405. Capture




 I circled around the basement level of Carbon, killing monsters and gathering information.

 After doing so for a while, I suddenly remembered something.

'Come to think of it, wasn't Carbon somewhere else before?'
Yeah, there it is.
...... I knew the dungeon died and was reborn elsewhere?
'Not necessarily dead, but it's mainly when they die that we need to investigate.
What do you mean?
For example, phosphorus.

 Melamellar.

'Oh, when it's a dungeon that moves at will, like that, nothing changes when the location changes, but if the dungeon dies at the end of its life and then is reborn, it almost always changes.
So that's why we need to investigate?
That's what I mean. I don't have a lot of information on why it changes, but according to the bits and pieces of information I've gleaned from the spirit's company so far, it seems to depend on the cause of death.
What do you mean?
'If you starve to death, you'll have more monsters chewing up intruders or something like that.

 It's like the theory of evolution, I thought that was ......, but then I saw the vanadium that was still grabbing my pants.

 And then I think of Nihonium, which is not here now.

 Vanadium - the old Erythronium was (probably) unreasonably killed and rejected anyone above level 2. And the dungeon is now full of monsters that react to hostility.

 Nihoniums don't usually drop, and the Dungeon Master has the ability to eliminate monsters, not just drop them, but to affect other dungeons - even other dungeons.

 Furthermore, Plumbum, who isn't dead, but has more "Ryou-sama cards" in his drops now that he's known me.

 Taken together, those are rather evolutionary-like stories.

I think ...... is correct.
Huh. You're sure about that?
Yeah, of course, I'm not 100% sure.
It's better to keep that to yourself.
Why?

 He chuckles as he looks at Neptune.

'With your current influence, the moment you say that, people might believe it and think that we should control the dungeon, and the spirits for good, the moment you say it. That would wreak havoc.
Is this what you think it means to be abused?
'The only reason she's at peace now is because she's miraculously been by your side. So you understand, don't you?

 Neptune said, pointing to Vanadium.

 He shouldn't know much about Vanadium, but if he knew the rumors about the reincarnation of the dungeon, he could guess.

'Yeah, okay, I won't tell anyone,'
That's good.

 Neptune returned to his smiling face again.
 Suddenly, he saw Lil looking somewhat unhappy behind him.

''What's up ...... Lil?''

 Neptune turns around to follow my gaze, and I notice Lil's expression as well.

''What's wrong?''
Hey, it's nothing.
You don't look like that, oh, I don't know, maybe it's because me and Lyota are getting along--
No, no! This is ...... Yes, it's disgusting! Because his apples taste better than yours.
Ha-ha, that's just the way it is.

 Neptune laughed at Lil's obvious good excuse.
 The apples I drop taste better than the apples I drop.

 Depending on the status of the drop, the quality or quantity of the drop depends on the status of the drop.
 Up to this point, both me and Neptune had a drop of 1 per monster, but my drops seem to be sweeter and tastier.

 There's a wall there that can't be crossed with drop S and Neptune's A.

 Neptune soothed Lil who used that as an excuse, disguised as a tease, and Ran joined in, and the three of us started making out.

 After doing so for a while, and after Lil's bad mood had subsided.

'Well, let's go down another floor.

 Neptune suggested.

'Yeah, I'd like to know if they're aligned by race or by trait.

 The dungeons are usually "aligned" with something.

 It's usually a race of monsters.
 For example, it could be Tellurian slime, or Nihonium undead.

 Some places even have them aligned by traits.
 Or a debuff of the old erythronium.

 Carbon is either of those, and I suggest we go down another floor.

 We nodded to each other and went down to the second basement floor together.

 Just like the first floor, this dungeon has pale blue-white glowing walls made of piled up stones.
 After walking for a while, this time something white appeared as if it was melting away.
 The white clay or wax thing is slowly changing, just like the one on the first floor.

 We're wary, we're investigating, so we're not going to attack first.
 We waited patiently for it to change, and then it appeared--

Bicorn!

 A two-horned white horse with a stagnant aura.

 Seren's dungeon master, a bicorn.

"This is not good. My powers are diminished.
Me too.
Me too.

 Neptune and the three others seem to have been affected by the bicorn's special powers right away.

"Repetition.

 I cast Repetition to see if it would help, but it didn't work on the bicorn.

So it's a different monster.
I guess so.

 The bicorn looked up to the heavens and whinnied, sticking out its two horns and rushing forward.

 Neptune and the others all dodged to the left, and I jumped to the right, holding the vexed Vanadium in my arms.

'What's the performance over there?'
"Nearly as good as any I've seen on the rush.
That's a tough one.

 The bicorn took aim at Neptune and the others.

 Lil and Ran went into return fire mode.
 Neptune and the others' combined moves, the two of them singing, empowering Neptune to unleash a great attack.

 It is debuffed, but it can be defeated.
 But.

"Lead me in this direction.
You have an idea. Okay.

 Lil and Ran sang more, and a pair of wings, black and white, grew on Neptune's back.
 Neptune grabbed the two horns of the bicorn that rushed further and threw them over to us.

'It's gone,'
Too much power!

 As I said that, I shot an iron wall bullet at the flying bicorn.
 Double ironclad bullets, bullets that are slower than ironclad bullets and have higher retention power.
 A net made up of W ironclad bullets on one side (,).
 The bicone hung on it and stopped.

 I, completely convinced of the characteristics of the W-wall bullets, turned around at about the same time as the bicone hit the W-wall bullets and shot the W-wall bullets behind me as well.

 Front and back, and left and right.
 I shot W-wall bullets there as well.

 And more and more W-wall bullets, filling in the gaps.

 He covered the bicorn's entire body with the iron wall bullets that no longer even moved forward.
 As a result, the bicorn was completely blocked from moving.

''Great, before I've seen it for a while, there's another new technique.
"...... hmm.
...... ugh.

 Neptune marveled.
 On the other hand, this time it wasn't just Lil, even Ran got a bit grumpy.
 I quickly understood that he didn't like the fact that I was playing an active role, not Neptune, I suppose.