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Translator: TipToe
Translator (November 12, 2024 Version): Barnnn
The group ran into three more packs of monsters on their descent, dispatching them one by one without much trouble as they made their way down the rugged mountainside. In a layer like this one, the skies held little danger beyond the occasional Carrier Bird, so Tsutomu had suggested they use <<Fly>> to speed things along. But Misil, it seemed, preferred the mountain trail — likely for the extra Magic Stones they could gather along the way.
Sighing at Misil’s stubbornness, Tsutomu looked over to Garm, who was surprisingly eager and gave an enthusiastic nod, urging Tsutomu to go along with Misil’s plan. Brushing off his irritation, Tsutomu threw out a question, half-playing along and half-curious.
“Misil, when you first got to the Valley, did you get grabbed by Carrier Birds too?” he asked as they started down a slope, the forest’s edge coming into view below. He then shot a side glance at Camille, who barely managed to suppress a grin.
Misil squinted, dredging up the memory, then broke into a laugh.
“Oh yeah, back when mid-tier parties could first get into the Valley, those birds REALLY blindsided everyone. Happened to me more times than I’d like to admit. Bet you know the feeling, eh, Tsutomu?”
“Misil, man…”
With a look of mutual understanding passed between them, they clasped hands before Misil shifted over to Camille’s side.
“Of course, now I’m the one doing the grabbing these days. Gotta keep the little brats at our orphanage under control somehow, you know?”
“Oh, I know that feeling well,” Camille said, chuckling. “It’s been a while since I got to do that with my little girl.”
“Hahaha! I picked up a few of those moves watching you, believe it or not! You know, Guild Master, you should visit us sometime. I know you’ve got a bit more free time on your hands lately, taking a step back and all.”
“That would be nice, actually. Thanks to Tsutomu’s team schedule, I get two days off a week. How’s next Wednesday?”
“Oh, that’d be perfect! The Dragonewt kids will be over the moon — they’ll be crying like you wouldn’t believe!”
Watching the two of them exchange a hearty fist bump, Tsutomu nearly staggered from secondhand embarrassment. Nearby, the two Birdkin party members traded doubtful glances, as if studying some unusual species of creature.
“Hmm. You two seem…” Tsutomu said, turning his attention to the Birdkin duo. “…Well, let’s say I think you’ll do just fine. You seem right at home on this terrain.”
“Oh, you’d think so,” grumbled the red-feathered Birdkin woman, spreading her arms defensively. “But the Valley’s been nothing but brutal on us! We had to level up fast and cover for Misil when he got sloppy — which is pretty much all the time! Without us, who knows what might’ve happened?”
Tsutomu nodded as she vented, murmuring sympathetic sounds here and there. Once her frustrations ebbed, he took the chance to ask something he’d been curious about.
“By the way, that <<Feather Dance>> skill of yours… do you actually lose feathers when you use it?”
“No, no,” she replied with a laugh. “It just looks that way! Those aren’t real feathers. If they were, I’d be bald by now!”
“Ah, makes sense…” Tsutomu raised a brow, intrigued. “And that version of <<Feather Dance>> you’re using… it’s different from the standard, isn’t it?”
“Not bad for a human to pick up on that!” she replied, clearly pleased. “We worked hard to make it extra powerful. Tons of practice.”
Tsutomu knew the traditional <<Feather Dance>> from Live Dungeon — it was a skill meant to obscure enemies’ vision and reduce their accuracy. But this group had adapted it into something more aggressive; as they continued down the trail, Tsutomu encouraged her to share more of the Birdkin’s techniques, fascinated by how they had made the skill uniquely their own.
“By the way, Mister Garm!” The blue-feathered Birdkin spoke up and bowed slightly. “I’ve heard from so many friends how you’ve saved their lives time and again. Thank you, truly.”
“I just did what had to be done. No thanks needed.”
“Oh… but — could I maybe shake your hand?”
Garm’s ears flicked, his tail held low as he cast a watchful eye around them. “We’re still in the Dungeon. While others might drop their guard, I won’t.”
“Oh, I… s-sorry…”
Realizing her overt eagerness, she flushed, her gaze falling to the ground in embarrassment. Garm, though his eyes stayed sharp on the surroundings, spoke calmly.
“Save the handshake until we’re back at the Guild — We’ll have some time while Misil handles the reward distribution. For now, keep vigilant–”
“Oh! Thank you, thank you! And if it’s not too much, please come visit our Clan House! The kids would all be thrilled — besides, if they hear I met you down here and didn’t bring you back, they’ll never let it go!”
“…I’ll think about it.”
Her joy bubbled over as she bounced in place, her arm-wings flapping with such excitement that loose feathers drifted past Garm’s face. Unconcerned, he kept his focus on the path ahead.
The group moved on without any further encounters, soon arriving at the area Misil had designated. The Birdkin swept the perimeter in low, graceful arcs, and just then, the Black Gate loomed into view, casting an eerie shadow as if it belonged in another dimension.
Misil pushed the Gate open, exhaling deeply as he turned to face the party and gave a respectful bow.
“Thanks to you all, we didn’t lose our gear. We owe you one. Silver Beast will make sure you’re properly rewarded when we get back to the Guild.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Tsutomu replied. “We Explorers have to look out for each other, especially in a pinch.”
“Ha! You’re the exception, then — most parties would’ve left us without a second thought,” Misil said with a chuckle. “I figured you might help out since Garm’s with you, but usually, we’d be lucky if a Clan didn’t give us dirty looks just for walking in their general direction — or worse, leave us for dead and then rob our gear. Oh, and a word of advice: you’d better not follow those useless bugs’ example!”
“Huh, that doesn’t sound right. My mentor always taught me to answer calls for help, so I figured that was the norm around here… Maybe I got the wrong mentor? What do you think, Garm?”
“……”
Garm closed his eyes, falling silent as his ears flattened and his tail drooped. Misil gave him a long look before letting out a sigh.
“Garm,” he said gently, “you’re one of the best, but don’t spread yourself too thin. If you try to carry everything for everyone, you’ll end up with empty hands.”
With a grin, Misil reached out to ruffle the heads of the two Birdkin beside him, but both instantly smacked his hands away.
“What’s with the high and mighty advice?” one of them snapped, eyes narrowing. “Especially to Mister Garm…”
“Yeah, you’d be completely lost without us, so don’t get ahead of yourself!” added the other.
“Hey, hey, no need to be so harsh…” Misil mumbled, slumping as they scolded him.
Garm acknowledged Misil’s advice with a quiet nod, his gaze containing a hint of appreciation. Misil, regaining his usual swagger after a moment, turned to Tsutomu.
“So, you guys planning to keep moving?”
“Yes. We’ll probably go until around six,” Tsutomu replied. “We’ve hit today’s goal, but I’d like to get a glimpse of the fifty-sixth layer if we can.”
“Ah, aiming to cross the Canyon, eh? With her along, you might just pull it off.” Misil cast an envious glance back at Camille, who sat resting with her greatsword balanced across her knees, then turned back to Tsutomu. “I’ve heard Wyverns sometimes drop Large Magic Stones. If we could hunt them reliably, that’d be some solid profit. That’s what we’re working toward.”
“Wyverns should be pretty manageable, as long as you’re cautious about the poison. Definitely efficient for farming.”
“True, but right now, we’re prioritizing leveling up. No point dreaming about Magic Stones we’re not ready to earn just yet. So, when would be good to meet up and hand off the Magic Stones from this run?”
“Would seven work for you?” Tsutomu asked as he glanced at his pocket watch, confirming the time.
“That’s… one-nine, right? Sounds good to me — I’ll be at the Guild reception, near Pedestal #1.” Misil gave a wry smile. “You… what was it again? Tsutomu? …Look, you don’t seem half-bad. Honestly, after reading about you in the papers, I was a bit wary, but now I can see that was a load of nonsense.”
“Oh, tell me about it. Amy’s probably waiting to kick whoever published it into the nearest ditch the moment she sees him.”
“Ha! I wouldn’t be surprised if that ends up as tomorrow’s headline,” Misil chuckled. “I’ll keep an eye out for it.”
“Please, don’t even joke about that…” Tsutomu muttered.
“Don’t worry about it, man,” Misil said with a reassuring clap on Tsutomu’s shoulder. “My Clan may not be that powerful, but we’ll spread the word that you’re not the villain they’re painting you as.”
Then, with a final “See ya,” Misil and his two Birdkin companions walked through the Black Gate and vanished.
Tsutomu watched them go, then turned back to Camille and Garm.
“All right, let’s go find our Black Gate down to the fifty-fifth layer.”
――▽▽――
Four and a half hours later, Tsutomu’s party conquered the fifty-fifth layer and located the Black Gate leading to the fifty-sixth. Wasting no time, the three pushed through the Gate and stepped forward, and were instantly transported to the new terrain.
Instead of lush greenery, they found themselves on a cracked, desolate expanse of soil. Sunlight poured down harshly from an open sky, forcing Tsutomu to raise his arm to shield his eyes as he surveyed the landscape.
Dusty, uneven hills stretched out in jagged formations, their crumbling cliffs looming precariously as if one sharp wind could send them tumbling. The Gate had left them close to the edge of a high bluff, and Tsutomu edged toward the precipice to peer down before retreating with a chill, unsettled by the sheer drop.
Realizing they were running low on time, Tsutomu decided it would be best to return to the Guild for now. The three reentered the Black Gate, feeling that familiar weightless sensation as they were whisked back to the Guild’s bustling entry hall.
It was half past six — the hour when the Guild swelled with workers ending their shifts and spectators gathering for the Dungeon broadcasts. In line at the reception, Tsutomu reclaimed the unused Potions from Garm and Camille, stowing them in his Magic Bag. His eyes drifted to the Guild’s massive Monitor, which was currently showing a major Clan’s party flying over the Canyon, locked in a fierce skirmish with a Wyvern.
The Wyvern’s hide was a muted, earthy green, blending slightly with the canyon walls. Its wings — extensions of its forelimbs — were thin and membranous, stretching like a veil. At the end of its long tail bristled a cluster of sharp, menacing spikes.
Four Attackers lunged through the air with incredible speed, closing in on the Wyvern’s wings. One by one, they launched at it in quick succession, slicing at the wing membranes. One fighter miscalculated and was swatted down, spiraling headfirst toward the ground, while the remaining three pressed forward, seizing the chance to close in on the Wyvern.
With unyielding focus, the Attackers pressed their assault, sacrificing defense entirely. Even as the Wyvern’s claws left gashes in their arms, they continued to drive their blades into the fragile wings without hesitation.
At last, one Attacker was skewered by the Wyvern’s tail, but in that instant, the remaining two tore open the creature’s wings, punching holes through the thin membrane. With a shrill, piercing cry, the Wyvern faltered and dropped from the sky.
The creature crashed to the ground, weakened, where the two remaining Attackers swiftly pinned it and drove their blades deep into its body until it dissolved into a cluster of light, leaving behind a single, translucent Large Magic Stone. Meanwhile, the waiting Healer below quickly gathered up their fallen comrades’ equipment, tucking it into a Magic Bag before disappearing through the Black Gate. The Monitor shifted to a new scene as the crowd watched on without interest.
This was a typical hunting strategy for Ealdred Crow, a major Clan whose ranks boasted a staggering number of members — humans and demi-humans alike, spanning all ages. Their sheer size had forced them into organized teams, each assigned to different zones: the elite single-digit squads roamed the Canyon, while the lower-ranking groups, teams numbered twenty and above, were tasked with exploring the less difficult — but still treacherous — Swamp.
Recently, Ealdred Crow had suffered a crushing loss to the Scarlet Devil Squad in the bidding war for the Black Staff. In what seemed like a move to recover, they were now feverishly amassing funds, focusing heavily on Wyvern hunts to fill their coffers. Yet this relentless grind had soured their public appeal — audiences had grown weary of the monotonous hunts, and the Clan’s reputation was slipping fast.
On the giant Monitor, the feed shifted to show another team in action: a party of four nimble, lightly armored Attackers and a single Healer, gliding deftly through narrow ravines with the help of <<Fly>>.
This was Golden Tune, another major Clan, widely regarded as the next likely contender to conquer the Fire Dragon after the Scarlet Devil Squad’s victory. The Clan, led by the charismatic Golden Wolfman — a Lycanthrope with a unique skill — was almost entirely made up of women, organized around their leader in an almost harem-like fashion.
Despite its unconventional structure, Golden Tune enjoyed an unexpected popularity with male viewers. Their repeated attempts against the Fire Dragon — albeit unsuccessful — had earned them a degree of admiration that even the more powerful Clans lacked, simply for their daring. Recently, they had even managed to blind the Fire Dragon in one eye, a feat that had only bolstered their fame.
[They’re so close… but not quite there…]
Having watched Golden Tune’s battles against the Fire Dragon on his days off, Tsutomu narrowed his eyes as he studied the display. They had the strength to weaken the beast, the techniques to cripple its wings, and gear robust enough to counter its relentless attacks. If everything fell into place, they just might bring the Dragon down.
Yet every time the Golden Wolfman joined the fray, the party’s cohesion faltered. Tsutomu had observed that the other members often sacrificed themselves needlessly for him, diverting Potions and resources to their leader at the expense of their own efficiency and survival. If the Golden Wolfman fell, the entire party would crumble. It was, in every sense, a one-man Clan — a fact Tsutomu found hard to ignore.
[Still… it does make for an interesting show…]
Watching the rest of the party fumble and bicker whenever the Golden Wolfman wasn’t present provided a certain spectacle.
At last, Tsutomu’s turn in line arrived, and he updated his Status Card at the reception.
Silavin: Oh. I found two more chapters inside the stock. Well, anyway, I’ll be posting these one a week while asking for a translator. Still, haven’t found one yet…
Here is our discord. PM me if you are interested!
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Thank you! this is a great chapter reading both the raw manga and the translated web novel is great!!! can’t wait to see how this expands more when a few stuff might have been cut to save some panels in the manga.
Thanks for the chapter!!😉