Episode 455 Cockatrice

I was informed by the Kondo Branch Director that little progress has been made in deciphering the temple script.

Would you like to use the Scroll of Knowledge to decipher the Temple Script?"

　Metis told me that it was time to use the "Scroll of Knowledge" and I thought about it. I had been putting it off because I was busy with various things, but recently I was able to spare some time.

　I went to the fourteenth level of the Narukami dungeon, went around the ruins, and took pictures of all the temple script texts with my instant camera. Métis was using Elmore to look up the temple script, but it still seemed difficult because there were no clues.

　When he returns home on the ground, he lays out pictures of temple letters on a workbench in his workroom and looks at them.

I looked for the same sentence in both sacramental and temple script, but I didn't find it."

'I think it's going to take a long time to decipher it as it is.'

Okay, let's use the Scroll of Knowledge."

　I used the Scroll of Knowledge. In front of me was a list of choices: magical law formation, cellular activation magical circulation, spatial structure, and temple script.

　I was curious about the spatial structure, but I chose the temple letters as I had discussed with Metis. At that moment, I was connected to a small room filled with information about the temple letters in the dungeon archives, a vast collection of information. My head was a little dizzy.

'Dr. Grimm, are you okay?'

It's all right. This letter is called the Elizahab alphabet, apparently. But I think the temple script will do."

　I picked up one of the photos laid out on the workbench and translated it. The content was about the middle boss of the fifteenth layer.

Is it the middle boss of the fifteenth layer? What kind of demon is it?

It's the first cockatrice I've ever seen in Japan. I'm told it's a monster with an evil eye."

'It's a demon associated with Basilisk. I have read the record. According to it, the one who defeated the cockatrice got the 'Scroll of Knowledge. It's the same as the basilisk zombie.

　Metis also knew about the evil eye of the cockatrice. It is said that the evil eye has the power of mental attack and petrification. It seems that the cockatrice uses the petrifying power of the evil eye to turn people into stone after incapacitating them with a mental attack.

　In addition, its breath is said to be poisonous and will kill you if you stay with it for a long time. The cockatrice is a chimera-like creature with the body and wings of a dragon, the head and legs of a rooster, and the tail of a snake.

I'll have to report back to the Adventurers' Guild, but I'll have to be real sure."

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Let's see what else the Temple text has to say."

　I translated about 20% of the text of the temple script found at the ruins and went to bed that night. Métis stayed up all night analyzing the translated text and the original text to get clues to analyze the temple script.

　The next day we headed to the Narukami dungeon again. I really should have taken a day or so to rest, but I was not tired because I had hardly fought yesterday.

　Move from the transfer room on the first level to the tenth level and take the shortest route to the fifteenth level. Go deeper into the maze-like area formed by rocky mountains and valleys.

　Elmore and Tamegoro are by my side. It seems that Lamia's mental attacks don't work on shadow puppets like Elmore and Tamegoro.

　Lamia seem to live in caves in the rocky mountains, but during the daytime they often go outside to roam the maze. We encountered Lamia many times.

Lamia again."

　As Metis's voice echoes in my head, I hold up my sacred sword, Gram. I hear a sound in my head, "Chirin, chirin. I turned on the "Steel Heart Technique" to prevent mental attacks, and sliced through Lamia with the sacred sword Gram.

'Come to think of it, didn't you get some sort of booklet when you first defeated Lamia?'

'Oh, that booklet with the temple script. That one had directions to the middle boss's room."

　I'm following that path.

　After defeating the fifth lamia, we arrived at the building with the middle boss room. It was in a place that was hard to find because of the rocky hill in the way. It was an amphitheater-like building, and we entered through the gate.

　Inside there is a passageway, which we followed and found the first transfer room. This makes the return trip easier. Today's goal is to check the inside of the middle boss room, so we continue on without entering the transfer room.

　After turning the corner several times, we found a staircase leading down to the arena. Instead of entering the arena, I look in through the entrance. A cockatrice has its back to me.

I knew it. Cockatrice.

Are we going to fight like this?"

No, I'll wait until I figure out how to fight it."

　If you are facing a cockatrice that releases poisonous exhalations, you should take it down at once. However, it is better to kill it from a distance because it may be damaged by the poison of the exhalation if you approach it.

'If so, would it be a hover cannon?

I agree. Let's do a little more research on cockatrice and then we'll fight."

　We returned to the surface via a transfer gate and reported to the branch manager of the Adventurers' Guild.

Cockatrice. That thing is just as nasty as a basilisk."

　What Branch Chief Kondo said was troublesome was the mental attack of cockatrice. It is more powerful than Lamia's, and it is said that a half-hearted defense method will result in being killed by the mental attack.

　When he said that, I felt a little uneasy. The "Steel Heart Technique" I have mastered is not yet perfect. When I turn it on, it builds a barrier around the core of my psyche, but currently there is only one.

　I knew that the "Steel Heart Technique" also included a method of building a double barrier, which I knew was more solid. However, the method of building a double barrier was not easy to learn, so I had to put it on hold.

　I left with the branch manager and headed home. Nezu was having dinner, so I asked Kongoji to have one for me.

'Dr. Grimm, are you making any progress on the Narukami dungeon?

We're still stuck at the fifteenth layer. There's a cockatrice in the middle boss room over there."

Cockatrice, is it? I believe it has the ability to petrify?"

It seems that mental attacks are more powerful than petrification."

By that I mean you have to master the 'steel heart technique.'

　Nezu looks disappointed that he could not master the "Steel Heart Technique.

　Information about the presence of a cockatrice in the 15th layer of the Narukami Dungeon was made public, but no adventurers immediately set out to defeat it. This was because the cockatrice's mental attacks were known to be powerful, and there was no one among those active in the Narukami dungeon who had a way to prevent them.

　In the midst of all this, a B-grade attack wizard named Melvin Sheringham came to us from overseas, saying he was moving his base of operations to Shibushi City. A man in his thirties, he resembles Francisco Xavier in the history textbooks.

　The man seemed to have come for the purpose of investigating the ruins on the fourteenth floor.

　At that time, I paid little attention to Sheringham because I was training to master the technique of the double barrier of the "Steel Heart Technique".

　After two weeks of mastering the double barrier, I decided to give cockatrice a try. I prepare an escape ball just in case. I give Elmore the escape ball as well.

　As I headed for the fifteenth level of the Narukami dungeon, I spotted a man peeking inside at the entrance to the arena.

Are you going to try cockatrice?"

　A man turned around. Francisco Xavier, an attack wizard who had recently moved in.

No, I'm just here to see what kind of monster the cockatrice is."

I see. Now, if you'll excuse me."

　I stepped into the arena and brought Elmore and Tamegoro out of the shadows. Immediately after that, the entrance to the arena was sealed off, making it impossible to escape except by using an escape ball.