第１０５２堀：定番トラップ発動 (Part2)
Honestly, the Zurable army put in a hell of a shift to take down over ten Level 150 Minotaurs. That said, the Liches in the rear guard didn't take a single point of damage. Well, they hadn't even moved in the first place.
It was fortunate that the Goddess hadn't issued any attack orders. If that many Liches had unleashed wide-area offensive magic, the damage would have been catastrophic. This is the troublesome part of this other world; magic is essentially the equivalent of a thrown explosive device back on Earth. The power and range depend on the talent of the caster, but regardless, it’s plenty powerful enough in this world. It’s no wonder that the development of natural science-based armaments like gunpowder lagged behind.
Still, inside that pit, wide-area magic would only result in self-destruction by catching their own allies in the blast. With that, the Liches were effectively neutralized. All that remained were the Minotaurs, the traitorous Hein vanguard, and that Goddess.
"I wonder if Surakichi-san and the others will manage well?"
"You needn't worry about Surakichi-san within a dungeon. There's no ceiling, so he can't fully utilize a slime's unique characteristics, but it’s no issue. After all, even I have yet to defeat him."
Good grief, Deryu still hasn't given up on trying to beat Surakichi-san inside a dungeon? Well, Surakichi-san’s stats are massively boosted within a dungeon. Plus, he’s not only mastered modern warfare, but he can also use his Item Box and the infinite tentacles unique to a slime to operate multiple firearms simultaneously. He’s basically a cheat-tier combat unit.
If I had to name a drawback, it’s that as a slime, he can’t operate where there’s no magic power, and he’s not exactly skilled at interpersonal persuasion, making him a bit difficult to use as an infiltration unit for enemy bases. But above all, he is most useful for base defense like this.
We essentially forced our own base into existence this time. It seems this method is quite effective, as the enemy monsters are dwindling by the second.
"As expected of Surakichi-san. Right, Senpai?"
"Indeed. His handiwork is magnificent, Surakichi-san."
For some reason, the maids Sasari and Kirue are showering Surakichi-san with praise. Well, they do have connections through information gathering, so I suppose it’s not that strange.
『This is Steve. The remnants outside, including the Hein Empire forces, have been annihilated. Returning to the standby position.』
"Understood."
While I was distracted by the pit, Steve had already finished his job and pulled his unit back. Looking at the drone footage, despite the ridiculous event of a "Goddess appearing," neither the Zurable Empire nor the Hein Empire were pulling their forces back. Instead, they were moving to bypass the pit.
"It looks like they intend to settle things here after all."
"Yeah, neither side has a reason to retreat. Plus, they probably want to finish off the ones who fell into the pit."
"True. They can't just leave a mysterious third force like that alone. Especially since they're stuck in a pit. They can't let a chance like this slip by."
Exactly. Whether it’s the Zurable Empire or the Hein Empire, they both want to finish off that unknown third force. It’s obvious that letting them regroup would be a headache. Well, since the top brass of the Zurable Empire is connected to us, I’m not worried about them.
"Yuki-san. Regarding the Goddess's army in the pit, the only remaining signatures are the Hein Empire's vanguard and the Goddess herself."
"Oh, that was faster than expected."
When I checked the pit status again following Milly's report, I was reminded of why Surakichi-san is so formidable. Just as I was feeling impressed, a communication came through from him.
"What's wrong, Suraki—"
『Why, why is there a dungeon in a place like this! All Dungeon Masters, the lackeys of the Higher Gods, should have been wiped out!』
Oh, so it was you. I suppose it was your "cleaning" that made it so difficult for us to gather information...
『G-Goddess, what should we do?』
『That’s right! You have become the glorious vanguard of the gods! Don't be cowards, become my shield! I will prepare an escape route in the meantime!』
『Y-yes! Alright, you lot, get to the front and—Gwah?!』
『Damn it, I don't care about these useless fools... but how can a mere slime defeat Minotaurs and Liches! And why does even my great magic have no effect!』
Well, that’s probably just because you can't break through his defense. Regardless...
"Capture her, strip her of her equipment, and bring her here."
『Understood.』
『I, defeated by a mere slime! D-don't mess with meeeeeee!』
Good. The person of interest is secured. Now then...
"Emperor Yupia. The cleaning is complete. I leave the rest to you."
『Very well. It is in my hands.』
There’s a reason why something becomes a classic—it’s stable and reliable. In other words, it’s highly effective. There is a certain power that comes from simplicity. A pitfall is arguably the oldest trap that remains useful even in the modern age.