Chapter 159. Black Forest
On the way to Niigata, a helicopter crashed. It seems it was due to maintenance issues. A tragic accident indeed. Helicopters do tend to crash, after all, Shizuku nodded knowingly.
Though no smoke was billowing from the aircraft, it seemed completely uncontrollable as it spiraled into the forest, knocking down trees and exploding upon impact.
[It's horrifying, isn't it, Sakimori-san? You must have learned a scary lesson. You might have survived if you had pretended not to see, but you saw it, didn't you? Hehehe.]"
[My familiar isn't some ghostly entity.]
After finishing with his familiar controls, Sakimori-san, now in astral form, yawned and floated in the air. Watching him, I felt satisfied with Sakimori-san's coolness.
[They really don't believe a word those scientists say, do they?]
While admiring Sakimori-san's smug grin, Shizuku inwardly chuckled.
[It's just outward camouflage. Did Nishizono really believe in the scientists' achievements and pass on the information to the inner city?]
[It might be to show some level of achievement or for political maneuvering... We're lacking information. Should we investigate or let Karin handle it?]
[They say knowledge is power on the battlefield. Let's also investigate some nice cake shops next time.]
[Shall we take a trip to the cake shop next time? There seems to be a move to open one in the market.]
"I'd love to go there! Let's chat while we're at it."
The two were about to transition to small talk when they heard screams and turned their heads.
"It's terrible! A helicopter crashed! Whose was it?"
Sticking to the window, Konoha panicked as she saw the heavily damaged helicopter in the forest, emitting smoke from the crash and explosion.
"Konoha-san, please don't make a fuss. Helicopters crash, you know. There are ten of them. One crashing isn't unusual."
Shrugging, I said to Konoha. Helicopters are bound to crash. They might as well all crash.
"But could it be an attack of some sort?"
"Miss, helicopters do crash. It's probably due to maintenance issues."
"Hmm... Perhaps making a fuss over nothing. I understand."
Following the maid's advice, Konoha sat back in her chair, sulking. But she's refrained from causing further disturbance. She must have understood that it was just an accident. She's not a stupid girl.
While some soldiers seemed unsettled, looking around nervously, they mostly remained silent. They seemed to think speaking up unnecessarily might get them silenced. It's a wise choice. They might look a bit pale, though.
The maid came back after speaking with the pilot and reported to Konoha.
"Understood, Miss. It seems the helicopter belonged to the Wada family."
"Oh... What a tragedy. I feel sorry for the Wada clan. So much misfortune lately."
Konoha frowned at the maid's report.
While they talked, they glanced at me as if to ask something, but I ignored them and looked out the window. Apparently, the helicopter wouldn't return and would proceed as planned.
Sakimori-san glanced at me, and being the understanding wife I am. I caught his intention and asked Konoha. At this point, Sakimori-san and I could communicate only through eye contact. It would be impossible for the pretend couple, Serika-chan.
"Konoha-san, I understand we've been chosen for the dungeon exploration team, but are we representing the Taira clan?"
If we were to have ownership of the oil fields after the dungeon conquest, wouldn't it be unusual for Konoha not to be in charge? It doesn't seem like Rei is that trusted.
"? Yes, we are the representatives. There's only merit in this mission."
"Though we're not trusted, we're relied upon as a force."
To prevent Konoha from being asked about ownership of the oil, they haven't told to her. Rei doesn't want her to complain later if she finds out. Well, they're receiving 5 billion as compensation. No complaints there. No wonder there's such a hefty reward.
[I see... Oil fields... Oil fields, huh? They're useless without facilities. Even if you can change the terrain, you'll still need iron mines or oil fields. Iron and oil won't just appear on their own. You need extraction and refining. Maybe that's the downside of terrain modification?]
Rubbing his chin, Sakimori-san pondered. It seems his thoughts extended even to the ordinary terrain modification skill.
[That might be the case. No, the possibility is quite high. It's a skill that's useless on its own. It's like having a cavalry skill without horsemanship, or having a marksmanship skill without gun or bow skills.]
[I see... That could be it. Maybe I misunderstood when I heard about the terrain. Maybe they call the maps inside the dungeon terrain. Well, I've come up with something interesting. Let's act on it later.]
Saying that, Sakimori-san closed his eyes and slept.
"Mam, we'll be parting ways with the other helicopters soon to head to our destination. From here on, we won't receive support from combat helicopters, so please be careful. We'll be waiting nearby."
Turning back, the pilot said loudly, and Konoha nodded in agreement.
With that, the helicopter separated from the others and headed straight to its destination.
After a while, they came across a forest. Jutting out from within the forest was a cave, with nothing around.
"This dungeon has appeared atop an exhausted oil field. It seems it was once called Asakawa Oil Field."
"It's now a world where undead roam. Is it safe to land here?"
The trees in the forest were black, dripping with tar-like gooeyness. Despite looking like they could wither away, the trees, standing about 30 meters tall, towered with oozing tar flowing from their leaves.
"That's a tar torrent. It could easily be taken down by setting it on fire, right?"
"No, if you do that, it'll cause a huge fire."
"Absolutely no open flames here, indeed. How many units do you think could conquer this dungeon without using firearms?"
Shizuku remarked coldly as she looked at the forest. Underestimating the dungeon would be a big mistake, especially at low levels.
"So, strictly no open flames. Please gather your magazines. Make sure no one's hiding any. Those who are uncomfortable can wait in the helicopter. There should only be people gathered deep inside here."
"People don't hold meetings in dungeons, you know?"
Konoha tilted her head, questioning Shizuku's teasing remark. But some foolish commanders would think so, even though it's absurd. Just like in the movies.
"There are indeed commanders who foolishly collect magazines under the pretense of traps and send troops for investigation. It doesn't change the fact that they're incompetent, even if they blow themselves up with grenades to suppress the enemy."
"I... don't quite understand, but understood. Everyone, leave your guns behind. Even if you hide bullets, you won't be able to use them."
Understanding the strict rule against open flames, the soldiers obediently left their guns behind. Well, the smell of oil was permeating everywhere. No one would be smoking here.
Moving away from the tar-soaked forest, the terrain quickly returned to normal. There seemed to have been buildings here once, now covered in green and turned into ruins, with cracked parking lots overgrown with weeds. The helicopter headed there and landed safely.
The hatch opened, and the soldiers briskly moved out. Since guns were prohibited, they carried swords and spears. It might be slightly more dangerous than guns, as they won't spark, but it's within acceptable limits. Plus, it shouldn't catch fire easily.
"Do we need gas masks or oxygen tanks?"
The smell of tar pervaded the surroundings, quite pungent and seemingly harmful to the body.
"Miss, here's the Type 26 gas mask. Please put it on. It's equipped with a magic purification filter."
"Seems necessary after all. Thank you."
The maid handed Konoha a gas mask, and I, who had received one earlier, put it on quickly. Taking off the mask, I put it on. My true identity must not get revealed. I'm the mysterious beauty Rei. It's okay because I have the ring of illusion, but still.
Type 26 gas masks. They were mass-produced by Serika-chan. They're made for level 1 purification skill holders. With the power to completely purify the air for a breath, attaching it to the gas mask's filter can effectively purify toxins or viruses. It's a well-designed piece of equipment at a low cost. I'm impressed by Serika-chan's smart use of resources.
"Now, shall we proceed?"
"Understood! Everyone, let's start moving."
Following Konoha's instructions, the soldiers nodded nervously and started walking.
Leading the way and surveying the surroundings, the forest of tar was pitch black even on the ground, and it seemed like tar would stick to your shoes as you walked. For this dungeon conquest, they wore Type 26 combat suits and military boots. The combat suit, with a slight assist bonus, felt light on the body and was quite practical.
The tar spread thinly on the ground but wasn't exactly a swamp. It just covered the ground thinly. It wasn't obstructive enough to impede their movement.
The black forest. Tar dripped from the leaves of the trees, making the forest eerie. Shizuku advanced through it with a calm expression. As she walked, she tilted her body slightly, and with a swift motion, swung her dagger. Her attack easily sliced through the trunk of a tree, as thick as 5 meters, that swung towards her.
"That's a tar torrent. It's ranked F, simply covering the area with tar-like sap and attacking approaching prey."
Without changing her walking pace, Shizuku swung her dagger. The black torrents attacked Shizuku as she entered their range, but they were no match for Shizuku, whose status was already at Rank B.
The tar torrents were cut down like firewood, making a crunching sound as they fell. Shizuku continued through the dungeon as if she were walking through an uninhabited field.
"The map of the oil field dungeon itself is simple. It could be conquered in about an hour."
"You... understand it?"
Konoha, surprised, was met with a cool smile from Shizuku, who nodded.
"Forgetful, aren't you, Commander? I am Rei, Vice Captain of the Jester Knights who can perform miracles! I can easily overturn the setting in the movie version."
"Movie version?"
Ignoring Konoha's confusion, Shizuku struck a pose with her hand raised.
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