Chapter 232: After the Dreams of the Strong Ones Part 1

Upon exiting the teleportation portal, we have arrived in Elevental. For a moment out there I felt the strong urge to go and pay the crystal scorpion field a visit, but almost right after that I have reflected on that action. This place was like a minefield. A mine field where the danger level was way higher than in the underwater city. I absolutely cannot allow myself to go there together with Emul. So, maybe some other time.

「Besides, it may be a better idea to go back there once I’m way stronger, so that it won’t be as much of a chore as it was.」

Besides, our destination lies in the complete opposite direction from the crystal scorpion cliff. So going there now would just be a huge waste of time and effort.

The area where we are headed consists of two independent sectors: an open field and the ruins of the castle. And unlike the plains where mainly biological monsters were present, you could expect that the castle would throw at you a whole different set of different monsters. …… And those castle monsters probably won’t be pushovers.

Anyways, I did some quick research beforehand, and apparently the minimum level for monsters in that area is level eighty. Also, the wiki says that without proper defenses and countermeasures, your rear guard might get decimated in a matter of minutes. The loot in here was also supposed to be good, but there were supposed to be traps guarding it from the players, et cetera et cetera…… Nothing out of the ordinary. Business as usual, you might even want to say.

「That only leave the Contour Knight, or Line Knight as Rei named it.」

「Hoeh…… The name makes it feel like a skeleton or something like that, what do you think, Sanraku-san?」

「I don’t know. We are yet to investigate this area, so I would like to avoid passing judgement on anything without any kind of proof or information.」

If there is a saving grace here, it is this: the probability of meeting other players in here should be relatively low.

After all, even the flavor text for that location says it all: a high level area meant only for those who wish to test themselves and push their skills and abilities to the absolute limit.

「Also, the amount of EXP points in here is not all that great, items drop rates sucks absolute ass and the items themselves are not something to write home about either……」

That being said, not everything regarding this place was fully discover. Some people were still investigating various things, so it might turn out that there are rare materials and valuable items in here, but the thing is that they are yet to be discovered by the players…… But still, this is just a game.

The main reason why people play games in the first place is to have fun. So what is the probability that someone is going to venture into such dangerous place with seemingly nothing interesting going on about it around midnight on a weekday? Not many, that’s for sure.

「But still, I do not think that there is nothing to be found in this place.」

After all, the only reason that we are here in the first place is because the requirements of the Unique Scenario EX guided us here.

That being said, we casually pass through the castle’s main gate. It was destroyed and crumbling away, as if some sort of external force crushed into it and blown the majority of it away. Now that’s a tone setter, it give off that vibe you get from catastrophic movies. Or a historical drama, at the very least.

「Wawa, w-why is it so dark in here. I can’t see a thing…… Hyueh!?」

「Consider yourself lucky, Emul. See? Is it not much brighter in here thanks to that?」

「You did not make it brighter! It got brighter completely on its own, Sanraku-san!?」

Welp, that’s about right.

Judging by the way the lights started to light up as soon as we entered this place, even though it must have been a while since this place was erected, the technology from the Age of the Gods was still fully intact and operational.

「When it comes to the setting, I guess it was kind of a novel idea to use the remnants of the technology from the Age of the Gods to create the ruins, but after all we have been through it feels rather bleak to me……」

「You can say that again. But what was this place even used for? For war, maybe? There was supposed to be war in this world long, long ago.」

As long as humans exist, there will be wars and conflicts. And as long as there are conflicts, soldiers need places where they can be stationed. Not that I would be well-versed in the history of this world. If you want to know more about it, Emul, you would have better luck asking the Magical Girl wannabe from Library for a detailed story. She is bound to know SOMETHING at the very least.

Of course, I really like to listen to stories like that, so when the time comes for a story to be told, I will be sure to give it a listen as well.

「So in other words, the civilization that was here before us was way more advanced than we are right now, but somehow they still ended completely wiped out, huh? Talk about a cliché.」

While venturing through the ruins that give off a rather Sci-Fi vibe, I happen across items and trash that looked more recent, like old armor parts and trash. So apparently after the Era of the Gods people were using that place as well. I could feel Emul shaking slightly while sitting on my head.

Also, as a side note: the Spartan-like helmet may have been good, but it was rather uncomfortable for me to be wearing it all the time while adventuring, so ultimately I have decided to put it back in my inventory and put on my trusty bird mask instead.

I initially wanted to put on that Salmon Head that I managed to salvage from Lulilas, but the smell was so strong from it that Emul instantly started to complain…… Come to think of it, that little fella whines and complains a lot these day, huh?

「…… Sanraku-san, I somehow got a feeling that there is something strange in here with us.」

「I suppose so. Although I was hoping more for a fixed encounter rather than a wondering type.」

The “Fixed Encounter” type of monster is a monster that you can encounter only in a specifically designated areas for that monster. “Wondering Type” is that kind of monster that is given a freedom to roam throughout the entire area, which gives it more of an element of surprise.

The former is going to leave you be when you manage to put some distance from it or run past a certain threshold. The latter will keep on chasing after you, not letting you get away no matter what.