The False Rural Village

The False Rural Village

Once everyone had finished getting ready, we passed through reception and headed to the room in back.

The iron door closed behind us, and each of us deployed our 'Spirit Armament.'

"Hmm."

Rosso-san looked toward Takanashi-san—or, more precisely, at the 'Shield' Takanashi-san was carrying.

Unlike the one I had made before, it was a sturdy buckler.

It was a perfectly round wooden shield about thirty centimeters in diameter and five centimeters thick. Naturally, the wood had been grown with 'Blood of Rejuvenation.'

Except for the screws and grip used to hold it together, the rest contained mana, so it should provide the level of defense against monster attacks that its appearance suggested.

It also had a 'Telekinetic Shield' installed. It should be able to perfectly block even a lycanthrope's attack, at least temporarily.

...Probably. Most likely. In theory.

"I heard about it in the changing room, but it seems surprisingly sturdy for something you call handmade."

"Right? Miyucchi's seriously talented with her hands!"

"No, it's nothing special."

Don't be modest, Takanashi-san. Hearing you say that hurts, since I made that truly shoddy shield myself.

My dexterity should have increased considerably after taking on this body, but... more than the difference in tools, I felt the difference in innate sense.

"So. Just how sturdy is this 'Telekinetic Shield'?"

"Well, I couldn't break through it when I tried smashing it with my sword. I haven't been able to test anything stronger, though."

"Want me to try blasting it with magic?"

"In that case, I shall assist as well. Allow me to show you a monarch's blow."

I thought about their offers for a moment, then nodded. It would be reassuring to expose it to all kinds of attacks beforehand.

"Yes, please... I'll brace it and try taking the attacks, so I'd appreciate your help when the time comes."

"Huh? No. Given the nature of my ability, I would be better suited as the test subject."

"No, no. I'm the one who made the scrolls, and I'm pretty sturdy myself..."

There was no way I could use Takanashi-san as a test subject. If Takanashi-san suffered a serious injury by some horrible chance, the guilt would be unbearable.

I looked away from the slightly dissatisfied Takanashi-san as Rosso-san cleared her throat softly.

"Ahem... Now then. The formation is as we discussed in the changing room, correct?"

"Yep. Just like we talked about on the bus, with Otaku-kun and Miyucchi too."

"Understood."

"Got it."

It wasn't much of a formation, really.

Rosso-san and I would be in front. Takanashi-san would serve as the middle guard and navigator, while Riko-senpai would bring up the rear. Normally, the vanguard would stop enemy attacks, but if anything reached the rear, Takanashi-san would protect Riko-senpai.

Riko-senpai had greater physical abilities than Takanashi-san, but while chanting, even she would have trouble defending or dodging. That was why we'd settled on this formation.

"Well, I am an ironclad and immortal fortress, so there is not the slightest chance that an enemy's murderous blade will reach the rear!"

Rosso-san struck a smug pose, thrusting out her ample chest.

In reality, Takanashi-san was there as insurance. In the worst case, I intended to take the hit with my armor. I was worried about Takanashi-san's safety too, but I didn't want to waste too many scrolls.

"Well, shall we go?"

Riko-senpai's composed voice made me straighten my back.

Her air was different from usual, as if it were telling us how dangerous the dungeon we were about to enter would be.

The monsters lurking in this otherworld possessed purely physical abilities that surpassed even lycanthropes.

Even so, we had come because we believed that we could 'handle it' now. We would not let our guard down, but neither would we overestimate our opponents.

We would explore calmly and methodically.

I took the lead, and my companions placed their hands on my shoulders. After nodding to one another, we stepped into the oval gate.

For an instant, I felt that familiar sensation of being sucked around and in. Immediately afterward, I felt soft earth through my boots.

A cool breeze brushed my skin, carrying the smell of earth and plants. On either side of the path, plants resembling wheat stretched up to waist height.

Looking around, I saw houses made of earth and straw scattered beneath a cloudless blue sky. Beyond them, I could also see a watermill.

But this pastoral space was entirely fake.

The wheat-like plants merely resembled wheat; they were actually clumps of mana. Once taken away from the dungeon, they would simply dissipate into the air.

Even the houses looked wrong when I examined them closely, their perspective distorted. They were nothing more than paintings on a wall.

The walls and ceiling that looked like blue sky emitted a gentle light. With my clear vision, I compared the description on the Spirit Affairs Agency's website with the passage around us.

It was about twelve meters wide and four meters high—wide enough for even Rosso-san, let alone me, to swing our weapons freely.

After checking our surroundings, we slowly began moving toward the wall.

The things resembling wheat along the wall were partially real rather than painted. Technically, they were not plants, either; the dungeon simply took that form in places.

A dungeon was a recreation of a place where monsters had once existed. Considering the 'legend' of the monsters here, this seemed only fitting.

"Our current location is 'L-21,' right?"

Using Rosso-san's great scythe to cast a shadow, I shone the black light at the wall, revealing letters and numbers.

They had been written near a painting of a house whose flatness became even more obvious as we drew closer.

"Then let's head forward for a while. Otaku-kun, keep watch for enemies, okay?"

"Yes."

This time, I would handle enemy detection. Last time, Yasuda-san had used her ability, 'Enhanced Senses,' to locate enemies through her hearing, but... that wouldn't work in this dungeon.

Sword in hand, I began walking slowly. The soft earth sank beneath the shape of my soles, leaving footprints.

From time to time, a breeze made the wheat impostors on either side rustle. Without letting it disturb me, I searched for anything I could see.

Then, about three minutes after entering the dungeon,

my eyes caught mana that differed from its surroundings.

"Enemies. Stop."

I called for them to stop in a low voice while readjusting my grip on the sword.

"There are three. They're hiding in the wheat impostors ten meters ahead. Two are on the right, and one is on the left."

"Okay...!"

Riko-senpai pointed her fan at the spot I indicated and began chanting.

"■■■...■■, ■■■■■■..."

It was an unknown language not used in any country in the modern world.

However, only the final phrase was clearly spoken in a known language.

"────Resound beneath the clear sky. 'Thunder Lance.'"

In an instant, a purple magic circle appeared above the enemies where she had pointed her fan.

Pale blue light shone from the circle, which was as large as a human head. At the same moment, a flash of intense light erupted, and a sound like bursting air rang through the passage.

A charred smell mingled with the breeze. Apparently realizing that their ambush had failed, the monsters lurking in this place revealed themselves.

A wet squelch. Their footsteps sounded like mud dropping.

At a glance, one might mistake them for hunched old men. But at this distance, no one who looked directly at them could possibly think they were human.

What looked like hair was dried straw. Beans of different colors were embedded where their eyeballs should have been.

Their bodies were made of mud, held together by weed roots growing all over them and something resembling white mycelium.

From their mouths, which gaped wide to either side like frogs', came a gurgling sound, as if gas were leaking from the bottom of a rice paddy.

Two misshapen creatures stared at us with bean eyes, gripping farming scythes in their muddy arms. The stench of rotting plants suddenly filled the passage.

'Polevik'

A field-guarding spirit from Slavic folklore—and one that harmed travelers.

Their bean eyes showed no emotion, but their weapons and stances made their intentions clear.

It was murderous intent.

'Gloop... gloop...'

The creature on the right suddenly drew back its left arm.

It seemed to be making a motion as if throwing something, and then its arm stretched out.

The mud-made arm covered the ten-meter distance in an instant and rushed toward Rosso-san.

"Hmph!"

But she easily knocked the arm away with her great scythe. Although it had struck with the back of the blade rather than its edge, the roots and mycelium were torn apart, sending mud flying.

At the same time, I charged forward. Kicking up soft earth, I raised my sword toward the creature on the left.

"Hah!"

'Gloop...!'

The Polevik caught the blade descending in a diagonal slash with the shaft of its scythe.

The monster was short, but its width and bulk rivaled those of a professional fighter. The Spirit Affairs Agency said its strength was comparable to that of a polar bear.

But.

"Ooh!"

I forced my sword down and knocked the scythe away. Both of the Polevik's arms were pulled upward by its weapon.

I slashed at its exposed torso, tearing apart the roots and mycelium holding its muddy body together.

But it was still moving. Lacking blood or a sense of pain, the monster instantly shrank its body to the size of a basketball, avoiding my next strike.

Before it had even finished hitting the ground, the Polevik returned to its original size and was already swinging its scythe from a low stance with its knees bent.

'Gloop...'

It swung the great scythe to reap my left leg.

────I had already seen that future.

I stomped hard on the shaft of the swinging scythe, right where it joined the blade. The shaft snapped with a crack against the heel of the left foot it had meant to cut.

'Guh...!?'

"Shii...!"

I brought my sword down on the Polevik's low-set head. The thick blade powerfully cut through its straw hair and the roots inside its mud.

The monster, its head cleaved in two vertically, spread messily across the ground.

Keeping it in sight, I took a step back and tilted my head to look toward Rosso-san.

"Hyaaah!"

With a battle cry impossible to imagine coming from her slender frame, she swept the red-and-black great scythe horizontally.

The Polevik, now down one arm, had neither the strength to block it nor the opening to shrink its body and evade. It was cleaved in two along with its weapon.

Its upper body flew through the air and struck the false blue sky. The body splattered with a wet smack, then transformed into black mist.

The one I had been facing also turned into black mist, leaving only a magic stone behind.

After sweeping my gaze around one last time to be sure, I let out a small breath.

"There are no enemies nearby. Combat is over."

"Hmph. Utterly overwhelming."

"Yay! Nice work, you two!"

"Good work."

We collected the magic stones, including the ones lying among the wheat impostors.

The four of us regrouped and confirmed that everyone was unharmed.

"Just like Grandma said, it looks like we can handle this dungeon too!"

"Yes."

Dungeons and the monsters that appeared in them did not have the 'ranks' so often seen in web novels.

Because there was no such clear indicator of strength, adventurers generally explored whichever dungeons they chose at their own 'risk.'

But in situations like this, an objective perspective was crucial. That was why, in most clans, the clan master judged 'how far they could safely go.'

It was quite a demanding position. On top of that, they apparently had to share information with other clans and devise countermeasures for each dungeon based on it, all while doing their regular jobs.

...Being a clan master was beyond me.

"All right, let's get back to exploring!"

"Yes."

"Indeed!"

"Got it."

I readjusted my grip on my sword, rested the back of the blade on my shoulder, and started walking.

Poleviks generally shrank down and hid among the wheat impostors before launching surprise attacks.

Since they did not so much as stir or breathe while doing so, detecting them by sound was considered difficult.

But they had no ability to disguise their mana. I advanced slowly, glaring at the wheat impostors with my magic eyes.

I was able to focus on the dungeon more than I had feared. I didn't know whether that was due to the oni blood or because I was naturally suited to being an adventurer. If it was the latter, I'd be a little happy.

Thinking about that, I moved my gaze from side to side,

leaving footprints in the soft earth as we advanced beneath the false sky.