Episode 53.5

"I've got lots to ask you. So many, I'm not sure where to begin."

"Then how about asking the most recent thing that bothered you?"

"That's it. Finkel."

"Hee?"

"I went to Finkel's last floor."

"You finally went there huh."

"About Jericho."

Shira sent a glance, 'what about him', before sipping her wine goblet.

"There's something inscribed on the wall pedestal where the chain extended out. <Name Jericho>. That must be the same Jericho as your pet ape, the Longarm Ape, no, a magic beast made to look like a Longarm Ape, that's currently staying in Vouka's Goncourt Mansion."

Shira sipped her wine once again and only spoke after enjoying the mouthful. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

"What makes you think that?"

"Instinct."

"Fufu. Instinct is it. Well I'll be. Those familiar with dungeons would usually never reach that conclusion. You know how dungeon magic beasts can't be taken out, don't you?"

"Of course. You fought the boss of Dungeon Finkel, a giant Greatarm Ogre, and severed its anchor to the dungeon by naming it Jericho. That action has made Dungeon Finkel remain in an unusual state where its boss is alive yet missing. That's probably also the reason why you can freely warp to any floor there."

"Now this is a shock. Is that your instinct at work also?"

"It is."

"Amazing really. As expected. Though that's no mere instinct. You've been observing my ways of doings things all this time, then paired with your own knowledge, experience and <Name Jericho>, all that combined must have brought you to that conclusion. Without being misled by common sense and surface level knowledge. You're really fit to be a researcher, you know."

"Why'd you do that."

Shira stared at her wine goblet and only spoke after a long silence.

"I delved in Finkel, conquered every floor there before finally arriving at the last one. There I fought the dungeon boss, a Greatarm Ogre. It was simply monstrous. It had <Magic Void>, <Hardening>, <Strength Double>, <Strength Fivefold>, <Strength Tenfold>, <Self Healing> abilities, none of my attacks would work, and those that did got healed up right away. I finally beat it after a long struggle that lasted 3 days and 3 nights, mind you, I was completely worn out by then."

"You, beat it huh."

"I did. But just as it was on the verge of disappearing, truly in the very last moment, I used an artifact my master passed to me to breathe a new life into being, carried out the Naming Ritual to rewrite its existence and took it out of the dungeon. I cast magic to make it look like an ordinary Longarm Ape in daily life. It can turn back into its original form anytime it wants though."

"What's up with those chains?"

"Those were there from the beginning. At first the Ogre was chained down, but once it took a certain amount of damage, it would be let loose and free to move around. That was when the fight began for real. And as for your question, why I did that. I don't know."

"What?"

"I don't understand why I did all that myself. But I thought to myself at the terminus of that long struggle to death. I'm done with fighting, I don't wish for any more battle after this. That's probably why I made a vow to God Elex. 'I'm abstaining from fighting inside dungeon forever, so give this creature to me'."

This was Lecan's turn to fall into silence.

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Lecan drank down his wine twice, and asked for seconds before speaking thus.

"I see. So far so good. But what is Yurika then. That and Jericho, I'm not sure how to properly express it, but they're very similar beings. Like on the same rank, same nature. Is that thing a dungeon boss too?"

"Nope. That's a Longarm Ape that was born directly from a magic stone."

"Yeah, that's no Longarm Ape. Wait, directly from a magic stone?"

"Don't you remember? That thing you gave me. Earth Dragon Toron's magic stone."

"Wha? What are you going on about now?"

"Huh? Didn't I give you an explanation already. About how Grand Dungeons were created by great mages in an age long gone."

"You did."

"Have I told you how the cores used in the creations of Grand Dungeons must be magic stones from either Unique Dragons or Divine Beings?"

"You didn't. News to me. Divine Beasts' magic stones, did I hear that right."

"You sure did. That's the reason Grand Dungeons have their own quirks and peculiarities. Since Dungeon Finkel was created with Earth Dragon Toron's as its core, you can create a being with the same trait as Dungeon Finkel's boss from its magic stone."

"Wait, isn't Toron supposed to be born from Toron's magic stone." (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

"Well now. How should I go about explaining this I wonder. Right right. A grape seed sown and given a proper care will grow into a grape tree complete with leaves and trunks, right. Taking seeds from that tree and sowing them will bring forth more grape trees. This is similar with how Earth Dragon Toron coming to live from Earth Dragon Toron's magic stone. The circle of life. However, there can only be one Toron existing in the same period of time. This goes for other plants, you can make more grapes from grapes, potatoes from potatoes."

"I don't get it but let's say I do. So how'd you make Grand Dungeons then."

"Processing grapes with specific steps produces wine. Yet sprinkling wine on the ground won't make a grape tree grow. Say you get your hands on a Dungeon Finkel boss's magic stone, you can't recreate Toron nor can you make Dungeon Finkel with it."

"I don't get it, but I get it. But then, if Toron comes back to life through its magic stone, and you've created Yurika from Toron's magic stone, does that mean there's no more new Toron now?"

"Nope. Divine Beasts will always come back to existence even without their magic stones. Gonna take quite a bit longer though."