Time : 13:18
Location : A Mysterious Dungeon, entrance.
We more or less have arrived at the entrance of the tower-like dungeon.
The area around it, for some reason was giving a really cold wind, that quickly got replaced by the usual breeze at noon.
We get out of the SUV, and walk towards the entrance of it.
"A door? Really?"
Really? At least do some fancy thing like a portal that sucks us into it, please.
"I don't know whether they're lazy or just want to make things simple, but whatever."
Stella was hopping around, like a bunny…this isn't a picnic, my dear.
"So, what is this tower-like building, Rinka?"
"A dungeon."
"uhh, a what?"
"Well, how to explain it...anyway better experience it to understand it better I suppose?"
"Let's go then-"
She…going straight to the door. Almost held the handle but I held her hand, "Wait, we need to prepare and plan first."
"Huh?"
I activated Astral Vision, then used Appraisal.
[Your Appraisal level is too low, showing reduced information that could be accessed...]
[Roller Coaster of Magic]
[A dungeon, full of magic.]
What the heck, only that piece? I mean sure, whatever, any information is still information, I will take that.
"So, what can you do other than water balls?" I asked her, with a rather serious tone.
"I could manipulate water?"
…whatever.
"Alright then, no changes in plan, you simply need to get to the back and shoot things."
"backline? Fine, I'll follow your lead~" Is she..sulking?
"You want to use a sword?"
"Yeah, exactly why I brought it on the SUV."
".....you know what? I don't have any obligations to cage you or anything, you're free to do anything."
"Yay!"
"Just remember, if you feel any dangers, immediately back-."
I was talking...yet she already opened the door.
"Okay~ and whoopsie, sorry for intruding..."
"oi."
"It's fine, It's fine."
[2 Challengers has Entered Roller Coaster of Magic]
[Entrance Locked]
Hmm? a new piece of system message?
"Sigh, we can't go out before clearing this thing."
"Hmm? Why not, Rinka?"
"A barrier was put on the surrounding area, even the SUV we parked there got moved away."
"Let's do this then!"
Where did the scared Stella one week ago that I know go? She's too eager at this.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing wrong, of course~"
She was happily, moving along the tunnel into nothingness.
"Wait."
"yeah?"
She stopped at once...uhh, at least she is listening to me.
"A trap, one more step and it'll be triggered."
"how do you know?"
"I have GPS, hahaha."
"Don't tell me, you haven't turned it off?"
"No reason to do that."
Chilly atmosphere, quiet buildings, without anything but traps here and there.
After trying to trigger some of them, they're magic, casted by someone, somewhere very far. Right now, I can't use Astral Vision to phase through these layers of walls. It also seems like a barrier was put around me, that I can't move Astral Vision to reach somewhere further than around ten meters?
I casted Appraisal on the magic that triggered the traps, but nothing registered, it seems that 'known' is more ambiguous than I thought.
We kept moving forward, higher, following the stairs.
"Rinka, Rinka, a door!"
For some unknown reason, it seemed to me that Stelle, no, everyone in this world adapted way too fast for this, she practically moved without fear even without any knowledge about this thing.
"Wait a bit, I can't see what's behind it."
"I'll open i-"
Once again, I stopped her hand. Good grief.
"No, I'll do it, you stay and watch my back."
"okay~"
A huge room, too huge in fact, with nothing in it.
Perfect area for monster spawn in games.
"Alright, I can use the GPS again, let's go."
"You sticking the GPS name huh?"
"Astral Vision is too long of a name, and I kinda use it as a means to scan an area anyway."
And as I expected, the moment she got in, the door closed tight.
Voice, monsters voices coming from above.
Darkness filled the room, abnormal darkness in fact, but Astral Vision can't be blocked by the darkness so I'm not surprised.
"Shoot above."
She shot barrages of waterballs, most of them missed but the target that got hit, instantly disappeared, as if it was only a mirage.
"It's too dark here, can you turn on the light?"
"I forgot it was dark, my bad my bad."
A suspicious switch was placed exactly behind the door, and after it closed. It is suspicious, but I don't care, just pull it.
The room was bright, like someone using light magic, even though I don't know whether light magic actually existed or not.
"Only that?"
She stopped her barrage of waterballs.
"I think? Let's just move on to the next area."
"Can we rest first? I used too much magic and now my 'Creativity' stat at 10%."
"Creativity?"
"Yeah, the requirement to cast magic was creativity for me."
Is it really because Astral Vision consumes my sense that it doesn't consume any creativity? Balancing purposes or they're just lazy? I don't know. I mean, sure, there's a drawback that it would injure ourselves, but…the price is worth it.
I used Appraisal on her.
[Stella Kaku ● Human Female]
[HP : 100/100]
[Creativity : 8/70]
[Skills:
Waterball
Water Bubble Dance
Weapon Mastery
Mana Circuit
Magic Mastery
Triple Slash
Sword Dance (Partial) ]
What the heck, that's a lot compared to my Appraisal, Astral Vision, Magic Nullifications, and Pain Intolerance.
We trained for weapon mastery back then, yet only she got it as a Skill…whatever, I don't care anymore.
I tossed her a drink.
"Energy drink?"
"I don't know how this creativity thingy works, but we need to move. You can use a sword in case your magic runs out, right?"
"Sure thing."
We both kept going forward, and for some reason, there weren't any other enemies we found since that one room. Something fishy for sure, but I don't care.
Suddenly, a notification popped up in front of me.
[Congratulations! Congratulations!]
[Dungeon, Scorching Mists, is the first dungeon the Earthlings conquered!]
[What kind of exciting rewards there is? You asking that?]
[Why not check it by yourself? Good luck people of the Earth!]
I immediately turned my head to Stella. It seems she also got that system message.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"Scorching, and Mist huh? I don't know whether those people are lucky or have some sort of knowledge, but that really is tailor-made for them, especially with a wind magic user in their team."
"You think it was Lain's, Rinka?"
"Who else would enter these kind of unknown building and successfully conquer it in such a short amount of time?"
"True that, anyway, shall we keep moving?"
"Sure."
We met with a track, a roller coaster track. Is it really a literal meaning? The name of this dungeon popped into my brain once again. 'Roller Coaster of Magic'
While I was pondering about it, I heard such a loud engine sound coming from the vicinity of the tracks. And swooosh, a really fast roller coaster looping around, following its track.
"That surprised me."
"It's so fast." Fascination was clearly showing all over her face. I'm betting it used magic as its power."
I tried to catch a glimpse of it using Astral Vision enhanced vision and Appraisal, but it was too fast, I couldn't process things.
"Can't you like, freeze it?"
"Freeze? I'm a waterbender!"
"Well, you definitely should be able to bend the water to a frozen state, no?"
"Actually, I haven't tried it."
[Hahahahahaha]
[Welcome to my Dungeon!]
The moving roller coaster, actually speak? I mean, it was called 'of Magic', but I didn't expect it to talk.
"Your dungeon?"
[Oh? You can talk to me! I'm so happy!]
It moved…Even more faster now, the tracks changed from circling around the room to circling around the whole dungeon now.
"What should I do to conquer this dungeon?"
[You really asking that to me? That's so funny!]
[HAHAHAHA, Alright, Jump onto me and ride me!]
[If you can handle the whole tracks of magic, I'll let you go and announce you as the conqueror of this dungeon!]
The roller coaster, teleported straight in front of us, It simply spawned the track out of nowhere, yet it was connected everywhere. What magic!
"Rinka? Who are you talking to?"
"You can't hear that roller coaster train talking?"
She shook her head, "So, what do they want from us?"
"Ride the roller coaster."
"What?"
"C'mon, hop in." As I jump straight to the seat at once.
"I don't think it'll be alright."
"I never said it will, but is there any other option?"
"There is one other option. You're the only one to ride it and I wait here."
"Is that fine for you?" I asked, looking at Stella, but I was actually asking to the 'dungeon master' far behind her, in the dark spaces that reach nowhere.
"Are you talking to me?" Stella tilted her head, but I'm sorry…
[No, Everyone must have some fun before it reaches the climax!]
"And it answered, you need to go in or we will be stuck here forever."
"...umm."
"I'll protect you for whatever happens."
She hesitates, but bravely takes a step further, more steps, till she reaches the roller coaster.
"You promise? No, You must promise!"
And she jumped into it, sitting next to me.
[Use your seatbelt and of course, the roller coaster restraints!]
Magically, both the seatbelt and restraints spawned to the seat at once, literally spawned.
"They want us to use it."
[You ready?]
[Hang on tight!]
[We will start in 3!][2!][1!]
I simply dozed off, activating Astral Vision, making it follow my body.
"AAAAAAAAAAA" Stella, screaming at the first speed drop.
Fire magic, Water magic, Wind magic, Light and Darkness magic, Nature or plant? Appraisal saying it was Nature magic. First room was filled with low-level magic of those six elements. We kept circling, looping, gaining even more speed and we arrived at the second room.
It was even more bizarre, the tracks getting dusty from Sand magic, Icy from Ice magic, Melting from High-level fire magic, and gone by the Illumination of Light magic with help of Shadow magic.
Now, I understand why Kaku wants me to go here. The more magic I see and experienced, the more chance it'll get into Magic Nullification 'Known Magic'.
"Hahaha, this is the best!"
"How can you be laughing at this!?!?!"
"THIS IS WAY TOO FAST!"
"Relax your body, and think, that it'll not let you fall to anything."
"Relax, and think that this thing won't let me fall out of it?"
"And now, see the attraction of the magic from everywhere in the whole dungeon!"
[HAHAHAHA, YOU KNOW HOW TO HAVE FUN!]
[I LIKE YOU, I DON'T MIND GIVING IT TO YOU!]
[I know You were kinda cheating, but It's not a problem as long as you have FUN!]
[EVERYONE WINS!]
While I was trying to chat with the dungeon master, my vision was stuck, to the face of Stella fascinated by the bunch of magic that was popping everywhere. Why can't I turn my face away from hers?
[Congratulations! You both have succeeded at riding these tracks!]
[Be happy, for you have conquered the Roller Coaster of Magic!]
The roller coaster, trying to slow down, eventually stopped straight in front of a chest-like thing.
Both of us slowly got off from the ride.
[Open it up, and you'll teleport to the entrance!]
[You can ride this again anytime you want to!]
"They say we need to open that thing, and it'll let us leave?"
I looked at Stella's direction.
"Uhhhh, I'm still dizzy. How can you stay sane like that?"
"I'm cheating, of course."
"Hmph, as expected!"
[Teleporting...]
A light was shining around us, and in the blink of an eye, we arrived at the entrance, but the door was wide open.
I extended my arms, trying to grab hers. "Shall we go home?"
The moment both of us step outside the dungeon entrance, a notification pops up.
[Congratulations! Congratulations!]
[Dungeon, Roller Coaster of Magic, has been conquered!]
[What kind of exciting rewards there is? You asking that?]
[Why not check it by yourself? Good luck people of the Earth!]
Exciting rewards, huh? I haven't checked what it gave me.
"What did you get?"
"An Ice magic instruction!"
"Wait, Ice magic actually exist? I was only joking there…Well, water indeed could be frozen, so it kinda makes sense."
"Anyway, what do you get, Rinka?"
[Rewards of the Dungeon]
[You're the first to be acknowledged by the dungeon master of Roller Coaster of Magic!]
[Skill, Track Summoning, acquired.]
[Skill, Roller Coaster Summoning, acquired.]
[Skill, Astral-Spatial Teleport (partial), acquired.]
What the heck, teleport?
"I get something weird, a teleport skill even though it says partial like your sword dance."
"Why didn't I get it too?!?...wait, what do you mean partial like my sword dance? Do you mean I could dance with a sword?"
"I don't know, you shouldn't ask that to me."