The Chronicles of a Lost Man in His Forties Founding a Nation ~Commonsense is Hindering Me From Becoming TUEE~ Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Infiltration

 

Level 9 spell [Move Outer Plane]. 

This spell transfers the bodies of a maximum of 7 people, including the caster, to an alternate plane. Anyone in this alternate plane is completely cut off from anything going on in the physical world. It is impossible to be detected or attacked from the physical world, so this is pretty much the ultimate defensive spell. Furthermore, all obstacles in the physical world can be pa.s.sed through as if they don’t even exist. For the duration of 6 hours, it is possible to transverse between the real and alternate planes as often as desired, the only condition being that the followers must remain within a 3m radius from the caster. 

(T/N: I’m surprised the Sedia side understands spatial theory lol.)

In other words, this spell is just way too perfect for covert operations. 

“That sounds truly all-powerful……” (Gillion)

“W-, Wizard-dono, are you a G.o.d?” (Gunnah)

Both Gillion and Gunnah have turned pale while commenting so. 

“Are you an envoy from the guardian deity of winter, Ashuginea-sama?” (Lioria)

Oy, Lioria-san over there, please don’t kneel. 

“...... N-, No I’m not a G.o.d.” (Gio)

I don’t think I can be faulted for being fl.u.s.tered at being treated as a G.o.d. It’s true that with my level, I’m more than qualified in D&B to undertake an ‘attaining G.o.dhood’ kind of quest, but I haven’t. That’s definitely not the way that I’ll explain it to them, but I can see in their eyes that I’m going to need to do some sort of explaining to convince them that I’m not a G.o.d. 

“Anyways…… I don’t even know any G.o.ds, and neither am I interested to. If my wizardry seems like the power of a G.o.d to you…… then it must be due to you having too much religious piety.” (Gio)

Even I don’t know what I’m saying. Behind the three knights who, for some incomprehensible reason, look deeply impressed, Sedam and Claura are looking at me with eyes tearing up with repressed laughter. Those two are my only saving grace, really. 

In actuality, I am far from a G.o.d. Although the power of the spells at my disposal are indeed powerful, D&B wizards have mountains of weaknesses. One of those is that there is a limit to the number of spells that I can have charged. For example, from among the spell list that I’ve charged up for today, this is my current level 9 loadout: 

[Spell Name] Useable Number / Charged Number

[Meteor] 2 / 2

[Complete Healing] 1 / 1
[Time Stop] 1 / 1

[Create All Monster] 1 / 1
[Word of Death] 1 / 1

[Chaotic Wall] 1 / 1
[Move Outer Plane] 0 / 1

[Invincible] 0 / 1

It’s like that. 

The maximum number of spells that can be charged goes up according to level. In my case, I can keep 9 spells charged on each floor. Spells whose Useable Number has dropped to 0 cannot be used anymore for the day (I already cast [Invincible] when we departed from the fort). Of course, I’ve also carefully selected 9 spells each from all eight other floors. 

If possible, I really wanted to charge one more [Complete Healing], and I really want [Shapes.h.i.+ft] too for its versatility. But well, this is one of the limits of a D&B wizard. 

“Enough of that. Ladies and gentlemen, should we be off?” (Gio)

My spells don’t last forever either. 

♥♦♣♠

With Sedam in the head, we walked along the valley floor. 

The valley turned out to be more complicated and deeper than we'd expected, with the main path branching off several times. Each time we came upon a fork, Sedam had to search the surroundings for traces of the army’s pa.s.sage. There were a lot of rocks and debris in our way, but such obstacles did not even slow us down, as we were in the alternate plane. Thanks to that, it took us only two hours of walking to discover the anki base. 

“There is a rock demon……” (Gillion)

“Before that, what is that?” (Lioria)

We are in the deepest part of the valley. In an open s.p.a.ce the size of a baseball court that is encircled by sheer cliffs, there is an elephant…… no, it is a rock demon 4 to 5m tall, surrounded by several tens of small demons. It appears that the rock demon is being served lunch, as the small demons are carrying several pig-like creatures toward it. Of course, none of them sense us, since we’re still in the alternate plane. But rather than that, what first caught my and Claura’s attention is the gigantic door set into one of the cliffsides. Is it at least 10m in height? At that size, even rock demons can easily pa.s.s through. 

“What do you mean ‘what is it.’ It’s a door, duh.” (Gillion)

“Yea no duh. I meant, why is there a door here?” (Lioria)

“That might have been made by the anki themselves.” (Gunnah)

Gunnah provides a proper answer to the sibling manzai skit. Sedam is nodding in agreement, so he must be right. It’s true that the construction itself appears quite simplistic, but the patterns and decorations that look like avant-garde art are ominous, to say the least.

“But wasn’t it only recently that anki began appearing around here? Did they really have that much time to make something like this?”

“Whichever way you look at it, it doesn’t seem like something slapped together within 2 or 3 days. This must have taken …… 10 years …… or maybe even more.”

Wait, wasn’t it 10 years ago that the last anki nest was found in Liuus? If this dates before that, then it must be from the great battle 150 years ago.

“Doesn’t matter either way. For now, what we have to do is kill that rock demon and charge through that door, right?” (Gillion)

“That is indeed correct, but leave it to me.” (Gio)

“...... Alright, fine.” (Gillion)

Oooo, I thought he’d just charge in regardless, but I guess even Gillion is growing.

“But before I begin, let’s take a look beyond that door.” (Gio)

I take out a single scroll. Claura tries to peek at it while feigning disinterest.

“My, even wizardry has scrolls? Wait a second, isn’t it completely blank?” (Claura)

“It’s blank right now, but…… Well, just keep watching.”

I spread out the blank scroll on the ground.

“Ah, something’s becoming visible.”

“...... This, is this a map?”

Exactly. This is a magic item called a Mapping Scroll. It’s normally just white paper, but once spread open, it will automatically turn into a map of the nearby area.

Seeing as how the t.i.tle [Dungeons & Braves] is mostly about dungeon exploration, such an item is practically ant.i.thetical to the game itself. However, most dungeons above level 30 are either in other dimensions or are encased in lead, which wizardry cannot pa.s.s through, so Mapping Scrolls don’t work. Conversely, it is an item used by high level characters who can’t be bothered to explore normal caves and ruins step by step.

“As I had expected, there is an underground pa.s.sage behind that door.” (Sedam)

After closely gazing at the map, that is the a.n.a.lysis that Sedam comes up with.

“Considering that the nest also sp.a.w.ns rock demons, we should reach it by going down a pa.s.sage large enough for them to pa.s.s through…… This must be where it is.” (Sedam)

The place that he is pointing to is a large room situated at the edge of the map, which means it’s in the deepest part of the cave system. It is indeed connected to the huge door by the widest tunnel on the map. 

“It seems like there are a lot of branches and small rooms also. Ones that can serve as escape routes are……” (Claura)

“All the others look too small for large demons, much less rock demons, to pa.s.s through.” (Sedam)

It is fortunate that we got ahold of this information now. If there are several large escape routes, then we’d have to go seal those off beforehand.

“Well then, let’s infiltrate from the front entrance.” (Gio)

The reason is not because the door is meaningless to us in the alternate plane, but because we might lose our way pa.s.sing through rock for a long period of time without any visibility. There’s no point to any of this if we don’t reach our goal.

♥♦♣♠

“We would need to return to the physical world for me to cast a few more spells. While I do so, please protect me.” (Gio)

“Oh? Ohhh! Leave it to me, Wizard-dono!” (Gillion)

“I will definitely protect you!” (Lioria)

The siblings suddenly burst into smiles, and everyone forms a ring around me.

“I have a protective magic called «Wind Wall». It is capable of blocking even attacks from a rock demon for a while.” (Claura)

So murmurs Claura while standing up and preparing her long staff. Didn’t you tell me that magic can only be used to attack…… in other words, it can be used for fighting purposes in the general meaning, I suppose.

“Transferring to the physical world…… now.” (Gio)

Of course, we’re not in the middle of the open area. Our bodies are currently hidden in the shade of some rocks near the entrance. Right after the transfer, the rotten smell emanated by the anki that had been shut out up to now a.s.saults our noses.

The smell really bothers me, but it’s still bearable in comparison to the time when my shoulder was stabbed through by an arrow of ice. Without wasting any time, my Inner World self immediately dives down to the 6th floor.

“By means of this spell, may death be granted to all living creatures under level 32 within 9 meters each way. [Death Gaze].” (Gio)

“ “......” ”

Although the chanting is finished, there is no dramatic change to the scene of the rock demon grasping a pig with both hands and biting off its abdomen. I can feel the knights holding their breaths.

We wait for one more second.

“Gua……” (Rock Demon)

The rock demon’s body immediately goes completely slack, and the pig falls from its hands. It falls to its knees, then topples over in slow motion. Looking closely, I can see the small demons around it also falling like flies.

“?!”

“Gyah!”

“Giruru! Giuh!”

The rock demon is lying completely motionless on the ground. This spell kills off all living creatures under level 32 without giving them any time at all to resist. In the D&B game system, this spell has a chance of failing if the targets have any resistance against wizardry, so I am relieved to see that this was not the case here. 

“They died just like that……?”

“The rock demon…… just by looking at it……”

It wasn’t actually my gaze that did the killing, but I have no time to explain everything in detail. The small demons that are running around raising a commotion at the sudden occurrence have apparently spotted us. 

“GYAHH! GAHHH!”

“GyaaUUUuu!”

The small demons rush at us, brandis.h.i.+ng swords and spears. The killing intent and hatred-filled glares that almost causes my back to be drenched with cold sweat are as chilling as always. 

While I’ve already started chanting my next spell, I hear the ‘pis.h.i.+’ sound of a bow from behind my back. That must have been Sedam shooting an arrow. 

“Gugah!?”

An arrow plants itself in the chest of the small demon in the lead, bowling him over backwards. 

“Fire Feather!” (Claura)

Several tens of feathers made of fire appear from Claura’s outstretched staff and bury themselves into small demons one after the other. 

“Alright, bring it on!” (Gillion)

“I won’t let you lay a single finger on Wizard-dono!” (Lioria)

The Carbanera siblings and Vice Commander Gunnah all raise their s.h.i.+elds in front of me and brace themselves, but I finish my chant before any of the small demons reach them. 

“By means of this spell, may all dead under level 36 become zombies under my control with their will intact. [Control Dead].”

Due to my spell, a false breath of life blows into the fallen rock demon (and some of the small demons), causing them to stand up again as zombies. 

“Guruoooo……”

[Death Gaze] is not a spell that kills through external damage, so it did not look strange at all when the rock demon stood back up. 

However, every time he swings his enormous arms, the ones that he’s blowing away is not us, but the small demons trying to attack us. 

“GyaAH! Gugyah!”

“GUOOoooh!”

The h.e.l.l-like scene of a zombified rock demon and several zombified small demons fighting against other small demons unfolds before our eyes. 

It seems that the normal small demons are prioritizing killing us humans instead of taking care of their crazed allies, as they make another push towards us. From behind them, the rock demon zombie is either punting their exposed backs or outright stomping on them. Those out of its reach are being picked off by Sedam and Claura. 

A few minutes later, all of the sane (?) anki have been annihilated. The small demon zombies are also down, but the rock demon zombie is still in good health. 

“By means of this spell, may a single target of my choosing be reduced to dust. [Destruction].” (Gio) 

As a result of this spell, the tall, majestic doors crumble to dust with a loud roar. We would have had no trouble pa.s.sing through in the alternate plane, but since I went to the trouble of creating a rock demon zombie, I want to put it to work. 

“Go. Ma.s.sacre all anki inside.” (Gio)

“Guruuu……”

After receiving my command, the zombie rock demon makes its way through the destroyed door and into the cave with a dull gait. 

 The knights no longer have any words left and are merely staring with their mouths wide open. 

…… Ah. 

Couldn’t I just have the rock demon zombie open the door instead of pulverizing it? 

“Ahem.” (Gio)

Sedam’s and Claura’s gazes tell me that they both have some words for me, but I gloss over it by pretending to clear my throat. 

“Shall we also head inside?” (Gio)

I am earnestly praying that I look full of self-confidence right now.