Nido Tensei Shita Shounen wa S-rank Boukensha Toshite Heion ni Sugosu ~ Zense ga Kenja de Eiyūdatta Boku wa Raisede wa Jimi ni Ikiru ~

Episode 84: Fugitive Chimera and the Poisonous Atmosphere

“Wha-what is this!?”

Risou-san exclaimed in surprise upon seeing it.

After driving away the Bahamut that had settled in the lowest level, we returned to the original path and headed downstream this time.
The reason is that there is a high possibility that this path that was created by the side of the underground water vein continues to the outside.
If there is such an escape route, there is a high possibility that many monsters and chimeras have been released into the outside world.

That’s why we continued to move downstream and defeat the monsters and chimeras we encountered.
And what we found was this dead end.
Although it is called a dead end, it is only a dead end of the path we have walked.
The water of the underground water vein itself continued to flow deeper from a hole in the wall.

And what surprised Risou-san was that hole.
Strictly speaking, it was in response to the destruction marks that seemed to have forcibly crushed and expanded the hole through which the underground water vein flows.

“It seems that something forcibly expanded the narrow waterway of the underground water vein and proceeded further.”

Ramise-san speculated on what happened as she looked at the expanded hole.

“Did they break through the rocks and proceed? Can chimeras do such a thing!?”

Risou-san asked Gunei-san, the creator of the chimeras who is also the parent of the chimeras.

“Hmm, did those chimeras, who are failures of the chimera made by that demon, have such determination?”

Gunei-san tilted his head and pondered while recalling the chimeras created by the demon.

“…Ah.”

And he exclaimed as if he remembered something.

“Come to think of it, there were no prototype chimeras until we came here.”

“Prototype chimeras?”

“Yes, the final prototype chimera I made to embed the fragment of the White Calamity.
It was the last one I made, so it was quite a masterpiece, or rather, the greatest masterpiece.
However, I didn’t want to waste the remaining fragment of the White Calamity, so I only used it to examine the performance of the base body and then disposed of it by dropping it into a disposal hole.”

“Why did you release such a dangerous thing!!”

Everyone’s retort echoed in the lowest level.

“Well, it was too good to kill it with my own hands, you know.”

“No, no, that’s strange.
Or rather, it’s not normal to just throw away such a dangerous chimera!”

Rodi-san raised his voice, and Risou-san and the other S-rank adventurers who had fought together with chimeras nodded in agreement.

“Hey, Rodi-sama, were the chimeras you fought really that strong?”

Almo, Rodi-san’s companion and a priest, asked.

“Hm? Ah, they were quite strong.
But it seems that what we fought were failures until the main one was created.”

“Failures?”

Rodi-san recalled the battle with the chimeras in the courtyard and the laboratory, and nodded with a bitter expression.

“Yeah, especially the battle with the giant chimera we encountered in the courtyard, I really thought I was going to die.”

“For Rodi to say that…”

Foka, another member of Rodi-san’s party and a magician, joined the conversation with a curious expression.
Being a magician, she seemed to be interested in chimeras created by magic.

“The sorcerer we encountered in the ruins called those chimeras failures, but they were quite strong.
If Cyclone had taken the request alone, we might have been wiped out before encountering the completed chimera.”

“…No way, to that extent!?”

Marcha, the last member of Rodi-san’s party and a swordsman, exclaimed in surprise.
It seemed that her statement was shocking because she trusted Rodi-san from the bottom of her heart.

“Honestly, thanks to the boy, I was able to survive.”

Rodi-san said as he looked at me.

“That child again…”

Almo-san stared at me intently.
His eyes were filled with a complex mix of anger and doubt.
He must be doubting whether I really saved them.

“No, no, that was like a welcome to me, the new S-rank adventurer.
If Rodi-san and the others had fought seriously, I wouldn’t have had a chance to do anything.”

“That’s right!”

My words made Rodi-san’s party members smile brightly.
It was clear that they truly trusted Rodi-san.

“Well, we did have a tough time…”

However, Rodi-san took the stance that it was I who defeated the chimeras.
He pretended to have a hard time for the sake of the test, but in reality, if he had fought seriously, he could have won without any difficulty.
He didn’t say that because I was able to defeat the chimeras and the sorcerer on my own.

But someday, I want to see Rodi-san and the others’ true abilities.
As S-rank adventurers who excel in teamwork, they must be amazing.

“But we can’t track them like this…”

Oh, right, Risou-san and the others were still talking.

“Yes, if we jump in there, we will definitely die.”

Huh? Die? Why? And why would we jump in? I think we can just expand the hole normally.
Let me try it.

“Tunnel Extension!”

I activated my magic and expanded the hole that was forcibly widened by the chimeras, reinforcing the ceiling and walls, and changing the expansion rate of the hole to create a path wide enough for people to walk alongside the underground water vein.

“Wow, you did it!”

Risou-san and the others were surprised when they said tracking was impossible, but I was able to expand the hole normally.

“Shall we track down the escaped chimeras then?”

“……”

When I turned around, everyone was looking at me with wide eyes and their voices overlapping.
Huh? What’s going on?

“W-what’s wrong, everyone?”

“W-what’s wrong? Isn’t it obvious! Why are you expanding the hole as if it’s a matter of course!? What kind of magic is that! Tell me!”

Ramise-san, who loves magic, approached me with an excited look, but Foka and Rodi-san appeared from behind and grabbed her arms, dragging her away.
Then Risou-san stepped forward in their place.

“Big Game Eater, what you just did… was it magic?”

“Yes, it’s a mining magic used to expand caves.”

“Mining magic!? B-but, if an amateur who is not a miner opens a hole in a cave, wouldn’t it collapse?”

Ah, Risou-san and the others don’t know about mining magic techniques.
That’s why they thought it was impossible to expand the hole and track down the chimeras.

“Don’t worry.
With mining magic, even if you expand a cave, it won’t collapse.
On the contrary, the soil and rocks that are expanded increase the density of the surrounding holes, so if you only expand the hole to some extent, it actually becomes harder.”

“Is that so?”

“Well?”

They confirmed with each other.
Well, it’s a magic that you wouldn’t know unless you have acquaintances who are miners.
I learned it from a blacksmith friend who told me to see and find good materials with my own eyes.
And I ended up spending several months in the mine to become able to appraise good ores… Well, let’s forget about that.

“…Then we can’t track them like this…”

“Hmm, if we jump in there, we will definitely die.”

Huh? Die? Why?

Adventurers, did you know about this? They confirmed with each other.
Well, it’s a magic that you wouldn’t know unless you have acquaintances who are miners.
I learned it from a blacksmith friend who told me to see and find good materials with my own eyes.
And I ended up spending several months in the mine to become able to appraise good ores… Well, let’s forget about that.

“…Then we can’t track them like this…”

“Ah, well…”

“But before that, tell us more about the magic you just used!!”

“Yes, yes, we’ll talk about that after we finish our job, okay?”

“Y-you promised!”

Um, it seems like the flow has become me teaching them later.

“If you ask a mining magician who works in a decently sized mine, they should be able to tell you.”

“Alright, understood! A mining magician, huh!”

Ramise-san is unwavering, as always.

But this is the prototype of the strongest chimera created to defeat the mysterious creatures that caused the collapse of the ancient civilization.
It seems that a formidable opponent is waiting for us.

As we advanced while expanding the hole with mining magic, the wall ahead collapsed with a thud, revealing a pitch-black hole.

“It seems to connect to some passage.”

“Hmm, then there might be an escaped chimera ahead.
Everyone, be on high alert!”

Risou-san ordered everyone to be cautious, and they all prepared their weapons and got into a battle stance.

“Let’s move forward.”

“Wait a moment.”

However, I stopped everyone who was about to move forward.

“What’s wrong, Big Game Eater?”

“Before that, I’ll use magic to investigate the connected space.
Air Diagnosis!”

A blue light magic ball was emitted from my hand and moved towards the hole ahead.
Then the blue light turned purple halfway, and in the next moment, it transformed into a bright red.
Ah, just as I thought.

“The color changed!”

“Big Game Eater, what does that mean?”

Risou-san asked me, and I conveyed the meaning of the red light.

“It means that the air ahead is filled with poison.”

“Poison!?”

Everyone present exclaimed in surprise and took a step back.

“What’s going on, Big Game Eater!?”,”In the mine, there are places where the air is occasionally filled with toxic fumes that are harmful to humans.
This magic is used to detect such poisonous air.
Blue means it’s clean, purple means it’s dangerous to stay for a long time, and red means it’s life-threatening.”

“What a revelation!”

Risou-san grimaces in frustration.

“So we can’t proceed any further…”

“That’s why we’ll purify the air with magic and continue.”

“…Huh?”

Risou-san looks at me with a puzzled expression, asking what I mean.

“With mine magic, we can purify the air ahead.”

“C-Can mine magic really do that!?”

“Yes, it was developed for the purpose of safely working in mines.”

“Wow, mine magic is amazing.”

“Are miners really that incredible?”

The adventurers have a conversation that changes their perception of miners.

“Well, miners often have to fight powerful ancient monsters that lie dormant in the mines, so they also have the aspect of being strong warriors.”

“Seriously!? Miners are amazing!”

“I thought they were only good at digging rocks! I’m sorry!”

“Oh no, I got into a fight with a miner the other day! What should I do!?”

“Go apologize immediately!”

“Alright, I’ll go!”

“Apologize after work, you idiots!”

Ah, Risou-san scolds me.

“Anyway, if you can purify the air, can we rely on you, Big Game Eater (Oomono Kurai)?”

“Yes, leave it to me.”

Upon Risou-san’s request, I activate the air purification magic.

“Air Purification!”

When I release the magic into the space ahead again, the Air Diagnosis ball that was previously glowing red returns to its blue color.

“Purification complete.
Let’s go.”

“Ah, ah… Are you really sure it’s safe?”

“Yes, it’s safe.”

We resume our journey, with the Air Diagnosis ball leading the way, following the underground water vein.
Whenever the light of the ball turns red again, I purify the air.

“Hey, the color keeps turning red.
Are you sure it’s safe?”

Rodi-san asks anxiously, so I reassure him that it’s safe.

“Air Purification is a magic that purifies the air within a few hundred meters around the caster.
So as long as the entire passage is filled with poisonous air, we’ll be fine as long as we purify the air each time we move.”

“I-Is that so?”

As we continue, we hear a sound coming from deep within the cave.

“Something’s coming! Send the light ahead!”

The wizards follow the instructions and move the magical lights forward.
Then, we see the approaching figure of a monster coming from the depths.

“Is that… a Hell Basilisk!?”

Upon hearing its name, the adventurers become unsettled.
After all, it is the name of the monster that attacked the camp outside the mine before we arrived, endangering the lives of many adventurers with its special evil eye called the Black Death Gaze.

“Support members, step back! Attack the Hell Basilisk from a distance to avoid its Black Death Gaze! Shield bearers, step forward!”

Immediately, adventurers with shields step forward, holding their shields to avoid the Basilisk’s gaze.

“Wind Lancer!”

Ramise uses wind magic to intercept the Hell Basilisk, preventing it from causing a cave-in.
Alright, it’s my turn to counterattack!

“Land Lancer!”

Following Ramise’s lead, I attack with my magic spear made of rocks.
Ramise attacks from the front to stop the enemy’s advance, and in the meantime, my magic pierces the Hell Basilisk from below.
The Basilisk is lifted by the spear and impaled on it, with its own weight driving it further into the spear.

“W-Wow, we already defeated it.”

“Huh? What? Is it already over?”

Upon hearing the voice of the adventurers who were waiting behind, the adventurer holding the shield exclaims in surprise.
Well, there was only one Hell Basilisk that attacked us, so yeah.

“Hell Basilisks, like other lizard-like monsters, have soft bellies.”

“I see, so they have that weakness.”

“Well, even if you know the weakness, it’s not easy to defeat them.”

“More importantly, my magic didn’t stand out at all…”

Ramise, who used wind magic, looks disappointed.

“But thanks to Ramise’s magic, which stopped the Hell Basilisk’s advance, my magic hit the right spot.”

“Huh? Is that so? Well, I guess you’re right.”

Ramise, who was praised, smiles smugly.

“Aren’t you a bit too easygoing, Heavenly Demon Magic’s master?”

Rodi-san looks at Ramise with a bewildered expression, but indeed, Ramise made it easier for me to hit my magic.
Wind magic is invisible, so it’s convenient for surprise attacks or setups, but it’s difficult to see its effectiveness.

“But to think that there are monsters in such a poisonous environment…”

“Hell Basilisks are said to prefer polluted places.
This cave filled with toxic air is probably an ideal habitat for them.”

Ramise’s speculation is correct, and after that, we are attacked by monsters and chimeras that are also poisonous.

“I see, these poisonous monsters and chimeras must have come here to escape from Bahamut and other stronger monsters!”

While dealing with the poisonous monsters, Risou speculates about the presence of chimeras.

“In that case, there might be a path somewhere in the cave that connects to this place.
When we send an investigation team later, we should instruct them to be cautious of the poison!”

Rodi-san also considers the future and insists on caution regarding the poisonous air.
Both of them are thinking ahead.

“Oh my, with so many poisonous monsters, the detoxification magic won’t be able to keep up.
It was a good idea to bring plenty of mana potions.”

Foka, the priest, uses detoxification magic to heal the poison inflicted on the injured.

“Sei!”

Liliera swings her sword, which has been enhanced with ice attribute magic, freezing the claws and beaks of the monsters to prevent poison.
And to defend against the attacks of the monsters that manage to counterattack, she creates ice armor on parts of her body to prevent the poison from entering.

“Taa!”

She then sticks the ice armor onto the bodies of the monsters, immobilizing them and then attacking again.

Liliera has become quite skilled at using attribute enhancement magic.
Maybe I should teach her a new technique next time.

“Mokyu!”

And Mofumofu continues to devour meat without caring whether the monsters are poisonous or not.
Don’t upset your stomach, okay? Wait… huh? I thought I left Mofumofu behind, but it followed us? Oh well, can’t be helped.

“H-Hey… that white thing is eating the poisonous monsters! Is it okay!?”

“Well, it’s an S-rank pet, so it should be fine, right?”

“Yeah, it’s an S-rank pet, after all…”

No, it’s not because it’s my pet.

As we continue to fight and move forward, we hear a rushing sound from deep within the cave.

“What’s that sound…!?”

“Ah, it seems like this area is the source of the poisonous air.
Look, can you see the Air Diagnosis ball blinking? It indicates a place with particularly concentrated poisonous air, in other words, the source.
Even if we purify the air normally here, it will quickly be filled with poison again.”

Everyone’s faces turn pale as they listen to my explanation.

“So, does that mean we can’t proceed anymore?”

“Is that so? After defeating the Hell Basilisk and the poisonous monsters and coming this far, do we have to give up!?”

The adventurers express their dissatisfaction, saying they can’t give up after coming this far.
Yeah, they’re all brave.
They show no signs of fear even in the face of poisonous air.

“No, it’s easy, we just need to seal the hole.
Tunnel Extension!”

I use my magic to expand the hole, and the rushing sound that could be heard throughout the cave quickly diminishes until it can no longer be heard.

“Air Purification!”

Then, I activate the air purification magic, and the magic ball that was previously flashing red changes to blue and remains that way.

“When expanding the hole with magic, I filled the gaps where the poisonous air was leaking.
Now, there’s no need to worry about the air being filled with poison.
We just need to purify the remaining poisonous air.”

Upon hearing my explanation, everyone breathes a sigh of relief.

“Amazing, mine magic.
It can easily neutralize poison like this.”

“Yes, yes, it’s wonderful! To completely purify a space enveloped in evil poison! You really should come to the Holy Capital!”

I’m sorry, Foka-san, please don’t recruit me in the middle of all this.
Also, the poison in the cave is not necessarily evil.
Well, it seems that the people of the church have a strong image of poison that can be healed with sacred healing magic as evil power.,”Ohhh! I should ask the miners about this too! Mining magic is amazing! It was the right decision to take on this request! I’m gaining more and more knowledge about new magic!”

While everyone felt relieved, Ramise was the only one who seemed excited.
And as we continued to expand the cave while purifying the air, we arrived at a large open space.

“It seems like this is the end point.”

The place we arrived at was a huge underground lake nestled within the vast underground space.