WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Ceaseless

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◈ The Dungeon Gallery's Terrifying Newbie ◈

Chapter 26: Julius (2)

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5. Occasionally, a person who looks like an insect may ride the elevator. Ignore them no matter what.

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Day 4 of the dungeon expedition.

Julius's expedition entered Dreamland.

Today was exactly their fourth day inside.

Their lineup was better than Tyr's expedition's.

And with Julius's outstanding leadership, the exploration was expected to proceed smoothly.

Creak, creak.

Yet, like the expeditions led by Reberio, Jius, and Tyr,

they too were stopped before the elevator.

"..."

Twelve had entered the dungeon.

Only four remained, including Julius.

Dried-out corpses and chunks of flesh lay piled up before the elevator.

This was the price of charging ahead so boldly.

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So far, they had learned the following through their companions' deaths.

1. If more than one person rides the machine, they die inside it.

2. Pressing the number buttons on the machine changes the floor, accompanied by a floating sensation.

3. The floor can be changed up to three times. After that, it returns to the first floor and the doors open.

4. Floors 1 through 10 are all dark hallways without lights. (The hallway they were currently in was also on the first floor, but pressing 1 inside the elevator led to a dark hallway.)

5. Like the machine itself, the dark hallways cannot be detected with magic.

6. If someone leaves the elevator despite seeing a dark hallway, their bodily fluids are sucked out and they die.

7. Occasionally, an Insect Human rides the elevator when it changes floors.

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'Is this really a newly formed dungeon...?'

Julius let out a quiet sigh.

Wasn't a dungeon supposed to be a place where you killed Minions and smashed through traps as you advanced?

The place before him defied everything Julius knew.

What in the world was this bizarre dungeon?

The trap blocking the entrance appeared to be a spatial-transit device.

If certain rules were not followed, it had the vicious ability to kill intruders on the spot.

It couldn't even be destroyed.

And it just sat there, making that ominous creaking sound.

'There was a reason Tyr failed.'

Dreamland was a place where the Branded Elves' magic and martial arts were completely meaningless.

"Eck."

Like the slime quietly watching us from beyond, the machine blocking the passage neither broke nor disappeared.

That meant the Dungeon Master had suffered no losses in the previous two expeditions.

It had been a very long time since Julius had felt this way.

It was like looking up at a mountain so tall its peak couldn't be seen.

There weren't many Branded Elves.

The expeditions led by Reberio, Jius, and Tyr.

Then the Branded Elves who had entered the dungeon with Julius.

Twenty-two had already died.

Those who entered the dungeon had been among the more capable Branded Elves.

Of course, those were losses they could endure if they obtained the Magic Stone.

But they were still lost at the entrance, unable to move forward. The losses were enormous.

'The one fortunate thing is...'

As long as they followed the unknown rules, they wouldn't die.

It was a bizarre phenomenon.

Still, the monster in the dark hallway hadn't gotten off the elevator and slaughtered them all.

'A life-or-death puzzle.'

If there were no answer at all, Julius would have given up cleanly.

But that wasn't the case.

There had to be an exit.

'Next time, I'll bring slaves.'

The Branded Elves' combat strength being useless here also meant that someone incapable of fighting could be used as a pawn in this dungeon.

Human slaves would be useful.

They were much easier to control than Branded Elves, and while it took time, they were easier to replenish as well.

Even if they turned a blade on Julius in an extreme situation, he could subdue them easily.

'For now.'

The future could wait.

The best outcome was to gather as much information as possible during this expedition.

Julius looked over the Branded Elves whose spirits had been crushed.

"Ughhh..."

"My stomach feels awful..."

"How are we supposed to get past the entrance? We can't step into a hallway without lights, but no matter which button we press, all we see are dark hallways... I have no idea what to do."

"Don't we need to somehow beat that monster? Maybe it's blocking the way."

"Hord, the strongest after the Elder, got taken out. How are we supposed to win? If two or more people ride, we die in the elevator, fuck... Elder, can't you do something yourself?"

"Wait... Elder, don't you have an Escape Scroll?"

At those words,

the surviving Branded Elves' eyes turned vicious.

Julius nodded.

"Of course I do."

"I knew it!"

One hot-tempered Branded Elf drew their sword.

They swung it forcefully at Julius, but their wrist was seized in an instant and they were slammed to the floor.

"Urgh!"

"I won't deny that I'll use this scroll when there truly is no answer, as you all believe."

Julius shook out his wrist.

Then he continued calmly.

"Even if you somehow worked together and miraculously took the Escape Scroll from me, I only have one. Will you keep killing each other after that? Even if you're lucky enough to become the last one standing, you'll have to live as a cripple without arms or legs."

Julius was right.

He was strong.

Even if all three attacked together, their chance of winning was extremely slim.

And since there was only one Escape Scroll,

they would have to compete against the others who remained. There was no way they could cooperate properly.

The Branded Elves' killing intent faded.

"It's not completely hopeless. Look at the information we've gained through our companions' sacrifices. You may think we're stuck at this entrance, but we're moving forward, one step at a time. That's an undeniable fact. With fewer people, we have plenty of food and water. What are you so afraid of?"

Julius soothed the elves.

He planted irresponsible hope in them, telling them they could do it.

"..."

"This elevator definitely has rules. I'm certain of it. If we figure them out, we can move forward. The Dungeon Master isn't a god. This is only a trial we can overcome."

The expedition continued.

Julius sent the Branded Elf who had pointed a sword at him into the elevator.

After hesitating, they eventually obeyed.

They had no choice.

If they refused here, not only Julius but the other survivors would turn against them.

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"There was nothing unusual. Even after pressing the second, third, and fourth floors in order, there were only dark hallways without lights."

The elf who had finished exploring reported back from the entrance.

Julius stroked his chin.

He already knew the rough situation through communication magic.

The regrettable part was that he couldn't see it firsthand.

If only he had learned the Dark School's dark magic.

No matter how detailed the report was,

information seen with one's own eyes was far superior to information passed on by word of mouth.

"What about the Insect Human?"

"I haven't seen an Insect Human yet."

The Insect Human.

A monster that occasionally emerged from a dark hallway and rode the elevator.

If Julius had to describe it in one word, it was a grim reaper.

Based on the dying screams of the Branded Elves who had encountered it,

it was unaffected by any physical attack, had a horrifying appearance,

and killed intruders the moment it spotted them.

It sounded terrifying enough to leave no answer.

But this Insect Human probably had a set of rules too.

The elevator had the power to turn intruders inside it into chunks of flesh.

But when someone rode alone, it did them no harm.

Then,

an idea flashed through Julius's mind like lightning.

"If you encounter the Insect Human, don't attack it. Treat it as amicably as possible."

"Amicably...?"

"Yes."

For example, if someone kept throwing paper in rock-paper-scissors, wouldn't you be an idiot to keep throwing rock?

Since they had confirmed that their aggressive approach had been useless until now, they needed to try another method.

"Understood..."

The Branded Elf looked reluctant.

Still, they nodded as if they understood and entered the elevator.

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-Aaaaaaaargh!!

The attempt failed.

Julius clicked his tongue.

* * *

Day 5 of the dungeon expedition.

"..."

Only three remained now, including Julius.

Julius let out a quiet sigh.

There had been no rebellion.

In a situation where they couldn't steal the Escape Scroll,

the only way out of this dungeon was to enter the elevator.

Julius had drilled that fact into the group.

Of course, there was still the possibility of being ambushed while off guard.

So the previous night, Julius had rested a considerable distance from the remaining two.

There had been no complications.

"Madeleine."

"Yes, Elder..."

"You go."

"M-me?"

Julius nodded.

"This time, don't react at all. Act calmly, as if you can't see the Insect Human."

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"Fuck."

Madeleine raged inside the elevator.

He kicked the walls, pounded the doors, and slammed his head against the glass window.

Naturally, the elevator didn't receive so much as a scratch.

"Fuck, how did I get dragged into a fucking place like this... Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

The Elder's order was no different from telling Madeleine to kill himself.

"You motherless bastard. You bastard with two mothers. You fucking piece of shit, chewing up your guts and organs still wouldn't be enough!"

-Are you talking about me by any chance?

"Of course not. I was cursing at the Dungeon Master."

What else could Madeleine do?

If attacking the Elder meant death, and riding the machine also meant death,

then betting on the machine, where there was at least a 0.1% chance of survival, suited his philosophy of life better.

Madeleine sighed and pressed a button.

『Going up.』

『The doors are opening.』

『Second floor.』

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『Going up.』

『The doors are opening.』

『Third floor.』

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『Going up.』

『The doors are opening.』

『Fourth floor.』

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All that lay before him was a dark hallway without lights.

They had said that stepping outside would cause the machine's doors to close and kill him.

Madeleine reported the situation and simply stood still inside the elevator.

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『Going down.』

『The doors are opening.』

『First floor.』

And when it returned to the first floor with a heavy thud,

Madeleine pressed the button again.

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『Going up.』

『Ninth floor.』

『The doors are opening.』

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A dark hallway without lights.

Madeleine stared straight ahead with a bored expression.

-What about the Insect Human?

"I can't see it."

-I understand.

At first, tension had lingered in the air.

But people adapted quickly.

When nothing happened, Madeleine's heart settled down.

『The doors are closing.』

Madeleine let out a long yawn and stretched.

It would be nice if he could find the exit safely at this rate.

'Huh?'

Had the doors always closed this slowly?

They usually shut fast enough to make a loud bang.

At that moment,

Madeleine's expression froze.

Someone was visible through the narrowing gap.

Its skin clung to its body like a wet membrane.

Where a nose should have been, there was nothing.

In its place was a long black proboscis.

Dried blood clung to its metallic, gleaming tip.

Buzz... Buzz...

Every time it breathed, there came a sound like mosquito wings beating.

The moment Madeleine saw its large, swollen red compound eyes, he wanted to scream.

It squeezed through the gap.

『The doors are opening.』

The Insect Human stood beside him.

Then it stared at Madeleine.

"Gasp, gasp..."

Madeleine desperately took deep breaths.

Resisting the urge to run out of the elevator immediately, he fervently prayed that this moment would pass quickly.

His companions had died upon encountering the Insect Human.

One had provoked it, and another had tried to speak to it.

Both attempts had been pointless.

The only thing Madeleine could do was follow Elder Julius's words and show no reaction at all.

-Madeleine? Madeleine?

The Insect Human's antennae examined Madeleine.

Thoroughly, from his toes to the top of his head.

The horribly soft sensation swept over his entire face.

His heart pounded wildly.

His breathing grew ragged.

He couldn't even close his eyes, afraid it might notice.

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『The doors are closing.』

A moment later,

the Insect Human left the elevator.

Madeleine collapsed where he stood.

"D-did I survive?"

It was fortunate he was unharmed.

But his pants were wet.

"Fuck, I can't believe I pissed myself at my age..."

Madeleine sighed and returned to the first floor.

Then he told the others what he had seen.

Julius clenched his fist.

It felt like he had almost solved the elevator's mystery.

If he advanced just a little further, he would surely escape the entrance.

The colorless, odorless slime that had been watching them was gone.

But no one noticed.

Footnotes:

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