The Dungeon Seeker - Volume 4 Chapter 0 prologue

「Hey, you……?」

 

The red-haired girl that Takeda Junpei met in the B-Rank Adventurer Selection Exam suddenly said after seeing him.

 

「Up until now, how many times, are you repeating life and death? Your karma is twisted that……it would be impossible to be fixed anymore you know?」

 

Receiving the girl’s words, a sharp pain runs through Junpei’s head.

 

「……repeating……life and death……? What do you mean……by that?」

 

And, he kneeled down on the grown.

 

While enduring the pain, the announcement of the electronic voice that echoes inside his head repeated.

 

ーーIn addition to murdering Sakakibara Kazuya and chance meeting with a dragon species, words that reaches the core have been received, the Thesaurus Points would be reduced by 70

 

The thesaurus points became 0.

 

In exchange to resealing, a skill shall be released. Furthermore, a part of the memories shall be released.

 

Extreme Skill【Trash Box】has been released.

 

From hereafter, optionally throwing away loaded skills is now possible.

 

Junpei slowly tries to understand what those contents mean.

 

Up until now, because Junpei had limited skill slots, in other words, he cannot throw away skills, so he did not take even the skills that he thought useful.

 

In short, it looks like thanks to the skill【Trash Box】, it would be possible to throw away skills.

 

“I mean, isn’t that……”, Junpei shivered with what it meant.

 

He would be able to steal all the skills from the people he killed or neutralized as long as he wanted, and throw them away if they became useless.

 

It was really something that could be described as “extreme”.

 

However, he did not have the leisure to think of that.

 

Anyways, his headache……it was terrible.

 

No, it was not limited to that.

 

He felt something hot, coming from deep within his head.

 

ーーwell, that cannot be helped.

 

The things that he should not, no, cannot forget……they were once again forcefully sealed together with the release of the extreme skill.

 

His brain cells were screaming, his soul was tearing.

 

What Junpei was feeling right now……he was about to remember something, but he cannot. It was like remembering what one had taken for dinner last night, but cannot remember for some reasonーーit was that kind of a mysterious feeling.

 

The girl who saw Junpei’s expression of enduring pain while drenched in sweat, whispers while tilting her head.

 

「Hmm……」

 

The red-haired girlーーCharnaught, started to bite her thumbnail as if to express “Incomprehensible……”.

 

「At first, I thought……it was forcefully resurrecting, then continue to explore the labyrinth, but……it looks like it’s different」

 

「……?」

 

「You are genuinely living……in fact……there are no traces of resurrection magic being used」

 

Charnaught’s golden eyes widened, then grinned.

 

「No……I see. This is……really quite……」

 

Did she feel something ridiculous, she started laughing while holding her stomach.

 

「Kufufu!! Ufu! Kufufufufufufufu! Kuhahahahaha!! This is great……!! It is neither god’s deed or the deep labyrinth’s deed……this is……this is just……a human’s deed……!!」

 

Continuing to laugh, Charnaught continued.

 

「ーーto be able to compel cruelty to this level……kuhahah!! Kuhahahahahaha!!! What a thing!!」

 

She made a huge nod, and said after turning around.

 

「……no, that is why……it might be because people like you exist, that humans are able to advance. Well, that’s, all……excuse me then」

 

「……what do……you mean?」

 

「What or whatever……I am just……no, I just do not want to get involved with you……or the whatever situation you are in」

 

Charnaught said while waving her hand backward.

 

「What I wish for is tranquillity. And, peace. Really when did the world became so troublesome, that I would need to be involved with such a harmless dungeon seeker……well then, see you later」

 

▼▼▼

 

ーーa few days later.

 

2000 meters above the ground.

 

Grasslands, forests, towns, and lakesーーthe scenery below passed very quickly.

 

A golden dragon and a red-haired girl riding on the back of that dragon.

 

Earth Dragon Empress Charlings and Flame Dragon Empress Balfnaught.

 

Just a while ago, the two of them had fused, and became the golden-eyed scorching red-haired beautiful girlーーCharnaught, however, right now, they had removed the law of fusion.

 

「The human world after a long time……their food culture had evolved so much. Chocolate donut……that was really delicious」

 

When the red-haired girl Balfnaught said that, the golden-colored dragon turned its glaring eyes towards the girl on its back.

 

「I cannot take a human form. And you, you ate out alone for several days……」

 

「A-re? Didn’t I brought lots of sweet souvenirs for Charlings」

 

「……you and I have a difference with size. There is no way that I would be satisfied with just 30 pieces of donuts」

 

「Arara〜. I’m very sorry for thaat……」

 

And, the girl looked towards the place far away up to the skyーーshe looked up to the Firmament, and whispered.

 

「……even so, that boy. Really……that was the first time that I saw such a sickening curse. Isn’t that right, Charlings?」

 

The golden dragon also whispered with a similar displeasure to those words.

 

「And so……in the end, what was that thing? No……is this really for the best? Balfnaught」

 

「Are you asking if we should leave it alone or not?」

 

「That is right. We had just exchanged a fist or two, and without properly exchanging words……we left. It is true that right now, that boy cannot become a threat to us, but……even so, isn’t he a Skill Hunter in its infancy?」

 

「If you are talking about that, it should be fine if he’s left alone. “That” is harmless after all」

 

Silence for a while.

 

And, the dragon opened its mouth.

 

「What do you mean by……harmless?」

 

「Un. “That” is harmless……should I explain it to you?」

 

「The explanation……can you wait for a while」

 

「n? Wait? Why?」

 

「That is, I know that analysis is your forte, that, I admit. It is I who had suffered for so much because of your way of thinking who is saying it. I can swear on that」

 

「I do not want to be told like that by you, who would forcefully flip the whole board when we were just playing shogi so sneakily」

 

「Well, leaving that on the side. In reality, you had understood everything with just that interaction right?」

 

「Not all though? I can only confidently say that I had read 98% of it」

 

「You can say that that’s everything. Even so, I am also counted as one of the primordial dragons. I do not like being thought from one to ten. Can I speak of my thoughts?」

 

Silence once again.

 

The dragon flapped its large wings, and ascended.

 

「I see. If that is so, it should be good to hear your thoughts……u〜n……should we make it in the form of me asking questions to you?」

 

「Let’s do that」

 

「Ne〜, Charlings? What……do you think?」

 

After pausing for a bit, the dragon opens its mouth.

 

「Is it about the curse that he have?」

 

「Un. That’s right」

 

「I had thought that, that curse, it is an ability of immortality that resurrects in the instant of death. On top of that……it’s a type that the owner itself doesn’t know about it」

 

“Un”, the girl nodded.

 

「You thought……means, it’s in past tense right?」

 

「Umu」

 

「Then, what do you think right now?」

 

Silence came once again.

 

However, after a while, the dragon slowly opened its mouth.

 

「Is it not……returning from death?」

 

(TL: 死に戻り Respawn / Resurrect in save point, I think)

 

“Kusuri”, the girl giggled.

 

「I’m very surprised, to think that Charlings could reach up to that with only that information」

 

「Did I not tell you, don’t make a fool of me alright? Although I’m like this, I am still a primordial dragon」

 

“Kukku”, the golden dragon laughed satisfyingly.

 

On top of that, did the dragon became very happy to the words “I’m surprised” that came from the red-haired girl, it narrows its eyes and nodded many times.

 

「Well, leaving that on the side……too bad. You’re wrong」

 

And there, the dragon got speechless, and got petrified for a while.

 

「What did you say……? I-I was quite……confident about it you know?」

 

「It is not returning from death. I can assure you that」

 

「Why is that?」

 

「The karma that surrounds his soulーーwith just returning from death, it would not become that much」

 

Receiving those words, the dragon became silent.

 

And finally, the dragon squeezed out a mortifying voice.

 

「I see……if you say so, then it might be so」

 

“However, if it’s like that……”, the dragon asked the girl.

 

「What in the world was that?」

 

This time, the girl became silent, and after a while, she raised her right hand’s pointing finger.

 

As if to reorganize inside her own head, or maybe to recheck them, she swings her finger as if it was a baton.

 

And, after nodding, she opened her mouth.

 

「”That” is……no, “that” is also……just like the god, or just like the chief of the conquering team deep within the labyrinth……he has become a prisoner of time」

 

「Hmm? A prisoner of time huh? From how he looks, he is just a boy in his teens though……prisoners of time should have lived for a long time……」

 

「As a fact, he is still in his teens you know? But, in reality, he isーー」

 

And there, a turbulence had appeared in the sky that the dragon was flying in.

 

Although stirred up by violent winds, the girl continued her words as if nothing had happened.

 

「He isーーーーーwhat he walkedーーーーーthe pathーーーーーーand with experience itself engravedーーーーーーthat is whyーーーーーthe conqueringーーーーーーeven normal humansーーーーーthe onlyーーーーーーーーーhe had alreadyーーーーーーvery long timeーーーーーーnumerousーーー」

 

Finally, the dragon passed through the turbulence.

 

Receiving the girl’s’ words, the dragon made an indescribable expression.

 

「I see. That is……that really is……grand, spectacular, and gruesome……I see」

 

The dragon and girl let out a deep sigh at the same time. And the silence for so many times had come again.

 

Unknown for how long had passed, finally the two finished their drive in the sky, and see their dwelling, the ancient forest.

 

And there, *Pan*, the girl clapped her hands as if to remember something.

 

「Ahh, come to think of it. I remembered because of that place’s labyrinth」

 

「What?」

 

「The distortion of space」

 

“Ahh, that huh……”, the dragon said with a voice mixed with displeasure.

 

「That’s true……the distortion of space is already at the level that it cannot be ignored」

 

「Most probably, the guys in the deepest part of the labyrinth had started to seriously challenge the last floor」

 

「The erosion……will it start? There’s also one who is trying to challenge us in the guild examination a while ago right?」

 

「Un」

 

「This isn’t something that is needed to be asked, but……have you noticed that we were being followed?」

 

「Don’t look down on me. And so……it looks like, he could also intervene with the physics calculation laws」

 

「It is you who is looking down on me. In the first place, one would be useless if they are unable to intervene with the physics calculation laws in the deepest floors. And so……what’s our winning percentage?」

 

The girl became silent again, and finally raised her right hand’s pointing finger up.

 

As if to reorganize inside her own head, or maybe to recheck them, once again, she swings her finger as if it was a baton.

 

And, after nodding and leaving a pause, she opens her mouth.

 

And, at the same time, the wind blows.

 

「ーーーー%」

 

「The deepest part of the labyrinth……huh. I see……」

 

「……where are we receiving the attack? I don’t want to lead it to our place of sleep」

 

「If so, you want to land on the ground around here?」

 

「Un, let’s do that」

 

「However, the erosionーーconnecting the current world and interstice world……huh」

 

And the dragon that looked up to the sky continued its words.

 

「ーーit will be stormy」

 

 

 

(「He isーーーーーwhat he walkedーーーーーthe pathーーーーーーand with experience itself engravedーーーーーーthat is whyーーーーーthe conqueringーーーーーーeven normal humansーーーーーthe onlyーーーーーーーーーhe had alreadyーーーーーーvery long timeーーーーーーnumerousーーー」

 

「彼は──────彼の歩んで────道は──────そのものに経験を刻む──だから─────普通の人間でも──攻略────唯一の道──既に──────彼──気の遠────回数──」

 

TL: This is just my guesses. Not sure what happened or what will, but I think that just knowing that Junpei’s a crazy nut is enough.)