Chương 138: 102: Another world, another reality, another confused me

"What?"

How come I can see the entrance to the tunnel that leads to the Iryu-Mujin-Village on the game screen!? I was doing some research yesterday, so the screen is still the same....No, this PC is for gaming only, not for any other purpose. If that were the case, this image would be....

"Is this the entrance to another world?"

"Another world?"

I repeat myself in response to Chem's muttering.

Let's calmly check the current situation. Standing in front of that tunnel-like place are six hunters, the siblings of Chem and Gams. Murus and Sudhir, a bickering duo of Elves and Dark Elves. And then there's Niles, the former chief priest. This lineup means...that!

I remembered. I was having the hunters look into the points that needed to be conquered in order to make the "Forbidden Forest" into my territory, and they were discussing in the village that Gams and the others would go out to inspect the places.

"Was today the day of the inspection?"

I understood why they were here. But the problem was the scenery in front of me. At first glance, it looked like the entrance to a mossy cave, but upon closer inspection, I could see that the edge of a side hole in the mountainside had been reinforced with concrete.

"There is concrete in this world, and the cave is made of...."

How long has concrete been around in the first place? I was curious, so I did a search on my other computer.

"Oh, so it's been around since the Roman Empire? If that's the case, wouldn't it be strange to find a tunnel made of concrete in another world where civilization lags behind ours? If I think about it that way, this tunnel might not be unusual in another world.

"This cave is not natural. It looks like it was dug and then reinforced with concrete."

"There is a passage to the north of the capital that is hollowed out of a mountain and connects to a neighboring country, and it looks similar to that structure."

After listening to Gams and Niles, it looks like I was right. Concrete tunnels do exist in this world. So was it just a coincidence that the shape of the entrance was similar to the rumored tunnel?

I reviewed the video and found it to be similar, but not identical. The shape of the tunnel is the same, but the surrounding scenery is different. The plants and trees that grow there are different. It's dangerous to assume it's a coincidence, so I'll keep it in the corner of my mind as a possibility. For now, I need to concentrate on their conversation and grasp the current situation.

"By the way, what's going on in the back there?"

Chem poses a question to the six hunters. An older, spear-carrying hunter opens his mouth, stroking his beard.

"There is a straight road leading here. There are no demons, but there is an abandoned village at the end of this cave, which is a nest of undead."

This is the first time I've ever been to an abandoned village...But this place is very similar to Iryu-Mujin-Village. I think it's impossible to dismiss this as a coincidence.

"There were quite a few of them, and no matter how many I defeated, undead kept springing up one after the other. So we had no choice but to retreat. But this time, there are two clergymen. And he's a former chief priest, isn't he? I'm sure he's very good at killing the undead."

The hunters' expectant gazes focused on Niles and Chem. Niles only smiled calmly, but Chem gave a small nod. her face looked unusually confident.

"Against the undead, sacred magic works, so I thought I could be of some help."

"That's true. I've also defeated the unholy undead in many places, so I'm sure I can meet your expectations."

The clergy duo's comments were encouraging. Chem has never had a prominent role in battle before, but she seems happy to be able to play a role this time. As for Niles, he has a high fighting ability, so I can definitely expect a lot from him.

"The goal is to destroy the monsters. But don't overdo it and retreat when it gets dangerous, okay?"

Everyone in the place nodded in agreement. They're going to attack? I thought they were just going to take a look today.

I'll just have to prepare miracles and oracles in case of an emergency. If they had the statue of God, I could have used the "Summon Golem", but what can I do without it?

With the hunters in the lead, Gams and the others followed and entered the tunnel. They had lanterns filled with "glowing stones" in their hands, so they had enough light. The inside of the tunnel, illuminated by the lantern, is bare of concrete, and a bleak and unchanging image continues.

If I had to describe it in one word, it would be eerie. If I were asked to walk here alone, I'm confident I would resist with all my might. I'm sure Seika, who loves...horror, would be happy to go into it.

Chem seems scared, plucking Gams clothes from behind and scurrying around. I don't know what's going on with the rest of them, but they seem unconcerned.

After nearly ten minutes of silently moving through the interior, natural light appeared in the direction of their path. It seemed to be the exit at last. The joy of being released from the narrow, dark space made everyone's faces smile for a moment, but their expressions tightened as they remembered what awaited them ahead.

Moving quickly to the exit of the tunnel, they split into left and right groups and put their backs against the inner wall to keep their voices low.

On the right were the six hunters and on the left the villagers. The first two quietly peeked outside. Then the blacked-out area on the map brightened, and I could see the end of the tunnel. A number of burned and collapsed houses could be seen. Not a single structure was still intact. The ground was bare and not a single weed was growing.

"It's similar."

The abandoned village looks similar to the picture I saw on that bulletin board. I displayed a photo of the village on my other computer screen and compared it to the photo. The angle is different from the photo, so I can't be sure if it's exactly the same, but the arrangement of the burnt buildings is the same.

"What's going on?"

The area around the entrance of the tunnel was different, only similar. That's for sure. But the end of the tunnel looks the same.......

"Does it mean anything to me? Or is it still a coincidence?"

Once I denied the coincidence, but if this is not a coincidence, what is it? When they went through the tunnel, they found themselves in another world?

I can't deny it because I have been to other worlds. But even then, there may be some loophole. It's also possible that they are using the power of the evil gods to do something about it.

Let's leave the...assumptions and speculation for later. It's an unusual situation right now, so I need to keep a close eye on the actions of Gums and the others. I must be ready for anything.

The group is still observing the abandoned village without leaving the tunnel. There doesn't seem to be anyone in the abandoned village at the moment.

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"There seems to be no sign of the enemy, what do you think?"

Gams asked Chem.

She gave a small nod, pointed her hand at the abandoned village, and closed her eyes. After doing so for a while, she opened her eyes and let out a big breath.

"I sense an evil aura. There is a high possibility that there are undead hiding in the ground. What do you think, Mr. Niles?"

"Yes, there is no doubt about it. It seems that this place is covered with an unholy soil that the undead love. It also blocked my aura detection. If you step into it, countless undead hiding in the ground will probably come out. Because it seems that this place is a pool of monsters. Hahahaha!"

Niles is laughing as he squeezes his beard. I don't think this is the...place to laugh.

But is this a "monster pool"?

A monster pool is a place where evil spirits spew out, but in game terms, it is a monster spot. It's a place where the evil god players can spawn monsters. In other words, it's likely to be one of the evil player's bases. So, if I destroy it, I can suppress the proliferation of monsters, and I can also expect to reduce their power in the event of "Temptation of the Evil God" in the future. There is no reason for us not to attack.

"Unless, of course, this monster spot isn't his."

The face of the player on the evil side who was persistently targeting our village comes to mind. To be honest, I don't really want to get involved with him. I can't be bothered if I attack him without question and he complains later.

So far, the villagers have only continued to observe and have not attempted to leave the tunnel. I don't like it, I really don't, but I'll contact him while I can. I looked up the person's name from the address on my phone and reluctantly made the call.

"Hello?"

"Well, well, well. I'm glad to hear from you again."

The voice through my phone sounded pleased, but I'm sure I wasn't mistaken when I got the vibe that he was teasing me.

"It's been a while, Mr. Habata."

A car chase in Hokkaido. The repeated attacks on my village. And then there's the stain of having to ask for help in the fight with President Chosokabe. I'm not sure if I'd have been able to do it if I hadn't gotten help.

"I know this is sudden, but do you have a base in the Forbidden Forest?"

"It's really sudden. There used to be, but it's been withdrawn now. After all, you and I have a cooperative relationship."

When I heard the word "cooperation," a shiver went down my spine. I don't think I will ever be able to wipe out my dislike for this person.

"Then you have no problem with me attacking the monster spot in the Forbidden Forest, do you?"

"I have nothing to do with it, so it's fine. You seem to be unusually proactive. Are you trying to secure...…..territory?"

"Well, what do you think?"

Does Habata have a grasp of the territory system? Does that mean the evil side has the same elements?

"One piece of advice, the evil side can secure a number of monster spots based on their level. If you are a high level player, there are some spots that have been neglected and forgotten. If you provoke those spots, you may end up waking up a sleeping lion."

"Thank you for your advice."

I asked what I wanted to ask, so I was about to hang up the call, but then I remembered what had happened and casually asked him.

"Oh, Mr. Habata, do you know the story of the Iryu Mujin Village?"

"...What are you talking about?"

Didn't you just get a little agitated? Maybe it was just my imagination, but it sounded like you were unusually stammering. I'd like to pursue the matter, but I'll leave that for another time. The villagers were about to enter the abandoned village.

"It's a rumor on the Internet. I'm sorry. I have something to do, so I'll leave you now."

"Yes, I understand. Thank you for sharing."

I wonder what the uncomfortable feeling of distrust is, as if something is clinging to my body even after the call is over. Since we didn't talk to each other in a heart-to-heart manner, I didn't feel refreshed even after the conversation. I ended up having more things to worry about, but for now, let's focus on the villagers' movements.