Chapter 1912 – 1912. The Dark Moon
I went into the tent with Clive.
Inside, there were two more people besides Professor Hammington. Neither of them appear to be members of the expedition team. The atmosphere is rough and armed. Perhaps they are mercenaries.
‘Have you hired two more mercenaries? This is an unexpected variable.’
I took a look at the level of the mercenaries. One is a Gunner who handles firearms, and the other is a warrior who uses a giant sword. It’s not superhuman.
“Nice to meet you. Welcome to the Hammington Expedition.”
Professor Hammington approached me. She was a middle-aged woman with gray hair. She has a stocky body for a woman. Her angular chin shows her confidence and strength.
“This is Eugene Meyer.”
“This is Nora Hammington. She’ll come over and sit down. Just as she was explaining tomorrow’s exploration to the other mercenaries. Oh, you guys should say hello to each other too. It’s temporary, but isn’t it a colleague to work with?”
Among the mercenaries, the first to speak was a warrior wearing partial armor. He was a man with short, sporty hair and a messy short beard on his lower part.
“This is Jin Xtum. Sorcerer.”
“You are ignorant. What about that one?”
I look towards the gunner. A tall man in a leather coat who had been sitting quietly opened his mouth slowly.
“It’s Josh Winter.”
“Eugene Meyer, wizard.”
The reaction of the mercenaries was heartbreaking. Then he looks at me with his eyes. Like me, they will also be measuring the level.
“When the shouting is over, come and sit down.”
Sat down Nora Hammington handed her a cup of coffee. She took a sip. Shall I say it again? It was garbage. I don’t think it’s cheap coffee beans, but it seemed to be roughly brewed coffee.
“All you have to do is escort the expedition and destroy the monsters. Since the ancient ruins are old, some monsters are living there. A place where people cannot reach. It’s the perfect place for monsters.”
“Strange. Are there no combat personnel on the expedition? How did you get here?”
Jin asked Professor Hammington. He seemed ignorant, but his manners toward his employer were kept to a minimum.
“The original expedition escorts left because their sponsorship was cut off. Right now, the expedition members can fight if they want to fight, but we didn’t come to fight monsters, we came to explore ancient ruins.”
“You mean the exploration continues even though the sponsorship is cut off?”
Josh, the tall gunner, asked incomprehensibly.
“This is an ancient site that we found with great difficulty and with great difficulty. Most of the donation money was used to break the hidden seal. In addition, our expedition members, including myself, have invested in personal assets. If you give up here, you will only be left with a pile of debt. We must get our hands on the treasure down here.”
Nora said with a determined expression. It was said that there was a lot of investment, so it could not be missed until the money was drawn.
“… Do we have a paycheck?”
Jin asked with concern.
“When applying for a request, a property confirmation was required. Don’t worry, I have money to pay for the commission. I’m a professor at Miskatonic University. Even though the sponsorship of the expedition has been cut off, its status is still valid.”
“After. That’s good.”
After that, the explanation continued.
• • •
After dinner, the mercenaries and I met separately. It was Jin who arranged this place. He smoked a cigarette and opened his mouth.
“If you worked on this floor, you would know. The atmosphere here is weird.”
“Don’t weigh in unnecessarily and talk about the main point.”
“You’re a magician, but you have a very impatient personality. In short, I feel bad. You’re struggling to the point of paying debt, but do you have the money to hire a mercenary? It’s kind of strange.”
“It is strange. So? What are you going to do? If you don’t want to do it, quit.”
I said it with the same meaning. We already know that the Hammington Expedition is strange. From my point of view, these mercenaries were more variable. It would be better if there were no mercenaries.
“Oh shit, I guess I’m not a magician. You’re so damn picky. I mean, let’s stick together for the worst. Together, the odds of survival increase. Of course.”
“The expedition team is also an expedition team, but do you think I can trust you?”
“Do not be like this. We’re on the same page. There is nothing wrong with being prepared.”
“… He’s right. There’s nothing wrong with being prepared. The bad feeling is the same here.”
Josh, who was quiet, said. It’s hard to bet that he’s quiet when he comes out. I said with a sigh.
“What are we going to do with each other? Shall we get together and hit the back of the expedition?”
“I have no certainty that the expedition will stab us in the back. It would be nice if my intuition was weak, but… When you’re sure, let’s get together. After that, it’s up to you to look at the situation and decide whether to go behind the expedition team or not. Did you understand?”
“It’s insurance.”
“As Mr. Gunner said, it is insurance for survival. How is it?”
“It’s not bad. Insurance is just insurance.”
Said Josh. I also nodded. Because it’s literally insurance. I’m not going to continue with these guys. There was no particular damage.
“Good. If you find something suspicious, share it right away.”
• • •
The expedition headed to the ancient ruins early in the morning.
Professor Hammington led us as the head of the expedition.
“Jin. You ask for reconnaissance. I’ve already explored halfway through and figured out that there are no traps.”
“I heard you only explored halfway? What about the trap after that?”
“Then you have to be careful. Check carefully to see if there are any monsters. Josh. You’ll ask for the rear. He likes to go after some monsters. Isn’t there a saying that you shouldn’t turn your back on a beast? That also applies to monsters. Of course, as a mercenary, you know better than I do.”
“…”
“Eugene Meyer. Keep using the search magic on you. If there’s a monster or something unusual, just tell me. Oh, and go down and recharge the batteries. As a lightning-type magician, that shouldn’t be difficult.”
“All right.”
Answered roughly.
Professor Hammington’s intention was obvious. It was a ploy to roll the mercenaries from the start to drain their health and mana. It’s what mercenaries do, so the other mercenaries didn’t seem to realize it.
Descend beneath the ancient ruins. I looked around and marveled. Hammington, who was near me, smiles at my reaction.
“It must have felt the mana that was scattered all over the ancient ruins. He is also a wizard.”
“I knew in theory that ancient ruins naturally accumulate mana over time and transform like dungeons, but seeing it in practice is amazing.”
“It’s like that at first. When I first explored the ancient ruins, I walked looking at each stone. It was so full of wonders.”
“It doesn’t look like that now.”
“I feel like I want to do that. But time is finite and not eternal. The expedition team doesn’t move alone… You have to use your time as efficiently as possible.”
If you checked every single stone, you might have discovered something new. For example, the golden bracelet I found yesterday, or the golden gift.
Soon we arrived at the middle zone. It was a kind of clearing, but a huge tombstone was blocking us. In the center of the tombstone, an ancient language was written.
I don’t even know the ancient language. But I know what it is. In the original game, it kindly informs you with subtitles. That was the question to ask those who were about to move forward.
-Are you ready to give your life?
Professor Hammington naturally interpreted the ancient language written on this tombstone. As much as he was called a professor, his skills were genuine.
She walked forward, catching the gaze of the explorers.
“We are all set. Please open the way forward.”
The ancient words written on the tombstone shone for an instant.
Drurrrr!
The tombstone splits in half and opens like an automatic door. A dark road appeared in front of him.
“As expected, Professor Hammington.”
“It’s a pity that this is the last expedition of the Hammington Expedition.”
“Professor! What was written on the tombstone?”
“It’s nothing. It was about our determination.”
Professor Hammington said with a smile.
“Oh, I see. It really didn’t matter.”
The explorer also laughed and said. Jin, who went ahead, flinched. For a moment, I felt awkward.
The expedition team was all in one barrel. They knew that these ancient ruins needed a sacrifice. I know that it is also an ancient ruin that requires human sacrifice. For reference, the less ordinary the offering, the better. That’s why they hired mercenaries, not ordinary people.
‘But the expedition team doesn’t know what’s inside the ancient ruins. It couldn’t have happened beforehand.’
But I’m different.
Through the game, I went through these ancient ruins. Not only that, but they also know three different strategies.
Soon we reached the first gate. The ancient words written on the tombstone are shining softly.
“Look out. First, I will interpret the ancient language.”
Professor Hammington stepped forward. She interpreted the ancient language with a serious expression. I saw her mouth quiver.
“Professor. What does archaic mean?”
“… Hmm. It’s an ancient language with a little twist. Interpretation will take some time. You guys should investigate to see if there’s anything unusual about this place.”
Professor Hammington’s instructions fell. The expedition members each took out their tools and started investigating. There were various types of people, such as those who searched with magic, those who looked every nook and cranny with special tools, and those who lay down on the floor and put their ears to the ground.
I kept an eye on Professor Hammington while charging the batteries.
Professor Hammington would have interpreted the ancient language as soon as he saw it. And its content.
– Dedicate a woman.
Currently, there are 24 people in total. Among them, there are only four female professors, including Professor Hammington. From the beginning, the professor’s plan started to go awry.
Professor Hammington was contemplating who to sacrifice and how.
Before long, she called Cliff, her unit commander. It looks like you’ve decided what to do.
“Clara. Would you like to come over here?”
Cliff called Clara, the youngest member of the expedition and a woman.
“Yes!”
They decided on a victim in 3 minutes. I glanced behind me. The door leading out was still open.
