The inside of the abandoned mine was not dark at all, probably because it contained ore that gave off light.
　A slightly bluish glow illuminated the surroundings and continued to illuminate the depths of the mine.
　From time to time, the sound of steel clashing could be heard from deep within, as if someone was fighting, but it soon subsided.

　Whether the demon or the mercenary wins, in the end, the situation and the ability of the situation will determine the winner.
　In the narrow action, the two sides split up into vanguard and rearguard to prevent their attacks from colliding, but for some reason, Xellos was placed in the vanguard.
　There's nothing wrong with that, but when Janae complains that she can't stand it when someone s*xually harasses her from behind, the formation changes to Xellos and Janae in the vanguard, and Rena and Iris in the rear.
　Lena's role is to protect Iris, and she's equipped with a shield, so she's in the right place at the right time.
　But only if she doesn't still have a sloppy smile on her face and is still lost in her memories. .......

...... Is she going to be okay?
"Oh, she's fine, Uncle. It happens all the time.
Yes, is she always like that?　I'm in a situation where if I'm not careful, I might get reported. ......
I've actually been reported before. In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use the site, please do not hesitate to contact me.

(I think you're entering a dangerous delusion, not a memory.　I'm not going to talk to you because I'm afraid...)

　I'm not in a mood to talk to her.
　She's smiling in a strange, ecstatic way, twisting her body, and mumbling something fishy.
　If I had tried to listen to him, I might have been able to understand what he was saying, but I didn't want to, because it smelled like a crime.
　There are things in this world that are better not to know.

When the monsters come out, you'll come to your senses. You shouldn't worry about it.
"You can't tell me not to worry about it. Especially that thing. ......
I'd like to see the demon come out right now.

　This means that unless the situation changes, it will remain the same, and to be honest, I'd rather not hear the lusty gasps from behind me every time I move forward.

"・・・・・

　Xelloss stopped suddenly.
　When he looked at the tunnel, he felt something ahead of him, like a presence.
　This kind of skill comes intuitively, not as a visual image in the mind.

　Following his senses, Xellos kept his breath down and looked around.

"What's wrong?　Uncle?
"There are. I don't know how many, but it could be Kobolds.
Lena, come to your senses!　We got company.
Ha, where's my Sweet Boy?　I had him tied to the bed with ropes. ...... Oh?

What the hell were you doing in your fantasy? 　(What the hell were you doing in your fantasy? I can smell the crime in the air.

　He had a lot of bad thoughts going through his head.
　There were things he wanted to ask, but for some reason he felt he shouldn't.
　I don't want to be an accomplice to the worst.

　I regained my composure and turned my attention forward.
　The shadow coming from ahead has a beastly head.

　Kobolds have a well-developed sense of smell because their heads are dogs.
　They are probably aware of your presence and are definitely on the warpath.
　The one coming from the front is probably a scout, and there is a good chance that there are multiple packs behind it.

Should we take the lead from ......?
Is there any sign of them in the rear?　If not, I'm going in. ......
Who's the lowest level in this group?
I'm not sure.　They're both level 50.
Iris, it's a crime to tell someone's level, okay?

　It's a crime to tell someone's level.
　I'm going to stop moving.

I'll stop them so you two can take them down. We'll level up.
"Where's the magic stone?　Can I have the Kobold's magic stone?　It's common knowledge among mercenaries that the demon stones of the prey they kill belong to them.
That's fine. I've got plenty of them.

　Xellos, who has a large amount of demon stones from his survival life in the Great Deep Green Zone, does not have a need for demon stones now.
　In fact, if he were to sell them off poorly, the price of magic stones could drop dramatically.
　I'm not selling it now because it could destroy the economy.

All right, let's kill it then. "Okay, so let's kill it. Janae will cheer and I'll follow, okay?
"Yes, sir. Don't complain if I snatch your prey.
No, I won't. Just don't drag me into it, okay?
I will!

　The attack formation is set.
　And we move fast.

"Zone Parry.

　A ball of light from Xellos' left hand shot into the depths of the tunnel.
　Not long after, a cry of "GANG! was heard.


　At the same time, they started running, and soon they heard the screams of the Kobolds.

　Xelloss and Iris walked towards it and saw countless Kobolds lying dead in a heap.
　The Kobold's chest was cut open and Rena and Janae were removing the magic stone from its heart.

It's always a disgusting sight, isn't it?
"Is it?　It doesn't bother me anymore.

　I don't mind anymore." Iris pondered as Xelloss walked by, puffing on a cigarette.

How can you be so adaptable?　You're crazy, Uncle.
I've hunted and dismembered wild boar before, that's the difference, isn't it?
Uncle ...... is too tough for me.
Do you know?　I'm not sure what to make of it. They also have collagen, so they're definitely good for your beauty.
Don't talk to me like I'm a pig's foot. ...... You can't eat it if it's still intact. It's disgusting.

　The pig's feet reminded Xelloss of pig's face skin.

(I'd like to try chilaga. It's got a nice crunchy texture. It's a great snack for beer, or just mimigas. ....
　...In this world, liquor is wine, and ale is too fruity, it's just not the same... I believe it was the original beer, right?　At least chill it before you serve it.

　The old man missed the taverns.
　Ale, the original form of beer in this world, is not chilled and does not taste good even when drunk in summer.
　As he knew the taste of beer in the modern world, he was not satisfied by drinking warm ale.
　He misses the chilled beer.

I should build a refrigerator. The problem is that ale is sold in small barrels, but I want it sold in bottles at least.
A refrigerator... are you going to cheat on the technology, Uncle?
Of course you're going to make one for your own use. I don't want to be courted by greedy people.
Sneaky, he wants to enjoy himself!
Of course. I don't want to interfere too much in this world.

　I don't want to interfere too much in this world, after all, it's already undergoing a major magical revolution.

　He wants to live a normal life, but that normal life is somehow different from others.
　He wants to live a normal life, but that normal life is not the same as other people's. However, people are creatures that live by their own values, and at the same time, they do not value things that do not interest them.
　The values that we take for granted may seem insane to others.

　In fact, he does not call himself a farmer, but considers himself unemployed.
　At this point, his sense of value is already wrong.

"Well, let's do some reconnaissance... there don't seem to be any enemies around. If the Kobold was a scout, he might still be in the back.
I'm not busy with ....... I don't have time for . My uncle takes care of everything so I don't have to.
It's the difference in level. I've got a high skill level, so I'm capable of wandering around here by myself.
　It's not as bad as that forest, and I think I can win easily with a single kill shot.
"Ugh~... you're too smart. Uncle, you are too cunning.

　I understand that all too well.
　That's why I want to live in peace.

　While I was talking to Iris, the two of them finished collecting the magic stone.
　But the girls' expressions were not happy.

"The pebble is too small. It's not enough to make a sword, we need to collect more.
It'll help with living expenses, but it's not very good quality.
What do we do with the dead Kobolds?　Shall I burn them?
Oh, they'll just leave the body, okay?　I'm sure they'll be gone by the time you get back.
"・・・・・ What? What?

　I felt something puzzling in Jahné's words.

Wait, the body is gone?　Why ......?
I don't know. I don't know. Maybe some other demon is handling it.
That's impossible. Are there any worms around here?
According to my information, worms only appear in the lower levels. There are only Kobolds near the ground, and Giant Ants down there.
That means there are no demons to dispose of the bodies. There's no ecosystem.

　Demons are living things.
　As living things, they prioritize securing food, and a food chain is created in which the strong attack the weak and the weak take advantage of the strong. But in this tunnel, that food chain does not exist.
　If we believe Janae and Lena's story, each level will be inhabited by demons that will continue to fight against the mercenaries.
　But if the food chain doesn't work, then the demons will all die.
　This is ridiculous.

"Let me ask you something, does the type of demon change in each level?
What?　Yes, they do. The third level is Giant Ant, and the fifth level is Big Spider and Mount Scorpion.


"Both are demons that can't establish a predatory relationship. ...... No way!
"Oh, I get it!　This mine's turning into a dungeon, isn't it?
It probably is. For the dungeon, both demons and mercenaries are just food, and whichever one survives will be able to secure food.

　Dungeons.
　It is a field type of demon that is created when the magic power condenses to a certain level.
　When the magic in the earth's veins condenses, a nucleus is created and the surrounding land is transformed into its own body, summoning the demon, which in turn summons its opponents to secure food.
　Ore, precious metals, and gems are also refined to summon humans to fight the demons.

　It absorbs the souls and bodies of living creatures when they die (for some reason, only demon stones cannot be absorbed and are left behind), and converts them into the dungeon's own magical power to expand its scale and summon more demons.
　There is no will there, and the battlefield is built only to maintain the body of the dungeon.
　In other words, the mine itself is the belly of a giant demon.
　Furthermore, the swords, armor, and other armor that are brought into the mine are not absorbed, but can be transformed into powerful weapons by being tainted with magical power for a long time.
　These weapons are usually carried by demons, and since they receive a small amount of magic power from the dungeon, they will never go hungry and can reproduce inexhaustibly.

　Even if the number of demons increases too much, the demons can be released to maintain a certain balance.
　This phenomenon is called a stampede, and the towns and villages near the dungeon are always on alert.

　The core of the dungeon is always on the move, making it difficult to pinpoint its location.
　It is a lucrative place for humans, but at the same time, it is a dangerous area where death is a possibility. Mercenary guilds constantly monitor the situation, and other business guilds help run the surrounding area, which has led to the creation of a huge city.
　It was a place where business could thrive, but it was also a dangerous place with many troubles.

　There are currently three confirmed dungeons, but all of them are low-level dungeons where relatively weak monsters appear, and this has weakened knights and mages.
　There is no place to test your skills, so you can't raise your level, and the area beyond the Great Deep Green Zone is untouched.
　In the old days, there were records of people who had ventured beyond, but none of them were capable of doing so at the moment.
　This is also because many people have become low-level.


　If this mine is a dungeon, then the village of Arhan may develop into a city.
　At the same time, many daredevils will die, but this is none of the business of the guilds, who are responsible for their own actions.
　The problem is the current situation of this mine.

As I learned in the book, dungeons are not so easy to find. They can be lucrative, but they can also be a lot of trouble.
"Like what?　You know about them, don't you?
We don't know how many more demons are on the bottom level since it hasn't been attacked. If we're not careful, the demons will come up from the bottom and go outside.
"What?　Is this mine a dungeon?　Is there going to be a stampede?
It's still a possibility. We may have to go to the bottom level.

　The air stopped.
　The girls couldn't understand what Xelloss was saying.
　No, they understood, but they couldn't believe it.

I'll go alone, of course. "Of course I'll go alone..." "Huh... what a pain.
"You're insane, old man!　If this were a dungeon, the lowest level would be full of high-level demons!
How can you be so lazy?
What?　We're just here to mine metal, but it could be a dungeon, you know?　You can't mine what you need until you get to the lower levels, and while you're there, demons are everywhere...just like when you were lost in the woods. Monster Party ...... is depressing.
"You're going to investigate while you're mining?　You're crazy, man. What if it really is a dungeon?
I'll run if things get bad. I don't want to die.
People who value their lives don't do dangerous things like that!

　That was a terrible thing to say.

"Maybe I'll go down after I get the ore. What if it's crowded with demons?
What do you do if there are a lot of demons?
Eradicate them, of course.

The Xelloss of the past returns.
　His goal is to live a peaceful life, and if the existence that threatens it is about to be released, Xellos is prepared to return to the [Annihilator].
　Although he doesn't like his kitchen-sick street name, he is ready to become an Annihilator and eliminate any cause that interferes with his peaceful life.
　Perhaps his survival life in the forest has instilled in him hostility toward demons.

　He will berserk again, whether in the deep green zone or in a dungeon.

"Uncle, take it easy on me, okay?　If this place collapses, what's the worst that can happen?
"I'll do my best. But it depends on the opponent.
Mr. Xellos, demons don't speak your language.
Iris, why don't you stop them?
I'd like to see if anyone can defeat my uncle, the best human ever.

　If the avatars of VRRPGs are the current body specs as they are, then Xellos' strength is such that he has no rival in this world.
　The magic that boasts overwhelming attack power and outrageous fighting ability were so vicious that they were called the [Annihilators].
　One of them, Xellos, couldn't be weak.

　With only five members, they were an extraordinary party that could bury raid-grade monsters, traumatize PK players by repeatedly turning them back, and develop equipment with ridiculous power.
　They were so popular that their presence was both terrifying to old players and inspiring admiration in new players.
　They were terribly kind to beginners. They showed no mercy to their opponents. .......

　Iris also had the experience of being taken care of when she first joined the game.
　Unfortunately, he was not an old man.



　The Xellos went ahead of him with light steps.
　Lena and Janae watched his back in dismay.
　They had no sense of danger.

"Don't worry about that, let's go mining!　There's no point in worrying about your uncle.
"Iris, is Mr. Xelloss that strong?
He is. I think that's why he's so quiet.　He'll get in trouble if he becomes famous.
What's wrong with that?　What's wrong with that? I want to become famous as a mercenary.　I'd like to be famous as a mercenary so I can take on bigger clients.
"Someone once told me. "There are only two ways to be too powerful. Either you're revered or you're feared, and I think you're the latter.　

　The two men look at each other.
　I don't think Xellos is that much of a man, strolling along, smoking a cigarette in front of me.
　But since Iris said it, I force myself to agree that he must be a very good person.

　The two of you still know nothing about the Annihilator.


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　At the end of the tunnel, there was a large space.
There were also tunnels on top of the rocky terrain where kobolds equipped with bows were roaming.
　There were only a few Kobolds, but if they attacked from above with their bows, they could kill you instantly, depending on where they hit you.

　However, the area was larger than the tunnels, so Janae, who had been fighting the Kobolds with her dagger, prepared her large sword.
　She sheathed the dagger and left it with Iris.

The mercenaries come and go frequently, so there aren't many of them.
But the archers are a nuisance, aren't they?　It's not good if they come after you.
"Air protection?　It'll protect you from archers for a certain amount of time.
Fortunately, the archers are only on one side, so we don't need any magical assistance. I'll take care of it.
""What?"　

　The ambush was nothing.
　The ambush was a blur.

　When the Kobolds see Xellos, they send a howl to signal the enemy's presence.
　As if they had seen it coming, his body flew through the air.
　He used his flight magic, "Wings of the Dark Bird.

　The Kobolds who were preparing their bows were confused.
　The Kobolds, who had been preparing their bows, were confused. He took advantage of this and threw a dagger at their heads.
　The Kobold was killed instantly, and the wire connected to the dagger was rewound and put back into his hand, and he closed the distance at high speed toward another Kobold.

　The Kobold, who had already readied his bow, fired an arrow, but was knocked down by the dagger's interception, and when he rushed to readjust his arrow, he was targeted and his neck was slashed open.
　The Kobolds, judging that the bow was ineffective, ran out at once and dared a close combat.
　Kobolds have high physical abilities, and their instantaneous power is more than twice that of humans.

　It seems that the roles of the Kobolds are divided between those who jump high and attack from above, and those who run and approach to block their movements.
　However, ignoring the Kobold that attacked him from the air, Xellos closed the distance to the running Kobold and slammed his dagger into it.

"Geez, .......

　The Kobolds let out a muffled cry.
　I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not.

"Kuroizuchi.

　Jet-black lightning was released around Zeroth.
　The Kobolds who tried to surround him were struck by the lightning and electrocuted in an instant.

I'm not sure what to make of this.　Why are you doing close combat?
You're too strong. You're not a mage, you're more of an assassin.
He's a flamboyant assassin. You're not a mage, you're an assassin.
Your fists are exploding, but you don't use much magic.
I don't know what you've done with your fighting skills. Are you really a mage?
"What is the definition of a mage?　Your uncle makes me feel so small.

　Xellos is repeatedly overrun and crushed.
　The three of them can only watch in amazement.

"Don't lose your prey if you're not careful. Let's go, you two.
"Hi.
I think it would be faster if Mr. Xelloss were to destroy them. ......

　The Kobolds, distracted by the presence of the Xellos, were in high spirits at the sight of their new enemy.

I'm not going to let my uncle be the only one looking good. "Zone Parade!
Come on, Lena!
I'm not feeling very motivated.

　As Iris unleashes a ranged paralyzing attack, Rena and Janae charge in with their weapons at the ready.
　Jarnae swings his greatsword and cleaves the Kobold away.
　Lena stopped the Kobold that she had failed to kill, and Iris unleashed her magic on the Kobold that was still alive.

　It didn't take long for the Kobolds in this area to be wiped out.



　As the corpses of countless Kobolds fill the air, Xellos observes his surroundings.
　And he witnessed solid evidence that this mine was a dungeon.
　The corpses of the Kobolds began to turn to dust and eventually disappeared, leaving behind a magic stone.

"Is this a ...... dungeon eating Kobolds?
I'm sure it is. I've never seen one before, but it looks like a bad eater. I wonder why the magic stones remain?
"If you think about it, there's no need to dismantle the Kobold, is there?　Only the magic stone remains.
What have we been struggling with all this time?　The cobolt is useless except for the magic stone, so there was no need to dismantle it.
"Why didn't anyone notice it was a dungeon?　That's really strange.

　The reason is that this place was a mine.
　A mine is a place where metals are mined, but if countless demons live there, mining will be impossible.
　And if it is a dungeon, demons will continue to appear without limit.
　Even if you manage to defeat them in the beginning, eventually the number of demons will keep increasing and the difference in strength will reverse and it will become impossible to deal with them, and eventually only those who need metal will be able to gather.

　For example, mercenaries, once they made swords and armor, they would not visit for a while, so the information about this place was not very important.
　Kurosmiths also sometimes ask mercenaries to mine, but none of them come here every day.
　As a result, the information was fragmented and eventually disappeared without anyone knowing about it.
　In other words, there was no one who knew anything about this abandoned mine.

　As a result, even if a demon corpse was left to disappear, it was assumed to have been preyed upon by another demon.
　That is, until now.

Is the mining site still up ahead?
Yeah, ......, but it looks like the structure has changed a lot.
Oh, really?　Then the dungeon is growing.
I'm not sure why, but it looks like an open floor...

　If we believe Jahne's information, then the dungeon has changed its structure.
　If we can't find the dungeon core, this mine will remain a dungeon forever.
　However, Xellos has no intention of attacking the dungeon.
　He thinks that if the demons are breeding to the point of draining, he can just weed them out.

　If he were to attack the dungeon for his own reasons, he would not leave out the possibility that there would be people who would be in trouble because of it.
　This is especially true of the village of Arhan.

　When he visited the village of Arhan, his impression was that it was a lonely village with few villagers, though it was not deserted.
　There were not many inhabitants walking around the village, and the ones who were walking around were mercenaries with bad manners.
　Fights are frequent, and the knights stationed in the village do not take an active role in policing them.
　The only thing that keeps them alive here is the abandoned mines, and the moment they conquer the dungeons, their livelihood may be ruined.

　Dungeons bring misfortune, but they also bring great benefits.

I've finished collecting the magic stone.
"Then let's move on. If we can get a lot of metal, I think we can renew Janae's sword.
"Well, I'm here for the sword. I don't care about the dungeon.

　The four of them continued on their way.
　Iris and Rena hurried on, each with their own goals: Iris to get magic stones for her living expenses, Janae to get ore for her sword, and Xellos to get materials for his dryer and refrigerator.

　Xellos had more and more things to make.


　　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　Christine de Elwell.
　Christine de Elwell, the third daughter of Viscount Elwell, was originally a student at Istor Academy of Magic.
　However, she was currently in training to become a knight.

　The Viscount Elwell had no male heir, so he adopted a son-in-law from another family.
　This was her father.
　Her father, Eduardo, was the second-in-command of the Kingsguard, and was known for his bravery but warmth.
　However, he was struck by a poisoned arrow while on a mission to kill bandits and never returned.
　As the Viscount Elwell had no male heir, she took the place of her two sisters who had already married.
　For some reason, there was a high probability of girls being born in this family.

　Because of this, she was supposed to go to Istor Academy of Magic, but she couldn't use magic.
　The reason is the same as Celestina's, as you already know.
　She was rejected because of her qualifications, not because of her academic ability.
　As a side note, Celestina was admitted to the school because of a plot by the mages who wanted the backing of the duke's family.
　Many of the teachers are also related to the faction, and they cannot go against the will of the family that controls the faction.

　However, the Elwells were originally from a knightly family and were not so attached to magic itself, so she went to this abandoned mine to train.
　Another reason was the sword.

　Her father, Eduardo, had worked as a mercenary when he was young, and she had heard stories of how he had gathered ore in the mines to make his own sword, using only his own earnings.
　Following in her father's footsteps, she decided to follow that anecdote (she couldn't be a mercenary, after all) and make her own sword.
　She lied about her gender, cut off her long hair, and came here dressed as a boy.

　She is now in the process of mining.

　With her slender fingertips gripping the handle of a pickaxe, she is digging hard for ore.
　She is digging hard with her slender fingertips, holding the pickaxe handle. ......, but her work is slow and inefficient.

I was underestimating how hard ...... mining could be. I underestimated it.
"Well, it's a man's job. Digging for ore is a lot of work.
...... Sorry, guys, for being so selfish.


"It's all right. Master Christine is the backbone of House Elwell, and it is only natural that we should protect her.

　Around her, four knights in the guise of mercenaries continued to mine the ore.
　All of them had been trained by her father, Eduardo, and all of them had been born in the city - or worse, orphans.
　All are indebted to her father and loyal to the Elwells.

But it was a bad idea to leave Master Christine alone at that time.
Oh, ......, I never thought I'd let such a ruffian get away with it.
"If I ever see you again, I'll slay you!

　They all nodded in unison.

　In the event that you've got any questions regarding where by and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.

That was amazing. I didn't know when he pulled it out.
"It's a tremendous feat. Perhaps even stronger than Master Eduardo.
But he's a mage. Isn't that strange?
He must be a mage from another land. He's probably been through a lot.

　They were terrified of the foul-looking mage.
　In addition to his ability to pull out a sword in an instant, the way he repaired it using only magic and no equipment was unbelievable.
　From this, it is clear that he is not an ordinary swordsman or magician, and should not be buried in the wild.

That's enough ore for now.
"Now all we have to do is return to the village and return to our lands. I can't wait to see what kind of sword it will be!

　Having already achieved their goal, everyone began to prepare for their term.

　But they don't know.
　But what they don't know is that this mine is a dungeon. .......

　Dungeons can have a lot of traps in them.
　The older the dungeon, the stronger the traps are, and sometimes they bare their fangs without warning.
　This is a system that hunts demons when there is little life to feed on in order to maintain the dungeon, but it can also trap humans.

I'm not sure what to say. ------

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　It's a trap commonly known as a pit shooter.
　It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation.

「「「「 Dear Christine! 」」」」

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for before you buy.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for and what you're not looking for.