Earth Dungeon 121.1

Test

Chapter 121.1. Underground

Sakimori drove the jeep towards their destination. In the underground of that plain, there was some activity.

It was a world of darkness. There was no trace of light around, and nothing could be discerned. In that darkness, a drop of water fell from the ceiling, making a sound. The sound of the droplet, amplified in the darkness, sent shivers down the spine of those lurking.

"To be frightened by a mere droplet... I've truly grown soft..."

The one who felt the chill in their spine muttered and moved stealthily. The murmured voice was hoarse, carrying the weight of age. Even the voice resonated strangely loudly in the darkness, creating an illusion of echoing in the surroundings. With a faint sigh, the figure moved again.

In the pitch-black darkness, accompanying the man's movements, there were sounds from the surroundings. The crunch of gravel, the sound of sand rubbing against sand, and the warmth of human bodies in the cold were perceptible.

"Is everyone here?"

"We're good. Mogami. Everyone's accounted for."

A raspy voice, indicative of advanced age, whispered, and the man called Mogami nodded in the darkness.

"Light up for 5 seconds. Check the surroundings."

At the command of the elderly man, flashlights illuminated. Men and women wearing worn-out heavy clothes, carrying what seemed like automatic rifles, scattered light around. 

The group consisted of ten people, wearing backpacks, and the dim light revealed the destruction of concrete walls, providing a clear view. The walls were mostly shattered, resembling a framework of blocks assembled with grid-like precision.

Something resembling stalactites clung to the ceiling, dropping water droplets from the tips. The destroyed walls created a spacious area with desks and chairs scattered chaotically. Monitors from broken computers lay on the floor, and discolored scraps of paper, probably once magazines, decayed like mud around a dried-up, rotten plant.

After 5 seconds, Mogami turned off the flashlight. His profile, covered in scars and half of his face obscured by a dirty, unshaven beard, was visible.

"Now, what floor are we on? Do you know where we are? Have you seen any enemies?"

Speaking in a hushed tone, he looked around for an answer.

"No signs of enemies. It was dark, but I recognized the place. This is the 97th floor. I used to work here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I saw my locker that I remember..."

In response to the tired voice, Mogami frowned and sighed.

"Still on the 97th floor... When will we be able to descend to the 1st floor?"

"There's an emergency generator on the 90th floor. If it works, the elevator should be usable. We can descend quickly then."

"If it works... but..."

"The emergency generator on the 150th floor worked. It should still be functional."

Nodding to the words, Mogami listened intently. The flashlights were powerful, brightly illuminating the surroundings. The light reached far because most of the concrete walls got shattered, providing a clear view. Multiple layers of walls got destroyed, resembling a framework of stacked blocks.

Mogami felt tired and sighed. 

"How long until we can reach the 1st floor?"

"The 97th floor has significance. We knew that from the beginning. If we researched here, we might have understood something."

The two argued in a somewhat tense atmosphere while walking, but a young man who followed them from behind interjected with frustration.

"Your fantasies are fine, but is there really a powerful weapon ahead? We followed you because we want weapons like Mogami-san has!"

Glancing at Mogami's gun, the young man spoke with a glare. On closer inspection, the weapon was not an automatic rifle. There was no barrel, and a hexagonal crystal was embedded. A small panel on the side of the barrel displayed the number 12, glowing in the darkness.

The angular gun had lines of light, emanating a dull metallic luster.

"There are probably a few more. When we found this one, nearly 30 were stored in the gun rack. They were all moved to the experimental area. Once we reach our destination, we should be able to get them with a high probability."

"Heh, with those, orcs won't stand a chance. With 10 of them, this whole area will be ours. No more starving and running around. It'll be the end of that life."

Saying so, the young man rubbed his nose and smiled happily, and the relatively young members of the group exchanged smiles. Sighing as if amazed by their reactions, Mogami continued walking ahead.

After a while, Mogami and the others walked and descended the stairs smoothly, reaching their destination. Illuminated by flashlight beams, it revealed a thick metallic door in the pitch-black darkness. On top of the worn-out door, a plate labeled "Emergency Power Room" was attached.

"This is it. No mistake. Shall we open it?"

The man who had been guiding them swallowed hard and exerted force to open the door. The door seemed quite heavy, and the man pressed his body against it, turning his face red. Seeing this, the others put their hands on the door to help.

Eventually, the rusty door opened unexpectedly with a loud noise. The grinding sound of metal shattered the silence, echoing through the building.

Everyone held their breath and hastily raised their automatic rifles, alert to the surroundings. However, the only sound was the faint collapse of something rock-like in the distance, and they breathed a sigh of relief.