Defensive specialization and shifting sand beneath.
“Hmm... doesn’t seem to be coming loose.”
Sally tugs at the chain, clinking it sharply, but it does not snap.
“There’s a button at my end?”
“There’s one at mine too.”
“One at mine… I didn’t notice earlier, so flustered.”
After discussing, they decide to press the button at Sally’s end.
Pressing the button causes a blue plate to float in midair above the status screen.
【Chained Bond】
A cursed chain binding three targets.
The three bound together become fated companions. Death of one ensures the death of all.
【Unbreakable】
“Uwah… that’s tough.”
Sally is currently the most vulnerable. She cannot properly dodge, and her HP is low.
Sally tries pressing the other buttons. Only the same message appears.
“I’ll protect you carefully.”
Maple raises her large shield and speaks.
Yes. I rely on you.
They nod to each other.
The trust between them is visible.
I feel terribly out of place. Yes.
...Temporary truce.
Yes, let’s do that. I don’t wish to fight anymore, but...
The woman in a kimono pauses, then introduces herself.
Her name is Kasumi.
As you see, she excels in combat with a blade.
She says formal speech is pointless—no sense in careful attention during a near-fatal fight.
Then, shall we… start exploring for now?
Yes, let’s!
Yes, that’s best. Nothing will begin if we stay here. And if we clear the dungeon, we might free the chains too.
The three descend the stairs made of sandstone before them.
Depending on the boss, we might be done for.
Let’s hope no one among us has area attacks.
Kasumi and Sally descend the stairs, alert. Maple scans the surroundings, eyes darting.
Is it getting damp in here?
Huh? Yeah… maybe.
The walls are like those of a cave. Just a moment ago they were smooth, but now they’re uneven.
The space beyond the stairs was wide open.
Rock formations, like stalactites, covered the ceiling. Water dripped from them, striking puddles below with a steady sound.
The ground and walls, made of bluish stone, were slick. Not unpleasant, but not pleasant either.
The entire floor was slippery. Movement would be difficult. Exploration would be hard.
Any sign of monsters?
No. Doesn’t seem like it.
No sound at all, except the dripping of water, in this vast space.
Let’s move on. We don’t know where the end is… but it looks complicated.
From where they stand, multiple paths branch off in all directions.
Each path rises to a high ceiling. The height matches that of the current space—perhaps ten meters.
"Stay alert for attacks from above."
"I agree. That possibility seems likely."
"Then I’ll prepare to shield you."
One of the branching paths is chosen. They move deeper. After walking for a time, the three emerge into another wide space.
"Here too… nothing."
"Is this just to keep us on edge? The chance of meeting anything is too low. Zero… that’s not natural."
"Could it be a puzzle dungeon? Only the boss exists, but it takes time to find?"
Maple speaks her thought. The other two nod, acknowledging the possibility.
"Many paths to choose from… yes, time will certainly pass."
They resume walking.
Right, left, up, down—they search without end. The Boss Room remains unseen.
No monster appears. Not once.
"Ah… a dead end…"
"Phew… should we turn back?"
………n? Wait, you two!
Maple stops them.
Her finger points to a small puddle just before the dead-end wall.
Bubbles rise from it—pokopoko. Barely noticeable, but in the stillness of the cave, Maple feels the slight difference.
A fortunate accident.
The three draw near. There, a single medal lies submerged, glowing silver.
As Maple lifts it, the bubbles cease. A mechanism to reveal the find.
"Ugh… I didn’t notice at all."
"Neither did I."
Kasumi says it belongs to Maple, since she found it. And from here on, that will be the stance.
The one who discovers it gains it.
"This means the possibility of no boss in this dungeon has increased."
"Indeed. The odds are higher now."
“What do you mean?”
“If there were a boss, we’d find medals gathered there, wouldn’t we? That’s how it’s always been.”
“I see… yes, that makes sense.”
Thus, finding medals here likely meant the dungeon was meant for exploration, not boss combat.
“Guess we’ll have to examine the ground and walls carefully from now on… phew… this is tiring.”
“I’ll search diligently too. I want to bring back at least one.”
The three turned back from the dead end.
The cavern had many dead ends, and the scenery remained unchanged, making navigation difficult. Progress was slow.
“I’m better at dungeons that end quickly through combat.”
“I’m especially good at that!”
“Yeah, I prefer fighting too.”
As they spoke, the three emerged once more into the large chamber.
A structure like an ant’s nest.
Though not a single ant exists here.
“Ah! Something’s glowing!”
“Treasure?”
“Could be.”
The three move toward the center of the chamber.
There lies a ground shimmering like the Milky Way. Unlike the previous rock. They crouch beside it, observing the long line dividing the room in two.
“Beautiful… but not gemstone. More like gold dust.”
“Ah, yes. But it won’t come loose.”
Kasumi tests it with her blade. The same sharp *ping* echoes as before—deflecting harmlessly.
If they could harvest this shimmering surface, it would yield enough material for all three.
The quantity is immense.
“Hmm… maybe it becomes harvestable over time? Like the bamboo grove?”
“The likelihood is high.”
“The bamboo grove?”
Kasumi did not know of the bamboo grove, so Maple explained it.
"Only at night… I never wandered out at night, so I never noticed."
"What time is it?"
"Wait… five thirty. Even if we leave the cave, it’ll be dark by then."
"Then we’ll have to spend the night here."
"Hard on the body."
There was no way out, and no means of escape had been found.
The three passed through the great hall and resumed their search.
They walked carefully, watching the walls and floor, but nothing had been found since that medal.
"Hm?"
"Something wrong, Sally?"
"Did you find something?"
"No… I thought I felt a small tremor just now…"
"Really? I didn’t notice."
"Neither did I. Are you sure?"
"Hmm… maybe I’m just tired. We fought the fake Maple today."
"Fake Maple? What’s that?"
"Oh, that’s—"
Maple speaks of the Doppelgänger’s boss.
Kasumi listens, her expression attentive, her eyes alight with interest.
That one… another tough battle. I’ve been exploring all along.
Then I’d like to hear about that exploration.
Hah, good. Yes… where to begin…
Unintentionally, the chains binding them deepened their bond.
Sally has grown so close to Kasumi she no longer wishes to fight her.
The hour has passed six.
The fifth day is near.