History of the Greatest Territory Design - Episode 36
36fury. true repentance (1)
“Lloyd, are you still planning to enter that dungeon?.”
“of course.”
Lloyd answered and looked up at the sky..
It was a blue sky without a single cloud..
Therefore, the scorching sun should be shining everywhere..
But where he and his group are now, there is not even a trace of sunlight..
Everywhere was shrouded in dark shadows..
‘It's a gloomy place..’
Lloyd shrugged his shoulders unconsciously..
The Phlogia Gorge here was much narrower and deeper than I thought..
Thanks to this, no sunlight can reach the bottom of the valley where he is now..
No, it seemed like it wasn't just now..
‘It seems like there hasn't been sunlight for at least tens of thousands of years..’
There was no grass and everything was covered with damp moss and unknown mushrooms..
Especially the cavernous entrance to the dungeon where his gaze was directed..
“But it's dangerous. Like I've been saying for the past few days..”
Javiel's unique cold, dry voice pricked my ear from behind..
“Lloyd, it's not too late. The opponent is a wizard.”
“…….”
“It would be better to return to the territory like this and come back properly prepared to face the wizard..”
“…….”
“Lloyd?”
“uh.”
“Are you listening to me?.”
“no. It's dripping from my ears.”
“…….”
Lloyd said, still looking at the dungeon entrance..
“Are you a parrot? For some reason, it seems like I've been repeating the same thing over and over since I left the orc village.?”
“When did I…….”
“Sometimes it's shit. It's been like that, it's been that way. Lloyd, it's dangerous. Lloyd, this is reckless. Lloyd, this is unreasonable. Lloyd, raise the blue flag and lower the white flag. Well, isn't this it? Anyway-”
Lloyd wrinkled his nose..
“I don't like your opinion.”
“Why?.”
Javiel's rebuttal came immediately..
Lloyd responded immediately..
“Because you are trying hard to hide the uncomfortable truth.”
“yes?”
“What I say, you can't deny it.”
Before I knew it, Lloyd was looking back..
Javiel unconsciously paused when he saw those eyes directed at him..
“Javiel? No, Sir Asrahan. Let me ask you just one question. Suppose I follow your opinion. So let's say I go back to the estate to make proper preparations and then come back here..”
“yes.”
“Meanwhile, all the soldiers caught inside will die.?”
“that…….”
“Right?”
“……Yes, probably..”
Javiel nodded impatiently..
A bitter smile appeared on Lloyd's lips..
“okay. The truth is, you and I both know the uncomfortable truth. But you made your decision. You shouldn't put the heir of the territory in danger to save a few soldiers. that's right?”
“Lloyd, I…….”
“That's it. I admit that your judgment is reasonable. However, this is only if you don't know how to break through the dungeon's defensive trap magic circle..”
“yes?”
What does that mean?.
Javiel's eyes narrowed..
“Is there a way to break through this??”
“uh. I think you can apply the faint method of thinking..”
“Do you mean the law of heart??”
“uh.”
Lloyd nods..
Suddenly, the contents of the novel Iron Blood Knight appeared in his mind..
‘okay. I applied the mind method. You became a sword master a few years later.’
The future Javiel who conquers this dungeon in the novel.
I had a lot more experience than I have now..
Using that experience, he devised an efficient way to break through the magic circle..
It was to use the mana absorption ability of Asurahan's mind technique..
As such, Lloyd mentioned the breakthrough method devised by Javiel from the future in the book..
“You, with your foolish mind, tried to crunch the mana in the air.?”
“It's crunchy!?”
“absorption.”
“yes, of course.”
Javiel answered.
“I do that often on a regular basis..”
“I guess so. so do i. Because you can do it anytime, anywhere, it is good training for your mind..”
it was true.
For that reason, Lloyd often resorted to shady methods whenever he had the chance..
Absorbed the natural mana spread in the air..
It was slightly amplified to the point where it was barely noticeable..
It was a great exercise.
“How does it feel when you absorb mana from the air like that??”
“Of course-”
Javiel thought for a moment and said.
“I feel peaceful.”
“tranquility? why?”
“Isn't this because the mana in the air is always constant?.”
“yes?”
“yes.”
That was also true.
The mana spread in the air was always uniform..
There were almost no cases of clusters in one place or empty spaces..
So, when air mana is absorbed, the amount of mana coming into the circle is always constant..
“yes. Always constant, like just breathing air. But that's it. What would it feel like if you used a magic spell and absorbed mana around a magic circle hidden from view??”
“yes? Of course that… … ah.”
Javiel’s expression changed..
I looked at Lloyd with new eyes..
“The mana that had been abnormally concentrated due to the magic circle bursts into a lump and comes in all at once..”
“okay. you know what i mean?”
“yes.”
Lloyd grinned..
Javiel internally swallowed his admiration..
It was a pretty simple idea, but I hadn't thought of it before..
‘Lloyd is right. In essence, a magic circle is a device that artificially attracts mana that is widespread in nature and changes its arrangement to create magical effects. So, of course, there would be an abnormal concentration of mana around it..’
Then, to find the magic circle?
Absorbs mana from surroundings by using the Shameless Mind technique..
Walk slowly while maintaining absorption..
Then, the mana gathered in one place by the magic circle will clump up and be absorbed..
‘Then, you can determine the direction and distance from which the mana mass came. Even if the magic circle is hidden and invisible to the eye, you can find it using just your senses..’
Javiel's gaze turned to Lloyd..
“Lloyd.”
“uh?”
“I think it's probably possible.”
“yes?”
“yes.”
Javiel nodded..
Lloyd grinned..
“So now you're ready to rush into the dungeon.?”
“yes. Then Lloyd is waiting here. I'll go alone.”
“I don't like that?”
“Why? It's dangerous inside.”
“I know.”
Lloyd glanced around..
“But would you feel safe if you left me here and went inside alone??”
“yes?”
“There is a guarantee that it will be safe here.?”
“that…….”
“No?”
“…….”
Javiel was silent..
What I heard was that Lloyd was right..
I couldn't conclude that the only danger at the bottom of this canyon was a warlock..
However, if you leave Lloyd here and enter the dungeon alone,?
If Lloyd, left behind, falls into unexpected danger,?
I won't be able to protect you.
Javiel sighed softly..
“All right. Then, let’s go in together. There is just one condition.”
“condition? say it.”
“Promise me that if the situation becomes dangerous at any time, you will run away immediately without hesitation..”
“When the situation gets dangerous?”
“That's right. I understand Lloyd's desire to save the soldiers inside. But the most important thing is Lloyd's safety. so-”
Javiel's eyes and expression became solemn..
“Whenever the situation becomes dangerous, flee immediately. Even if you have to abandon me.”
“huh? Isn't it obvious??”
“…….”
“If I'm about to die, of course I should abandon you and run away. I once again endure something like that.”
“…….”
“Are you sad? Are you upset??”
“no.”
“Nope. I know what you're looking at right now?”
“I do not know. I don't really want to know.”
“Look. It's true that you're upset.”
“…….”
One of Javiel's eyebrows twitched..
Lloyd spun around and picked up the shovel..
Before we knew it, the two were approaching the dungeon entrance..
I naturally tensed my body and heightened my senses..
Javiel took a step forward..
“From here, I will go first..”
“Okay, go. robotic vacuum.”
“……What is a robot vacuum cleaner?.”
“There is such a thing. The modifier is pretty.”
“I'm not very pretty.”
“I know. Let's focus. Is now the time to tell jokes??”
“The joke was made by Lloyd first... … Phew, no.”
Javiel's expression turned cold..
It seemed to increase my concentration..
My steps also became cautious and slow..
So we moved forward little by little, step by step..
Literally like a robot vacuum cleaner cleaning the floor..
Little by little, I began to sense the space by absorbing the mana around me..
Swoosh, swoosh.
Entrance to a cave at the bottom of a windless canyon.
Only the faint sound of Javiel's footsteps echoed there..
How far has it progressed like that?.
Javiel stopped walking..
“here. It's three steps ahead..”
“Don't be so vague, but be more specific. Have you ever seen a pocket watch??”
“yes.”
“Use the time displayed on the clock as your direction. If it's the front, it's 12 o'clock. If it's at the rear, it's 6 o'clock. Like this.”
That should be said now..
If you just vaguely say things like "forward, right," etc. and move, a catastrophe could occur. Since the signs do not match, it is possible to step on the magic circle with a difference of a few centimeters..
Did Javiel also realize what this meant?.
I immediately changed my words.
“1O'clock, three steps away.”
“okay.”
Swoosh, swoosh.
The movement continued.
Javiel's detection continued..
“2o'clock direction. It's two steps away.”
“Then at 11 o'clock?”
“there is nothing.”
“Then let’s take two steps toward 11 o’clock..”
“All right.”
“Something is being detected?”
“9It's the o'clock direction. The front is clean.”
“okay. move forward again.”
After that, movement and detection continued..
Of course, there were often dangerous moments..
This was because the trap was not just a magic circle..
Slurp, weed!
There was a faint sound from the floor..
At the same time, an arrow flew from the wall..
Arrowhead flashing green.
It was a poisoned arrow..
“where!”
Kaang!
The arrow flying towards Javiel's chest was blocked by Lloyd's shovel head..
“Phew, thank you.”
“That's it. Keep moving forward and detect. You detect magic circles, I block physical traps. okay?”
“All right. but…….”
“but?”
“Don't overdo it.”
“aha. It means don't get hurt trying to block arrows or something.?”
“You are correct. If you think Lloyd will get hurt, you can use me as a shield..”
“I was going to do that from the beginning?”
“…….”
“I took it for granted from earlier.”
“…….”
“Pissing off again. let's go.”
So the two kept moving forward..
Javiel detected the magic circle, and Lloyd defended the physical trap device..
‘Of course, in the novel, Javiel did this all on his own..’
That's the story a few years later, when he became a sword master..
On the other hand, Haviel is now only an advanced sword expert..
Detecting mana and preparing for physical traps at the same time was impossible for the current guy..
No matter how much mana was absorbed and sensed, the amount was very small..
‘They said that mana comes in chunks, but in reality, well... … One shot of 1 liter of ramen broth contains only a small piece of green onion soup mixed in. No, I think it's much more subtle than that..’
This required such a delicate sense..
I had to help Javiel fully concentrate..
“Come on, let's keep going. slowly. Don't rush.”
The two walked step by step..
Before I knew it, the surroundings became increasingly dark..
The light coming from outside has disappeared.
From then on, I relied on the light of the torch..
And then I kept moving forward.
30Minutes, an hour, now two hours, I detected numerous magic circles and avoided traps..
Meanwhile, Lloyd was constantly ruminating and recalling the contents of the novel, The Knight of Iron Blood..
The end of this long trap zone.
Because I knew there was a type of trap there that could never be avoided..
‘According to the description in the novel, it looks roughly like this..’
A passage that bends sharply to the right.
Then the passage widened significantly..
On the other side of the widened passage, an open space was seen in the distance..
deepest part of the dungeon.
It was a warlock's laboratory..
‘found.’
a laboratory far away.
I saw the black-clothed warlock sitting at the table in the center jump up..
A warlock was also seen gesturing in this direction..
It was the moment when a trap that could never be avoided was triggered..
The trap came down from the ceiling..
Klick, clap, kwaaaang-!
A thick steel barrier fell..
The entire front aisle was completely blocked..
It was the same in the back too..
Another steel wall fell.
Kwaaang-!
As a result, the two became completely trapped in the middle of the passage..
The situation did not end there.
Push from the ceiling! I heard a voice saying.
Soon, a sweet and fragrant smell spread inside the sealed passage..
It was a powerful aroma gas that induced sleep..
But Lloyd wasn't fazed at all..
The same was true for Javiel..
At this point, the two of them didn't even have an eyelash or a duodenal villus twitch..
“hey. Isn’t this a rather familiar situation?.”
“Well, that's what I heard..”
dark passage.
enclosed space.
an isolated situation.
Somehow, I was reminded of the ant cave I had overcome before..
The two of them stopped laughing at these friendly(?) conditions..
And I started to deal with this situation very calmly..
Thanks a little later.
The mental state of the warlock, who was relieved that he had trapped the two, evaporated as he performed the lamprey ascension dance..
Comments