Chapter 112
Hello, this is Akagi Hideo.
I was able to rescue Receptionist Jiu, the one who gives me candy, from the clutches of a monster.
I normally don't go in for helping people, but, well, my parents raised me to help those in trouble right in front of me, so I had no choice.
"Jiu-san, are you hurt?"
"......Yes, I'm fine, nothing in particular."
"That's good to hear. By the way, what are you doing in a place like this? This is the twenty-second floor—no, it should be much deeper."
"......Due to such and such circumstances, our rescue team ended up here."
"No way, really? I mean, the stairs between the 15th and 14th floors collapsed and are unusable... isn't that kind of bad?"
"......Extremely bad."
"Right?"
Jiu-san rummaged around in her pocket.
"......Here you go, a thank-you candy."
"Thank you very much."
Candy getttt.
She's giving off big-sister vibes.
"......By the way, why is that person with you?"
"This naked man is our naked guide."
"......I see."
"Chi? (Translation: Did that conversation actually make sense just now?)"
"......If that's the case, I'll leave it to you, Finger Man. I'll keep watch as well."
Jiu glared sharply at the silver follower.
The follower folded their arms arrogantly and returned a combative stare. Still naked, by the way.
"......Just staying in this thick mist causes mental damage to accumulate. We've secured an escape route, so please evacuate quickly."
"That's not possible."
"......Why not?"
"There's someone ahead we have to defeat."
"......Finger Man, this is likely the Archon Dungeon. The Dungeon Foundation has thrown its full might into conquering it, and whether that's even possible... it's a labyrinth beyond human understanding. As a Foundation staff member, I don't want explorers like you wasting your lives."
Jiu gazed straight at Finger Man.
Their eyes met through his sunglasses.
"Gii (Translation: The only way to break through this despair is to dive in.)"
(Wait, Gii-san just started saying something...)
The Calamity Mollusk wiggled its tentacles, trying to convey something to Finger Man.
Finger Man sensed it wanted him to repeat what it said.
"In this hopeless situation, there's no path but to dive in."
"("......Finger Man, even from the bottom of this darkness, you've already grasped the situation so accurately?")"
"Gii (Translation: The path to the surface is blocked. The only way forward is to dive deeper and conquer the dungeon.)"
"There is light in the Abyss."
"("......So he's saying the only way out is to go deeper. That makes sense—since the dungeon has collapsed, rescue is hopeless, and even if we escape the Archon Dungeon, we'll probably run out of food and water in a day or two and meet our end.")"
"Gii (Translation: That's why I—this Finger Man—will go.)"
"That's exactly why I have to go. Into the depths of the dungeon."
The translation was full of awkward lines, but Jiu got the general gist.
"......I can't approve of attempting the Archon Dungeon."
(Gii-san, your persuasion totally failed. What are you doing?)
"......However, with your abilities, you might be able to pull it off."
(Gii-san, that was amazing. As expected of Gii-san. Sasugii.)
Jiu decided to take a gamble.
Retreating would only lead to slow death.
Moving forward meant despair.
So instead, she bet on the unknown potential not listed in the database.
Normally, she'd never consider it, but the transcendent light Finger Man had shown earlier gave her hope and dreams.
If it's this explorer—Finger Man—maybe, just maybe, he could do it.
"......But in that case, we'll need to get more detailed information from that naked guide over there."
And so Jiu asked the silver follower why the dungeon had appeared.
The content was nearly identical to what had been told to Finger Man.
The difference was in comprehension.
"Mm, nn..."
"Ah. Good morning, Happy-san."
"Mn... Finger Man... morning."
Trigger Happy emerged from inside the fluffy Calamity Beast.
Apparently she'd gotten buried in the fur while being carried.
"......Oh my, 'Trigger Happy'-san. So you were here too."
Having finished questioning the silver follower, Jiu widened her eyes at the sudden appearance of an A-rank explorer.
"Why is a Foundation receptionist here?"
Happy was just as surprised.
Finger Man explained the situation to both of them.
"......It's good to have more firepower. If it's 'Trigger Happy'-san, she's quite reassuring."
"I'm glad you say that, but honestly, the monsters in this dungeon are abnormally dangerous. Even at the lowest estimate, there are monsters wandering around that are like something from the 40th floor. I couldn't even scratch them."
Trigger Happy glanced at Finger Man.
(Honestly, it feels like only Finger Man can handle those monsters... but I'm sure he's already factored that in. Normally, the first priority would be to regroup with the other explorers to ensure everyone's safety. But he's deliberately chosen another path.)
"I believe in Finger Man."
Trigger Happy declared firmly.
Jiu pondered.
("......Finger Man's abilities are extremely valuable in this dungeon where dangerous monsters roam. If asked whether I want him to use those abilities to search for an uncertain path forward or to rescue scattered explorers in the Archon Dungeon, I'd have to say the latter. But...")
Jiu looked directly at Finger Man.
("......Finger Man wants to go deeper. Even though the reason is uncertain, I sense a firm resolve. Maybe I should call it conviction. Knowing how kind he is... there's no way it's for selfish reasons. He sees diving deeper as the way to save everyone's lives. That's why he's prioritizing entering the tower over searching for explorers. If that's the case, then I...")
"......Let's go, Finger Man."
Jiu decided to trust in his kindness.
And so, Finger Man, the bird, the bug, Happy, the naked man, and Jiu stepped into the giant tower Central.
——Some time later
Jiu knelt in the thick black mist.
She was gathering scattered parts from the weathered ruins.
Finger Man was helping her.
So were Trigger Happy and Naked Man.
The Calamity Beast and Calamity Mollusk were also lending a hand.
It all started when they had eagerly entered Central and the Calamity Beast poked at the remains of an 'Ominous Automata' with its beak.
"Chi chi chi (Translation: Poor thing, chi. I'll help you now, chi.)"
"Gii (Translation: Senpai, you're a good bird.)"
"Chi, chi! (Translation: D-Don't get the wrong idea, chi! This is an intellectual strategy to get off probation faster, chi! It's not because I'm kind or anything, chi!)"
After gathering the parts, the Calamity Beast began the Revive process just outside the tower gate. The blasphemous black arms tried to bring the mechanical doll back to life.
But no matter how long they waited, the doll's body was never restored.
"Chi, chi (Translation: This isn't a living being, chi...)"
Finger Man folded his arms and made a troubled face.
"Sorry, Jiu-san. Our Shimaenaga-san just wasn't strong enough."
"Chi chi chi (Frustrated)"
The mechanical doll's core power source was an anomalous substance (Anomaly), not something powered by human energy. Its structure and systems were otherworldly. It was likely far beyond what modern human science could handle.
"......It's okay. She fulfilled her mission well enough. It's sad to say goodbye, though."
Jiu clutched the necklace of the 'Ominous Automata' and stored the wrecked mechanical doll.
The group moved onward into the giant tower.
Some believed in a path forward.
Others were drawn by the promise of experience.
Those who try to throw Apostles into the fray.
Though their intentions differed, they cooperated to descend the gentle slope in pursuit of the depths.
Inside the giant tower was a maze-like ruin, with artifacts scattered throughout. Though weathered, broken, and shattered stone monuments, their value was immeasurable.
"So these are what you call artifacts?"
Along the way, having been taught by Jiu, Finger Man spoke with apparent admiration.
"......Their value as research materials is beyond measure."
"But even looking at this, I doubt we'll figure out what's written on it."
"......Are you familiar with the Rosetta Stone? It was part of a monument inscribed with a decree from Ptolemy V. It played an important role in deciphering ancient scripts like hieroglyphs."
"Deciphering, huh?"
"It may be difficult with just this one stone monument, but by looking at multiple strings of text, you can begin to find patterns and grammar. That's why there can never be too many artifacts for research. The more artifacts we have, the more accurate the deciphering becomes."
"So, could this be worth money?"
"......Right. Even a palm-sized stone fragment like that could easily go for a million yen."
"Wow, a million yen, huh," said Finger Man as he captured an entire stone monument using 'Super Catcher Lv4'.
(Let's stash it away~ Anything that can be sold, let's keep stashing it away~)
"......Ah, but maybe you could actually read this script?"
Jiu posed the question to the silver follower.
"If I could read it, it wouldn't be a struggle."
"Huh? But didn't Naked Man just read aloud from a book filled with complicated characters earlier?"
Finger Man pointed it out, and he snorted.
"That was a different language. I wouldn't be so arrogant as to try to decipher a text imbued with Abnormality head-on. By relaying through several languages, sacrificing many lives, and taking sufficient countermeasures against madness, the content eventually reaches someone like me who can execute it. A single human cannot hope to expose the divine script's record."
Among the ancient scripts are gospels written by the rulers of the old world, or those closely related to them. These alone possess high Abnormality.
Deciphering them grants humans extraordinary wisdom, but that very wisdom drives them mad.
However, the translated words written during the deciphering process possess far less Abnormality than the original divine script. Thus, by relaying through different languages, the concentration of Abnormality can be adjusted, allowing one to access the mysterious abilities while maintaining sanity.
"Hmm, if we go down here, is it the bottom level...?"
The group finished their descent down the slope.
The silver follower proceeded through the thick mist, relying on intuition.
Suddenly, they began to hear something from afar.
Finger Man was the first to say "I hear something," and a few moments later, the other three began to hear it too.
The sound grew closer the further they walked.
The encounter came abruptly.
Suddenly, a silver brilliance cut through the darkness.
The group hurriedly leapt back in surprise.
A single beam of light pierced through the thick mist, opening a wind tunnel and illuminating the area with intense brightness.
Something was impaled on a silver-glowing spear.
It was that same black assassin.
Apparently, they had stumbled upon the scene of a battle between a machine soldier and the assassin.
Because of the thick mist muffling the sound, they couldn't grasp the distance, but the fight had been happening much closer than they had imagined.
"This is Finger Man from Finger Man Channel! Today, we'll be using Excalibur on these monsters! Yes, Excalibur!"
Finger Man smoothly descended into madness.
Snap— a crisp sound echoed.
Behind him, the machine soldier and assassin collided and were instantly reduced to charred remains.
Pillars of flame scorched the earth in every direction, blowing away the pitch-black mist in one blast.
As they watched the scene unfold, each had different thoughts.
(......Finger Man-san must be trying to lighten the mood. Everyone's probably anxious, so he's sacrificing himself to make things feel brighter.)
(He's seriously injured. His emotions are far from stable. I'm the only one who can truly understand him.)
(Finger Man, another outbreak of madness at this timing... Just what are you thinking? Think, think— I must get ahead of his thoughts!)
"Chi-chi-chi (Translation: Poor Hideo chi. Everyone probably thinks he's just a deranged pervert chi. But it's okay chi. Chi will stay by your side chi.)"
Finger Man's authority is amplified by the urban legend.
No one among the crowd surrounding him can accurately grasp the center of the vortex.
The eye of the storm can never be seen from the outside.
"Gii (Translation: A lifeform has been caught by the scouts sent to explore the nearby area.)"
When Finger Man turned his gaze, the Black Swamp monster was seen swiftly returning from the distance.
"Looks like someone's been found."
With the burning ruins at his back, Finger Man began walking, guided by the Calamity Mollusk resting on his shoulder. Of course, he didn't forget to collect it with 'Experience Writer Lv3'.
The group followed after Finger Man.
The Calamity Mollusk's guidance led them deeper into the complex structure of the ruins.
It was no longer a vast, warehouse-like loading path, but rather a narrow space, as if they had entered an air raid shelter.
Though dim, the corridor was somewhat lit by scattered light bulbs.
Cracks ran along the walls from the aftermath of Finger Man's attack, but the structure had narrowly avoided collapse.
They arrived in front of a room sealed by a metal door.
It was cracked and warped out of shape.
They could peek inside the room through a gap.
"Tch, you bastards came back! Bring it on!"
Inside the room was a foreign man with a worn-out face.
His face had a seasoned, rugged look.
He didn't seem dirty, and with a neatly trimmed beard, he gave off the impression of a clean and well-kept middle-aged man.
He was holding a chair in his hands, repeatedly shouting, "Bring it on! Come on!" as a threat.
Finger Man smoothly pulled his face back, shoved his hand into the gap, and ripped the metal door off with brute force.