Evil Avalon

Chapter 133 Narumi Hanano learned another new secret technique

(TL:By Rafael,valhallatls.blogspot.com)

"Wow, what a beautiful view! Look, Hana-chan."

"Wow, it's truly stunning! You can see so far, Onee-sama!"

Tenma-san, clad in shiny full-body armor reflecting the sunlight, turns around and points behind, with Hana walking closely beside him, her eyes sparkling as she gazes at the scenery behind. When I stop and look, I see a vast expanse of blue sky and savanna stretching endlessly.

We're on the mountainside of the 22nd floor of the dungeon. Similar to the 21st floor, this floor is a savanna map with sparse trees interspersed among the grass, but what's different is a solitary mountain about 1500 meters high in the center of the map. We're currently climbing that mountain.

While it was somewhat warm at the foot of the mountain, the temperature has dropped considerably as we climbed to a moderately high elevation. Thanks to physical enhancement, the somewhat steep mountain path is easy to climb, giving a pleasant sensation of moderate exercise.

Tenma-san and Hana, who are walking at the front, are high-spirited as if on a hiking trip, but in contrast, Kurosaki-san, the maid with long black hair walking just ahead of me, has a frowning expression, not looking pleased. She looks towards the direction of the summit, sighs for what seems like the umpteenth time, and addresses the white octopedal creature clinging to my shoulder.

"Arthur-sama... beyond here is the territory of the infamous floor boss, the 'Beast King.' Are you sure it's safe to enter?"

"...Chirp? Chirp!"

In response to Kurosaki-san's concern, Arthur, the white spider, claps his front legs together as if to say not to worry. Due to the "constraint of the demon," his main body is not allowed to enter this area, so he's currently inhabiting a spider Arachne about the size of a human head. Even in this small form, he possesses the power and speed of a level 30+ creature and can use some of Arachne's skills, so there's no problem fighting on the 22nd floor.

Then, Kuga-san, who was walking alone behind, silently stands next to me and joins the conversation.

"...The floor boss of this mountain is famous. With a large physique, it moves like the wind, and its giant fangs and claws have claimed the lives of many adventurers. Yet, with that confidence... do you have some countermeasure?"

She's serious, but her curiosity about whether there's an easy solution to the formidable floor boss is evident.

Today, she's not dressed casually as usual. Her upper body is clad in metallic gauntlets and shoulder guards, while the lower half is covered in shorts made of Minotaur leather, paired with knee-high greave boots. By the way, it's a belly-baring look.

During the gaming days, Kuga-san often wore this outfit during battles, so it brings back a sense of familiarity and joy. Leaving that aside...

"The floor boss here is a non-active monster, so as long as we don't provoke it, it won't attack. And of course, we have contingency plans in place, so even if it comes to a fight, you can rest assured. Plus, we have Arthur with us in case of emergencies."

"The infamous Beast King being a non-active monster... it's hard to believe."

Despite assurances, Kurosaki-san pierces me with a skeptical gaze, while Kuga-san looks at me urgingly, as if asking me to spill all the secrets.

Looking at the clear sky, the vast landscape below, and breathing in the fresh air, even though we're inside a dungeon, and considering how close we are to the floor boss's territory, ordinary monsters don't spawn here. If we've come to such a relaxed place, we might as well enjoy the walk.

By the time we've climbed to about the seventh checkpoint, the surroundings of the mountain path are densely populated with trees, but we can see a flat area opening up ahead. In the distance, a waterfall whose source is unknown sprays mist, forming a rainbow.

"Is this... the place Narumi-kun mentioned? It's incredibly fantastical."

"Beautiful butterflies! I wonder if those are monsters?"

Near the waterfall basin, flowers resembling water lilies bloom, and vibrant blue butterflies flutter around them. Tenma-san and Hana, eager to explore, start moving forward, but before that, I want to review the purpose of our visit.

I place the luggage on the ground and Arthur clinging to my shoulder, and call everyone to gather around for an explanation. Everyone sits down in front of me with various expressions.

"Alright, let me explain. First, the reason we've come here—"

"Yes, yes! To establish... a base, right?"

"But we didn't bring any materials, did we? Are we planning to make something with the trees around here?"

Hana energetically raises her hand and answers that we've come to establish a base, while Tenma-san, tilting her head, points to the surrounding trees, asking if we're planning to use those. The deciduous trees around here are unsuitable for construction materials, and even if we use them, the wood is not dry, leading to warping or mold. As I'm about to answer, a maid with a discontented expression raises her hand and voices a protest-like opinion.

"Arthur-sama also mentioned building a base, but unless it's a large-scale raid clan, building a base in the dungeon is not cost-effective. I don't say it's impossible for a small group like us... but it's highly inefficient."

"I agree... but knowing Souta, there must be something."

Even if we bring or gather construction materials, it requires a significant amount of effort. Even if we manage to build a base, it will be absorbed by the dungeon soon. To prevent that, we need to embed golem cores into the materials, which are quite expensive. It's a valid question from Kurosaki-san whether it's worth investing that much money and effort with such a small group, aside from a large-scale raid clan.

Still, Kuga-san suspects that I'm hiding something due to my calm attitude... Well, she's right.

"Anyway, I'll explain the construction method later. As for why we're making a base here, first, we wanted a base for our future hunting activities. It needed to be close to the 23rd floor, which is suitable for hunting. And it needed to be a place where no one else comes."

In the 20th floor and beyond, where powerful monsters with strong skills are abundant, going to a hunting ground far from the gate increases the risk, and it inevitably takes time to proceed cautiously. If Arthur is guarding as he is today, there's no problem, but since Arthur is busy dealing with the "constraint of the demon" by playing whack-a-mole on the 15th floor, he can't accompany us every time. Well, if Tenma-san comes, he'll probably come along every time.

After listing the reasons for making a base, Kurosaki-san's dissatisfaction still lingers.

"Let's say, hypothetically, that we can build a base here. However, this area is already within the territory of a notorious floor boss. There's a considerable chance we might encounter it even as we speak. While Arthur-sama is here, we might manage, but what's the plan when he's not?"

That's right. This area is already under the domain of the floor boss, also known among adventurers as the "Beast King." It's a notorious monster feared even by renowned raiding clans, making this area unusually peaceful for a dungeon zone, as no regular monsters spawn here, and general adventurers steer clear of it.

"Kii~, kii!"

"What is it, Arthur-sama... Are you saying we should leave it to you if things go south?"

Despite Arthur the spider Arachne merely chirping "kii kii" while gesturing with its forelegs, Kurosaki-san seems capable of inexplicably understanding its words. Even Tenma-san, who's always by her side, is surprised by this. Nevertheless, given the misinformation circulating about the floor boss here, it's probably best to correct it.

"As I mentioned earlier, as long as we don't provoke the floor boss, it won't attack us. And even if we decide to engage, we have strategies in place, so there's no need to worry."

"...I see. That's reassuring. I've heard that valuable drop items can be obtained from this floor boss. It seems like it's been a while since I upgraded this leather gear..."

Stroking the worn spots on her battle-worn minotaur leather shorts and boots, Kuga-san bids them farewell prematurely. The minotaur leather obtainable around the 25th floor provides magical resistance and is popular among adventurers around level 20, but the floor boss here drops even higher-quality fur. It seems highly valued, as evidenced by Hanano's discreet excitement at the scent of treasure.

"Now then, if we're going to build, this spot looks promising."

Though this area seems somewhat open, it's still on the mountainside, with plenty of boulders and slopes. However, upon closer inspection, we notice a spot that seems suitable for construction. As I examine the ground, Tenma-san and the others, curious, join me.

"Are we building here? Oh, wait... Are you going to use magic to build it?"

"As expected of you, Onee-sama. Ta-da! This is my moment!"

With a strangely twirling motion and a proud expression, Hanano leaps into action. It seems even Tenma-san is puzzled, looking to me for an explanation. Meanwhile, Kurosaki-san and Kuga-san increase their pressure for her to spill the beans, though I'd only kept quiet for the sake of surprise.

"Hanano, is your MP fully charged?"

"Totally! I haven't used any skills since we got here!"

With her arm waving, Hanano exudes confidence that she's ready at any moment. In that case, let's get started right away. After cautioning everyone to stand back due to the potential danger, I give her the go-ahead.

"With colorful roofs and cute little windows! A luxurious interior to match... Here we go! Golem Castle!"

As Hanano's mysterious incantation concludes, her magical power erupts into purple lightning, enveloping her and swirling the surrounding air into a frenzy.

Such a massive amount of magical power is unprecedented even among advanced jobs, leaving Kurosaki-san, wide-eyed, to step forward and brace herself in front of Tenma-san. Arthur clings to my shoulder, bobbing rhythmically and seemingly enjoying the spectacle.

As the storm gradually subsides, a rumbling akin to the splitting of the earth begins, and before we know it, a mysterious structure bursts forth energetically from the ground before Hanano.

It's... a house.

With a childlike triangular roof, round windows, and a simple structure with a door. Being about the size of a small hut, it's more of a cabin than a house.

"...Huff... I'm spent... MP potion, please..."

Hanano collapses on the spot, seemingly having exhausted all her MP, reaching out with trembling hands for an MP potion. Well, given Hanano's current state, this size is probably her limit.

"Huh...? Huh? Is that a house? I kind of want to see what's going on..."

"Mi, Milady! Please refrain from approaching yet!"

"Tenma-san, who was full of curiosity about the suddenly appeared house, promptly tried to step forward. However, not understanding what it was yet, Kurosaki-san tried to restrain her, stating it's not advisable to approach. However, Tenma-san's steps seemed to have unexpectedly strong force, dragging Kurosaki-san along.

The skill that Hanano used earlier is called [Mech Knight], an advanced job that learns the skill "Golem Castle." It's something I wanted to learn first when I was sent to this world, but Hanano was the one who quickly acquired it.

It's a rare construction skill in the Dungeon Explorer, where size and structure change based on the amount of MP poured in. However, Hanano's maximum MP is not high enough, so she can only build a small house of about 4 square meters.

"I could imagine the windows and roof, so that part was successful, but the interior might have been too much."

While drinking a sweet and sour MP potion, Hanano slumps down in disappointment. However, she's actually achieved something amazing. Normally, using this skill would result in a simple and plain hut, but Hanano built a colorful house with a stylish wooden door, brick-like walls, and a cute brick roof. It turns out that the appearance and interior of the building can be changed by the user's imagination during chanting.

During the first experiment, when the house was too shabby, Hanano threw a tantrum. The second time, she declared that she would definitely make a cute house, and with excitement, the exterior really became cute according to her imagination. This is a feature that was not possible in Dungeon Explorer.

Now, if one were to expand their imagination continuously, could they create an increasingly luxurious house? That would be difficult. While it might be possible for a small house, the brain's capacity is not enough to imagine the interior of a huge building. There are dangerous skills that enhance the brain, so using them in combination is also an option. Well, it's something to consider while experimenting little by little.

While everyone was unable to move in front of the house, Spider Arthur opened the door rhythmically with a cheerful "Ki-ki" and entered on its own. Then, we turned to see Kuga-san, who had returned to her senses, leaning against the wall as if infiltrating an enemy's hideout and peeked inside cautiously — no, she rolled in. Well, it's good that she's energetic.

"Shall we go in too? As expected, the inside doesn't seem to be very spacious."

"More importantly, we demand an explanation! Hey, kid! There's something called common sense—"

"It's okay, Kurosaki. We're already excited and thrilled. It doesn't matter about the reasons. We are currently experiencing a great mystery. Let's leave the details for later."

While meandering with twists and turns, the maid, who looked puzzled, pulled by Tenma-san's hand and entered. Now, what's inside?

Passing through the door, the inside was slightly dimmer than outside, but lanterns hanging from the ceiling illuminated the room brightly. In the corner of the room, there was only a large bed and an old wooden table. Hanano said she didn't have enough imagination, but in that case, it seems the default for Dungeon Explorer is a simple interior with mud walls and a plain wooden floor.

"To build a house instantly without materials. This is also a skill."

"At first glance, it looks shabby, but the floor and walls seem... sturdy. The materials don't seem as bad as I thought."

Kuga-san and Kurosaki-san began to investigate by touching the walls and floor. Since I was also curious, I examined it closely, and although it doesn't look beautiful, it's made of solid wood and stone. However, the size is only about 8 tatami mats, slightly narrow for five people and a spider.

If you pour more magic power, you should be able to increase the number of rooms, add floors, and even add facilities like bathrooms and kitchens. However, to do that, you would need several times the current MP. In the future, it would be natural to increase the level and acquire more maximum MP, and it would also be advisable to prioritize obtaining MP equipment.

After investigating on our own for a while, the maid, who had been carefully examining the floor while kneeling, suddenly stood up and turned to me with a stern expression.

"I'm surprised you created a base in such an unexpected way... but there are still problems. Are you really, really okay?"

"Ki! Ki!"

Kurosaki-san asked with a tense gaze, not usually seen from her. Spider Arthur, who had been playing on the bed with Hanano, also turned around and started making Ki-ki noises while looking in the opposite direction. Ah, I get it. That guy must have arrived.

"It's coming from the direction of the summit."

Kuga-san, with her ear to the floor, warned us that something was approaching at tremendous speed from the direction of the summit. That direction should have a steep slope with a large number of trees. Probably, it seems to be running through that dense forest, and just that alone indicates its abnormality.

The maid quickly put on armor, and beside her, taking out a huge sword from the wide skirt, Hanano, Tenma-san, and Arthur stuck their faces to the only round window in the house.

"Wow, it's really big!"

"Ki?"

"A white fox... or a cat? Is that the famous 'Beast King'? It's so fluffy."

As if a whirlwind blew from the other side of the window, in the next moment, a white and giant monster appeared. The amount and quality of magic power coming from the monster was on a different level from the monsters we had faced before. With golden eyes, it stared at us, but—

(Huh... It's different from what I expected?)"

TL Note- A cliffhanger......

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