B-rank monsters to spot us if I had Eliza copy the [Hide and Seek] skill, have
her go ahead to the entrance of each dungeon first, and then use teleportation
to regroup and enter together.
Even
for the eventual battle with Gugalanna, commanding them from Tachikawa is
objectively the safest route.
"Alright.
Then I’ll wait in Tachikawa."
Relief washed over their
faces.
Eliza played her Hamelin’s
Flute, opening the transfer gate. Taking only Audrey with me, I returned to Tachikawa.
I deployed Fensalir in a
suitable spot outside the Hesperides. As I settled in to watch their treasure
hunt through our Link, I let my mind wander.
That
Gugalanna is even more formidable than I anticipated…
I
don’t think he’s impossible to defeat, but his AoE Absolute Attack carries a
very real risk of causing card Lost.
Since
that’s the case, maybe I should avoid using those who haven't been named yet?
Wait,
it might still be too demanding for Kimaris, but maybe Morrigan and Macha are
ready to accept a name by now?
It
might be worth a try.
Besides,
in preparation for the upcoming battle with Gugalanna, I need to consider
holing up in the Tamatebako for another six months or so.
Honestly,
this isn’t the time to be complaining about how mentally draining holing up in
there is.
With a
clear goal like Gugalanna in sight, we likely won’t hit that burnout phase like
last time.
And
then, there's also the matter of Suzuka and Prima.
【Race】Persephone (Prima)
【Combat
Power】1900
(Initial Combat Power 900 + Growth 900 + Spiritual Recurrence 100)
【Inborn
Skills】
・Queen
of the Underworld: As wife of Hades, King of the Underworld, she can wield a
portion of his authority. Greatly increases the stats of allies possessing the
Death attribute and removes the [Immortality] effect from enemies possessing
the Death attribute.
・Pomegranate of the Underworld5:
Produces half a pomegranate from the realm of the dead. Granting those who
consume it temporary Death attribute and Immortality.
・Spring
Breeze: she transforms the surroundings into a spring field. She can summon
Sirens (said to be her former attendants) infinitely.
・Intermediate-level
Wizard
【Acquired
Skills】
・Songstress:
Encompasses Singer, Chorus, Beautiful Voice, Perfect Pitch, Low-level Storage,
Group Coordination, Teaching, Sexual Skill, Etiquette, Swimming, Fishing,
Musical Performance (NEW!), and Warrior (NEW!).
・Ambition
to Rise in The World
・Advanced-level
Wizard
・Absolute
Obedience
・The
True One
・Breakthrough
of Limits
・True
Subordinate Summoning
・Fountain
of Magic Power
・Magic
Song (NEW!)
・Zero
Existence (NEW!) → Spiritual Recurrence (CHANGE!)
・Sharp
Eye (NEW!)
・No Beat (NEW!): Allows the user to
skip the process of martial arts skills. Effectiveness increases with
proficiency.
【Race】Demeter
(Prima)
【Combat Power】2800 (Initial Combat Power 1800 + Growth 900 +
Spiritual Recurrence 100)
【Inborn Skills】
・Bringer of Fertility and Law: Allows the
use of the authority of Demeter, goddess of the Earth (a superior version of
Fertility) and Law (Contract).
・Bringer of Winter: Manifests Demeter’s
sorrow and rage. Transforms the surrounding area into a field of extreme
winter, inflicting powerful Starvation that ignores resistances and
Regeneration Inhibition on all enemies.
(Starvation:
A status ailment that forces the target into malnutrition, rapidly depleting
their vitality)
・Eleusinian Mysteries: Embodies the power
of Persephone, her daughter and another aspect of herself, also allowing her to
be summoned as a subordinate. Only one can exist at a time, but there is no
limit on the times she can be summoned. Includes the Fountain of Life and the
Knowledge of Survival.
・High-level Wizard
・Warrior
Prima underwent a Minor change from Siren
to Persephone, gaining Demeter as her Spiritual Recurrence destination. But, having
only recently acquiring it, she hasn't
fully mastered her new form yet.
Suzuka is in the same boat. To extend the duration they
can maintain those forms, another training camp is essential.
As
I was pondering such things, Eliza and the others located
the Guild's supply storage. ...However.
"Empty...?"
The vast storage room was
lined with rows of orderly shelves, but they were completely bare. Not a single
card-form supply remained.
This... what does this mean? Even if the
owners had died and their registered cards vanished, a number of resources should
have been managed using binders. Even
if the contents were gone, the binders themselves should remain.
Moreover, given the nature of an
organization like the Guild, it’s
unlikely they registered ownership for every single item—the risk of
embezzlement or losing everything upon a member's death would be too high.
For
convenience, basic supplies were likely left unregistered,
unlike the high-value cards and magic items…
So then, did the shelter staff take it
after all? Meaning not all were wiped out? Did some manage to escape to
another Guild? ...While letting the evacuees die?
Frowning,
I looked further inside and
found a thick, bank vault-like door stood there.
High-value
cards and magic items would logically have been stored in there, but...
"This one's empty too, huh?"
We
entered after Eliza sliced through the door—which looked sturdy enough to withstand
a B-rank—with her Absolute Attack. Inside, sure enough, it was empty as well.
If
even the high-security vault was cleaned out, the likely culprit wasn’t a
regular employee acting like a looter in the midst of a fire, but rather an
executive.
...No, wait.
『Kimaris.
There are no supplies here, so where's the treasure?』
If
the supplies were gone, then what exactly was the 'treasure' Kimaris had sensed?
At
my question, Kimaris looked around nervously before pointing a finger at a
seemingly blank wall.
『Aa~,
there. Right
there. I sense the presence of treasure hidden there~』
Following
her lead, Eliza and Suzuka inspected the spot and discovered a small, hidden
safe.
It
had been cleverly hidden using a magic item of camouflage.
After
slicing open the safe door with an Absolute Attack and looking inside, they found
a binder stored within.
Eliza
opened the binder.
Inside
were dozens of magic
items in card form and three B-rank cards.
"Sleipnir, Suzaku of the Four Divine
Beasts, and... Ixtab, the Mayan goddess of death6,
huh?"
Ixtab... I'll give her to Oribe.
I
took one look at the illustration of Ixtab—a goddess with a festering, rotting
face—and immediately decide that.
Might as well give Sleipnir to Anna.
Still, only three B-ranks? ...Seems
surprisingly few for a Guild. Did they distribute any usable cards to staff
members like Shigeno-san, a former Self-Defense Forces officer? And did those
vanish along with the Master’s death? Or is it that even the Guild doesn’t
possess many B-rank cards to begin with?
But why were these even left behind? Did
the person who took the supplies out front not know about this safe? If so,
does that mean the culprit wasn’t an executive? Or was it simply because there
was no time?
Or maybe...
"Well, whatever..."
I
shook off the nasty thoughts.
Plenty
of loose ends remained, but I did walk away with something.
There
were also the magic items hidden so meticulously, stored alongside the B-rank
cards.
At the very least, these should be B-rank rare drops, or possibly even A-rank
drops.
If
fortune shone on me, the Key Items for my cards might be hiding here among
them.
I'll examine these items carefully inside the
Tamatebako.
With
a beaming smile, I watched over my cards as they continued exploring the
shelter.
***
Notes:
1 土遁の術. (doton no jutsu) translates to 'Earth Style Technique', a type of Ninjutsu.↩
2 The raw use 青玉石 (seigyoku shi), which translates to ‘blue/green jewel stone’. It may refer to sapphire, lapis lazuli, or azurite. ↩
3 Reminder: Absolute Attack (絶対攻撃): A skill that pierces through any defense, excluding pseudo-safe zones. It is nullified by Absolute Defense, and while it doesn't hit Absolute Evasion, the skill also doesn't count as having been used. ↩
4 Reminder: Absolute Release (絶対解除): A skill that can dispel the effects of all other skills, excluding the pseudo-safe zone. Since it does not negate the effects of skills after they've been applied, it cannot nullify damage already taken or revert healed wounds. ↩
5 In the myth, Hades tricked Persephone to eat a pomegranate to bound her to the Underworld ↩
6 Her name was written as イシュタム in Japanese. Actually, she was the goddess of suicide in the Mayan mythology. The culture believed that suicide would lead people to heaven. ↩
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