[I've dealt with him.]
[I am exhausted.]
" We didn't expect a large pack of One-horned Wolves. The situation is so critical…"
It seemed like a huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders. In the past few months, our guild level has risen to green. From low to high, the guild levels are black, purple, green, blue, red, silver, and gold, so we are now the third level from the bottom. At this level, the world has already recognized us as independent adventurers. We wanted to accept the green mission immediately, but Elsa suggested that we should occasionally take on missions in other towns. Thus, we came to the Adventurers Guild in the capital. Among the many green letters of commission, we chose to come to this ruin to crusade against the monsters that used this place as their nest. It was said that a thousand years ago, this was once the capital. At that time, the king decided to abandon this land and rebuild the capital city, which was also known as moving the capital. I didn't understand the situation at that time. Now, all that was left was the city wall covered in vines and holes, the stone roads and buildings that could barely see the scenery of the town, and the completely collapsed castle…or rather, the rubble that looked like a castle. Now, this place was completely in ruins. Unknowingly, monsters and monsters began to reside here. After the adventurers who accepted the mission like us came to attack, new monsters would live here after a while, and then people would come to attack. This seemed to have developed into a cycle. After the demons moved in one after another, they might start to gather. As expected, he had to send people over regularly to carry out a punitive expedition.
[But, although this is the ancient capital, there is nothing here…]
Even if he looked around, the only thing that came into his eyes was the collapsed wall. We were on a small hill with a good view. The king's city seemed to have been built here in the past. The Duke and Su's ancestors should have lived here. But the capital had actually turned into such ruins. Could it be that someone was like Dong Zhuo of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, who set fire to the castle and the houses and forced everyone to move the capital?
"It would be fun if there were royal treasures here.」
[I don't think so. It would be fine if the country was destroyed, but at that time, it was just moving the capital. The royal family had moved all the treasures away.」
I know, I was just saying.」
Hearing Musashi's retort, Elsa pouted. Treasures…In my world, there are legends of Tokugawa and Takeda burying gold. There are indeed such things in this world. I don't reject such folk legends. After all, treasure hunting is a man's romance. I suddenly had an idea. Maybe I could use that spell.
[Search: Treasure.]
I tried to use a search spell. If there's something nearby that matches the treasure I've identified, this spell will help me find it…Well, there isn't. Of course.
[Did you use search?] What, what was the result?"
[At least there are no treasures nearby.]
[I see... what a pity.]
Aiya, it seemed that her sister was also full of longing for treasure hunting. As expected of twins. If we find a valuable painting here, but if I think 'it looks like an ugly scribble', I won't find it even if I search for' valuable items.' Since this spell was mainly based on the caster's senses, the results of the search were rather rough. This could be said to be its advantage, but also its disadvantage. I have to know the value of the painting in advance to be able to find it. This explanation did make sense. The 'treasures' in my mind are mainly gems, crowns made of gold, swords, and countless gold and silver coins. Hmm, in that case…
[Search: Historical relic.]
If I were to search for " items of historical value," I might be able to find something. Ah, if I didn't have this knowledge, it would be useless…Eh?
[…Found it.]
"" Eh!?"?
There was something of historical value hidden here. The search had a reaction to the entire ruins, but there was something more obvious nearby. I focused on feeling it. Yes, he did feel it.
[Where, where is it!?]
[... Here.] I can feel that it's coming from here, and it's a very huge thing. What is this?"
[[[Huge!?]]
I followed my instincts and advanced through the ruins. Everyone followed behind me. We walked to a ruin filled with rubble. Aiya? "From below? Under the rubble?"
The rubble of these buildings is probably several tons. What should I do with them? When I was at my wit's end, Lyndsey walked forward.
"Fire Explosion, Detonation of Flames, Fire Explosion.」
Ignoring me, who was standing there in a daze, Lyndsay quickly began to investigate the place where the rubble had just piled up. She was too enthusiastic. After I stood on the empty spot, the feeling I felt was even stronger. Is it…below here? Looking closely, I found something buried under the mound. I called everyone over. After we moved the soil away in order, a double-opened iron door about the size of two tatami mats appeared. We opened the door together. For some reason, the door did not rust and was easily opened. Wasn't this door made of iron? A stone staircase leading underground appeared below us, welcoming us sinisterly…
"Light is coming, small lighting, bright lights.」
We relied on the light that Lyndsey conjured. The light floated in the air as we stepped on the stone steps and went underground. The staircase was spiral in shape and had a gentle angle. It seemed to lead to the depths of the ground without end. It felt like the stairs led to hell. As I advanced, such foolish worries welled up in my heart. After the long staircase reached the end, a spacious stone passage appeared. The stone passage extended straight ahead, and the end was shrouded in darkness, making it impossible to see the situation on the other side. The air was filled with a damp atmosphere, which inexplicably created a gloomy atmosphere.
" I, I feel... it's very strange... I feel like a ghost will run out..."
[Miss…Miss Elsa, what are you talking about?! How, how could there be a ghost!……Right?"
The front wall of the room was filled with some kind of words. It was about four meters high and ten meters long. The text was divided into several sections, filling the wall. However, the size of a word was about 30 centimeters on each side, and the entire article was not long. Upon closer inspection, the words looked more like emojis. It felt like ancient words left behind by the Mayan civilization or the Aztec civilization.
"Lyndsey…Can you understand what's written on it?」
[No…I don't understand it at all. " It doesn't look like an ancient magic language…" Hearing my question, Lyndsey didn't turn to look at me. She just stared blankly at the wall in front of her. This was indeed a historical relic. Even I, who knew nothing about it, knew about it. However, to be honest, I don't think this is a treasure. I think I can understand the search's reaction. Ah, right, let's take a picture. I picked up the smart PIDIA and pressed the button of the camera application. A dazzling flash came on.
Musashi and the others were shocked when they saw the sudden flash of light. I used my actions to tell them that I was fine. After I showed them the intelligent PIDIDI in my hand, they heaved a sigh of relief. The three girls seemed to be getting used to my strange behavior. No, how can I describe myself as acting weird? I took several pictures of the mural. Speaking of which, why would such a thing exist in this place…
"Hey, come here for a moment! Everyone, come over here!"
Else, who was exploring the room, suddenly shouted loudly. She stood by the right wall of the room and pointed at a part of the wall.
[Something is buried here.]
On the wall at the same height as our line of sight, there was a slightly brown transparent diamond-shaped stone buried. It was about two centimeters in size. Gemstone…that wasn't quite right to call it that. It was full of dirt and looked very poor quality.
[This is…a magic stone.] It was an earth element magic stone. As long as he injected magic power, it would activate some kind of mechanism.」
"Some kind of mechanism... is it a trap?」
"I can't deny this possibility…Generally speaking, it's impossible for a trap to be so easily seen through.」
I could understand what Lyndsey was trying to say…but my heart was inexplicably filled with unease. Once a person saw a button, they would want to press it. Could this trap be using this mentality…Am I thinking too much?
"Hikoichi, try injecting your magic power.」
[Me?!]
When I heard Else say that, I couldn't help but turn my head to her. Could this be a trap?
Yes, she was right. Lyndsay had the adaptability to fire, water, and light, Else had the adaptability to no attributes, Musashi had no adaptability to any magic, and I had all attributes. There was no other way…but…
[Why is everyone so far away from me?」
" Well, just in case..."?
Everyone kept their distance from me, wanting to smile and let this matter pass. I glared at them fiercely, sighed, and injected my magic power into the magic stone. Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz…When I heard the ground hum, the wall in front of me turned into dust and flowed down. A hole appeared before our eyes. What a gorgeous way to open the door.
" What…is this!?"
After the wall collapsed and disappeared, I looked behind the wall. An object covered in sand and dust was placed in the middle of the room. How should I describe this object…The first thing that came to my mind was a bug. It looked very similar to a cricket, and six slender legs extended from an almond-shaped object that looked like a football. Even though a few of his legs were broken. The object was about the size of a small car, reminiscent of a cricket corpse with its hands and feet removed. Because of its simple and sharp streamlined appearance, it was more like a machine or even an avant-garde sculpture than a living creature.
[What is this? Some kind of statue?"
Else kept looking at the creature from all angles. When he focused his eyes, he could vaguely see a red ball the size of a baseball inside. He didn't know if it was the body or the head. After patting off the dust on the surface, I realized that this mysterious object was made of a translucent material…Is it glass? The light is too dim, I can't see clearly…Hmm?
"Lyndsey…Is the duration of the magic light that short?」
[Eh? I'm indeed not good at using light magic…but even so, the magic lamp I conjured can still last for two hours.」
It seemed that Lyndsey didn't expect me to ask this question. She puffed up her cheeks angrily, but when she looked up at the ball of light floating in the air, she tilted her head in confusion.
[Eh? Is it my imagination? The lights seem to have dimmed…"
[It's not an illusion. It has indeed become weaker…]
[Mr. Yan Yi!]
When I heard Musashi's shout, I looked back and saw that the red ball deep inside the cricket's head had begun to glow. Its body was also trembling slightly.
That was why the lights were so dim! The light of the ball continued to increase, and the cricket began to move slowly. How could it be…It couldn't be alive, right?？Unknowingly, its broken leg grew back. Did it absorb magic power to start moving again?？Chirp, chirp, chirp! Chirp, chirp, chirp! Chirp, chirp, chirp! " Uhh…This is…" A sharp noise that sounded like ringing in the ears echoed in the surroundings. This sound was extremely impactful. The sound was reflected in the room and even made our bodies tremble. Cracks instantly appeared on the wall. If this continues, we will all be buried alive! [Teleportation Gate!]
I let the door of light appear in front of us and sent everyone to the ground in order. Just as I was about to pass through the door, the cricket stood up and one of its feet quickly reached out to me. Even though there was a distance of five meters between us, its legs were like long spears, extending in front of me. I crawled through the portal and closed the door after I returned to the surface. What appeared in front of me was the vast ruins on the ground. It seemed that we had escaped death and weren't buried alive.
[What is that?]
[I've never seen such a monster before...]
Else and Musashi looked at the entrance to the underground and talked nervously. The sound of the earth's hum rang out again. With a loud bang, dust rose from the depths of the ruins. The large underground room had probably collapsed. The cricket monster probably couldn't escape this calamity either. It was involved in the collapse and its entire body was flattened. It should…be like this. Everyone held their breath, and silence dominated our surroundings.……Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp…This sound…Could it be…Chirp, chirp, chirp…It's coming…! Chirp, chirp, chirp! Boom! That fellow drilled out of the ground and appeared on the surface. Its body was shaped like an almond, and six slender legs extended from its body. Under the sunlight, its body shone like a crystal. Was this translucent creature a crystallized lifeform? The cricket extended its leg again and swept horizontally. When I crouched down to dodge, the ruined wall behind me was cut off like tofu. It was too sharp!
[Flame Comes, Red Fire Combo, Bathing Fire Arrow!]」
Lyndsay fired arrows of fire at the cricket. However, it did not dodge at all and used its body to withstand the attack easily. In the next moment, the flame arrows disappeared one by one, as if they were sucked into the cricket's body.
[It absorbed my magic!?]
[Hmm…In that case, I have no choice but to do this!」
Musashi drew his sword and slashed at the cricket's body. However, such an attack only caused the other party to suffer a slight scratch.
[How can it be so hard!」
Next, it was Else's turn to punch Cricket's side. Although the cricket's body swayed, it did not suffer any serious injuries. Cricket's foot reached out to Else. Elsa dodged the attack before the other party could pierce through him.
The magic would be absorbed, and the blade would be useless. What should he do…?……'Wait a minute, since offensive magic is useless, then I'll use an indirect method…I'll give it a try.
[Swipe!]
The moment I activated the Slip Magic on the ground under the cricket's feet, the cricket fell flat on its face. Very good!
[I see…I know!] Ice is coming, a huge ice block, a rock of ice!」
Lin Sai chanted ice magic. A huge ice block appeared on the cricket's head and fell down, hitting the cricket. That was awesome! If you cast magic on it directly, it would absorb magic power, but it seemed that it could not absorb objects formed by magic power. [Chirp!] The cricket made a timid sound, like a rusty iron door opening. However, because its body was quite hard, even if it was attacked by an object created by magic power, it would only cause slight damage. Seeing that the other party had stopped moving, Elsa rushed out at the speed of a bullet.
[Strengthened physical strength!...] Full strength!"
Else used an attribute-less spell that could increase physical abilities to increase his stamina and kicked hard at the cricket's slender leg. In the next moment, one of its legs shattered with a sound like glass shattering.
[That's great!]
[Chirp…Chirp, chirp, chirp!]」
The cricket suddenly let out a loud cry, and the red ball inside its body emitted light. As if in response to this light, the broken foot grew back in the blink of an eye. Hey, this must be a joke…
[It's growing again...]
The regrown leg attacked Elsa, who was standing there blankly. In an instant, she miscalculated the timing of her dodge and the cricket's foot stabbed deeply into her right shoulder.
[Oh…!]
[Sister!]
Elsa immediately jumped backward to avoid the other party's urgent and reluctant attack. Blood gushed out of her shoulder and stained her clothes. She broke out in a cold sweat and could not help but kneel on the ground.
The two of them nodded. Musashi quickly went to harass the enemy, and Lyndsay smashed the ice again. I took advantage of the moment when the cricket turned its attention to the two of them to rush towards Else and cast a recovery spell on her. Surrounded by the gentle light, the wound slowly healed and finally stopped bleeding.
[Thank you... I'm... I'm fine...]
How could he be fine? Even if the wound healed, the injuries she suffered would not disappear. The cricket monster has regenerative abilities, can absorb magic, and has an extremely tough body…How do we defeat it…Doesn't it have a weakness?
" If its body can regenerate after being damaged, then there's nothing we can do..."
"... Speaking of which... when we found that guy, its body was in a terrible state... why is it like this...?」
" I remember…it absorbed Lyndsay's magic before its body started to regenerate…Does it need magic to regenerate? Speaking of which, the ball inside it had once emitted light. Could the red sphere in its body be its " core "…
[Elsa, let me tell you...]
I told her about my sudden inspiration.
[Eh? Is there a way to do that?"
[... Got it.]
I exhaled and adjusted my breathing. I focused my magic power on the cricket and drew the object in my mind. Since the cricket's body is transparent, I can see it clearly!
A red crystal ball the size of a softball, emitting a faint glow, appeared in my hand. Very good, he succeeded! [Elsa!]
[Strengthened Stamina!]
After I threw the ball, Else's strengthened fist swung down at it. The ball was sandwiched between the ground and the fist. After being hit, it shattered with a crisp sound.
[How about this…?」
The cricket stopped moving after its core was removed. After its body cracked, it shattered into pieces. Under the reflection of the bright sunlight, we finally defeated the crystal monster. For a long time, we were all paying attention to whether it showed any signs of resurrection. However, no matter how long they waited, the crystal monster did not come back to life.
[Phew...]
My nervousness was instantly released and I sat down on the ground. It was just an idea, and thankfully, the whole thing came to a successful conclusion. I was still worried about what I should do if Teleportation didn't work on it…Perhaps it was because the magic was activated and the core was removed before it could absorb the magic. I turned to the side and saw Else and Musashi sitting on the ground as well. She picked up the pieces of the monster on the ground and was doing some kind of investigation.
[This might be a substance very similar to Magic Stones…]
[Similar to Magic Stones?]
"The characteristics of Magic Stones are amplification, accumulation, and release of magic power. This monster could absorb the magic power of others and transform it into the power to regenerate its own body…No, perhaps even its defensive ability…was also dependent on the magic power it absorbed. Absorbing, storing, releasing…it was exactly the same as the characteristics of a magic stone.」
Could it be that that guy couldn't create his own magic power? Was that why it stopped moving in the ruins? However, the air was filled with magic at that time. Could it be that the sealed room in the ruins had some kind of magic blocking effect? There were too many mysteries to count.
[I think we should report this to the guild…]
"No... Considering that this underground ruin used to be the capital, we should inform the national government. Let us inform His Excellency the Duke.」
So that was the case. It was better to do this. Let's go to the Duke's house immediately.
[Teleportation Gate.]
The duke crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. Unfortunately, Sue and Lady Irene were out and not in the mansion. After he brought us into the reception room, we roughly told the duke what had happened.
[I know. This matter may be related to the royal family. I will ask the country to organize an investigation team to go to that place to investigate. Of course, we will also carefully investigate that monster.」
" Ah... Since the underground remains have collapsed, it may be difficult to investigate now..."
[What? So it was like this. I'm very curious about the contents of that mural…"
The duke looked dejected and regretful. It's all our fault…No, we didn't destroy the ruins.
[A photo?]
[What, what is this thing!?]」
"This is my non-elemental spell that can record images.」
" So, so it's like this... You're still so powerful..."
I told the lie calmly and easily fooled the duke. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. If I were to tell you the truth, it would be too complicated to explain.
"As long as you give me some time, I can copy the image and hand it to you.」
[Please.] It might have recorded the mystery of moving the capital a thousand years ago.」
Ah, even the people in charge of the country didn't know the reason for moving the capital. Normally, wouldn't the country leave behind records? No, perhaps it was just as the duke had said. The mural recorded the reason for the capital's relocation, and perhaps it also recorded information about the crystal monsters. I already know the weakness of that monster. If I have the chance to fight it in the future, I feel that I will definitely win. However, I still feel a little uneasy. I deeply believe that the monster is related to the old king's city becoming a ruined ruin. With a knot in our hearts, we left the mansion after asking the duke to handle the follow-up matters.
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