Akatsuki Translations

There, it was filled with a transparent silence and the profound power of magic. 

A sacred place, a massive temple with white as its foundation. Filled with untainted magical energy, it silently intimidated anyone who entered. 

At the center of such a temple, were two individuals. 

One was a girl who offered her prayers quietly in the spot where the light poured in. Though petite, her face hidden beneath gently undulating silver hair was beautiful and exuded an aura of allure. Her figure appeared mature, akin to that of a grown woman, yet a slight trace of innocence lingered in her face. 

With her hands clasped together, she devoutly continued her prayers with single-minded devotion, embodying the essence of a pious believer. 

The other person was a man in his mid-fifties who observed her prayers from the depths of the temple. His body was sickly thin, and the eyes hidden behind his spectacles were stern. 

He silently descended from the altar and stood before the girl. 

“The time has come,” the man spoke to the girl in the same solemn tone that emanated from his eyes. Hearing his voice, which poured down quietly, the girl stood up in silence. 

“We have done everything we can. We have poured everything we possess into you. The rest is up to you.” 

“Yes.” 

The girl accepted those words directly, never wavering in her beauty. 

“Once the events begin, we can no longer do anything for you. You will be alone.” 

“Yes.” 

“You must face a harsh destiny. Many enemies will assail you. Allies will be few.” 

“Yes.” 

“I… I beg your forgiveness.” 

Those final words emerged as a hoarse voice that seemed to have unintentionally escaped. In that instant, the man’s previously stern face crumbled. Unable to contain himself any longer, he covered his face with his hands, his expression filled with agony. 

“Please forgive me… Please forgive me. I’m sorry… I beg your pardon… We…!!” 

A voice akin to a scream leaked out. The words of repentance were squeezed out, as if he were desperately scratching his head. However, they abruptly halted midway. The girl who had been facing him gently embraced the man, enveloping his body. 

“It’s all right. Please, leave it to me.” 

Her voice was incredibly gentle, its tone resembling a melody that plunged into the depths of one’s heart. The man, who had been filled with anguish, regained a modicum of tranquility with just those words. He collapsed onto the spot as if all his strength had left him. 

“I will risk my life to save all of you.” 

The girl tenderly stroked the man’s forehead and smiled, then turned around. Before her eyes, at the center of the serene temple, stood a massive, radiant door. 

“I’m going.” 

With those words, the girl’s figure disappeared into the depths beyond the door. 

　　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆ 

“Maybe someone could suddenly appear and stylishly come to the rescue of my sister and I…” murmured Ur, voicing a miracle he didn’t truly believe in. His fanciful desire slipped through his lips, devoid of any sense of reality, prompting bitter laughter to escape him. 

Who exactly would come to their aid? 

His family consisted solely of his younger sister, Akane. There were no other relatives to rely on. 

Before entering this place, Ur had fervently prayed to the “spirits” countless times, but he had his doubts about whether they would actually come to his rescue. After all, he was “Nameless”, lacking any significant connection to the spirits. He was “Nameless” because he was deemed unnecessary in the city, cast aside. 

In the end, he knew that he had no choice but to rely on himself, just like always. 

“I’m hungry…” 

Deprived of decent meals, this hunger wasn’t much different from his usual state. However, the combination of exhausting labor, battling monsters, and excavating magic stones made this solitary exploration particularly challenging. 

Typically, his labor involved serving as a decoy to lure the monsters toward the extermination squads. The intensity of fatigue was simply incomparable. 

Ur shook his head, feeling that dwelling on the reasons for his exhaustion would only make him more tired. He needed to focus on what lay before him. 

Currently, Ur found himself on the second floor of the troublesome small-scale dungeon. It was a conventional “underground dungeon type” that descended through a series of stairs and remained unchanged and fixed in shape. The route leading to the deepest part of the final floor, the underground first floor, had already been explored and Ur had been provided with a map of the route, so he wouldn’t get lost. 

The problem was that as he descended, the number of monsters clearly increased. 

Moments ago, he barely managed to handle the small imps that his meager equipment could deal with. However, he now caught glimpses of even more formidable and unbeatable creatures. Each time, Ur moved away from the path, concealed his presence, and desperately maneuvered forward while crawling on the ground. 

If he continued moving forward like this, would he be able to defeat the boss? 

It would be tough, that was Ur’s rough estimation. The current state of his weapon, a considerably damaged long spear (on top of having been repaired once with tattered cloth from his own clothes), honestly didn’t inspire much confidence. 

In a small-scale dungeon like this, only the lowest-ranked monsters, at most a “thirteenth-ranked” goblin, would appear. But if it were a “Ruler” things might be different. Having said that, Ur had never seen what a “Ruler”, so he couldn’t say for sure. 

He regretted his lack of knowledge about dungeons. Many “Nameless” became adventurers due to the limited options available to them, but Ur had avoided it (because of his good-for-nothing father who, as an adventurer, dragged Ur and his sister), so he wasn’t well-versed in the details of the dungeon. 

But regretting it now would be pointless, as it wouldn’t increase his knowledge. 

At the very least, he had to remain vigilant and steel himself. 

“…There it is.” 

Ur discovered a staircase leading to the third underground floor and stepped into it. Dungeons, supernatural structures that came into existence without any human intervention which suddenly appeared all over the world, often had pathways paved and stairs prepared as if they were intended for human use. 

It seemed as if their purpose was to invite humans deep underground. 

Ur swallowed hard and continued down the stairs. 

The staircase came to an end. He had reached the third floor. At the same time, this was the endpoint of this small dungeon. 

Unlike the other floors with labyrinthine passages branching in various directions, the third floor did not have such a layout. A short distance down the passage, there was a large chamber. The innermost chamber was quite dilapidated, with broken and shattered columns. The entire chamber was bathed in magical light; there were no light sources other than the magical illumination. There were traces of a candlestick nearby. 

There were signs of human use, and they didn’t appear to be significantly deteriorated. Perhaps this dungeon was not of the “natural type” but rather an “encroachment type” that utilized an existing structure, and it hadn’t been eroded for a long time yet, Ur thought vaguely. 

And at the center of it all was the “core” that Ur was after. 

“…Is that it?” 

A crystal twice as large as the ones that could be obtained from monsters emitted a brilliant, dazzling radiance at the center of the chamber. It was clearly different from what could be obtained from small goblins. 

Ur had to acquire the 【True Magic Core】. 

However, there would inevitably be a guardian protecting the treasure. 

“The Great Tusked Boar…” 

Jet-black fur, menacing fangs protruding from the sides of its snout, and above all, a massive body that was wide both vertically and horizontally. 

Even with Ur’s limited knowledge of dungeons, as a monster that inhabited the city, he was aware of its existence. 

Among the thirteen ranks of monsters, this boar was twelfth-ranked, one rank above the goblins, and even a single one posed a significantly greater threat. Its method of fighting was simple and straightforward—it charged with its immense weight. That was all, but if it struck a direct hit, a human body would “burst.” 

Compared to those occasionally seen outside the city, it appeared to be even larger, whether it was an illusion caused by fear or because it possessed special powers. Ur couldn’t determine. 

He had to either evade this creature, or defeat it, and obtain that 【True Magic Core】. 

“…Isn’t it impossible?” 

Ur stated his honest impression.