CH 125

The cave is about four meters wide and is covered with white grains. The walls and ceiling are in place, but the cavern is bare rock – no moss, insects, or other plant or animal life is visible. I’ve never seen any living thing since I entered this cave… No, there was a black slime? Anyway, maybe they were covered in that black dirt and couldn’t live.

“Hmm.”

I have an uncomfortable feeling with the reaction on my [Magi Location]. So, I hurried ahead with a short run.

“You’re kidding……”

This is the place where the path to the outside should be, even though it is now the end of the cave that leads straight from the temple. It was completely blocked by sand and rocks pouring in from the outside. I tried to use Magi Location to find a way out, but I couldn’t reach the end of the dirt and sand. It would be impossible to dig deeper.

From this direction, the town of Ruda must have been on this side. If I continue on this path, I should be able to get out of the cave, but…

“It can’t be helped …”

As I said this, I looked to my left. There was a narrow tunnel leading to the west.

The hole is two meters wide and about three meters high. The bare rock walls were still rugged and looked distinctly different from the path we had been on. What is the purpose of this path?

While I was thinking about this, the ground covered with white grains broke up and the black, dirty ground appeared under the light of [Light Source]. Apparently, the aftermath of defeating the giant slime had only purified this area, and beyond this point, I was back in the dirty black world. Letting out a small sigh, I walked forward, the soles of my shoes crunching on the dirty black ground.

I walked for hours through the winding paths, checking each hollowed-out place like a small room, climbing up the protruding rocks, descending the slopes, and collecting black crystals.

“…?”

I thought I heard a sound and stopped. As I listened carefully, I could hear a faint sound in the distance.

The sound of something scraping, and the sound of something stomping on the ground. I hurriedly set my Magi Location to maximum range and felt the presence of something in the distance. But I couldn’t see anything with my eyes.

My hand naturally tightened around my spear. As I stood there for a while, the sound became louder and louder, and the corner ahead of me became vaguely bright. After a while, a shadow appeared from beyond the corner.

Its height was about my chest. But its torso was like a barrel, and its arms and legs were as thick as logs. His strong, stocky body is covered with clothes and gloves, and his eyes are covered with large goggles like those used for snorkeling. His mouth and nose were covered with a large cloth like a crow mask, but his wispy beard was sticking out. And a large mallet on his back.

……Is that a dwarf?

He glanced at us and approached us without changing his stride.

The leather boots tread on the black stains, and the lantern on his waist rubs against the metal fittings making a rattling noise.

and–

“Yo! Hey!” (Dwarf)

He stopped a few meters away, turned to me, and said so while lightly raising his right hand.

“Yeah, hey…?”

I felt like it was a greeting. I immediately mimicked it back to him. When in Rome do as the Romans do, but it’s not like that with Japanese people, but if I can safely match up with the other person! Something good may happen.

“……Hmm.” (Dwarf)

Then the dwarf? The man who seemed to be a man put his right hand on his chin and stroked his beard. After thinking for a few seconds, he opened his mouth.

“It’s not a non-human… it seems…” (Dwarf)

As he said this, he moved his head to check my entire body, from my toes to the top of my head.

What do you mean by “non-human”?　Is it a monster?　Or is he talking about a ghost or something like that?　As I pondered this, he continued to speak.

“Hey you. Do you have a death wish?” (Dwarf)