Chapter 39
Thirty-Ninth Episode~ Item Box
“-Chi, that “rotting Dwarf” is still alive…well then, I’ll return soon . ”
Kuna says so in a high-pitched voice and goes to lock the prison but when she extends her arm- I instantly move .
Activating that <skill> I store mana in both of my arms .
Fuuun, I forcibly break the black shackles binding my wrists .
A dull sound echoes-ite .
Because I broke it forcibly, some of the skin around is torn and I am bleeding .
Ma, since the wound heals immediately it does not matter .
I release Rollo’s feet .
In the small gaps on the black constraints, I store mana in my fingers and am careful to not hurt Rollo when I free her .
Kuna leaks a “eh” voice when my arms become free .
The key Kuna was holding falls to the floor .
With an expression of shock her body rises into the air as she lets out a small groan .
This happens because I activated the <Magic Thought Guidance Hand> skill .
With the <Distorted Mana Hand> I grasp Kuna’s body to crush her .
Her scaled arms twist in the vice and she bends into the く character .
The sound of an apple being crushed and an abnormal noise of meat being ground up echoes .
“H-how, u… gu-gatsu . ”
Kuna’s tail hanging between her legs draws an arch as she mutters in pain, the tip extends out to my face .
I grab the tail with one hand and stop it .
-Surprising .
Even though I crushed her chest to pieces she still counter attacked…
This stubbornness . As expected of a demonic being .
Moreover, there is a needle at the tip of the tail with a liquid dripping out .
Oi, this is poison .
“Y-you…”
“Kuna-san, it’s regrettable . I will return the favor from before . How about I tease you a little and then kill you?”
I strengthen the grip of the “distorted mana hand . ”
I squeeze tighter .
“Gahha . ”
The demonic being Kuna vomits purple blood from her mouth and her purple face is trembling .
I break Kuna’s needle tail and forcibly pull it .
“Gyaa!”
“Noisy . ”
Oh, yeah, does she have a soul?
I manipulate the <Magic Thought Guidance Hand> and bring the bloodly body of Kuna right in front of me .
I bring her face close so that Kuna’s eye bordered in black and purple meet mine .
I see her eyes clearly .
“Kuna…you tricked me . However, I did the same thing to you . I’m not human either . ”
Kuna’s eyes dilate at my words .
“Didn’t you say ‘tooo baaaad’ to me?”
With a wicked smile, I give Kuna her last words .
Immediately I bury my face in the purple scruff of the transformed Kuna, and suck her blood .
Light begins to flow because of “soul sucking . ”
I taste her soul . I unconsciously tremble with excitement at the exhilarating feeling .
That moment, Kuna the demonic being suddenly dries up .
Furthermore, large ten centimeter insects fall out of her upper body .
What? Did insects live inside Kuna’s neck?
The accessories Kuna wore fall to the ground with a metallic sound along with the insects and corpse .
The sound echoes .
Did that monster called a Godo come out?
…However, its figure does not appear .
The metallic sound does not seem to reach outside the prison .
I do not have my favorite black spear so I am slightly uneasy .
Ma, I can only fight if it comes .
First, I should check the items Kuna wore .
I stoop down to the floor after treading on the insect husks strewn about .
I will start with her rings .
Three rings fell to the floor .
I can tell the rings are special because how they’re designed .
The rings that produced the light spheres is the triangular triforce .
I try it out and I try to put it on, but…
It is only big enough to fit on the tip of my ring finger…
Ma, I’ll force it on . Next is this bracelet .
The small sun-like crest symbol has a small depression in it .
I touch the crest symbol .
It does not react . I may need to equip it .
Saying that, I put it on my wrist . I reject my left wrist since that is where the chain ejects from .
So, I place it on my right wrist .
I place the bracelet on my right wrist .
Then, the metal bracelet suddenly tightens to fit my wrist .
Oo, its movements surpass shape memory alloy .
I touch the surface . There is still no reaction .
Kuna uttered a word while touching the surface with the opposite hand .
I will imitate her .
“Open . ” (TL: Open is English . )
Uo, nearly instantly there is a reaction .
My left hand is drawn in . and a window appears from the sun disk .
The light green rhombus ◆ window, has a humanoid model, storage, and menus with that mark icon are displayed .
While looking under the character menus, the item column is displayed .
Various items are stored inside so I need to take some time to inspect this .
“Oooii, someone out there?”
While I was checking the items, I hear a deep voice from a neighboring prison cell .
He spoke out earlier .
I am interested in who is talking so I will go look .
I close the item bock, and head to the cell the voice is coming from after I pick the fallen key ring .
In the cell is a stagnating pool of shining fluorescent water .
The surface of the water is reflected on the ceiling, creating mysterious designs .
“I’m here, I’m the person who was going to go next to you . ”
“What!? You were able to get out? Help me!”
“Leaving that aside, why are you imprisoned? Except…why is your room flooded with the oddly colored water?”
I hear a *basha* sound of slapping the surface of the water .
“Mm, that, question . Please take me from here! I am Henkai son of Richa of the Bundando clan of Langur Kingdom . My body may be like this, but I was called the Silken Commander Henkai . If you release me I will swear loyalty to you!”
Langur Kingdom, loyalty?
Saying strange things…like Silken Commander, I do not understand .
It is like the nuanced of a warring age, but…
“I don’t need your loyalty . I will help you even if you don’t say such a thing?”
“W-what, understand . Thank you . So, please . Help me!”
I cannot see his face from here, but since he is giving off the feeling of being driven into a corner I might as well help .
“Now then . I will help you, Henkai . Wait a moment . ”
“Oooh, thank you . ”
I fumble through the keys I took from Kuna while trying to find the one for the cell .
After trying several keys, a key finally slides in with a click .
Bingo . (TL: English)
I open the heavy iron door and enter the prison cell .
“Oi, is it safe to touch the pool of fluorescent water?”
“It’s fine . I’m fine as long as I don’t drink it . This is the extracted magic essence that has begun to mix with the magic jewels in the earth . I will get power if I drink it…but I will also suffer from magic essence poisoning…”
“Gu…”
The extract reacts to the words immediately and begins to spread .
To begin with, what are the magic jewels in the earth?
“Please remove this collar first . ”
Then, I look at the owner of the deep voice for the first time .
Are, he is very round…
That, his head is shaped like an onion .
The onion oyaji moves his neck and nods his head up and down .
His hair is long and unkempt…
A huge iron chain is binding his neck to the wall and his upper body is completely soaked in the fluorescent pool .
It looks painful . I must help him .
“…Got it, I’ll remove it . ”
“Nya . ”
Rollo reacts to the strange glowing pool .
She goes to swipe at the surface of the water .
“Rollo, don’t play with this water, touching it is dangerous . ”
Rollo approaches Henkai the onion head who is sunk into the pool .
It cannot be helped; I need to enter the pool .
There is a key hole on the right and left of the iron collar around Henkai’s neck so I search through the key ring for the right one .
The key that opened the prison does not work .
I try several keys until I find the right one .
Opening the lock with the key, I remove the huge chain .
“…Sorry . Will you also release my hand?”
“Yeah . wait a sec . ”
I look at Henkai’s arms soaking in the pool .
The black tubes on both arms, no, the tentacle-like pipe extends into the pool and seem to be connect to the bottom .
As I look, something like a magic formation seems to be drawn on the bottom .
Steel restraints are binding both of Henkai’s hands .
This is strange .
This is a magic tool but it looks like a machine .
The pipe connected to the arms is torn in several places and fluorescent liquid is leaking from it . The steel handprint is firmly fixed to the floor .
The floor-
“What is it? Light?”
A part of the steel handprints restricting Henkai’s hands is shining .
The mysterious fluorescent liquid continues leaking from the black pipe .
It is not blood, this fluorescent color?
It seems like the magic formation connected to the steel handprint is absorbing Henkai’s magic essence .
The magic essence being absorbed from Henkai is what I saw flowing through the labyrinth .
While wondering, I insert the key and into the steel handprint covering his wrists and remove the shackles .
Furthermore, I pull out all the black pipes leading to his arms .
Uou, light .
I am surprised when I take out both of Henkai’s hands .
On the back of his hand is a geometric pattern with an octagonal jewel in the center of the design .
The jewel emits a yellow light .
With his hands freed, Henkai opens his dried lips .
“…This light . Isn’t it strange? That’s right . A magic jewel of the earth is imbedded in both my arms and stomach . This binding gauntlet is a special magic tool . The magic jewel reacts and absorbs magic essence so I was considered nourishment for the labyrinth…”
Continuously, Henkai looks at his palms while flexing his fingers, saying “At any rate, it has been so long since I have seen my hands…”
“My abdomen and feet are also bound . ”
There is another iron plate with a magic formation winding around Henkai’s abdomen so I remove it .
“I will also unlock both of your feet . ”
“Ooh, sorry . I am indebted-!?”
Henkai tries to stand up immediately and falls over .
“-Oi, don’t push yourself . ”
I lend him my shoulder and pick him up from the edge of the pool .
I am surprised again when I see Henkai .
A dark gray jewel is imbedded in his abdomen, different from the shining light yellow jewels in his arms .
It is just below the navel .
Around the dark gray jewel, a geometric pattern like an electric circuit is cut into his skin with black lines, spreading up to his chest .
This is not normal by any standard .
This dwarf…
The light of the jewel in his abdomen has lost its light while the jewels connected to his arms are shining .
Totally abnormal .
Henkai begins to explain weakly while I look at the dark gray jewel .
“…It seems the power of the jewel was completely absorbed . ”
He mentioned it early, but the power of the jewel?
…I will ask about it .
“What is it? That jewel?”
“Have you heard of the mysterious secret art of enchanting?”
“I have heard of enchanting, but at least…I have not seen a jewel connect to the hands and abdomen . This is a first . ”
“Is that so…”
With a sinking face Henkai hangs his head .
Aah, crap . This guy is completely exhausted…
Judging from Henkai’s appearance he has completely run out of stamina .
I touch the bracelet with the sun symbol and say “Open . ”
An item column is displayed and I immediately select the intermediate recovery potion from the list .
From the window the recovery potion bottle slowly appears .
“Drink this to recover . ”
“Ooh, thanks . Then…”
Henkai quickly drinks it .
His haggard face is instantly restored .
The wounds in his arms fade and his build suddenly changes .
His muscles seem to have increased by an increment .
Oh, the Dwarf appearance has become slightly bigger, although the onion head and thick eyebrows do not change .
About the same as Zaga and Bon in Hector but slightly big for a Dwarf, as expected they are from the same race .
He is larger than Loirr from underground .
“However, that high-class recovery potion, and to have such a valuable item box…are you a high ranked adventurer from labyrinth city? Or are you a noble of some kingdom?”
“Nyaa . ”
Then, Rollo looks at Henkai’s face to greet him .
“Nuo, a cat?”
“Aah, this fellow is something like my familiar . Her name is Rollodinu . ”
Henkai seems weak to cats and his face is drawn .
“Is, is that so . And what is your name?”
“I am Shuya Kagari . You can call me either Shuya or Kagari as you like . ”
“After all, you’re a noble . Then, Shuya . Thank you . ”
“There’s no need for etiquette…besides, I’m just an adventurer, not a noble . I got the item box from a human that transformed into a demonic being after I killed them . ”
When he hears me a single eyebrow twitches on Henkai’s face .
“Oi, that one who transformed themselves . Did you kill the Kushanan?”
He seems to know of it .
“…Yeah, I killed it . ”
“-Is that so . I wanted to kill them myself…but it can’t be helped . I was fooled by that one too…my adamantine tree equipment was taken too, I was out numbered… How many years has it been?, I have been unconscious during my imprisonment…has the war ended yet?”
War? The war between Terramay and Samaria?
Or the war Osberia and that empire?
“War? That reminds me, I heard of some war between 【Osberia Kingdom】 and some empire…”
Hearing my words, Henkai’s eyebrows shoot up to the middle of his forehead .
He answers with a bewildered expression .
“What? That, Os-, I’ve never heard of that . Is it the large Befarittsu Empire of the Elves? The Dwarven Country…” (TL: Holy Shit he’s been down there for a long time . )[ED: My god he is ancient…]
Dwarven Country .
-That moment, the words of the “Exiled Dwarf” Loirr go through my head .
“…What kind of country is Henkai from, and what war was there?”
“I am from the Dwarven Country of 【Langur Kingdom】 . I was called the Silken General Henkai who led the Black Thousand Men Company . We were at war with the 【Great Empire of Befarittsu 】 of the Elves . ”
Great Empire of Befarittsu…
Come to think of it, Shisho told me about a war with such a country .
He said that a Dwarven Country disappeared 300 years ago leaving behind only the traces of an ancient battle field .
The Dwarf Loirr from the underground world talked about a Langur Empire…
Henkai called it the Dwarf Kingdom .
An Empire? Loirr was clear that there was a big war in the past against the surface a long time ago, he also said that communication was cut off .
Going by the name, I think it was also the Langur Country .
Over the years did it change from empire to kingdom…
On the map Shisho gave me there were no places called Great Empire of Befarittsu or Langur Country . It seems that the Dwarf country has disappeared from the surface .
This onion Dwarf has been imprisoned for a very exceedingly long time .
Maa, if I talk about the past that I know so little of things will only get more complicated, so I say nothing .
“…It’s bad, but I know of those two . If I had a map I would show you, but we should go back now instead . ”
“…Is that so . ”
Henkai becomes crestfallen and hangs his head .
Now then, on another note…
I have no weapon, so I should look for something that looks suitable .
I should try to look in that item box .
I mutter “Open” again, and the item list is displayed from the bracelet .
I remove the weapon like items from the item box one after another .
-The Cursed Sword, Bitou, Ax of the Adamantine Tree
When I take out the ax, Henkai reacts .
“Oooh, my weapon . Adamantine Tree . ”
“Oh, that reminds, there were other adamantine tree items . Do you want this?”
“-Of course, but, is it okay?”
“It’s fine . This full adamantine tree set is Henkai’s . I’ll take it all out . ”
Saying so, I remove the full adamantine tree set from the item box .
“Ooh, surely . This is it . You’ll really give it to me?”
“Take it . It doesn’t seem to be my size anyways . For now, I will use this magic sword . ”
Magic Sword Bitou, it is covered in a long, curved, dark red sheath .
When I pull the sword from the sheath, a strange sound echoes .
The slightly curved sword blade has a reddish tinge; it has purple characters similar to hieroglyphs and Arabic letters carved in it .
Extending ahead of the sword tip and a faint dark red haze appears .
Near the grip is written “Consecrated Rivguraf-kami, God of Darkness . ”
It is carved . It is not the name of the sword, God of Darkness .
I wield the magic sword and slash downward, getting a sense for its balance .
My first impression of the sword is that it is light .
It is overall thicker than one of Shisho’s Kukri swords but is still lighter than one .
This mysterious magic sword should be useful .
It has the feeling of a transformed bastard sword?
“Hou, that bastard sword?”
Saying so, Henkai has equipped the complete set of the adamantine tree .
His entire figure is orange, and he has changed to appear like a soldier from ancient Rome that appears in oversea movies .
I answer his question about the sword while having such an impression .
“Bastard Sword?”
“That fellow can be used with either one or two hands?”
As expected, it is a bastard sword .
Was it a hybrid sword used in the Middle Ages?
While staring at the dark red hue of the sword blade, I respond properly .
“…It is such a thing?”
“The appearance of the sword only gives such an impression . Shuya doesn’t seem to know much about swords . ”
“Yeah . ”
True, I have never seen such a fearsomely sharp dark red magic sword . It resembles a sword from games and movies, but it is my first time touching one .
I am looking at the magic sword, when-
“Aree, Kuna-sama, where aaare you, what happened?”
I hear the demon’s voice .