Earth Dungeon 77.1

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Chapter 77.1. Emergence

In the upscale district of the inner town, often considered one of Tokyo's top five, reserved exclusively for the elite, a few individuals gathered at a high-end restaurant that required a month's average income from the inner city to afford a single meal.

"Isn't the food here delicious? Isn't the head chef here named Yuzan?" inquired one of them.

People enjoyed their meal in a tatami-matted private room, surrounded by furnishings whose prices were likely beyond comprehension. Beyond the sliding paper doors, a beautifully maintained garden with a pond echoed with the gentle sounds of deer moving about. Amongst this serene scene, a girl with long, flowing, snow-white hair and crimson eyes, an albino beauty named Kamishiro Serika, smiled demurely.

Serika, dressed in a kimono, ate her meal gracely and elegantly, radiating a beauty and allure that seemed otherworldly. However, the men seated across from her were not captivated by her appearance; instead, they wore troubled expressions.

"Kamishiro...sama. Can you really make things right?" 

The man across from Serika, who was of an age similar to her child, seemed uncomfortable addressing her with such a formal title. He stammered as he spoke.

"Yes, of course. That should help me gain a bit more favor. As for the armored vehicles left in the abandoned town, I can't promise to recover all of them, but I'll do my best."

Despite Serika's kindly and seemingly sincere words, the men didn't change their troubled expressions.

"Oh, do you have a problem with that? Well then, perhaps it would be better to organize a recovery team from your personnel. It might save you some money."

"We've already deployed... the remaining teams. Two jeeps and one truck, plus two captains..."

"That's good to hear. So, does this mean the recovery will go smoothly, and you won't need me? When I first approached you, you declined, saying you could handle it with your teams. It's a relief to hear that, even though it's not directly related to me."

With a clap of her hands, Serika tilted her head with an innocent smile. However, even in the face of her charming smile, the men didn't change their bitter expressions and continued to speak with strained voices.

"We failed! None of them returned. Our security company is on the brink of collapse. We even left all our vehicles in the abandoned town!"

"Oh my, that's unfortunate. Dungeon conquest can be unpredictable, after all. It's quite regrettable."

With those words, Serika put on a mournful expression and continued eating her food. Realizing that they wouldn't get more out of her, the men clenched their fists and decided to take matters into their own hands.

"We shouldn't have attempted the dungeon conquest. We'd like to request assistance with the recovery."

The men bowed deeply. Even though they lowered their heads, they still had their dissatisfaction still hung around them. Serika looked at them coldly but decided to grant their request. After all, they were insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

"Very well. I will help you recover the vehicles lost during the dungeon dive. However, I don't think we can recover all of them, including the guns."

"That's acceptable! Leaving all the vehicles in the abandoned town is unprecedented. Our position is extremely precarious!"

Dungeon conquest, especially moving military vehicles out of the inner town, required approval. However, there was an unwritten understanding that in cases like this. They did that under the pretext of "for the nation's safety, even civilians go on dungeon conquest.".

In front of Serika sat the Suwa family, who were responsible for the recent disaster. Suwa Koukaku, who had been actively involved in a side job, led a team from the Suwa family's security company to explore a dungeon, resulting in their complete annihilation. 

In a state of panic, they sent in their remaining teams, but those people suffered the same fate. They had realized the horrors of dungeon exploration, but what was even worse was they had left all their vehicles behind.

Perhaps spirits had possessed the vehicles, and they might cause trouble. Even worse, they had left powerful military vehicles and numerous guns in the abandoned town. The ghosts of the abandoned town had acquired a formidable arsenal. Suwa family was held accountable for this, and their position was extremely precarious.

While the military vehicles had been transferred to the security company, they still had to be rigorously managed. They couldn't afford to have outsiders, especially those from the outer town, seize them and cause a commotion. This was the abandoned town, and the situation was far more dire.

"Let's negotiate, then. My conditions are the recovered vehicles and control of the security company, of course, at a fair market price. Also, the seats of the respective union leaders in the Taito and Adachi Districts of the outer town. They're quite cheap, aren't they?"

"What! Transfer the company? Can such a thing be allowed!"

Enraged by the exorbitant reward, the man pounded the table forcefully. In the midst of the famous ceramic plates floating and clattering, Serika calmly sipped her tea.

"Well, then, perhaps you can rely on the assistance of others for the recovery. I don't mind at all."

"Grr!"

He clenched his fists, but it was too late. They had already received information from the 2nd recovery team. There was an extraordinarily powerful magician in that area, and they couldn't even confirm their appearance. This magician controlled magic remotely, a terrifying ability.

Moreover, they knew that magician was receiving support from the girl sitting before them. When Kamishiro Serika, connected to the prestigious Minamoto family, threw her weight behind someone, it was easy to imagine who was backing the magician. That's why they turned to Serika for help.

Initially, they had thought of ambushing or dealing with the situation themselves. Sending the remaining teams to support the team that didn't return even after their expected return date had passed was also a mistake. 

It was during that time Serika had offered to send a cat girl to assist them in their recovery efforts, an offer they had brushed off with a laugh. They never expected Suwa Koukaku to have died, nor did they anticipate the complete annihilation of the team's 60 members.