---Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

　The roar of the beast in the middle of the night woke up the Zeros, and they all gathered in front of the bridge, armed at once.
　Since the site where they were working was in a remote area, they were all equipped to fight.
　Since they are not fighting against humans, their equipment is mostly made of leather, and they tend to choose equipment that is easy to move around in.

　What they saw in front of the bridge was a huge beast roaring on the other side of the river.
　The upper part of its body looked like a man, but the lower part seemed to be a canine animal.
　It had multiple insect-like legs growing out of its back, and its head stuck out like a crocodile's without eyes.

　No, it had eyes, but they were located on its abdomen, where a human face appeared.
　Perhaps it was his imagination, but Xelloss thought he recognized the face.

I'm not sure if it's the same one as in the daytime.　They look completely different.
I think it may have eaten one of my people.　I think it may have eaten one of its companions, and that power may have given it that appearance. ....... It's not like they're going to be able to find any more food besides their own kind.
"Cannibalism?　I'm not sure what to do.　If a mage were to be eaten, ......
They might use magic. You can never be too careful.　

　This is a fantasy theory.
　Normally, this would never happen in reality, but in this case, he was right.

　The demons that I had defeated before and the ones that I had burned during the day all had the same size in common.
　Even though there were some individual differences, they were all about the size of a human being, but the one that was heading towards us now was about two times larger.

　It runs at a speed that defies common sense, and can leap over a height of ten meters with ease.
　Its bones seem to have been broken by its own weight, but even they were regenerating at high speed.

It's coming soon. That speed ...... is a threat.
But that's only if the ground is solid, right?　I'll use my daytime hands.

I'm going to use my daytime hands." [Gaia Control] swamp and [Rock Forming] capture.
　The four-legged monster ran across the unfinished bridge with all its might and jumped over the cliff at once.

"Now!　"Gaia Control".
「「「「 "Gaia Control" 」」」」

　The dwarves attacked in unison.

「「「「 "Rock Forming" 」」」」

　The capture was seemingly a success.
　But ......

　---Vdgy, Vdgy, Vdgy!

　Using the springs and recoil of his entire body, he rips off all four legs, and at the same time, regeneration begins, and insect-like shell-covered legs and wings sprout from the broken parts.

　It was as if it was adapting to the situation.

What the hell?　Not again!

　Naguri was astonished at how quickly it regenerated.

　Numerous snakes sprouted from its abdomen and attacked the dwarves.
　They snaked out of his abdomen and attacked the dwarves. They snaked like whips and blew away several dwarves.
　Fortunately, they were able to avoid it with their shields, but the iron shields were cruelly dented by the blow.

"Ouch!　Everyone, please stand back!

　He quickly pulls out the sword at his waist and slashes down on the wriggling tentacle-like snake.
　But there's no end to it, as new snakes sprout up as he slashes.

"Don't you dare!　"Firelance".
「「「「 "Fireball" 」」」」

　The dwarves' magic attacks all converge at once, and the demon is engulfed in flames.

"Prominence... what?

　I'm not sure what to make of it.
　If you look closely, you can see that a transparent barrier had been deployed around it, preventing it from attacking with magic.
　Only the heat conducted through the barrier to the inside, and the black body hair burned, giving off a bad smell.

d*mn it!　There's a mage in the village?

　What started out as an idle tale has become reality.

　There was an old mage in the village that was attacked, but he fought to protect the village - and was eaten.
　By taking in the magic formula in the old mage's brain, this monster is able to develop magic.

"Penetrate, 'Railgun'.

　It condenses the surrounding stone and dust to create a bullet with high penetrating power, which it then slams into the monster in rapid succession.
　Of course, he made sure not to hit the dwarves.

　The magic barrier is a surface protection spell, and its role is that of a shield.
　The only way to prevent this is to deploy the barrier in a conical shape in front of you and deflect the attack. However, the magic formula that the demon possessed was not thick enough to block the attack because the attack was received on a surface.
　In fact, the "railgun" has a great name, but it is not very powerful because it prioritizes fast deployment of magic.

　If a high level player uses this spell, it will be powerful enough to make up for it, but its high penetrating power may cause damage to allies depending on how it is used.

　When the magic barrier is penetrated, the effect disappears and multiple wind holes are made in the demon's body.
　However, the scars regenerated at high speed and closed up in the blink of an eye.

What regeneration power... It's far more capable than the two we fought before...

　But the barriers were still in place, and the dwarves took advantage of the situation to unleash their magic.

The dwarves used all the magic they could muster.

　I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.
　The attack from below shatters the jawbone and flesh splatters around.

　But the face of this demon is in its abdomen.


　Naguri spun around with all his might and slammed the iron hammer into his face.

　Then Xellos rushed in and slashed with both swords.
　The insect's legs were torn off or severed and it fell to the ground.

　If you're not sure what you're looking for, you can always ask for help.

I'm not sure if this is a good idea.　I'm not sure what to do.
"Oh?　Oh!

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

I'm not sure what to do.
I'm not sure what to make of it. I'm not sure what to make of it.

　The demon ran off and attacked the other dwarves.
　They hid behind materials and building materials for the bridge, and occasionally attacked with magic and weapons, chipping away at the creature's body.
　These attacks were meaningless in the face of their powerful regenerative abilities.

　In addition, it was shooting 'fireballs' in succession, causing fires in the surrounding area.

He's a nasty one. Maybe it's that regeneration power, but I can't tell which way he's pushing!
I wish I could shut him down. He's fast and he doesn't seem to feel pain.
Why don't we just break him into little pieces?
If I do that, the whole area around here will be cleared. But I'll give it a try if I get the chance. ......

　I've been using single shot magic and sniper magic depending on the situation because there are so many people, but I'm running out of steam.
　It seems that the regeneration ability is currently in full operation, and the physical ability is not that great.
　Judging from the situation, it seems that the demon's physical abilities are reduced during regeneration.

　Exercise and healing both require nutrients in the body, and prioritizing one over the other will naturally result in the loss of the other.
　This was a good discovery, but the dwarves were tough, even though they were huge.
　In order to give the dwarves no chance to counterattack, they boldly attacked and wounded the monsters.
　Some of them even tried to tie him up with ropes.

I'm not sure if it's possible that the regeneration and strengthening of the body are operating in parallel?　If that's the case, it's a ...... naive idea that you'll soon be stuck in malnutrition.

　I've been thinking about it based on common sense, but I don't think the common sense of the other world matches my own.
　Shake your head to get rid of the naive idea.

　If the two abilities are pulling each other down, you might be able to win, but if the nutrients in your body are gone and you can't regenerate, there's a good chance that this demon will go all out.
　If that happens, this demon will be able to move as fast as you in an instant, and the dwarves will be eaten.

If we're going to defeat him, we'd better do it now: .... I'll see what I can do...

　The demon is relentless in its pursuit of the dwarves.
　In order to prevent this, Zeroth used his magic to halt and control the demon's movements as much as possible.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

　Boring cuts off the demon's leg with his axe.

　---"Oooooohhhh!

Guffaw!

　The demon howls and flicks his arm, sending Boring flying.
　He's slammed straight into the building material.

Mr. Boring?
Uncle!

　The demon steps toward the stuck bowling, trying to eat it.

Don't make me do it, 'Fireball'!
「「「「 'Fireball' 」」」」

　The dwarves attacked in unison, and the demons retreated, unable to get close. ......

　---VVVVVVVVV!

　It spread the wings on its back and soared into the air.
　If you're not sure what you're looking for, you can always ask for help.
　The dwarves were deployed all around him, so he could not use his big move.

"Tornado.

　Tornado" is a wind-based ranged magic attack.
　It is a magic that not only creates a tornado and catches the opponent's movement, but also causes a concentrated attack of vacuum blades inside.
　You will be sliced up and dismembered into countless pieces of flesh by the Kamaitachi phenomenon.
　But it doesn't end there.

"Prominence Flare!

　With the addition of the single incineration magic Prominence Flare, the Tornado turns into a scorching Firestorm.
　The two spells are used in tandem to incinerate demons in the air at once.

　The super-high heat from the vortex of half-plasma-ized flames burned the demons, and they were carbonized in no time.
　Flying into the sky was the end of their luck.

　With all of its body tissues burned away, it could not regenerate and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

Uncle, are you okay?
Mr. Boring, are you alive?
Ugh ...... my body hurts .... If I hadn't used my axe to block it, I'd be dead. ......

　It seems that he quickly used the axe as a shield and avoided a fatal wound, and his body was only bruised.
　If it had been a human, he would have died instantly, but dwarves are a very tough race.

Don't worry about me. You're old, don't overdo it.
"Don't worry. You're too young for this!
Is your uncle related to you?
Didn't I tell you?　He's my father's brother.
I can't tell the ages of the dwarves. They all look the same. ......



　Humans can't know that.

　According to the story, Naguri's family has been in the construction business for generations, and his father is the president of Hanba Civil Engineering.
　His father, however, is also a field man, always moving to new sites and working hard.
　I wonder who is in charge of management.

I wonder who is in charge of management. Well, as long as the bridge is safe, we'll be fine.
The fire must be extinguished or the materials will burn. Most of it is stone, though, so it's a small fire.

　The dwarves started a bucket relay to clean up the mess.
　They seemed to be specialists in every situation.
　They are very quick to respond.

　When Xellos approached the corpse of the demon, he began to appraise it, but the only answer that came to his mind was "charcoal".
　Still, after careful examination, there was one thing that he was able to identify.
　It was a dull black stone.

　＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

[Evil God Stone
　It was originally part of the evil god's body.
　It was originally a part of the evil god's body. It was separated from the main body for a long time and petrified.
　If you add magic power to it, it will give you great power, but at the same time, it will transform you into a demon.
　Once transformed, it cannot return to its original state and will be tormented by abnormal hunger.
　Once you become a demon, your reasoning will disappear and you will become nothing more than a predator.

　＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

This is the reason: ....... I'm not sure what to make of it, but it's just a rock.

　The evil god is the last boss in the game that caused you to come to this world.
　The four gods sealed him in the other world of cyberspace and sacrificed Xellos and Iris in a plot to have gamers kill him off.
　The plot was mostly successful, but the curse that was released flowed through the network, and those affected by it were reincarnated in this world.

　Suddenly, the stone begins to glow suspiciously.

"This is .......

　As if reacting to something, the [Evil God Stone] was emitting a red light.

(If the evil god stone is part of the evil god's body, then I have something that it reacts to. Is there such a thing?

　(If the evil god stone is part of the evil god's body, then I must have something that reacts to it.
　Among them, there were some suspicious items such as the Evil God's shell and the Evil God's claw, but they all looked different and puzzled me.

(What the heck is ...... this for?)

　The last item in the list was something that looked like that, and I took it out of my inventory.

　＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

[Evil Spirit

　Details unknown: ......

　＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

　A red, glowing evil god stone.
　The evil god stone was reacting to the evil god soul spirit.

I'm not sure what to make of it.

　I don't know why some of the other evil gods didn't react, and instead the evil god stone reacted to the evil god soul spirit.
　The only thing I understand is that it possesses a nasty thing.

"Well, it can be used for something, so let's keep it.

　Normally, he would have sealed it, but he was lax.
　After putting the Evil God Stone and the Evil God Spirit back in his inventory, Xellos joined the restoration work at the site.

　He prioritized the immediate problem over the future.


　　.


　Three days later, a group of knights was moving along the road.
　Their purpose was to inspect the condition of the road.

　There were two knights in the front and five behind them, and the carriage of Delsacis, the lord of the city, was in the center.
　Dressed in a suit and tie, he was sorting through papers in the carriage and putting together his next project.
　He is probably the busiest man in this country.

　Not only does he work for his lord, but he also keeps track of the accounts of his business, and visits his two wives and countless mistresses.
　He was a man of ability in many ways.

　The construction of the road was requested by the government, and once completed, Count Yokubukeno would be in charge of this area.
　However, he was not happy about it.

　Count Jokubukeno was not well-liked by the people.
　This was due to his excessive taxation and his aristocratic attitude towards the people.
　Above all, he was the epitome of a scoundrel, as he used the term "wedding night tax" to refer to the fact that he laid hands on women who were already married.

　At the same time, he donated a large amount of money to the Weasler faction, and he had become one of the valuable sources of income for the faction.
　I'd like to do something to destroy him, but so far there's nothing definitive.

"Master Delsasis, we should be arriving soon.
"Hmm, right on time.

　Looking at his pocket watch, Delsacis knew that he would arrive at the exact scheduled time, and as always, he was pleased with the precision of his men.

"I don't see any of the Hanba Civil Engineering people.
I see they are building a bridge up ahead.　I hear they're building a bridge up ahead for the government.
What?　Wait, that's not right. Building roads is a government project, but bridges are not part of it.
Isn't that strange?　I heard from Naguri-dono that it was a government project. ......



　Public works projects from the country were requested by the lord who ruled the area, who in turn requested the craftsmen to do the work.
　The request from the government did not include the construction of a bridge.
　In the story of the road construction, the bridge was supposed to be built later after the budget was estimated, but I don't know why the construction has already started.
　There are several possible patterns that come to mind, and the most probable one is ......

The most probable pattern is: "Count Yokubukeno's own initiative. What a stupid thing to do.

　There is a reason why I came up with this answer.

　In order for a nobleman to proceed with such a project at his own discretion, he would be obligated to report to the king beforehand.
　If the construction of the road is a part of the national project, there will be unnecessary confusion when it is decided to build the bridge later.
　If you hired craftsmen, and when you went to the construction site, the bridge was already completed, the budget, materials, and craftsmen you collected would be wasted.
　Likewise, the Duke of Solistea, who controls the territory on the other side of the river, had to be informed at once.
　But this time, there was no such thing.

　I know that Count Jokubukeno dislikes Delsacis personally, but if he abandons his duties, his quality as a lord will be questioned, and it could lead to the breakup of the family.

　That would be a good thing for Delsacis, and it would eliminate one annoying nobleman.
　He didn't like the current Count, but his brother was a good friend of his and he wanted to avoid ruining his family.

I'd better give his Majesty some advice.

　In his mind, a plan to get rid of anyone who got in his way was building up.
　A few moments passed, and in the time it took his gray brain cells to work at full capacity, the carriage had reached the bridge construction site.

　As Delsasis exits the carriage, he sees a strange group of people.
　It was a group of dwarven craftsmen dancing on the completed bridge.

　For some reason, there was a familiar mage in the center, dancing hard, cool, and s*xy.
　Their unrestrained dancing had become an art form.
　The dancing dwarves were supposed to be barrel-shaped, but they looked so cool.
　Maquel is great.

　The lord and his party were left speechless for a while.

　The old mage seems to have been inspired by the dwarves.
　They are entertainers now. 　

　The construction workers were shining that day in vain.


　　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


"Bridge construction not included?　What the hell?

　They had been dancing in joy for the completion of the bridge and praising each other's good work, but they were confused when they heard Delsacis' story.
　They had completed the bridge at the request of the government, but the construction of the bridge was still undecided.
　This may surprise you.

They said, "No matter how you look at it, the government only requested us to build a road, not a bridge. Did you really receive a request letter with His Majesty's seal?
"Yes, a commission from the king is a great honor for us craftsmen. I kept the request form, remember?
If it's here, may I see it?　If it's here, may I see it? I'm not surprised that I'm being asked to build the bridge.
Oh, ...... should have reached all the tradesmen and contractors here, right?

　Dwarves and other civil servants take pride in their work.
　It was a great honor for them to take on such a big job, especially when the work was done by powerful people like nobility and royalty.

　It is an old custom to boast about such work when drinking with friends, and they often leave behind documents to show off.
　But before that, these documents are important and must be kept in order to run a business.
　Dwarves seem to have a different perception of these documents than people.

　And the request letter stamped with the king's order was collected.
　It was in the possession of several of the construction offices present.
　They were probably planning to have a drink with these documents.

　Delsacis stared at it with grim eyes, examining every detail.

It's a forgery. The quality of the paper is poor, and the jade seal is strange.
So, ...... we're working for free?
"No, we've completed such a magnificent bridge. I'll take care of the rest.
Come on, man.　I've got a life to live.

He didn't think of his work as a hobby. You've been thinking about your life too...

　Xelloss thought rudely beside him.
　Just because they combine work and hobby, doesn't mean they don't have life in mind.
　They just like to work and earn money.

"Can you guess which vassal brought this in?
The one who was with the f*cking Count on the other side of the river. If you want, I'll destroy him right now.
I don't want you to do that. I'll take care of it I just need a little time.
You've been good to me. I'm not gonna do this to spite you.
Thanks. I've got some business I need to attend to quickly so I'll be right back.

　Delsacis, who has just arrived and wants to return to the city of Santor immediately.
　A smart man doesn't waste time.

"You're busy as ever. You're busy as ever.　Make yourself a mistress.


I'll finish the job in the carriage. I'll get the job done in the carriage, but I hope she's not too unhappy. ......
You're back at your mistress's ...... place. You'll be stabbed before you know it.
This is the way I live. You can't make a woman cry.

　Without changing his color, he got into the carriage and drove away.
　He would probably finish his plan to get rid of Count Yokubukeno in the carriage.
　The smart man did not waste any time.

"...... I wonder when he's taking a break?
"I don't know. He's a busy man, in more ways than one. ......

　The smoke from Xellos' cigarette drifted away in the wind.

　After seeing off Delsacis's carriage, which had just arrived, they began to prepare to leave at once.
　Today's work has been completed without incident, and tomorrow they will be back to sweating it out at the hot site.

　The battle for Hanba Civil Engineering is not over.

　As a side note, they seem to be taking care of the villagers who have fled.
　It can be said that the craftsmen are loyal and compassionate, but they may have just wanted new craftsmen and rice cookers. .......


　　This is the base of Hanba Civil Engineering.


　The area around the city of Santor, the base of the Hamba civil engineering industry, is commonly referred to as the industrial district.
　There are many artisans' workshops lined up, and each of them are working in their own specialties, but sometimes the blacksmiths' workshops are next to each other, and they spark each other.

　In one such area is the office and workshop of Hanba Civil Engineering, and several carriages are returning.
　Many of the craftsmen would get out of the carriages and head for the tavern for a meal.

"Mr. Xellos. Would you like to have dinner with us anyway?　I'm at my uncle's.
Are you sure?　Mr. Bolling.
I don't mind. I'm not averse to a lively atmosphere.　

　They led Xellos into a simple brick house.
　When he went through the door, he saw that the walls were covered with various tools, and the room looked more like a factory than a craftsman's home.

I'm not sure what Mr. Boring does for a living. ......
"My uncle does everything, you know?　Everything from blacksmithing to millinery.
Hang on, I'm going to make you a very nice snack.
Mecca beans again?　Your uncle likes them.
They're the soul of us Dwarves. We never get tired of them.

　Boring goes to the back and begins to prepare the food.
　But ......

"d*mn!　It's still moldy. I was going to give you some of my special mecca beans.

　He looks at the pot and swears.
　In the pot in his hand, soybeans were soaking in water, and a large amount of what looked like white mold was growing on the soybeans as they absorbed the water.
　Was he going to let us eat the beans that he had prepared before the construction?

Is it mold?
Yes, it's a fungus that grows on wheat and soybeans, and it grows very fast.
If you're not careful with it, it grows back very fast. Just use the meat, Uncle.

　Naguri had already started drinking the warm ale.

　Looking for malted rice, Xellos casually peeked into the pot. ......

　＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

[koji mold].
　It begins to multiply in large numbers at 40 percent humidity.
　It is a bacterium with high vitality that often grows on grains such as wheat, soybeans and rice.
　Stronger than lactic acid bacteria and acetic acid bacteria.
　A mutant species that can only grow in lands with strong magical powers.
　It has an amazing life force that can destroy even mold.

　＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

　The appraisal was triggered.

"I found it!　
What the hell?
What's wrong with you?

　The koji fungus of this world is tough.
　Thanks to its local characteristics, it is more vigorous than black mold and other bacteria, and seems to be able to be preserved.
　The old man is happy and sad that he can make seed koji with this.

　Haste makes perfect.

"Now you're ready to make sake.
"With this mold?
I don't believe it, but ...... let me taste the sake when it's ready. Hey, buddy.

　Xellos was a little depressed when he was taken to the construction site before he could go look for the koji, but now he's suddenly feeling very motivated.



　But he forgot one thing. The rice hasn't grown yet. .......

　Back in the city of Santor, Zeroth, Nagri, and Boring started a big party to celebrate the successful completion of the bridge construction and the discovery of koji.

　When Zeroth returned home the next morning, he was stunned to see that the entire field was covered with weeds.
　It was not only the koji mold that had a strong life force.

　From that day on, he picked up a sickle and devoted himself to weeding for several days.