◈ 397. [Side Story] Bottom
We jumped off the bridge.
To be precise, I was jumped off. This mad duo of highwaymen grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and threw me off the bridge.
“You crazy bastards!”
As I fell, I saw the Crown and Nightcrawlers looking down on us from the bridge.
It’s a pitiful gaze, as if looking at a person committing suicide… … No, it’s not really that different!
“Wow! Save people!”
Falling helplessly, I let out a scream.
Then Salome, who fell behind me, reached out to me.
“ash! Hold my hand!”
As I hurriedly grabbed his hand, my face turned red.
“Thank you, Salome! They say even slugs have a knack for crawling, so you can fly?!”
“no? I can’t fly?”
“Eh?”
“huh?”
seconds later.
《Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Save the dreamer!”
“… … .”
Salome is clinging to my back and screaming. Her tears gushed her snot.
I beg you, someone please get rid of this slug… … .
The area under the bridge is filled with pitch black darkness, and I have no idea how far I will have to go to reach the bottom.
Grinding my teeth, I desperately looked around. What do you have? How to survive a staggering free fall?
‘… … No, I don’t think there is.’
it’s X I guess it was properly X, this.
“Ash, but… … .》
At that time, Salome, who was sobbing behind me, looked at me with a sad look.
《I’m glad I was with you at the end of my life… … Khehe?!”
“Oh no, go away!”
I pushed Salome’s face with my hand. What a strange atmosphere you’re holding, in this situation! Without thinking about how to live far away!
It was then.
“Shut up, guests! Stop screaming!”
Pingrrrr!
A long rope came wriggling like a snake, coiled around us – and returned to the hand of the owner who threw it.
The ones who threw the rope were the two robbers, the sword demon and the spearman, who were falling together from the other side. It doesn’t seem like they threw us without a countermeasure.
“Huh!”
“Uracha!”
The two old men deftly tethered me, Salome and Mason, and snatched them away.
And then they stretched out their weapons to the side- and slammed them into the side.
Chow ah!
It was only then that the cliffs that had been shrouded in fog on the other side of the darkness were revealed.
As if they had done this quite often, the two old men deftly planted their weapons and slowed down their fall.
After a long free fall, it wouldn’t be normal for them to just stop, but the two old men slid down calmly without blinking an eye while supporting the weight of three more people.
‘As expected, the strongest and worst hostile NPC.’
The state of strength is not common. My tongue stuck out at this feat.
After sliding along the wall and slowing down for a moment, the two old men kicked the wall and soared into the air-
Tadak!
… … got down to the floor
They even took us down one by one and put them on the floor. After-sales service is good.
“Oh, my legs are shaking.”
It wasn’t a bungee jump, I almost fell to my death, so my legs were shaking.
Salome couldn’t stand up and sat down on the floor, and Mason also couldn’t stand it and collapsed on the spot.
In front of us, the Sword Demon and the Spear Demon grinned with their yellow teeth shining.
“Come on, I’ve had a hard time on the short road!”
“Come on, come to my town!”
“My town, Rani… … ?”
I looked around, blurring my words, and finally found it.
Beneath this deep valley, spread out in the thick darkness… … a desolate town.
Looking at the houses made of clutter and trash, I was speechless. A village like this?
Pointing to those houses, the Sword Demon and the Spear Demon opened their arms.
“This is the ‘bottom’!”
“The lowest, most terrible town in this hell!”
***
As I fell into the deepest part of the dungeon alone, I thought my life had already fallen to the bottom.
It wasn’t. There was always a floor below the floor.
“What is this… … .”
As I entered the hidden NPC residence, the ‘bottom’, I murmured involuntarily.
You can reach this village by falling through the gap between Districts 10 and 9… … It seemed to have been built by collecting garbage that had fallen from above.
A garbage town built on top of a mountain of garbage.
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And, to my surprise, there were really people living there.
Haunting eyes flashed through the rubbish heaps all over town. All of the beggar-like NPCs glared at us, the guests, with wary eyes.
Although there are residences of NPCs all over the dungeon. It was the first time I had entered directly, and moreover, I didn’t even know this village existed even in the game.
“Don’t worry too much~ They are all good people.”
“Yes. Other than being a little crazy, everyone is white in nature?”
“People are good, people are.”
“Chuck!”
The two old men giggled as they took the lead in guiding us.
Other NPCs looked at us and licked their lips, sharpened rusty kitchen knives on the floor, or made gestures like slitting our throats with their hands when our eyes met… … Are you a good person? huh?
After walking for a long time, we arrived at the house of two old people. In the middle of this garbage town, was the biggest house.
There was also a large yard, and it was a place that had the shape of a surprisingly solid house. Sitting on a veranda made of moth-eaten wood, two old men gestured.
“I have to wait a few days before I can go out, so I can stay here until then.”
“This is my home~ Think about it and rest in peace! There are many rooms.”
I looked around the house, then looked up and up.
A distant cliff was visible beyond the far darkness.
You have to climb this cliff for a long time to come to the Lake Kingdom city area, and you have to go through that city area for a long time to find the entrance to the Lake Kingdom.
“… … How the hell do you go back up from here? Is there a way to get out of the dungeon?”
In what age would you have covered that long road?
Besides, I want to go back as soon as possible, so why wait a few days? Frankly, I am very suspicious.
Then, the sword ghost and the spear ghost clicked their tongues and started explaining.
“Here in the Lake Kingdom, a time called ‘inundation’ comes, sometimes every few days or every few weeks.”
“flood… … What?”
“It’s also the time when the monsters of a certain group increase in the dungeon, and when it’s full, they rush out.”
Two bandits stretched out their hands and pointed to one side of the village.
“It’s also the time when the black rain pours down, filling the city floor and overflowing.”
As I followed the hand, I saw a cliff right next to the village.
A large sewer was connected to the cliff. Now, it is completely dry without water.
“When it rains, that place overflows and fills up. At that time, if you float the boat and go out through the sewer along the full water… … .”
Something flashed through my mind. I asked in surprise.
“No way, Area 1… … Does it lead to the ‘dried drain’?”
“What, have you heard? Right. It is connected to that place through ancient times.”
In the Lake Kingdom Dungeon, there are routes called Short Cuts.
It was a route widely used by game users because it allowed them to skip the complicated battles and quickly clear the road to the target area.
The ‘Road of the Losers’, which was used from the base camp to the ‘Flaming Colosseum’ in the past, is also a kind of short cut.
And, there were rumors that it was treated as a legend or ghost story among users.
It was rumored that there was a short cut that could go from the early zone to the deepest part at once.
However, there were only rumors and no users were actually found, so I never thought I would check it myself… … .
‘Under the specific conditions of flooding, a shortcut connects from the deepest part of this area to the dry drainage ditch in District 1… … !’
Surprised, the two old men nodded.
“If you walk from here to the entrance of the Lake Kingdom, there is no end, but if you go out by boat during flooding, it will be an instant.”
“So, don’t be impatient and wait a few days. I will take you comfortably to the entrance of the Lake Kingdom.”
Then, the two old men pointed their index fingers at me.
“When you leave, bring your money properly!”
“know?! Half of all the wealth, half!”
“Hey, don’t worry about money. I’ll take care of it very thickly. Just make sure you escape properly.”
The two robbers laughed contentedly, as if they liked my answer.
“Uhhh, money!”
“goldfinch!”
“money!”
“grandma’!”
“This inspiration is like this again, again!”
Watching the two madmen laughing among themselves… … I was puzzled all over again.
In a town like this, what’s the use of money, so why do they collect it while robbing… … ?
***
According to the two old men, the next ‘flood’ will occur within a week at the latest.
Then I decided to get on a boat and go through the sewer. In other words, until then, you have to wait endlessly.
“To wait a week or so.”
Sitting in front of the parched sewer, I picked up a stone and threw it into the sewer. Tung- Tung- and the dry reverberation of stones hitting the floor returned.
“Everyone at Crossroads will be waiting for you… … .”
I want to go back to Crossroads as soon as possible.
The more I try to go back, the more I feel like I’m getting farther and farther away.
‘Besides, when it’s overflowing, it means that monsters overflow from the dungeon… … In other words, it means that there will be a defensive battle on the ground.’
To think you had to fight a defensive battle without me.
Yes, Lucas is reliable as a commander, and my comrades are strong enough… … The water base facility is also not completely repaired, but will it be able to properly defend itself in a cluttered state?
I wonder if everyone is confused or worried because of me who suddenly disappeared.
Worry bites its tail. I want to go back soon.
“… … .”
but.
If you succeed in returning, what will happen after that?
Will I again choose the tactic of laying down the lives of my prisoners, and will my comrades try to stop it again and again?
Performing a defensive battle, and losing one of my colleagues… … .
Should I fight again like that?
The road leading ahead was far and far, so I was scared. I wrapped my arms around my knees and hugged them.
“ash? what’s the matter?”
Then Salome walked gently behind me. I was startled and looked back at that guy.
And Salome, facing my face,
《… … Aha.》
As if noticing something, he narrowed his eyes and smiled.
I frowned because I felt bad.
“what. Why are you laughing so much?”
“I know just by looking at your face.”
“What do you know?”
《You look like you want to run away.》
“… … !”
“Everyone who surrendered to our corps had that look on their face. The reality is difficult and painful, so I feel like I want to avert my eyes… … It shows on your face.”
Salome approached and whispered in my ear. With a sweet voice, as if it were not of this world.
“Just say it now. I’ll let you run away.”
“… … .”
《Into a happy and perfect dream, where there is nothing he hates… … .》
Then Salome stretched out her arms and wrapped them around my neck.
slap!
I reached out and pushed Salome’s chin away.
《Woo Boop?!》
“Didn’t you tell me when we first met, you son of a dreamer?”
I grinded my teeth.
“I’m not struggling here just to get self-satisfaction through a dream… … I said I came to win.”
The conversation I had with Ader at the beginning is still clear.
– You have a wish you want to come true. Yes? It’s not like money, it’s a more precious wish.
– That dream, I will listen to it.
– As long as you still have it in your heart, that dream has not failed.
okay.
In order to risk my life and fight, to obtain my wish.
I came to another world and struggled like this.
“I achieve my wish in my reality, with my effort.”
It’s painful and horrible.
If it’s something to give up to this extent, I didn’t even start in the first place.
“So, don’t run away, stay away for a week or so. Because I don’t want to mess with you.”
《… … .》
Salome, who was looking at me with her lips pouting out as if pouting, slowly opened her mouth.
“That is your wish. Really, is ‘you’ wish right?”
“… … what?”
what are you talking about
I couldn’t understand it, so I turned around, and Salome narrowed her eyes and smiled just as before.
It wasn’t the stupid laugh she had shown until now.
“When I brought you out of the spirit world, I said I saw your dream. ash. I looked through your past, down to the bottom of your soul.”
It was the smile of a succubus queen.
dreamer’s daughter.
A dangerous laugh like that of a prostitute.
“Is ‘you’ Ash? Or are you a fan of the classics? Otherwise, the player? tyrant? monster?”
Salome whispered as she combed through the worries hidden in my most intimate place.
《If you can’t clearly define who ‘you’ are, how do you conclude that ‘you’ wish is the same?》
“… … .”
《When the essence changes, the purpose also changes. Since ‘yes’ has already ceased to be ‘yes’, will your wish be perfect?”
To me who is stiff and unable to move.
“Now, ask yourself once more… … What is your real wish? Really, what do you really want to do?”
A sinister, coquettish smile– asked Salome.
“Who is the real ‘you’?”
