The Paper User: Exiled for a ‘Trash Skill,’ Awakens True Power and Rises with Two Unique Skills - Chapter 28

 Dungeon

After that, we continued exploring the dungeon while defeating monsters along the way.

There were traces of the expedition team scattered throughout, but we couldn’t find any of them.

"Mumumu! Another dead end, it is!"

Pirun puffed out her cheeks in front of a semi-circular wall.

"It’s been nothing but dead ends since earlier! Where are the expedition team people, I wonder?"
"Hmm… So this wasn’t the right path either."

Almine scratched her head.

"Based on the traces, I really thought they’d be somewhere on this side."
"Yeah..."

Kinako brought her face close to the ground and twitched her nose.

"There’s powder from old hardtack here. There’s no doubt the expedition team passed through here..."
"Maybe they turned back because it was a dead end... or maybe..."

Almine approached the semi-circular wall and touched it with her right hand.

"Hmm... This wall... feels a little off."
"Hm? What feels off about it?"

I asked Almine.

"Well, unlike the other walls so far, I can feel a faint trace of magic. I think there’s some kind of mechanism here."

Almine took out a card engraved with magical symbols from her magical pouch. The card had two round holes and a glass-like plate fitted into its lower section.

Apparently, it was a magical tool she had made.

"Now then..."

Almine brought the card up to her face and peered at the wall through one of the holes.

"Hmm... not here. Maybe... over here."

A few minutes later, her feet came to a halt.

"This is the spot..."

When she touched the wall with her index finger, a metallic clanging sound echoed.

Then, a part of the wall split open to both sides, revealing a narrow passage.

"There was a hidden passage in a place like this...?"

I peered into the dimly lit passage that stretched out straight ahead.

For an ordinary adventurer, it would’ve been nearly impossible to find. But if it were the expedition team... maybe they found it and moved on?

A chilly breeze hit my tightened face.

The dim passage sloped gently downward and curved to the right.

We proceeded, with Pirun leading the way.

After more than ten minutes, we reached a metal door. Pirun opened it, and our field of vision expanded all at once.

Beyond it was a town lined with ochre-colored buildings.

"This place is..."

I looked around the town, my mouth half-open.

The buildings looked like stacked cubes, most of them half-destroyed. The ceiling above was high—easily over a hundred meters—and it gave off a faint glow that lit up the eerily quiet town.

"It looks like the ruins of an underground city."

Almine spoke.

"Judging by the architecture, I’d guess it’s from the Porta civilization."
"Porta… Wasn’t that the civilization that flourished over five hundred years ago?"

I asked, and Almine nodded.

"Yeah. Fearing the resurrection of the Evil God Dolls, the king at the time built many underground cities. There are even rumors that treasures were hidden within them."
"Treasure, you say!"

Pirun’s violet eyes sparkled.

"With that, Pirun can finally buy a house, it can!"
"No, we’re here under contract, remember? Even if there is treasure, we won’t get to keep it for ourselves. We might get a bit of extra reward though."

Almine added.

"Well, more importantly, we need to find the expedition team."

At that moment, a sharp pop rang out in the distance, followed by a plume of blue smoke rising into the air.

That smoke… Someone used a rescue signal flare. Someone’s calling for help!

We moved simultaneously, rushing down the slope toward the source of the smoke.

Turning around a partially collapsed building, we saw a beastkin girl with rabbit ears on her head surrounded by eight skeleton soldiers.

Each skeleton soldier had a red gemstone embedded in its forehead and wore black armor.

That beastkin girl... It’s Mirufa, the one who fought the Silver Wolf during the promotion exam! Why is she in a place like this—no, this isn’t the time to think!

The skeleton soldiers noticed our approach.

With clacking teeth, they raised their curved swords and swung them down in unison.

I deployed magical defense barriers on both sides to block the attack.

Then, I lunged forward and thrust my Magic-Eater dagger into one of the skeleton soldiers' faces.

The pale blade shattered its lower jaw, and white teeth scattered across the ground.

But the skeleton soldier didn’t stop. It circled around to my flank faster than I expected and continued its attacks with the curved swords.

I put up a paper wall and retreated to create distance.

These skeletons weren’t normal. They were stronger and faster. Were the gemstones in their foreheads enhancing them?

If so—

I poured more mana into the Magic-Eater dagger. The pale blade extended to over a meter in length.

"Ka...kaka!"

One skeleton opened its mouth wide and swung its curved sword diagonally downward. I ducked under it and slashed at its leg bone with my dagger.

The skeleton staggered.

"Leave the rest to Pirun~!"

Pirun slammed the skeleton's head with her Magical Hammer. The red gem shattered, and the now-headless skeleton flailed for a moment before collapsing sideways.

"Thanks, Pirun!"

I thanked her and rushed over to Mirufa.

She noticed me.

"Y-You... from the promotion exam... Yakumo-kun?"
"Talk later!"

I put up a paper wall in front of an incoming skeleton. It crashed into the wall and dropped to one knee. Kinako rushed in and smacked its head with her paw.

A sharp crack—like breaking pottery—and the skull shattered.

"Mirufa! First, we need to take them all down!"
"R-Right!"

Mirufa and I turned to face the remaining skeleton soldiers and launched our counterattack.

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