Dungeon Refrigerator 268

Test

Dungeon Stampede 2.0 Preparation

"Dr. Tobari, the blood packs have arrived. Here they are."

"Hmm... What, only two packs?"

"Yes, but I had to pull some strings to get even these. Any more is... impossible."

"Hmph, it's hard to say how much blood loss we’re dealing with, so I'd prefer more, but it can’t be helped. Now then, have you contacted, what was it... the monster control team? What’s their status?"

"That’s not looking good either. They're swamped with other cases, so no personnel will be available."

"Hmm... Well, I suppose we’ll handle it ourselves. At least we’ll record everything for future reference."

"Yes, the recording cameras have already been set up."

"What a hassle this all is. But… considering the rate that monster is growing, if we don’t deal with it soon, it'll be too late. Right, sir?"

"Y-Yes... My wife first felt discomfort in her shoulder three days ago. She thought it was a small bump, but that night she developed a fever and then... it just kept growing!"

As I listened to their conversation from afar, I was also preparing, channeling with Shiotaro.

(Alright, Shiotaro, let’s go over this again. You’re going to enter the woman and chase out whatever’s causing trouble inside.)

(... ... ...)

(No, no, you can’t hurt the woman, okay?)

(... ... ...)

(Huh? You're saying I do it all the time with the women I’m with? Th-That’s different! Don't worry about that, okay?)

(... ... ... ...)

What the heck is he asking? Well, I guess he sees everything since we’re linked.

Anyway, thanks to the guidance of my little salt god, I’ve ended up having to perform some skill-based surgery. However activating a skill directly inside a living human’s body seriously ups the difficulty level.

If it were like with that stalker I pickled, I wouldn’t worry and just go all out. But this time, it’s a whole different story.

After all, I’m trying to drive out a parasitic monster called a jinmensou by injecting salt into the infected body, relying on its toxicity to expel the creature.

The concentration, though, can’t be too strong or too weak.

It has to be just right—right at that fine line where the jinmensou will be like, "I can't take it! I’m out!" Otherwise, there’s no way to separate the monster from the host’s body. And at the same time, I have to ensure the patient’s body doesn’t suffer.

Yeah, that’s going to be tough for me.

But I’ve got Shiotaro. With our combined strength, we’ll give it a shot. Together, I’m sure we can overcome any obstacle. After all, Shiotaro and I are Saltmates.

Shiotaro.

A being that emerged when the tiny grains of salt, the lower spirits, fused into one entity to share my soul. Because of that, his memories from when he was just salt grains were wiped out. It’s like an app that deletes its old data when upgraded.

So, the samurai-like memories from when he first spoke to me are all gone. Now, Shiotaro is newly born, still learning and gaining memories and concepts.

(That’s why I didn’t want to send him into battle yet...)

If the salt grains were lower spirits, Shiotaro is a middle-tier spirit. But spirit growth is much slower than human time, so Shiotaro is still very much a baby.

I’ve avoided sending him into deadly situations. Though he has helped with magical support, I’ve never made him fight directly. But this time, precise control over magic and salt concentration is key.

Luckily, since Shiotaro’s very essence is salt, he can handle such delicate adjustments with ease. He’ll surely live up to expectations and save the woman infected with the jinmensou.

"You there, boy, come over here. Let’s go over the plan again."

"Yes, understood."

The group gathered: me, Dr. Tobari, and three JSDF officers.

"When the jinmensou is expelled, your task is to capture it in the containment vessel. Mission accomplished!"

""Yes, sir!""

The JSDF officers, prepared for any situation, were tasked with capturing the jinmensou once it detached from the body. Each held a metal bucket and a plastic bucket. One officer, standing in the rear, held a large net, keeping an eye on the surroundings.

None of them carried guns or knives.

The patient was securely strapped to the bed to prevent her from thrashing during surgery. But if the jinmensou seized control of her arms, we couldn’t risk her reaching for a weapon.

The meticulous planning involved in preparing for such contingencies shows the professionalism that comes from having JSDF officers onboard.

"Boy, your job is to ensure the salt concentration doesn’t kill the patient while getting that monster out."

"Understood."

Yeah, that’s the only instruction you can give me. It’s vague, but there’s no better way to say it.

"Alright, let’s begin the surgery. Oh, but before that, I’ll make a quick record for the camera. Wait a moment."

Dr. Tobari turned to the camera and started talking.

"—and thus, this marks the first attempt at using a skill for treatment in this case—"

""".........."""

Wait... Isn't this long? Hey, it’s already been five minutes since you started talking! We’re in a hurry, right!?