Guided by Badis-san, we set out for the new dungeon. Apparently, it was located about half a day’s walk from the village—unexpectedly close. Our group consisted of Glory's Steps and Badis-san’s party. Beere-san had looked interested, but she stayed behind to mind the shop. As a traveling merchant, she had sturdy legs and decent physical ability, but she wasn't exactly accustomed to a real fight.
"I don't mind showing you the way, but it's dangerous," Badis-san had warned when I first asked. "Actually... I suppose you and your group will be fine, Tort?"
"We handled the Tiraza easily enough, after all," I replied.
"I know, but that thing we saw looked even more dangerous."
"Well, it never hurts to be cautious," Jester added.
When they had first discovered the dungeon, they’d spotted a giant beast near the entrance. It looked so clearly lethal that they had retreated immediately. I wondered if it was some kind of guardian. I’d never seen anything like that before.
With that in mind, we moved with caution, but we reached the entrance without encountering anything resembling a beast.
"What a huge hole! I can see stone stairs, too—it must be a Labyrinth Type," Halfa noted.
A massive pit, roughly ten meters across, gaped in the earth. The gentle slope leading down turned into stone stairs partway through, suggesting Halfa was right about it being a Labyrinth Type. There was no light inside, so we needed to secure our vision. I could have cast Night Vision on everyone individually, but with this many people, it was a hassle. I decided to use Floating Light instead.
『Hmm... What is this? This presence... It feels familiar, yet somehow foreign?』
Just inside the entrance, Shiroru tilted her head curiously. She wasn't the only one reacting.
『...Is this the aura of a kin of Asheraska? No, but even so...』
Garna seemed to be sensing something similar, and she sounded frustrated by the ambiguity.
"Asheraska-sama? Which god was that again?" I asked.
『The one you mortals call the Earth God.』
The Earth God, huh. Since this was an underground dungeon, I wondered if there was a connection. Could the Earth God have created it?
Halfa must have had the same thought, because she turned to Garna. "Can the Earth God make dungeons?"
『He could certainly create an underground labyrinth. However, creating a "dungeon" equipped with the automatic generation of monsters and treasure chests is the Authority of the Trial God granted to me. I won't say it's impossible to mimic it, but creating the dungeon itself should be impossible for anyone other than me... or so I thought.』
"So, strictly speaking, this isn't a dungeon?"
『No, it most likely is... I can't say for sure because it doesn't respond to my control, but it has an undeniable "dungeon feel." Just what is going on here...?』
Garna sighed, frantically rubbing her head with her paws. Since she was in her cat form, it was an adorable gesture, but she seemed genuinely distraught.
To summarize her explanation: no god other than Garna should be able to create a dungeon. Yet, Garna herself recognized this place as one. She hadn't made it, which meant it shouldn't exist—and that was what had her so confused.
By the way, I had already told Badis-san and his party that I could communicate with Shiroru and Garna via Thought Transmission. They could hear the conversation, but they seemed to be letting it go with a shrug, figuring we were just "talking about complicated stuff." Given their personalities and the way Shiroru and the others usually acted, no one would ever suspect they were Holy Beasts or gods unless I explicitly said so. I’d started to feel that there was no point in hiding the truth from people who had grown used to our group’s quirks.
"So, what's the plan?"
"Even if we know it’s a dungeon, we have no idea why it appeared," I said. "Maybe we'll find some answers if we head deeper?"
『Who can say? We won't know until we try,』 Garna replied.
『I’m curious about Asheraska-sama’s presence!』 Shiroru added.
"I think we should just head inside for now," I suggested.
"Right!" Halfa agreed. "We can always turn back if it gets too dangerous."
There was almost no information to be found at the entrance, so the party consensus was to move forward. Badis-san and his group didn't object; they intended to follow us in.
"Wow, a real dungeon. This is exciting."
"Yeah. I wonder what kind of monsters we'll run into."
It was their first time in a dungeon, and they were chatting with visible excitement. It was a bit reckless for an exploration, but I could understand the feeling.
That sense of wonder, however, didn't last long.
After descending the stairs and following a straight hallway, we were met by a plain stone door. When I touched it, it began to groan open with a heavy, rumbling sound, even though I hadn't pushed. Our alertness spiked instantly. Sensing the change in the air, Badis-san’s group fell silent.
Beyond the door lay a vast chamber. The light from my Floating Light wasn't enough to see the far end. I conjured several more light balls and sent them into the center of the room, revealing a massive creature. To put it simply, it looked like a giant lizard covered in thick, fluffy fur.
"T-That’s it!"
"Tort! That’s the thing we saw!"
Badis-san and his men cried out in surprise. Apparently, this was the Giant Beast they had seen when they first found the dungeon. I’d wondered why we hadn't seen it outside, but it seemed it had simply retreated into this room.
...Wait.
Dungeon monsters didn't usually wander in and out like that.
As the question crossed my mind, the beast lifted its drooping head and fixed its gaze on us.
『So, you are relatives of the god... You have come at the perfect time. Please... kill me...』