Read Novel Full Chapter 257
Chapter 257
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Chapter 257 – Manhole
‘Your level has risen to 58.’
Two days later.
While silently hunting A-rank monsters, I finally leveled up after targeting the giant elephant.
Name: Loki (Yuto Mamiya)
Level: 58
Skill Points Remaining: 58
Magic Power: 652/652 (+4800) +50 from increased sword magic power
Strength: 349 (+1629)
Intelligence: 355 (+885)
Defense: 343 (+765) Varakan (+687)
Magic Defense: 333 (+1088)
Agility: 348 (+750) Kyuki (+174)
Dexterity: 342 (+1205)
Luck: 343 (+400)
Blessing: None
Title: “King Ant Slayer”
Flight: Lv7 → Lv8
Final Scream: New → Lv7
Claw Technique: Lv5 → Lv7
Ice Magic: Lv5 → Lv6
Lightning Attribute Resistance (New) → Lv5
Ice Attribute Resistance (New) → Lv5
Freezing Breath: New, Lv6
Immobility (New) → Lv5
Night Vision: Lv5 → Lv7
Stone Eye: New, Lv7
Petrification Resistance: New: Lv6
Intimidation: Lv5 → Lv7
Physical Attack Power Increase: New → Lv5
Whirlwind: Lv5 → Lv6
Roar: Lv4 → Lv6
Photosynthesis: Lv4 → Lv6
The skill level ups are going pretty well.
I checked the status screen and nodded to myself as I returned to base, pleased to see that my skill points had increased quite a bit.
After entrusting all the monsters I had stored to Carla, I headed to the upper plateau, where I found Alicia with her head in her hands and Felin kneading something clay-like on the ground.
In the distance, I saw Feeril sitting in the bathtub, gazing up at the sky.
“Oh, what’s wrong with Alicia?”
“The cat won’t let her near it! It keeps going to Felin instead!”
“Ugh… Loki-kun. What did I do wrong? Why?”
“Maybe you’re paying too much attention to it. Or maybe it’s your scent?”
“――!!?”
Ugh…
Alicia’s face froze in shock as if an arrow had pierced her forehead.
However, the cat was currently rubbing against Felin’s feet, so it was more likely just annoyed.
If she keeps feeding it, though, it’ll probably recognize her as someone who gives it food, and things will improve.
If she really wants to, there’s a skill that isn’t available yet, but it’s displayed in the skill tree.
It’s called “Training.”
It seems like a dirty trick, though.
Anyway, what on earth is Felin doing?
When I asked, I found out that, at the study session the other day, they mentioned that minerals can be obtained from dungeons. Apparently, Ril has been complaining that she wants to make her own equipment.
Apparently, Felin, who has nothing to do until I get the seeds, is trying to make a stove.
She’s kneading brown soil, so maybe she’s trying to make bricks.
When we ate pizza together in the royal capital, we talked about stoves. Maybe she learned something from that.
“Loki-kun, that bath is wonderful! It’s the best!”
“Oh, really? I guess my obsession as a bath builder is showing. With its size, I think all six of you could fit in there. But be careful; the position you requested might be visible from below.”
I won’t say I won’t look.
I won’t say that, even if I die.
But I have to warn her because it could become a big problem later.
The lake is quite large. No matter how hard I strain my eyes from the lakeside where we’re building our house, there’s no way I can normally see it.
But there are always tricks, like flying or teleporting.
Carla is obsessed with Zeo, so he probably won’t care, but that slightly evil old man might.
“Fufufu. Please tell them that anyone who peeks will die.”
“………Of course.”
All right.
I’ll borrow Zeo’s high-performance magic tool and embed it in the bathroom so no one can peek in.
“Oh, since there are three of you, that’s perfect. I’m going to check out the center of Palmera.”
“Are you sure? There might be stronger monsters there.”
“I wonder if something will happen if you go.”
“Should I come with you if it looks dangerous?”
“Haha… It’s fine, it’s fine. I plan to map the area as I go, so it probably won’t be finished by the end of the day. Everyone else should just enjoy doing whatever they want!”
“Mmm…”
Felin pouts and makes a dissatisfied face.
There was no sense of guilt or of hiding something important behind that expression.
If even Felin, the most expressive one, is like this, then there’s probably nothing in the center involving the goddesses…
Well, I’ll still go fill in the map.
I told them to only use Divine Communication in case of an emergency, so I’m sure everything will be fine, even if something unexpected happens.
With that thought in mind, the first two days of the journey passed.
The unchanging scenery gradually dampened my expectations, and I began to realize that Feeril’s prediction was true.
As I filled in the empty, doughnut-shaped center, the monsters gradually became more concentrated.
However, there was no transition to the seventh layer, which was supposed to be S-rank. Even when looking at the center, nothing stood out in my field of vision.
This is a fantasy world.
It’s a vast forest that even Felza-sama proclaimed exists in the world.
If this is the center of the forest, then 95 out of 100 people would expect to see a certain tree:
Yes, the “World Tree,” towering high into the sky.
At the very least, I had expected to see a giant tree piercing the sky.
Around it, there would be countless S-rank monsters. If you managed to sneak through them, you would find treasures that would make you drool!
But my fantasy was shattered.
“…No, wait. Why a manhole?”
Looking down from above at the point where the monsters were concentrated, which I assumed was the center, I saw a black, disc-shaped object sitting alone below me.
It was covered in a bit of dirt, but no trees were growing on it, so I could get a good idea of its shape.
Actually, I couldn’t tell because I was looking down from a considerable height out of caution. But when I descended carefully, I realized it was much larger than a manhole.
―Presence Detection―
―Magic Power Detection―
―Investigation―”Monster”―
I approached cautiously, confirming the presence of monsters and other dangerous beings, but there was nothing there.
It was a black disc with no noticeable patterns, about ten meters in diameter.
When I landed nearby, I could see six small holes spaced evenly around the outer edge. Thin lines connected the holes, forming a circle around the perimeter.
In the center was a slightly larger depression filled with soil, from which six lines extended toward the surrounding holes.
From certain angles, it appears as though the lines align with manhole covers that could open and allow one to fall through. However, the lines are merely carved and do not penetrate to the bottom.
I casually tossed stones and branches from the surrounding area onto the disk, but there was no reaction.
“Finger Electricity.”
I tried casting a light spell, but the soil only moved slightly, and nothing else changed.
“Dig a deeper hole.”
I tried digging away the soil beneath the disk, but there was nothing underneath it.
I thought it might be a “lid,” like a manhole cover, but this black object didn’t seem to extend downward at all.
It was just sitting there as if it had been placed there.
(…What the hell is this?)
I cautiously touched it, and yes, there was nothing there.
It was a thick, heavy metal block, approximately 10 cm in thickness.
It didn’t reflect much light, and it looked blacker than any black I had ever seen.
“Hmph…”
Not good.
I was confident in my strength, but when I tried to lift it with all my might, it didn’t budge.
Then how about this?
“Storage.”
To my surprise, it worked. I quickly returned the disc to its original place, feeling anxious.
No, no, what am I doing?
I was just investigating out of curiosity. But there’s no way a disc like this could be normal in a place like this, which seems to be the center of a crossroads where monsters live.
I can only assume it was placed there for a reason. If I move it without permission, who knows what will happen?
Besides, I can’t budge it even when I try my hardest, and it’s in a place that no ordinary person could reach. I don’t think it was made by humans.
In that case, I have no choice but to do so.
I’ve decided to rely on it as little as possible. This is definitely not a normal situation, though.
On the contrary, if not now, then when?
―Divine Communication―
“Hey, Alicia. Could you come to my side for a moment? There’s a mysterious manhole in the center of the forest.”
“Um, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
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