Earth Dungeon 161

Test

Chapter 161. Transportation

The 2nd son of the Ashikaga family. Ashikaga Teru, famous for possessing the [Warlord] skill, which allows him to equip any weapon without penalties based on status, yawned as he gazed at the scene before him. He was getting bored. He couldn't help but wonder if it wouldn't be better if he weren't here.

The oil field he obtained through his activities in Niigata Prefecture. It was a vacant lot where machines that seemed to have rusted and decayed in the tar-covered forest, with broken chimneys from factories, were once present. No, not a vacant lot, but a place where many soldiers and scientists were bustling around in front of the oil field, busy with various tasks.

He tried to sit on a fallen tree trunk, but the tar seemed to stick to him, so he clicked his tongue and stopped trying to sit. After conquering the dungeon, for some reason, most of the tar had disappeared, and even the tar torrents had vanished. According to the scientists, it was an extraordinary terrain. When the influence of the dungeon disappeared, the tar withered away and disappeared as well. Such terrain seemed to be common in Kyushu and Hokkaido.

However, the influence hadn't completely disappeared yet, and they said it would take another six months. Therefore, Teru stood there like a sentry, unable to sit around casually.

Not that it was a mistake since he was actually on guard duty.

Teru, the second son of the Ashikaga family, couldn't help but wonder why he was doing this as he touched the Five Star Sword hanging from his waist. And he looked at the Mirror Armor, armor that repelled all attack magic he was wearing. While distracting himself with the comforting feeling of the reliable magical sword and armor, he spoke to the girl standing beside him with a refreshing smile.

"Hey, Yoko. Do you think there's any meaning for us being here? We've already conquered the dungeon. Dungeons won't appear in the same place for a while. Isn't it just a waste of effort?"

The girl, who was wearing combat attire and looking around with a serious expression, returned a cold gaze to Teru.

"You're saying something foolish. I don't consider it a waste. Shouldn't we always consider the unexpected?"

She was a girl with bright fox ears and a beautiful fox tail. She tied her black hair into a ponytail and had a lovely face, but her gaze was strong, her expression serious, her way of speaking formal, and she held herself upright without any indication of slouching. She was the beautiful daughter of the Oda family, Oda Yoko, who possessed the skills [Fox Transformation] and [Sword Saint]. She would turn 18 this year.

"Is that so? I think it's an unnecessary deployment of force, don't you? Putting the strongest tag team like us on guard duty."

"Hmph. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. And I don't recall ever teaming up with you, nor do I intend to in the future. Also, please refrain from calling me by my name. We're not that close."

With a sharp retort, Teru's mouth twitched slightly. He was confident in his appearance and his smile. Apart from the title of the Ashikaga family, he believed he was popular with women. Indeed, he always managed to pick up girls whenever he casually went out in the inner city.

However, this girl was a tough one. Even though she had such a bad attitude, the Oda family couldn't match the three noble families. But it was difficult to retaliate against a family with enough financial power to quickly replace them. Despite thinking that obtaining a [Sword Saint] woman would further his success, given the recent favorable treatment of skill holders, he always got rebuffed in this way. Recently, even Fuuka had started to distance herself from him, so he clicked his tongue inwardly at the frustration of things not going well.

Shouldn't everyone bow down before his power? Teru, who had recently raised his skill level to 4, began to think so, but he didn't show much frustration and just smiled.

He needed to be a refreshing young man with charismatic charisma. He understood how much that reputation worked in his favor.

"Oda-san is as usual. I get it."

Even if he approached forcefully, this type would only resist and push back. It would be good to gradually close the distance with small gestures of concern, but there was no chance to meet at the university. For now, let's keep a little distance and think about it while shifting his gaze to the scene before him.

"However, the country had some incredible things hidden. I never imagined there would be a Terrain Exchange Gem."

There was a three-meter metallic capsule. It had a lid made of reinforced glass, and although you could see inside, a jet-black crystal emitted a dim glow. Cables extended from the capsule and mechanical pillars were set up around it.

It was vibrating and operating, and the cables were shining like magic circles, illuminating the ground.

It was the national secret magical device, the Terrain Exchange Gem. It was a pair of magical devices, and by now, the gem placed in Tama Ward would also be shining and operating.

This magical device could completely swap terrains. It was currently in the process of exchanging the land in Tama Ward with the oil fields. It would take a week for the terrain exchange to take effect. Until then, Teru and the others were stationed as guards.

The oil fields of the Taira, Minamoto, and Oda families had already been exchanged. It had been just over two weeks since the dungeon conquest. It couldn't be helped because of the conquest order. The Ashikaga family was last.

"I don't like it."

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

Not missing Yoko's murmured words, Teru asked back with a smile.

Yoko narrowed her eyes and said grumpily.

"That device gives me a bad feeling. Using something like that..."

"Indeed. It does give off an ominous vibe, but isn't magic like that? It's the magic of the devil. We should use what we can."

"Hmph, I understand, but... Who's that?"

As Yoko clearly expressed her dislike for that magical device, Teru was amazed at how free-spirited she was. Then, a puzzled voice made Teru look back.

And he understood the meaning of Yoko's words.

"Who's that? A priest?"

A tall young man, about two meters tall, with sun-tanned skin and a frivolous face, was walking towards the crystal. He was wearing a priest's outfit for some reason, but there was nothing solemn about his smiling expression.

"Hahaha~. No good, no good. I don't want you to use it like that."

The soldiers exchanged glances, wondering who this cheerful young man approaching the crystal was. However, seeing it as part of the job, the captain stepped forward to question him.

"Wait. What's your affiliation? What are you here for?"

There couldn't be a priest in such a place. Even if by some chance he was a survivor, he wouldn't show up wearing a clean priest's robe made of high-quality fabric. Therefore, the captain thought he must be someone from their allied forces.

"Ah~, affiliation? I belong to the Earth Federation Army. Ahahaha~, but even so, I'm a new model."

"Earth Federation Army? What are you talk—"

The captain furrowed his brows, his expression puzzled, and with a 'pop', his face burst like a balloon, shattered by the young man's swinging hand. The captain fell to the ground, his head crushed. Teru watched the scene unfold without any sense of reality. He couldn't comprehend what was happening.

Amid his stunned state, Yoko, with her swift movements, ran past Teru. She was the only one who recognized the scene in front of her as real and drew her sword.

"I recognize you as an enemy!"

Yoko raised her sword, her voice sharp.

[Jump Snake Sword]

In a strange transformation, the sword split into multiple segments, resembling a whip. Yoko manipulated the flexible sword, rotating her body in the air as she attacked. The sword, flexible like a whip, moved unpredictably, bouncing off the ground and striking the enemy without revealing its trajectory.

"Ahahaha, a whip sword. You're still using minor weapons, huh, girl?"

The man remained unfazed, even as the whip sword approached, bouncing around him. He extended his unarmed hand without any sign of concern. Yoko, facing an enemy who showed no fear of her sword, pulled her hand holding the sword with all her might.

The whip sword stopped bouncing around the enemy and instead closed in on him, tightening its encirclement and attacking the man.

[Iron Body]

As the enemy used his combat skills, Yoko's swinging blade attacked almost simultaneously. The man's sunburned skin turned into iron, but the blade still tore through it, causing blood to spray.

"Oops, that hurts, ahahaha."

Despite being cut into, the man showed no concern. Yoko frowned slightly at his nonchalant demeanor but continued her attack without hesitation, aiming to defeat him.

With a swaying motion and clenched fists, the blood-covered man circulated mana through his body, activating his combat skill.

[Wild Dance Fist]

A combat skill that enveloped his body in a red aura. As the man's arms moved like dancing, the whip sword was repelled in mid-air as if hitting an invisible wall, emitting a metallic sound.

"See, this is the Wild Dance Fist, combining offense and defense. It deflects your attacks and ends with a punch to your body~"

With frivolous words, the man's fists swayed like fluttering butterfly wings, repelling the whip sword each time. Eventually, the sword made a creaking sound as it got deflected.

"Damn, troublesome."

Yoko gave up on defeating the enemy, retracting her whip sword and transforming it into a straight sword, then stepped back. However, the man didn't miss the slight opening. Grinning like a crescent moon, he closed the distance, his arm poised at his waist.

"Here I go. Ahahaha."

[Strong Fist]

A simple yet powerful punch was unleashed. Piercing through the air, the shockwave gouged the ground as it approached Yoko. With a stern expression, Yoko crossed her arms to defend herself.

[Ice Star Sword]

The approaching fist got sliced off by a gigantic ice blade that flew in from the side like a guillotine.

"Huh?"

The man looked puzzled at his severed arm, tilting his head. Suddenly, Teru attacked with an ice sword in hand. Despite trying to dodge, the man's movements were already slowed by the freezing, and Teru sliced through his body from the right shoulder in a diagonal slash.

"Ahahaha got me..."

As the frozen area shattered, the man turned into an ice sculpture and collapsed to the ground, scattering into pieces of red-black ice. Teru smiled brightly at Yoko.

"Are you alright? That was close."

"Uh, sorry. Let me express my gratitude sincerely."

Yoko bowed her head, and inwardly Teru smirked, thinking it was good that the intruder had appeared. Then, he addressed the surrounding soldiers.

"Everyone! Is anyone else injured? Stay calm."

As Teru spoke to the soldiers, he felt like the protagonist of a movie, but he noticed something was off when he didn't receive the expected reaction from them. They weren't looking at him; their gaze was directed behind him.

"What the heck are you all looking at...!?"

Feeling irritated, Teru turned around, and his body tensed up involuntarily. Because...

"These guys..."

As Teru muttered in disbelief, men began emerging from among the trees. They wore the same superior-looking priest robes and had the exact same face.

"These guys..."

"We're the Earth Federation Army, the Kiten Corps. My name is Power. We believe we're the strongest among the mass-produced units, ahahaha."

All of them laughed the same way, and as Teru and the others felt fear, they readied their weapons. And the intense battle began.