CH 62

Pick up a pebble and threw it.

A crisp, dry sound echoes as it rolls away. For the moment, the possibility of a “Fake” or a “Mirage” disappears.

It is unmistakably a staircase. An undiscovered staircase that is not even listed in the official Ouji Metro guidebook.

“A staircase! A hidden staircase, squeak! Pigya!” (Tamiko)

Tamiko excitedly begins to do hop back and forth. I understand what is on your mind, even I also want to shuffle sideways with excitement and confusion.

“Wait a minute, hmm…” (Noa)

Noa takes out some [Lightball] and sets them up in the small room. A space of about six tatami mats is finally filled with brightness. The darkness that continues downstairs becomes even more apparent. Tamiko peeked into the room and shivered.

“There is no mention of it in the guidebook or in my grandfather’s notebook. As I told you before, ‘We’ve arrived at the 30th floor, the final floor. We obtained gold nuggets and diamonds from the golems. Shall we make it into a ring and pay a tribute to Akemi-chan? What shall she do for me in return?’ that’s it. That damn f*cking old man…” (Noa)

“I wonder what she did for him.” (Shuu)

He didn’t write it down.

“When Shishikaba-san and the others talked about Mithril, they also said, ‘The deepest 30 floors.’ That means… it’s most likely an unexplored area.” (Noa)

“Wow… Seriously…” (Shuu)

Once again, my back tingled.

“No one can find it unless they are Shuu-san, who has the ability to perceive such things. I don’t know how it used to be, but there’s only a small crack like that to serve as a clue.” (Noa)

No, no, no, I shook my head.

I then take a deep breath to calm myself.

“I’m sure the stairs are real, but whether or not there really is a thirty-first floor is another matter. It could be that the staircase is real, but it doesn’t mean that the 31st floor is really there. Or maybe someone already found it, but buried it and hid it, and I don’t know why…” (Shuu)

“You’re very skeptical.” (Noa)

“Because, you know, I don’t expect something like this to happen to me, you know, something unprecedented. It’s like winning a hundred million yen on the last ticket in a lottery, you know? I’ve never won anything like that in my life, and even the bingo at the company’s year-end party was just a cherry to end the year-end gifts. I’m starting to think that there must be some kind of trap when people become happy. It’s so expensive, so unbelievably expensive, you might die! It’s like that.” (Shuu)

I think the two girls gave me a “what a pain in the *ss” look for a moment.

“I don’t dislike your modesty, but to tell the truth, it’s not very convincing. To begin with, the number of [Itokuri-shi] was only 13 out of a million. No, it’s 13 out of 15 million.” (Noa)

“Ah, my bad…” (Shuu)

“In the Metro, stairs are a rather reliable place to go.  I don’t know why this is so, but it’s the common sense or based on experience for hunters or it is just the fundamental fact.” (Noa)

“Hmm… but it’s just empirical data used in the common sense of hunters, well, at least it has a good basis for it…” (Shuu)

The range that can be searched by [Sensory Spores] can be used to perceive the series of stairs. It’s a straight descending staircase with no turns or landings.

After giving a signal to me and Tamiko with her eyes, Noa threw one [Lightball] towards the back. Puff! A dazzling flash of light, then a brief moment as it fades into a reverberation, and we catch a glimpse of what lies ahead as the darkness clears.

“……did you see?” (Noa)

“…Yeah, I saw it.” (Shuu)

“It’s a long one, squeak… it goes on forever, squeak…” (Tamiko)

Tamiko was right. As far as I could see, the stairway went deeper and deeper.

“At least it appears to be an underground passageway. We’ll have to go down to see how far it goes.” (Noa)

“Right, well, that’s the way it is, isn’t it?” (Shuu)

I’d better admit it, in order to think about what to do next.

“I see. You did find it, right?” (Noa)

An unrecorded entrance to the 31st floor and the right to challenge it for the first time.

“So, what should we do?” (Shuu)

“What are we going to do, squeak?” (Tamiko)

“What should I do?” (Noa)

There are no maps or information from this point forward. It is completely an uncharted territory.

What we can expect in return are untapped treasures and resources. The first information and the added value they bring. Mithril may also be among them.

On the other hand, we should be wary of risks such as traps we have never seen before, changes in the environment, and threats such as Metro Beasts that are more powerful than ever before. Or there may even be a boss-like presence waiting in the shadows.

“—that’s expected, right?” (Shuu)

“Yes, I think that perception is correct. We have to be prepared for the high risk, not just the return.” (Noa)

So, the three of us discussed the matter.

Do we go forward, or do we go back and make preparations again? Or give up and hand the chance over to someone else?

“But first of all, this place is under the direct control of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, right? Do we have to report to them? Would they be offended if I entered without permission before reporting it?” (Shuu)

“I think it’s all right. I think there we an obligation to report it, but usually, the discoverer is the first one to enter in such cases. If you report it, you will probably get a promotion or a reward, maybe.” (Noa)

“So, there is no problem if we go in first?” (Shuu)

We first check our own condition first.

All three of us are somewhat tired, but we’ve made it this far, and we have plenty of energy left.

We have water and enough food to last us for a while. “Water is relatively easy to get, and if we can hunt metro beasts, I can take care of the meals,” said Chef Highschool Girl reassuringly.

We are a little short on consumables such as rice, soap, and seasonings, but we will make do with what we can get. In such a situation, a hypha weapon that doesn’t suffer from wear and tear is very useful (although it is a bit of a downside, as it diminishes the purpose of seeking a real weapon).

“I’m not one hundred percent sure, but it’s not so bad that we have to turn around and prepare.” (Noa)

“I know, right? I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to go back and prepare. Do you want to go?” (Shuu)

“Treasure, squeak! Acorn millionaire, squeak!” (Tamiko)

“Of course, it’s scary, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity… and safety is of course paramount, so I guess we’ll just dive carefully and cautiously.” (Noa)

“That’s right.” (Shuu)

Both Tamiko and Noa have eyes glittering in excitement. And, undeniably, it was the same with me.

It’s a just matter of finding treasure. However, I admit it once I accepted the reality, I’m now itching to go there.

There is fear and anxiety, of course. But more than that, there is anticipation and curiosity. I have to consciously suppress my excitement.

“… but…” (Shuu)

It is also true that I can’t just go and say, “Let’s go now!”

Up to this point, in a sense, we had been on the same path. Step by step, we have been steadily advancing. There were times when the difficulty level jumped up to the 21st and 30th floors, but it was within the scope of what we could handle on our own.

However, from this point forward–and this is only a hunch, but I have a feeling of certainty–there is a possibility of a world that is separate from the floors up to this point. It would not be surprising that a different kind of danger awaits us.

(If I were alone, or rather, if I were in Outsuka, it was something else…) (Shuu)

(I can’t be the same reckless person now.) (Shuu)

It is different from those days when I kept betting whether I would live or die. We can selectively avoid possible risks. Above all—there are more reasons to want to live. There are more things I am afraid of losing.

“Sorry, Shuu-san.” (Noa)

“Huh?” (Shuu)

“It’s because I’m here, isn’t it? If it was just you and Sis, you wouldn’t have to worry so much.” (Noa)

“No, it’s not like that…” (Shuu)

That being said, Noa really knows why. She can’t stop but pout in frustration.

Tamiko’s chances of surviving are high. Natural agility and enemy searching abilities, defensive power of the [White Armor], [Camouflage] and [Avatar]. Above all, she has the experience and achievements of surviving Outsuka Metro together with me.

Noa has also been gaining strength by the time we arrived here, and her ability to support me and Tamiko have become much more better over the past week. She will not fall behind in a one-on-one battle with anyone other than a golem—just barely, if at all, on this floor.

If the opponent is of a higher level, there is no guarantee that she will be able to handle it by herself. Inevitably, there will be more cases where I will be on the defensive, and the risk of accidents will be that much higher.

“I’d like to say that I won’t be a liability… but if Shuu-san would rather give up because of me, I’d rather be left here…” (Noa)

“No, no, it’s also dangerous to stay here alone. Let’s not go down that road.” (Shuu)

I folded his arms and thought.

“…That’s right… I wish we have at least another person…” (Shuu)

The best way to solve this is to have a skilled person who can move between me and Noa. That alone would reduce the burden and risk considerably.

“…Maybe we could invite Obuchi-san and the others to join us…” (Shuu)

However, that would take too much time. Even if they were to accept the request, it would take about three days for me and my party to return to the surface, contact them (New Tokyo has a long-distance communication system called “Messenger Bats”), wait for their arrival, and then come back here again—It will take at least a week or more.

In the meantime, there is a possibility that someone will discover this hole. I am not so much concerned about the honor of being the first, but it would be quite frustrating if someone unearths a treasure or something else before we do.

“…maybe we could team up with the Shishikaba sisters or the uncle duo…” (Shuu)

The werewolf, who is a super VIP, would be another risk, so we should reject him, but they could be a great asset. They would be a great help to us, although it would be a hassle to share the spoils and hide myself as a [Itokuri-shi].

The question is whether we will be able to meet them again in this wide Metro area. So, we can return to the camp for the time being…

“—Are you in trouble? Kiki!” (Voice)

I had turned off my [Sensory Spores] so I didn’t notice the intruder. The voice from behind us made the three of us turn around. And then we were startled.

A masked man emerged from the hole through which we had entered.

He was wearing a mask that looked like a green monkey – a goblin. His red hair spills out from the seams.

“You’re some kind of pervert, aren’t you?” (Shuu)

I know, but I don’t want to accept it.

“Sh–I’m a masked wrestler passing by. My name is Goblin Mask! Kiki!”

The second “Kiki!” was too loud, so Noa kicked him in the shin and Tamiko threw a pebble at him. Goblin Mask that is pushed to a corner, saying, “I’m sorry, that hurts.”