Dungeon Refrigerator 250

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Dungeon Stampede 2.0 Monk

Previously on Dungeon Stampede: The monk was fighting a giant grasshopper.

And now, that very monk approached us.

Clear eyes, strong eyebrows. His head was shaved, but his face was sharp and manly—quite the handsome guy. His body was well-built, and he seemed to be wearing a thin layer of protective gear under his robe, giving him a somewhat angular look.

But the hands and feet visible from his robe were clad in armor, like a samurai. Hmm, it seems like he's dressing for the occasion.

“Um, you’re not filming or taking pictures, right?”

The monk, who had been fighting, asked us nervously. A shiny gold ornament was wrapped around his forehead, probably the “Radiance of the Great Sun Buddha.”

“Hehe, right? It wouldn’t look good if a monk got too into killing, huh?”

“Ugh…!”

As expected, Serai-san was quick to tease the monk. She gazed at him with a mischievous smile, and he looked flustered.

So, I decided to throw him a lifeline.

“So, why are you here alone, Fakk-san…?”

“Huh? Fakk...?”

“Yeah, we call cool, rebellious monks who yell things like 'I'll go to hell if I have to!' ‘Fakk-Q monks.’”

“Oh… No, my name is Unkai, not Fakk-Q…”

“Well, starting today, you're Fakk-Q. And you can swear your vow here and now. Who knows, you might even gain 100,000 Bodhisattva Power or 1,000,000 Buddha Power!”

“Wait, hold on…!”

I joined in with Serai-san and kept pushing the monk.

Well, making fun of religious stuff like this is usually a big no-no. People could get seriously angry. But this monk gave off a kind of otaku vibe, so I felt unusually comfortable being casual with him.

“Egetsu-san, what’s ‘Gugan’?”

“Oh, ‘Gugan’ means ‘Vow Broadly.’ Like how the Jizo Bodhisattva vowed, ‘I’ll stay in hell until I save all the souls.’ Or Tokugawa Ieyasu, who vowed to protect Edo even after death, and was deified as Toushou Daigongen. Not sure if I got the kanji right, but it’s something like that.”

“Hmm…”

“You sure know a lot. Are you part of a sect or something?”

“No, not really. If anything, I’d say Animism?”

Yeah, with salt spirits and fairy queens living in my heart, I guess I lean more toward spirit worship.

“Animism??”

“Yeah, it’s the belief that spirits inhabit everything in nature. Like, ‘Thank the sun on sunny days’ or ‘Be grateful for the blessing of rain.’ Simple stuff like that.”

“Huh, sounds like something my grandpa would say.”

Ouch… Well, moving on.

“Anyway, we didn’t record anything, and we’re not planning to tell anyone about what we saw. Unless, of course, you want us to spread the word?”

“Oh no! Please keep it to yourselves!”

Of course. A monk getting too into killing? You wouldn’t want your temple congregation to see that. Uploading it online would guarantee a scandal.

“By the way, the vajra you were using earlier—can I take a look?”

“Oh, sure. It’s a bit heavy.”

“Thanks. Let’s see… Hmm, this is really well-made.”

“Is it? Try pressing that button there.”

“This one…?”

[Jakka!!]

“Whoa, a spike popped out! This is awesome! I totally want one!”

“Haha, a local temple member runs a small factory, and I asked them to make it for me.”

Wait, why would you ask your congregation to make something like this? But I really want one now…

“Hey, Unkai? You’ve been fighting with weapons the whole time, but do you have any skills?”

Ah, good question, Serai-san. I was wondering the same thing.

“Sk-Skills? Well, I’ve heard the rumors, but… Do they really exist?”

Unkai looked a little confused by the question, but at that moment, I noticed a sharp gleam in Serai-san’s eyes.

“Hey, Egetsu-san, hand me a cup!”

“Sure.”

[(Kyo-wa-wa-wa…)]

“What the…!?”

As the salt cup formed in Serai-san’s hand, Unkai’s eyes widened in shock. Yep, his reaction made it crystal clear—he doesn’t have any skills.

Serai-san filled the salt cup with her “fake lemon water,” and then downed it in one gulp.

“Phew… See? That’s a skill. Pretty real, huh?”

Serai-san beamed with pride, her smug grin perfectly in place. Cute.

...

Later, the three of us sat on the riverbank, sipping “fake lemon water” and chatting.

It was just an information exchange. Serai-san must’ve thought it was okay to share info with him, which is why she showed off her skill like that.

Shouting something as embarrassing as “even if I fall into hell!”—this Unkai guy must be pretty pure.