NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 292.1
Chapter 292.1. The Naraka Challenge
The Tsukuba Line Fortress. Beneath it lies an underground city. It is also a research facility that was transferred from another world. The guardians had ventured into the shallow layers of this underground city, known as the Naraka, to activate the generators. Since Shizuku opposed going to the deepest layer, it was more of a brief adventure than a full exploration.
However, after receiving Tia’s warning about dungeons appearing across Japan, they returned to revive the fairy machine sleeping in the dome at the deepest layer, aiming to make it their ally.
“Will the guardians really be able to obtain the fairy machine sleeping in the deepest layer? Even if they do, I don’t think they’ll be adored by a harem of fairies like in an anime. Instead, a cute, smart, and considerate girl is planned to comfort them.”
“Don’t make it sound like a monologue from a narrator.”
“Well, it’s been two months since you said you’d head out, so I’m worried you might have forgotten your goal.”
As they descended the stairs leading to the Naraka, the guardian teased Shizuku walking beside him. She stuck out her tongue and grinned mischievously. This time, since it was a dangerous place, I had use [Summon All Units].
Lately, I’ve been use [Summon All Units] even in non-dangerous areas, but since money is involved, it’s somewhat dangerous, so it can’t be helped.
“It wasn’t supposed to take two months, but there were a lot of tasks deciding the future of the adventurer’s guild. It couldn’t be helped.”
“Exactly. The sales of the heat-retaining magical tool are booming. Rumors spread that after buying it, people were saved by a black cat, lost weight, struck it rich at the casino, or even got a girlfriend.”
Serika, clad in reinforced armor with only her helmet hanging at the back of her neck, chimed in sarcastically. The heavy metallic sounds echoed through the dark underground city, making them stand out for sure.
“It sounds scammy, but it’s not a lie. The dark cats can sense mana.”
It shouldn’t count as exaggerated advertising. The dark cats, set up to detect even subtle mana, have become mascot characters loved by people. Recently, they’ve even started rolling over and showing their bellies.
People feeding them are thrilled, thinking they’ve grown accustomed to humans. Since they instantly kill any occasional monsters, they’ve become incredibly popular. Some clever folks have even started making plushies to sell.
“Thanks to the manyheat-retaining magical, we’ve been able to test and adjust the settings to detect even the slightest mana. It’s been a good test, theheat-retaining magical are selling well, and people are enjoying them. Everyone’s happy, so no problem.”
“I have to admit, I’m no match for the guardian’s cunning.”
“Fufun. The guardian is great.”
They joked lightly as they moved through the dark underground city’s buildings. They were stronger than before and had companions, so they felt reassured.
The walls were still crumbling with holes, and desks and chairs were scattered, covered in dust. The slight fear they felt was probably due to the atmosphere.
“Leave trap detection to me. I brought my trusty clothes-drying pole.”
“Mufu~. Sachi is also good at finding traps.”
Fortune, now renamed Inochi and Sachi, walked ahead, tapping the floor with a long pole. Their diligent tapping made them stand out even more. By the way, Sachi had returned to her original girl form due to the danger.
I grabbed the collars of these noisy girls who were clanging their poles like percussion instruments. Are these two a bad combo when paired together?
“…Wait a moment, guardian-shan. There’s a reason for this.”
When I tried to stop them, Sachi replied with a serious expression, and Inochi nodded in agreement. It seemed there was a reason beyond just finding traps.
As I was about to ask what it was, I noticed a beast-like cry from afar. The cries echoed, and the sound of many footsteps rushing closer grew louder.
“This is a hall. We should fight in a wide area to avoid being caught off guard.”
“I’ve enchanted the flames to resonate throughout. The whole building should have heard it.”
Hearing Inochi’s words, I checked our surroundings and realized we had indeed arrived in a somewhat spacious hall. There were hardly any obstacles, just a few trash cans and large plant pots scattered by the walls.
“Hmph. As cautious as ever. You’re reliable as an ally.”
“Against any enemy, carelessness is the greatest foe. It’s better to defeat them while we can.”
Ares and Yukihana took positions near the hall exit, praising Sachi and the others. Ares was clad in futuristic reinforced armor, wielding a one-handed sword made of spirit stone and an orichalcum kite shield capable of deploying a plasma field. He also carried an automatic rifle loaded with combat reaction bullets on his back. Despite being the god of ancient warfare, his armaments were overwhelmingly futuristic.
Yukihana wore her usual modified kimono, but it was a new model. The design philosophy remained the same, but her stats had improved. We had also upgraded, but it was more of an overall enhancement.
“Mufu~. Sneak missions are impossible. I’m scared of being surrounded if we’re caught.”
“There’s always a chance of failure. Since only a critical failure counts, overthinking is unnecessary.”
“Here, the line of sight is clear, and healing magic is easy to use, so it should be fine.”
Sei, at the very back, held a beautiful platinum wand and tapped her chest. For healers, the hardest part of combat is keeping track of allies. This time, since the enemies were enemies, we wanted to be cautious. Fighting here felt safe.
Everyone prepared for battle. Yukihana and Ares took the front line. The middle line was me, Shizuku, and Serika. Sachi, Inochi, and Sei swapped with Yukihana and Ares to take the rear. We were now an eight-person party.
“Use the ultraviolet light to keep them at bay.”
“Leave it to Sachi! This is a piece of cake!”
[House Emperor Sunburn Lamp]
At Inochi’s request, Sachi raised her small hand and cast a spell. A warm light filled the room, turning the surroundings as bright as daytime. Not a piece of cake, but child’s play.
“Gyaaa~”
“Kiii~”
“Aaaa~”