The Unwanted Undead Adventurer: Volume 4 Read online

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  The entire body of a Terra Drake made for good materials, lest we forget its magic crystal, too. Scales, teeth, claws, eyes... All these parts made for useful, high-quality materials. Considering the capacity of my magical pouch, it was extremely regrettable that I couldn’t transport the entire carcass back.

  Realistically speaking, it was sufficient to simply gather the magic crystal, scales, fangs, claws, and eyes. It was as if I were picking out parts to eat.

  Ahh, if only I had a larger magical pouch... Perhaps one would show up at an auction soon? I couldn’t purchase such a pouch at a run-of-the-mill store. There was the issue of price as well...though I could simply sell the rest of the Tarasque to cover the expense.

  In any case, procuring a considerably large pouch might be quite difficult. Even if I did, I wouldn’t get rid of my old one. In fact, having two at my disposal would make transporting materials that much easier.

  After some time, I’d finished dissecting the Terra Drake. It was now time to move on. I was considerably tired, however, and it occurred to me that I should return as soon as possible. I did have enough magic crystals at this point. But I had yet to excavate a suitable vein of Mana Iron.

  I guess I could press on...just a little longer.

  This mentality of mine was perhaps a little too reckless...

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  There were two doors in the chamber that had once housed the Terra Drake. I had entered from one of those doors, so the other was presumably the exit. It had remained closed all throughout the battle, but it swung open as soon as the Terra Drake was defeated.

  This must have been the way forward.

  I was surprised at what I saw beyond those doors as I slowly approached. There were no obvious paths beyond that door, instead terminating much like a cliff would. I could see small footholds and grips, a means of descending this sheer surface.

  While I wasn’t facing a mountain, I could tell where I was judging from the darkness that lay before me, and the fact that I was surrounded by a sea of stone.

  It was a large hole in the ground; a cavernous depression. This space was wide, perhaps stretching on for at least a kilometer in each cardinal direction. The ceiling was high as well.

  Although my surroundings were dark and visibility was poor, I could say with certainty that this place differed greatly from the tunnels that I’d been passing through up until this point. In addition, there was a lot of equipment—magical tools perhaps—simply lying about. It reminded me of a mine. There were even tracks and mining carts lying about. For all intents and purposes, this appeared to be a man-made space.

  This was, however, a location in the labyrinth. It was all but impossible for humans to simply create a mine here, so it was safe to assume that this, too, was something created by the labyrinth’s mysterious devices.

  There were occasionally tales of places within labyrinths that contained towns, cities, castles—impossible sights that couldn’t possibly have been crafted by the hands of men.

  With that in mind, a place like this wasn’t all that mysterious. The only mystery in all this was the very existence of the labyrinth itself. If anything, odd features on the various floors, such as this one, were considerably more normal.

  It was still fair to say that this strange sight had caught my attention, though. Were references made to parts of human civilization when the labyrinths were created? Given that castles and towns could be found within them, my assumptions most likely had some degree of truth.

  Normally, labyrinths featured forests, caves, and other natural landscapes. Human settlements were somewhat natural occurrences as well, and if one thought about it that way, the sight before me wasn’t all that strange.

  Then there was the fact that labyrinths continued creating monsters, no matter how much time went by. That by itself was an astonishing display of creative force.

  Regardless of why this space was formed, the fact that I was now standing it in did not change.

  This was a mine. A place for excavation. I had come here in search of high-quality Mana Iron so...this was the place to do so.

  I slowly descended the cliff, sticking close to the wall. Eventually I reached the bottom, and I began observing my surroundings. I couldn’t see very far due to the lack of light, but I did recall seeing the moving silhouettes of some monsters from my observations while at the top of this pit. There were no silhouettes near where I’d landed though, so I was able to descend without too much worry.

  After some time, it became clear that there were no monsters in my immediate vicinity. A bit of relief for the weary adventurer. There were instead more mining carts, and what appeared to be a magical tool of some sort, as well as a switch-like object.

  Hmm... What should I do?

  Would anything happen if I pressed that switch? The safest thing to do would be to not touch it at all...but that would be a most boring development. Safety took precedence over my boredom, of course, but...there didn’t seem to be any traps, or danger, in the immediate area. I’d also come from above, so it wasn’t like anything would fall from the ceiling, nor was I standing on a pitfall trap...

  If I was going to press the switch, then maybe I should just get it over with. If anything untoward happened upon its activation, I could simply turn it off again.

  ...Well. I couldn’t discount the fact that I may not be able to turn the switch off, but...

  Whatever the case... Click.

  With a soft, mechanical sound, the switch depressed under the weight of my finger, and almost immediately, the darkness was illuminated by light. Instinctively, I looked up. It seemed the light source was very high up indeed, its rays shining down into this massive pit.

  In other words...this was a light switch for the mine’s lights.

  ...I was simply glad it wasn’t a trap.

  The lights didn’t light up the entire space, but instead illuminated my surroundings, up to a few tens of meters. I supposed there were other switches like this one in the darkness, and that the rest of the pit would remain dark if they weren’t pressed.

  I, of course, could see in the darkness to some degree. My much-vaunted Undead Sight was mainly used to track living creatures, however, so it didn’t do much for inanimate objects like switches. While I couldn’t say being a Vampire was completely without benefits, it just so happened that my vampiric abilities weren’t very useful in this situation.

  All I had to do was find some rocks containing veins of Mana Iron, then excavate it. But to do so, I needed a normal light source. I supposed there was no other way than to dig, find a switch, and repeat ad infinitum.

  As I stood contemplating the situation, I noticed the presence of monsters close by. Observing quietly, I saw the silhouettes of what appeared to be two Mina Goblins slowly approaching the illuminated space. The lights had turned on, so someone or something must be here...was probably what the goblins thought.

  So, this was a trap of some sort after all...?

  This meant that illuminating other areas would draw monsters to them in a similar fashion, though I couldn’t be absolutely sure.

  In any case, I needed to deal with these two Mina Goblins before inspecting my surroundings for ore. I’d seen some promisingly-colored walls when I’d inspected the pit from above. All I had to do was find them, excavate the Mana Iron, and that...was that.

  Or so I thought...

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  Clink! Clank!

  The sound of my pickaxe hitting rock echoed through the air. I’d already disposed the two Mina Goblins that had wandered into the light earlier. They were formidable foes, but they didn’t seem to have any companions. After I slew the two of them, no other Mina Goblins showed up. It seemed camaraderie wasn’t a Goblin’s strong point.

  With that done, I circled around the pit, following the curved walls, striking at any parts that looked promising. I did, for the record, look for the appropriate switch, and managed to illuminate th
e area I was currently working in.

  It seemed like someone had been here before me, as there were traces of excavation in this particular wall, and I could see veins of metal shining through. Surely I’d be able to gather high-quality Mana Iron here.

  Honestly speaking, even the rocks at my feet that had crumbled off the wall were of a respectable quality. I could tell just by picking one up and staring at it.

  In that case...

  Of course, if I was going to dig for ore, a piece from the ground wouldn’t do. I intended to go from vein to vein, searching for the perfect place, then I’d excavate a great amount and bring that all back home.

  For now though...this was enough. I left that vein behind, and headed toward yet another possible excavation point...

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  The feeling of fear and apprehension began setting in only after the third excavation point I’d visited. By then, I was all filled up and ready to return... It was then that it happened.

  I’d been observing and walking along the walls of this strange pit all this time, until I finally began understanding the structural intricacies of this place.

  The ground I was walking and excavating on was actually on top of another space—another floor, I surmised. I somehow had a feeling that this other floor beneath me existed. Perhaps it was because my surroundings were too dark, and that was why I didn’t notice. I didn’t know that there may be something lurking in this space beneath my feet.

  I suddenly had a feeling—a feeling that something was there. It just so happened that the light shining onto the third excavation spot illuminated this cavernous space below, so I slowly approached, carefully hugging the cliff walls as I looked down.

  It was then that I saw it—a terrifying monster.

  What faint rays of light shining through the cracks had already hit the ground of the next floor, I thought. Then the ground itself began moving, ever so slowly.

  My eyes and Undead Sight could see creatures in the darkness. This much was true. However, there were exceptions. For instance, one’s abilities may fail to activate when faced with an incredibly strong foe. For the first time in my life, I experienced this firsthand.

  What, exactly, was this thing lurking in the darkness? The dim lighting made it hard to discern.

  The first thing I understood was that what I’d seen, a carpet of smooth, shining rock, was nothing more than a part of a larger creature. Its skin, or hide, which seemed to continue on indefinitely. Then, just ever so slightly, the light shining from above illuminated what appeared to be the creature’s face, just for a split second.

  An eye. An eye as large as my entire person.

  At this point in time, I was still unsure. Should I escape? It seemed the creature’s eye was currently closed. It appeared to be asleep; I could see that much, even at this distance.

  I felt a wave of terror wash over me. I could never, under any circumstances, challenge this monster, not even with my current abilities.

  I couldn’t let the monster notice me, become aware of my presence. Instinctively, I felt a strong pull; I had to leave this place as soon as possible.

  For some reason, during my journey down to the fourth floor, I’d felt that I could keep advancing. So long as I was cautious in my advance, I wouldn’t be exposed to any potentially fatal dangers.

  I’d read up on the different types of monsters and their strengths, the various traps, and all sorts of other dangers present before my journey. My assumption that I could keep pressing on was nothing more than an internal rationalization.

  However, what lay beneath me now... I didn’t have to assume or rationalize anything. A single look was enough to tell me that this foe, this existence, was beyond me.

  What lay beneath me was none other than an Earth Dragon. It had an almost frog-like, bearded face, with eyes that betrayed intelligence and logic. On its back were two tiny wings, seemingly out of place with the rest of its huge body.

  Its size, however, was anything but frog-like. Forty...? No. Fifty meters perhaps...? It was huge. Massive. Entire towns and cities would crumble to dust should it thrash around with its giant body. Buildings wouldn’t even last a single second. There were even quite a few legends of angered Earth Dragons flattening entire villages, towns, and even kingdoms and countries.

  It did much more than just thrashing about. It could easily cause earthquakes with its sheer size and power. The earth would ripple and shake, buildings would crumble, streets would be swallowed and destroyed. Stones falling from the sky would make short work of any who attempted to escape, and those lucky enough to get out would become feed for its minions.

  To think something like that laid here...

  There were no reports. Nothing at all.

  Why? How? Something so large... There was no way no one knew about this.

  As I continued thinking, observing the Earth Dragon from a distance, its previously closed eye suddenly opened. With a deafeningly loud rumble, the dragon stood and began moving.

  This was bad... Had I been found out? I see... So my life would end here and now.

  A familiar feeling assaulted my body. It was what I’d felt when I first encountered a “Dragon.” A feeling close to surrender, yet much akin to release...along with the sheer emotional force of seeing a legendary creature up close.

  It was a relatively rare experience to feel. One would simply think it was all right to die right there, and a part of me had felt that way as well.

  This may be a given, but I couldn’t simply die in a place like this. I was going to become a Mithril-class adventurer. That was why I hadn’t given up, even after my body became like this.

  With all that said, however...what, exactly, was I to do in such a situation? All it took was a single swipe of the Earth Dragon’s massive limbs and I’d surely give up the ghost then and there.

  There was an impossibly large gap between us, one that couldn’t be compensated for just because I was an Undead.

  I... I couldn’t do anything. Not one single thing. I didn’t feel like I could do anything at all.

  That gigantic life form apparently hadn’t noticed me yet. Perhaps it already knew of my presence, but felt I wasn’t worth the effort. All I could do was pray that this was the case.

  I suddenly realized I could hear my own heartbeat. My own heartbeat, in this lifeless body of mine. I felt a cold sweat come over me, my muscles slowly cramping up. I was shivering, but I did my best to stifle all sound, like my life depended on it.

  Then—

  For a single instant, I felt our eyes meet.

  Or...maybe it was just my imagination.

  Slowly, the Earth Dragon turned around, and with its great limbs, began digging—deeper and deeper. Its massive body began fading into the ground.

  Consider the fact that we were in the middle of a large, floating mountain. The so-called ground here was in fact hard, solid bedrock. Not that this mattered to the Earth Dragon. It simply continued to casually dig.

  As expected of an Earth Dragon.

  All I could do was stand there, taking the utmost care in not making a sound as I did all I could to hide my presence.

  A small rain of rocks and debris was dislodged by the Dragon’s digging. I, in turn, had to dodge, deploy a shield spell... There was quite a bit for me to do. The dislodged rocks weren’t even a type of attack, merely a side effect of the Earth Dragon’s subterranean movement. However, each individual rock had as much force as the Terra Drake’s stone spears... It was truly terrifying.

  Surely, a Mithril-class adventurer would be able to fight something like that head-on. I suddenly became very aware of just how far away from my goal I was.

  One day, I would surely defeat this monster.

  One day... I thought, deeply and solemnly.

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  I...see.

  I was staring at where the Earth Dragon had once been. It was now a place dominated by loneliness, without a single trace of the sheer strength an
d power that was present there just moments ago. I stared out at the now-empty space. Although the Earth Dragon had just been there, all that remained were a few fallen rocks.

  If this was how the beast had always moved around, then this was the reason why there’d been no reports of it up until now. Perhaps there had been an adventurer or two that had run into it, but they were either all dead, or had kept their silence, in no small part due to the sheer terror they may have felt.

  If I weren’t an Undead, and didn’t have a different mentality from most humans, I could have simply stood still, unable to move, or perhaps even wet myself in fright. Such was the sheer terror I felt.

  I could feel the Earth Dragon’s pressure, much like sharp pinpricks on my skin, even though it was now a fair distance away. If the Earth Dragon’s mana was like that of a lake, then my reserves of mana would be nothing more than a cup of water.

  Given its massive size...even if I were to raise my sword against it, would my attacks feel like toothpicks pricking it? Would it even feel a thing? I didn’t believe I could injure it, or do much of anything to it really.

  An adventurer who could remain calm in the face of such an encounter... At the very least, they would have to be Platinum-class. There wasn’t a single one of those individuals who were based on the fourth floor.

  ...Sigh.

  Was my luck good today? Or was it terrible? I supposed not dying was a good thing.

  I made a mental note to be more careful in the future. I really should stop putting too much confidence in my abilities, even if it were for the sake of collecting information...

  Go home, Rentt. Go home.

  I could no longer muster up the strength to do anything else today. All I wanted was to return home, tuck myself under clean sheets in a safe place, and sleep. Ah, and maybe I could get Lorraine to whip up some Hot Wine for me... Yes. Let’s do that, Rentt... Let’s do that.

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  “...An Earth Dragon, you say? I see you have had yet another outrageous encounter, Rentt. Perhaps it is safe to assume that you are being haunted by something...” Lorraine, the owner of this abode, said, exasperation and disbelief written all over her face.