The Dungeon Seeker

CHAPTER 7 – THE TEN THOUSAND ARMY ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

Junpei was speechless.

That floor, a five hundred meter square was as if it all made with concreteーーit was a space that had a grey color in all of its surfaces.

When he opened the door, the safety area was there immediately.

That’s right.

The same as the time with Cerberus, it was a safety area from the start.

Junpei thinks, that meaning from it being a safety area from the start……is the thing that appeared when the difficulty is too high, that it is probably the spider’s thread from God.

As a proofーーthe enemy this time compared to the enemy up until now, the impact was very different the instance he saw them.

If only the shock of that scene is being talked about, it is overwhelmingly the best, and the worst up until now.

「This place called Interstice Labyrinth……it looks like anything can really happen huh……」

The scene that beholds in front of Junpeiーーthat was, as far as he could see, human, human, human.

Their body clad in silver armor, equipped with spears and sword, it was a group wearing a western armor and equipments……no, with the same meaning as that has, it was an army.

The estimation is thousands……no, maybe there are more than ten thousand.

Saying it in a modern way, it was a situation when inside a baseball dome, the arena’s audience seat was filled by people all wearing western armor and equipments. If it was a normal singer, she would probably be totally dumbfounded in the stage.

Junpei who for the meantime took out his handgun from his waist, shot towards one of them who was nearby.

In the borderline of the safety area, the bullet that Junpei’s Magnum shot, *Shupon*, with that kind of a ridiculous sound, it disappeared.

And there, he shook his shoulder as if he had bitten off a bitter bug.

「……I see, rule change huh……. Well, shooting from the safety area……if that was possible……this floor is too easy」

The data analysis from the【Appraisal Eyes】is the following.

【Rindall Imperial Army】

Danger Specification ▼ ▼ ▼ Individual E / Group S+

Characteristics ▼ ▼ ▼ An army of a country from some dimension. During a large-scale exercise, when the army that exceeds a thousand suddenly disappeared, it caused a huge uproar during that world’s time. The reason for disappearing, was that unluckily, they got caught up with the distortion of dimension that emerged. They are accompanied by one battalion of court magicians, so not only with the physical battles, but they can also deal with magic shooting battles. They are originally humans, and their body disposition is human, but they lost their sanity because of the effects of the mana of the evil gods that fills the labyrinth, so their nature has become near that of a monster’s. Because of that, they cannot come close inside the sacred grounds.

A very, very deep sigh.

Soon after, Junpei started to read the letter from the Ossan that has a weirdly bright tone.

†

Hyaha〜!

Brother! How are you!

Out of the frying pan into the fire! This time, the opponent’s an army!

If it is properly challenged, first, you need four to five the continent’s strongest class of magicians that are more than level 200.

If you’re asking what to do with that, as soon as the fight starts, it’s to shoot a super duper class of large-scale destruction magic and end it with one shot.

But, the opponent also has one battalion of magicians.

If they made a defensive barrier from the start, so however great companions you can gather, it’s pretty much an impossible game.

If it comes to that, it would be counting on the stamina of the melee jobs……most probably.

Well, either way, other than magicians, you would also need to gather plenty of high-leveled melee jobs.

Eh? What am I going to do in front of this army then?

That’s why, I told you before right, that I’m a solo player. And I’m a jobless NEET in Japan……don’t make me say it, it’s embarrassing right!

Ahh, I got off the topic.

It’s about what I’m going to do……well, just like what I did up to now, I’ll run okay?

……I’m only level 200……but I’ll run away?

No, honestly, I was thinking that a pretty decent monster would appear soon……so I continued taking safety margins up until now.

Until now, there was really a monster that I could have probably done(killed)……but the risk is too high.

And……as you know, there wasn’t an easy monster that appeared.

It’s getting pretty bad. In fact, I’m being cornered.

Well, anyways……let’s stop the gloomy ones.

……let’s do it with steamーーー!

And, it’s about what I’m going to do right.

For the meantime, these guys, each one of them is weak. And, they also can’t fly.

If you fly to about three hundred meters above, these guys don’t have means of attacking that can deal with that. Even magic would lose most of its effect.

And, I’m, level 200, and in the outside world, I’m a pretty famous treasure hunter you know, I’m pretty strong normally.

And furthermore, I’m from the group of different world reincarnations……so the capacity of my item box is so bad. Really, you can pretty much put anything inside it.

What I want to say is.

ChararaChaChaCha〜n! A flying carpet!

Yes, I will go up to the next floor’s door through the sky at once.

Well, I might receive some damage, but I should be able to do something about it.

And with that, Adios!

†

「It looks like Ossan was starting to get cornered huh……well, with just running around……that would happen huh. I mean, if he dies, I’ll be in a lot of trouble……」

“Well then……”, Junpei, the note that Ossan left, he threw it away.

The armored group that spread in front of him, the sound of metals rubbing.

*Koho〜*, *Koho〜*, and, the breath that could be heard from inside the armor.

ーーtheir total number, more than ten thousand.

And there, Junpei looked up, and smiled deprecatingly.

「Okay〜. Ossan……doing it with steam whatever situation it is, is important」

“And with that”, Junpei took a deep breath, and called out towards the group with western armor and equipments with a loud voice.

「Nowーーーー, cheerfully……simply until the end……let’s do this……!!」

And, he made a very calm and composed simile.

「With only Cerberus’s canine, I can probably kill a human wearing an armor. But……even if I challenged them only with evasion, and even if I did it properly……after killing around two or three hundred, from losing focus, or running out of stamina……I’ll get caught and killed」

*Pa*, he clapped his hands.

「Now, everyone look at me, what I took out, is a truly, very strange thingーーitem box」

Together with a dramatic tone, Junpei called out his item box.

When he opened the lid of the item box, *NyuruNyuru*, something squirming jumped out.

「What appears from inside, are infinite slime……that is all」

Each one of them had a diameter of about 30 – 40 cm.

The dark violet slime crawled out of the item box with a tremendous momentum.

「Well then, gentlemen of the Rindall Empire’s army……I will make you play with me?」

And, the slimes exceeded the field of the safety area without hesitation, and towards the soldiers, they crawled in a straight line.

To the sudden event, the soldiers got petrified in an instant.

After a long time, when they thought that a human prey had come up from the lower floor, it suddenly called out tons of smiles, and made them charge.

In whatever dimension, and in whatever would it isーーthe thing called slime, it is always called as the weakest monster.

It’s true, that the creature called slime has an outstanding adaptability to the environment.

If it was in the state of a pure slime, it can grow to anything adapting to its environment, and it can survive even severe situations.

But, it’s an ability that they have because they’re weak.

That’s right, because the slime is too weak, it means that it needs the ability to be able to survive in any kind of place.

It’s true, that when a Pure Slime is raised under a special environment, there is the possibility that there might be a strong individual that can be created.

But, however, after all, a slime is a slime, its fighting power is within the small fries.

ーーit would be said a lot of times, but slime is the small fry of the small fries. Within the Interstice Labyrinth that proudly has the extreme difficulty, it is a monster that is too ill-matched for a monster tamer to enslave.

Even though they had become half monsters, the soldiers that are basically living beings that are close to humans, “Why something like a slime……”, it is a natural thing for them to have that doubt.

As if to answer to the doubt of those soldiers, Junpei had a laughter.

「I’ll make you play with me alright? It’s the start of the hell’s muddy battle」

One next to the other, violet slimes emerged from the item box.

Their numbers were abnormal, and you can even think as if there’s unlimited of them.

Engaging them, an army with an arranged formation with their spears.

The line of spears is held at the ready, a needle mountain, or maybeーーa formation that can be called as a wall.

And towards them who was completely prepared, the violet slimes jumped without caring that they were pierced by the spears.

ーーand just like that, the one-sided massacre had started.

Most of the slimes, they charged defenselessly to the line of spears, and gets skewered.

And, some slimes, were burnt by the magician’s flames, and evaporated.

The slimes that were lucky, were able to avoid the spear attacks, but they were cut into two with swords.

The slime’s body fluid’sーーheavy, and bitter smell.

And in addition, that was burnt, and the smell that was like sulfur, gently got mixed with it, and started stinking.

Or maybe, that was a terrible smell that even induced weakness.

Already, the slime’s corpses had counted over hundreds.

But, however, still, the slimes continued to charge.

On the other side, the confusion couldn’t be hidden from the soldiers.

Because they have perfectly formed the engaging preparations, they have no casualties.

They were only dealing with the slimes that were just defenselessly charging as if they were harbingers, so it was the obvious results.

There are instants when several of them jumped at the same time, a group had broken their formations, but with the follows of the ones using swords and magic that were behind them, they manage to avoid further problems.

ーーbut, even so, still, Junpei, he continued to make the slimes charge.

While standing by himself at the safety area, just single-mindedly, the slimes, he continued to order them to die.

While distorting his mouth, as if to have fun, and as if to get happy, he watched the slimes get torn apart, and continued to watch that reckless kamikaze attack.

And just about that time, the group of slimes was engulfed by a wide-ranged flame magic.

And there, a clear bitter expression ran through Junpei’s face.

Maybe, if the soldiers were sane, they might have been able to notice that subtle change in Junpei’s expression.

That’s right, since this battle had started, the only time when his expression fell into the negative direction, was when flame type magic was used on the slimes.

Even when they are sliced with hollow blades, not even when the time when they were skewered with ice blades, it’s only, during the time when they are burned, he made a frowning expression for some reason.

And right now, he counted the numbers of the slimes getting burnt in front of him, and after thinking for a while, he spoke to himself.

「Until now……the ones that are burnt haven’t reached ten percent of the whole……well, if it’s only that much……it’s within the acceptable range huh……」

And just like that, slimes that continued to emerge from Junpei’s item box.

Stabbed with spears and their body fluids flew and scattered.

Slashed with swords, their meat chunks flew and scattered.

And, with magic, the slimes are getting massacred.

Approximately one hour of genocide, the result of continuous reckless chargeーーin that floor’s floor, there was a tremendous amount of slime meat and body fluids left alone.

And there, finally, the phenomenon of slimes emerging from inside Junpei’s item box had stopped.

Looking at the meat chunks that was once a slime that was greatly scattered around, Junpei made a huge nod.

「Yosh, with this, the work’s finished huh……the only thing left to do is, to wait for it to happen」

And just like that, from the item box, he took out firewood and thin branches, and took out straws. (TL: 藁(wara))

And after he piled up few firewoods, he pushed in the thin branches in the gaps, and lastly, he ignited the straw.

And immediately, a bonfire was complete.

He slowly sat there, and took out grains and Cerberus’s dried meat.

Without caring about the soldiers that covered his surroundings with no gapsーーhe started to put water into the pot.

He threw meat, and grains that were similar to rice inside the pot, and after lightly putting salt, he covered it using its lid.

「Yosh, until the food gets cooked, I should take a nap……」

“Well then……”, and just like that, Junpei took out a blanket from his item box, and got to his side there.

It looks like, he was cooking something like a porridge, butーーthe soldiers were the ones who got unsettled.

That should be the case, within this situation, Junpei, he treated them as if the were not thereーーーーand started to make a proper camp.

「Fu〜……」

He checked the time with his wristwatch, right now, it is six thirty in the morning.

“Well then”, he slowly stood up.

With familiar movements, from the water bag, he poured water into a bucket.

He washed his face with yawns, and next, he started to brush his teeth with a tree branch that he chewed.

Next, he puts a few roasted beans and water inside a pot, and placed it into the bonfire.

And, after he lightly cracked his neck, he played a song inside his head.

That was a song that any person in Japan knows.

ーーin other words, radio exercise number one.

Junpei himself, he thought that that work everyday is weird, but it was his daily routine even when he was still in Japan, so it can’t be helped.

After completing that series of actions, after he ended his last deep breath, from the pot that was raising steam pretty nicely, he poured the hot water into a cup.

And there, as if to let out a sigh of relief, he sat in his place.

The most thankful thing from the last, last floor, was that he was able to find coffee beans.

Junpei, he is a heavy caffeine addict, and ever since he came to this world, that was one of the most serious problems.

He slurped the bitter juice very contently.

And just like that, with lifeless eyes, Junpei observed the scene in front of his eyes.

ーーalready for about a week, he had stayed on this floor.

Tent, a bathing place, and other minimum necessary facilities are set up.

Even if he was told to live here for a month, that should be possible.

“Anyways……”, Junpei drank all of his coffee.

「It’s about time……huh」

The scene that spreads in front of him, that was, a countless number of flocks of the dead men wearing armor.

The ones that were “infected” at the beginning are starting to rot, and small flies were starting to swarm.

「The protein that I went my way on preparing for the slimes……I can’t let the flies eat them right」

It has already passed three days ever since they stopped breathing, and since there are also a lot of stocks of Pure Slimes.

Then……there might’ve been not a need to wait for this long.

But, the requirement for continuing to use a lot of slimes from now on, a wasteful sacrifice……no, saying it clearly, he didn’t want to lose wasteful food.

The grains that he gained in the Interstice Village isn’t infinite.

And, in front of him was a quality feed……there was a lot of corpses.

Increase them when he canーーand even if they decrease by themselvesーーthe maximum number right now, this, as much as possible, he wanted to reserve them.

That’s why, he waited for this long. Until all of the soldiers were annihilatedーー

For example, there were some soldiers were infected, but not yet died.

In that case, it is possible to assume that the Pure Slimes might be killed. Their numbers might be tens, or maybe they will exceed hundreds.

He could not make the Pure Slimes become victims of those useless things.

And, from his item box, Junpei called out the Pure Slimes, and sent them outside of the safety area.

Because he needed to reproduce the “Pandemic Slime” that he lost in the earlier fight.

With tremendous speeds, the slimes devoured the corpses.

After thirty minutes had passed, the movements of half of the slimes started weakening.

“Well, that should be the case……”, Junpei thought.

「No Life King. The Undead King’s……their eating its worst virus after all……even if it was the Pure Slime, it’s not like all of them would be able to adapt」

【Undead Meat】

Item Rank▼▼▼ National Treasure Class

Characteristics▼▼▼ Meat of the No Life King. Inedible. Because a human corpse was tinged by the fierce curses that the evil gods of the labyrinth emitted, the monster that sprung forth was a No Life King. Naturally, its meat is a block of curses, and the ones who devour it can gain a special ability. Specifically saying, the body composition changes, and as the same as an undead, your body fluid, blood, and meat will become a very strong neurotoxin.

That was the explanatory texts of the undead meat had before, but from some time, the following additional notes started to appear inside Junpei’s head.

From his own physical body that he had observed every day……the further insight of the【Appraisal Eyes】might’ve worked.

Anyways, the contents are the following.

About the cause of the Undead King’s meat becoming a neurotoxin ▼▼▼

The Undead, is literally frankly, points to the ones that had have died. There are various opinions on how you would define dying, but it is the state of not being able to maintain the homeostasis of the body……in this case, it would be defined that way. And in addition, it is the state when the maintenance of the homeostasis is impossible, or in other words, it is the state when metabolism and the immune system is lost, and putrefaction/predation by bacteria, microorganisms, and insects of the like have started, and when the original shape of the insides are not being kept.

But, the undead meat, starting with the No Life King’s, even if it would rot, it does not break apart. Or maybe, there are even species like the vampires that have the same appearance as the normal humans that exists.

In the first place, why are undead being called the undead.

That is, because of the longevity that exceeds the human race, or maybe their abnormal recovery abilities, or maybe for their toughness.

Those abilities are gained by completely exchanging the somatic cells of the metabolism from a normal human’s.

The body of the undead lose its homeostasis, and the somatic cells stop their mitosis. But, they have a consciousness, and it is possible for them to move. You can say, that is the opposite version of being brain dead. It means, it is the close to the state of only the body is dead. And there, from the evil ways that were created in ancient timesーーthey substitute their metabolism. By doing that, it means that the undead can maintain their bodies. It is being said that the undead’s origins started from the immortality research by a heretic monk that had mastered alchemy.

The evil way that that founder devised.

The thing called alchemy, is a study that have the same roots as chemistry that had evolvedーーthat evil way only means, saying if for a modern person to understand, you can call it as a virus. To make the corpse that is their seedbed last longer, for them to reproduce more and moreーーthe virus have the utility to stimulate the cells, and forcibly activate the metabolism. It means, that virus will do that in its host’s steadーーno, they are created to do that. That is why they call it an evil way.

For example, the ones that have the balance of their somatic cell division and necrosis has broken becomes zombie types. Or maybe, the ones that have the balance that is within the range of not that far away from a normal human becomes vampire types. And, the ones who have the resistance and the power to control and adjust those virusesーーthey are, the Undead.

Specifically saying, the virus are repeatedly reproducing and dying inside the body of the undead. Every time that the homeostasis needed is done, for them to not increase too much, they are moderately decreased by the antibody that the undead has, and the remaining minimum amounts would enter a dormant state. As a result, it is not enough to infect others, but that poison remains in the meat of the undead. And it means that that was the ones that are the neurotoxin.

Also, it is not needed to say that if a normal person is infected with the virus that is being mentioned, with infection within forty-eight hours, there is a very high possibility of death. To resist it, the specific medicine that the founder, the heretic monk leftーーthere is only the way of relying on the holy water that is sold in places like the church, recorded in many literatures.

And there, Junpei made a huge nod.

「And……in my meat, that virus, it is in an extremely low amount, but, in addition, a specific number exists in the form of being dormant. On top of that……it can adapt to any environment, no, the slime’s characteristics that it accepts the environment as it is……」

Although, half of the Pure Slimes in front of him could not adapt to the virus, and dulls their life activity.

But, the surfaces of the other slimes that did not die, a violet color starts to mix with it.

ーーthat, is the evolution to the Pandemic Slime.

The weakened slimes, becomes slimes with violet colors that had evolved, and started to devour the whole human corpse.

It gained food, the slimes divides.

In contrast to that, continued to be devoured, the number of corpses decreasing.

「Just like an undead, they won’t control the virus. In the slime’s case, they accept it as it is, and live together. And the body fluid of those slime……of course, they are full of virus」

“That’s right, it means……”, Junpei, he raised his middle finger towards the flocks wearing an armor that turned into corpses.

「ーーit’s an outbreak」

▼ ▼ ▼

A space where all of the surfaces were white.

Within the empty space, one tree had grown.

And under that tree, one girl was standing with a languishing expression.

Her height was about 150 cm, and her appearance’s age looks like she’s 17.

The silk golden hair that extended to her waist, and her facial features that it was as if you took it from a western dollーーand, her clothes.

With black as its base, clothes that were gothic lolita-like that has a red color accent. That girl, she whispered while she was gripping the circular straw rope that was hanged down from the branch of the tree.

「This time……I feel that I can go」

After saying only that, the straw rope ring, she passed her own head through it, and tied it tightly.

And, she greatly raises her feetーーand kicked the foothold with her heel.

The situation that would inevitably come, in shortーーhanging her neck.

Rather than stopping the pulse, it was as if it crushed the trachea itself instead, gravity and the straw rope strangled her neck.

Instantly, her face lost blood, and it exceeded white, instead it got dyed with a violet color.

The muscle tensesーーand loosens, urine, and feces……a lot of excrements, flowed from her crotch who was hanging in the air.

ーーahh, with this……I can go!!

With a delightful expression, her eyes had started to roll into its whites, in that instant.

The high pitched voice of a boy, echoed throughout that space.

「Not yet, I will not let you go yet……!! The same immortal, and absolute one……dying only by yourself, don’t you think that is too good for you?」

*Pachiri*, the sound of the boy’s finger snapping.

In an instance, the girl’s expression that lost its colors returned to normal, and the excrements returned as if it was a video played backward.

And, for some reason, the straw rope was severed in the middle, and the girl fell to the floor just like that.

「……hurry up and let me die……release me from this time prison!!」

She said as if to beg, to the place where she looked.

Unnoticed, there was a television that was about 60 inches set near the tree.

The cords that extend from the television, was a game device and controller. And, the boy that really suits the word androgynous that controls that.

Wearing a visual-kei suit uniformed with black that has a lot of gaps for skin.

Using the controller with one hand, his other hand, was still in the position after snapping his finger.

And there, he made a huge nod with deep emotions.

「Fufu, Sperancat……this main character’s weak physique……there are similarities to the living things that I have created. Within a would full of death, controlling the main character very well, and escape the fate of ruin that should have been inevitable……it was a pretty fun game……」

While staring at the ending scene, to the deeply moved boy, the girl whispered with a dumbfounded face.

「Kami-sama, only playing games every day……also, please hurry up and release me」

「Only playing games huh……I guess that’s true. But, can’t you not blame me too much? I have always repeated boredom in for an overwhelming time. But, the sub culture that the human race created this time……game, manga, anime……these are amazing things」

“That’s right”, the God continued.

「Even if I was the user, it has an effect for killing time. This games……goodness, this is a very amazing thing. This time’s human race」

To the God that was seemingly excited, the girl boringly said.

「Un, I understood. I don’t care about that, so please hurry up and release me」

「Hahaha, kill you? That is nonsense」

「Un. I know. The contract with you……is to become a god exclusive maid. With the conditions other than death would be grantedーーI have served you here, but I cannot bear it anymore. Whatever I do, it cannot be something that can make me pass time. That’s why, please, please hurry up and release me. Please save me. Please kill me……」

The God that was ignoring all of the girl’s begging made a huge nod.

「And, the other one here, what happened」

“Anyways”, the boy placed a finger in the middle of his eyebrows, and closed his eyes.

And then, the God crouched in that place while hugging his stomach, and started to raise laughter.

「Kukuku……fufufu……hahaha!! Takeda Junpei-kun, you, you’re really, that kind of man huh……it’s fun!! No, this is going to be fun!! ……kufufu. As I’ve thought, you’re not normal……with that labyrinth as an opponent, how long can you last……this is really very interesting huh!!」

“Even so”, the God returned his very cheerful expression back to normal, and changed it into a face with tension.

「As I’ve thought……even if it’s him……sooner or later, he would be devoured by the monsters that received the Odo of the evil gods in the labyrinth」

“But, however……”, the God continued.

「Before he does his revenge, for it to become like that……is too boring. I want to see. That’s right, I want to seeーーhow he, or what kind of revenge shall he do to his former classmates. Or maybeーー」

After taking a breath, from the bottom of his heart, as if he could not wait for it any longer, he made a suffocating expression.

「……in that world, he who already gained inhuman powers, towards common people, how would he move against them」

And there, *Pon*, the God hit his palm.

「Hmm. I see……he’s almost level 1000……right? Then, as an inhuman one, he could be a candidate for『Kodoku』. If that’s the case……having contact with me, and me having the qualification to interfere with him……in the rules, it’s safe……huh」

And just like that, the God started to think of something, and his mouth distorted as if to have fun.

「Right now, his level is 818……until he reached level 1000, until he really stops being a human……there’s only……it’s already that near huh」

And, inside the empty space, the boy, without a destination, started to walk.

「ーーand, with that……for the meantime, let’s go to that labyrinth huh!」