NOVEL NEXT WORLD Side Story 3
Side Story 3. Misunderstanding
The underground parking lot, prepared for the amusement park, is quite vast. Vehicles covered in dust, unmoving, are eerily illuminated by bare light bulbs.
The sound of many footsteps clattering roughly against the concrete floor echoes through the parking lot. We were quickly descending into the underground parking lot. Karin, along with three of Kicho’s subordinates who stayed behind to protect the generator, was left at the entrance.
Something emerges from the faintly visible shadows of the vehicles in the darkness. Crawling along the ground, approaching the defenders, is a shadow-like creature. A monster with an 80-centimeter-long body, covered in caterpillar-like bristles, and eight legs.
[Shadow Spider]. Normally, it lurks in the shadows, baring its sharp fangs to bite its prey. It’s a troublesome monster that always hides in the darkness and attacks in swarms. Rumors say that in the ruins, humans are often reduced to bones overnight because of this monster.
Moving quickly with its eight legs, it rushes toward us and leaps. I try to draw the two military knives at my waist, but Kicho’s subordinates are faster.
Several of them step forward, calmly and without panic, ready their crossbows, and pull the triggers. The tightly drawn strings are released, and the arrows hit the Shadow Spider. Since the insect-like Shadow Spider can’t be taken down in one hit, the others also fire their arrows. Pierced by multiple arrows, the Shadow Spider spills green blood and collapses to the ground, unmoving.
“Ha, weaklings.”
With a relaxed smile, Kicho, with practiced ease, reloads her crossbow and fires arrows at the approaching Shadow Spiders one after another.
More Shadow Spiders emerge from behind pillars, under cars, and cling to the ceiling, but Kicho and her subordinates effortlessly take them down.
The Shadow Spiders’ characteristic is to lurk in the darkness and ambush their prey. If they show themselves in the light, they’re no match. Well, they’re F-rank monsters after all. Still, I can’t help but admire their skill.
“Impressive. They feel like trained soldiers.”
The way they calmly and methodically take down the monsters is reminiscent of seasoned soldiers. Their coordination is flawless, with no wasted movements.
“If they weren’t, we wouldn’t be able to survive in the ruins, let alone collect treasures.”
“Hell, huh?”
I can only force a bitter smile at Kicho’s casual mention of hell. After all, I live in that hell. But with things going like this, it seems I won’t have a chance to step in. Without saying anything more to the smug Kicho, I move forward.
As we progress further underground, the surroundings change. Flesh-like masses of thread spread throughout the area. Here and there are cocoons, with glimpses of human bones. This is strange for Shadow Spiders. They shouldn’t be making nests like this.
“Is there something big here?”
Given the situation, it’s certain that there’s a dangerous monster here. The type that builds nests in abandoned buildings and doesn’t come out.
“There was an Arachne here. We lost quite a few people to it. Well, with treasures waiting ahead, we couldn’t just turn back.”
“That’s impressive. An Arachne… how did you take it down?”
An Arachne is a monster with the lower body of a spider and the upper body of an old woman. Its massive size and human-like upper body give it intelligence, making it extremely troublesome to defeat. It doesn’t seem like the oil sellers would have the equipment to take down an Arachne.
“We have a secret trump card. We managed to take it down somehow.”
“…I see.”
“More importantly, we’re almost there. The Living Mail. I’ll leave it to you?”
Bare light bulbs hang from cables strung across the ceiling, lighting the way to the back of the parking lot. In the distance, the dried-up corpse of a giant spider lies, and next to it stands a faintly visible suit of Western full-body armor. That must be the enemy we were hired to deal with.
“Yeah, make sure you have the payment ready.”
“Leave it to us. We’ll be watching from the back.”
While observing the surroundings, I reply to Kicho. Well, it’s time to get to work. Let’s take down the boss of this natural dungeon. Though the scene feels off.
There’s no sign of enemies in the darkness. While the upper floors were teeming with them, it seems the Shadow Spiders didn’t come here, likely because it was Arachne’s territory. Drawing my military knives from my waist, I cautiously approach the Living Mail.
The Living Mail, standing near the Arachne’s corpse, doesn’t move a muscle. It doesn’t carry a weapon, but the sheer mass of metal that is the Living Mail suggests that a single strike from it could easily kill a human.
I stare intently, observing the flow of magic. The Living Mail channels magic through its armor like capillaries. Seeing this flow only increases my sense of unease…
“Time to work.”
Muttering softly, I twist my mouth and draw a throwing knife from my waist. Currently, I have two military knives at my waist and ten cheap throwing knives with barely sharpened iron tips. To see how the Living Mail moves, I throw one of the knives.
With a flick of my wrist, the knife flies toward the Living Mail. However, just as it seems about to hit, the Living Mail swings its metal arm and easily deflects it. With a sharp metallic clang, the knife falls to the concrete floor, and at the same time, the Living Mail identifies me as an enemy and charges.
“Guess I’ll observe a bit more.”
As the Living Mail approaches with a clattering metallic sound, I draw another throwing knife and hurl it before it closes the distance.
Despite the dim light from the bare bulbs, the Living Mail swings its arm and precisely deflects the knife.
“It’s not using its eyes, is it?”
Seeing its reaction speed, I step back while continuing to throw knives and observe. A suit of Western full-body armor. Not particularly fast—about the speed of a human jogging—but the weight of the armor and the heavy footsteps of its metal boots are intimidating.
However, something feels off about this Living Mail. As I engage it, I can’t help but wonder. The metallic arm swings with a force that suggests a direct hit would be devastating. Not being particularly skilled in hand-to-hand combat, I quickly step back.
“Times like these make me wish I had a friend who’s good at martial arts.”
The full-body armor in front of me is about the same height, and in terms of build, it doesn’t seem as terrifying as a monster. But dodging its punches makes it clear that’s just an illusion.
A left hook passes in front of my face, followed quickly by an uppercut-like right fist. It barely grazes my cheek, but even that slight touch causes the shadow on my face to dissolve, and a chunk of flesh is gouged out.
Wincing from the heat of the pain in my cheek, I thrust my military knife into the Living Mail’s body as it stumbles from its missed attacks.
However, the metal armor isn’t just for show. The knife leaves only a scratch and a faint cut.
“Don’t come over here! Hurry up and take it down with magic!”
Kicho, who had been watching from a distance, yells as the Living Mail approaches.
“This guy’s pretty tough. I need time to use magic. Can you create an opening for me?”
“Tch, you’re useless. You guys, help this good-for-nothing!”
While casually replying, I move closer to Kicho and her group. Clicking her tongue, Kicho and her subordinates scatter into the dimly lit parking lot and begin firing their crossbows. However, the Living Mail deflects the arrows with its arms. Even the arrows that do hit don’t seem to pierce it.
But being attacked causes it to recognize the others as enemies, and it changes its target, charging at them one by one. The crossbows are more powerful than my shoddy throwing knives, after all.
The parking lot descends into chaos. I take a breather behind an abandoned car.
Normally, even full-body armor has thin plating. The reason the Living Mail can’t be taken down is that, like a porcupine, it doesn’t die even when pierced by arrows. It’s a monster that won’t stop moving unless its armor is destroyed. So, with the crossbows’ power, the armor should be penetrable, but it isn’t.
Something’s off about this Living Mail. Smiling faintly, I observe it and notice another oddity.
Full-body armor monsters usually don’t have intricate designs on their armor. This one is simple, except for a single part on its right arm, which is engraved with a design and even has a gem embedded in it. It looks like a bracelet. Observing the flow of magic, it seems the bracelet channels magic throughout the entire body.
“Hmm…”
The Living Mail lifts a car and hurls it. Watching the car roll across the floor, I dodge while Kicho’s subordinates, who are also fleeing, continue to fight. Spinning my military knife in my hand, I ponder.
I think I understand now. Why the Living Mail is here next to the defeated Arachne. And why, despite the Arachne being here, bare light bulbs are installed all the way to the back.
“Hey, Amano! Hurry up and take it down!”
“I’m reaching my limit here!”
“Boss, can this guy really use magic?”
The previously silent soldiers, unable to withstand the Living Mail’s attacks, start hurling insults at me from behind the cars. The moment they open their mouths, their thug-like nature shows, and I can’t help but laugh.
“True colors are showing. So, they were ordered to keep quiet and not say anything unnecessary.”
I guess they were ordered to stay silent so the fools wouldn’t say anything unnecessary to me.
“Amano the Defender! Hurry up and attack! I’ll kill you if you don’t!”
“Alright, alright. It’s already over, so relax.”
Shrugging at Kicho’s angry voice, I gather mana in my palm and gently wave it.
[Shadow Strings]
Instantly, shadowy threads shoot from my hand and tightly wrap around the engraved arm of the Living Mail.
“Gotcha.”
With a conductor-like motion, I twist the threads around the joint’s fasteners and pull sharply. The Living Mail, its fasteners pulled, tries to tear the shadow threads by swinging its arm, but I smirk.
“It’s over.”
[Shadow Edge]
I momentarily sharpen the threads like blades. With a crisp, cool sound, the Living Mail’s arm fasteners are destroyed, and the detached arm falls to the concrete floor. Beneath the detached arm is a human hand of skin and bone.
Even though only the arm was detached, the Living Mail creaks and, despite the arrow attacks, stops moving and collapses.
Watching the Living Mail fall with a loud metallic clang, I turn a cold gaze toward Kicho.
The ease with which the Living Mail was taken down leaves Kicho and her group stunned, their mouths agape.
“Living Mails aren’t supposed to have anything inside. What the hell is this?”
The helmet of the fallen Living Mail comes off, revealing the emaciated face of a man, now seemingly dead. He must have been the one wearing the armor.
“As expected of the man said to be the strongest in the ruins. To take it down so easily.”
Regaining her composure, Kicho approaches the Living Mail and kicks it in frustration.
“I didn’t expect it to go berserk after we took down the Arachne. I heard it was a convenient magical tool. That brat gave me some half-baked information.”
“Magical tool?”
“Yeah. We borrowed a magical tool from the inner town. It’s a waste to leave an unknown magical tool sitting in a warehouse, right?”
Kicho chuckles, and her subordinates start snickering along. Borrowing from the inner town is unexpected.
“From the inner town, huh? That’s dangerous.”
“Right? That’s why fewer people knowing is better.”
With a threatening remark, Kicho raises her hand, and her subordinates aim their crossbows at me. Just as I expected, this was a shady request from that cat girl.