Sōzoku Shita Sofu no Ie no Urayama ni Danjon ga Dekimashita - Chapter 155

Chapter: Dungeon — Floor 11 (Part 2)

I took a closer look at the monster Yomogi had caught.

Its body was pitch black, shaped like a swallow — but the tip of its beak was razor-sharp.

If that thing struck a person, it would cause serious damage.

Small, dark, and nearly silent as it flew… this creature would be almost impossible to notice until it was too late.

If an unprepared explorer wandered in here, they might not have stood a chance.

While I was thinking that, a deep grunt echoed from the tunnel ahead.

Buhiiiii!

A horde of orcs emerged from the darkness, each one gripping a heavy club.

So this really was their nest…

More and more poured in from deeper inside, crowding the passage.

If the orcs outside returned now, we’d be caught in a pincer attack.

We had to thin them out — fast.

Just as I was thinking that, the knights seemed to have come to the same conclusion.

With a roar, they charged headlong into the orc horde.

Those that slipped past were cut down by Snow and the spirits in a blur of motion.

Each defeated monster dissolved into motes of light, leaving glittering magic stones where they fell.

Yomogi stretched out her whip-like arms, neatly gathering the stones one by one.

We pushed deeper into the cave. The air opened up into a vast chamber — and in the center stood a massive orc.

It was as large as the boss we’d faced back on the tenth floor.

Before I could give the order, Snow darted forward, a blur of white fur and speed.

She leapt, jaws closing around the giant orc’s neck—

—and in the next instant, the creature’s body shattered into light, leaving behind a single large magic stone.

“Snow, you’re amazing!” Misuzu cheered, hugging the wolf and burying her face in the soft fur.

I couldn’t help smiling at the sight.

Beyond the spot where the orc had fallen stood a large door.

Bach stepped forward to inspect it, running his hand over the surface. After a short while, he returned.

“This door seems to only respond to humans,” he reported.

That made sense. If monsters could open it, the orcs would have already done so.

“What shall we do?” Bach asked.

We could always come back — his teleport gate made returning easy.

“Misuzu, should we try going ahead for now?”

“Mm-hm! Let’s go,” she agreed with a bright nod.

Taking her answer as permission, I stepped up to the door and grasped the handle.

With a deep rumble — gogogogo — the door began to open on its own, without me even applying strength.

Beyond it stretched another dimly lit tunnel.

Once everyone had entered, the heavy door shut itself behind us with another echoing rumble.

We followed the path forward.

After some time, the ground beneath our feet changed — and I realized we had arrived on the twelfth floor.

The air was damp and heavy. A vast swamp spread out before us.

“Well, we’ve made it this far,” I said. “Now we can use Bach’s gate to come here anytime.”

With that, we decided to return and finish mapping out the eleventh floor first.

Bach opened a transfer gate, and we stepped back through, emerging once again in the familiar tunnels of Floor 11.

We resumed our survey, this time heading down the unexplored path to the left.

The forest grew denser as we walked, and we encountered more orcs along the way.

Each time, the knights cut them down efficiently, clearing the way ahead.

After a while, Misuzu suddenly pointed forward.

“Look, Takuya-san! There’s a shrine over there!”

Through the trees, I saw it too — a small Shinto shrine, marked by a single red torii gate standing quietly among the greenery.

We had found a shrine inside the dungeon.

We bowed once at the gate, then stepped beneath it—

—or at least, Misuzu and I did.

When we turned around, Bach and the knights were still standing outside, motionless.

“Bach? What’s wrong?” I asked.

He gave a small bow. “It seems this holy ground does not permit our entry. But please, do not worry about us. If there are any traps, the spirits will surely sense them before they trigger.”

I frowned. “But… Bach, you and the others were once demons, right? You’ve already become angels. Why can’t you enter?”

“Perhaps it’s because we worship a different god? Or maybe… it’s because we’re not Japanese?”

No matter how I turned it over in my head, I couldn’t find an answer.

“Misuzu, what do you think?” I asked.

She tilted her head. “Hmm… we’ve got the spirits, Snow, and Shiratama with us. We’ll be fine, right? Let’s check it out! There might even be a treasure chest!”

I couldn’t argue with that kind of enthusiasm.

So, we decided to explore the mysterious shrine within the dungeon.

We walked along the stone path leading up to it.

At the front, we bowed twice, placed a few coins into the offering box, and rang the bell.

I pressed my hands together and offered a silent prayer for our safety.

Then I opened my eyes—

—and froze.

The offertory box had transformed into a treasure chest.

“What…?” I murmured. “Just what kind of place is this dungeon…?”

Before I could say anything more, Misuzu clapped her hands together in excitement.

“Takuya-san! Look—it’s a treasure chest!” she said, her eyes sparkling.

I couldn’t help but laugh. This dungeon never ran out of surprises.

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