part2 · 111-ep111

Episode 111: A Sense of Unease

Inside the dungeon was quiet.

Just one step in from the surface, and the air changed. The wind outside, people's voices, the sound of cars—none of it reached here.

What was there instead: damp walls. Dim passages. And the presence of magic filling the entire space.

Mizuki gripped her staff and looked around.

"Hinata, please scout."

"Yes."

Hinata answered shortly and closed her eyes. A faint light spread at her feet and flowed toward the far end of the passage.

A few seconds later, Hinata opened her eyes.

"There are monster reactions nearby. Three of them. If it's as the records say, it's the type that appears on this floor."

"Got it."

Mizuki nodded and looked at Reina.

"Reina, take the front."

"Leave it to me."

Reina put her hand on the hilt of her sword and stepped forward. The three began walking down the passage with practiced steps.

An A-rank dungeon. Fifty floors in all. High danger level.

But for 《Astra》, it wasn't an unknown region.

Mizuki read the flow of magic, Reina held the front line, and Hinata handled scouting and support. The three's coordination had been built through many real battles.

The first floor was almost exactly as the documents said. The shape of the passages. The kinds of monsters. The magic concentration.

It was somewhat high, but not enough to call it abnormal. The monsters that appeared were the same as those in the records.

Reina stepped forward.

"Hah!"

A single flash.

The monster's body split diagonally and collapsed on the spot. The second one followed.

Mizuki's magic was released, freezing the monster's feet.

"Reina!"

"I know!"

Reina closed the distance and swept her sword through.

The third monster was slowed by Hinata's support magic, and Reina finished it off just like that.

The fight ended quickly.

On the floor, the bodies of the fallen monsters remained. But this time, collecting materials wasn't the goal.

Prioritizing the investigation, the three only checked the safety of their surroundings.

"So far it's normal."

Reina lightly shook the black bodily fluid off her sword.

"Yeah."

Mizuki stared at the fallen monsters.

"But don't let your guard down."

"Of course."

"How's the magic concentration?"

Mizuki asked Hinata.

Hinata took out a small magic tool and checked the figures.

"It's a little high. But there's no big difference from the guild's documents."

"Got it. Let's proceed as planned."

The three headed further in.

First floor. Second floor. Third floor.

Up to the fifth floor, there were no great abnormalities. It matched the map too. The monsters were as recorded.

There were no collapsed passages either. The communication device was responding without issue too.

Reina let the tension out of her shoulders a little.

"At this rate, it looks like we'll just go up to the twentieth floor and come back."

"I hope so."

Hinata answered, still wearing a cautious expression.

"The flow of magic is a little unstable."

"Unstable?"

Mizuki turned around.

"Yes. It's not a big disturbance. But it isn't constant. The flow grows stronger and weaker."

"That's similar to last night's monitoring records."

"Yes."

Mizuki looked down the passage.

It still wasn't enough to withdraw. But it was a little concerning to dismiss as mere error.

"Record it."

"Yes."

Hinata left the information on her terminal. The three proceeded cautiously.

Sixth floor. Seventh floor.

From around there, the sense of unease began to grow little by little.

The first to notice was Hinata.

"...Please wait."

A quiet voice. But it was mixed with tension.

Mizuki and Reina stopped at once.

"What's wrong?"

"The monster reactions are strange."

"A lot of them?"

"No. Not the number—their movement."

Hinata closed her eyes and widened her scouting range. A faint light stretched toward the far end of the passage.

"Ahead of here, there are multiple monsters. But this is a kind that normally acts alone on this floor. And they're moving together."

Reina furrowed her brow.

"You mean they're in a group?"

"Yes. And also..."

Hinata's expression clouded.

"Rather than coming toward us, it looks like they're fleeing deeper in."

"Fleeing?"

Reina's voice dropped.

Monsters fleeing. That itself wasn't unusual. But the direction was wrong.

Normally, monsters in the shallow levels don't stray far from their territory within the floor. Much less do they move deeper in.

Mizuki gripped her staff again.

"We'll check the situation. Even if it comes to a fight, we won't chase them far."

"Got it."

"Yes."

The three advanced, suppressing their footsteps.

Ahead in the passage. Beyond a corner, the group of monsters came into view.

Four.

Indeed, it was a kind that should normally act alone. Yet they pressed against one another, pushing deeper and deeper.

They should have noticed Mizuki's group, yet they didn't attack. It was as if they were fleeing from something.

"...That's weird."

Reina murmured quietly.

"Yeah."

Mizuki felt the same.

The monsters' eyes weren't looking at them. They were afraid.

No. They were being made afraid.

By something.

"Do we kill them?"

Reina checked.

Mizuki thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"Not now. The goal isn't slaying. Let's record their movement and go on."

"Got it."

Hinata quickly left a record. The three advanced as if avoiding the monsters.

Eighth floor. Ninth floor. Tenth floor.

The sense of unease began to take on further form.

Part of the wall seemed to undulate faintly. It was only for an instant. But Mizuki didn't miss it.

"Stop."

At Mizuki's voice, the two stopped.

"Look at the wall."

Reina and Hinata turned their eyes.

A damp black wall. At a glance, an ordinary dungeon wall.

But looking closely, the veins of magic running across the surface weren't constant. They slowly flickered, as if breathing.

"...Is this moving?"

Reina grimaced in disgust.

"Rather than moving, it feels like the magic is pulsing."

Hinata answered.

"There was no record of this in the documents, was there?"

"None."

Mizuki observed from a distance, careful not to touch the wall with the tip of her staff.

An abnormality. It could be called that.

However, not enough yet to declare that the danger level had risen sharply.

Mizuki steadied her breathing.

"Let's report to the guild once here."

"Yeah. That's best."

Reina nodded with a serious expression too.

Mizuki took out the communication device. From the shallow levels to just before the middle ones, communication got through.

It would be a little noisy, but it should still work.

"This is 《Astra》. We've reached the tenth floor. Confirmed pack behavior by monsters not in the records, and pulsing magic on the wall surfaces. Magic concentration is on a rising trend. At present there's no problem continuing combat, but we'll strengthen our vigilance."

A short silence.

From the communication device came a voice mixed with faint static.

'This is the guild. Report received. If you feel danger, withdraw immediately.'

"Understood. As planned, we'll confirm up to the twentieth floor and make the withdrawal judgment there."

'Understood. Please don't push yourselves.'

"Yes."

She ended the communication.

Mizuki looked at the two.

"We go on. But we prioritize withdrawal."

"Got it."

"Yes."

The three started walking again.

Eleventh floor. Twelfth floor.

From there, the air grew a little heavier.

Not to the point of making breathing difficult. But there was a pressure that clung to the skin.

The magic inside the dungeon was growing thicker. Mizuki felt that with her body.

Reina too was gradually losing her usual lightness.

"The monsters are moving faster than before."

After the fight, Reina shook the black bodily fluid off her sword.

"Stronger than the records?"

"At least it's not the movement of the shallow levels."

Mizuki looked at the body of the fallen monster.

The monster just now was, per the records, one that appeared around the tenth floor. But its movement was clearly sharper.

Its strength was greater too. Perhaps it was being affected by the magic.

"Hinata, are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. Support is no problem either."

"Communication?"

Hinata checked the communication device.

"The noise has increased a little. But I think it still connects."

"Got it."

Mizuki judged cautiously. There was the option to turn back here.

But the survey range was up to the twentieth floor. She had already reported to the guild too.

She needed to confirm how far this abnormality continued.

However.

Mizuki drew a line in her mind.

Up to the twentieth floor. Once she'd confirmed that, she'd turn back.

"When we reach the fifteenth floor, we'll check the situation once more."

"Got it."

Thirteenth floor. Fourteenth floor. Fifteenth floor.

There, Hinata stopped.

"...The communication is disturbed."

Fine static could be heard from the communication device. It wasn't completely cut off. But the sound was unstable.

Mizuki sent a communication right away.

"This is 《Astra》. We've reached the fifteenth floor. Confirmed a rise in magic concentration, a strengthening trend in monsters, and a worsening of communication conditions. As planned, we'll proceed to the twentieth floor and withdraw there."

There was a short delay before the reply.

'...This is... the guild... confirmed... prioritize... withdrawal...'

The voice came through broken.

Hinata's expression stiffened.

"If we go further in, communication might become quite difficult."

"Yeah."

Mizuki put the communication device away.

"Once we reach the twentieth floor, we go back at once."

"Got it."

There was no lightness left in Reina's voice either.

The three advanced.

Sixteenth floor. Seventeenth floor.

The shape of the passages gradually began to diverge from the map. The position of corners was different. There was one extra small room.

A passage that should have been there was a little narrow. It wasn't a big change. But it was definitely different.

"...This doesn't feel like something we can settle with just an investigation, does it?"

Reina said in a low voice.

Mizuki didn't deny it.

"Once we've confirmed the twentieth floor, we go back."

"Isn't it fine to go back right now?"

Reina asked.

Her voice wasn't blaming. It was a confirmation. A question to verify the leader's judgment.

Mizuki looked around once.

The magic concentration was rising. Communication was unstable. There were changes in the terrain too.

But the route home was still secured. Combat was still manageable.

And the twentieth floor was almost right there.

"We'll check up to the twentieth floor."

Mizuki said quietly.

"We'll look at the situation there and withdraw at once. We won't go any further."

"Got it."

Reina nodded.

"Hinata, is that all right with you too?"

"Yes. We can still return for now."

"Yeah. That's why we go back while we still can."

Mizuki said that and faced forward.

Eighteenth floor. Nineteenth floor.

The monsters' forms decreased even further. That was, conversely, eerie.

Normally, the deeper the floor, the higher the density of monsters. But now it was different.

The monsters were moving somewhere. Or avoiding something.

Deeper in. Even deeper.

As if drawn in by the dungeon itself.

"...I don't like this feeling."

Reina murmured.

"Same here."

Mizuki returned shortly.

Hinata's complexion had gotten a little worse.

"The flow of magic is heading downward."

"Downward?"

"Yes. Further in than the twentieth floor. It's like it's being sucked into something."

Mizuki didn't stop her feet.

The twentieth floor was right before them now. Confirm, then return. That was all it took.

That was the judgment she made.

Before long, the three reached the twentieth floor.

It was a wide space. The ceiling was high, and pale blue veins of magic ran across the walls.

A relay point also noted in the documents.

Normally, from here on there was only one passage leading further in. And that passage continued to the twenty-first floor.

But—

"...What is this?"

Reina stopped.

Mizuki narrowed her eyes too. Hinata caught her breath.

At the far end of the hall.

A passage that didn't exist on the map was open.

A passage black and deep, like a hole. The magic of the walls was flowing into it.

It was as if a new path had been born in the depths of the dungeon.

"...There's no passage like this on the map."

Hinata's voice trembled.

Mizuki judged at once.

"We're withdrawing."

She didn't hesitate.

The survey range was up to the twentieth floor. On that twentieth floor, they'd confirmed a passage not on the map.

There was no reason to go further. Rather, they must not.

"Reina, watch the rear. Hinata, communication."

"Got it."

"Yes."

Hinata took out the communication device.

But the next moment.

—Kzzzt.

Harsh static rang out.

"...It won't connect."

"Again."

"Yes."

Hinata operated the communication device. But all that came back was static.

Mizuki's expression tightened.

"Forget communication. We go back and report directly."

"Got it."

The three turned back the way they'd come.

That was when.

—Gooonn.

A low sound echoed from the depths of the dungeon. A sound like the earth rumbling.

The air trembled. The magic of the walls shone strongly for a single instant.

"...Kh!"

Hinata instinctively shrank back.

Reina drew her sword.

"Mizuki!"

"Run!"

Mizuki gave the order instantly.

The three broke into a run toward the way they'd come.

They could still get back. There was still a passage.

The path leading to the nineteenth floor was certainly there before them.

But the moment they started running.

From the hall behind them, the low sound echoed again. This time, closer than before.

It was a sound like space itself warping.

Mizuki didn't turn around. Even the time to turn around was too precious.

They had to get back. Right now.

That was the judgment she made.

That judgment was correct. It wasn't reckless. It wasn't carelessness.

But—

The dungeon's anomaly.

had begun to move just slightly faster than Mizuki and the others' judgment.