We, along with Lord Armadelux, Lady Maria, and Sir Mathis, boarded the elevator and began our descent to the lowest level of the building, in the opposite direction from earlier. It seemed there was something Lord Armadelux wanted to show us down there.
“As you all might already know, what humans call ancient civilizations can be divided into two types. This place holds the legacy of the first civilization and it contains items that are now impossible to obtain.”
“The first civilization?”
It was presented as common knowledge, but of course, this was my first time hearing about this. The idea that there were two different types of ancient civilizations was intriguing, and I was eager to learn more.
“What, you didn’t know? And you made it all this way here?”
“Perhaps you could research further on your own? Discovering and unraveling mysteries is one of the joys of this world, isn’t it?”
“…Understood.”
I had intended to inquire further with the Dragon God, but Lady Maria took the initiative. I’m sure that if we just play the role of an archaeologist, we might find the answers. Fortunately, I possessed the [Archaeology] skill, which could make the investigation quite fun.
“Well, there’s no problem even if you don’t know. Anyway, the legacy of the civilization I want to pass on to you lies ahead… Ah, we’ve arrived.”
While I was thinking about the unknown history of this world, we reached our destination at the lowest level. The elevator doors opened to a dark space, but with my [Night Vision] skill, I could see inside clearly.
It looked to be a factory. Dust-covered heavy machinery of various sizes lay abandoned, relics of a bygone era. Large cranes suspended from beams near the ceiling suggested that this place was likely used for manufacturing some sort of machinery.
Out of curiosity, I checked the map, and the name “Dragon’s Sanctuary—Ancient Drydock” was written. “Drydock” was an unfamiliar term to me, but if my knowledge served me correctly, I had a feeling that something very nice would come out.
“Mathis.”
“At your service.”
Upon Lord Armadelux’s silent command, Sir Mathis pressed a switch on the wall, and the factory lights blazed to life, revealing details that even my [Night Vision] couldn’t discern.
And there it was before us, A battleship with a total length of over two hundred meters connected to countless machines.
“A floating battleship… it is a weapon of the First Civilization that was almost completed and abandoned.”
◆◇◆◇◆◇
According to Lord Armadelux and Lady Maria, the floating battleship was a primary weapon for a certain faction within the First Civilization. They mentioned that it was equipped with large-scale armaments like cannons and machine guns, in addition to personal combat suits like the one McFarlane piloted.
I’m not well-versed in weaponry, but could it be likened to an aircraft carrier boasting formidable firepower on its own? It likely roared with its cannons while carrying enhanced armors as both guards and aerial combat forces. It felt like we were talking about a completely different game.
By the way, this battleship has not yet been powered up; some parts were missing and had no weapons installed. It seemed that “almost completed” meant just that. Therefore, the interior was pitch-dark, immobile in its current state, and virtually devoid of offensive capabilities.
As for armaments, there were none to be found in the drydock, and the message was clear: if we wanted it armed, we’d have to do it ourselves. Even if it were possible to dominate with such advanced technology, I wouldn’t have pursued it as it would be an extraordinary problem for other players.
“How about it? The interior is quite impressive, isn’t it?”
I had been shown around the interior of this ancient superweapon by Lord Armadelux himself. At first, I tried to refuse, fearing the consequences if other players found out. However, he insisted, saying “I can’t forgive myself if you don’t accept it!” I was overwhelmed by his insistence and gratefully accepted his offer.
As for why I was walking through the ship with him alone, it was to register me as its owner. The mechanism involved imprinting my magical signature onto the ship’s control system. He explained that by doing so, I would be able to manage all aspects of the battleship.
“Yes, but I was surprised by the size and height of the general-use corridors. I heard that it was constructed by humans, so I naturally assumed the corridors would be human-sized.”
“The corridors reflect the era’s practice of enslaving humanoid monsters for labor. While they also used androids for menial tasks, monsters were more convenient because they could be used up at a lower cost. If one died, they could simply be recycled into materials.”
We were currently walking through a passage leading to the central control room, which was heavily secured. There was a thick door that could only be opened with three different card keys. The passage was narrow and less than two meters in height, which made it feel very cramped. In contrast, the general corridors were spacious enough for even Eiji and Karl to walk through; this was a detail I found to be interesting until I learned its unsettling reason.
It seemed that the ancient humans subjected monsters to even harsher conditions than the historical mine slaves of our real life. No wonder McFarlane referred to them as “mere monsters” or “nothing but resources”. I was relieved that our era was not set in such times.
“Speaking of which, that Yifa girl really did a number on me. She’s the only goddess with the gall to turn the thief who stole my dragon’s jewel into a disposable pawn… That wench definitely knew what was going on and kept quite.”
“That….seems quite possible.”
Throughout our journey thus far, Lord Armadelux has inquired about our adventures and the circumstances under which we acquired the Dragon’s Jewel. I made sure to stick to the facts without any exaggeration, but I could see his brow furrow when I described how the Dragon’s Jewel had been obtained.
It seems that not only the “Trial of the Azure Moon” but any quest offering a reward of “God” quality and “God” rarity always involves the hand of god in some way or another. This implies that a god was responsible for appointing that foolish noble as the boss for the “Trial of the Azure Moon”.
Moreover, all the goddesses were aware of the dragons’ rampage caused by the theft of the Dragon’s Jewel. Lord Armadelux suggested that only a goddess like Yifa would think to use the foolish noble, still in possession of the Dragon’s Jewel, as a pawn in her schemes.
Although I have been bestowed with [Yifa’s Blessing], I couldn’t help but offer a wry smile in response to Lord Armadelux’s words. Despite our limited interactions, I had somewhat seen her to have a hedonistic personality, and it wouldn’t be surprising if she acted on the premise of finding something “entertaining”.
I can’t help but wonder if that’s a good thing for a management AI. However, the gods of Greek mythology and Japanese mythology are also unique. As long as the system is properly managed, there may be no need for players to complain.
“Since Maria holds her in high regard as a sister, I’ll let it slide, but next time we meet, I’d love to throw a sarcastic remark her way.”
It seems that Lady Yifa and Lady Maria are close and have a sisterly relationship. Therefore, he must be afraid to treat the goddess who is like his wife’s sister in a cruel way. Lord Armadelux, despite his rough manner of speaking, did not seem to be crude. Rather, he was simply a devoted husband.
“As someone who has received her blessing, I am sorry.”
“There’s no need for you to apologize. …Ah, here we are.”
At the end of the narrow corridor, there was a door that could be unlocked with a card key, similar to the one we had encountered earlier. However, it was left open.
“This is…”
“The heart of this ship I mentioned earlier, the core of a floating battleship powered by a huge magic stone.”
In the central room, there was a device incorporating a colorless, transparent magic stone that seemed to be at least five meters in diameter. Countless cords extended from it towards the ceiling and floor. These cords likely distributed magic power throughout the entire ship. This room was, in a literal sense, the heart of the ship.
Even though the room was filled with sprawling cords, a path from the entrance to the device was kept clear. Lord Armadelux proceeded along this path, and I obediently followed. We arrived beneath the device.
“The task is simple. Place your hand here and then channel your magic power into it. Give it a try.”
As instructed, I placed my skeletal hand on the touch panel-like part of the device and channeled my magic power into it. To my surprise, the moment I did, the device sprang to life on its own! The glow from the magic stone intensified, and I could hear the sounds of something whirring into action. Is this really okay? It’s not going to break, is it?
[The owner’s unique magic power has been registered. Good morning, Master.]
As I was contemplating whether I should stop the flow of magic power, a mechanical voice made an announcement inside the ship. Th-this is the end, right?
“Done. This battleship is yours now.”
It seems like it’s over. I’m glad that it was over without incident, but there’s something I need to ask first.
“That’s well and good, but… what was that voice just now?”
“Of course, that was the voice of the ship… Ah, I see. You’re not familiar with the First Civilization…”
Lord Armadelux’s expression grew contemplative as he placed a hand on his forehead, deep in thought. It was likely, as Lady Maria had mentioned, that from their perspective, not all information was meant to be freely shared.
“Roughly speaking, some of the weapons from that era had souls.”
“Souls, huh?”
He must have been referring to what we’d now consider AI. The ancient civilization’s technology seemed to have been remarkably advanced, seemingly on par with modern standards.
Yet the notion of Lord Armadelux who was an NPC discussing AI…. was somewhat perplexing. Could it be that there were even video game consoles back then? The idea of a game within a game was interesting. It might be worth exploring.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
After receiving a card key from Lord Armadelux, I officially became the owner of the ship. We then left the ship and returned to join the others, who were engaged in their own lively discussions.
“Did Jigoro… shrink a bit?”
“Really? Has he turned into a Child Demon (Douji)? That’s quite a man of substance then.”
Jigoro seemed to have finally reached level 60 in the battle against McFarlane and went through an evolution. At first glance, the changes appeared to be limited to his hair and the tattoos across his body shimmering brightly. However, upon closer inspection, he seemed to have slimmed down slightly, as if he had transitioned from a bodybuilder to a boxer… or is that too confusing an analogy?
Observing such a transformed Jigoro, Lord Armadelux seemed amused. He referred to Jigoro as “Douji”, a term used for a kind of Japanese demon often featured in fairy tales. Following the ranks of evil demons “Akki” and “Jaakki” now there was “Douji”. It seemed my companion whom I called a brother was steadily embarking on the path of villainy. Very good!
“Brother! You’re back!”
“Yes. You’ve evolved, haven’t you?”
“That’s right! I’m now a Golden Child Demon. And I’ve also gained the title ‘Unique Monster’ just like you!”
Ah, you too! It’s a title worth having. Surely, as more players join, others of the same race might emerge, even if the title is time-limited. But still, it’s an occasion worth celebrating!
“But hey, even with my evolution, it seems Moth-san and the others have gotten into even more interesting situations.”
“Hoo? What happened? I’d like to hear about it.”
I turned to Moth-san with a question, intrigued by what could be more interesting than Jigoro’s evolution.
“Yes, we found a strange item in our inventory all of a sudden.”
“A strange item? And who is ‘we’?”
“Yes, it was Shishu-san, Wool-kun, and myself. Here’s the actual item.”
Moth-san then presented a letter. It was neatly sealed with wax and was enclosed in a pitch-black envelope, which appeared to have been opened with a precise cut that was likely made by Moth-san’s wing claws.
The letter inside was written on similarly black parchment, with the words inscribed in a striking shade of red. It was a sinister and tasteless piece, and the fact that it was addressed specifically to Moth-san and the others added an element of curiosity. Time to read it.
“What’s this… ‘We, the children of darkness, bless thee. Burn this script, and the path shall open’… What does this mean?”
This was what the letter said. To burn this letter? Yet it said nothing else.
“When we appraised it as an item, it was identified as an ‘Invitation from the Demon World’.”
“The Demon World…?”
“Hohoo, what a rare find! Rejoice. It seems a notable figure from the Demon World has taken notice of you.”
Lord Armadelux said that with a knowing smile on his face.
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