Chapter 112
Uh…
Let’s sort things out.
Gwyve has returned, bringing a Holy Dragon with him.
For some reason, this Holy Dragon has fallen for me.
Somehow, Ann and the others angered the Holy Dragon, which provoked her wrath.
Ann says, “If you’re frustrated, come face us in the dungeon! Mwahahaha!”
Elja retorts, “You’ll regret this!”
And here we are now, preparing for battle in the middle layer of the dungeon.
…How did we end up here?
I don’t understand.
All I wanted was to ask everyone for advice on what to do, and before I knew it, we’re all gunning full force to fend off Elja.
Ann and the others have already geared up and headed for the middle layer.
They seem pumped and ready to go.
In a moment of panic, I try to reach out to Gwyve.
『Hey, Gwyve. Say something, anything, to try and stop her.』
I stare at Gwyve through the monitor, but he only shakes his head.
『Sorry, but I can’t stop her once she’s like this. She’s incredibly stubborn. Plus, she’s stronger than me. We can’t stop her by force.』
That’s not the problem here…
Wait, is Elja really stronger than Gwyve?
Seriously?
『But even so, her entering the dungeon… isn’t that dangerous? Isn’t the Holy Dragon the Guardian Dragon of the Harshalud Holy Kingdom? If anything happens to her, we’re in big trouble.』
If we hurt her, and the Holy Kingdom or other Holy Dragons come after us, that would be a nightmare.
The middle layers of the dungeon have already transformed into a den of evil that even I can’t conquer. But if a bunch of Dragon King species come after us, we certainly won’t get off scot-free.
My precious home, that I’ve worked so hard to build, would be ruined again.
It would be a horrifying rerun of the Dragon-Slaying nightmare.
Plus, I can’t stand the idea of sending someone who hasn’t done anything wrong into that place.
All she did was come to meet me.
…Well, I don’t want to meet her, but still.
I’m scared of talking to strangers.
Wait, so either way, it doesn’t change the outcome?
『Don’t worry. She will “definitely” not die. Besides…』
Gwyve pauses before he continues.
『…this will be a good experience for her.』
『Eh….?』
Gwyve lies down right there.
He seems prepared to watch things unfold.
It looks like he has no intention of stopping her.
…Is that okay?
Elja has already moved to the bottom of the spiral staircase in the big hole, where the teleportation gate is.
She’s carefully observing the teleportation gate, which leads to the middle layers dungeon.
『Hmm… this is a rather well-constructed spell. The flow of magic is smooth, and there are no flaws in the magic circle. In fact, this teleportation gate… it looks similar to the one that appeared in my country…』
She’s quite observant.
She even knows about the dungeon entrance that appeared in the Holy Kingdom’s Add Mountain Range.
『…Well, that’s neither here nor there for now. Well then, Uncle Gwyve. I’m off to see Master Earth! Earth, my dear, wait for me!』
With that, Elja enters the teleportation gate and plunges into the middle layers of the dungeon.
She’s really done it…..
「Well, I’m off to the lab.」
Elibel stands up, ready to leave.
『Hey, Elibel. Are we really going to let her enter the middle layer dungeon? Honestly, I think it would be better for us in the long run if we can persuade her to go back…』
「Well, who knows?」
Elibel laughs softly..
The skeletal figure’s flaming eyes dance joyfully, as though the passionate fury from just moments ago had been nothing but a lie.
As unpredictable as ever, this one.
「..Well, it’s true I don’t particularly like her, but this situation has turned out to be quite lucky. I wouldn’t dream of letting this chance slip by.」
Elibel murmurs.
『Chance…?』
「It’s about the Holy Dragon. Originally, I’d planned to ask for Una and Dossun’s help, but the target has come right to us, saving us the trouble.」
Elibel lets out a dry laugh.
What the hell is she talking about?
『Hey, Elibel. Sorry to be a pain, but could you explain this in a way I’d understand?』
「Oh, my apologies. Simply put, she represents a ‘possibility’.」
『A possibility… for what?』
「Well, of course―――」
Elibel pauses, locking her gaze onto me.
「―――A possibility to heal your body.」
『What? What do you mean―――』
「I’ll explain later. For now, I need to head to the laboratory. You mustn’t leave this room, alright? Just quietly watch the monitors. I promise you, you’ll see something interesting. Bye now!」
『Wait a minute, hold―――』
Ignoring my protests, Elibel left the surveillance room.
『Hey… you should’ve explained…』
In the end, only Tres, Pururu, and I remain in the surveillance room.
Resigned, I set Pururu on my lap and shift my gaze to the monitor.
Of course, I don’t forget to give Pururu some much-needed petting.
It’s crucial for my mental well-being.
On the monitor, the figure of Elja, who has infiltrated the middle layer of the dungeon, is displayed.
『This is Master Earth’s dungeon…』
Twirling her parasol, the Holy Dragon Elja gazes around the dungeon with an elegant air.
She then takes a deep breath, her harsh inhalations echoing in the room.
『…Oh, splendid! Such magical density! Such purity! Such an intense magical aura! The only other place I’ve sensed this was with my father! Earth, my dear, you truly live up to my expectations!』
The image of Elja taking quick, ragged breaths is reflected on the screen.
…Honestly, it’s a bit gross.
「Dad, that woman is creepy… She smells just like Elibel (pervert) and Othel (pervert).」
「Puu…」
Tres says, holding her nose with an expression of utter distaste.
Pururu seems a bit disgusted too.
The two of them didn’t hold back their disdain.
Well, I can’t say my thoughts were much different.
Elja continues her straight path through the dungeon.
『―――Target confirmed. Initiating interception』
A mechanical voice rings through the surveillance room.
It’s Gijie, the pseudo-dungeon core Elibel created――tasked with managing the entirety of the dungeon from Elibel’s lab, a sort of defense system.
Fueled by the vast magical power it received from me, as well as the knowledge and combat experience from Ann and Elibel, it creates golems for defense. It’s become an essential part of the dungeon.
I glance at its main body through the monitor in the lab.
It’s gotten even bigger than before, a massive black sphere about two meters in diameter.
Berg once told me it’s growing something akin to an artificial intelligence…
I shift my gaze back to the middle layer of the dungeon.
Three drawing mannequin-type golems have emerged from the dungeon walls.
Elja seems to have noticed them.
『―――Hm? What are these dirty little dolls?』
Elja glances at the drawing mannequin-type golems as if looking at trash.
What!? Dirty, you say!?
These golems, created with a focus on functionality, have a simple yet ideal form!
They are not like the basic drawing mannequin-type golems I created before!
They have a refined and efficient beauty, with expanded joint mobility for improved movement. Plus, they’re equipped with various features and spells thanks to Gijie’s shared experience! They are the crystallization of my golem technology! And you dare to insult them!?
Elja’s comment irks me a bit.
「Puuu?」
Perhaps sensing my irritation, Pururu gives me a look that says, “What’s wrong?” Adorable.
Lovely.
It’s nothing, Pururu.
I was just a bit irritated.
But with you here, I’m all good.
「Oh, Dad, the golems are about to attack.」
Tres tells me to look at the monitor.
The drawing mannequin-type golems are about to commence their attack on Elja.
However,
『―――How unsightly.』
A single phrase.
At Elibel’s utterance, the drawing mannequin-type golems turn to dust.
『What!?』
「Eh, what just happened?」
「Puu?」
Myself, Tres, and Pururu voice our bewilderment.
The one to respond is Gijie.
『I have confirmed magical power in the target’s voice. I deduce it to be a magical attack using sound waves.』
A magical attack using sound waves…?
To me, it looked like she simply spoke out.
Just one word and this is the result?
『Measuring the target’s magic. ――――Analysis complete. Moving on to the next attack.』
As Gijie’s voice echoes, another golem emerges from the wall.
This time it’s a Mud Golem.
But…
『…What is this? These unsightly golems, one after another…』
What!? She’s calling it unsightly!?
That mud golem was the one Una and I created together…
『It’s disgusting.』
Elja swings her arm horizontally.
With just that gesture, the mud golem shatters as if hit by a shockwave.
『Measuring the target’s magic. ――――Analysis complete. Moving on to the next attack.』
And so, as Elja advances through the dungeon, Gijie continues to birth new golems, but she demolishes them nonchalantly as she trudges on.
Drawing Mannequin-type.
Mud golem.
Snow golem.
Giant Buddha statue-type golem.
Animal-type, and so on…
One golem after another appears, only to be annihilated.
To a bystander, it would only seem like the golems are being mercilessly crushed by Elja’s overwhelming power.
We’re only halfway through the first layer, yet the depth of her strength remains unfathomable.
As expected of the Dragon King species, I suppose.
『Fufun, this is a walk in the park! At this rate, I’ll be be able to get to my beloved Earth in no time!』
Elja leisurely moves through the middle layer of the dungeon.
A relaxed smile adorns her face.
『Oi, oi, our golems can’t even scratch her…』
Even in this vessel body, I feel a cold sweat coming on.
Tres and Pururu are also watching the screen, their faces filled with tension.
Elja’s power is indeed overwhelming.
But at this point, I still don’t understand.
『―――Measuring the target’s magical power. Producing the next golem.』
Gijie steadily prepares to bring Elja down.
Today, I will come to understand.
Let me tell you the conclusion.
My dungeon has evolved far beyond my imagination.
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