Episode 20

In a chamber whose surroundings were covered in black mineral, Zeke (Hiroto) stood at the entrance. This place was the deepest point at the current moment.

(We’ve made it this far for now, but what next?)

The so-called “Lagias Dungeon.” In the story, the party members visited this dungeon together. After the earlier survey failed and entry to the dungeon was banned, no one had set foot inside.

Glanz alone survived the survey team; they asked him to accompany them, but he refused at first. Wracked by guilt for the deaths of his comrades through his own “sin,” he rejected the protagonists. After twists and turns, he ultimately cooperated and they challenged the dungeon together.

Hiroto had cleared the many gimmicks in this survey with ease because he knew them from the original.

In the game, when you explored the dungeon, Glanz advanced the run while giving hints. He did not teach everything—he preached that thinking for themselves and cooperating were vital.

Up to the deepest chamber, nothing had changed from the survey phase, which was why they had progressed so smoothly. All thanks to his original-work knowledge. —But this place was different.

In the game, Glanz said the deepest chamber’s state had changed since that time. The space, now dominated by black, had been filled with the opposite—white—and stairs had appeared leading further down. The earnest exploration in the original began from there.

In other words, at the present stage, further exploration was impossible—and a vicious trap lay hidden.

The mechanism that wiped out the survey unit should still be intact.

(An inescapable setup… They didn’t give the details, did they.)

The original did not detail it. What was known: Fool had rushed to the mountain of gold and silver piled in the center of the chamber. That triggered the trap and brought on the horrific end.

(It’s conspicuously shiny. Normally you’d notice that, right?)

Just as Glanz had testified, the gold and silver treasure sat in the center. The black interior only made the hoard stand out more.

(If we go near that, it’s curtains. But unless we trigger the trap, the path forward won’t open. What to do…)

Because of that tragedy, Glanz retired, and the path deeper into the dungeon opened. You could say the victims themselves became the key.

(There’s no real need to go deeper right now anyway. Glanz is getting on in years; he’ll probably retire on his own sooner or later, right?)

Hiroto even considered deceiving Fool and leaving him behind in the depths—thinking, if you only look at the outcome, it would still follow the original. A fairly black-hearted idea.

All right, turn around and march—Hiroto was about to act when a group appeared to say “wait.”

“Quite a sight—nothing but black.”

“Looks exactly like the obvious trap room.”

Glanz’s survey unit had assembled in full.

“…It seems your brains are seriously broken. Are you idiots?”

“Yeah, yeah, so people say.”

“It’s galling to be lumped in with him. —And you, don’t agree so readily…”

(Why are they here! Did none of those verbal barrages work on them⁉︎)

“The point is to see the job through to the end.”

“And we can’t very well leave you behind here alone, can we.”

Hiroto found himself impressed by the survey unit’s nerves of steel.

“Hmm. It’s a curious space, but…”

“Listen up, incompetents. Don’t even think about going near that.”

“…No, normally you wouldn’t go near it.”

“Exactly—a bundle of suspiciousness.”

(Fool isn’t normal… And Zeke is his son.)

“So, what were you doing?”

“If you hadn’t gotten in my way, I’d be on my way home by now.”

“Unexpected. You’re not going to survey the interior?”

“…Unnecessary. All of you, clear out at once.”

He clearly did not want anyone stepping into the chamber before them. That was how it looked to Glanz.

“It’s obviously suspicious… But if we turn back now, it really will have been a stroll.”

“…Search shows nothing.”

“Something’s got to be concealed. Bottom line: just don’t go near that, right?”

(That’s true enough… but I still don’t want to go in.)

None of this showed on his face. Auto-poker-face was his specialty.

“Standing here won’t solve anything. Let’s go.”

One by one, the survey members advanced. Only Zeke and Glanz remained at the end.
Glanz looked to Zeke, who still had not moved. If there was danger, he could simply leave now, but he had no intention of doing so.

“Is something bothering you?”

“You feel nothing? —Then your senses are getting dull.”

They each sensed something, but neither could put it into words.

“One piece of advice from an old man: things too hard alone can be done together.”

“Hmph. Assuming it isn’t just a rabble.”

Glanz advanced, and Zeke as well—toward the ruin that awaited ahead.

“Even up close it’s truly all black. So strange~”

“It could be a valuable mineral. We’re bringing some back.”

The team continued their checks. They ignored the central hoard of gold and silver and kept methodically investigating.

“This black stuff is the only thing of interest—and that’s the flip side: it’s the only thing.”

“Search still isn’t finding anything. Is this the deepest point?”

Hiroto watched closely, scanning the surroundings. But his target was not the chamber—it was the survey members. If anyone moved carelessly toward the treasure at the center, he planned to crush them instantly.

“Why is he glaring at us? Creepy.”

Some quailed at Zeke’s ominous expression.

(Something’s off. This feeling—where have I…?)

Glanz, drawing on long experience, felt a wrongness. He opened his mouth to suggest they return to the entrance, but—

Suddenly, the entire space lit with a sinister glow.

“—! We’ve been had. Everyone, fall back!”

They reacted instantly and tried to retreat to the entrance, but they were a step too late. —The formation of the magic circle had already finished.

“Damn it! What is this⁉︎ We can’t get out⁉︎”

A transparent, wall-like thing radiating eerie light sealed the entire chamber.

“Stand aside! I’ll pry it open with magic… Rock Lance!”

She cast in an instant and hurled a spear of stone, but—

“—Tch! No effect. Then this… Felzen Hammer!”

A gigantic hammer of rock struck home, to no avail.

“Markus—on my mark!”

“! Right—let’s do it!”

Keat and Markus were haloed in rainbow light. In flawless coordination, they entered Unison Link stance.

The mana Markus had refined flowed into Keat’s weapon.

““Fang: Earth-Dragon Slash‼︎””

A massive jaw of earth bit into the barrier. The chamber shuddered; dust billowed.

“…Impossible. That was a Unison Link. It did nothing…”

“Damn. There’s no bite at all…”

They had unleashed a full-force strike, and nothing changed.

“Sage! We’ll hit it—three of us, with Markus—Sage?”

“…Everyone. This is a kind of ancient magic.”

“Ancient magic? What does it do⁉︎”

Glanz answered, his face pained.

“It designates a space by area—then shaves away everything within that area.”

“W-what does that mean, exactly?”

“…It’s a spell that erases this place—space and all. Because the space is severed, all attacks are null. Escape is… impossible.”

The fate of Glanz’s survey unit was sealed.