Chapter 99 Adventurer Kanata – Part ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Kanata! Something’s wrong!”
Just as he was doing his usual routine of checking in on the girls in training, an emergency call came through from Faris. That signal was reserved for true crises—if she had used it, then whatever he was doing now would have to wait.
Kanata sighed, regret flickering across his face, and shut down the monitor. He opened the comm line to Faris.
”What happened?”
”Kanata, it’s bad. Communication with Faris Unit Two has been completely cut off.”
”What?!”
Faris Unit Two had been assigned to accompany the Otaku Trio on their dungeon conquest. To be honest, its specs were extraordinary. In that party, only Taichi the Grappler, Kimura the Ranger, and Nanai the Black Mage could really fight. Even so, the porter, Miyabe, carried more items than any normal adventurer could, and Ninim, the White Mage, could provide not just healing but solid support magic.
In short, the Otaku Trio’s party was decently strong—but Faris Unit Two alone had the power to wipe them out if it came to that.
Which meant: with both the Otaku Trio’s strength and Unit Two’s support, total signal loss was something that should never have happened.
”What could’ve done this? What about Faris Unit Three?”
”Unit Three was focused on data analysis,” Faris explained, her tone unusually tight. “It’s weaker in combat than Unit Two, but it still outclasses the Otaku Trio. Even if Unit Two had been delayed by something, Unit Three should have been able to cover.”
”…And yet?”
”Right now, all we’re getting are periodic beacons confirming their survival. I’m running a log analysis to find out what happened.”
Even Faris—an ultra-high-level AI, a relic of the ancient civilization—sounded faintly anxious. That alone made Kanata’s chest tighten.
”It’ll take about five minutes to finish parsing the data,” she continued. “Kanata, bring me to the Main Room.”
The transmission cut there.
Even for Faris, five whole minutes was a long time. Just how massive was this data?
Cursing under his breath, Kanata grabbed the blade resting in the corner—Faris’s main form—and sprinted for the Main Room.
”Faris, can you tell what happened?” he asked while running.
”Hmm… give me a second. I just came out of sleep mode and—wait, this is bad. The log’s enormous. Kanata, connect me to the Main Core, fast!”
By the time she finished, Kanata had already arrived. He thrust the sword into the console slot beside the main terminal.
With the core linked, Faris could run full parallel processing, speeding everything up.
”Thanks… I know you’re worried, but give me a couple more minutes. Or do you want to, you know, pass the time with Faris-chan?”
”Idiot. Two minutes isn’t enough for that. Use every bit of processing you’ve got—including Faris-chan’s subroutines—and finish the analysis as fast as you can.”
”Roger that.”
Her voice fell silent again. She was giving it everything, and Kanata knew better than to interrupt.
Before long, El and the others began to gather in the Main Room. The girls, too, must have heard the emergency signal.
No one spoke. The tension in the air was almost physical. Kanata only gestured for them to sit and keep calm.
Finally, Faris’s voice came through the console.
”Sorry to keep you waiting. The analysis is done.”
”What’s the situation?”
”In short—” She paused, her voice low. “We still don’t know what happened. The dungeon team’s status is unknown—except for two: Nanai and Ninim. Their life signals remain active, but we have no data on their condition or surroundings.”
A sharp gasp broke the silence. Someone in the room had spoken, but Kanata didn’t look to see who. He couldn’t afford to.
”What do we know from the logs?”
”According to the records, they entered the dungeon northwest of Flora—the unconfirmed one. At least they managed to find it.”
That dungeon was one of the two remaining among the five that formed the pentagram pattern. The Otaku Trio had gone after it, and apparently, they’d discovered the entrance and made it inside.
”From the logs, everything up to the third floor went smoothly. Then data starts to drop out. They defeated the area boss on the fifth floor, but after that, things get murky.
They reached the entrance to the seventh floor, and after that point, only the routine ‘all safe’ beacons continued. Then suddenly—an emergency flag triggered. That was the final log.”
”And now?” Kanata asked.
”Only Unit Three’s periodic beacon remained. Until just now.”
Kanata’s breath caught. “…You mean it’s stopped too?”
”…Yes. It just went silent.”
”Then Nanai and Ninim—they’re—”
”Not necessarily,” Faris interrupted. “If only the beacon was functioning, Unit Three’s body may already have been destroyed. Its core can’t operate indefinitely without mana input. It might have gone into forced sleep to conceal information—and survive.”
”Faris, anything else?”
Keeping his voice steady, Kanata pressed for more data. Information was everything.
That was when Maya spoke up quietly. “Kanata… are you going?”
”Of course. The Otaku Trio are one thing, but Nanai and Ninim—they’re my girls.”
Maya gave him a faint smile. “…You really can’t say it straight, can you? But it’s dangerous to go alone.”
”I know. But there’s no one else to spare.”
Everyone around Kanata was strong—exceptionally so. In raw power, his group could rival any force in the world. But adventuring through dungeons required a different skill set altogether, and those who specialized in that were few.
Kanata clenched his fist.
”Then I’ll just have to bring them back myself.”
Being an adventurer demanded more than raw combat prowess. It required a wealth of knowledge and experience, the kind honed through countless trials. Kanata and his group, for all their cunning, lacked that depth. In this regard, the Otaku Trio—those eccentric allies—outshone him, their seasoned instincts as adventurers giving them an edge he couldn’t yet match.
”No need to worry,” Kanata said, his voice steady but tinged with hesitation. “I’m planning to ask Taniella and her team for support, but…”
He trailed off, the words catching in his throat. Taniella and her companions were no strangers to adventure. Before joining Mercuria’s knight order, they’d been well-known in their own right, their skills and experience exactly what this situation called for. The problem? Kanata’s recent history with Taniella was… complicated. His threats and manipulations had left a mark, one that made asking for her help a delicate matter.
Maya fixed him with a cold stare. “You know what ‘reaping what you sow’ means, right, Kanata?”
He grinned, unrepentant. “Sure, but I don’t regret a thing. No apologies here!”
Maya’s hand shot out, smacking him on the head with an imaginary fan, the gesture sharp and scolding. “Show some remorse, you idiot.”
Kanata rubbed his head, chuckling, but Maya wasn’t done. “Fine, I’ll handle Taniella. I’ll go through Tsubasa to secure their cooperation.”
It was convenient timing, really. Kanata had already planned to ask Taniella’s team to investigate another undiscovered Dungeon in Mercuria. This request aligned perfectly, a chance to leverage their expertise while smoothing over past tensions.
”Alright, Taniella’s team is yours to manage,” Kanata said, his tone brisk. “Give them whatever they need—resources, equipment, anything. If they need extra hands, send Faris-chan Units 5 and 7. They’re in trial mode, but they’ll outperform most human help. Equip Faris-chan Unit 4 with a stealth module and set it as our liaison. And…”
He rattled off a list of instructions, his mind racing with details. Pulling a longsword from the Console, he strapped it to his waist with a practiced motion. “El, Maya, I’m counting on you for the rest.”
With that, Kanata dashed out of the Main Room, heading for the chamber housing the Teleportation Array linked to Flora. His footsteps echoed with purpose, leaving the others to handle the fallout.
—
”Big sister…” Ninim’s voice trembled, barely audible as she reached out for Nanai. The air around her felt alive, oppressive, as if invisible forces coiled around her body, tightening with every breath.
”Ninim… hold on…” Nanai’s words were cut off, her voice muffled by a suffocating pressure that seemed to choke her resolve.
Ninim’s breath hitched, her body shaking as waves of fear and confusion overwhelmed her. “Big sister… please… I can’t…”
Her words dissolved into a whimper, her small frame wracked with tremors. Something unseen tormented her, teasing at her senses, leaving her helpless against the rising panic.
Nanai struggled to respond, her own voice stifled by the same relentless force. “Ninim…” she gasped, her eyes wide with desperation as she fought to reach her sister.
The sisters clung to each other’s voices, their bond a fragile thread in the suffocating darkness. Ninim’s pleas grew softer, her strength ebbing as the unseen pressure tightened its grip. “Big sister… I’m scared…”
Nanai’s heart pounded, her own fear mirroring her sister’s. She tried to speak, to offer comfort, but the weight against her was too much. Her words came out as broken whispers. “Ninim… I’m here…”
The torment didn’t relent. It pressed harder, relentless, as if testing their limits. Ninim’s body shook, her voice rising in a desperate cry. “I can’t… please, stop…”
Nanai’s resolve wavered, her own gasps mingling with her sister’s. They were trapped, overwhelmed by an unseen enemy that seemed to know exactly how to break them.
”Help… someone…” Ninim’s voice was barely a whisper now, tears streaming down her face.
”Kanata… please…” Nanai’s plea echoed, her voice cracking as she called out to the one person who might save them.
Their cries hung in the air, unanswered, as the oppressive force continued its assault. For Ninim and Nanai, the nightmare was only beginning
—
Dungeons were treacherous, filled with dangers that tested even the strongest wills. The story had taken a darker turn, leaving little room for lighter moments. For now, Ninim and Nanai’s plight served as a stark reminder of the stakes.
Could Kanata reach the sisters before they broke under the strain? And what fate awaited the Otaku Trio and Kimura in this unfolding chaos?
Notes:
• Faris – A sentient intelligence weapon managing dungeon systems. Uses humanoid interface Faris-chan. Loyal to Kanata, logical, obedient support.
• Kimura – Gou’s Family Name. The Ranger.
• Miyabe – Taichi’s loyal friend with the Porter gift, carries goods safely, bound by the Oath of One. Appears: During morning exercises, discussing plans with Taichi. Reason: Summoned as a hero, supports Taichi’s ambitions. Event: Joins Taichi’s scheme to accompany Hajime to town for trade.
• Taichi – A fierce friend of Otaku Hero with the Brawler gift, protects Taichi’s group, united by their sacred oath. Appears: Mentioned in Taichi and Ichiro’s plans, training with others. Reason: Summoned as a hero, serves as group protector. Event: Set to go to town with Kimura, accompanied by Taichi and Ichiro.
• May – Blonde, soft-eyed shrine girl. ch14–15. Gentle and pleading (“Please… just let us go…”), timid but loyal, relies on Mina’s strength. Came with Mina to save Sara, but was disarmed and bound by Kanata as his captive maid.
• Maya – Cheerful brown-haired girl, naturally charming and social, Kanata’s classmate and morning conversation neighbor.
• Taniella – Commoner knight of Mercuria’s Knight Order appearing after failed mass invasion of the Dungeon. Challenges commander Nui Tanggamus’s tactics to save soldiers. Commands 100 troops to prove her plan. Ally of Mary. Trait: brave, duty-bound.
• Tsubasa – A classmate, and a gift holder of Creator. He has an androgynous charm, popular yet approachable, bonds with Taichi’s group. The only son of the Ninari Conglomerate family.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply