Volume 4 Chapter 8 Trial of Emptiness
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The stone room was dead silent.
Not a trace of the monsters outside reached me.
Even my Search skill couldn’t peek into the world beyond.
This must be it… this stone room and the dungeon’s 4th floor are in separate spaces.
Each floor of this dungeon exists in its own space.
The stairs are like transfer gates connecting different dimensions.
The difference in the flow of time must be because of the separate spaces.
Could I use the time difference with the outside world to my advantage?
Smells like money.
I can’t think of any genius ideas right off the bat, but still, aging miso in a year instead of 3 is a big deal.
Same goes for harvesting shiitake logs in a third of the usual time.
Would be easy on the first floor, but Narga would just smash the miso barrels and shiitake logs.
The third floor is safer with fewer Lamias, but other adventurers might tear it down.
I can’t wrap my head around the principles of other dimensions, but changing maps?
That’s a game staple.
I’ve scrambled to the next map just to escape a monster train before.
…I get the feeling there’s a summoned Hero out there who still believes this world is a game.
There are plenty of game-like aspects to this world.
Speaking of, what was that detective’s name again?
Does he still believe this world is a VRMMO?
He’s a bit odd, but one of the few Japanese people I know here.
I bet he wouldn’t look down on someone based on their level or abilities.
Next time I’m in the capital, I want to have a long chat with him.
I also want to find out how the other summoned Heroes are treating the Doll Princess.
I can’t be the only one who wants to extend her life, maybe someone’s already found a solution.
There might be scientists among the summoned, could they use some unknown Earth technology to pull it off?
* * *
When I’ve got nothing else to do, my mind just spirals into pointless thoughts.
If Ms. Nina wants a dignified death, maybe I should just smile and watch until the end.
I get her policy, though.
It’s not about how long you live, but how you live.
I respect that.
It’s kinda cool.
But that’s not me.
No matter how stupid it is, I don’t want to die.
Dying… scares the hell out of me.
I don’t even know why I did something so reckless this time.
If I can save Ani-Ani, do you think they’d praise me for it?
* * *
Damn it, they’re late.
What are those 4 idiots doing?
The priest should’ve finished healing, and the MP should’ve been restored by now.
Don’t tell me they gave up and left?
At this time of year, hardly any adventurers come to this dungeon.
If they leave, who knows when someone else will come by?
They have to try just one more fight, or we’re screwed.
If they don’t, the door in the back of the stone chamber won’t open.
Wait…
I feel like I forgot something important… That’s it.
In that game, this dungeon didn’t have a door before the boss fight.
I only thought I could manage with Stealth skill because of the game knowledge.
This stone chamber wasn’t in the game.
The game didn’t exactly replicate every dungeon scenario, but I really don’t need any more unpredictable stuff this late in the game.
Guess I’ll have to go at the boss the normal way?
Maybe the “flag” hasn’t been triggered yet.
Should I explain things to the 4 and ask for their help with strength?
It’s not like I have to do it all by myself.
Someone else could just deliver the Dragon God’s Herb to Ani-Ani.
Still, the Dragon God’s Herb doesn’t last long, so it’s not worth much on the regular market.
But Mr. Laken’s emergency quest, with the whole fortune he invested, has a reward that even top-tier adventurers would jump at.
That’s gotta be an easy sell for those 4.
If they don’t know about Mr. Laken’s emergency quest yet, I could just buy it from them for a little more than the market price.
I’ve got enough cash for that.
Huh?
Maybe I should’ve asked for their help right from the start…
All the struggle I went through… makes me feel like an idiot.
I probably couldn’t think flexibly because I had some hero complex deep down.
I definitely wanted to impress Ms. Nina, no doubt about it.
They look like a bunch of rookies, but they’d have a way better shot than me going at the boss alone.
That thief gave off a terrible vibe, but I don’t think he’d turn down a chance to make a profit as an adventurer.
A lot of summoned heroes seem to have let their power corrupt them… but we’re talking about a soft-hearted Japanese guy here.
If he hears a girl’s sad story, he’ll want to help.
And adventurers who can’t join events like the Wyvern Festival are probably struggling to make ends meet.
As you level up and can kill stronger monsters, you earn more… but the costs for weapons and armor go up too.
I’ve heard some even end up in the red at certain levels.
Plus, the early-bird heroes already grabbed all the profitable gigs, so the newer ones end up in a tough spot.
I must’ve spent quite a while thinking about how to approach those 4…
Suddenly, the stone door deep inside the chamber vanishes without a sound, revealing a dark corridor.
Something’s moving toward us from the entrance.
Guess those 4 have already gotten into a fight.
I was waiting for this moment… now what?
Should I retreat and ask the 4 for help?
Or stick to the original plan and go at it alone?
This might be my last chance.
What should I do?
Me?
There’s no time to think.
I slip past the approaching monsters and leap through the door.
The surroundings go pitch black.
It’s not just dark… is this real darkness?
No, there’s not even darkness.
There’s absolutely nothing.
I crank up the Radar Scan to full power, but nothing registers.
I can’t even tell up from down.
I don’t feel like I’m falling, so I’m not dropping.
But I don’t feel like I’m floating either.
My body moves fine.
I can breathe normally… but something feels off.
My breath is too easy.
Even if I exhale hard, there’s no sound of air rushing out.
No air resistance.
I can’t even whistle.
I tried shouting… but no sound comes out.
Hmm, am I… dead?
Bad timing.
Did I fall into some kind of rift and disappear?
Or maybe I got killed instantly by the boss waiting on the other side of the door?
I don’t know if I can revive after this… or if I’ll just be lost forever.
Looks like my plan failed.
I just hope those 4 clear the dungeon and take on Mr. Laken’s emergency quest.
I should’ve told Ms. Claire to head back to the village once they ran out of food.
Stupid.
I never even considered what would happen if I died.
If this is what death feels like, it’s not as terrifying as I imagined.
The lack of up or down… feels weird.
It’s nice that my body feels light, but not knowing where I stand is kind of unsettling.
Staying calm is key.
If I panic, I feel like my mind might just crumble.
Will I lose my sanity and memories, then get reincarnated somewhere?
I might not even come back as a human.
Could be a bug or a fish…
I really don’t want to be lost like this.
Dying before Ms. Nina was never part of the plan.
Knowing her, she’d probably be more disappointed about my death than I am.
She was all about turning me into a real Hero.
She had big plans for me.
I always wanted to meet the original Princess Auroora, have a talk with her.
They say it’s voluntary to provide a personality for the Doll Princess.
There are almost a hundred tiny kingdoms, so there must be hundreds of princesses.
Only a handful of people are needed each year to be the basis for the Doll Princess.
Only the most exceptional candidates are chosen to be the prototypes.
What did Princess Auroora leave behind for Ms. Nina, her own reflection?
To protect the world from the threat of Demonfolk?
But… are the Demonfolk really evil?
The history Miss Floria taught me and what the Hero Bureau tells me don’t exactly match up.
If the Demonfolk aren’t evil, then the many Heroes and Doll Princesses who were lost to another world, their sacrifices… it would all be for nothing.
If there are Demonfolk who can talk, I’d like to hear their side of the story.
The whole idea of Demonfolk is pretty vague, if you ask me.
Used to be, even dragons and wolves got lumped in as Demonfolk.
Now, just ’cause they’re enemies of the Demonfolk, suddenly they’re not counted anymore.
Convenient, huh?
Wolves might be scary, but that doesn’t make them evil.
Alex is from Earth, and he’s a real piece of work.
If Mr. Uruu the wolf was fighting Alex, I’d want to help Mr. Uruu, but it feels like betraying my own kind… it’s a bit of a struggle.
Normally, I’d side with a human against a wolf I don’t know.
If Ms. Claire was fighting a human, I’d back her up without a second thought.
When you think about it, picking sides is all about who you identify with and your personal likes and dislikes.
Good and evil?
That’s just an afterthought.
Ah, is that how it is?
The role of the Doll Princess finally clicked for me.
Their mission is to bind the summoned, rootless Hero with their bonds.
Once that sense of belonging sets in, even if the Doll Princess breaks, the summoned Heroes will keep fighting the Demonfolk as the enemy.
There are tons of stories where the Doll Princess gets destroyed by the Demonfolk right in front of the Hero.
For sure, that kind of scenario is the most effective.
Maybe it’s ’cause I’m dead, but I’m thinking a lot clearer.
This might be what they call enlightenment.
I don’t think Ms. Nina’s been tricking me.
Her noble sense of mission is the real deal.
The real mastermind, the one playing everyone’s pure hearts, is way higher up.
Can’t just die here.
Need a revival, stat.
Do I need some kind of prayer or spell to come back to life?
Am I just supposed to wait here until some god finds me?
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply