CH 95

Now then, on to the next floor, but…

“Going into a haunted house with this lineup…?”

It’ll probably turn into a haunted house with zero scare. Though it’s a cave this time.

“Just gotta get quickly through this, right?”

“Right,” is what I thought, but…

＊

“Whoa! This has a pretty nifty design, doesn’t it?” I was startled when we entered the next floor.

It’s totally got the atmosphere of a cemetery! Although this place is inside a cave, it’s set up so that you have to enter the basement of a mansion to go down to the next floor!

“The Dungeon Core is really pullin’ all stops, isn’t it?” Sword commented indifferently.

“Hmm, it’s a rare chance, so let’s honor its efforts by playing around a bit. We’ll go with a game for you who’s so apathetic about it.”

I took something out of my magic bag. Immediately following, Sword’s eyes flew wide open, sparkling.

Good grief, he really loves this kind of stuff, doesn’t he?

“I’ve got several types, but each of them has its own quirks and limitations. Make sure to remember them, okay?”

＊

I created several types of guns powered by magic elements, using a famous shooting game as reference.

“The shotgun fires a single volley of six shots at a time with a cooldown of two seconds. Once you shoot it, you must reload…well, act as if you’re reloading it. The submachine gun can consecutively shoot ten bullets, but you need to wait for five seconds once those ten shots finish. This also requires you to reload after the ten shots. The laser gun perforates, but it has a time limit on its usage. Once it exceeds one minute, it needs to cool down for one minute. If you let it rest for ten seconds after using it for ten seconds, you can use it again for its longest period of one minute. The Gatling gun can shoot forever on end, but it requires low-quality magic stones to run, so it’ll stop working once it runs out. And lastly, the grenades,” I pass him five, “If you throw them, everything within a range of a hundred…err, a fairly huge circle around their center is going to definitely die. Throw one at the enemies from a good distance to not get hit yourself.”

“Your a fanatic, do you know that!? I mean your really poolin’ all your efforts into havin’ fun!”

“Obviously. I laboriously prepared everything for the sake of this day!”

I don’t want to do something as boring as dispassionately proceeding through a haunted house. But, if you have these, it’s going to be fun! Definitely! I totally dig shooting games!

Moreover, preparing a set of rules guarantees that you’ll have fun!

“Ah, by the way, be careful where you use these since everything is going to die, be it monsters or people. It’s a sorcery ball that emits the harmful light waves I mentioned a while ago.”

“Wow!”

I thought he’d bicker about it, but it looks like I was wrong. Far from it. He gleefully checked out each of the guns.

＊

“I’m happy to see that you’re keen to go along with it.”

“Mmh?”

“What follows next is the way of usage in the other world. We…of course including the Ryokus as well…are going to compete for points until the boss room while freely using these guns. Since I don’t know what’s going to appear, the points will be added depending on the number of kills and the gun’s efficiency. Killing with a shotgun gives you the most points, but then again, its power is the weakest, too. We’re both able to use magic, but kills with magic don’t count at all. You can check your rank and the total number of points on your wristwatch. You just need to order the wristband to show them, okay? Since you might be getting more handicapped the less enemies that can be seen with the naked eyes are around, I’ve set the program to use a factor of 1.5 on your points.”

“No need. I’m cool with playin’ under the same conditions as you,” he refused bluntly.

Oh, Sword is quite eager about this, isn’t he?

“Alright. I’ll readjust the program to count the points normally then,” I smiled at Sword as I fixed the code. “Have I made a mistake in how I’m enjoying my life? Do you think it’s weird for me to turn this life-threatening situation into a game where you vie for points?”

After blinking in surprise for a moment, Sword laughed, “Yeah, your totally nuts. Your a mad girly for sure! But, if we’re doin’ it ‘nyway, we might as well enjoy it for at least this much! We’re goin’ to have some fun with a life-threatenin’ gamble! The chip will be our lives! But that’s just fine with me!” Sword yelled and then laughed madly, “Haha! For there to be someone who’s more broken than I am; life has finally become fun! I never even considered the meaning of dungeons! I see! So they exist for the sake of enjoyin’ ’em like this, huh!? In that case, I’ll have a blast with ’em!”

“No, if cute, frightened girls were with us right now, that in itself would be fun, you know?”

When I retorted like that, he faced me with a cold look, “That only applies to an extreme sadist like you, no?”

…

＊

“Check the map. Though it’d also be bad if you got tripped up while looking on the map all the time.”

“I know, I know. I ain’t no S-Rank just for show, ‘kay?”

Rather, I’m a gamer, you know? For him to aim at higher rankings in a game he’s never played before without any handicap…

“Well, the upper ranks will probably be taken by the Ryokus anyway. They have no rules tying them down. In short, they can use superior guns without reserve.”

“Uff, you could have told me earlier.”

I met Sword’s eyes and we both smiled.

“Let’s go then!”

――We scattered in all directions.

“Yahooo! I’m goin’ for it!”

That was Sword’s personal Ryoku. And at once, he unleashed his rocket launcher, becoming first at once.

My Ryoku jumped undauntedly and fired bursts of its Gatling gun.

Damn it!!

I used my frustration to throw a grenade into a pack of zombies in the distance. Sword is…ah, he’s shooting his shotgun.

＊

Three hours later. At last, everyone had arrived in front of the boss room.

“Did you set it to stop showin’ the rankings in the middle o’ the game”?”

“Yep. When I arrived by myself on the floor of the boss room, I made sure that the rankings wouldn’t be shown any longer. It’s no fun otherwise, is it?”

Going ahead without considering the respawn or arriving after annihilating all of the respawn would be both fine. Just in case I had also included the speed of arrival at the destination into the total ranking. It can be checked within the ranking information.

“Now then! Ryoku, please tell us the ranks!”

After voicing out something similar to a drum roll, Ryoku projected a hologram on the boss room’s door.

“Yay, I did it!”

“Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”

Sword was first. And I…

…was last.

“Why!? Why, why, why!!!”

I’m the person who built those guns, am I not!? I’m the one who set up the rules, am I not!? So why am I in last place!?

As I was mortified, hitting my fists on the ground, the other three consoled me.

By the way, the Ryokus had the same points.

＊

“Why has a complete and utter beginner at this secured the first raaaaaannk! Even though I’ve been doing it over and over again in the other world!!”

“That’s obviously because of the difference in experience between us. You might have done it in that other world of yours, but it’s your first time in here, right? I’ve cleared this area by myself in the past. The information from back then has imprinted itself in my head.”

What was thaaaat!?

＊

After feeling bitter about my loss while sobbing profusely, the boss room was next up on the agenda. It was a lot less exciting than the game of clearing up to here.

“The first rank is to clear the room as a reward.”

“Stop bein’ so sulky.”

Given that king skeletons were unable of normal conversation, it dampened my motivation even further, and thus I had Sword defeat it.

When my cheeks puffed up, Sword caressed me in consolation.

“Don’t pout. It was fun, you know? I could fully enjoy myself as well. So, thanks for that, ‘kay?”

…As he got me with a surprise attack, my peevish mood was blown away in one go.

“……I guess it’s okay then…”

“I had a blast as well. We competed. I could laugh loudly after winnin’ ‘gainst you while you were mortified over losin’ ‘gainst me. All while we enjoyed it together.”

“……Mmh.”

………If he had so much fun, I suppose it had merit that I made the guns and played together with him.

……But.

“Either way, it still sucks that I lost!!”

Sword guffawed in response to my yelling.