NOVEL NEXT Chapter 34
“…Seems like it’s gone.”
The tremors subsided.
We sighed in relief and looked at each other. If we had been just a little late, we might have been caught.
There was nowhere to escape, so we hid in the tunnel I hastily dug. It was a bit cramped, but there was no helping it since I dug it in a hurry.
If there hadn’t been so many of those zombies, we could have just used Karina’s magic to Purify them all away, but unfortunately, Karina’s mana wasn’t unlimited, and the number of zombies was disgustingly high. Since we blocked the entrance, they were probably meandering on the 1st Floor by now.
We needed to clear out all of them to go up, and that made things a bit bothersome.
“I need to check the food. Show me what’s in your bags.”
At my words, everyone placed their bags in the middle and opened them. I shone the lantern into the bags to check the food inside. Considering Millia, we had packed quite enough, so if we rationed it, we could last about ten days. But then there was the issue of Millia whining like a child…
“Ten days should be fine.”
“What about the 1st Floor? If we leave those zombies as they are, it’ll become troublesome. They could just keep piling up.”
“Even if we Purify now, it’ll be pointless if more zombies keep spawning like that. It’s better to Purify them all at once when we go out, so let’s just ignore that for now and look for a door to the 3rd Floor.”
While we’re at it, let’s see if we can find a way to stop those zombies from continuously spawning here. We’re in an Open World RPG world, so why are we RTSing in a Dungeon? It’s annoying. If they’re going to spawn, at least keep them in the Dungeon; why send them outside?
Even an ordinary Person wouldn’t be caught off guard and could take down three or four at once if they didn’t panic.
Is there some other purpose behind this?
I doubt they think they can conquer this island just by sending out those zombies. Right now, there’s a huge vacuum in power, so maybe the zombies could cover the island, but what would that even mean? After all, it’s just a Deserted Island.
“So what do you plan to do now? The way to the 1st Floor is blocked, and we still lack information.”
“First, we scout. Since all the zombies went to the 1st Floor, there should be fewer zombies on the 2nd Floor.”
“Can’t we just smash them all? They look pretty horrific!”
What is that kid saying? When all of us, including myself, looked at Millia, she gave me a puzzled look as if to ask what was wrong. Does she even realize what she just said?
Her face is quite beautiful, which makes her seem less grotesque, but she’s just a head, isn’t she? It’s not like I know where her body is, so isn’t calling zombies horrific a spit in her own face?
“I don’t think a head is in a position to say that.”
“Have you ever seen a pretty head like this? Have you ever seen one?”
“Alright, alright. I get it. Just tell me anything about the 2nd Floor.”
“!@(&!($#&$(!”
“Enough.”
Is she really not allowed to say even one thing related to this Dungeon? At least I can use face language, so I should be able to gather some minimal information. I propped my Shovel against me and stood up. The tunnel wasn’t that high, so I had to crouch a bit, but I could move around adequately.
“I’ll go out and scout since the zombies are fewer now.”
“I want to go too! Will you stay here, Karina?”
“…Yes. I won’t be much help, so I’ll guard the supplies here…”
“I want to stay here too!”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Don’t pull my hair! It hurts! Don’t act like that guy!”
I don’t know who that guy is, but it looks like someone’s been rough with Millia’s hair.
Renny and I took Millia and left the tunnel.
—————
“Do you have any plans in mind? It seems a bit dangerous to move without a plan.”
“First, we’ll clear the area around the tunnel.”
“That’s a nice straightforward answer. I like simple and clear!”
“I don’t, though…”
At my words, Renny pulled out the Sword I made for her and smiled. She seemed happy to have a chance to wield it. Thinking about it, Renny hadn’t had much to do lately and had just been chopping firewood, so she must have felt the itch to move.
“Be careful not to get bitten.”
“Yeah, yeah. You too.”
We made a round of the hill, smashing the heads of the remaining zombies. Though they were zombies made in a fantasy-like way, it’s still the same that they die if you take off their heads, so it wasn’t too difficult. There’s no way I’d be taken down by these weaklings at this level.
“Looks like we’ve cleared this out. What’s next?”
“…We need to make a Shelter.”
“A Shelter?”
“I mean I’m going to expand the tunnel. It’s too small for just a hut.”
“Do you need any help?”
“I’m fine. You keep an eye on Karina. She can handle things on her own.”
I could manage making the Shelter by myself. There’s not much to assign to someone without any skills in that area other than grunt work.
As soon as I returned to the tunnel, I started to expand it. I widened the interior enough to prevent it from collapsing, fashioned simple furniture out of the dirt, and built a small stove in the center. Then, I made a chimney above the Shelter. Since these zombies probably aren’t smart enough to recognize a chimney, that should be sufficient.
Finally, I squatted at the entrance and activated my Skill.
“Crafting.”
The earth began to wriggle and took shape. If only I had sturdier Materials, but for now, all I had was dirt, so a brown wall encased the entrance. I also laid walls on top, so unless a Golem or something pops out suddenly, it should be safe.
“Good job.”
I turned at the sound of the voice coming from behind and saw Karina smiling, holding out a water pouch to me. I immediately pulled out the stopper and let the water trickle down my throat.
Just one sip. Just that single sip felt like it cooled down my weary body from hard labor. If I had my way, I’d want a few more gulps, but regrettably, water is a resource we must conserve. I envisioned the fruit wine that was still fermenting back home, replaced the stopper, and handed it back to Karina.
“Don’t leave this place while we’re scouting.”
“Okay! I know! I’ll stay hidden and behave!”
That’s why I like Karina. She listens well and doesn’t cause trouble. She does everything that’s needed. Truly the main heroine material.
“Uh, hey… ah…”
Shall we start moving soon? I tried my best to ignore Karina, who had turned beet red, and called out to Renny, who was observing the graveyard surrounding the hill.
“Renny! We’re heading out now!”
“Got it!”
I used my Shovel as a cane to stand up. My body was a bit damp, but that was pretty standard, so it was nothing to worry about. There are no enemies waiting for the exhausted in a Deserted Island.
“Before we go, meat! Meat-”
Is this child so bitter about not being able to eat meat that she’d hold a grudge? I shoved some dried meat into Millia’s mouth and draped my belt around her head. Then, with Renny, I headed towards the graveyard at the bottom of the hill.
The graveyard down there was quiet.
There were a few zombies and Skeletons wandering around, but they looked like they were just aimlessly roaming and didn’t seem to have any intention of doing anything.
If we moved while hiding our bodies behind the tombstones, it seemed like we could pass through quietly. The destination was the direction where Millia was looking at.
So… that means… east.
I couldn’t confirm the compass direction, but since there was something on the right side, I decided east based on that.
In any case, we’ll head east for now. Investigating the direction where Millia was looking was the most logical order. We checked our equipment one last time and cautiously entered the graveyard, where the few zombies were wandering around like drunken fools.
“…It feels a bit dull for a Dungeon.”
“The duller it is, the better.”
How can you say such a horrifying thing? Thrilling dungeon exploration is fun only in games.
I can imagine that from Renny’s perspective, she could probably break this kind of Dungeon all on her own. Still, the reason I don’t use that method is because I have those I need to protect and because I can’t predict what might happen if I charge in recklessly.
To put it bluntly, if I touch something wrong and the Dungeon collapses, I’d be a family member of those zombies buried here, rather than being able to escape.
“Any that we run into are all headed for the afterlife.”
“Wow, that sounded a bit villainous!”
What is the kid on about now? I smacked Millia’s head, who was chattering away on my waist, and quietly planted the Shovel into the ground.
I’m going to go safely on the shortest route.
“Crafting.”
Thick walls rose beside me. Walls of such strength that even zombies wouldn’t be able to leave a scratch on them. I moved forward, building walls toward the east. Renny handled the enemies in my path, while I continued making walls to create a straight passage. A few gravestones broke along the way, but that’s none of my concern.
Are the dead important? The living are what matter.
I don’t know how long we walked while making walls, but we arrived at a dead end. This seemed to be the edge of the east.
And there, we found a huge door that we could not see from afar.
“Looks like a door that leads down.”
“Seems like they don’t plan to let us go down easily.”
We looked down at the coffin in front of the door.
It was a coffin that had five holes in it, as if to say it wouldn’t let us go peacefully.
Renny and I looked at each other. At this moment, it felt like we could understand each other’s thoughts without needing to speak.
We nodded at each other and pushed Millia, who was chattering away at my waist, into the coffin.