Dungeon Refrigerator 162

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The Return Of The Holy Salt Armories

Speeding along, we race straight towards Chiba.

I'm a bit worried about Shark's safety, but at the same time, I'm not too concerned. That's because Shark, despite being a high school girl, has an extraordinary amount of guts and determination for her size. I personally trained her body through slime training and gained combat experience in dungeons to toughen herself up.

With Shark powered up like this, even facing two or three goblins at once, she shouldn't fall behind like before...

[Vaaan...! Vaaan...!]

The bike roars with an exhaust note that echoes like a roar, accelerating with a growl.

Yeah, there's a moment for otaku, you know? It's like a dream shift. Even ordinary people sometimes feel like they've become the protagonist of a movie or drama for a moment. It's like that.

For otaku, this kind of thing happens quite frequently.

Because otaku are unbalanced beings with adult bodies and childlike minds. In other words, they often get absorbed in role-playing like children engrossed in pretend play.

I'm no exception, especially when I'm fighting monsters in dungeons. I immerse myself in feelings like being an emperor of the universe, a master martial artist, or a superhero. But it's not just during dungeon fights.

For me, it happens when I'm riding a bike like this.

[Vaaaaan...! Vaaaan...!]

The high-pitched tone and vibration of the internal combustion engine operate at high speeds. The scenery passed by rapidly. The suspension bounced with the slight distortions of the asphalt, tires bouncing around.

In this mixed-up world, I focus my nerves solely on the direction ahead and drive the bike. It's just the unity with the bike running at full throttle.

No ego, no thoughts. Just a condensed time that sharpens.

Immersing myself in this elongated moment, my heart races. My mind exhilarates at the sensation of leaving behind sound and time, as my spirit rises and surges.

And it's not just because of the pressure I feel on my back from Sekai-san's breasts.

Then, various characters descend into my mind, typical of an otaku's nature. When riding a bike, it's usually ace pilots from robot anime. They come down, uttering iconic lines with determined faces, then vanish from my mind.

And yet, I realized I wasn't feeling the intense wind pressure I usually do.

Feeling suspicious, I sensed the Pixie Queen's response in my mind. It seems like she's also caught up in my heightened mental state and is frolicking about.

(Is this wind magic or something...?)

Even when I lift my body slightly, there's still minimal wind resistance. The reduced wind pressure not only makes it easier to ride without hiding behind the fairings but also lightens the load on the bike itself, making the engine sound remarkably light.

(Hmm, this is helpful...!)

Luckily, the highway is clear, and we can speed without worrying about the surroundings. Serai-san is also used to riding behind me, showing no signs of discomfort even at high speeds.

Alright, let's race to our destination like this.

.....

Exiting the highway and passing through the city, we ascend gradually into a dense forest area where glimpses of fields can be seen, finally spotting the signboard for the airsoft field and turning onto the side road.

[Vwaaan, Vwaaan...! Uvoovo...]

The side road we entered from the paved forest road is a gravel path with an upward slope. Carefully balancing, we climb up, and along the overgrown roadside, several cars are parked, almost as if they were hiding among the weeds.

Next to them are men in camouflage attire chatting away. Yeah, looks like we're in the right place.

"Oh... hey there, Admiral!"

"Hmm, who's that...?"

Spotting the Admiral chatting with his comrades by an old jeep, I call out. But it seems like he didn't recognize me right away.

"It's Jung, Admiral."

"Oh, Jung. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

After introducing myself by removing my helmet, the Admiral's puzzled expression turns into a smile. Then, a middle-aged man with droopy eyes, carrying an airsoft rifle on his shoulder, approaches.

"I'm here because of Shark's SOS. What's the situation?"

"Oh, I see. Well, the situation isn't great..."

Listening to the leader of the airsoft circle Trident, the Admiral, we learn that something has been off in the mountains since morning. Despite that, they decided to start the game, but soon the monsters started appearing from all directions.

"So, what kind of monsters showed up?"

"Aloes."

"Huh, Aloes? You mean those plants?"

"Yeah. The same Aloes you find in yogurt or cosmetics."

Hmm, what's that about?

"Hmm... Are they tough?"

"Nah, we managed to take them down with air guns set to high pressure. We changed plans and enjoyed hunting monsters for a while. But then bamboo appeared. Those bamboos are dangerous. Air guns don't work on them, and they hit hard. Look at that..."

The Admiral gestures towards a smashed red car with a broken windshield. That's harsh; it looks almost new. So, it got attacked by the bamboo monster.

"Hey, what about Shark?! Is she okay!?"

"Ah, you're new here. Shark should be fine. She's with the capable ones sealing the gate. She should be back soon. Ah, there she is."

The Admiral shifts his gaze up the slope again.

Camouflaged figures rush down the red earth slope, constantly glancing back. Among them is Shark, and Serai-san breathes a sigh of relief as she spots her.

"Man, that guy's crazy strong! I give up. Oh, Jung! Oh, Machi, you came too!"

Shark descended with her camouflage-clad comrades, making clinking sounds as they adjusted their gear. Covered in dust, with several cuts on her cheeks oozing blood, Shark's injuries made Sekai-san approach her with a worried expression.

"No, that's not it! I was worried about you! Geez, look at all these injuries everywhere!"

"Ouch! Geez! I'm fine, really!"

"That can't be right! You're a girl, and your face is injured too! Covered in dirt like this. If bacteria gets in, it'll get infected!"

"......"

Serai-san took out disinfectant from her pouch and dabbed it on gauze, then gently wiped Shark's cheek wound. Ah, true friendship is indeed beautiful.

Nevertheless, who would've thought we'd find the plant-type monster we were looking for in a place like this?

"So, what do you think, Jung? Can we handle this somehow?"

"Yeah, Admiral. Most likely, these monsters came from the first floor of the dungeon, maybe even as deep as the third floor. Depending on their numbers, I don't think we'll struggle too much."

"Sorry to ask, but could you help us exterminate them? This place belongs to my friend, and we're renting it at a low price."

"I see, either way, we also have business with plant-type monsters. So you can rest assured."

"Oh, that's a relief. There's poor reception here, so we can't even contact the police."

Huh, poor reception? Oh, Shark's calls must have been lucky to get through.

"But hey, you two came empty-handed. You don't even have weapons, right? What are you gonna do going in unarmed?"

While receiving treatment from Sekai-san, Shark pouted as she looked at our unarmed selves.

"Hehehe, Shark. My specialty isn't just slime... Behold, my Salt! Techsetter!! (Shoooom!)"

Previously, I had to meditate and connect with the Salt God to don the holy salt vestments, Seien Cross, which I couldn't do without channeling the Salt God. But now, the Salt God, Saltarou, resides in my heart. Thus, I can easily summon the holy salt armor, Seien Cross, like this.

"Ahh... could that be! The armor Sandra-san wore!!"

Ah, come to think of it, I've never summoned the Seien Cross outside of that time.

"Hehehe... well, yeah. Both the Pixise and Seien Cross, I lent them to Mei."

"Hehe, hey sensei, can I...?"

"Sure thing... Behold, my Salt! Techsetter!! (Shoooom!)"

"Ah! Ah!? Machi too, seriously?! Unfair!!"

Not only me but also Serai-san shines in the salt armor, and Shark starts clamoring with envy.

"Jung! Come on, please!!"

"It's better for you to hold off on that, Shark."

"Eh...?! Why can't I do it?! It's not fair!"

"Well, because you're covered in wounds and sweating. This Seien Cross is made of salt. If you wear it in your current condition, it'll seep into your wounds."

"Ugh...!?"

Yes, the Seien Cross is sturdy and robust. However, its composition is salt, NaCl. Therefore, it melts slightly upon contact with sweat and seeps heavily into wounds.

"Damn it... got it! Let's hurry up and defeat them! Can you burn them down with a Fire Wand?"

"No, we don't have a Fire Wand. And using fireballs in this forest would be a bad idea. What if it causes a fire?"

"Aww, then what do we do?! Those Kung Fu Bamboos are really tough!"

"Kung Fu Bamboos? Ah, you mean the bamboo plant-type monsters. Well, we'll figure out weapons after confirming the monsters. Let's go check them out."

"Ugh, are you sure it'll be okay?"

Yeah, Shark has only seen the [Salt] skill used in cooking, so she doesn't understand the full power of the skill yet. But it's okay. She'll understand soon enough. Please look forward to it. 

Hehehe...