落とし穴１４８堀：夏の怪談リバイバル 夏の夜は深く (Part1)
Pitfall 148: Summer Ghost Story Revival - The Deep Summer Night
Side: Taiki
"Man, that was a feast. I didn't expect the course meal to be so filling."
"It really was. And delicious, too."
"I’d say it was well worth the price."
We had just finished dinner and were taking a breather.
"Back in the day, I used to think all-you-can-eat was the way to go. But this kind of proper dining—well, it might sound a bit crude, but it actually suits my palate quite well."
"I hear you. When I was a kid—or rather, back in my student days—it was always about quantity over quality."
"Ah, I understand that sentiment. It’s not that taste didn't matter, but if it was edible, I preferred having as much as possible. Well, after all... food was scarce back then."
"..."
*Right, probably shouldn't bring up those kinds of topics with Taizo-san.*
The stories from the war era tend to surface.
Then again, Taizo-san seemed to have been poor even before the war, so having enough to eat was likely a rarity for him throughout his life.
"...Anyway, since we've finished dinner, shall we head back to the bath?"
"Oh, ah, that sounds great. We only went during the day, after all."
"Indeed. That’s the real thrill of staying at a hot spring inn."
*Nice save, Yuki-san.*
He managed to steer the conversation toward the bath without missing a beat.
Well, once we freshen up in the water, we’ll surely forget the previous topic and be able to focus on the games.
With that, we headed straight for the open-air bath.
"Having it all to ourselves is the best."
"It really is. Ah, this feels amazing."
"Indeed. The daytime view is nice, but there’s nothing like soaking in a bath while gazing at the night sky."
We sat in the open-air bath, looking up at the starry sky decorating the night.
The healing of a private bath combined with a sky full of stars.
You don't get this in the city.
Well, to be fair, since coming to this other world, I’ve seen plenty of beautiful starry skies.
But being able to soak and relax like this is only possible because of Weed.
Out in the wild in this world, you never know when monsters or bandits might attack.
"Come to think of it, that waterfall isn't that big. Maybe we could actually do some waterfall meditation."
"Ah, you mean standing under the water to clear your mind? Though, there isn't really a religion here that practices that."
"True, waterfall meditation is a practice from Buddhism or Shintoism. I suppose we could do it just for mental focus, but I wonder if it would actually be popular."
"Ah, right. Well, I'll mention it to the wives just in case. Anyway, shall we head out?"
Yuki-san’s comment made me realize I’d stayed in a bit too long; I felt a little lightheaded as I climbed out.
"Maybe getting hit by a waterfall would be just the thing to snap out of it."
"Haha... For now, can I just rest for a bit?"
"Of course, take your time. There’s no rush. We’re on vacation, after all."
Taizo-san’s words reminded me that we really were on a break.
I don't need to worry about wasting time!
We’re free!!
So, the first thing we did after getting out of the bath was...
"Gulp, gulp, gulp... *Ahhh*."
Yes, chugging milk. The classic post-bath ritual.
And then, the luxury of lying on a massage chair while letting a fan blow on us!
"Ahhh..."
We didn't play ping-pong, of course.
It would be a hassle to get sweaty and have to bathe all over again.
By the time we finished enjoying our break and returned to our room, it was already past 10:00 PM.
"Did we end up taking it that easy?"
"Who knows? We went out for dinner after 7:00 PM."
"Considering we fit dinner, the bath, and a break into about three hours, I suppose it was a bit rushed."
"I didn't really intend to be in a hurry, though."
"Well, we eat fast, and we don't take as long in the bath as the women do."
"True enough. Still, our night is just beginning."
We nodded at Taizo-san’s words.
...The deep web is at its peak in the dead of night.
In the hours when ordinary people are fast asleep, the masters—the gamers—gather, their senses sharpened to the limit.
We have to fight to survive among them.
Yes, that struggle is where the joy lies.
We simulate extreme battles and aim for victory among a crowd of formidable foes.
And naturally, the outside world is shrouded in darkness, with even the hallways dimmed to the bare minimum of light.
The unique situation of being the only ones in this inn makes it perfect.
It allows us to focus on the game.
Usually, we have to keep an eye on our surroundings for one reason or another.
...I feel a bit bad for Airi and Soel, but for this moment, the fact that they aren't here is a joy to me.
I’m sure Yuki-san and Taizo-san feel the same.
After passing through the dim hallway and reaching our room, we didn't say a word. We turned on our PCs, checked the network connection, grabbed our mice, set out our drinks and snacks, and made one final trip to the bathroom. Everything was ready.
The three of us sat down, looked at each other, and...
"We’ve got everything set. Let’s go for the win today."
"Naturally."
"Yeah. Today’s the day we survive to the end."
"Yeah!"
We raised our spirits in unison, put on our headphones, and dove into the fray.
The battle was intense.
『Zargis!!』
『Wait! Yuki-san. It’s too late for Zargis!』
『If you go to provide cover, you’ll die too!』
『Damn it!! Zargis! At least let me recover your items!』
『Could you find a slightly more decent way to comfort someone!? And watch out, an enemy is flanking from the right!』
Sometimes, we climbed over the corpses of our teammates...
『Damn, crossfire? We were lured in.』
『Honestly, Zargis, that’s what you get for grabbing a 4x scope and a sniper rifle right at the start.』
『It’s like that saying: if you get a good hand at the start, you’re doomed.』
『Why does it feel like this is all my fault!? Anyway, we have no choice but to push through the front!』
Other times, Zargis’s bad luck struck because he’d wasted time gathering items...
『Why is there nothing but handguns here!?』
『No backpacks, either. Is there any decent weapon at all?』
『Nothing here either. I guess these things happen.』
『I found some weapons, come over here and pick them up.』
There were times when we were in the depths of despair, only to be saved by Zargis.
And finally...
『Damn, I’m hit! One at the two o’clock position! Leave me!』
『Providing cover! I can still make it—』
*Tat-tat-tat...!!*
*Damn it.*
They were waiting for me to provide cover.
My health was dropping, but my suppressing fire seemed to have hit them, as the gunfire stopped.
Fifteen seconds until Yuki-san respawns.
If I can just hold out...
『Smoke!! Zargis, you too!』
『Roger!』
With Taizo-san’s command, he provided cover with a smoke grenade.
*Good. I can buy some time in the haze.*