Chapter 37: Volcanic Tortoise
"Man, that shark and those worms were tough opponents."
Kisaragi Tsukasa Ch
: Tough opponents (instant kill)
: Tough opponents (sliced into three)
: What do you mean by "tough"?
: Can't comprehend.
: LOL
: The concept of "tough" is breaking.
: Even the deep layer seems easy for him!
: Someone's losing it here.
Since they're disgusting and inedible, I had Kama-itachi slice them into three, but in hindsight, maybe I should've taken my anger out on them more.
That aside, I've noticed more English comments mixed in with the usual ones. Could it be that I have a decent number of overseas viewers? I can read English well enough, but speaking it is another matter, and I don't have the reading speed to keep up with English comments in a fast-moving chat.
"Do you think I should put 'Shibuya Dungeon Deep Layer' in English in the stream title for the overseas viewers?"
Kisaragi Tsukasa Ch
: If you do that, more people will definitely join.
: But the chat might get flooded with English comments.
: Can you even read English, Kisaragi?
"I can read it to some extent… By the way, it seems like everyone is sticking with calling me Kisaragi-kun."
Kisaragi Tsukasa Ch
: Well, it's easier to say.
: Easier than Tsukasa-kun.
: Better than UNKNOWN, right?
: Kisaragi-kun sounds more friendly.
: Go, Kisaragi-kun!
: Is this a classmate?
Hmm, if the viewers prefer it that way, I guess it's fine. But it feels a bit underwhelming… maybe that's just the remnants of my chūnibyō phase talking.
"Anyway, let's push further to the 65th floor as a test run."
Kisaragi Tsukasa Ch
: That's not a number you should be reaching as a "test run."
: Even the 41st floor is insane, to be honest.
: My brain's breaking.
: Now I can't be satisfied with anything less than deep-layer streams!
If there's this much demand, other deep-layer explorers should probably stream too. But they likely hate revealing their cards to others, like how gaming pros refuse to show their setups. It's the same kind of thing.
The 61st floor, which is like an endless expanse of shallow water resembling the Uyuni Salt Flats, mainly features aquatic creatures. You have monsters like the worms and sharks from earlier, or this strange lizard-like creature that just popped up in front of me.
Kisaragi Tsukasa Ch
: What is that?
: Looks like a salamander.
: Salamander (but it's clearly 10 meters long).
: Do salamanders have four eyes?
: Of course not.
: That's a really gross color.
: It's funny how the viewers are slowly getting used to this.
The strange creature that popped out from below does indeed have a rather disgusting color, as the viewers pointed out. Specifically, it's a mix of fluorescent green and pink, a combination that's visually harsh.
"In the natural world, creatures with such striking colors often have poison, right?"
Kisaragi Tsukasa Ch
: Creatures with poison don't usually get that big.
: True.
: Fluorescent colors usually mean poison.
: It's a warning color to make others stay away.
"This guy's definitely poisonous."
This salamander-looking creature, which I've encountered before, suddenly released poison last time, causing me a lot of trouble.
As the huge salamander shakes, it releases a yellow gas that spreads around its body. Just one breath of this gas is enough to make you dizzy, pretty nasty stuff.
"'Karasu Tengu.'"
Since the gas was spreading, I summoned Karasu Tengu to manipulate the wind and blow the poison away.
The Karasu Tengu, which I created to specialize in wind manipulation, whips up a strong wind with its bird-like wings, clearing away the gas. Once the area is clear, Kama-itachi dives in and slices the salamander into pieces. Since I consider lizard-like creatures to be quite resilient, I made sure to have it dismembered thoroughly.
Kisaragi Tsukasa Ch
: A short-lived life.
: Poor salamander-kun.
: The poison's gone already.
: Tengu is so cool.
: I want to be a summoner too.
: Is there anything this guy can't do?
: He's got it all, doesn't he?
The chat's getting excited, but honestly, if they're impressed by the 61st floor, I'm not sure what to say. For those who regularly dive into the deep layers, the 61st floor is a relatively safe area with few troublesome enemies.
In the end, I reached the 65th floor without any issues, just like usual. Unlike the lower layers, the environment in the deep layers changes frequently. The shallow lake environment only extends to the 62nd floor; from the 63rd floor onward, it changes to… a volcanic zone.
Kisaragi Tsukasa Ch
: It's hell.
: We've been saying it's hell from the start.
: But I didn't think it'd be this bad.
: Didn't expect it to be literally hell.
: I'm sweating just watching.
: Dungeons are terrifying.
"It's definitely hot down here."
By the time you reach the 65th floor, the sheer size of the floor becomes overwhelming. The volcanic zone from the 63rd to 65th floors makes it feel even larger, despite the narrow paths. With molten lava spewing everywhere, calling this place hell isn't far off.
"I came down here as a test, but how's everyone feeling?"
Kisaragi Tsukasa Ch
: Honestly… I'm full.
: It was fun, though?
: Hmm, maybe there's a slight disconnect in understanding here?
"That's just how explorers are."
Kisaragi Tsukasa Ch
: Don't lump us in with you.
: Yikes.
: Don't think everyone's like this guy.
: Of course not.
: If there were more people like him, all the dungeons would've been cleared by now.
Still, it's especially hot today on the 65th floor. Whenever that's the case, it usually means that guy is around…
"There it is."
Kisaragi Tsukasa Ch
: What is it?
: I don't see anything.
: What's up with your eyesight?
: I won't be surprised no matter what shows up now.
The mountain in front of me… moved.
Kisaragi Tsukasa Ch
: Huh?
: What?
: What?
: Who said they wouldn't be surprised?
: This makes no sense.
: This is hell.
A mountain-like monster, resembling a tortoise with a volcano on its back, is lumbering toward me. I described it as "lumbering," but it's baring its fangs and spewing lava from the volcano on its back as it approaches.
"It's massive… My neck hurts just looking up at it."
Kisaragi Tsukasa Ch
: Why are you laughing?
: Don't just brush it off as a neck ache.
: So this is what the deep layers are like.
: No wonder no one wants to film down here.
: Hmm…
: Maybe you should run?
"Since that's the target for today, I won't be running."
Originally, I didn't have a specific target in mind, but if I leave this volcanic tortoise alone, it'll eventually end up as a task for me or my grandma to take down. Might as well take care of it now while I'm here.
The tortoise, which is several tens of meters in size, makes the already sweltering 65th floor feel even more like hell, so it's better to deal with it quickly.
"Alright…"
This tortoise won't go down with half-hearted firepower, and if I let my guard down, it could easily incinerate me. Even though it's appearing on the 65th floor, it's clearly an 80th-floor-class monster. I'll need to give it my all to take it down.
Looks like it's time to get serious again.