Chapter 105.3

Chapter 105.3

[Part 3/4]

Voices of various ages and genders whispered to me from different directions. Some sounded angry, mocking, stirring anxiety, persuasive, or gentle... but all of them were equally worthless noise.

I opened the sliding door as it was, ignoring them. Beyond it was once again a pitch-black space...

(Now, where does this one lead to?)

Regardless, I couldn't stay here forever. I couldn't exit this mirror room, and when the time came, this space, this world inside the monster's belly, would likely be blown away quite literally. Holding hostages didn't work on exorcists all that well.

'Hey, wait. Don't ignore us!'

'Tch, you insolent monkey. Don't underestimate me!'

'You'll regret it. You'll soon be crying, wishing you stayed here.'

'Searching for an exit is useless, you know.'

'You guys can't escape from this prison.'

"What do I care, you fools."

Uttering those words quietly, I leaned into the darkness. Once again, I felt the sensation of floating, a strange feeling of descending... It wasn't as intense as when I defeated the Ōsanshōuo with Hina, but I still wasn't accustomed to this sensation. I dislike scream-inducing attractions.

"Hm? Come to think of it..."

Suddenly, as I continued to fall in the darkness, I noticed something. Did those mirror youkai mean "you guys" just now...?

(Do they mean the other people trapped here? Or perhaps the shikigami that might be monitoring me? No, the nuance feels different...) N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.

Perplexed by the mirror youkai's words, I harbored doubts, and then...

'(>ω

"Are they talking about this spider!?"

I retorted, as if a punchline, to my companion, who suddenly opened their mouth with a seemingly joyful expression, even though I was still falling...

* * *

"...Well then. Let's take a break and check the belongings."

'( ́・ω・`) That's right'

"No, I'm not talking to you anyway."

'(* ́ ▽ ` *) It's cute'

I held the wooden carving of a little chick, striking a heroic pose like in a superhero show, and I sighed in exasperation. In two ways. And I remembered the original knowledge about the sculpture I held in my hand.

This wooden carving itself was an extremely low-level item in the game, easily and readily available at any time, anywhere, and in any quantity, like some trash item that would be sold as soon as it was obtained, starting from the beginning of the game. It was a worthless item until that legendary anecdote was born... Since then, for some players, this Little Chick had been considered an essential item for good luck.

Of course, I didn't think there was any significance to such a joke-like act in this world that was not a game but felt like a game. Well, it wasn't... but...

"It must have accidentally mixed in with my belongings... Well, there's no point in discarding it here, I guess."

Although it was essentially unnecessary, I placed the palm-sized wooden carving back into my pocket. In such a shitty situation, even if it had no logical basis, I felt like wanting to rely on a good luck charm. It was a gift, after all, even if it was cheap—'(`・∀・ ́) It's a cute little sister's present, after all!'—No, it's not.

"As for the rest... it's as expected."

The remaining miscellaneous items included rope, flint, a cloth, a compass, a handheld mirror, a bowl, chopsticks, emergency medical supplies such as bandages and disinfectant alcohol, ink and a brush for memos and writing, a foldable spoon (second generation) that Sarujirou had prepared for me, and various other items...

Basically, I had packed them all together in my waist pouch. This is the inventory of my belongings—'(o≧▽ ゚)o Papa, you must not forget about me!!'—And there's also the inside cage with its annoying contents.

These tools were not just for my personal use but were decided to be carried by the entire group. It was part of the job. In case we were suddenly attacked by youkai and our camp was burned down, or if the command structure collapsed and the group scattered, we carried these tools along with food in our waist pouches to survive. We were trained to keep them wrapped around our waist at all times or have them within immediate reach.

"Well, there's nothing particularly remarkable here. I knew that, but... well, it's better than not having what I expected."

I sighed as I packed away various equipment and tools. It was a sigh that mixed relief and disappointment. I wasn't disappointed, but... in this situation, how far can I go?

"...Well then, I guess it's time to finish the break."

Having finished packing everything and securing my waist pouch, I picked up my spear, put on my mask, and stood up. I focused my gaze on the door at the back of the spring. I started walking.

"I vaguely remember, but... the rooms ahead are unlikely to be pleasant."

Within the vast 'Mayoiga,' hundreds of rooms were created by the official sources and fans, each with its own set of connections to other rooms. Unfortunately, the rooms connected beyond this 'Chamber of the Golden Spring' were constantly changing, and most of them were dangerous. However, I couldn't afford to hesitate. I had to face reality.

"...I must brace myself."

'(* ́∀)ノ Yay!'

Having likely left behind the spring where countless victims had transformed into gold and sunk to the bottom, I stood in front of the door. I took a deep breath... preparing myself.

"I'll take my chances!"

I energetically opened the door and rushed through it, but before I knew it, I found myself sitting on the ground in the middle of a nighttime road.

"...Oh, isn't this bad?"

'(* ́・ω・) bad? No food?'