SGB: Episode 30
Episode 30: Crimson Fortress (1)
As a gamer, it’s a habit to press the interact key whenever I see a suspicious wall or a peculiar object.
I’m no different.
And this habit has helped me discover numerous ‘hidden pieces,’ or hidden elements, while playing [Dungeon and Stone] for 9 years.
For example, like this fountain statue.
“Bjorn?”
“Ah, I’m coming.”
I follow the group into the inner castle, suppressing my uneasiness.
I decide not to mention the statue.
A barbarian knowing something that even a mage who has dedicated her life to learning doesn’t know?
‘It’s better to avoid anything that might raise suspicion.’
This time, even the excuse of “I read it in a book” won’t work, and besides, ‘that item’ is something that can’t be taken outside even with distortion magic.
“This is the inner castle.”
If the outer castle serves as the first line of defense in medieval times, the inner castle is like the last bastion.
Originally, this place would have been where the lord’s vassals, knights, and soldiers were stationed, and where various military facilities like armories were located.
Raven sighs as she looks around.
“…I’ve heard about it, but there’s nothing to salvage here.”
The inner castle, about a third of the size of the outer castle, is devastated.
All the buildings have collapsed, leaving only their foundations.
There aren’t even any monsters here.
“Let’s move on to the next area quickly.”
Under Raven’s instructions, we spend about 30 minutes clearing away the rubble and find a passage leading underground.
“Mr. Murad, could you take the lead?”
“Sure!”
“Ah, please light a torch to save mana.”
The dwarf takes out a torch and puts it on his head.
He looks like a mole miner from a cartoon, maybe because he’s short.
Whooooosh!
We push open a thick wooden plank and slowly descend the stairs hidden beneath it.
The third chapter of Crimson Fortress, the underground prison.
I swallow hard and prepare myself mentally.
「Entered Underground Prison 1st Floor.」
Ugh, I’m not good with gruesome things…
As a gamer, it’s a habit to press the interact key whenever I see a suspicious wall or a peculiar object.
I’m no different.
And this habit has helped me discover numerous ‘hidden pieces,’ or hidden elements, while playing [Dungeon and Stone] for 9 years.
For example, like this fountain statue.
“Bjorn?”
“Ah, I’m coming.”
I follow the group into the inner castle, suppressing my uneasiness.
I decide not to mention the statue.
A barbarian knowing something that even a mage who has dedicated her life to learning doesn’t know?
‘It’s better to avoid anything that might raise suspicion.’
This time, even the excuse of “I read it in a book” won’t work, and besides, ‘that item’ is something that can’t be taken outside even with distortion magic.
“This is the inner castle.”
If the outer castle serves as the first line of defense in medieval times, the inner castle is like the last bastion.
Originally, this place would have been where the lord’s vassals, knights, and soldiers were stationed, and where various military facilities like armories were located.
Raven sighs as she looks around.
“…I’ve heard about it, but there’s nothing to salvage here.”
The inner castle, about a third of the size of the outer castle, is devastated.
All the buildings have collapsed, leaving only their foundations.
There aren’t even any monsters here.
“Let’s move on to the next area quickly.”
Under Raven’s instructions, we spend about 30 minutes clearing away the rubble and find a passage leading underground.
“Mr. Murad, could you take the lead?”
“Sure!”
“Ah, please light a torch to save mana.”
The dwarf takes out a torch and puts it on his head.
He looks like a mole miner from a cartoon, maybe because he’s short.
Whooooosh!
We push open a thick wooden plank and slowly descend the stairs hidden beneath it.
The third chapter of Crimson Fortress, the underground prison.
I swallow hard and prepare myself mentally.
「Entered Underground Prison 1st Floor.」
Ugh, I’m not good with gruesome things…
_____________________________________
“Lady Raven, what kind of monsters appear here?”
“As far as I know, Skull Rats, Banshees, Death Fiends, Chimera Wolves, Ghoul Lords, and Corpse Golems appear.”
“Except for Corpse Golems, we’ve encountered all of them before.”
“That’s right. Corpse Golems only appear in the Crimson Fortress.”
“Hahaha, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to gain achievements!”
The dwarf is excited about the prospect of gaining experience points by fighting new monsters.
But I can’t be.
The illustrations alone were horrifying, so how disgusting would they be in real life?
“Are there any other things we should be careful of?”
“Just be careful of the flesh explosions. The explosive power isn’t that strong, but the bodily fluids contain acidic poison, so it can be fatal if you get hit at close range. Of course, I’ll block it for you before that happens.”
“Haha! With the mage around, there’s nothing to be afraid of!”
“It’s all thanks to reliable warriors like Mr. Murad.”
Bullshit.
They were just glaring at each other and arguing over loot.
Thud.
We descend the last step of the stairs, and the maze-like structure of the underground prison unfolds before us.
Deadmen are chained and growling inside the iron bars, and skeletal rats scurry around on the floor, making strange noises.
“Bjorn, are these monsters too?”
“Those are the Skull Rats I mentioned.”
“I wasn’t asking the mage!”
For your information, they’re unranked, just like Deadmen.
They practically have no combat power to be called monsters, so we just trample them as we see them and move forward.
And soon, we encounter banshees.
“Keuheuheuheu, heuheuheuheu!”
The banshees are wraiths with only the outlines of their grotesque faces visible, flying around here and there.
“Bjo, Bjorn…”
Ah, right, she’s scared of banshees.
Raven chuckles as she sees Ainar clinging slightly to me.
It’s a good thing Ainar doesn’t see her. Otherwise, she would have started yelling again.
“Be careful not to bump into the banshees. Once or twice isn’t too dangerous, but…”
“…But?”
“You’ll have a very, very unpleasant experience.”
“A, a very unpleasant experience? What does that mean! Explain it clearly, mage!”
“Well, I’ll leave it to your imagination.”
Raven smiles as she looks at Ainar, whose face is pale.
It seems she’s not so kind-hearted after all, taking revenge like this.
I sigh inwardly and join the conversation.
“I heard that mages have a way to deal with banshees.”
“Hmm, you like books, so you’re quite knowledgeable, aren’t you?”
Is this something to be praised for?
Well, maybe if it’s with the ‘for a barbarian’ condition…
But I guess this is still within the acceptable range.
“Then let’s stop playing around and take care of the banshees first. Teirun Shel.”
A light arrow shoots out from Raven’s staff, piercing a banshee.
The spell name in the game was Mana Bolt.
It’s a basic attack spell, like a mage’s auto-attack, so there’s no casting time.
“Kihiiieeeeek!!!”
After a brief wait, dozens of banshees swarm towards us, emitting intense hatred.
They sensed the ‘Mark’ left behind by their dead comrade.
It’s something a mage with powerful area-of-effect spells would welcome.
“Ihernno Haindar.”
Flame Storm.
Flames erupt from the magic staff, filling the straight passage.
And when the flames subside…
There are no banshees left.
Whoosh!
Once again, the magic stones that fall to the ground float up on their own and enter the pouch.
Honestly, this is what I envy the most.
Not having to pick up magic stones one by one.
Phew, how long will it take to have a mage in my team…
I realize once again that I still have a long way to go.
“Lady Raven, what kind of monsters appear here?”
“As far as I know, Skull Rats, Banshees, Death Fiends, Chimera Wolves, Ghoul Lords, and Corpse Golems appear.”
“Except for Corpse Golems, we’ve encountered all of them before.”
“That’s right. Corpse Golems only appear in the Crimson Fortress.”
“Hahaha, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to gain achievements!”
The dwarf is excited about the prospect of gaining experience points by fighting new monsters.
But I can’t be.
The illustrations alone were horrifying, so how disgusting would they be in real life?
“Are there any other things we should be careful of?”
“Just be careful of the flesh explosions. The explosive power isn’t that strong, but the bodily fluids contain acidic poison, so it can be fatal if you get hit at close range. Of course, I’ll block it for you before that happens.”
“Haha! With the mage around, there’s nothing to be afraid of!”
“It’s all thanks to reliable warriors like Mr. Murad.”
Bullshit.
They were just glaring at each other and arguing over loot.
Thud.
We descend the last step of the stairs, and the maze-like structure of the underground prison unfolds before us.
Deadmen are chained and growling inside the iron bars, and skeletal rats scurry around on the floor, making strange noises.
“Bjorn, are these monsters too?”
“Those are the Skull Rats I mentioned.”
“I wasn’t asking the mage!”
For your information, they’re unranked, just like Deadmen.
They practically have no combat power to be called monsters, so we just trample them as we see them and move forward.
And soon, we encounter banshees.
“Keuheuheuheu, heuheuheuheu!”
The banshees are wraiths with only the outlines of their grotesque faces visible, flying around here and there.
“Bjo, Bjorn…”
Ah, right, she’s scared of banshees.
Raven chuckles as she sees Ainar clinging slightly to me.
It’s a good thing Ainar doesn’t see her. Otherwise, she would have started yelling again.
“Be careful not to bump into the banshees. Once or twice isn’t too dangerous, but…”
“…But?”
“You’ll have a very, very unpleasant experience.”
“A, a very unpleasant experience? What does that mean! Explain it clearly, mage!”
“Well, I’ll leave it to your imagination.”
Raven smiles as she looks at Ainar, whose face is pale.
It seems she’s not so kind-hearted after all, taking revenge like this.
I sigh inwardly and join the conversation.
“I heard that mages have a way to deal with banshees.”
“Hmm, you like books, so you’re quite knowledgeable, aren’t you?”
Is this something to be praised for?
Well, maybe if it’s with the ‘for a barbarian’ condition…
But I guess this is still within the acceptable range.
“Then let’s stop playing around and take care of the banshees first. Teirun Shel.”
A light arrow shoots out from Raven’s staff, piercing a banshee.
The spell name in the game was Mana Bolt.
It’s a basic attack spell, like a mage’s auto-attack, so there’s no casting time.
“Kihiiieeeeek!!!”
After a brief wait, dozens of banshees swarm towards us, emitting intense hatred.
They sensed the ‘Mark’ left behind by their dead comrade.
It’s something a mage with powerful area-of-effect spells would welcome.
“Ihernno Haindar.”
Flame Storm.
Flames erupt from the magic staff, filling the straight passage.
And when the flames subside…
There are no banshees left.
Whoosh!
Once again, the magic stones that fall to the ground float up on their own and enter the pouch.
Honestly, this is what I envy the most.
Not having to pick up magic stones one by one.
Phew, how long will it take to have a mage in my team…
I realize once again that I still have a long way to go.
______________________________________
The 2D world beyond the monitor and reality are different.
Especially when it comes to the creepiness that you can feel through your skin.
「Character has entered Underground Prison 2nd Floor.」
The underground prison I experience firsthand feels like a mad scientist’s laboratory.
Chimera Wolves with bulging muscles like mutants and multiple heads.
Ghoul Lords leading around thirty Elder Ghouls.
These 8th-grade monsters all have grotesque appearances, and even the small props around them are reminiscent of horror games.
The climax is from now on, though.
“Anyway, Lady Raven is amazing too. Aren’t you scared?”
“Well, I’m quite fond of anatomy. This much doesn’t bother me.”
Damn, it’s not barbarian anatomy, is it?
Come to think of it, the reason barbarian hearts are sold at a high price is because they’re used as magic materials…
“Ah, we’re here.”
We arrive at the 3rd floor of the underground prison after hunting all the monsters, and discover a hidden door leading to the basement of the collapsed lord’s castle.
Originally, we would have had to get a map from the guard room first, but…
“There’s a door hidden behind the wall… it’s a good thing I memorized the map beforehand.”
Thanks to Raven’s thorough preparation, we don’t get lost.
Well, even if I were alone, I would have found it just fine.
The structure of the underground prison is exactly the same as the game.
‘But that’s only possible because I’m a player.’
I’m realizing the status that mages hold.
Powerful attack magic.
Highly versatile support abilities like the Wound Aggravation Curse.
And the knowledge they’ve accumulated by reading numerous books.
There’s a reason why mages receive treatment equal to or even better than priests in teams.
“It’s better to leave our backpacks here before entering. Especially for Mr. Yandel.”
I feel a bit embarrassed as I put down my extra-large backpack in front of the door.
…I should buy a magic backpack or something when I make some money.
This thing has been inconvenient countless times.
“Ah, please light a torch from now on, Mr. Yandel.”
Following Raven’s instructions, I secure a torch on top of my head.
Now we’re all set.
Creak, creak, creak-
As I turn the round valve to open the iron door, a rotten stench wafts in.
“This is an unexpected place.”
“Ma, mage… do we really have to go in here?”
“I hate it as much as you do, but it can’t be helped.”
It’s a space that resembles a sewage treatment plant.
Large pipes line the cylindrical walls, dripping something that looks like black sludge.
And…
The floor is piled high with severed limbs and heads, and the gas from their decomposition stings my nose and gives me a headache.
“Urgh, bleugh!”
The porter is the first to vomit.
The guy, who had been standing next to Raven as if guarding her, just vomits up everything in his stomach with an expressionless face.
The second one is Raven.
“Ugh, urgh!”
Although she might have visual tolerance due to her extensive anatomy experience, she seems vulnerable to smells.
Surprisingly, I can handle it.
If it were before, I would have fainted at this sight, but this strong barbarian body is unaffected.
“It’s a relief that at least you’re alright. Let’s move forward.”
Feeling an indescribable emotion, I slowly approach the center.
Squish.
Each step makes a sound like stepping on a sponge.
And as the light gets closer to the center, the massive shape that was only visible as an outline in the darkness becomes clearer.
“Hello.”
Surprisingly, it speaks to us.
In a woman’s voice, like a broken voice recording.
“Urk, keuk! Li! I, keukeukeok, save me! Me! Kiik, kakkadddeuk, delicious, uh, father, kiihi!”
Uh, um, uh…
Honestly, it’s a bit shocking.
“Phew…”
Damn it, you were quiet in the game.
Why are you doing this to me?
Complaints come out involuntarily, but nothing changes if I just lament.
I look to the side, and even the dwarf, who seemed somewhat reliable, is frozen stiff.
“Everyone, get a grip!!”
I immediately shout to wake up the dazed team members.
But as if stimulated by this…
“Father! Father! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurtsaaaaa!!”
The pile of corpses that was crouched down rises up and takes a step forward with something that’s either a foot or something else.
Koooong!
The mid-boss of Crimson Fortress.
The Corpse Golem.
_______________________________________
[Dungeon and Stone], the epitome of obscurity, still has some mainstream aspects.
At least the illustrations are famous.
The vivid illustrations that look like they were taken with black and white photos are often used as ‘memes’ online.
Although few people know that those illustrations actually came from the game.
I realize once again…
“Damn it.”
No matter how realistically a picture is drawn, it can’t compare to the real thing.
“It hurts! It hurts! It hurtsaaaaa!!!!”
Is this what it would look like if you gathered thousands of human arms, legs, and heads and mashed them together?
And each one of them moves individually as if they have their own will.
The hundreds of mouths are the same.
They spew out whatever they want to say without any control.
Most of them are nonsensical and rambling expressions of momentary emotions like “I’m in pain,” “I’m cold,” “I’m resentful,” “Kill me,” or “Save me.”
“Kyaaaaak—!”
Well, or just screams.
The combination of all these grotesque voices creates a horrifying harmony that once again leaves everyone stunned.
“Hikurod! Be careful!”
The mage who is supposedly skilled in anatomy.
The 3rd-year dwarf who must have encountered countless monsters.
And the human man who exudes an aura of professionalism that doesn’t quite fit the title of ‘porter.’
They treated the two newbie barbarians like extras, but…
Surprisingly, at this moment, Ainar and I are the only ones who haven’t lost our composure.
“What are you all doing!”
Just as Ainar, who was keeping an eye on the Corpse Golem, pulls the dwarf up by the scruff of his neck…
Kwaaang!
A clump of corpses flies towards them like a shot put and explodes on the spot. Blood and flesh scatter, splattering onto Ainar and the dwarf.
Sizzle!
Fortunately, Ainar is unharmed because it only landed on her clothes, but the dwarf is a different story.
“Aak! My eyes! My eyes…”
Damn it, somehow it managed to get through the narrow gap in his helmet and hit his eyes.
The dwarf is instantly incapacitated.
And the mage who told us to trust her…
“Urgh, bleugh!”
…Is still vomiting.
…What the hell are you guys doing?
No wonder things were going so smoothly.
Of course not, no way.
“Ainar! Take the dwarf to the back and protect the mage!”
I raise my shield and face the Corpse Golem.
There’s no choice.
I’d rather run away if possible, but…
These guys, who were acting all high and mighty like bus drivers, are messing things up.
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!”
If we want to survive, I have no choice but to take the wheel myself.
The 2D world beyond the monitor and reality are different.
Especially when it comes to the creepiness that you can feel through your skin.
「Character has entered Underground Prison 2nd Floor.」
The underground prison I experience firsthand feels like a mad scientist’s laboratory.
Chimera Wolves with bulging muscles like mutants and multiple heads.
Ghoul Lords leading around thirty Elder Ghouls.
These 8th-grade monsters all have grotesque appearances, and even the small props around them are reminiscent of horror games.
The climax is from now on, though.
“Anyway, Lady Raven is amazing too. Aren’t you scared?”
“Well, I’m quite fond of anatomy. This much doesn’t bother me.”
Damn, it’s not barbarian anatomy, is it?
Come to think of it, the reason barbarian hearts are sold at a high price is because they’re used as magic materials…
“Ah, we’re here.”
We arrive at the 3rd floor of the underground prison after hunting all the monsters, and discover a hidden door leading to the basement of the collapsed lord’s castle.
Originally, we would have had to get a map from the guard room first, but…
“There’s a door hidden behind the wall… it’s a good thing I memorized the map beforehand.”
Thanks to Raven’s thorough preparation, we don’t get lost.
Well, even if I were alone, I would have found it just fine.
The structure of the underground prison is exactly the same as the game.
‘But that’s only possible because I’m a player.’
I’m realizing the status that mages hold.
Powerful attack magic.
Highly versatile support abilities like the Wound Aggravation Curse.
And the knowledge they’ve accumulated by reading numerous books.
There’s a reason why mages receive treatment equal to or even better than priests in teams.
“It’s better to leave our backpacks here before entering. Especially for Mr. Yandel.”
I feel a bit embarrassed as I put down my extra-large backpack in front of the door.
…I should buy a magic backpack or something when I make some money.
This thing has been inconvenient countless times.
“Ah, please light a torch from now on, Mr. Yandel.”
Following Raven’s instructions, I secure a torch on top of my head.
Now we’re all set.
Creak, creak, creak-
As I turn the round valve to open the iron door, a rotten stench wafts in.
“This is an unexpected place.”
“Ma, mage… do we really have to go in here?”
“I hate it as much as you do, but it can’t be helped.”
It’s a space that resembles a sewage treatment plant.
Large pipes line the cylindrical walls, dripping something that looks like black sludge.
And…
The floor is piled high with severed limbs and heads, and the gas from their decomposition stings my nose and gives me a headache.
“Urgh, bleugh!”
The porter is the first to vomit.
The guy, who had been standing next to Raven as if guarding her, just vomits up everything in his stomach with an expressionless face.
The second one is Raven.
“Ugh, urgh!”
Although she might have visual tolerance due to her extensive anatomy experience, she seems vulnerable to smells.
Surprisingly, I can handle it.
If it were before, I would have fainted at this sight, but this strong barbarian body is unaffected.
“It’s a relief that at least you’re alright. Let’s move forward.”
Feeling an indescribable emotion, I slowly approach the center.
Squish.
Each step makes a sound like stepping on a sponge.
And as the light gets closer to the center, the massive shape that was only visible as an outline in the darkness becomes clearer.
“Hello.”
Surprisingly, it speaks to us.
In a woman’s voice, like a broken voice recording.
“Urk, keuk! Li! I, keukeukeok, save me! Me! Kiik, kakkadddeuk, delicious, uh, father, kiihi!”
Uh, um, uh…
Honestly, it’s a bit shocking.
“Phew…”
Damn it, you were quiet in the game.
Why are you doing this to me?
Complaints come out involuntarily, but nothing changes if I just lament.
I look to the side, and even the dwarf, who seemed somewhat reliable, is frozen stiff.
“Everyone, get a grip!!”
I immediately shout to wake up the dazed team members.
But as if stimulated by this…
“Father! Father! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurtsaaaaa!!”
The pile of corpses that was crouched down rises up and takes a step forward with something that’s either a foot or something else.
Koooong!
The mid-boss of Crimson Fortress.
The Corpse Golem.
_______________________________________
[Dungeon and Stone], the epitome of obscurity, still has some mainstream aspects.
At least the illustrations are famous.
The vivid illustrations that look like they were taken with black and white photos are often used as ‘memes’ online.
Although few people know that those illustrations actually came from the game.
I realize once again…
“Damn it.”
No matter how realistically a picture is drawn, it can’t compare to the real thing.
“It hurts! It hurts! It hurtsaaaaa!!!!”
Is this what it would look like if you gathered thousands of human arms, legs, and heads and mashed them together?
And each one of them moves individually as if they have their own will.
The hundreds of mouths are the same.
They spew out whatever they want to say without any control.
Most of them are nonsensical and rambling expressions of momentary emotions like “I’m in pain,” “I’m cold,” “I’m resentful,” “Kill me,” or “Save me.”
“Kyaaaaak—!”
Well, or just screams.
The combination of all these grotesque voices creates a horrifying harmony that once again leaves everyone stunned.
“Hikurod! Be careful!”
The mage who is supposedly skilled in anatomy.
The 3rd-year dwarf who must have encountered countless monsters.
And the human man who exudes an aura of professionalism that doesn’t quite fit the title of ‘porter.’
They treated the two newbie barbarians like extras, but…
Surprisingly, at this moment, Ainar and I are the only ones who haven’t lost our composure.
“What are you all doing!”
Just as Ainar, who was keeping an eye on the Corpse Golem, pulls the dwarf up by the scruff of his neck…
Kwaaang!
A clump of corpses flies towards them like a shot put and explodes on the spot. Blood and flesh scatter, splattering onto Ainar and the dwarf.
Sizzle!
Fortunately, Ainar is unharmed because it only landed on her clothes, but the dwarf is a different story.
“Aak! My eyes! My eyes…”
Damn it, somehow it managed to get through the narrow gap in his helmet and hit his eyes.
The dwarf is instantly incapacitated.
And the mage who told us to trust her…
“Urgh, bleugh!”
…Is still vomiting.
…What the hell are you guys doing?
No wonder things were going so smoothly.
Of course not, no way.
“Ainar! Take the dwarf to the back and protect the mage!”
I raise my shield and face the Corpse Golem.
There’s no choice.
I’d rather run away if possible, but…
These guys, who were acting all high and mighty like bus drivers, are messing things up.
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!”
If we want to survive, I have no choice but to take the wheel myself.
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