NOVEL WEB Chapter 192
Chapter 192. Museum
It is midnight. The aftermath of the battle with the Ancient Treant is significant, and there are restrictions on power usage. The city is pitch dark, with only the outer wall lights shining.
I close my eyes in my assigned room, searching for the nymph through my familiar.
[The dark snake that possessed the nymph has been defeated, Shizuku-san.]”
I mutter bitterly, and Shizuku looks intrigued. She seems excited at the prospect of a battle. I’m not happy at all. It’s the first time one of my familiars hidden in the shadows has been taken out.
[If the familiar was defeated, it means they can do so. We should have changed the administrator rights when we shook hands.]”
[You know we can’t do that with others watching, right?]”
Changing administrator rights is not something you want others to see. They can’t tell what kind of skill it is and might mistake it for a brainwashing skill.
So, I’m having the dark snakes search for the nymph. I’ve found the top guy, but the nymph isn’t there. Where is she? I thought she’d be in the bedroom, but it was empty.
[Why isn’t she there?]”
After searching for a while and unable to confirm her whereabouts, Shizuku, who was thinking with her arms crossed, speaks up.
[I understand. She’s probably underground, at the museum ruins.]”
To my puzzled look, Shizuku snaps her fingers and gives a triumphant smile.
[Museum ruins?]”
I’m confused by the unexpected words. What’s that?
[The research ship Haruna was kept in a ship museum built in the underground of the defunct Narita Airport after the spaceport made it unnecessary. It was a fairly large museum, so if it’s the same place, she might be there. The discovery of the World Tree on Haruna might be classified information.]”
[You know about the Earth Federation Forces?]”
That last line was strange. Was the nymph stored on that ship too?
[Classified information.]”
Shizuku puts a finger to her lips and gives a cute smile, which is proof that the information is related. I had a feeling it was connected. Maybe the way the question was asked allowed us to bypass the protection… Oh well, for now.
[She’s underground. Can you give me an idea of where?]”
The site where the battleship appeared is blocked by rubble. There must be a way in.
[I’ll guide you with my thoughts.]”
Shizuku guides the dark cats. They dash through the city and into several buildings. Soon, they find the entrance to the underground.
It’s a typical 20-story concrete building. The entrance to an ordinary-looking underground parking lot. However, soldiers are standing guard at the entrance. The problem is that the soldiers’ eyes are unfocused. Despite being on night watch, they aren’t chatting or looking sleepy, just standing there with vacant eyes.
[They’re mentally controlled.]”
They definitely look suspicious. Thanks.
[Yes, it seems we hit the mark. Be careful when you infiltrate, Dark Snake. Oh, respond with ‘Leave it to me, squid commando.’]”
[Leave it to me, squid commando?]”
[Genome soldiers. They likely only react to enemies within range.]”
Shizuku, delighted for some reason, presses her cheeks with her hands and spins around in joy. Her cuteness eases the tension, and I put on a serious expression.
[Could it be that this was the correct route all along?]”
[What do you mean?]”
Shizuku stops spinning and tilts her head curiously.
[No, it’s nothing.]”
The timing of the Ancient Treant’s appearance was extremely odd. Considering the little girl’s first contact, I think an unnatural event unfortunately occurred. She warned me. It feels like invisible threads of fate have been altered.
To counter the little girl’s luck skill, it must be someone with a similar skill. It seems the original path has been changed in an unbelievably unnatural way. The original plan was to expose the nymph’s identity and destroy the World Tree before the city’s collapse… Maybe I’m overthinking it. A skill that convenient… hmm… it could be possible and scary. I ended up speculating like it was a game. I need to reflect on that.
[Well, even if the future is changed, we can force a new path. I don’t believe in fate.]”
I grin and send the dark cat underground. The soldiers don’t notice as the cat slips by. They seem to only be wary of humans.
The underground is dimly lit by flickering fluorescent lights. The parking lot is vast, with several military trucks parked. As we proceed further, emergency lights spin yellow on the walls, and thick armored doors are open, revealing a passage.
As the dark cat continues down the gentle slope, it stops abruptly.
A snap
Purple electricity runs through, and the connection is forcibly cut. My vision goes dark for a moment, and I stagger.
[What, what happened?]”
[It’s a spatial barrier. It disrupts remote surveillance skills and teleportation skills. It’s a very subtle barrier with small jammers. Since the familiar entered the barrier, the link was cut.]”
Shizuku-san quickly sees through the enemy’s magic, but it’s like my kryptonite.
[Are you serious? The enemy uses spatial-type magic. I wonder if the dark cat can get out of the barrier.]”
The dark cat is now operating standalone. I hope it realizes the link is cut and leaves the barrier. Just as I think that, the shared vision resumes.
Smart kitty. Not like some colonel. …Well, guess I’ll go myself.
[Dark Teleport]
I teleport to the dark cat’s shadow. The scenery shifts from a cramped hotel room to an underground parking lot.
“Good job. Well done.”
I put the dark cat’s head and return it to the shadow. Further down the slope, I see the still-open armored bulkhead. In the silence, only the sound of my footsteps echoes around. I need to be careful with my steps.
As I pass through the bulkhead and proceed, yellow powder floats in the air. It looks definitely harmful.
[My minor status resistance comes in handy right away.]”
Taking a deep breath, I circulate mana through my body. I can feel the resistance skill pulsing near my heart, so I channel mana into it. I understand how the minor resistance works now. It flows a certain amount of mana into the resistance skill. If I channel more, I can increase the resistance without drawbacks.
Not only for status resistance but also for the decreased physical and magical resistances due to mana consumption, I flow mana into them.
[Administrator Amano Sakimori has made changes to the resistance settings. Amano Sakimori’s resistance can now be adjusted according to mana consumption.]”
The status board informs me of the skill changes. Thank you, I feel relieved.
[I don’t know how effective it is, but it’s better than before.]”
I flex my hand, feeling that my resistance has increased. Mana consumption is about 30. Various resistances seem to have improved somewhat. I can’t tell the exact amount since it’s not displayed numerically.
[This yellowish toxic-looking particle. I wish I had a gas mask.]”
[It might be spores. Before you turn into a mushroom person, how about washing them away with water? No need to test the resistance skill deliberately.]”
[A sound decision. Got it.]”
I extend my hand and think of a spell to dispel the particles.
[Aqua Mist]
Water surrounds me, and the particles disappear in the mist. It’s a simple and convenient spell. I proceed further while using trap detection.
[I thought this would be a moment to advance, realizing the new skill’s power against poison, but…]”
[It’s better to eliminate dangers when possible.]”
A bit disappointed, but Shizuku’s logic was sound, so I moved forward without arguing. The underground space is vast, partially buried in rubble. It must be several hundred meters deep. The spacious area makes my footsteps echo. It’s an overwhelming sight.
[Originally, it was an underground spaceship dock built after Narita Airport was closed. However, space docks in space are more practical, so it was decommissioned again. Converting it into a museum saved money on landfilling.]”
[Are there any other spaceships?]”
I wouldn’t mind taking one as a souvenir.
[The usable ships, even old ones, were requisitioned, so there probably aren’t any left. Considering the World Tree seed was found on the Haruna, it seems it was secretly used as a research facility.]”
I toss a small stone, curious about how long it will take to hit the bottom. After a while, I hear a clattering sound.
Then, red lights start to flicker, and rustling sounds fill the previously silent hall.
[Looks like we’re being welcomed.]”
[Indeed. …This is bad, Sakimori-san. Can you teleport?]”
Realizing this, Shizuku frowns. The spatial barrier, huh? I quickly send my thoughts to Yukika and the others, but they feel blocked. Communication is down… Careless.
[Summon All Units]
Using the skill, my reliable partners emerge lightly from the shadows. Only Shizuku appears, and I feel relieved. If I couldn’t summon her, I’d retreat.
“How about a date, just the two of us?”
“Sounds like a fun date course. I’m the only one who’d enjoy this.”
Shizuku smiles wryly at me. Unable to summon familiars, it’s been a while since we fought together.
“I’m glad I powered up.”
The rustling sound gets closer. What’s coming?
As I watch, monsters with human-like shapes entwined with vines climb up the walls. Their eyes glow red.
“Man-eaters. Rank C. They use tentacles to drain enemies and constantly emit poisonous pollen. They’re not very fast but somewhat troublesome.”
“Rank C. That’s not a big deal. They’re all stuck to the walls, too.”
I grin, placing my hand on the wall and focusing on mana.
[Icicle Field]
The white mist spreads from my hand along the wall. The wall gets covered in a thin layer of ice.
The man-eaters, unable to avoid the advancing mist, are frozen solid in no time, turning into wall decorations.
“Level 5 magic is usually flashy.”
I’ve been holding back on using small-scale magic in battles, so this feels refreshing.
[Shadow Strings]
I bind shadow threads into a rope and attach the end to the wall.
“Shall we descend?”
“Hehe. This seems weaker than the Ancient Treant. I hope it’s a bit challenging.”
“I prefer moderate challenges.”
With light banter, Shizuku and I grab the rope and descend into the underground.
Surely, the nymph must be ahead. I hope she’s not too strong.