Dungeon of Fire - 4

Let's set aside the investigation of the sudden hole we found...

There are bite marks on this husk. The tooth marks vary.

Perhaps wild animals ate this husk? Just like in the case of Akau Village, could consuming the body fluids or flesh of a monster cause ordinary wild animals to mutate into sub-beasts?

Though I have no concrete evidence, I strangely felt confident about this theory.

"For now, let's burn these scales and dispose of them. We can't afford any more sub-beasts appearing.

"Aw, really burn them? They're pretty sturdy material. We should at least collect as many as we can. Kenny's shield is falling apart, so we could make new gear or shields from these."

"Taro, I agree with her opinion. We should make use of anything we can. We've risked our lives to enter this dungeon after all. Materials like these are precious rewards."

I ended up being overwhelmed by the two of them. That does make sense, though.

This time, we decided to take as much as we could carry. Even so, there was still so much left over that we ended up having to burn the excess.

The hole behind the scales felt a faint breeze, as if it might connect to the outside world.

"Shall we go check it out? The ground over there is much more solid than the hole we fell through. Probably because animals have trampled it down...?"

Aleks seemed to have the same thought. Likely, wild animals had reached this space through this small hole.

The ground was dry and hard.

I tried checking inside with my exploration magic, but there was no reaction. Probably nothing's wrong. Still, this hole is quite steep. I wish I had something to hook onto the ground...

"Can't we use this?"

Kenny pulled out the bone from the sub-beast we'd just felled. It's surprisingly sturdy. This could definitely double as a pickaxe.

I go in first, followed by Clara and then Kenny. Kenny looks like he'll have trouble with the narrow space. The passage rises steadily upward, just as the scrying magic predicted, with no enemies appearing.

The end was quite sudden, but I managed to get out safely.

The hole was concealed by bushes, making it difficult to spot from the outside. There might be other holes like this one. To stop the increase of monsters, it would be better to investigate. But searching for similar holes would be a tedious task.

In that case, it might be faster to attack the dungeon's master directly.

Still, facing an enemy with such thick, large scales would require proper preparation.

"What should we do? Shall we try entering the dungeon again right away? Personally, I think we should get ourselves properly prepared first..."

Aleks seemed to share the same opinion. The other two nodded in agreement.

In the end, we managed to return to the dungeon entrance and decided to head straight back to the capital. When we arrived at the dungeon entrance, the adventurers who had been waiting there also looked thoroughly surprised to see us appear from a different location than the entrance itself.

It seems they’d grown worried since we hadn’t returned for so long, and thought something must have happened inside, so they’d organized an expedition team to investigate.

We urged them to prepare thoroughly before going in, once we’d shared the information we’d gathered. As fellow adventurers, I didn’t want anyone to lose their life, but I also couldn’t stand the idea of being left behind—so maybe I made it sound a bit more serious than it needed to be.

When returning to the capital, our conversation was sparse, but our eyes were serious. Everyone was thinking about what needed to be done—to succeed safely and without losing any lives.

After returning to the capital, we decided to launch our next assault exactly one week later, fully prepared.

Time was short.

We would do whatever was possible.

I visited Emma. There was something I wanted to test out before our next attempt.

"Emma, I need a favor. Is that okay?"

Emma was dozing off with her head resting on the desk.

"Oh, good morning, Taro. I got so absorbed, but thanks to that, I managed to create something good."

"You're still the same as always. But I also have something I'd like to ask of you..."

I explained what I wanted to do.

"Wait, really!? You're going to use that tricycle in the dungeon!?"

"Yeah, the dungeon's level is high. With my current gear, it's tough to move around freely. I want to carry a lot of supplies, but that's hard with a wagon. But remember that tricycle I mentioned. With that, I can carry a lot at once. What do you say—can I borrow it for a bit?"

"But that one's still under development and hasn't been thoroughly tested yet. I do have a spare unit prepared, so I could lend you that one—but are you sure it'll keep up with your adventures, Tarou-san? I'm worried it might not be able to handle the strain."

"I'll make good use of it. But there's also the risk it could break, or get left behind in the dungeon. Are you okay with that possibility?"

"If it breaks, that'll just be a test of durability, so it's not a problem. But please tell me exactly what situation caused it to break....You're really going into dangerous places, aren't you? It'd be sad as a friend if we couldn't meet again, after finally becoming acquainted. Please come back safely, okay?"

"I promise. And I'll definitely return the tricycle too."

With that, I borrowed the tricycle for carrying supplies.

If I lose my crossbow arrows in just one battle, I’ll never succeed in my mission no matter how long I take.

So I attached wooden crates to the magic-powered tricycle, loading it with iron arrows, various magic stones, food supplies, thick fabric, and anything else I could fit.

I also stuffed in some of the magic gadgets I’d been crafting—mostly prototypes. Apparently, this tricycle is called a "magi-tricycle."

The magic tricycle has an exposed engine at the front, a seat behind it, and a cargo platform behind that. Compared to what I'd seen before, its output has increased significantly, allowing it to carry much more cargo.

I set off toward the imperial main gate, carrying this magic tricycle.

A week later, everyone gathered at the gate leading to the dungeon.

Alex wore a more robust set of armor than usual and carried a battle axe larger than ever before, with intricate decorations.

Kenny also wore sturdy armor and carried a shield unlike any he'd used before, seemingly made from scales he'd brought back. I held it briefly and felt it was sturdier yet lighter than before.

Clara noted that while the equipment itself hadn't changed much, there were two notable differences. One was that she was wearing a monocle. It seemed to have a sighting mechanism, and by channeling mana through it, she could adjust the magnification. It was said to be an expensive, specially crafted item.

The other is a recently developed firearm. Though, it hasn't yet reached practical use. Loading the ammunition is cumbersome, and there's a long delay between lighting the fuse and the bullet being fired. Plus, it produces an enormous noise and powerful recoil—apparently, it's like a miniature cannon.

When infused with mana, the fire gem reacts by heating the gunpowder, which then propels the bullet.

However, among the weapons that can be carried, it's an extremely powerful one. Apparently, they were worried that just a magic bow might not efficiently penetrate that scale.

I introduced the magic tricycle I borrowed from Emma. Everyone seemed surprised, observing it with interest. Clara, in particular, seemed to really like it. She didn't want to drive it—she just wanted to be taken to her destination.

She stopped getting off the empty cart that had been brought along. Then, she introduced the items she had brought and set off.

The path to the thicket hiding the dungeon was safe, and everyone rode on the magic tri-wheel and the cart, moving much faster than walking. They arrived at the thicket far sooner than they had on their first attempt at entering the dungeon.

Once inside the thicket, they had to choose their path carefully and were likely to encounter enemies, so they moved slowly. However...

"Interesting. The number of enemies has clearly decreased. Last time, we fought four or five times at this point, but today we've only fought once."

Alex said, walking at the front.

"Could it be that the number of monsters has dropped because more people are challenging the dungeon?"

Indeed, more adventurers were attempting the dungeon. Even when entering this thicket, a party had rushed in ahead of them, eager to get ahead.

It seems that while we were preparing in the capital, they've been modifying the hole we fell into and turning it into a relay point.

The dungeon's progress was making it more popular than ever.

"Of course, the increasing number of participants is a factor. But personally, I think the biggest reason is that we disposed of those scales."

"It really did work. So does that mean beings like the Sub-Beasts become such through absorbing the organization of the Demon Beasts...?"

Everyone was looking at me....I realized I'd just spoken aloud the question I'd been wondering about without noticing.

Apparently, I'd ended up talking out loud after concentrating too hard. A bit embarrassing.

"Can't say for sure, but it seems like we won't reduce the number of Sub-Beasts unless we defeat the Demon Beasts... I hope they're weak."

Clara didn't seem to mind at all, speaking as if she were spitting from atop the three-pronged occult device.

She always ended up riding it once the battle was over.

She seemed to have grown quite fond of it. With such thoughts in mind, they continued forward until they reached the dungeon entrance.

In the end, there was no battle on the way, and they arrived easily.